06/22/2026
Allison Park Christian Church
Morning Worship Fatherās Day June 21, 2026
Pastor Fran Osborne
OPENING
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Good morning yāall. To our very few fathers here with us this morningā¦I wish yāall a Happy Fatherās Day. To those whose dads are no longer with usā¦I wish yāall hugs. (If she is here, a BIG welcome back to Sue and Tom)
PREPARE for WORSHIP
As we gather this morning, take a quiet breath and rest in the presence of the God who calls us His children. Today we reflect on the compassion of our Heavenly Father ā the One whose love is steady, patient, and unfailing. May your heart open to His comfort, His guidance, and His gentle strength as we prepare for worship as we listen to the music Nancy is playing.
CALL to WORSHIP
One: Come, children of God, loved beyond measure.
Many: We come to worship the Father who is compassionate and kind.
One: Come, those with joyful hearts and those with heavy ones.
Many: We come trusting the God who brings life out of what seems impossible.
All: Let us worship the Lord with grateful hearts.
INVOCATION
Gracious and loving Father, we gather in Your presence today with gratitude for Your compassion and Your steadfast love. As we worship, speak to our hearts, strengthen our spirits, and remind us that we are held securely in Your care.
Guide our thoughts, shape our worship, and draw us closer to You. Amen.
PRAYERS for the PEOPLE
Words of Assurance
Friends, hear the assurance of Godās heart toward us. Christ comes to us saying, āPeace be with you,ā not as a command but as a gift.
Take a deep breath of grace ā God meets us not with judgment but with compassion, not with distance but with welcome. In Jesus Christ, what is broken can be healed, what is heavy can be lifted, and our future is held in hope. We are forgiven and set free to live in peace.
Pastoral Prayer
Loving Father, on this day we lift before You all those who celebrate and all who struggle. We thank you for fatherās who have loved well, for mentors who have guided us, and for men who have shown kindness. strength, and faithfulness. Bless them with renewed energy, wisdom, and joy in the work they do.
We pray for those who grieve today ā for those whose fathers have passed, for those who long to be fathers, and for those who carry wounds from their post. Surround them with Your comfort and peace, remind them that Your love is deeper than any hurt they carry.
We pray for families in need of healing, for relationships strained or broken and for hearts that feel alone.
Bring reconciliation where there is distance, tenderness where there is tension, and hope where there is discouragement.
Strengthen all who parent, guide, teach, and nurture. Give them patience when the days are long, courage when the challenges feel heavy, and grace for themselves when they fall short.
Help them to see the sacredness in the small, everyday acts of love.
And for all of us, Lord, remind us that You are the Father who never leaves us, never forgets us, and never stops loving us. Hold us close, steady our steps, and lead us in Your compassion. In the name of Jesus, our Savior and Brother, who taught us to pray, sayingā¦
The Lordās Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done;
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive our sins
As we forgive those who
Sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Prayer Response
Hear our prayer O Lord,
Hear our prayer O Lord,
Incline Thine ear to use,
And grant us Thy peace. Amen.
COMMUNION MEDITATION
On this Fatherās Day, we come to the Table of the One who loves us with a perfect fatherly love. Jesus, the Son, invites us to remember the sacrifice that opened the way for us to be called children of God. At this Table, we are reminded that Godās love is not distant or abstract ā it is embodied, poured out, and given freely.
As we take the bread and cup, we remember the Father who sent His Son, the Son who gave Himself, and the Spirit who draws us near. This Table is for all who seek grace, forgiveness, and renewal.
AFFIRMATION of FAITH
We confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and proclaim Him Lord and Savior of the world.
At the Table of the Lord, we celebrate with Thanksgiving, the saving acts and presence of Christ. Amen.
COMMUNION PRAYER
Holy Father,
Thank You for the gift of Your Son and for the love that made this Table possible. Bless this bread and cup, and bless all who partake. May we be strengthened by Your grace, renewed by Your mercy, and united in Your love. Amen.
To all believersāwhether your faith feels strong today or fragileāJesus invites you to His Table. Come as you are. Come with your burdens, your hopes, your questions, your praise. The Lord welcomes you, and His grace is enough.
TITHES & OFFERINGS
Fathers give in many ways ā through time, through presence, through sacrifice. Today we remember the Father who gives more generously than any earthly parent. Every good gift comes from Him, and our offering is simply a response to His abundant love.
As we give, may our hearts reflect gratitude, trust, and joy in the One who provides for all our needs.
Let us prayā¦
Generous Father, receive these gifts as signs of our gratitude and trust. Use them to bless, to heal, to feed, and to strengthen Your people. May our giving reflect Your heart and bring glory to Your name. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 103:8-13
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
This concludes the reading of the Hebrew scriptures.
PASTORāS MESSAGE: āThe Father We All Need ā
There once was a young mother who went down to the nursery at a hospital and found her young husband peering down at his newborn baby who was asleep. The mother could tell he was captivated by the scene as he stood there looking at the sleeping infant. She tiptoed up behind him and slipped her arm through his and said, āHone, what are you thinking about?ā He said, āI just canāt understand how they are able to make a crib like this for $89.95.ā
Fathers are interesting creatures. Here are the top 4 things Youāll NEVER hear a father say:
4. Hereās a credit card and the keys to my car. Go Crazy!!
3. Your mother and I are going away for the weekend. You might want to consider throwing a party with your friends.
2. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.
1. Well, how ābout that? Iām lost! Looks like weāll have to stop and ask for directions.
There as ALWAYS been a great need for Dads.
We may think theyāre weird because of what they wear.
Their lack of emotions.
One of my favorite memories of my dad; which I cherish is:
My mother became very ill when I was 9 years old. She was in the hospital and back then children were not allowed to visit the hospitals. I hadnāt seen Mama for over a week.
I came home from school and found my dad sitting on my bed. He looked very sad and I remember wondering why. Daddy took me up in his lap and told me that he had a very important question to ask me. It was ā¦ āIf anything should happen to Mama and the angels came to take her to heaven, who would I want to live withā¦ my Aunt Alice (Mamaās sister) or with him.ā
My answer was with him! Later that day, the nurses snuck me into the hospital to see Mama because the doctors didnāt think Mama would make it through the night. Long story shortā¦Mama survived.
What a difficult situation for any father to be placed. As an adult I think of that conversation every once in a while. No father should ever have to have a conversation with his children. That was a wobbly day for him.
But Dads are essential in our homes today. With that being said, what does the Bible tell us about what makes a great dad?
A Great Dad Loves His Children
Psalm 103:13, āAs a father has compassion on his childrenā¦ā
Compassionate ā The word compassion is a word that means to love deeply & to cherish.
Cherish ā Dads are to cherish and nurture their children.
Rich in steadfast love ā Always being for their children, providing and support.
Understanding of our frailty ā Being there when your childrenās best laid plans fail.
God knows our frame. He remembers we are dust. He doesnāt love us because we perform well ā He loves us because we belong to Him.
This is the Father who runs to meet prodigals, who binds up the brokenhearted, who lifts the lowly, who forgives again and again. This is the Father who never gives up on His children.
A Great Dad is Fair to His Children
Ephesians 6:4, āAnd now a word to you fathers. Donāt make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with a discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.ā (NLT)
The NIV translation says āā¦donāt exasperate your children.ā
Donāt wear them out. Donāt nag them. Donāt make them hostile.
Treat them fairly but that doesnāt mean you donāt discipline them.
Donāt unfairly punish them.
Be reasonable.
Remember kids are going to do things that they are asked not too.
From a kidās point of view, you are not allowed to get angry.
If your child does something that deserves to be grounded or spanked:
They have to take their medicine; even if it breaks your heart.
A Great Dad Takes the Time to Train and Instruct His Children
Letās take a look at the rest of the Ephesians 6:4 verse:
āRather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.ā
Instruction ā Moral and spiritual
Teach them absolute truth.
The difference between right and wrong
Good & Evil ā Heaven & Hell ā Morality & Immorality ā Children
As long as you live your parentās home your response should always be:
āIām going to obey you.ā
āI may not always like it, and I may not agree with itā.
āIām the child and you are the parents.ā
āI want to please and obey God by obeying, you.ā
As we look at these three responsibilities:
Do you see why it is so important that Dads be the kind of dads they were meant to be?
We have a generation of children who donāt know their right from their left because they didnāt have a fatherly example to follow in their lives.
They didnāt have a father who loved them, treated them fairly and taught them right from wrong.
We have a way too many young adults who have a distorted view of God.
Because their relationship with their earthly father is so messed up; it is difficult for them to see that God is loving and patient and merciful.
Transition: One of the greatest characteristics I love most about God:
God is a father to me.
You and I have two fathers.
Our earthly father and our Heavenly One.
Here are some truths about God being our Father:
He will always be around.
āFor a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on His shoulders. These will be His royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Fatherā¦ā(Isaiah 9:6)
God is not going anywhere.
Our Heavenly Father will always be there ā He will always be around.
Heāll never walk out on us
Heāll never die.
He is our constant hope.
When we are alone we can trust in Him.
B. He is a Father to the Fatherless and Defender of Widows
āFather to the fatherless, defender of widows ā this is God, whose dwelling is holy.ā Psalm 68:5
* The words fatherless and orphan are used 10 times in the Bible.
* The word widow is used 11 times in the Bible.
* Almost every time these words are being used they are in the context of God either looking out for them or He is giving instruction not to mistreat them.
* God has a special place in His heart for children that live a fatherless home.
* There are single moms who may not be widowās, but their husband isnāt around.
* These moms need to understand that they have a great heavenly Father in their corner.
* As a church we need to embrace Godās love and concern.
C. God loves you and I just as much as He loves His Son Jesus.
āI have given them the glory you gave Me, so that they may be one, as we are ā I in them and you in Me, all being perfected into one.
Then the world will know that You sent me and will understand that You love them as much as You love me.ā John 17:23 (NLT)
The first word that Jesus uses in the next verse is āFather.ā
Jesus uses the word āFatherā six times in this chapter.
That is how much God loves every single one of you.
He loves us as much as He loves His Son. Even when He disciplines us.
D. We Decide Whether He Will Be Our Father or Not.
In one sense He has every right to have ownership in our lives. Because after all, He created us. But He will never force His way to be our Father. He will never take you to court to make you recognize His Fatherhood.
Today, as we celebrate this fatherās day, that Dadās & wannabe dadās are crucial in the life of children.
Secondly, we learn that the ultimate example of fatherhood is found in our Heavenly Father.
Finally, even if our father is not around you, we se that weāre still not alone.
Psalm 27:10 (the Message) states; āMy father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.ā
May this Fatherās Day be celebrated with a whole new perspective this weekend.
This Sunday, we honor the fathers who loved well, who tried hard, who showed up, who did their best.
No matter what kind of father you had ā or didnāt have ā you have a Father in heaven who is everything your heart has ever needed.
Amen.
INVITATION
If you are seeking a Father whose love never fails, a Savior who redeems, or a community where you can belong, the invitation is open. Come as you are. Come with your joys and your burdens. Come and receive the love of the Father who calls you His Child.
THANK YOU
I would like to thank you for worshipping with us today as we celebrate fathers; both living in their earthly homes and for those living in their eternal home.
Next Sunday is our last Sunday in June and my plan is to get to yāall the July newsletter.
BENEDICTION
Go now in the love of the Father who is compassionate and kind, in the grace of the Son who call you friend, and in the fellowship of the Spirit who walks beside you.
May you live as beloved children of God, strengthened by His presence and guided by His peace. Amen.
