What role do fathers play in discipling their children according to the teachings of Christ?

Paul Thompson emphasizes the crucial role fathers play in the discipleship of their children. He firmly believes that fathers are the most influential figures in a child's life, especially when it comes to instilling the Christian faith. The father is not merely a disciplinarian, but he is a disciple himself, embodying the life of Christ and guiding his children to follow the same path. He needs to demonstrate what it means to be a follower of Christ, walking the same trails, going to the same places, and making sacrifices in accordance with God's will.

This discipleship involves a journey where the father teaches his children to deny their own pleasures and desires and instead, pursue what God wants them to do. This discipleship process is a deliberate act of shaping the child's life in alignment with the teachings of Christ. It is a role that requires dedication, sacrifice, and a deep commitment to living out the teachings of Christ in one's daily life. The father's primary responsibility is to ensure that his children understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ and follow His teachings faithfully.

Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV): "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."

Yeah, fathers really are a pivotal piece of the command to the Church to disciple the nations. Fathers really are, if not the single most important aspect in a child's life, and the particular piece of this of not just being a father, but actually discipling him to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. So this father needs to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He has to have all the markings of what it looks like to follow Christ. He has to walk on the same trails, he has to go to the same places, and he's gotta turn to his son or his daughter and say, you're coming with me and we're going to learn this and I'm going to teach you and I'm going to disciple you.

This is what it looks like to deny myself of what I want to do and this is what it looks like to say, I would be happier to do what God wants me to do than what I want to do.