1. What was the greatest gift you ever received from your father or mentor?

2. Read James 1:27. Do you agree that, to a great degree, "we have become a nation of practical orphans and spiritual widows?" Why is time such a key ingredient of affirmation?

3. Raising healthy children is not only a matter of affirming them with time, but doing the right things within that time. Read Proverbs 22:15 and Proverbs 19:3. What will happen to a child if its father does not intervene?

4. Larry Crabb has said that children in healthy families understand the principle, "Yes, I love you," and "No, you can't have your own way." Have you struck a proper balance between affirmation and structure?

5. Read Malachi 4:5-6. Describe what a family would look like in which the father had "turned his heart toward his children?" What would a family look like in which the children had "turned their hearts to their father"? Is your heart "turned in the right direction?" If not, what would you like to do about it? What is the greatest gift you could ever give to give your children or grandchildren?