If you live boldly by the word without compromise, if you resist the pressure to please men and seek to please God,

and if you don't sell out integrity for comfort, then you live a strong and courageous life.

If you hold your convictions without compromise, you fill the fatherly role of a leader.

Welcome to Grace to You with John MacArthur.

I'm your host, Phil Johnson.

Our father's necessary.

That was the title of an article several years back in the Atlantic magazine. The author attempted to make the case that kids would be fine without dads. As the article put it, quote,

the bad news for dad is that despite common perception, there's nothing really essential about

his contribution. Now, of course, God's word does not share that opinion, and either do we.

In fact, the Bible paints a pretty clear picture of the importance of fathers. So if you've ever

wondered what a godly father looks like, what it means to be a godly leader in the home,

John MacArthur has answers as he continues a practical series on spiritual

leadership that has implications for your church, your family, really every relationship that you

have. The title of his study, Leading the Charge, and now stay here as John begins today's lesson.

We return to First Thessalonians chapter two and our text

verses 7 through 12. The title we have given to this section is parental pictures of a spiritual

leader. There is the need for us to be both father and mother to our spiritual

children. And so Paul gives us the portrait in verses 7 through 9 of the spiritual leader as a mother

or fulfilling the feminine role and a spiritual leader as a mother or fulfilling the feminine role, and a spiritual leader

as a father in verses 10 to 12, fulfilling the masculine role.

The balance of these two is essential for effective spiritual leadership.

Now let's look at that male part of leadership, that father part, rather than the mother part.

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