Close

How to Know God

Do you ever wonder what Christians believe? Who Jesus is, what he did and why it matters? Get answers to these questions and more.

Spiritual Growth

Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth.

Life & Relationships

Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God.

Bible Studies

Find resources for personal or group Bible study.

Share the Gospel

Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus.

Help Others Grow

Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring.

Leadership Training

Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are.

Video

Browse videos designed to help you grow spiritually, share your faith, and lead others well.

Language Resources

View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages.

Quizzes & Assessments

Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others.

Campus

Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others.

City

Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city.

Inner City

Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs.

Athletes

Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation.

Families

Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage.

High School

Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school.

Military

Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide.

Locate Cru Near You

Explore Cru's global presence and discover how you can get involved in communities worldwide.

Mission Trips

Volunteer abroad this year on a short term global missions trip offered by one of the best, most-reliable Christian missions organizations in the world.

1-Year Full-Time Internships

Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries.

Careers

If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals.

Go International

Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact.

Volunteer Opportunities

Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? We need you.

Events

Find a Cru event near you.

Explore Your Interests

Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve.

What We Do

How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus.

Donor Relations

Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Cru’s annual report and more.

Our Leadership

Learn about Cru's global leadership team.

Cru Partnerships

When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen.

Storylines

Showing God in action in and through His people.

Press

Access Cru's latest news releases, media contacts, and background information on our global ministries and leadership.

0

Your ‘90s TV dad is ...

Your dad is the strong, tough type: Red Forman from “That ‘70s Show.”

Did you know you can become a child of God and know Him as your Father?Would you like to know God personally?

Not now, but I’d like to learn more.

I follow Jesus but want to grow.

I follow Jesus but want to help others grow.

Oh, dads! For many of us, they were our first buddies and our protectors and providers. They were the ones who taught us how to laugh. They graced us with cheesy jokes and tickled us before bedtime. They gave us allowance for good behaviors and groundings for bad. Can we imagine our lives without our dads?

While our relationships with our dads can be amazing, not everyone has a pristine, picture-perfect experience with their father.

Maybe you have been let down. Maybe you didn’t have the warmest father. Perhaps something happened that was beyond your control. Maybe he was distant or even absent. After all, they are human too.

*A study from Pew Research showed that 87 percent of people said they felt close to their moms, but only 74 percent said they felt close to their dads. On the other hand, 94 percent said they felt close to their dogs, and 84 percent said they felt close to their cats. The percentage of people who felt close to their dogs was 20 points higher than those who felt close to their dads. Ouch.

I grew up with both parents around and had a storybook-like childhood. I was definitely a daddy’s girl. But when my parents divorced when I was 9, I got to experience the other end of the daddy spectrum.

When my dad moved out, the social hardships (and my bitterness toward him) began to escalate. I suffered emotionally, physically and spiritually as do a lot of kids that grow up away from their fathers.

But that’s not the end of it.

Though dads are an important part of our lives, and we don’t get to choose our relationship experience, the good news is that we can choose the effect it has on us. We don’t have to become products of our circumstances.

When I was 16, and extremely lonely and depressed, I discovered that there is a love much greater than my dad’s or any other human’s: Jesus Christ’s.

Through Jesus, I learned that I was personally created by God to know and love Him and to be loved by Him as His child. “All who receive Jesus and believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

God became my Father. I became dependent on His constant, dependable love, and I learned how to forgive my biological dad.

My dad is still not perfect, but we now enjoy a positive relationship with each other. When he fails me, I know I have the unconditional love, support and provision of my Heavenly Father.


Read more:

Since 1951, Cru has helped individuals who grapple with integrating faith into daily life by offering practical steps and community support. As a result, countless people in over 190 countries have been empowered to move from passive belief to active faith.