Major Dalton - June 21, 2026
FIFA & Fatherhood
When Sebastian Berhalter made the U.S. World Cup roster, his father, former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, wrote him a letter. As Sebastian read it on camera last week, he couldn't get through it without crying, undone by one line in particular: “I'm proud of you because of who you are, not because of what you accomplished.” That same kind of declaration echoes from centuries earlier, spoken over another Son at the very start of His ministry. Before a single miracle, before a single sermon, before the cross, the Father said: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." When we read that phrase, we might be tempted to think that the Father’s feeling towards the Son was based on what he had accomplished. But his identity was settled before His earthly résumé even began. The Father’s pleasure in us is rooted in who we are, not what we produce. And for those of us who are fathers, it's more than something to receive; it's something to pass on, speaking pride and delight over our children long before they've proven anything to us. Join us this Sunday as we open Matthew 3 and discover what it means to be loved by the Father — and what it looks like to love like Him.
