How to Realize that Dads Have a Place in This Mission Too

10 minutes

Use these to get the room talking before you dive into the message. No wrong answers here — just get guys engaged.

• What’s one job or chore you got stuck with as a kid that you absolutely hated — and one you secretly loved?
• If you had to sum up your “mission” as a dad in one sentence, what would it be? Take a swing at it, even if it’s rough.
• Think about the people God put in your path this week — coworkers, neighbors, your own kids. Did you actually notice any of them, or were you moving too fast to see them?

Leader Summary — read or paraphrase to the group

Pastor Steve opened the new “Becoming” series by asking a simple question: how do you find your place in the mission of God? He took the group to Luke 4, right after Jesus’ wilderness temptation. Jesus returns to His hometown synagogue in Nazareth, stands up, and is handed the scroll of Isaiah. He doesn’t land on a random passage — He turns to Isaiah 61 and reads what would essentially become His mission statement: good news for the poor, freedom for the captives, sight for the blind, release for the oppressed. When He finishes, He rolls up the scroll, sits down, and says, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” That moment, Pastor Steve said, wasn’t random — it was Jesus declaring exactly what would mark His ministry.

He broke that mission into pieces dads can actually picture. First, Jesus speaks good news to the poor — not just people who are materially poor, but anyone in need, which according to Pastor Steve is every single one of us. Second, Jesus binds up the brokenhearted — and he got specific here, describing parents lying awake at night with tears on their pillow, worried about a son or daughter who’s drifting. Third, Jesus proclaims freedom to the captives — people held by shame, addiction, regret, or the belief that their past disqualifies them from anything good.

Pastor Steve illustrated all three with stories from his own life: being pulled into a hurting church plant in Olympia that needed healing after a leadership crisis, partnering with Convoy of Hope in disaster zones, and walking into jails with NBA chaplains where he says he finds some of the most open, honest hearts he’s ever encountered. His point throughout was that none of this required a title, a stage, or a special calling card — it just required showing up.

He closed with the simplest story of the message: buying a meal for a man on the street who recognized him, and just sitting with him for a few minutes. He called this “the ministry of presence” — showing up for someone without needing all the answers, and simply refusing to walk away. That’s the thread this session pulls on for dads: you already have a mission, and it doesn’t start somewhere far away.

1. Your Family Needs Good News From You — Not Just Information

Scripture: Luke 4:18 NLT — “He has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.”

Dad Application

Jesus’ first move in His ministry wasn’t a lecture — it was good news. The words you bring home each evening shape the emotional weather of your house more than you probably realize. Are you walking in with frustration, exhaustion, and complaint, or are you bringing hope and the reminder that God is for your family? This isn’t about faking positivity after a brutal day. It’s about consistently pointing your wife and kids back to the truth that they’re loved and that there’s a future worth hoping for, especially when the day was hard.

Here’s something worth sitting with: when Jesus read this passage aloud in the synagogue, He stopped mid-sentence. Isaiah 61:2 goes on to mention “the day of vengeance of our God,” but Jesus closed the scroll before He got there. That wasn’t an accident — He was announcing that this visit was about grace first, judgment deferred. As a dad, that’s worth imitating: when your kid messes up or your wife is struggling, you get to choose where you stop reading too. Do you lead with correction, or do you lead with grace?

2. You’re Called to Bind Up Broken Hearts at Your Own Kitchen Table

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1, 3 NLT — “He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted.”

Dad Application

Pastor Steve described nights of tears on a pillow, praying over a son or daughter who’s making hard choices. Every dad in the room knows some version of that ache — a marriage under strain, a teenager pulling away, a relationship with an ex-spouse that’s still healing. Binding up a broken heart doesn’t require a counseling degree. It starts with noticing the hurt already in your own house before you go looking for ministry somewhere else, and choosing to stay present instead of checking out when things get uncomfortable.

🔗  BeTheDads.com Resource: Dads, Strengthen Your Heart With Courage and Renewal

3. Freedom Starts With Believing You’re Not Disqualified

Scripture: Luke 4:18 NLT — “He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released… that the oppressed will be set free.”

Dad Application

Pastor Steve talked about walking into jails and finding men who had given up on themselves, and watching the gospel remind them they are redeemed, forgiven, and whole — not because of what they’ve done, but because of what Jesus already did. A lot of dads carry private shame: a failed first marriage, a season of being absent, words they can’t take back, a struggle they’re still fighting. None of that disqualifies you from being the dad your kids need today. The freedom Jesus proclaimed isn’t theoretical — it’s permission to stop hiding from your family behind guilt and start showing up as who God says you are now: redeemed, not ruined.

🔗  BeTheDads.com Resource: Session 26: Choices — We All Have Them

The first three points come from Jesus’ own unique calling as the Anointed One — we don’t share in that office. But because we’re joined to Him, His Spirit now distributes gifts to ordinary believers for ordinary service (1 Peter 4:10). That’s a different category than messiahship, but it’s not a lesser one — it’s how Christ’s mission keeps moving through His people.

4. You Don’t Need a Title — Just Sensitivity and Presence

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10 NLT — “Use them well to serve one another.”

Dad Application

Pastor Steve was direct: you don’t need a stage or a name behind you to join God’s mission — you just need to walk through your life with sensitivity to the people around you. For a dad, that mission field is hiding in plain sight: a kid who’s gone quiet at dinner, a wife who’s had a hard day, a coworker who mentioned something heavy in passing. The “ministry of presence” he described — sitting with someone, not needing all the answers — is something every dad can practice tonight, starting with the people already living under his roof.

🔗  BeTheDads.com Resource: Unlock a Strong, Sacred Legacy — A Guide for Dads

20-25 minutes

Opening the Text

1. In Luke 4, Jesus stands up in His hometown synagogue and reads a passage He chooses on purpose. What does it tell you that His first public announcement of His mission was about caring for people in need, rather than a display of power?

Starting Thought: It’s worth noticing Jesus didn’t lead with a miracle — He led with a mission statement about who He came for.

2. Isaiah 61 promises “beauty for ashes” and “a joyous blessing instead of mourning.” What do you think it means for someone to walk around carrying “ashes,” and how does that show up in everyday life?

Starting Thought: Ashes can be grief, shame, regret, or just plain exhaustion. It’s not always dramatic — sometimes it’s just the weight of a hard week.

3. 1 Peter 4:10 says every believer has been given a gift to serve others. What gifts, skills, or experiences do you think God has given you specifically, even ones that don’t look “spiritual” on the surface?

Starting Thought: Skills like fixing things, listening well, staying organized, or just being steady under pressure all count as gifts God can use.

Dad Life Discussion

4. When you think about your “mission” as a dad, do you have a clear sense of what that is, or does it feel vague? What would it look like to get more clarity on it this week?

Starting Thought: A mission doesn’t have to be complicated. It might be as simple as “raise kids who know they’re loved and know Jesus is real.”

5. Where in your home right now is there a “broken heart” you’ve been too busy, tired, or distracted to notice? It could be your wife, a kid, or even something in yourself.

Starting Thought: Sometimes the broken heart closest to us is the easiest one to overlook, simply because we see them every single day.

6. Is there a part of your past — a failure, a season you’re not proud of, a regret — that still makes you feel disqualified from being the dad your kids need? What would it look like to actually believe you’re forgiven instead of just knowing it?

Starting Thought: Knowing you’re forgiven in your head and actually living free of the shame are two different things. Most guys need to keep choosing this, not just decide it once.

7. Pastor Steve described “the ministry of presence” — sitting with someone without having all the answers. Who in your life right now needs you to simply show up, even if you don’t know what to say?

Starting Thought: A lot of us think we need the right words. Most people just need someone who won’t leave.

8. If you only had this week to live out one piece of the mission of Jesus in your home — good news, binding up a broken heart, or proclaiming freedom — which one is most needed right now, and what’s one concrete step you could take?

Starting Thought: Pick the one that feels most uncomfortable to answer honestly. That’s probably the one God is pointing at.

15 minutes — pick at least one to commit to this week

1. Before you walk in the door each evening this week, pause in the car for 60 seconds and ask God to help you bring “good news” energy into your home instead of leftover frustration from your day.
2. Have a one-on-one conversation with one of your kids this week — no phones, no distractions — and simply ask, “What’s been on your heart lately?” Then just listen.
3. Identify one place in your marriage (or, if you’re separated, divorced, or co-parenting, in your relationship with your kids’ mom) where there might be a “broken heart” you’ve missed. Initiate a real, respectful conversation about how she’s actually doing.
4. Write down one regret or failure from your past that still makes you feel disqualified. Read Isaiah 61:3 over it, then either share it with a trusted friend in this group or pray it out loud and release it.
5. Practice “the ministry of presence” once this week with someone outside your immediate family — a coworker, a neighbor, a friend who’s struggling — by simply showing up and being present, without trying to fix anything.
6. Do one concrete act of generosity this week for someone who is actually in material need — not just emotional or relational need. Give, serve, or advocate for someone outside your own household who doesn’t have what you have.

🔗  BeTheDads.com Resource: Dads Who Serve: Lead with Love at Home and Beyond

Key themes to emphasize

• Mission doesn’t require a title or platform — the home is the primary mission field.
• Freedom from shame is available now, not someday.
• Presence matters more than having the perfect words.
• Isaiah 61’s promises were originally spoken over a whole community, not just individuals — when guys apply this personally tonight, that’s a legitimate application, but it’s also worth occasionally reminding the group that God restores families and communities, not just private hearts.

What to watch for

This session touches on personal failure, shame, and marriage struggles. Some dads may get quiet or emotional, especially around Q6 (past disqualification) and Q5 (broken hearts at home). Be mindful of men who are separated, divorced, or single — keep language relational rather than role-based, and don’t assume every man’s marriage situation. If a dad shares something heavy, resist the urge to immediately “fix” it. Let the room sit with it, and offer to pray for him before moving on.

With six practical applications, a Dad Challenge, and several action-oriented questions, there’s a real risk this session lands as a checklist for earning back ground. Periodically remind the group: none of this earns God’s favor — it flows from already being loved and already being forgiven.

Timing guide (target: 65-70 minutes)

• Icebreaker — 10 minutes
• Sermon Context — 5 minutes
• Key Points & Discussion Questions (combined) — 35-40 minutes; don’t rush Q5 or Q6
• Practical Applications — 10 minutes
• Dad Challenge — 5 minutes
• Closing Prayer — 5 minutes