The statistics are staggering concerning the amount of absentee fathers in the United States. This sermon examines what makes a great father. This is a great lesson to teach men how to move from being good fathers to great fathers.

1. How To Be A Great Dad
By: Robert A. Randolph, M.A.

2. How To Be A Great Dad
A Tribute to Single MomsA Tribute to Single Moms
and Dadsand Dads ..
A special word to those who are raising children without a
spouse. Whether you are a single parent because of
divorce, being widowed or having a child out of wedlock,
remember God still works in the lives of all types of family
dynamics. Some single parents do a better job at raising
children than married couples with no focus. Children who
are in single parent situation need not to fret because God
loves them.
Therefore, this lesson is not designed to accuse or minimize
those who are single parents or discourage children in such
situations. Instead, it is designed to call men to excel at
fatherhood regardless of their current situation.

3. How To Be A Great Dad
A. Two interesting thoughtsA. Two interesting thoughts
about fatherhoodabout fatherhood
1. Being a great dad does not mean
being a perfect dad.
2. Being a father is a privilege and a
blessing. (Psalm 127)

4. How To Be A Great Dad
Psalm 127Psalm 127
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.

5. How To Be A Great Dad
B. Ladies and gentlemenB. Ladies and gentlemen
we have awe have a ProblemProblem ..
1. We live in a country with ______________
dads.
a) According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and the
Monthly Labor Review, in 2008 ____________of
all births in the United States were to unmarried
women.
b) There were ___________ single mothers living
with children younger than 18 in 2010, up from
3.4 million in 1970. (Source: America's Families and Living
Arrangements<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-
fam/cps2010.html>)
absentee
40.6 percent
9.9 million

6. How To Be A Great Dad
B. Ladies and gentlemenB. Ladies and gentlemen
we have awe have a ProblemProblem ..
2. We have too many women struggling to
support children financially and
emotionally on their own.
a) _____________________ custodial mothers
who were due child support in 2007.(Source:
Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support:
2007<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/cs07.html>)
5.6 million

7. How To Be A Great Dad
C. Characteristics of aC. Characteristics of a GoodGood DadDad
1. A good dad provides for his children's
needs.
a) Physical Needs
b) Emotional Needs
2. A good dad provides the proper example
for his children.

8. How To Be A Great Dad
D. Characteristics of aD. Characteristics of a GreatGreat DadDad
1. A great dad provides for his children's
needs.
a) Physical Needs
b) Emotional Needs
c) _________ NeedsSpiritual

9. How To Be A Great Dad
D. Characteristics of aD. Characteristics of a GreatGreat DadDad
2. A great dad provides the proper example
for his children.
a) He models ____________ .
b) He models a good ______ _______ .
c) He models _________ .
d) He models __________ and disciplines
his children to be good citizens.
Integrity
work ethic
honesty
discipline

10. How To Be A Great Dad
D. Characteristics of aD. Characteristics of a GreatGreat DadDad
3. A great dad ______ his wife as Christ
loves the church.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church
and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her
by the washing with water through the word, and to present
her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or
any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians
5:25-27, NIV)
loves

11. How To Be A Great Dad
D. Characteristics of aD. Characteristics of a GreatGreat DadDad
4. A great dad ________ his children to
love the Lord.
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt
talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou
risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:7, KJV)
teaches

12. How To Be A Great Dad
E. Steps to becoming a Great Dad:E. Steps to becoming a Great Dad:
1.______ to the Lord.
2._____ the Lord:
a) With all of your heart.
b) With all of your soul.
c) With all of your strength.
3._____ the life.
Listen
Love
Live

13. How To Be A Great Dad
E. Steps to becoming a Great Dad:E. Steps to becoming a Great Dad:
For I know him, that he will command
his children and his household after
him, and they shall keep the way of the
Lord, to do justice and judgment; that
the Lord may bring upon Abraham that
which he hath spoken of him. (Genesis
18:19, KJV)

14. How To Be A Great Dad