To the parents
Mercedes López-Miranda(Audio: Spanish)
SUMMARY:
In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of fatherhood and encourages men to fulfill their role as fathers. She reminds the audience that fathers play a crucial role in the lives of their children and that even if physical separation occurs, they can still be present in their children's lives. She also encourages women to support fatherhood and facilitate paternity, even in situations where the father and mother are no longer together. The speaker then reads and discusses Psalm 1, which highlights the importance of separating oneself from sin and drawing closer to God. She warns against falling into sin and urges the audience to be vigilant and examine their hearts daily.
The Psalmist warns against being a scorner, someone who mocks what is good and pure. Instead, one should strive to be a blessed man, who recognizes that gratitude comes from God and lives confidently in His blessings. This blessed man meditates and delights in the law of God day and night, allowing it to permeate all areas of their life and guide their decisions. Delighting in God brings joy to His heart and allows us to live a life of integrity in all areas. Men should be mindful of the lies they believe, such as thinking that certain household duties are only for women or that being affectionate is not manly.
God wants to clean the hearts and minds of his children by unmasking lies they have believed since childhood. The Psalmist compares a bad man to worthless chaff and a just man to a tree planted intentionally next to streams of water, bearing fruit, with leaves that do not fall. A blessed man who follows God's vision will prosper in all areas of life. God sustains this man like a tree of life. An illustration tells the story of a man who saved money in containers and hung empty photo frames on his wall to fill as his children graduated. The same is true for God's vision for each individual. Psalm 92 praises the work of the Lord and his people.
The sermon is about how God has different frameworks for each person and how we should trust in Him to sustain us through our struggles. The speaker prays for the parents in the congregation and encourages them to prioritize God and delight in doing His will. The sermon concludes with a reading from Psalm 92.I want to thank the parents for what you do. Sometimes they receive a lot of criticism, but many real parents who want to do good sacrifice a lot for their children and I want to congratulate them, thank them, I know that as a woman I wouldn't be half of what I am if it weren't for I had a father who, even today, who is 85 years old, invests in my life, so I am very grateful for the gift of fatherhood.
And I know that as women we have a great responsibility, to support fatherhood of our husbands or the father of our children. There are many cases in which mom and dad are no longer together, but even there we have a role as women to facilitate paternity, because we understand, we as immigrant people often separate parents and children, parents are in a country, you are here, there has been a divorce, there have been other situations that have separated you from your children, but that does not justify the fact that there has been a break or a distance between you and your children.