I taught "God’s Father Heart " over six sessions, then posted my (abbreviated and cryptic) teaching notes to Psalms Of John. Now I am revising these posts so they will be easier to read. Jesus came to heal us and set us free, bless us all – February 2026.
Part 1: Big Questions/Big Ideas
Part 2: Relationships
Part 2: Relationships
Part 3: Beliefs and Strongholds
Part 4: Unworthy, Yet Adopted
Part 5: Faith And Intimacy
Part 6: God Is Love
Jesus wants us to come to our Father in Heaven; He teaches us how to pray, (but differently from previous generations under the Jewish Law and the Prophets). He begins:
"This is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven'" (Matthew 6:9-13).
Long after Jesus revealed Himself to me, He made a way to bring me to Our Father:
"Abba" – Father's New Covenant Name
Jesus called His Father "Abba" – Aramaic for "Daddy " – this is the adult name for the Father He loves and fully trusts - familiar and intimate. Jesus wants us to be free and to be close too:
"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:15).
Can You Call God "Abba"?
Was your life too chaotic and painful for you to trust and be in close relationship with this Father we’ve been learning about? Like me, did you have a troubled relationship with your father? Or with another man or men? Is the idea of a father (or Father) too scary? Would you rather, as I did, just stay with Jesus? The One who saved you? Healed you? Brought you into new life?
May I ask you to pray that Jesus will show you a way for Him to bring you to Father?
Bible Verses
While reading this Father Heart series, have you seen a Bible verse which has really excited you? Shaken you? Been particularly insightful?
Here are some which have impacted me:
"God sent his Son that He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as children" (Galatians 4:4,5). Yes, I know beyond doubt that Jesus came for me.
"The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Yes, I know that Jesus’ work is for all the Creation, and me included, and is for Jesus' glory.
The Son Who Was Lost Then Found
Luke 15:11-32 - The Prodigal Son: A man had two sons. The younger son demanded his share of the inheritance, went to a far country and squandered everything on fast, immoral living. Soon the money was gone and times got tough; he found work, feeding pigs for a farmer. Imagine, being Jewish and having to feed pigs or starve.
• He received the family ring. This gave him all the family’s authority "Behold, I give you authority, over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19).
• He was welcomed fully into fellowship with the father: "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you" (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Older Son:
• The older son was not in intimate relationship with his father – he did not know how beloved he was: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).
• He did not accept that he was son and heir: "no longer do I call you a servant" (John 15:15).
.
• He did not value or use his authority (as the only heir once his brother had gone): "in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority" (Ephesians 4:14; Colossians 2:10).
.
• he did not accept that he was rich because of his family. His father made clear "all I have is yours"; "My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Their Father
• And their father? Well – he was a father! He was God’s image and likeness! (Genesis 1:26).
Our Father (and Jesus’ Father)
• Regardless of our background, all Christians have been adopted into God’s family.
• We are positionally children of our heavenly Father, this is spiritual.
• So, we are positionally in intimate relationship with our heavenly Father.
• We can expect to be experientially and practically children of our heavenly Father; blessed, safe, loved, warm, fed, healed.
• Father is always there – loving – protecting - guiding – faithful (Matthew 28:20).
• We can say "Jesus does it all", our Saviour, redeemer, healer, betrothed (Hebrews 2:10).
• He helps us want to change, and then helps us make the change (Ephesians 4:22-24).
• He is a teacher and mentor – His Holy Spirit is teacher, counsellor, guide (John 14:16,26).
• He provides ministry work for us (it is there, but often we must search it out and be patient) (3 John 1:2).
• He has faith enough for both of us: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17).
From intimate relationship with Jesus – the eternal and perfect Word of God
• "Know the Son – know the Father" (John 14:9).
Such Love
"Abba".
The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane. An early
favourite, this book became a friend. Strongholds are untrue things we believe.
The Lord will show us the truth but it is up to us to renew our own mind and to
believe God’s truth (Jesus is the Word of God) (Romans 7:23, 12:2, Colossians
3:2).
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee. A big book but wonderful. He uses clear language to say what I knew but could not express. Read the early chapters about finding faith (Romans 4:8 ASV, Romans 6:11 ASV).
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. A refreshing look at Christianity and Christian life beyond what most of us know as "church life" by a young Christian writer. Christianity is relational, not propositional!
The Holy Bible. We have eight or ten translations. We use, and love, them all. We get a pretty clear picture of the Jesus' truth from using all the materials we have amassed over the years.
• I recommend NIV or NASB or ESV or WEB. All translations are imperfect, but I believe that these have great scholarship which includes the early texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
• Older translations seem to me to have more errors .
• Newer versions such as TNIV and The Message often lose the poignant meaning of the original Bible texts which were written in Hebrew and Greek, from relational cultures.
Jesus prayed to the Father on our behalf: (John 17:17) "Sanctify them in your truth. Your Word is truth".
Part 4: Unworthy, Yet Adopted
Part 5: Faith And Intimacy
Part 6: God Is Love
Jesus wants us to come to our Father in Heaven; He teaches us how to pray, (but differently from previous generations under the Jewish Law and the Prophets). He begins:
"This is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven'" (Matthew 6:9-13).
Long after Jesus revealed Himself to me, He made a way to bring me to Our Father:
".. He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
"Abba" – Father's New Covenant Name
Jesus called His Father "Abba" – Aramaic for "Daddy " – this is the adult name for the Father He loves and fully trusts - familiar and intimate. Jesus wants us to be free and to be close too:
"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:15).
Can You Call God "Abba"?
Was your life too chaotic and painful for you to trust and be in close relationship with this Father we’ve been learning about? Like me, did you have a troubled relationship with your father? Or with another man or men? Is the idea of a father (or Father) too scary? Would you rather, as I did, just stay with Jesus? The One who saved you? Healed you? Brought you into new life?
May I ask you to pray that Jesus will show you a way for Him to bring you to Father?
Bible Verses
While reading this Father Heart series, have you seen a Bible verse which has really excited you? Shaken you? Been particularly insightful?
Here are some which have impacted me:
"God sent his Son that He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as children" (Galatians 4:4,5). Yes, I know beyond doubt that Jesus came for me.
"The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Yes, I know that Jesus’ work is for all the Creation, and me included, and is for Jesus' glory.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we
should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1 KJV). Me? Yes! Amazing! Behold!
The Son Who Was Lost Then Found
Luke 15:11-32 - The Prodigal Son: A man had two sons. The younger son demanded his share of the inheritance, went to a far country and squandered everything on fast, immoral living. Soon the money was gone and times got tough; he found work, feeding pigs for a farmer. Imagine, being Jewish and having to feed pigs or starve.
The young man realised that he had made a terrible mistake and set out for home
where he planned to repent before his father. He knew what he would say: "I
have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called
your son; make me a hired hand"
(Luke 15:18-19).
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him. Immediately the
father ran to his son, he threw his arms around him and kissed him. The father
put his best robe around his son, and sandals on his feet. He put the family
ring on his finger, the ring represents all the honour and wealth of the
family. Then he arranged a great feast to celebrate his son’s return.
The older son was hurt and angry; he had continually been with the father,
working the farm, and had never asked for special favours. He refused to attend
the party. What do we see here?
The Prodigal Son:
• The father never stopped loving him - "God is love" (Jeremiah 31:3; 1Jn 4:8).
• The son’s sins paled in light of the father’s love - "But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
• Even before the son’s repentance, the father restored him fully into his family - "the Father ... has qualified you to share in the inheritance" (Colossians 1:12).
• He cloaked the son, thus making him clean - "you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
• He received sandals as befitted a person of position – "having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace" (Ephesians 6:15).• He received the family ring. This gave him all the family’s authority "Behold, I give you authority, over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19).
• He was welcomed fully into fellowship with the father: "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you" (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Older Son:
• The older son was not in intimate relationship with his father – he did not know how beloved he was: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).
• He did not accept that he was son and heir: "no longer do I call you a servant" (John 15:15).
.
• He did not value or use his authority (as the only heir once his brother had gone): "in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority" (Ephesians 4:14; Colossians 2:10).
.
• he did not accept that he was rich because of his family. His father made clear "all I have is yours"; "My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Their Father
• And their father? Well – he was a father! He was God’s image and likeness! (Genesis 1:26).
Our Father (and Jesus’ Father)
• Regardless of our background, all Christians have been adopted into God’s family.
• We are positionally children of our heavenly Father, this is spiritual.
• So, we are positionally in intimate relationship with our heavenly Father.
• We can expect to be experientially and practically children of our heavenly Father; blessed, safe, loved, warm, fed, healed.
• Father is always there – loving – protecting - guiding – faithful (Matthew 28:20).
• We can say "Jesus does it all", our Saviour, redeemer, healer, betrothed (Hebrews 2:10).
• He helps us want to change, and then helps us make the change (Ephesians 4:22-24).
• He is a teacher and mentor – His Holy Spirit is teacher, counsellor, guide (John 14:16,26).
• He provides ministry work for us (it is there, but often we must search it out and be patient) (3 John 1:2).
• He has faith enough for both of us: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17).
From intimate relationship with Jesus – the eternal and perfect Word of God
• "Know the Son – know the Father" (John 14:9).
Such Love
"Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among
the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.
Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me"
(Song of Solomon 2:3-6 NIV) (from session 5)
Praise Jesus.
Amen.
Suggested Reading – These Are Precious To Me And To Trish
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee. A big book but wonderful. He uses clear language to say what I knew but could not express. Read the early chapters about finding faith (Romans 4:8 ASV, Romans 6:11 ASV).
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. A refreshing look at Christianity and Christian life beyond what most of us know as "church life" by a young Christian writer. Christianity is relational, not propositional!
The Holy Bible. We have eight or ten translations. We use, and love, them all. We get a pretty clear picture of the Jesus' truth from using all the materials we have amassed over the years.
• I recommend NIV or NASB or ESV or WEB. All translations are imperfect, but I believe that these have great scholarship which includes the early texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
• Older translations seem to me to have more errors .
• Newer versions such as TNIV and The Message often lose the poignant meaning of the original Bible texts which were written in Hebrew and Greek, from relational cultures.
Jesus prayed to the Father on our behalf: (John 17:17) "Sanctify them in your truth. Your Word is truth".
Amen.
•
Permalink to web page
https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2011/09/father-heart-of-god-6.html
"Father Heart Of God: 1 and 2" are now a podcast on Spotify under PsalmsOfJohn
• Public link to podcast
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2GhGdSKu4XKfmc652hgo9J
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1coFc3RgOhdtb6WtCczE9m
https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2011/09/father-heart-of-god-6.html
"Father Heart Of God: 1 and 2" are now a podcast on Spotify under PsalmsOfJohn
• Public link to podcast
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2GhGdSKu4XKfmc652hgo9J
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1coFc3RgOhdtb6WtCczE9m
Praise Jesus.
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