Be The Dads Life Group Meeting

Be The Dads – Life Group Session #1

We need to be the dads God created us to be. Our priorities as dads need to align with the will and plans of God to make sure things go to plan. So don’t let the enemy try to condemn you for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and choose to receive the conviction and make choices and changes to get back in alignment and on track with the plans and purposes of God, He did make you a dad after all and is our perfect example.

1. Seek First – Dads who are Keeping God at the Center

Key Verse:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
—Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Question:
Why is it critical to keep God as the top priority in our lives as dads?
Answer:
Because everything flows from our relationship with God. If He isn’t first, everything else will be out of order. Prioritizing God allows Him to guide, bless, and strengthen us in every other area of life.

Supporting Scriptures:

• Deuteronomy 6:5 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
• Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

Application:
Start your day with God – in prayer, in His Word. Let Him set the agenda. Review your calendar: How much time is truly dedicated to your relationship with God?

2. Next in Line – Dads who Honor Your Wife

Key Verse:
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
—Ephesians 5:25 (NIV)

Question:
What does it look like to prioritize our wives biblically?
Answer:
It means loving sacrificially, leading spiritually, and cherishing her emotionally and relationally. This includes communication, time together, and mutual support.

Supporting Scriptures:

• 1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect…”
• Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Application:
Look at your checkbook and calendar: Are you investing in your marriage—dates, conversations, prayer time together? Is she being prioritized after God?

3. A Dad’s Legacy – Raising Godly Children

Key Verse:
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
—Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)

Question:
How do we reflect God’s love in how we raise our children?
Answer:
By being present, engaged, encouraging, and disciplining in love. Teaching them God’s Word and modeling a life of faith.

Supporting Scriptures:

• Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
• Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children…”

Application:
What’s on your calendar for time with your kids—individually and together? How much of your money goes toward nurturing their growth (not just sports or school, but spiritually and emotionally)? Is it clear in your logbooks that they matter?

4. Everything Else – Stewardship in Balance

Key Verse:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
—Matthew 6:21 (ESV)

Question:
What does “everything else” look like when it’s in its right place?
Answer:
Work, hobbies, ministry, service, and personal goals are important—but they must be in submission to the greater priorities God gives us. It’s about stewardship, not idolatry.

Supporting Scriptures:

• Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”
• 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Application:
Review your schedule and spending: Is work overshadowing family time? Is entertainment draining resources you could be investing in God’s purposes?

5. Evaluate and Align – Using Your Logbooks

Question:
How can we practically evaluate if our stated priorities match our lived ones?
Answer:
By examining our checkbook (spending) and calendar (time). These “logbooks” don’t lie—they show what we value most.

Reflection Questions:

• Does your calendar show regular time with God?
• Does your spending show investment in your wife and kids?
• Is your work balanced with worship and rest?
• Are you intentionally setting boundaries around time and money?

Scripture for Conviction, Not Condemnation:

• Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
• Hebrews 12:6 – “The Lord disciplines the one He loves…”

Application:
Create a simple priority pie chart: God, Wife, Kids, Work, Ministry, Hobbies, etc. Then compare that with how your money and time are being allocated. Are there adjustments God is convicting you to make?

Closing Challenge: Reorder to Reflect God’s Order

Let tonight be a turning point. Not in shame, but in hope. Not to be burdened, but to be built up. Let’s seek first His Kingdom and trust that everything else—our marriages, our children, our work—will fall into its rightful place.

Matthew 6:33 again as our banner:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Putting It All Together – Evaluating Priorities

“Seek First the Kingdom”

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
– Matthew 6:33

Key Takeaway: When God is first, everything else falls into place.

Application:

• Write down your stated priorities: God, Wife, Kids, Work, etc.
• Compare them to your checkbook and calendar.
  – Are you seeking first the Kingdom in your finances and time?

Questions to Ask:

• Is God first in your daily routine?
• Is your wife next in how you spend time, listen, and serve?
• Are your kids receiving your intentionality, not just your leftovers?

📊 Review Tool: Logbook Reflection

Use this simple grid for self-evaluation:

🔄 Ending Reminder: Conviction ≠ Condemnation

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
– Romans 8:1
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”
– Revelation 3:19

Key Takeaway: God invites us to repentance through conviction—not to shame us but to align us.

Application:

• Pray over your logbook. Invite God to speak through your data.
• Ask Him to reveal areas for growth, then act.

As we step into this journey together to BeTheDads God created, called, and commissioned us to be, let us start by anchoring our lives in the right priorities: God first, then our wives, our children, and everything else in its proper place. The wisdom from Proverbs 10–12 reminds us that God delights in righteousness, honesty, diligence, and integrity—qualities that don’t come naturally, but are cultivated as we walk closely with Jesus.

Let us remember the powerful truth of Matthew 6:33:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
God is not asking us to juggle our priorities alone. He promises that if we put Him first, He will provide what we need in all other areas. That includes our families, our work, our health, and our future.

As we reflect on our logbooks—our checkbooks and calendars—we’re invited to take an honest look at where our time and money go. These practical tools often reveal what we truly prioritize. If they don’t align with what we say our values are, let that not be a moment of condemnation but one of conviction, a chance to recalibrate by God’s grace and power.

Jesus, our Redeemer and perfect example, lived with the ultimate priorities—pleasing the Father and serving others. Through His Spirit, we are not alone in the struggle. He empowers us to choose wisely, love sacrificially, and lead faithfully.

So let’s commit together:
🛐 To seek God first.
💍 To love our wives as Christ loved the Church.
👨‍👧‍👦 To train and nurture our children in the Lord.
🌍 And to let everything else serve God’s Kingdom purposes.

Let’s check our logs. Let’s listen to His voice. And let’s walk together as dads who keep first things first—for our good and for His glory.

(Taken from https://from2005toeternity.wordpress.com – First Things First: Anchored in God’s Priorities, Empowered to BeTheDads)