The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-23
FATHERS AND SONS IS THEME OF SERMON
Dr. billiard Breaches Inspir- ing Sermon at South
 side Church

Fathers and Sons" was the subject of an inspiring and forceful sermon preached by pr. James E. billiard, pas tor of the Southside Baptist church, at the regular service yesterday morning. Dr. billiard said in part:
 "A man who had reared a family of boys, all of whom had succeeded in a marvellous way, was asked how he did it. Said ne, When I moved to the city with my boys, I was apprehensive lest they should be led astray, so l gave myself to the study of the problem, de- voted large part of my time to them, tried in every way to be their sympa- thetic friend and constant companion. The boys responded and we became fast friends and I believe they have been as much or more help to me than have been to them.
 There IS needed mutual under standing and sympathy between fathers and sons. There is little piece of poetry that's good for every body, and especially for fathers and sons to know. It runs this way:
 !" If I knew you and you knew me If both of us could clearly see,
 And with an inner sight divine
 The meaning of your heart and mine I'm sure that we would differ less
 And clasp. our hands in friendlinesss; Our thoughts would pleasantly agree If I knew you and you knew me-
 Fathers need to realize that boys will be boys All the efforts he can put forth will never make them be or want to be either girls, or angels. You Twill never win one of them with Nrandmother bait angelic pies To FAll them about heaven with golden fharps and palm branches and psalm eir rcrir1 fex %a els z sacred things The boy is full of life he wants something to be doing all the time. There is fun and fight in large quantities in his soul. We must present to this boy a heroic type of manhood and religion.
 We need to realize that boys go in gangs. It is mistake to try to win the gang by simply trying to win the individual boy. We have tried this long time. As a general proposition it has failed If we will win the gang, it's easy to win each boy in the gang Boys like crowds, they will go to the circuM picture show, baseball Billy Sunda>y meetings or a Sunday school and enJ~v it provided the rest of the fellows are there, but he doesn't want to be anywhere by himself. He doesn't even want to go to heaven unless the other fellows in his gang can go along
 Its a mistake to think that boys are naturally mean. As a usual thing, they are generous; they are sympa- thetie and love to help a fellow. You remember a lad with his lunch that helped the Savior to feed the multi tude. If a grow man had had that lunch he would probably have kept it in his pocket and said nothing about it.
 We need to recognize and appreciate the good that is in the boys, not forget ting that he is full of life and energy that he is impulsive and passionate, that he is often careless and sef-conscous, but we must not attribute this to innate badness. We must know him, love him. sympathize with him, associate with him and help him to direct his energies into right channels I have known many a boy to do wrong things, but in most cases, have found they are big hearted and easily won if approached in the right way. We want every boy in our church to have a good time.
 How these boys need Christi And how their fathers can render them an eternal help by associating with them at home, at play and at Sunday school or church. The solution of the so-called boy prob lem is in reaching the dad.
 Boys, you need to understand your father and to sympathize with him and not be critical and sulky and grouchy. Dad has hard job ahead of him. He has to make living for ma and all the children. Things don't always go right down at the store; dads nose has been down on the grindstone pretty often; he is apt to be tired when he gets home at night; you musn't expect him to be as lively as kitten when he is worn to frazzle. But, you know that down in his heart he is all wrapped up in you, that you are his pride and joy. If he seems to be harsh and oftimes unreasonable, re- member that however much he may be mistaken in his way of doing it. he is trying his best to make man out ot you He's rather see you a success than to be one himself; he'd rather you'd go to heaven than to get there himself. I never saw a father that did not want his boy to be better and a happier man than himself.
 Your father probably makes a mistake in thinking the way to do all of this is by talking and preaching. He needs to realize that the best way to get you to go where you ought to go is to go with you, play with you. talk to you right out of his heart--you can help him nightly by suggestion of this kind If you should tell him that you want him to go With you to Sunday school, to church and to heaven, I imagine that he would have a peculiar sensation under his vest and that in all proba bility. da1 and son would be found together.
 Jesus is our example here as every where else He was early found about his Fathers business-~-He always did those things that were we'll pleasing unto His Father and both at the baptism and at the transhguration, He heard the voice of His Father saying, This is My Beloved Son, in whom l am we'll pleased Is your father well pleased with your
 =