Show Me the Father

Hi everyone, Sabbath has arrived here in Norway. Depending on which time zone you are in, you may have already started the Sabbath at sunset or be waiting for it to start. Either way, I hope you have a wonderful Sabbath in the presence of our heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name.

This week’s film review is a documentary called “Show Me the Father,” produced by The Kendrick Brothers.

The Description

Everyone has a unique father story. Whether positive or painful, it’s always personal and can deeply affect the core of our identity and direction of our lives. Kendrick Brothers’ SHOW ME THE FATHER is the first documentary film from the creators of WAR ROOM, OVERCOMER, FIREPROOF, and COURAGEOUS Legacy. Featuring a variety of amazing true stories, this captivating movie takes audiences of all ages on an inspiring and emotional cinematic journey. Providing a fresh perspective on the roles of fathers in today’s society, SHOW ME THE FATHER invites you to think differently about how you view your earthly father, and how you personally relate to God.

Technically, my review notes should say just one word, ‘blessed’. This documentary has been blessed, that’s obvious from the glory God receives through its content and you will be blessed by watching it.

The introduction encompasses what God intended for us, where it went wrong and God’s intention to reestablish a loving relationship with each and every one of us, in the chaos of a sinful world.

Show Me the Father uses the Bible, the word of God, to shed light on the role of an earthly father, giving glory to the one who sets the bar and is the ultimate Father, God. The testimonies told are raw, powerful and inspirational. The most powerful thing for me was hearing how God worked in the lives of these people. It reminded me of Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

We are shown examples of excellent fathers and mentors, who still fall short of the perfection we have in the Lord, due to our sinful nature, but who nevertheless provide godly leadership for those in their care. We get to see how the blessings we read about in the Bible, have been put into action by fathers and mentors who have the word of God as their foundation, and want to pass that legacy of faith onto the people in their care.

The film shows how Christian standards like scripture alone, salvation through Christ alone, biblical marriage, the husband as the head in his home, the recognition of the value of life and blessing in children and recognition of the body as the temple of God, must all play a vital role in our lives, if we profess to have God’s word as the foundation of our lives.

The film has a focus on the character of God: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

I have read and reflected on these attributes before, but writing my notes for this podcast episode set the stage to reflect on them again. I saw each attribute was reflected in some way, in the film.

Love - this is the kind of love the Father has for us, that we lack the capability of giving to Him or others, but we can give a higher form of earthly love by asking God to work on our hearts. We see this in the documentary as people choose to love others who have been hurt, abandoned and let down in some way. By God’s love and grace, we obtain a higher form of love from our heavenly Father to give to others.

Joy - we see how people can find joy in difficult circumstances, because they have the Lord’s love, grace, guidance and peace.

Peace - we hear a testimony of how prayer over a difficult decision was confirmed by the presence of God’s peace.

Long suffering - there is an amazing testimony regarding having the patience to wait on the Lord, through hurt, doubt and peer pressure.

Gentleness - we hear how God gives His people gentleness to help others who have been emotionally and/or physically hurt by the sinful nature of this world.

Goodness - we are shown examples of fathers who want to reflect the goodness of the Lord, so they seek him in prayer. hide his word in their hearts and rely on the Lord to transform their identity to men of God.

Faith - we see faith in action and in the making, as spiritual leaders of the household pass on the word to their families. And for those who didn’t have spiritual leaders in their home to show them the Lord, we see how the Lord sent people their way, to draw them closer to Him. Absolutely amazing!

Meekness - we hear testimonies of the power of God and how it results in humility, because there is a realisation of how little power and control we actually have.

Temperance - we are shown how the absence or excess of self control causes pain and loss in young and adult lives and how the Lord, by His will, grace and mercy, steps in and redirects paths.

Amidst all of this is the amazing message of the gift of salvation and reconciliation to God the Father, through Jesus Christ.

There is a part of the documentary where a father’s role is presented, in seven attributes, all with scripture references and short commentary. Fathers are encouraged to ask God to help them be a good representation, so their children can see God, the Father, through them. This was inspirational! I encourage you to watch the film in order to hear the attributes, scripture verses and the commentary.

This led naturally to all mankind and its need to connect to its true father, God. Many Bible verses are referenced. I will read a few of the verses mentioned in the film, about God’s promise to be our Father.

2 Corinthians 6:18: “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”

Psalms 68:5,6: A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

1 John 3:1: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Psalm 27:10. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.

I am reminded of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-21 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

We are adopted into the family of God and I love that this means we don’t have to dwell on where our earthly fathers didn’t match up because our Father in heaven does and beyond.

The film, Courageous made a big impression on me, as I mentioned in my review last week. I found this documentary, ten years after Courageous, even more inspiring. What made an impression on me was the witness of spiritual men, sharing their pain, hope and wisdom taken from scripture. Men whose source of strength is God, not earthly things like physical strength, wealth or military power. Men who bless their children with scripture-based blessings at their wedding - sending them to create and care for their own families, with these powerful blessings covering them.

For me, that is the definition of manhood - a relationship and reliance on the Lord, based on the word of God, and who takes care of his wife and children - doing all to the glory of the Lord, through Jesus Christ.

SUMMARY

If you have or had issues with your earthly dad, you might be anxious about watching a film like this, as you might think it will bring up painful memories. However, while this film tells both inspirational and painful stories about earthly fathers, it points to the best Father the universe has - God. So you will be left with another piece of assurance that God loves you, is with you and has promised to never leave you or forsake you - as His word says, in Hebrews 13:5.

Show Me The Father is informative and inspiring - raising the bar for earthly fathers, by encouraging them to seek the ultimate Father, through His word and prayer, in order to reflect how a true man and father should be.

I watched ‘Show Me The Father’ via iTunes but the Kendrick Brothers have a dedicated website for the film: https://www.showmethefathermovie.com

Thank you for reading this review. Until next time - peace be with you.

Resource Information

Source for film thumbnail: https://www.showmethefathermovie.com/