The Church of Eleven22

Episode: Be A Godly Dad – Stand Firm and Act Like Men: Week 7

Date: November 30, 2025
Speaker: Charles Martin (Guest Teacher)
Theme: Discovering and living out God’s unique invitation to know Him as Father—Abba.

Episode Overview

This week’s message, delivered by Charles Martin, centers on the profound biblical revelation of God as “Father,” focusing on Jesus’ revolutionary use of “Abba” to refer to God. Charles explores why this matters for every believer, especially men and fathers, challenging listeners to root their identity in being obedient sons before anything else. The teaching is richly scriptural and personal, inviting listeners to deeper intimacy and obedience with their Heavenly Father.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Intimacy with God as Father

• Opening Reflection (00:09):
  Charles recounts a personal New Year's morning where God asked him, “When you think of me, do you think of me as your Father?” This sparks the episode’s journey—recognizing a gap between knowing God as Lord and experiencing Him as Father.
  • “The Lord is not browbeating me… He just wanted to take me up another step to another place with him. Maybe deeper intimacy.” (00:50)

2. Jesus’ Unique Father Relationship

• The 12-year-old Jesus at the Temple (03:15):
  Examines Luke’s account where Jesus refers to the temple as “my Father’s house,” a seismic shift in Jewish understanding of God.
  • “My Father—You could have heard a pin drop.” (07:30)
• Religious Shock and Scandal:
  No rabbi dared address God so personally—Jesus’ language ultimately led to charges of blasphemy and, eventually, crucifixion.

3. Jesus Teaches Us to Call God “Father”

• “Sermon on the Mount” and Beyond (11:15):
  Jesus repeatedly uses “Father” (17 times in one sermon), always with personal pronouns (your, my, our), introducing unprecedented closeness.
  • “Rabbis don’t call God Father… Jesus’ words are scandalous.” (14:18)

4. “Abba”: The Meaning and its Implications

• Word Study and Illustration (21:50):
  The difference between “Pater” (Greek, abstract) and “Abba” (Hebrew/Aramaic, relational, intimate). Charles shares hearing Jewish children calling their dads “Abba” in Jerusalem.
  • “When someone says Abba, they’re not only describing what someone is; they’re describing who that someone is.” (23:20)
• Abba in Jesus’ Darkest Moments:
  Only those invited into true sonship can use “Abba.” Jesus’ use signified ultimate trust and obedience—especially in Gethsemane.

5. Why Was Jesus Commanded to Die—and Why Stay on “Abba”?

• The Father’s Plan (29:50):
  Charles asks: “Why would God the Father command Jesus to speak the very word that's going to get him killed?” The answer is found in John 17:
  • “That they know you—the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent…so that the love with which you have loved Me may be in them.” (39:10)
• Ultimate Revelation:
  The greatest reason for Jesus’ ministry: To introduce us to the love of the Father.

6. Words Matter: The Power of Naming God (41:30)

• Intimacy in Naming:
  Charles reflects on the importance of names; calling God “Father” expresses closeness.
• Incremental Knowing:
  Understanding and relating to God as Father is an expanding journey.

7. Abba: Fatherhood, Obedience, and Wounds (45:40)

• Abba Is Rooted in Obedience:
  “Daddy” doesn’t quite capture it—Abba involves obedience, not just affection.
• Personal Story—Football Injury (55:15):
  Charles shares breaking his back in college football and his dad’s quick, loving response: “Son, if I leave right now, I can be there by supper.”
  • “Most of you jokers are walking around planet Earth with broken backs, and you're not on the phone with your Father.” (59:40)

8. Barriers to Knowing God as Father

• Father Wounds (1:04:00):
  Many struggle to pray to “the Father” due to their earthly dad's failings—an obstacle to encountering God’s love.
• The Invitation: Forgiveness and Sonship:
  Listeners are called to forgive, not because earthly dads deserve it, but because obedience to the Father leads to freedom.

9. Practical Application: The Will of the Father

• You Can’t Be a Godly Dad Until… (1:10:30):
  “You will never stand firm and act like a man… until you become an obedient son.”
• What Is the Will of the Father?
  • Love deeply and sacrificially (John 15:13)
  • Forgive, even when undeserved (Mark 11:25)
  • Abide in the Father’s love and let it flow outward (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)
  • Approach the Father through the Son alone (John 14:6)

10. Closing Challenge and Prayer (1:17:00)

• Invitation to Respond:
  Everyone is encouraged to surrender, to call God “Abba,” to forgive, and to let God love them as Father.
  • “Abba, I’m your child. You’re my father. Please raise me up.” (1:19:30)
• Powerful Prayer for Healing:
  Charles prays for wounded hearts and chains to be broken.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “My Father—You could have heard a pin drop.” (07:30)
• “Rabbis don’t call God Father... Jesus’ words are scandalous.” (14:18)
• “When someone says Abba, they’re not only describing what someone is; they’re describing who that someone is.” (23:20)
• “Abba carries innately inside... a deep expression of intimacy and knowingness. It’s Father in 4K Ultra HD.” (26:30)
• “Why would God the Father command Jesus to speak the very word that’s going to get him killed?” (29:50)
• “You will never stand firm and act like a man. You will never be a godly dad until you become an obedient son.” (1:10:30)
• “Obedient sons and daughters forgive.” (1:12:55)
• “When we bow to the Son, the Father raises us up.” (1:15:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening New Year Reflection: 00:09–01:15
• Jesus Lost in the Temple (Luke 2): 01:16–09:45
• Jesus’ Public Teaching about “Father”: 10:15–15:45
• Meaning of “Abba”: 21:50–29:00
• Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer (John 17): 37:00–41:15
• Words and Names Matter: 41:30–45:00
• Abba and Obedience: 45:40–54:00
• Personal Story – Football Injury: 55:15–61:00
• Barriers to Knowing Father/Healing Father Wounds: 1:04:00–1:13:00
• The Will of the Father/Obedient Sonship: 1:10:30–1:15:00
• Call to Response and Final Prayer: 1:17:00–end

Final Thoughts & Invitation

Tone:
Pastoral, insightful, deeply personal, and gently challenging.

Call to Action:

• Make space for God to be known as “Abba,” not just an abstract father but the source of true identity and love.
• Step into honest forgiveness and obedience as sons and daughters.
• Let God’s love redefine fatherhood, manhood, and your life’s relationships—from wounds to wholeness.

Memorable Closing:

“Abba, I’m your child. You’re my father. Please raise me up.” (1:19:30)

For listeners seeking to be godly dads and faithful men, this message offers both profound biblical teaching and a personal invitation to let the love of the Father transform you from the inside out.