1. Though this is a biblical teaching, it has been taken to extremes and abused by many
2. A spiritual father is not a dictator or one who reduces the son to a zombie
3. There should constant communication between the father and the son
4. The father must not just go on a recruitment drive just for the sake of having as many spiritual sons as possible. It is all about nurturing the talent or the gift in the son. Even if you have one spiritual son, you are still a father
5. There must not be competition between the son and the father. There is a great challenge in the body of Christ when fathers and sons take this as a good platform to steal from each other as far as members is concerned.
6. Even if the son seems more gifted or more anointed than the father, he must remain a son
Father and son, Pastor Adeboye fathers Pastor Oyedepo |
8. Some fathers kill their own sons but not giving platforms of growth as they must follow a prescribed route of ministry
9. There are cases when a son reaches a dead end when the father starts to lead the son into weird and strange acts outside the Word of God. This is one of the most challenging moment where discernment is needed. You may not be forced to remain a son. However look at the bottom point
10. Sons must by all means avoid to be prostitutes, that is jumping from one father to another. That's not how it works
11. Sons must be so mature to take note that your father is not my father. There is no need to start comparing father and start heated arguments on how effective one's spiritual father is to the extent of deifying such. These are our fathers but there is one Father who has bore these fathers
12. Never should we replace God with our spiritual fathers
13. It is allowed to minister to your spiritual father. However it calls for great submission to continue to be under a father
14. Fathers must understand that admiting to be a father comes with a cost. You are responsible for the ministry of your son who may also have other people who call the son , their father. So its not a playing moment. Its serious work. Allowing your son go astray and do funny thing will in the end make you to be discreted and your name dragged into disrepute
15. Some sons choose some fathers with great name just for the sake of it and of prestige to be associated with the name but not the character and the spirit of the father. The question will remain, Why are you under that person?
16. Some sons are so rebellious and some sons instead of becoming sons they want to teach their fathers one or two things. Why then did you become a son under that father
17. Having a father or son must not degenerate into a give take relationship where it is matter of inviting to each other's ministries or churches
18. The ministries of the father or the son must not suffer just because of the relationship of the father and son. The point is that some father become so engrossed into moulding the son to the extent that they literary drop nurturing the church they come from
19. It is dangerous to be non aligned father. This is a father who just come from the air without any church to pastor but want to pastor another pastor. That's a difficult one
20. Above respect must be mutual. Privacy must be respected. Instead of preaching about God we may be tempted to preach each other and our relationship. The worst scenario is on developing sermons about ourselves.
c) John Museredzo