Mark Anthony Stephens shared another borrowed sermon clip today — a reel proclaiming, “A father’s love means giving everything… even himself.”

The irony is deafening.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/695408516303509

Because Mark has never given anything for his children — not his time, not his presence, not even the bare minimum effort required to see them again. He has posted thousands of times about being a victim, a father wronged by “the system,” yet in nearly two years he has not completed a single one of the court-ordered assessments that would open the door to reunification. Not one form filed. Not one inquiry about his sons’ wellbeing. Just noise — social media noise — about how he’s supposedly been silenced.

A father’s love is measured in presence, not posts.

When Liam was wasting away from ARFID and failure to thrive, Mark’s “love” looked like denial and disruption. His son was underweight, growth-stunted, and in danger, and Mark still chose argument over action — challenging medical professionals, accusing the clinic of “inventing” diagnoses for profit, and forcing his child to sign a “contract” denying his own illness. When his son’s psychiatrist and treatment team pleaded for stability, Mark offered conspiracy. When Liam finally began to heal, Mark’s interference sent him spiraling again.

And when Nathan lost his baseball uniform in the house fire at Mark’s own home, it wasn’t Mark who stepped up. It was another man — the stepfather Mark ridicules online — who quietly paid for the replacement so Nathan wouldn’t be embarrassed.

That’s the real definition of a father’s love: showing up, doing the work, giving without applause.

Mark likes to post videos about men who “stand between their family and the storm.” But the truth is, Mark is the storm. His presence brings chaos, his absence brings peace — a fact noticed even by other parents who watched him laugh through his friend’s vulgar outbursts at a children’s basketball game.

He hasn’t sacrificed “everything.” He’s sacrificed nothing.
He hasn’t protected his children. He’s from what they needed protecting.

So, Mark — if you truly believe that a father’s love means giving everything, start now. Give your time. Give your effort. Give up the ego long enough to do the work the courts have laid out for you. Complete the evaluations. Show the receipts. Prove wrong the psychiatrists, the clinics, the court orders, the CPS findings, and every piece of documentation that says your inaction cost your sons their peace and their health.

Until then, your words mean nothing.

Because a real father doesn’t talk about giving everything.
He just gives.