Bad Dad Jokes And Good Dad Guidance

Father’s Day can be pure joy, a knot in your stomach, or somehow both at the same time. I start with something simple and human, a handful of dad jokes, because laughter is often the quickest way back to the people we love. But after the groans and grins, I turn toward the question that matters long after the holiday ends: what kind of influence are we actually having on our kids and grandkids?

I talk through three traits that shape strong fatherhood and healthy parenting: love, integrity, and faithfulness. Influence is the thread that ties them together, because children tend to follow our example more than our advice. I share a couple of memorable lines that challenge me to stay consistent, not just inspirational, and I connect that idea to Psalm 20:7 and the importance of walking with integrity in everyday life. If you’re looking for practical encouragement for dads, this is a short, clear reset for your week.

I also make space for the listeners who feel Father’s Day differently, those with a strained relationship, painful history, or a dad who is no longer here. I miss my own dad, and I’m grateful for him, but I’m also reminded that God offers steady love as our heavenly Father, guiding, helping, and encouraging us when life is messy. Whether you’re trying to lead your family well or trying to heal, there’s hope here.

Transcript

Welcome To Starting Right

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Good morning and welcome to Starting Right. I am Danny Mack and I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back and relax for the next five minutes as I help you start your day by starting right.

Father’s Day And Dad Jokes

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Hey everybody, just a quick reminder that this Sunday is Father's Day. And I hope that you are able to get together with your dad and enjoy your time with him. I'm really excited because I get to see all of my kids and all of my grandkids over this weekend. There's nothing better than that. I love that so very, very much. In fact, I love being a dad, and I love being a granddad. And one of the privileges of being a dad is you get to tell dad jokes. Some people, instead of calling it dad jokes, they've just called them bad jokes. Well, they may be that as well, but dad jokes are important to dads. Let me give you just a few examples. You'll see how important they really are. Here's a good one. What do you call a boomerang that won't come back? A stick? How about this one? How do you make a lemon drop? You just push it off the table. Or how about why did the invisible man turn down the job offer? Well, he just couldn't see himself doing it. And here's one of my favorites. What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common? They have the same middle name. Now, if you grinned or groaned to any of those, you fell under the spell of a dad joke. And that's one of the privileges that dads have to tell these really bad jokes that still make people groan or smile. It's part of the joy of being a dad. I have found that I enjoy being a dad the most and have the most fun when I'm having fun with my family. But having fun is not all that is involved with being a dad.

Influence Through Integrity And Love

SPEAKER_00 2:24

There are several attributes that make up a good father. Love, integrity, and faithfulness are three of them. And there is one word that summarizes the impact of all three of those attributes, and that's the word influence. Charles Kettering once said, every father should remember one day his son will follow his example and not his advice. Read Markham. He once said, Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shave today, you have to do it again tomorrow. Which leads us to Psalm chapter 20 and verse 7. The godly walk with integrity, and blessed are their children who follow them. It's very true that we cannot influence our children properly or impactfully without there being integrity. And key to integrity is love. God's love working in us and through us to our children. And the greatest example of that love and of that integrity and of that influence comes from God Himself.

When Earthly Fathers Fall Short

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Even for those of us who don't have a good relationship with our fathers, because something was bad or something wrong, or or the relationship became completely disastrous. There is still a father that loves each one of us more than we can ever imagine, and that's our Father in heaven, our heavenly father. My dad, he went to be with the Lord just over six years ago. I miss him very much. He was a great dad. So I don't have my dad here to thank on Father's Day. But I can thank my God in heaven for my dad that I had. And I can thank God for loving me and still being my father to guide me and help me and encourage me. I need God's help, and I need to be a good father to my children. Even in the areas where I failed in the past, and there have been many, I still have the ability to influence, to love, to encourage.

Celebrate Your Kids And Your Faith

SPEAKER_00 4:27

So if you're a dad today, oh man, enjoy your kids. Enjoy them. Spend time with them, celebrate with them, laugh with them, tell them some really bad dad jokes and laugh. And if you are not a father and your dad is no longer here or your relationship is not functioning either, you still have that father that you could celebrate with. And thank God for being your heavenly father today, because he loves you more than anyone or any earthly father ever could. Celebrate today. Celebrate your dads, celebrate your heavenly father, and celebrate the love that they have for you and the good influences they've had on your life. Have a great day, my friends. Thank you for joining us today, and I invite you to join us every Monday to Friday right here at Starting Right with Danny Mack.