Being a Father and a Dad!

 In Germany, 8 years old, walking with my dad to go bowling. The night before I had heard him and my mom talking. My mother was concerned because my father had been given the news that he might be sent to Vietnam. Pop was only 5’7”, but at that moment, holding his hand and looking up at him, he was like a giant.

He saw me and stopped, being a spy, he was very observant. He knelt down and looked me in the eye and asked, “are you ok buddy?” I said, “Daddy, are you going to go to war and die?” As a spy, my dad knew when to lie and when not to, he said, “I can’t promise that, only God controls that, but I can promise you, buddy, I will love you as long as I am here.”
  
Patēr  - πατήρ,  &  Abba - Ἀββᾶ are two words used in the NT for father.
 
Scholars disagree whether these two words meant the same or whether one brought more intimacy to its meaning.
 
Forgive me, because I really do not care. The most efficient way to understand a word is how it is used in its direct context. 

For example, A drug Lord states he sold his dope for the “bread”. He clearly does not mean the kind you bake and spread butter on!
 
The context in these three passages definitely communicates a deep intimacy.

"Father” can communicate authority and intimacy, but “daddy” speaks more to care, closeness, and deep communion.   
 
Mark 14:32–42 (36)
And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” 
 
Rom 8:14-17 (15)
“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 
 
Gal 4:1-7 (6) 
Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”  
 
The So What?: Are you searching for a “dad”? The God of creation knew you before the egg was fertilized in your mother’s womb. Turn off the voices of this world that encourage you to be your own god, and deny that a supreme, almighty Creator planned every single human soul! He desires to be your GOD, your Helper, your Friend, and your Daddy. He loves you so much He left that decision up to you. Just ask Him to be your Dad…if you don’t know how, ask me, I can share what His Word says to do.