We are grateful for the participation we had this week in this semester’s first session of Strategic Dads University. As promised, we wanted to make the outline and resources available to the participants and to all parents.

Here is the outline with highlights and embedded resources.

Developing Your “Why” as a Dad

1. People follow leaders who know their “Why”

Being a great parent is similar to being a great leader. Adults and children alike follow a leader who believes in what they are doing, not someone with a list of what to do.

To learn more, check out one of the most watched TED Talks of all time, Simon Sinek’s “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.”

2. Your “Why” as a parent is clearly shown in God’s Word

• God has made men and women in his image, and He gives us an incredible role to play while we are on this earth. In Genesis 1:26–28, He calls us to be fruitful and multiply, and He calls us to be co-creators as He calls us to put all of the earth under his dominion.
• 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
  27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
  28And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
• Psalm 127 reminds us that children are a gift (v3) and a blessing (v5) from the Lord. It is our responsibility to prepare them like arrows (v4) to be ready to follow the same call we have as parents. That the way to do this right is to follow God law and commands (v1), to do things his way.
• 1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
  2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
  3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
  4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
  5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

3. When we know our “Why,” we can establish foundational vision and values

We discussed several helpful quotes and verses that are worth inspiring our family values. Here is a great example from the Bible: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). And here’s another from Stephen Covey: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

Here are some verses and quotes to help:

Expand Quotes

Also, her are a few example of how some families have made their purpose statements and values into something the entire family can see and celebrate.

4. When we know our purpose as a parent, we can make life plans based on what we believe.

Here are some worksheets for the following:

All based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People and Michael Hyatt’s and Daniel Harkavy’s Living Life Forward.

5. We can’t do this all on our own.

God gives us these responsibilities, and He gives us the help we need to raise our children. When we have put our full trust in Jesus, He covers all of our mistakes and sins in the grace of our Lord and Savior. And, thankfully, His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23).