Flowing from My Heart: Letters from a Father to a Son

By Sherman M. Nelson Jr.

The road to manhood is tough! Gods design is for fathers to help their sons get on and navigate this sometimes overwhelming highway. Flowing from My Heart: Letters from a Father to a Son identifies eight things that a father should share with his son about manhood:

Identitywho you are Responsibilitywhat you should do Integrityhow you should carry yourself Failurewhat to do when things fall apart Forgivenesshow to forgive yourself and others Happinesswhy you will keep chasing it Lovehow real men love Marriagewhat goes into a godly marriage

What should a father say about these topics? What does God say about them?

God desires that the hearts of fathers be turned to their children and the hearts of children be turned to their fathers (Malachi 4:6). Flowing from My Heart provides eight conversations that can help hearts to turn.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490816135

Sherman M. Nelson Jr.

Sherman M. Nelson Jr. is a licensed Baptist minister, former youth pastor and mentor to dozens of young people throughout the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. He is driven by a desire to see all of God’s people live life to their fullest potential. He currently resides in the District of Columbia.

Book preview

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Letter1 - Identity

Letter2 - Responsibility

Letter3 - Integrity

Letter4 - Failure

Letter5 - Forgiveness

Letter6 - Happiness

Letter7 - Love

Letter8 - Marriage

Letter9 - A Letter from God the Father

About the Author

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

—Proverbs 4:23 AB

Acknowledgments

First, I want to thank my incredible heavenly Father for this awesome assignment and opportunity. I pray that you are pleased with this book, Papa.

I thank my awesome mom, who is clearly the best mother in the world. I can’t imagine what I would be if you hadn’t done all that you’ve done for me.

I thank my dad, Sherman M. Nelson the First. Daddy, you have to know how great a privilege it is to be your son. God picked a good dad for me.

I want to thank my spiritual covering (and brother) Anthony E. Moore. I knew Jesus before I met you, Pastor Moore, but I didn’t develop a vibrant, living relationship with Him until you taught me. Thank you for showing me how to love Jesus … for real. You are a tremendous blessing to the body of Christ and an irreplaceable blessing to me. You helped make a man out of me!

I want to thank the men who’ve touched my life in some way and helped me see godly manhood. Thanks to all the good dads. Thanks to my boys … you know who you are. Thanks to my tae kwon do bros. Thanks to my Howard University brethren. I don’t want to slight anyone, so I won’t try to name you all, but if you feel that you’ve impacted my life, chances are you have.

I want to thank Bookie, Eddie, Vince, Jamal, both Joshes, Isaiah, Cameron, both Christians, all the young men of Carolina Missionary Baptist Church, all the young men I’ve unofficially mentored, and all the young men I’ve spent time around. Thank you for requiring that I live the life I preach about.

I want to thank my daughters, Monique and Faith, for loving me for who I am but never letting me set a low bar. Since God placed you angels in my life, my life has never been the same.

Last, but certainly not least, thank you to all my friends, family, clients, coworkers, athletes, and anybody who has ever spoken a word into my life or received a word from me. Thank you for seeing God in me and letting me share Him in my way.

Preface

God laid His hand on me to write this book. He told me to take thirty days and commit to writing, because He had something to say to His sons. I obeyed, and twenty-one days later, this manuscript was finished. I asked Him what He wanted to say, and what you hold in your hands is His answer.

I felt such a press from God that I put everything on the back burner to commit to finishing this task. He is desperate to reach His sons with a message that is not only for them but for their sons.

God has instructed me to launch a ministry called Rebuilding Champions, a ministry that is designed to help men become the champions that God intended them to be: champions in their homes, champions in the marketplace, and champions in the world. This book is meant to be an instrument to help fathers and sons connect, preparing the next generation for the task of standing as godly men.

Letter 1

Identity

Dear son,

It’s important that you have a strong sense of identity. The world will seek to label you early and often. These labels will lock you into a place, lock you into a mentality, and often determine how you see yourself and how others see you. Some will look at your socioeconomic status and attempt to determine what kind of person you are. Some will look at what you read, listen to, or watch on television and decide what kind of young man you are. When you know who you are, it is harder for the culture to define you, limit you, and ascribe values to you that don’t line up