Shownotes
A dad is a man who has taken on the responsibility of serving his family and leaving a positive legacy in his children. Any man can be a father, but not all fathers are dads. A man has to want to be a dad! Dads are men who not only focus inwardly to grow as men, they focus outwardly to grow their family. They seek to live on purpose, to serve others first, and to prioritize their relationships.
An Outward Dad Lives on Purpose
- They seek to live a life of purpose and have a purpose for their family
- Real dads live with a purpose for their family
- Living with purpose is hard today because of the pressure to stay busy
- Living on purpose means a man has priorities
- A dad lives with the priority of his family front and center
- That doesn't mean he ignores his other responsibilities
- You also can't use your family as an excuse to not work hard
- A dad who lives on purpose can prioritize his life so neither his family or his responsibilities are neglected
An Outward Dad Serves Others First
- The ultimate show of love is a willingness to serve and sacrifice your life
- It takes a strong man to do all he has to do and serve his family
- Dads are strong men who focus on serving their family
- They prioritize their life so they can serve their family
- They take care of themselves so they have more to give their family
- They live principled lives to be an example to their children
- They take a long-term view of parenting which is hard in the short term
- Serving is the ultimate strength
- A secure man can serve his family
- An insecure man must have all the attention and focus
- If you want to be a dad, you have to be one outwardly which means you put time and energy in serving your family
An Outward Dad Prioritizes His Relationships
- If you want to be an outward dad who really makes a difference and leaves a positive legacy, you must prioritize your relationships
- You can't be a dad without having strong relationships
- Dads are men who build relationships with their kids
- The first relationship you must prioritize is with your wife
- As a dad, the relationship with your wife is the foundation of the family
- Benefits of a strong relationship with your wife
- Security for your kids
- When a man loves his wife, his sons see how to love a woman & his daughters see how a man should love them
- It gives them a realistic view of marriage and life
- You have to work to love your wife continually, grow your relationship with her
- Divorced dads, and what they can do to prioritize their relationships
- Honor your ex-wife and don't get into petty feuds in front of the kids
- She is their mother and may have done you wrong, but it isn't your kids fault
- Don't try to get the kids to take sides
- Show respect and honor her, even if she isn't acting honorably
Life is often like a battle and if you don't engage in it, you will lose. As men we must engage in life by being an outward dad.
Now go be the Dad you were designed to be
