AFW Christmas Special!!!

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that every good tree bears good fruit. Over the past several years, A Father's Walk has been on the front lines when it comes to keeping single fathers involved in the lives of their children and to help turn generational curses into generational blessings.
We have been very influential in bringing 3 annual events to the West Michigan area: the Grand Rapids Single Parenting Expo, Father's Day at the Horse Ranch, and the Focus on Fathers conference. We have also published 2 books on single fatherhood and fatherless children (A Father's Walk: A Christian-Based Resource for Single Fathers and The Daddy Gap) and continue to lead the charge in helping churches across the nation to catch this vision.
Still, the harvest field is in greater need than ever and we have plenty of work to keep doing. Your (tax deductible) contribution of any size will allow us to continue our mission of "Helping a generation of children grow up WITH their fathers by serving and equipping all single dads in Jesus Christ." AND, from now through Christmas, every donation of $30 or more will receive a FREE copy of the AFW book- a great gift for any single father you may know!
You may donate directly online on our website: www.afatherswalk.org or mail a check to us at:
P.O. Box 9523
Wyoming, MI 49509
You gift today can and will make an impact for generations to come!

The Song

I had the opportunity to go see The Song the other day; and I can tell you that the movie definitely lived up to its hype! Based on the life of King Solomon, the film is a modern-day tale of a small town singer, his family, and his rise to fame─ and all the dangers that come along with money and power. The movie is intricately woven through Jeb King, the main character (and son of David King), and his narration which includes numerous passages of Scripture from both Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.

Some will call this movie a great “date night” idea; some will say it is an excellent presentation of God’s Word through the silver screen. My answer to both is “yes”. For those of us who have a solid Biblical base, we are able to see how Jeb (Solomon) fell into the pits of temptation and how he realized it is all meaningless and fleeting when it comes to real love and what life is truly all about. It is a story of the forgiveness and redemption that we can bestow upon each other─ and ultimately of how God redeems us completely through His Son.

From a fathering perspective, I observed The Song as a great example of how so many men, husbands, and fathers have had their hearts led astray by fleshy lusts and empty desires from those who matter the most to them. James tells us, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust is conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished (full grown), it brings forth death. –James 1:14-15 (NASB, emphasis added)

 In the opening chapter of our upcoming book The Daddy Gap, my coauthor Dawn Walker states, There are things that God intended a father to provide that a mother at her best simply cannot. She was not designed to. God distinctly designed a man to be the leader of his home, the protector and provider for his family. At his best, he is the one who speaks love and truth into his sons and daughters, who instills security, worth and identity and whose example gives them a model of a Father in heaven who is trustworthy, faithful and strong. Unfortunately, we have an enemy who knows that if he can take out the leader, he can weaken, cripple and scatter those in his wake. The Bible says he prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Sadly, he often succeeds, and when he does there are casualties. Today, record numbers of fathers have fallen prey to drug and alcohol addiction, violence, pornography, adultery, and other seemingly harmless lures that end in death; the death of a marriage, a family, and sometimes even the man himself. When this happens, instead of the example above, the father’s legacy can be devastating to generations of sons and daughters who feel abandoned, unprotected, unworthy. The saddest part of all is that they also get presented with a distorted picture of a God who is weak, unloving and not to be trusted.

I once heard former Korn guitarist Brian Welsh talk about the band’s literal and spiritual demise, the same time they were climbing the Billboard charts: “We were losing everything while we were gaining the world.” Every single one of the band member’s marriages ended in divorce, and addictions of all sorts consumed their lives and souls during this time period. It is only by God’s grace and mercy that Brian was able to find his way out of that lifestyle and into his own salvation through Jesus.

Men, where are you at with all of this today? Are you setting safety barriers in place so that the same fate that befell King David’s son does not fall upon your household? Do you have a heart that is completely and totally sold out for Christ no matter what, or are there other idols that are creeping in and beginning to suck His love out of you? Let me assure you that NONE of us are immune or exempt from the work of the devil when it comes to leading and guiding our families. It is only through our continued trust and dependence on Christ that we are able to withstand and ward off the spiritual assault of this world; and to raise a new generation of believers for God’s Kingdom─ beginning with our own children.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. –Eph 2:4-7 (NKJV)