The point is that for many men, our interactions take on a similar flavor. We're so focused on whatever we've been doing recently (epic or mundane), that we're just itching for an entry point to talk about it. We don't listen to hear; we listen to interrupt.

As for this chapter, here's where I'd ask you to start:

If you had to list five characteristics of a godly man, what would those be? This isn't a test; there are dozens. What are the first five that immediately come to mind?

Among those five, how would you grade' yourself on some maturity curve? From 'have no clue' to 'been doing that for years, do a

And until you decide prayer is effective, you won't place a priority on it. That's the crux of the issue for fathers. Most of us men are wired to use things that work – computers, shovels, hammers, TV remotes. If they don't work, we put them down. If we believe prayer doesn't work, it's a tool we'll never pick up. We must understand what 'works' me

If I win that battle, the whole insanity of moral relativism erodes. And, we've not only established that truth exists, but we've raised the stakes. We know where to find it!

If we elevate God's Word as the source of truth in our homes, we actually tackle many myths at once:

Truth is all relative (1 John 5:20 – 'We know also that the Son of God has c

However, while you're busy working on the “machine," don't lose sight of what God's doing in the "mechanic" He cares much more about who you are becoming than what task you are performing.

He went on to describe his own journey in more detail. He said that he'd stopped viewing every challenge as just a problem to solve, but a moment t

When you live out your faith as a father, you're showing God to the world. Put another way, for you and me, our highest calling is to represent God to the world. The stakes are higher than us getting accolades, becoming respected in the community, raising great kids or even building a thriving marriage.

Fathers are the lens through which the next ge

To put the matter bluntly, I am not my kids' hero.

I don't want to be their hero.

I want my children's hero to be Jesus Christ.

My job is to point to the Savior, not try and be one.

This is where fathers can go overboard and develop an 'earthly-dad-the-everlasting-father' complex. At some point of maturity, I must transition to becoming the colaborer i

MYTH #1: YOU HAVE YOUR TRUTH, I HAVE MINE Your children may encounter this myth along the way: truth is relative. You have yours, I have mine, and you have no right to insist that your version of 'the truth' is the only one. Even your supposed bedrock of truth - the Bible - has so many ways to be interpreted, it's intellectually ridiculous to sugge

QUESTIONS:

1. How good are you at asking questions? How can you improve in this area? Would those closest to you describe you more as a 'teller' or an 'asker?




2. Think of the names of one or two of your closer friends (excluding your wife and kids). With those names in mind, can you list any of the following characteristics about them:

a. Their most signifi