How holy are these guys, really?

I haven't been able to escape this feeling reading through Genesis that most of these revered forefathers of our faith are generally kind of jerks. Does anyone else feel that way? They play favorites (Abraham with Sarah/Isaac, Jacob with Rachel/Joseph), they deceive each other (Abraham & Isaac with all the lying about their wives being their sisters; Jacob with Esau x2; Jacob & Laban's sheep), they mistreat women (lots of examples, but most notably Judah in Gen 38; I know this was the "culture" or whatever, but still...), and there are very few references to any of them actually practicing their faith - worshipping, repenting, praying, even the vague "walking with God" isn't there. How are we supposed to understand this? Is it enough to say that God had made promises to them, so they were used by Him in spite of their blatant, public, unrepented sin? Or are their stories in there for the reason pastors sometimes like to say, so that we can be encouraged that they were sinners too and we don't have to be perfect? Something about that doesn't sit right with me...