Happy Father Day.
Notable statements in today's sermon
a A Father gives a name to the next generation.
b A Father claims his child(ren).. '..this is my begotten son, in whom...'
c Many see God the Father in way influenced by how they see their earthly fathers
d Job 14:8 '..if you've seen me, you've seen my Father..'
Some Statics(Albeit from the US)1. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
2. 90% of homeless and runaway children from fatherless homes
3. 85% of children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes
4. 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes
5. 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes
6. Children with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.
7. Children with Fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.
8. Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.
9. Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.
10. 75% of adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes
11. Researchers at Columbia University found that children living in two-parent household with a poor relationship with their father are 68% more likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs compared to all teens in two-parent households. Teens in single mother households are at a 30% higher risk than those in two-parent households.
12. 70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes
13. 85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes
14. A study of 13,986 women in prison showed that more than half grew up without their father. 42% grew up in a single-mother household, 16% lived with neither parent
15. Daughters of single parents without a Father involved are 53% more likely to marry as teenagers, 711% more likely to have children as teenagers, 164% more likely to have a pre-marital birth and 92% more likely to get divorced themselves.
16. Adolescent girls raised in a 2 parent home with involved Fathers are significantly less likely to be sexually active than girls raised without involved Fathers.
17. 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
18. 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes.
19. 71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father.
20. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.
21. 85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes.
etc (You get the drift)
Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.
Studies on parent-child relationships and child wellbeing show that father love is an important factor in predicting the social, emotional, and cognitive development and functioning of children and young adults.
Children who live absent their biological fathers are, on average, at least two to three times more likely to be poor, to use drugs, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems, to be victims of child abuse, and to engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents.