Use one father each Sunday in June, or read them all in the week before Father's Day. Each one has a short summary, a King James verse to read from the Bible, and one lesson for kids, and for dads.
1. Noah obeyed God for his whole family
When God told Noah to build an ark, Noah did everything God said, and God told him, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark" (Genesis 7:1). "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he." (Genesis 6:22, KJV) Lesson: a father who obeys God leads his family to safety. Noah's Ark →
2. Abraham believed God and taught his children
Abraham was old and had no children, but he believed God's promise. God said of him, "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD" (Genesis 18:19, KJV). Lesson: a father teaches his children the way of the LORD. God's Promise to Abraham →
3. Isaac prayed for his family
Isaac and Rebekah had no children for many years. "And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived." (Genesis 25:21, KJV) Their twins were Jacob and Esau. Lesson: a father prays for his family and waits on God. Isaac Is Born →
4. Jacob loved Joseph, and learned a hard lesson
Jacob (also called Israel) made Joseph a coat of many colours. But he loved Joseph more than his other sons, "they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him" (Genesis 37:4, KJV), and that jealousy led to years of trouble. God still worked it for good (Genesis 50:20). Lesson: love every child in the family. Joseph and His Brothers →
5. Amram hid baby Moses by faith
Moses' father was Amram (Exodus 6:20). When Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew baby boys killed, Moses' parents hid him. "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." (Hebrews 11:23, KJV) Lesson: a father trusts God and protects his children. Baby Moses →
6. Jesse brought his youngest son
When Samuel came to anoint a king, Jesse showed him seven sons. Samuel asked, "Are here all thy children?" Jesse said, "There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep." (1 Samuel 16:11, KJV) That youngest son was David, because "the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Lesson: every child matters to God. David Is Anointed King →
7. Job prayed for his children every time
Job had seven sons and three daughters. After their feasts, Job "rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all... Thus did Job continually." (Job 1:5, KJV) Lesson: a father prays for each of his children, again and again. Job Trusts God →
8. Zacharias named his son as God said
Zacharias and Elisabeth "were both righteous before God" (Luke 1:6). The angel said their son would be called John. When John was born, Zacharias "asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John." (Luke 1:63, KJV) That son was John the Baptist. Lesson: a father obeys God, even when it surprises people. John the Baptist →
9. Joseph protected the young child Jesus
Joseph, Mary's husband, was the man God chose to raise Jesus. He was "a just man" (Matthew 1:19), and when God warned him in a dream, "he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt" (Matthew 2:14, KJV). Every year Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem for the feast of the passover (Luke 2:41). Lesson: a father listens to God and keeps his family safe. Boy Jesus at the Temple →
10. Jairus ran to Jesus for his daughter
Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus' feet and "besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death" (Mark 5:23, KJV). Jesus told him, "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36), and raised his daughter up. Lesson: a father brings his children to Jesus.
11. The father who ran (Jesus' story)
In Jesus' story, a younger son wasted everything in a far country and came home sorry. "But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15:20, KJV) Lesson: God is a Father who is ready to forgive (1 John 1:9). The Prodigal Son →
God is our Father
The best Father in the Bible is God Himself. Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father which art in heaven" (Matthew 6:9), and Malachi 2:10 asks, "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?" There is one God, and He is a Father to every child: "A father of the fatherless... is God in his holy habitation" (Psalm 68:5). So whether a child's dad is near, far away, or not in their life at all, every child here has a Father in heaven.
For Father's Day: quiz the kids with fathers in the Bible trivia, act out the prodigal son play, and send home a Father's Day verse card.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Moses' father?
Amram. Exodus 6:20 says Amram's wife Jochebed "bare him Aaron and Moses". By faith Moses was hid three months "of his parents", who were not afraid of the king's commandment (Hebrews 11:23).
Who was Noah's father?
Lamech. He named his son Noah, saying, "This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands" (Genesis 5:29).
Who was the father of John the Baptist?
Zacharias, a priest. He and his wife Elisabeth "were both righteous before God" (Luke 1:6), and when John was born, Zacharias wrote, "His name is John" (Luke 1:63).
Who was the father of Jacob and Esau?
Isaac, Abraham's son. He prayed for his wife Rebekah, and the LORD answered (Genesis 25:21). Isaac was threescore (sixty) years old when the twins were born (Genesis 25:26).
