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Titre
Date
Durée
DA445 | MULTIPLIERS Part 3: The $5.5 Billion Blind Spot, Conditional Love, and a Scoreboard Set to Infinity (Jamie Winship)
30 Jul 2026
00:26:30
Join the TEAM DADAWESOME prayer team and pray for 20-minutes this Saturtday morning:
Episode Summary::
One ordinary Tuesday in the summer of 2001, Jeff sold a $200 television to a couple in a minivan — and only found out afterward that they were worth $5.5 billion and ranked 57th on the Forbes list. His unawareness didn't change their wealth by a dollar. It only changed how he treated them. In this chapter from the DadAwesome book, Jeff makes the case that most dads are doing the same thing with their own identity: parenting from poverty while holding access to infinite resources, working to earn what's already been freely given.
TAKEAWAYS
Your unawareness doesn't change your position. Not knowing who those customers were didn't subtract a dollar from their net worth — and forgetting you're God's son doesn't change that you are one. It only changes how you show up.
The clipboard teaches conditional love. When affection gets tracked point by point, kids learn love is something they earn.
Most of us carry that invisible scoreboard straight into adulthood and into our relationship with God.
God set the scoreboard to infinity. Not a clipboard with changing numbers — a gymnasium scoreboard with the infinity symbol permanently displayed.
You can't add to it with your wins or subtract from it with your failures. (It's why the DA logo looks the way it does.) Employee mindset and son mindset produce two different fathers. One strives, fears mistakes, measures worth by performance, and competes for attention. The other rests, lives from security, measures worth by belonging, and celebrates other people's wins.
Position changes the daily stuff. Instead of managing behavior, you cultivate hearts. Instead of panicking about finances, you remember your Father owns everything. Instead of shame spirals, you experience conviction that leads to growth.
TEAM DADAWESOME SPONSORS:
Aleph Ventures — Twin Cities based, partnering with and supporting painting companies across the country to calibrate, deepen impact, and go further than they could alone. https://www.aleph-ventures.com/
"My ignorance of their position didn't change their actual wealth. It only affected how I interacted with them."
"Over time, that clipboard became a symbol of conditional love. I learned that affection was something I earned — point by point, performance by performance."
"My heavenly Father has set the scoreboard to infinity. It can't increase with my successes or decrease with my failures. I can't add to infinity. I can't subtract from it."
"We parent from poverty when we have access to infinite resources — striving for acceptance we already possess and working for approval that's already been given."
"You're not God's employee, you're His son. And sonship is where fatherhood begins."
Bonus — Jamie Winship: "Parenting is very much about the identity of the dad. The greatest gift you can give to your kids is the truth of who you are."
ACTION STEPS
1. Reflection
Name your clipboard. Every one of us has an area — points, grades, obedience, success, output — where we experienced conditional love. Name it, and name what pushed you toward living like an employee instead of an heir. Do the two-column audit. Am I living like an employee, or like a loved son and heir? Scarcity or abundance? (Downloadable PDF in the show notes.) Ask the two questions. Borrowed from Jamie Winship: sit alone with God, settle down, and ask, "What are the things I believe about myself that hurt me?" Name the disappointments, the failures, the places you feel like you're not enough. Then ask the follow-up: "Jesus, what do you say about me?"
2. Multiplication
Send a couple of texts. Invite other dads into episode 445 and grow a circle of men who are growing alongside you. Join the prayer team. Team DadAwesome — 55 men — rides this Saturday to fuel fatherhood ministry. Give 20 minutes of prayer sometime Saturday morning, August 1st. Let's multiply in prayer.
3. Activation
Start tomorrow with a declaration. Before you check your phone, before your to-do list starts talking, answer whose you are — and say it out loud, don't just think it: "I am a loved son of God." Remind your kids the scoreboard is set to infinity. Tell them, "I love you because you're mine," not because of what they accomplished. Try, "I'm so glad I get to be your dad. I'm so thankful you're my son." Take the holy pause. When you feel a critique or a scorecard-based thought forming, catch it before it comes out. Notice the moments you'd communicate more love if they performed. Ask your spouse. "Are there ways or times I communicate a lack of love because of a performance or a mistake?"
DA444 | MULTIPLIERS Part 2: Curiosity Over Chaos, Stones of Remembrance, Blessings Passed Down (Phil Comer)
23 Jul 2026
00:32:51
SUMMARY
The current chapter of dad life is not the whole story. In part two of the DadAwesome Multipliers summer series, Jeff reads Chapter 2 of the DadAwesome book, The Tale of Two Thieves, and unpacks what a three dozen cookie dough heist taught him about choosing curiosity instead of reactivity. Then Phil Comer joins with a powerful clip on giving a blessing instead of returning evil for evil, and how one choice in a tense room trickles down for generations. This episode closes with clear reflection, multiplication, and activation steps you can take this week.
Key Takeaways
You are living into a multigenerational story, and this chapter is only a tiny slice of it.
Curiosity opens doors. Reactivity closes them.
You cannot eliminate chaos, but you can shape how it unfolds.
Stones of remembrance are about keeping the stories alive, not preserving the reminders.
Giving a blessing when you have received a criticism changes the atmosphere of a room.
Action Steps
REFLECTION
Look back at the chaos. When curveballs hit recently, were you reacting or responding? Were you making assumptions or staying curious and asking God what He wanted to teach you in that moment?
Open your phone and look back at the last month. Scroll your photos, scroll your calendar. Where has God shown up that you have not paused long enough to call to mind?
Ask the honest question. If your kids described the atmosphere you carry into the room right now, would tenderness make the list? Would softness? Would kindness?
MULTIPLICATION
Send the text. Reach out to seven or eight dads and invite them to journey with you through the end of August. If two or three say yes, you have moved from addition to multiplication.
Pick your gathering. A text thread, a campfire, a boat, a camping trip with your kids. Make one specific invite this week.
Carry a copy. Keep an extra DadAwesome book in your vehicle or your laptop bag and look for the moment to hand it to a dad and tell him you see him being awesome.
ACTIVATION
Start a family remembrance list. Sit down together, scroll photos and your calendar, and capture the answered prayers, the provision, the goodness, the moments God showed up. Let every kid contribute.
Tell the stories out loud. At the dinner table or at bedtime, tell your kids one story of God's faithfulness in your family.
Flip the switch this week. The next time a curveball comes, choose curiosity first. Laugh at the moment. Show your kids that dad is anchored and steady, not thrown off.
Timestamps
03:00 This week's theme is story 04:00 Chapter 2, The Tale of Two Thieves 06:24 React or respond, curiosity or reactivity 08:49 The Dad Detective's approach, five practices 11:11 Crafting your family's story 12:45 Stones of remembrance 14:30 Building your family's remembrance list 18:21 Remember this 19:20 Setting up the Phil Comer clip 20:20 Phil Comer on tenderness, blessing, and the choices we pass down 26:45 Action steps: reflection, multiplication, activation
Guest
Phil Comer is a husband, father, and grandfather with 40 years of pastoral and counseling experience. After planting a church in 2004, Phil and his wife, Diane, went on to launch Intentional Parents International, a ministry equipping young parents and providing focused teaching in the spiritual training of children. This clip comes from episode 317.
Links Mentioned
Listen to the full conversation with Phil Comer: DadAwesome Episode 317
Join Team Awesomeness (monthly support team) at any level from $7/month to $1000/month... We have 41 families committed to fueling the ministry DadAwesome as we head toward celebrating 9 years of AWESOMENESS this coming winter: https://www.dadawesome.org/give
Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text "Dad" to (651) 370-8618
DADAWESOME book: dadawesome.org/book
Top Five Quotes
"The current chapter of dad life is not the whole story."
"You can't eliminate chaos, but you can shape how it unfolds."
"Your kids are watching how you handle the unexpected. What story are you writing?"
"It's not about preserving the physical reminders. It's about keeping the stories alive."
Phil Comer: "If you, with God's help, can give a blessing when you've received a criticism or a curse, it brings peace and it honors God."
Tags
DadAwesome, Jeff Zaugg, Phil Comer, DadAwesome Multipliers, fatherhood, christian dad, dad life, parenting, dad podcast, intentional parenting, story, legacy, generational blessing, stones of remembrance, God's faithfulness, curiosity, marriage, tenderness, scripture, Intentional Parents
DA435 | Speaking Life, Unhurried Presence, and a Biblical Definition of Leadership (Mac Lake)
21 May 2026
00:47:19
🎙️ Brandon Lake's dad on the DadAwesome podcast.
Mac Lake (a.k.a. "Pops") joins us for a powerful conversation on speaking life, leading at home, and shaping your kids into who God already sees them to be.
✅ The biblical definition of leader — disciple, servant, apostle (and why "I'm not much of a leader" is insecurity, not humility)
✅ How a posture of unhurried presence changes everything (Pops TV, dinosaur eggs, and football for 60 minutes if they want 60)
✅ Why discipline is discipleship — and how to stop disciplining out of a wounded ego
SUMMARY
The words you speak to your kids today become the voice inside their head for the rest of their lives — for better or worse. In this episode, Mac Lake (yes, that Mac — Brandon Lake's dad) shares the leadership wisdom he's spent a lifetime giving away: how to speak life over your kids, why "I'm not much of a leader" is insecurity in disguise, and how a biblical definition of leader — disciple, servant, apostle — changes how you show up at home. Plus Pops TV, dinosaur eggs, and why discipline is discipleship.
TAKEAWAYS
Leadership in your home requires both spirit and skill. David shepherded with integrity of heart and skillful hands — don't lean only on business-style competence, and don't go passive at home either.
Your words become your child's inner voice — so speak life. Get on your knee, look them in the eye, tell them you're proud of them and why. Be their biggest cheerleader, not their biggest critic.
Build a faith legacy by telling the works of God in your family. Like Asaph in Psalm 78, your kids should know specific stories of how God has shown up for your family, not just for Israel.
Unhurried presence is the gift most dads underestimate. Put the phone away, leave the adult conversation, throw the football for 60 minutes if they want 60 minutes — they need you fully there, not just nearby.
Discipline is discipleship — not ego protection. When kids misbehave, it's not a verdict on your identity. Shape them into the image of Christ instead of reacting from your wounded ego.
GUEST
Mac Lake is a pastor, leadership coach, and the founder of The Multiplication Center, where he trains church leaders to identify and develop multiplying leaders. He's the author of The Multiplication Effect and has spent decades coaching pastors and executives in leadership pipeline development. He and his wife Cindy ("CeCe") have three grown kids — including worship artist Brandon Lake — and six grandkids who know him as "Pops." They live in South Carolina.
LINKS
Join the DadAwesome Prayer Team: Text "pray" to (651) 370-8618
DA345 | Anger Autopsies, Learning From Others, and Your Fatherhood Swiss Army Knife (Kent Evans)
29 Aug 2024
00:43:45
Every father needs the right tools to raise his kids well, and Kent Evans likes to use the analogy of a Swiss Army Knife. His main blades include asking thoughtful questions, seeking wisdom from others, and staying rooted in God's Word. Tune in now to discover why anger isn't an effective parenting strategy—and what you should do instead.
Key Takeaways
Be curious and seek wisdom from the men you know.
Your boys need to hear you acknowledge your weaknesses and imperfections.
Don't connect your apology to your child's behavior.
You don't need to have a sex talk with your son; you need to have an 8-10 year conversation.
As dads, most of our anger is not righteous anger.
Kent Evans
Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. He's a Christian speaker and author of three books. Kent and his wife, April, have been married for 29 years and have five sons.
Key Quotes
24:36 - "Odds are, the vast majority of things that make you angry are unbiblical, unwise, and unproductive. Let's go explore those together and see what God's Word has to say about it. Because for me, I have discovered over time that there there is a way to look at life through a far less angry lens and to be able to call my anger out when it happens in a way that's more healthy, albeit sometimes more painful. And I just hope I can get some dads to join me on that that journey. Because frankly, we hear from dads all the time who say their number one struggle is anger."
32:51 - "Let all, not some, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Anger is not to be managed. It is not to be controlled per se, although we should have control over our mouth and our spirit. Anger is to be put away. As we look at it, it's a very challenging topic because our culture and our modern era and our access to news that doesn't matter. Proverbs 16, whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit, then he who takes a city. Do you have governance over your spirit? Can you rule your spirit? Can I rule my spirit or does my spirit rule me? And we just find anger lurking in the shadows so often, almost every day."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
DA344 | Growing in Sonship, Reaching Men Through Breaking, and Being Known in Your Struggle (Michael Swalley)
22 Aug 2024
00:41:30
Michael Swalley joins this episode to share the unexpected connections between breakdancing and fatherhood. Tune in to hear Michael's thoughts on the battle against busyness, the power of your wife's voice, and the value of being known by others. As you embrace your identity as a son of God, you'll experience the freedom to be the father you are meant to be.
Key Takeaways
Your fatherhood journey might begin with grieving the loss of many things.
There is power in the voice of your wife.
How much of your busyness is motivated by trying to earn an identity God has already given you?
The fundamental truths of God don't put you in a box; instead, they free you up to express yourself more creatively.
Just like breaking, fatherhood is a communal experience, and attempting it in isolation will affect your performance.
Michael Swalley
Michael Swalley is the Executive Director and North American Regional Head of Break Free Ministries, where he works passionately to make disciples in the global Hip-Hop community. Michael and his wife, Ellen, live in Colorado Springs with their three daughters and one son.
Key Quotes
23:10 - "The identity as a son really frees us up as fathers, to make time with our family. That has been a process for me and very much learning that right now."
25:36 - "There are some very basic fundamental truths of being a father that we learn from God who has revealed Himself as such. Those truths don't put us in a box. And then as you live into those, those truths, it frees you up to be the dad that God has created you to be. Each one of us, God has gifted us with unique kids, and He knew those kids that we are going to father and He knew that we were uniquely gifted with our lives to be able to father those kids."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
DA343 | Breaking Chains, Being Strengthened in The Forge, and Multiplying Your Discipleship Efforts (Alex and Stephen Kendrick)
15 Aug 2024
00:37:36
Alex and Stephen Kendrick of Kendrick Brothers Productions have created some of the most influential Christian feature films, including WAR ROOM, FIREPROOF, and COURAGEOUS. With their new movie about to hit the box office, Alex and Stephen share what God is teaching them about discipleship, sacrifice, and being forged into stronger men and fathers.
Key Takeaways
God does things for us, with us, in us, and through us—in that order.
Don't let pride stand in the way of your growth.
Every step you take in obedience to Jesus qualifies you to help someone else take that step.
The fire of a forge strengthens you through heat and pressure.
One man choosing to disciple another creates a multiplication effect that spans generations.
Alex and Stephen Kendrick
Alex and Stephen Kendrick of Kendrick Brothers Productions use their passion for storytelling to spread the Gospel and share stories of hope and redemption throughout the world. With Alex as the director and Stephen as the producer, they have co-written nine screenplays and several books. They each have six children and reside in Albany, Georgia, with their families.
Key Quotes
8:48 - "Part of the chain breaking is you really need Jesus' help to change your own heart and mind. Our dad was in Scripture saying, God, teach me how to be a good dad, I wasn't given that example. I'm kind of driving in the dark here. I don't know what this looks like. As he's reading Scripture and applying that to his life, God, the perfect Father of all, was coming alongside him, helping him to not only love us and provide an example of integrity and truthfulness, but to humble himself and repent and ask for forgiveness when he blew it."
16:04 - "We're making a movie about discipleship, and we're learning about discipleship at the same time. We're studying the Great Commission. We're studying what it looks like to follow Jesus on a daily basis, and then invite other people to come along with us and say, follow me as I follow Christ. The word disciple means follower, and a disciple of Jesus is a fully devoted, all in follower of Jesus walking with Him. As He takes a step, you take a step, following Him closely. Our daily journey of faith with God is an abiding, intimate, fellowship relationship that as we learn to lean in to the Lord every day and say, Lord, lead me. What happens is when a man surrenders fully to the Lordship of Jesus, the Holy Spirit becomes the hand in the glove of our empty lives, and He enables us to do what we cannot do on our own."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
342 | DA+3 Group Guide: Seth Dahl
08 Aug 2024
00:11:17
God has given fathers unique duties that they can't pass off to anyone else—not even the Church. In this DA+3 Group Guide, Seth Dahl encourages fathers to step up to the plate in the spiritual formation of their kids. You'll be challenged to avoid false comforts, pay attention to your thoughts, and discover what brings you joy.
Key Takeaways
Children are Arrows: Parents are responsible for shaping children into arrows that can take out the enemy.
Misinterpretation of Thoughts: Discern where your thoughts are coming from.
Avoid False Comforts: Be intentional about where you seek comfort after a hard day.
Ask God for Help: Teach your kids to ask God for help since He is the only one who can guide and help us best.
Awareness of What Makes Me Come Alive: Your self-awareness, wife-awareness, and kid-awareness can bring life to your family.
DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Seth Dahl uses the analogy of a sporting goods store to explain how some parents shift the responsibility of spiritually sharpening their kids to the Church. Have you fallen into the same trap?
Why is it important to view our children as arrows in relation to the Armor of God?
What stands out to you in 1 Corinthians 2:16?
How do you distinguish between thoughts from God, yourself, and the enemy?
After a tough day, what false comforts do you turn to (e.g., sugar, TV, alcohol)?
What changes when you turn to the true Comforter instead of false comforts?
Have you ever tried to save or rescue your kids, putting yourself in the "God" spot?
How do you teach your kids to ask God for help when they face challenges?
What are three things that make you feel more alive?
Have you discovered what brings joy to your wife and kids?
Seth Dahl
With over 15 years of experience working with children and being a children's pastor, Seth Dahl has cultivated a passion for helping parents create a thriving family culture at home. Seth, Lauren, and their three children homestead with a large garden and a handful of animals on a small farm in Texas.
Key Quotes
3:25 - "If we don't learn to work with our children when it comes to the things of the kingdom, we actually limit our ability to fight, our ability to win, our ability to take dominion, and our ability to extend the kingdom to the earth. [When we do this we] hide our children in the quiver. If we just protect our kids from the big bad world and we don't get them out, we don't let them loose, obviously carefully, obviously focused and aimed and wisely. If we don't get them out they're going to struggle because arrows are not meant to sit in the quiver, arrows are meant to fly and strike the enemy. If we don't get our kids out and let them do that, we're actually preventing them from operating in the God given identity that they've been called to. We're just protecting, protecting, protecting instead of preparing and releasing and aiming."
7:12 - "Sometimes we have to be introspective and prayerful around where is this thought coming from? Sometimes that thought is a lie from the enemy. Sometimes that thought is just your own thought. Guys, I just want to encourage you to really think into and pray into, what is my thought life? Are my thoughts from heaven or my thoughts destructive thoughts from the accuser? Our thought life matters."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
341 | DA+3 Group Guide: Patei Iyegha
01 Aug 2024
00:13:33
Unlock five steps to become a moment-maker dad. In this DA+3 Group Guide, Patei Iyegha will encourage you to slow down, create "sticky moments," and reflect on your family's values. Tune in to this bite-sized episode and walk away with practical ideas to become more intentional and present as a dad.
Key Takeaways
Power of Words: Actions speak louder than words. Pay attention to the words you are speaking over your kids.
Slow Down: Slow is pro, so lean into simplicity and creativity.
Technology: Take back 13,000 hours with your kids just by spending two fewer hours a day on your phone.
Sticky Moments: Invest in connection now so you'll have influence in the future.
Family Values Audit: Your time and money will always reveal your priorities.
DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Are there any words or phrases your parents said that have stuck with you since childhood?
When did you last ask your wife or kids to audit your words?
What holds you back from slowing down and embracing simplicity and creativity?
Why do you think slowing down is important as a dad?
How has your phone/technology use changed over the years?
What would you do with an extra 13,000 hours with your kids if you put down the phone for 2 hours a day?
When thinking about your own childhood, what "sticky moments" stand out to you (ex. fried egg Fridays, family Bible story time, Christmas light adventures, etc.)?
Do you have any existing "sticky moments" that your family regularly looks forward to?
If you were to pull up your calendar right now, what percentage of time is spent with your family?
What are three ways you can invest time and money to create closeness with your kids?
Patei Iyegha
Patei Iyegha is a trauma surgeon who lives in the Twin Cities with his wife Andrea and 8 kids, ranging from 18 to 2. When he's not working or spending time with family, he's probably training for or competing in an obstacle course race or other endurance event. If it's hard, he's interested!
Key Quotes
6:31 - "The idea of a glowing device that's in our pocket, that's with us, it's in our cars, it's at the kitchen table, the glowing device. It was only campfire and the sun. You can't even look at the sun. It's too powerful. So it was like looking at a campfire as your one option for something that glows. It's mesmerizing. It draws our attention. Well, the phone is doing that, and it's harming our families. It's harming my family the amount of time I spend on my phone."
7:48 - "If your kids want to be with you and want to spend more time with you and begging for you, that's just going to give you more influence over their lives. So, when it comes to those harder conversations, when they're pre-teens or teenagers, you've got a lot of investment in there because you've been spending the time, speaking into their lives. They've enjoyed being around you, they trust you, they love you. It just leads to more influence when they get when they get older."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
340 | DA+3 Group Guide: Jeremy Pryor
25 Jul 2024
00:12:49
The way you parent today impacts multiple generations. In this week's DA+3 Group Guide, you'll hear Jeremy Pryor's vision for multi-generational families with a clear identity. Get instant ideas to foster family relationships, train your children for their future roles, and integrate your work into your fatherhood role.
Key Takeaways
Multi-Generational Family: Raise your children to be excellent parents to your grandchildren. Parent with that third generation in mind.
The Need for a Fatherhood Archetype: Scripture provides a blueprint for the ideal father, and it's not always what today's culture praises.
Training: Approach fatherhood like a coach, training your children for their future roles rather than just focusing on short-term behavior correction.
Integrate Work and Family Identity: View your work as an extension of your role within your family, not as a separate identity.
Family Friendships: Socialize your children within family and community settings, not just with peers.
DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions
When you think about your kids becoming parents, what parenting characteristics do you want them to have?
What specific actions do you need to take to raise your kids to be great parents to your grandkids?
How do you think society views the role of a father in today's culture?
What characteristics of Abraham do you think are most important to emulate as a dad?
What shifts do you need to make to train your children for their future roles rather than focusing on short-term behavior corrections?
How can you ensure that your family's values are a central part of your family identity?
Have you ever fallen into the trap of viewing your work as a separate identity instead of an extension of your role within your family?
Why do you think integrating your work and family identity is important?
How can we encourage our children to build strong relationships with their siblings and family members?
What are some practical ways to socialize your kids within your family and community—instead of just with peers and friends their own age?
Jeremy Pryor
Jeremy Pryor is a business owner, creative entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and builder of multiple movements with family at the core. Jeremy and his wife have five children and reside in a multigenerational home near Cincinnati, Ohio.
Key Quotes
8:12 - "I've been tracking a trend over the last ten years, and the trend has been to represent the new ideal father as the traditional mother. The traditional mother was very present, very empathetic, right there meeting the needs of kids. This idea of that traditional mother, I began to see that when there have been positive descriptions or symbolic, positive descriptions of the father, he would be that mother."
11:45 - "Let's think about the level that we're valuing, inter-friendships between siblings and just the strength of that. I just want to challenge and encourage you guys to really pray on, how can we foster deeper friendships between our kids? Regardless of the age gap there can be deeper friendships."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
339 | DA+3 Group Guide: Justin Whitmel Earley
18 Jul 2024
00:08:59
Looking for fresh ideas on building better habits, routines, and rhythms with your kids? Tune in to this week's DA+3 Group Guide featuring Justin Whitmel Earley. From morning huddles to bedtime rituals, you'll explore ways to transform everyday moments into meaningful connections with your family.
Key Takeaways
New Day, New Start: Every day is a new chance to parent differently and experience more of God's grace.
Pause Prayers: Before disciplining or interacting with your kids, take a moment to pray and ask for guidance to approach the situation with love and understanding.
Morning Huddles: Start your day with a family huddle where you teach your kids a simple prayer or affirmation.
Bedtime Rituals: Create a routine that transforms ordinary moments into opportunities for connection. Don't be discouraged if it takes several tries to work!
Reconciliation Rituals: Don't just immediately move on after conflict or discipline. Whether it's a hug, a joke, or a shared Tic Tac, show your kids and spouse you're still on their side.
DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Do you ever feel weighed down by past parenting mistakes—whether from a day, week, or year ago?
What are some practical ways you show yourself grace and embrace the "New Day, New Start" mindset as a dad?
What changes for you when you say a quick prayer before disciplining your kids?
How do you find the right balance between discipline and showing grace?
What does your current morning routine look like with your family?
How can you make your family's routine more intentional and spiritually focused?
Do you have a bedtime ritual that helps you connect spiritually with your children?
What is your biggest challenge when trying to establish a new family habit or routine?
How do you model reconciliation for your kids?
Is there a small, fun gesture you use to reconnect with your kids after conflict, such as sharing a Tic Tac, telling a joke, or giving a hug?
Justin Whitmel Earley
Justin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, author, and speaker from Richmond, Virginia. His most recent book, Habits of the Household, was published in 2021. Justin is married to Lauren and has four sons: Whit, Asher, Coulter, and Shep.
Key Quotes
2:07 - "Every day is a new chance to experience grace from your heavenly Father and step in with your whole heart to being a dad. New day, new start. Do not beat yourself up about yesterday, last week, last month, last year, the last decade of your dad life. Don't play the comparison game and do not disqualify yourself. God has not disqualified you. So let's walk with a lot of grace."
6:03 - "There's a comical and halting nature to starting any important habit with your family, which is very important to realize. Nothing in the household is normal until it is, you have to practice.
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
338 | DA+3 Group Guide: Jim Jackson
11 Jul 2024
00:14:54
In the third installment of the DA+3 series, rediscover timeless advice from Jim Jackson. You'll learn why being "fast, large, and loud" isn't effective and how to make a shift that leads to more connection with your kids. Plus, explore the 10 DA+3 Discussion Questions below to prompt meaningful conversations about legacy, peace, your fatherhood report card, and more.
Key Takeaways
Be Slow, Soft, and Low: Our default as dads is to be fast, large, and loud. Instead, you can create more connection by changing how you approach your kids.
"One-Another" Fatherhood: Look at all the areas in the Bible with "one another" commands and apply those behaviors to your relationship with your children.
Your Child is Not Your Report Card: How your kids behave is not a reflection of your value.
Beyond Understanding: You will never understand everything as a dad. Prayerfully seek God's wisdom, insight, and understanding.
Legacy: Love your wife and kids well.
DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Why do you think us dads default to being fast, large, and loud?
How do you practice being "slow, soft, and low" instead of "fast, large, and loud" when interacting with your kids?
Scan the infographic of all the "one another" commands in the New Testament. Which one stands out most to you as something you want to practice more?
Have you ever patted yourself on the back when your child behaved well?
On the other hand, when did you feel like a failure because of something your kid did or didn't do?
If you had a real "Dad Report Card," what subjects or things would it measure? (Hint: It should not be directly linked to your kid's behavior.)
What does it look like to be okay and remember where your value comes from, even when your children are struggling?
Thinking about Philippians 4:7, in what situations or areas of your life do you need to pray for the peace of God, which transcends all understanding?
What is the #1 legacy you want to leave as a husband?
What is the #1 legacy you want to leave as a father?
Jim Jackson
Jim Jackson and his wife, Lynne, are the co-founders of Connected Families, a non-profit ministry that has been bringing reliable, God-centered, research-based parenting resources to all families since 2002.
Key Quotes
3:22 - "Dads, we're really good at feeling that stress and jumping forward and stepping in and fixing stuff and getting stuff done and getting people to do the stuff that we need them to do. Even if it's just by our posture, we get big and we get loud and we get demanding, and the people around us, we think that it's respect, but oftentimes I fear that it's fear. We think that we're doing something in the name of gaining respect, when in fact we're scaring people into a form of compliance that builds distance in their trust of us, not closeness."
5:00 - "Obedience is a matter of the heart, not a matter of behavior. When our kids comply, that's not obedience. That's just doing what they're told because they've been told to do it because they're scared of what will happen if they don't. If that's the the mode of operation for us, then our kids grow in fear as we grow in a sense of demanding and being the habit just keeps getting bigger and bigger as the kids get older and older."
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337 | DA+3 Group Guide: Dr. Jackson Drumgoole
04 Jul 2024
00:10:17
Gather your DA+3 Group and lean into the wisdom of Dr. Jackson Drumgoole. In this 10-minute episode, you'll encounter brilliant strategies to be an intentional and influential dad. Check out the discussion questions below to prompt meaningful conversations about problem-solving, resilience, hospitality, and more.
5 Key Takeaways
Be the Loudest Voice in Your Kids' Ears: They can't hear you if you're not fully present.
Encourage Persistence and Resilience: Emphasize the value of sticking with commitments and completing tasks.
Teach Problem-Solving Skills: Encourage exploration and let your kids see you overcome obstacles.
Create a Safe and Welcoming Home Environment: Let your home be a place where your kids can invite other children over to experience fun and safety.
Positive Declarations: Pray bold declarations with your kids and their friends.
10 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
What people or influences do you think are speaking the loudest in your child's ear?
What are those influences telling your children? What do you want them to be hearing from you instead?
When your kids want to quit or give up, how do you encourage them to stick to their commitments?
When you were growing up, what tasks or activities taught you resilience?
How can you create similar experiences for your own kids to teach perseverance?
Do you encourage your kids to explore new interests and hobbies? What kind of activities are they trying right now?
Dr. Jackson Drumgoole describes his home as a "Kool-Aid" house where all his kids can bring their friends. What steps have you taken to make your home a safe and welcoming space for your kids and their friends?
What is your current routine for praying with your kids?
Do you pray with your kids when their friends are around? Why or why not?
What is one new positive declaration you want to incorporate?
Dr. Jackson Drumgoole
Dr. Jackson Drumgoole is an inspirational speaker, author, and veteran with a heart for fathers and families. He and his wife, ShDonna, have five children.
Key Quotes
1:54 - "Be the loudest voice in your kids ears. When they think about, where's wisdom come from? When they think about, where does cheerleading come from? When they think about, where does encouragement come from? Where does helpfulness come from? Where does blessings come from? The loudest voice. The loudest voice should be my voice, as dad."
5:21 - "Create a safe and welcoming home environment. A home environment where your kids want to bring their friends over. A home environment does not mean huge money and you're always serving all this crazy food and drinks, it doesn't have to be that. But you do have a heart for hospitality. You're encouraging and fostering, our house is a house of fun. Our house is a safe place. We celebrate and encourage our kids to bring their friends over to our place."
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336 | DA+3 Group Guide: John Eldredge
27 Jun 2024
00:18:15
In this DA+3 Group Guide, you'll find key points and discussion questions to spark meaningful conversations with other dads. Explore insights on unplugging from technology, checking in with Jesus, expressing emotions physically, sharing Jesus stories, and more.
5 Key Takeaways
Check-in with Jesus: Pray about decisions, journal the voice of God, and pay attention to frustration flare-ups.
Get Outside: Take a break from technology and spend time in nature.
Read Ephesians 3:14-19: Pray that God would bring a word or phrase to you as you read these verses.
Get a Baseball Bat and a Plastic Trash Can: Physically get out the heavy stuff.
Share Jesus Stories: Tell others when God has shown up for you.
10 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Before making major decisions, do you check in with God through prayer, journaling, etc.?
How do you feel about your current rhythms of technology/screens/phone use?
How often do you intentionally disconnect from technology?
When you think about spending time outside with your family, what memories stick out to you?
What outdoor activities bring you joy?
When you Read Ephesians 3:14-19, what word or phrase stands out to you?
What does it look like to press into your intense emotions like frustrations instead of running away from them?
Have you brought your full emotions to God by doing hard things physically, such as sprinting, doing pull-ups, or beating a trash can?
When was the last time you shared your faith stories with others, especially your kids?
What's one action you want to take after discussing this episode?
John Eldredge
John Eldredge is an author, counselor, teacher, and the president of Wild at Heart. He and his wife, Stasi, have three sons and are proud grandparents. John loves all things beauty, nature, adventure, and more.
Key Quotes
5:45 - "Another resource, is a book, A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser. I've spoken about this book before around grief, but he has a metaphor of when there's something that flares up, a frustration flare up, or a heaviness, where is this coming from? He would say press into it further versus run away from it. So, instead of chasing the sunset, the sun is setting to the west. Instead of trying to stay in the sun, press into the darkness, is what his metaphor is. Press into the darkness, the areas of hurt, of heaviness, of frustration. Let's actually explore those a little bit with Jesus."
9:45 - "Palm trees roots intertangle with other palm trees roots to keep them from blowing over in a storm. They'll bend all the way over to the ground in a storm, but they won't actually snap off or die because their roots are entangled with each other. Maybe that's a promise for you guys, is as we grow brotherhood and grow friendships with other men, as we become DadAwesome by creating a community of men who are together, being that dad for their families but for each other, encouraging each other, praying for each other, holding each other accountable, that we could be rooted and established in God's love, rooted in community and in God's love."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
DA434 | Bob Goff on Becoming a Secret Superhero Dad & Hovering Over Your Family (FROM THE VAULT)
14 May 2026
00:35:21
FROM THE VAULT with Bob Goff:
✅ Why hovering over your family is one of the most important things you can do as a dad
✅ How to leave behind treasures your kids will discover long after you are gone
✅ The courage it takes to quit something that no longer fits and start fresh
✅ What Bob learned from his friends at San Quentin about feeding the people around you
SUMMARY
There are around 8 billion people alive right now, and there have been 107 billion who came before us. That context changes everything about how you spend today with your kids. In this From the Vault conversation, Bob Goff returns to talk about hovering over your family the way God hovered over the earth, leaving behind treasures your kids will discover for years to come, and finding the courage to make bold moves when something in your life needs to change. Bob shares why being fully present matters more than providing, how to live a "no capes" kind of life, and why the small moments will be the bookmarks your kids carry forever.
TAKEAWAYS
The kind of grandfather you want to be will be a byproduct of the kind of dad you are right now.
Hovering over each person in your family means asking what they uniquely need that only you could provide.
Living a "no capes" life means doing meaningful things without making a big deal about them.
Your family needs you fully present far more than they need what you provide.
When something in your life stops fitting, having the courage to quit and start fresh can change everything.
GUEST
Bob Goff is the bestselling author of Love Does, Everybody Always, Dream Big, and Undistracted, along with several children's books co-written with his daughter Lindsey. He is the founder of Love Does, a nonprofit that operates schools and safe houses for children in conflict zones around the world. Bob and his wife, Sweet Maria, live in San Diego and spend much of their time at The Oaks, where they host gatherings for dreamers and world changers. They have three grown children and several grandchildren.
Quotes
"The kind of grandfather you want to be will be a byproduct of the kind of dad that you are." — Bob Goff
"Hover over each person in your family. What does kid number one need that I could only uniquely provide them?" — Bob Goff
"What your family really needs you to provide is you, like, fully present." — Bob Goff
"Sometimes the familiar will get in the way of what's actually possible." — Bob Goff
"Everybody doesn't get a slice, but everybody's fed." — Bob Goff
Links
Join the DadAwesome Prayer Team: Text "pray" to (651) 370-8618
335 | 35 Tips to Establish Brotherhood with a DA+3 Group (Jeff Zaugg)
20 Jun 2024
00:24:41
Intention is meaningless without action. This year, be the man who steps up to create a DA+3 group. It's as simple as getting three dads to join you. Extend invitations, build friendships, and keep going when it's tough. Your family's future depends on it.
Key Takeaways
Isolation is deadly.
Show me your group, and I'll show you your family's future.
17 Ideas of Groups to Start.
6 Benefits of Being the Dad Who Goes First.
4 Steps to Take Initiative.
Jeff Zaugg
Jeff Zaugg is a loving husband, intentional dad, and passionate advocate for the fatherless. With experience in nonprofit leadership and pastoring, Jeff founded DadAwesome in 2018 and Fathers for the Fatherless shortly thereafter. Jeff and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 17 years and are parents to four daughters, ages 3 through 10.
Key Quotes
13:08 - "Why should we step into being the activator, being the spark, being the guy who rallies and gathers other dads? Isolation is deadly. We know this, it's so true. When we're alone, we're vulnerable. Second, dads without friendships will at some point cause deep pain to their kids. The pain of isolation and a dad being a dad that doesn't have friends looking out for them, encouraging them, challenging them to grow. You will pass on pain to your kids."
16:51 - "You're going to move into a simple goal, I call it DadAwesome +3, DA+3. This is how easy it is, your goal is just to get three dads, three dads to join you. It might take inviting nine to get three to show up. Guys, it takes invite, invite, invite. DA+3 is a simple goal, but it takes inviting. It takes initiative. If you want to gather guys together, you've got to be the one who goes first. You've got to send the message, you got to decide, and then you've got to go after the simple goal of DA+3. Be a dad who gathers three other dads."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
334 | Heroic Consistency, Getting Hungry for God, and Being a Safe Container for Grief (Bryan Byrd: Part 2)
13 Jun 2024
00:36:27
Dads were never meant to take on fatherhood alone. In fact, Bryan Byrd argues that isolation is against God's will for your life. Instead, you'll need to connect with others and get hungry for the Holy Spirit. In this episode, Bryan offers encouragement to help you get started.
Key Takeaways
Connection is God's will.
Loneliness is a dangerous toxin.
Healing happens when you have a safe place to take your grief.
Get hungry for the Holy Spirit.
Bryan Byrd
Bryan Byrd is a husband and father to two sons from Boise, Idaho. He is passionate about equipping men to do hard things. He co-founded Wild Courage and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees.
Key Quotes
8:55 - "I can get promoted. I can advance, and I can do it in a way that's humble. I got guys who are going to call me off the shelf, if I'm out of line. If I'm out of God's will, they're going to say, Bryan, are you doing this too much? What's going on? Are you treating your wife right? Are things good at home? There's instant accountability with all the things that are right. If you're not in a fire, a group, I would just ask, how long can you go before burnout? Before failure? I read this other day, loneliness is way more a toxin than fat, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, opioids. Loneliness is more dangerous than opioids. I'd ask the listeners, it's probably way more important than you think. If you're saying, oh, I'll do that sometime. Today matters."
25:48 - "When I can look at you and receive you and your pain and hear you, I say you're worthy. When I, as a sharer of my pain, feel that I'm worthy, I have hope. I'm not alone. I'm with people that care. I'm seen. And I can find hope. Jesus, would you come into this pain? Would you take a risk on me? Because these guys just did. There must be hope for me. You go from sharing grief and despair and not having hope and not being seen and being isolated to seen and loved. That can be as simple as a group. It can be simple as silence. It can be as simple as a head nod. It's probably not talking very much. It might be a little validation. It's probably not giving a sermon. It's probably not five points of advice, how to fix your problem. Don't fix. It's probably not being the the alpha in the room telling people how you solve the world's problems. Letting it sit, now a container is you get 3 or 4 guys that can do that well and practice."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
333 | Betting on Yourself, Relearning How to Parent, and Doing Hard Things (Bryan Byrd: Part 1)
06 Jun 2024
00:40:22
Everyone has a story to tell, and every story matters. In the first half of our conversation, Bryan Byrd describes the role of a troubadour. He emphasizes the value of prioritizing heart-to-heart connections, loving yourself the way God loves you, and being flexible about your approach to fatherhood.
Key Takeaways
We're all troubadours with a story to tell that matters.
Heart-to-heart connections with your kids are the true sign of parenting success.
Love yourself enough to do what you say, bet on yourself, and hold yourself accountable.
Get instant feedback from your kids by asking, "How are you experiencing me?"
Don't be afraid to relearn some things.
Bryan Byrd
Bryan Byrd is a husband and father to two sons from Boise, Idaho. He is passionate about equipping men to do hard things. He co-founded Wild Courage and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees.
Key Quotes
11:55 - "I'm still going to choose heart to heart connection, regardless of my reputation. Regardless of my accomplishment or the image that people think I should have, I'm still getting their back, getting in the ditch if I need to get in the ditch, getting on a platform if I need to get on a platform. Wherever it takes, I'm going to show up and be present and be the father where I need to be. Sometimes I'm going to make mistakes along the way, and I'm going to ask for forgiveness and break some glass. That's success. Course correcting along the way right now."
27:00 - "We have sinned and we've been forgiven. He bets on us and He resides in us. There's a two edged coin there that we're the ransom one, so let's get with it. When you bet on yourself, you bet that you're valuable enough that you're going to come through with your word. You're going to do what you say. Bet on yourself, believe that you can do what you want to do, what you're set out for, what you're called from the Lord. Even though all of these people out in the world are going to say there's not enough time. You're too tall, you're too short, you're too fat, you're too skinny, they're going to come up with all kinds of excuses because they want to justify themselves. Bet on yourself is a line with God. Let's pause for a minute. Let that settle on our hearts. What God really says about you."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
332 | Engaging Your Destiny, Obeying God, and Finding Your Tribe (Ben Peterson)
30 May 2024
00:37:35
Combat veteran Ben Peterson joins us to discuss the glaring challenges in America's individualistic society, especially for people who have experienced the tight-knit military community. He offers practical advice to help you find your tribe, embrace your purpose, and be vulnerable about the struggles you're facing.
Key Takeaways
Our souls and psyches thrive when we are part of a tribe.
The transition from tribe culture to individualistic culture is an extreme challenge for veterans.
We are in a war for the souls of men.
The strongest men are the ones who are willing to be honest about their shortcomings and struggles.
Ben Peterson
Ben Peterson is a Jesus Follower, husband, father, and combat veteran. In 2016, Ben founded Engage Your Destiny, a nonprofit ministry that exists to engage with the military, veterans, and their families to lead them into their destiny. Ben and his wife, Rachel, live in Tennessee with their son.
Key Quotes
27:29 - "Where's my 10,000 souls? I just think it's so important to live with that mindset. It doesn't have to be a fear based mindset, but this is the reality of the kingdom, and there is heaven and hell, and there are realities to us being disobedient, and there is free will and there's consequences for that. That's part of kind of the military coming out, because if you don't do your job, people die. And that's the same thing in the kingdom. There's a reason that Paul used the reference of the soldiers so much because we are in a war for the for the souls of men."
31:18 - "We can lean into some of those woundings, from a sense of humility and being honest that, you know what, I'm never going to be perfect until Christ comes back or until I go home. And in Him, I'm a new creature. And that gives me such a sense of peace and satisfaction, that my wounds are okay. It's okay to be vulnerable."
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331 | Fighting Shadows, Leveraging Your Season, and Asking Curious Questions (Jon Tyson)
23 May 2024
00:46:59
Jon Tyson is back for the third time! In this episode, he uncovers the seven lies that hold men back from becoming fully alive. You'll discover the strategies Satan uses to keep you distracted and passive, and you'll be inspired to embrace your current season and ask curious questions for the sake of others.
Key Takeaways
Satan wants us dumb, entertained, oversatiated, and unmotivated.
You must fight against despair, loneliness, shame, lust, ambition, futility, and apathy.
If you ask curious questions about the needs around you, you never know what you'll get swept into.
What things do you need to harvest and enjoy right now before they rot and are gone?
Jon Tyson
Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon Tyson is a pastor and author based in New York City. He is the author of "Fighting Shadows" and the bestselling books "The Intentional Father" and "Beautiful Resistance." Jon has been married to Christy for twenty-five years and has two adult children.
Key Quotes
10:40 - "I always tell people, my vision is intentionality, it's not perfection. No one is perfect. In fact, the perfect fathers are often the ones that damaged their kids through such high expectations. It's just do your best, live in love, be honest with your struggles and get help. Rely on the community of men to help raise your kids. Ancient societies were not primarily just father-son societies. They were the community of men playing a vital role. It was the tribe that helped formed men, not just this psychotic pressure on an individual father."
19:23 - "I know everybody tells you this, be careful when you kill time, it has no resurrection. You can waste time. You can kill time. Waste time. Use time. Invest time. Redeem time. Or leverage time. And a lot of God, that's Ephesians 5, make the most of the time. That's not the word kross is the word kairos, which means you were in a season right now, that must be leveraged that you will never get again. It's not the same in every season. So I'm not advocating a kind of guilt where every, like, if every spare moment should be in prayer. That's, that's death. That's the law. I'm advocating, I'm advocating an awareness of your season. The things that need to be harvested now or they rot. Or seed now, or you missed the window to sow. Or enjoyed now or it's gone. How do you really figure what that is in that season and leverage it? Make the most because the days are evil. So yeah, it's about really trying to leverage the season more than anything else. First you got to know what it is, but when you know what it is going to be aware and go after it."
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330 | Restoring Brotherhood, Facing Fears, and the 7 Dragons Every Man Must Slay (Danny Silk: Part 2)
16 May 2024
00:26:45
In the second half of this conversation, Danny Silk shares the seven "dragons," or fears, that all men must slay. From confronting self-doubt to navigating competition among other men, Danny explores what holds most men back and how you can take immediate action. Plus, you'll discover the importance of community and brotherhood in your journey to becoming a dragon slayer.
Key Takeaways
Every man must confront these seven fears: God, himself, women, men, nature, machine, and provision.
If you don't set your heart to serve your wife, you will set your heart to conquer her and be the winner.
Men bond through doing and adventure and through risk.
Your role as a man is to think ahead and bring benefit to everyone you're leading.
Fatherlessness comes from the breakdown of brotherhood.
Danny Silk
Danny Silk is a renowned speaker and prolific author who draws on decades of experience as a counselor, social worker, husband, parent, grandparent, and more. He is the President and Co-Founder of Loving on Purpose, a ministry to families and communities worldwide.
Key Quotes
14:49 - "Quit putting it off because you don't want to feel stupid. You already look stupid. So go do something about it. Be the man. There's that end of it as well. And then there's, in the middle of it, which is get out there and take some risks. Get out there and learn some new skills, find some guys that love to work on that stuff and learn from them."
18:14 - "You really are looking down the road and you're leading, so people are following that. And in that is your responsibility to bring benefit to everybody on the journey with you. That's your role as a man, is to think ahead and to build benefit for for your family, for your legacy. I'm thinking generationally, I'm not just thinking momentarily. I'm not living paycheck to paycheck. I'm living generation to generation. So, then as a provider, you had better open up your clarity of where you're headed and who's going to be benefiting for you ever being on this planet."
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329 | Slaying Your Dragons, Setting the Standard, and Carrying Weight Like a Truck (Danny Silk: Part 1)
09 May 2024
00:29:07
In this eye-opening episode, Danny Silk discusses the seven key traits that make up the creed of manhood. You'll be inspired to rise above cultural influences and become a dragon slayer instead of a destroyer. Ultimately, you'll discover how to use your strength to protect, display Christ, and lead boldly.
Key Takeaways
You can either slay your dragons or become a destroyer.
It is your job to set the standard of love in your home, marriage, and community.
Men need to carry responsibilities to activate the strength they were designed with.
Fools want to be the master of their own universe, but wise men love correction and feedback.
Danny Silk
Danny Silk is a renowned speaker and prolific author who draws on decades of experience as a counselor, social worker, husband, parent, grandparent, and more. He is the President and Co-Founder of Loving on Purpose, a ministry to families and communities worldwide.
Key Quotes
6:28 - "You have to have something inside of you that both weights you down to the bottom so you can get some traction and strong enough to turn and face that bad boy. But what happens is, once you get enough people opposing and moving in synergy, in the opposite direction, you actually can bring that strong current to a stop and then reverse the current. [That's] the Kingdom. It's an upside down world. That's what I really want to call our generation to, let's be the generation that faced this ugly lie, chase it down, band together and create a different tomorrow for our boys."
14:24 - "It's absolutely essential that men understand that your primary job and really the only job that you have is control yourself. Control freaks, control your freaking self. You never control other people. And when we turn love into control, we misrepresent our Father. God is Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom, not control. If anybody is going to be a control freak, it could be God and he's a freedom freak."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
328 | Preparing Like a Warrior, Transferring Manhood with Rituals, and Staying Energized (Stephen Mansfield)
02 May 2024
00:31:33
Stephen Mansfield joins us in this episode to ignite your warrior mindset. As a man of God, you have a responsibility to prepare intentionally in every aspect of life, from your marriage to parenting and beyond. Stephen shares powerful examples of rituals, accountability, and prayers that can shape your life and future generations with purpose.
Key Takeaways
Warriors use every moment to prepare for impending battles, and strong men must do the same.
If you're going to achieve the greatness you're made for, stop being passive in the face of your surrounding culture and get intentional.
Righteous men are meant to think about the impact they'll have on the next generation.
Manhood is transferred during rituals, where you affirm a man in that milestone moment and speak of what's coming.
Stephen Mansfield
Stephen Mansfield is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and popular speaker committed to serving vital social causes. He and his wife, Beverly, split their time between Nashville, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.
Key Quotes
7:42 - "Warriors are intentional. They know there's battles coming. They are fighting for others. They're fighting battles of love for nation, for family, for righteous causes. And they are preparing themselves. And that makes them tougher, makes them more sacrificial, makes them more visionary, makes them live every moment in terms of, they're in the moment, but also in terms of what's coming."
18:12 - "I think every day is a gift. I think we live every day out as another day of our destiny. And the kissing of the spouse and the sitting quietly and the sipping of a glass of wine, the walk and the time reading a book and those peaceful, quiet, measured things, are just as important in building a legacy, as are the big dramatic, 500 year things. We men are naturally given to vision. What we have to do is be given to the moment more. That takes more intentionality on most of our lives."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
327 | The Science of the Brain, Emotionally-Focused Parenting, and Creating Moments of Intimacy (Kyle Wester)
25 Apr 2024
00:44:36
Kyle Wester joins us to unpack the science of your kid's brain—from birth to adulthood. You'll discover how connection shapes their emotional development and why sincere apologies pave the way for deeper intimacy in your relationship.
Key Takeaways
Your anger says more about you than your kids.
The brain has three key developmental stages: brainstem, limbic system, and prefrontal cortex.
To move out of the limbic system, you need connection.
Have high expectations while offering high support.
Emotion-focused parenting is an inside-out model that reflects what God does with us.
Kyle Wester
Kyle Wester is a licensed professional counselor and Parenting Coach who has been working with children for over 20 years. Kyle and his wife, Sarah, are founders of Parenting Legacy and host The Art of Raising Humans podcast. They have been married for 22 years and have three children.
Key Quotes
6:28 - "Success for us, when I look at my kids and I know that we are doing it well, that we are succeeding as parents, is when I see the fruit of the spirit easily pouring out of their daily life. What's neat is when you tie that in to the brain science, all of us as human beings, when we are at our best and we are really able to show up, be seen, bring more light to a dark place, it's when we're in the prefrontal cortex. And what's interesting about the prefrontal cortex is I can only get there when I feel safe and loved."
9:31 - "I have super high expectations on my kids. I really believe that every place they are is going to be better because they are there. And if for some reason that isn't happening and I'm noticing that, then me and my wife are wondering what is the supports my kid needed in that moment to be able to really shine the way God intended them to in that moment?"
26:02 - "This shows us how God has wired us and why the Christian disciplines are so effective, is because when we pray, when we meditate, when we worship, when we do these exercises that have been known throughout church history to be healthy and effective for us, we're answering these questions. We're connecting to somebody outside of us, who's whispering to us, you are safe. You are loved. And then once you get to the prefrontal cortex, the question is, what can I learn? You're basically saying, how can we do this together? How can we change this situation? I just picture God coming with an open hand and us coming with a closed hand, and He stays calm with us. He comforts us until our hand opens up. And then our hands can come together and we can really solve that problem together."
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326 | Establishing Men's Ministries, Living Life to the Full, and Connecting Through Adventure (Tim Lukei)
18 Apr 2024
00:42:05
In John 10:10, Jesus says that He came so we may have life to the full. This verse guides Tim Lukei's work as a men's pastor and non-profit leader. Listen in as Tim lists practical tips for building a vibrant men's community. Plus, he describes why adventure matters for your heart, marriage, and family.
Key Takeaways
If you're following Jesus and it feels boring, you're not doing it right.
A multi-generational team will create a multi-generational ministry.
Adventuring as men often opens us up to do life together authentically.
Don't just be a dad who was there; be a dad who was intentional and present.
Tim Lukei
Tim Lukei is the Men's Pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, California. He also runs Maverick River Collective, which equips churches to establish sustainable, transformational men's ministries. Tim and his wife, Korrie, have been married since 2006 and have three children.
Key Quotes
6:29 - "Adventuring together creates connection moments and moments of, this is so awesome we got to experience this together. That is adventure as it pertains to man's ministry and family and parenting. The best way I know to how to connect with my kids is going on an adventure. And that doesn't always mean hopping on a plane, going to Hawaii or wherever else. It could be like, hey, we're going on a bike ride and I'll take you to this rad new playground. It's going to be amazing. That could be an adventure. And it doesn't cost necessarily anything. My kids beg me to to go on bike rides and it costs nothing."
16:18 - "Do the self processing and figuring out, for me it was immediately, I recognized, I am burnout. I'm exhausted. No matter what you should already have had people in your place that you're reaching out in to go, hey, I'm not okay. Have you recognized it? And then begin the processing on what does it look like to become whole again? To get soul rest, to take some time, if you can, to figure out, is there areas where I need a coach or a therapist? One of the things that I try to do as a men's pastor is normalize therapy for men all freaking day. It's not something you do when you're in crisis. It's something that you do constant. Guys, we don't do that well. We don't process, talk through our hardship, difficulty or past. We don't, that's not our natural gear, for at least most guys. Maybe you have some meaningful conversations with people who speak truth into your life, but whether it's painful or not, you need to have that. Definitely figure out what things are the reasons, How did you get here, and don't just throw Band-Aids at something."
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DA433 | What's Underneath the Anger, Dad Daughter Dates, and Five Ways to Build a Bridge with Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield (Part 2)
07 May 2026
00:28:51
SUMMARY
I brought a real story to Dr. Michelle this week. A small mistake on my part, a hurt little girl, a defensive dad at bedtime, and my wife catching my eye across the room. What unfolded was a live coaching moment I needed more than I knew. Dr. Michelle gently walked me back through what I missed, what was actually under the anger, and how to do the repair that actually reaches a daughter's heart. If you have ever blown it with your kids and tried to talk your way out of it instead of leaning in, this conversation is for you.
Takeaways
Anger is usually the front door. The real emotion sitting behind it is almost always sadness, fear, or confusion, and your kids feel that gap before you do.
When your child tells the story of how you hurt them, the most powerful thing you can say is three words. Tell me more. Then stay there longer than feels comfortable.
Defensiveness bombs the bridge to your kids' hearts and to their picture of God as Father. Compassion builds it.
Luke 15 verse 20 gives a five step pattern any dad can follow. He saw, he was filled with compassion, he ran, he threw his arms around, he kissed.
A consistent monthly daddy daughter date and a note in your own handwriting create anchors of memory your kids will carry into adulthood.
Guest
Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield is a licensed counselor, speaker, and the host of The Dad Whisperer podcast. She founded The Abba Project, a nine month group for dads of daughters between thirteen and thirty, and has spent the last fifteen plus years coaching fathers in the work of pursuing their daughters' hearts. She is the author of Dad, Here's What I Really Need from You and Let's Talk, and her writing on fatherhood has reached dads in all fifty states and around the world.
Quotes
"You guys are wired with tender hearts. Tough and tender is a powerful combination as a man." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
"Under mad is usually sad or scared or confused. Lead with your heart more than your head." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
"Tell me more. That's how she gets it out, and then it's not there between you anymore." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
"Defensiveness bombs the bridge. Compassion builds it. That's the work of fathering a daughter's heart." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
"Anchors of memory in a place. Find one or two spots that become yours together with your daughter." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
325 | Discovering Your Child's Purpose, Nurturing Independence, and Prophesying Over Them (Dean Deguara)
11 Apr 2024
00:34:28
In this episode, Dean Deguara reflects on how he identified his children's purpose through prayer and prophecy. He details the practical ways he and his wife raised their kids to be resilient and bold, from bedtime prayers to meaningful car ride conversations and more.
Key Takeaways
God will give you clues about your kid's purpose.
The small deposits of time add up.
Be just as competitive about your kid's purpose as their performance.
Teach your children how to make good choices on their own.
Dean Deguara
Dean Deguara is the lead pastor of Real Life Church in Sacramento, California. He and his wife, Amy, have been married for 30 years and have two adult children.
Key Quotes
16:56 - "We were a family on mission. And so wherever we went, we tried to be the same people we were in public, that we were in private. And then just allowing our influence to be who we are."
26:16 - "One of the biggest things I like to encourage is teach your children how to make good choices on their own. As they're growing up, I think a lot of times we wait for these big transitional moments for our kids to make these [big decisions], where there's just a lot of pressure. Now [they] have to make a decision, where you're going to go to college and we didn't give them and we didn't allow them to make any choices until those biggest choices in life. We just started in the safety of our home and the safety of our family, just giving our kids opportunities to make big decisions."
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324 | Calling Out Your Child Through Ceremonies, Rites of Passage, and Spoken Blessings (Michael Warren: Part 2)
04 Apr 2024
00:27:48
One day, your child will transition into a young adult. Fathers play an essential role in recognizing those moments through ceremony and celebration. In the second half of this conversation, Michael Warren explores how dads can support their children by welcoming them into a larger community and fostering a sense of belonging.
Key Takeaways
Don't talk about it; be about it.
Present your son to a community of men and vocalize why he belongs there.
Create milestone moments for all of your children.
Make the courageous call to the person you think would be willing to meet with you to talk about being a dad.
Michael Warren
Michael Warren is a dad of four who is passionate about equipping fathers to lead their sons into REAL masculinity. He lives in Anchorage, Alaska, where he facilitates the Alaska Knights program at ChangePoint.
Key Quotes
4:31 - "When it comes to my daughter, it's been a little extra work. I've had to learn a lot about her heart, a lot about how God has made her, it's been a little slower for me, and I've had to run some experiments and try things out. What's caused me to not give up and all that's complex and, quite frankly, confusing to me sometimes, about pursuing the heart of preteen, early teen daughter has been this, I'm going to reject passivity and expect the greater reward by stepping in and creating some milestones for her, too."
20:26 - "If there's something that you want, what responsibility comes with the burden? What responsibility comes with a heightened sense of urgency? And that's not to shame, guilt, pressure, it's not about that. If this is on your heart, I would say just move with it. Find another person and just take the next step. Our God is a God of next steps, practical next steps. Because what kind of a God would He be if He showed us the entire landscape and made us feel overwhelmed and discouraged? That's not His character. "
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323 | Guiding Sons into Manhood, Defining Masculinity, And Four Principles of a REAL Man (Michael Warren: Part 1)
28 Mar 2024
00:27:37
Michael Warren is passionate about equipping fathers and mentors to guide young boys into manhood. His goal is to facilitate adventure moments that give sons an answer to the question, "When did I become a man?" In part one of this conversation, Michael describes how dads can define and model the timeless principles of manhood to their kids.
Key Takeaways
Fathers must communicate a clear definition of manhood.
Middle school is a strategic time to start calling boys up and out of the home—away from distractions like video games—and into learning led by dad.
A REAL man Rejects passivity, Expects God's greater rewards, Accepts responsibility, and Leads courageously.
REAL men have a work to do, a will to obey, a woman to love, and a world to serve.
Michael Warren
Michael Warren is a dad of four who is passionate about equipping fathers to lead their sons into REAL masculinity. He lives in Anchorage, Alaska, where he facilitates the Alaska Knights program at ChangePoint.
Key Quotes
17:38 - "The longevity that we've enjoyed has been tied to the fact that it's really transforming men's hearts and their families and the definition of manhood and the context that we teach, where that definition plays out are really transferable and in every season."
20:54 - "A real man, R-E-A-L, R, rejects passivity. A man rejects passivity. E, expects God's greater reward. A, accepts responsibility, and L, leads courageously. So, rejects passivity, expects God's greater reward, accepts responsibility, leads courageously. Expect God's greater reward, what does that mean? Well, that means delayed gratification. That is a principle that every man needs to entertain and think about. I'm going to make sacrifice now, but I know what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I've got energy, I've got time, I have my purity. I have these things that are God given that once I spend them, I don't get them back. Those are the main principles, this R-E-A-L. What's important to mention is that we call them the four W's. The four W's are the contexts where you can directly apply the R-E-A-L. So the four W's arem a man has a work to do, a will to obey, a woman to love and a world to serve."
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322 | Viewing Fatherhood as an Adventure, Owning Your Stuff, and Getting Unstuck (Ian Smith)
21 Mar 2024
00:49:16
Ian Smith joins us in this episode with passionate ideas to help dads enjoy fatherhood more. He shares his habits of looking for adventure in the challenge, asking hard questions, and taking ownership of mistakes. His energetic spirit will help you reframe your perspective on parenting so you can show up with renewed purpose.
Key Takeaways
You can enjoy fatherhood more when you view it as an adventure and a good challenge.
Get big enough on the inside to own it when something's not great.
Nothing brings more stability and security to a family than a dad who submits to the authority of the Heavenly Father.
Get out of the ditch of passivity by taking action.
Build up your kids and reinforce their identity through positive language.
Ian Smith
Ian Smith is an entrepreneur, former pastor, coach, and mentor living in Winnipeg, Canada. He has been married to his wife for 25 years and has six children. Ian is passionate about helping others go from feeling frustrated and apathetic in their faith to seeing real, lasting change in their lives.
Key Quotes
24:11 "There's all of this stuff that we go through and situations and fears we have, it's natural. But we can learn to cope with them in such bad ways or we can numb ourselves. We can get complacent. We can Netflix ourselves, drink ourselves, sports ourselves, work ourselves, tax ourselves out of it all. [Instead] of actually dealing with it and never dealing with it. And all that's going to do is continue to hurt us, which then is gonna hurt our family."
35:50 - "[Telling myself] I'm going to make a change and get on the path, and you'll find you'll walk out of that thing really quickly with accountability and a little bit of a vision about where you want to go. That's a really important piece too, is if you don't like the life you have, start envisioning the one you want and let that burn on the inside of you. You'll be amazed that when you have the what you want start to settle in your heart, the how is going to make itself known to."
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321 | Inviting God Into Your Pain, Cleaning Up Messes, and Living with Peace (Jeremy Morris: Part 2)
14 Mar 2024
00:45:53
Our conversation with Jeremy Morris continues as he shares insight on healing unprocessed pain, rebuilding relationships, and cultivating peace. Jeremy's healing journey wasn't quick or easy, but through his experiences, you'll see God's faithfulness in restoring his family.
Key Takeaways
Time doesn't heal all wounds, but God can.
The thing that you're doing to anesthetize the pain isn't the problem; the pain is the problem.
Don't give your family the leftovers of you.
Walk with your children through enough adversity that they're prepared for it when they leave the nest.
Without peace, nothing matters.
Jeremy Morris
Jeremy Morris is a husband and father of four living in Boise, Idaho. He co-founded Wild Courage, a ministry that equips men to tell the stories born in the redemption of lives and souls. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys coaching football, camping with his family, and managing his ranch.
Key Quotes
12:37 - "The thing that you're doing for the pain, isn't the problem. Let's go back into your story and find that unprocessed pain that sometimes is so subconscious we don't even know. I also want to say this, pain is the same. Just because you don't have my story, doesn't mean that your pain is less than mine. The pain is relative and your story matters. Going into your story and inviting God into that messy place that you never thought you could ever talk about and going to the source of that pain and finding out why."
23:11 - "It's just having the scary hard talks and helping [your children] navigate emotions. Speaking to their heart and not their actions. Now, that doesn't mean there's no discipline and consequences for actions, but it's not the first thing we go to. We go after their heart level of why did you show up this way? What's going on inside of your heart? Dealing with it in a heart issue instead of what was modeled to us of, like, discipline, discipline, discipline. Shame, shame, shame. Creating a safe environment. We don't want our kids to experience trauma. We're good with some adversity because we want to walk with them through it. I've learned to get really good at cleaning up my messes and finding humility in the times where I blew it. Humility just always wins. It always wins."
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320 | Overcoming Addiction, Discovering Wild Courage, and the Power of Testimony (Jeremy Morris: Part 1)
07 Mar 2024
00:51:16
Shame holds back many men from sharing their stories of redemption. Jeremy Morris once felt this. But he learned that the key to unlocking healing is to have the courage to be seen. In this episode, Jeremy shares his unfiltered testimony and demonstrates the power of vulnerability and wild courage.
Key Takeaways
Most men would rather go to the moon, climb Mount Everest, survive in the wilderness, or do other crazy things before being vulnerable.
The key to unlocking healing is to have the courage to be seen.
Are you using certain things to stuff down the unprocessed pain that's trying to crawl up out of your soul?
If God can forgive you, that is enough to carry on.
Jeremy Morris
Jeremy Morris is a husband and father of four living in Boise, Idaho. He co-founded Wild Courage, a ministry that equips men to tell the stories born in the redemption of lives and souls. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys coaching football, camping with his family, and managing his ranch.
Key Quotes
10:07 - "The most healing I've received, in a lot of areas, has been when I've had the courage to be vulnerable enough to share my deep, dark pain with someone and to be received with love back. Which, if you really knew me, there's no way you could like me, let alone love me. The courage part comes from us having the courage to be seen. Which, I think, God wired us to be seen and heard by others that we're in relationship with. Men will go to the moon, we'll climb Mount Everest, we'll jump off crazy things with parachutes, we'll ride bulls, we'll survive in the wilderness. And we would rather do all of those things before being vulnerable. I've just found that it's the key to unlocking healing and to be what we're all created to be, which is to be seen and heard and not judged and loved where we're at in the mess of it all."
36:23 - "They put me in jail and something in me changed in my prayer. I don't know how to explain it, other than I asked God, from one father to another father, please take this for me. The dad I'm going to be, I can't do this anymore. And He took it. I don't know if it was because I wasn't praying to get out of my circumstances anymore, which I think looking back, my prayers to Him were always to get me out of the mess that I created. But there was something about me pulling on to heaven, as a dad and crying out to a dad that I think was the difference and His perfect timing."
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319 | Expressing Love, Thriving as Yourself, and Advancing Fatherless Young Men (Chad Wallen)
29 Feb 2024
00:46:17
Chad Wallen helps teach fatherless young men practical tools that their dad could have taught them if he had been involved in their lives. It's an active way of fighting against harrowing statistics and intervening in tangible, practical ways. Join us as Chad shares his thoughts on self-care, words of affirmation, and mentoring the next generation.
Key Takeaways
You can't be a good dad if you're not a healthy version of yourself.
Don't make your wife translate your love to your children.
Nationally, 75% of men incarcerated are from a fatherless home.
What does it look like to mentor fatherless young men while providing opportunities to learn new skills, advance their careers, and build confidence?
Chad Wallen
Chad Wallen is a loving husband, foster parent, and dad to three girls and a son. He helped start Advance Camp in Oregon because he has such a huge heart for the fatherless. Now, Chad Wallen lives in the Dallas area and directs Advance Camp Texas.
Key Quotes
7:42 - "That was a hard thing to learn is finding that happy medium between taking care of yourself and finding you as a priority and taking care of your family and finding them as a priority, realizing you can't be 100% dad if you're not 100% you."
17:52 - "My mom used to tell me all the time your dad loves you. He told me last night that he loves you and he's really proud of you. Well, I don't need my wife translating for me. These words need to come out of my mouth. And it's hard. Sometimes I have to pep talk myself but I know that's my role is to speak my words, not to have my wife speak my words for me. That's one thing I have constantly worked on with myself is making sure my words are my words and my wife is not my translator."
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318 | Choosing Connection, Using Your Hands for Love, and Creating a Fatherhood Vision (Zack Blair)
22 Feb 2024
00:44:19
For Zack Blair, walking in unconditional love is the foundation of joyful fatherhood. In this episode, he shares personal experiences and practical examples to show why connecting with your kids matters more than trying to be perfect. And ultimately, how it leads to a parenting approach grounded in thankfulness and love.
Key Takeaways
Walking in unconditional love is the source of joy and thankfulness.
How can your children one day remember your heart if you are not intentional to connect with theirs?
Use your hands to express love, not produce pain.
You need other men in your corner—not just for you, but also for your kids.
Zack Blair
Zack Blair is an author and the founding pastor of Hill City Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Lauren, have been married for 17 years, have three children, and are foster parents.
Key Quotes
35:00 - "An apology, it goes so far with [your children]., Hey, dad's imperfect, but he's trying, and he's taking ownership in the areas that that he missed it. I tell my kids, I'm not going to be a perfect father. I'm going to do some things great. You're going to look back and you're going to say, man, that wasn't so great. Whatever we did great, carry it on. But whatever we didn't do great, fix it and keep on getting better."
39:53 - "When you hold your child and you look at them and you feel the pain of, maybe I didn't receive this or I don't know that I received that unconditional love. In every man where we look back on our life with regret, that's an area that if we dig deep and we we allow the Lord to heal and we open up to the right people, that will change our family's trajectory forever. A lot of guys will get stuck in the normal things that society talks about to distract us, but there's a part of us that's unhealed. If we can focus on that part and with kindness and curiosity, just go there and ask the Lord, Lord, when did I accept this lie? Or when did I develop this belief about myself? Or when did I experience this pain and God where were You in those moments? Even with help through counseling and and pastoral guidance, even when the Lord heals that it'll change everything and you will be set free to be the dad that you really want to be. So go there. Be brave enough to go there."
Phil Comer wasn't raised with a faith background. So when his first son was born, he knew he had to get radically intentional if he was going to raise children who walk with God. In this episode, Phil shares the habits that helped him develop his newfound faith as a young father and launch his grown children into the world with success.
Key Takeaways
Men are designed and commanded to be tenderhearted, kind warriors.
No one can love their wife or be used by God as a father without the Holy Spirit.
Memorized Scripture carries with you through life, enables you to do battle, and brings you joy.
Even if all you do is quietly speak the Scripture out loud for several years, you will memorize it.
It's not what you say to your kids that instructs them; it's what they see from you.
Phil Comer
Phil Comer is a husband, father, and grandfather with 40 years of pastoral and counseling experience. After planting a church in 2004, Phil and his wife, Diane, went on to launch Intentional Parents International. The ministry focuses on equipping young parents and providing focused teaching in the spiritual training of children.
Key Quotes
25:57 - "We need to teach this to our kids. We need to model it for our kids, and we need to realize that we need it. When it comes to the memorizing part, we're supposed to meditate on Scripture. Now, I can do that by reading it, but what about when I'm out on a walk and I don't have my Bible on me? Anything I do have, I'm able to bring back up and chew on. That's really what that verse means, that meditating is chewing on something and that's where God comes in."
38:02 - "You can't be saying one thing and be living another. That will destroy your kids, and it will lead them away from Christ so quickly. If you are modeling a genuine, authentic faith, if you are a passionate Jesus follower, your kids will pick that up because values are caught more than they're taught. We always have to look at our life every day, am I getting more lukewarm? Am I losing my passion or am I growing in my passion? As long as we're the growing side of Christianity and the growing side of Jesus, our kids are going to pick it up."
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316 | Living Wholeheartedly, Honoring Your Wife's Emotions, and Connecting Amid Dysregulation (Jay Vallotton)
08 Feb 2024
00:37:26
For Jay Vallotton, the turning point in his marriage was learning to connect with his wife through her emotions rather than trying to fix them. Now, Jason urges men to reconsider their approach to emotions, both in marriage and parenting. Tune in as he shares practical advice for repairing mistakes, handling dysregulation in a child, and approaching conversations with the end in mind.
Key Takeaways
To live wholeheartedly means addressing sin, being present, and fulfilling your God-given call instead of allowing fear to shrink you.
Your wife needs to feel seen, known, and heard.
Trust is not built through the absence of mistakes but by how you repair.
The #1 conversation hack is to start with the end in mind.
The right time to instruct and discipline is not when your child is emotionally dysregulated.
Jay Vallotton
Jay Vallotton is the founder of BraveCo, a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Bethel Church, and an overseer of the Bethel Transformation Center. He is passionate about helping people discover their God-given identity, find freedom, and walk out their true calling. Jason lives in Redding, California, with his wife, Lauren, and their five kids and daughter-in-law.
Key Quotes
3:48 - "One of the prayers that David prays is, God, search me, know me, reveal to me what's going on in my life. Which honestly, is such a scary, dangerous prayer. But on the other side, I think that in order to live wholeheartedly we do have to address those areas in our life that aren't whole, that have cracks or have a little bit of brokenness or doubt, and that's a very challenging thing to do. But what that really means is when I come home and my wife confronts me on something and I dismiss her feelings, I'm not living wholeheartedly. When I come home and my kids want to play and I don't want to be present, I'm actually not living wholeheartedly. The practical application of being. The things that you write on your heart, the things that you write on your wrist, the truth, God's truth.. You have to live those out in your day to day life. And there's accountability inside of that."
17:05 - "Trust is not built through the absence of mistakes. Trust is built by how you clean up a mess. Your wife will trust you because she knows you can have a bad moment, you're going to go away, you're going to process through that in a healthy way and come back and give her what you wish you would've given her in the moment. That's more valuable than being able to nail it every time, because we innately know no one's going to nail it every time. But what we don't know is, I trust that you're going to come back and repair what has been damaged. If you can repair what you are messing up, you're adding so much more value than just trying to get it right, perfectly or expecting yourself to. You're not and your wife's not, more importantly, your whole environment, isn't. So, your kids are going to watch you do this process. Your wife's going to watch you do this process, and they're going to follow in this ecosystem that it's okay to fail. It's not okay to hurt each other but it's okay to fail because we can go back and clean up a mess."
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DA432 | The Closeness Gap, the Five Senses Experiment, and Dropping Your Anger with Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield (Part 1)
30 Apr 2026
00:31:42
You probably think you're closer to your daughter than she'd say you are. The research keeps proving it. Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield is back with the question every dad of daughters should ask this week:
✅ The zero to ten question that closes the closeness gap
✅ Why one word of affirmation revives what looked dead
✅ A five senses experiment to pursue her on purpose
✅ Jeff opening up about missing it with his four year old the night before
Most dads think they're closer to their daughters than they actually are. Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield has spent 30 years sitting with dads and daughters in the gap between, and she came on DadAwesome to say it plain: your words water her dry soul, your anger can wipe out nine good days, and pursuit is the muscle every dad has to keep building. This is part one of a two part conversation, and Jeff brings a real story from the night before about missing it with his four year old.
TAKEAWAYS
Pursuit is not a season. It does not end at the wedding or the hospital room. Your daughter and your wife need to be pursued today.
Ask your daughter the zero to ten question. Where would you rank our closeness, is that the number you want, and what can I do to be a better dad to you.
Your words land like water on dry soil. One sentence of affirmation can revive what looked dead four days ago.
Your anger will do more to shut her down than almost anything else. Repair every rupture.
Run the five senses experiment. Notice what you see in her, listen one minute longer than yesterday, tie smell to memory, speak one word of life, and give safe physical touch on purpose.
GUEST
Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield is a licensed counselor, speaker, and the host of The Dad Whisperer Podcast. She founded The Abba Project in 2010, a group coaching experience for dads of daughters, and has written two books for fathers: Dad, Here's What I Really Need from You and Let's Talk.
QUOTES
"Your words are like water to her dry soul. She will spring forth with beauty and color and life with your words."
"You can do nine things right and one anger response can wipe it out. You've got to make repair for the rupture."
"Every one of us as women have a God given place in us that wants to be seen, adored, championed, celebrated."
"Ask your daughter on a scale of zero to ten, where would you rank us? What can I do better?"
"What you see, she doesn't see. By pursuing and seeing and knowing us, we internalize it."
315 | Being Abducted as a Family, Exchanging Fear for Love, and the Signs of False Identity (Jamie Winship: Part 2)
01 Feb 2024
00:31:45
Would you show love to a masked gunman who abducted you and your family? For Jamie Winship, the answer was yes. As he shares the details of this frightening experience, Jamie will inspire you to exchange fear for love as you seek God's true identity for you.
Key Takeaways
Being in your true identity makes you more relational, take risks, and face reality.
The enemy is always in the hypothetical future, but God is in the present.
To identify false identities, ask God, "What are the things I believe about myself that hurt me?"
Your true identity in God will be others-focused, self-emptying, and characterized by unconditional love for your enemies.
Jamie Winship
Jamie Winship is known for bringing peaceful solutions to some of the world's highest conflict areas. His work in law enforcement and education led his family around the world, including South Asia and the Middle East. Jamie and his wife, Donna, are co-founders of Identity Exchange and have three adult sons.
Key Quotes
11:26 - "When you watch Jesus, Jesus never runs anywhere. He's never in a hurry. He's never freaked out. He not dramatic. He is intense. Like when He throws over the tables, but it's so tactically smart what He's doing, it's so well thought out. He's not just dramatically reacting to drama. So never participate, the enemy loves drama. The enemy loves drama because drama goes out of control.
15:36 - "You're in constant conflict. Either inside yourself or with people around you. Those are the signs of the false self. It's self-protection. Self-promotion. Separation is a sign of the false self. The false self will always move in separation, never in connection with others. It'll constantly separate out. The soul that sinneth, the soul that separates it will die. It's not about you did a bad thing, God's going to kill you. It's like human beings were made to live in connection with others and God. And when we separate it, it basically destroys us. Those are the symbols, the signs of the false self. But deeper than that, this is the exercise I would suggest is just sit alone with God and just breathe and relax and try and settle down and just say, God, search me right now. And would You help me to be able to say the things that I believe about myself that hurt me? What are the things I believe about myself that hurt me? And and just let them come to your mind."
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314 | Tackling Fear in a War Zone, Modeling Courage, and Embracing Your True Identity (Jamie Winship: Part 1)
25 Jan 2024
00:33:30
Jamie Winship is no stranger to conflict. From working as a police officer to living in international war zones, he learned how to tackle fear with faith—and he modeled it for his children, too. In this episode, Jamie details some of the dangerous situations his family faced as they followed God's calling. Plus, he'll inspire you to hang onto joy, even when fear tries to swallow you whole.
Key Takeaways
When living in a high-conflict area—whether a warzone or your home—you have to gamify preparedness with joy instead of fear.
There are times when you may need to pray to be invisible.
If you're afraid to fail, you won't be able to model courage in front of other people.
God cannot invite you into greater challenges in the future if your only goal is self-protection and self-promotion.
The greatest gift you can give your kids is the truth of who you are.
Jamie Winship
Jamie Winship is known for bringing peaceful solutions to some of the world's highest conflict areas. His work in law enforcement and education led his family around the world, including South Asia and the Middle East. Jamie and his wife, Donna, are co-founders of Identity Exchange and have three adult sons.
Key Quotes
20:13 - "Only the fear of falling and loud noises is is innate in us, but all other fear is learned. I want to say to your listeners, what are you afraid of? That's the most important question, what am I afraid of? And this is a daily question. It's not a one off. It's even incident into incident. Why am I afraid right now? Fear is beautiful because it's a warner, it's a flashing warning light. It's an invitation to transformation. It's an invitation to a conversation that leads to transformation. God, why am I afraid right now? What am I afraid of?"
21:34 - "God wants me to know I can protect you in any situation. Though a thousand fall on my right and 10,000 fall on my left, yet will I stand? God says, I want you to know that I can protect you in this kind of situation. How would I know that? By staying. By staying. Why would you want me to know that? Because in the future are greater challenges than this that I want to invite you into, But I can't invite you into them, if the goal of your life is self-protection and self-promotion. Because that's how fear works. And if your goal is self-protection and self-promotion, it will become the goal of your kids. Let's teach them other than that worldview."
29:39 - "External conflict produced by internal conflict, produced by fear, produced by false identity. What's the shift? The shift is not in, stop the war, bring financial aid, change religions. None of that stuff has ever worked. It's a transformation of the human heart, which the whole Bible is telling us. And we're looking for some other solution. Spiritual transformation in your own heart. You're living in a false identity. It's a shift into the true identity, which can only be known in Christ. Shift into true identity moves you into courage. It encourages you, which moves you into internal peace, which makes you able to create external peace."
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313 | Becoming a Praying Dad, Seeking Friendship First, and Exchanging Wishes with God (Ryan Skoog)
18 Jan 2024
00:49:39
After studying the prayer lives of extraordinary leaders around the world, Ryan Skoogs began to identify patterns. These patterns shifted not only the heart and mind of the leader but also the culture around them—in their home, organization, and beyond. As the leader of your home, you must create a culture of prayer that starts with you. In this episode, Ryan shares the practical steps to do just that.
Key Takeaways
Be willing to "waste time" with God.
To start an intentional prayer life, just walk and talk with the Lord.
Twenty minutes of prayer to Jesus each day for eight weeks will change your brain chemistry in ways that are visible on a brain scan.
Where is prayer a line item in your organization's (or family's) budget?
Don't discount the little opportunities where you can be quick to pray.
Ryan Skoog
Ryan Skoog is an entrepreneur, ministry leader, author, world traveler, and adventure dad. He is co-founder and president of VENTURE, a church-planting and community development nonprofit that works in the toughest places of the world, serving war refugees, trafficked people, oppressed children, and the unreached.
Key Quotes
30:06 - "20 minutes of prayer a day, for eight weeks, will change your brain neurons and chemistry so much that you can tell on a brain scan. There's an agnostic neuroscientist that started just measuring prayer and it had to be prayer to Jesus. It wasn't just meditation and mindfulness, sand is soft, no, it is God is love. God is gracious, that kind of focus and prayer. It can change your brain scan so it fires all the parts that are amazing."
39:26 - "Don't discount the little moments throughout the day of stopping and acknowledging God. A kid has a test, let's stop and pray. We have a phrase around here, we want to be quick to pray. I think in creating a culture in your family, being quick to pray about little things quickly, oh, hey, let's pray about that. And then taking 20 seconds to pray about it and making that normal in your family, making that normal that we just talked to God throughout the day has just been a really, really helpful culture."
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312 | Staying Wild, Carrying Only the Essentials, and Chasing After Life (Tim Bohlke)
11 Jan 2024
00:47:45
In the midst of a chaotic world, fathers need to know how to stay grounded, steady, and wild. Tim Bohlke brings years of wisdom and experience to equip dads to do just that. Through real-life examples and a spirit of encouragement, Tim unveils new ways to embrace joy, balance, and remembrance of what God has done.
Key Takeaways
The cumulative effect of carrying too much weight will break you down.
Avoid isolation by inviting others in, asking for input, and allowing people to be honest with you.
The key to being aware and alert to what God is doing today is remembering what he has done in the past.
Fight for the people, places, and experiences that bring you life.
Tim Bohlke
Founder and director of Harbor Ministries, Tim Bohlke has spent three decades investing in leaders and helping forge a new path that will serve leaders, their families, and their organizations well. He is a husband, father, grandfather, author, coach, and more.
Key Quotes
14:05 - "That is the imagery that people all have strength waiting, as the difference making leaders have figured out that idea of harbor as it connects to mission. And no matter how critical your mission is, you got to have time in a harbor to resource, restore and get yourself ready."
29:27 - "When we remember what God's done, that's one of the values of quieting down, seeking solitude, is that only then do you take the time and find the time to really process and remember the ways God showed up in our story. That's what brings strength. And that's what brings courage and reminds us God is a God of promises, that He does show up and He will not only then, but going forward as well."
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311 | Managing Triggers, Providing a Secure Beginning, and The North Stars of Parenting (Dr. Dan Allender)
04 Jan 2024
00:47:45
The way you parent stems from how you were parented. That's why understanding the stories and trauma of your past is essential if you want to provide a secure beginning for your children. In this episode, Dr. Dan Allender offers expert advice to help you own the past, share your stories with others, and find beauty along the parenting journey.
Key Takeaways
A child has a secure beginning if they have attunement, containment, and a parent who can repair ruptures.
The level of failure in parenting is higher than in marriage, friendships, or work.
When you're triggered, take a 90-second pause to decrease emotional flooding.
There are two great callings in life that you must hold together at the same time: to grow in intimacy and to grow in independence.
Write down your thoughts and then share them with your wife, a group of men, and a story guide, such as a therapist or pastor.
Dr. Dan Allender
Dr. Dan Allender is an author, professor, and co-founder of The Allender Center and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. With a unique approach to trauma and abuse therapy, he presents on topics such as sexual abuse recovery, intimacy, marriage, and more. Dan and his wife, Becky, enjoy spending time with their three adult children and their grandchildren.
Key Quotes
4:58 - "It's really a sweet gift to be able to see our children parent in a way in which they have truly learned from our mistakes, and yet they've also developed their own way of being in the world. Having adult children, one of the realities that dawns on me virtually every year and that is you're never done. Some of the most complicated days are with adult children. And yet our children love us, and yet they are pretty clear and vocal about where they have felt like we have not done well, past and present, and with a deep invitation, with honor and forgiveness, but to grow. That's one of the things I would say it's just such a life giving presence when your children are taking in your life and growing, but when they have the ability to return that, to invite you to grow, that even with younger children has a level of mutuality that often [doesn't] get talked about in the parenting process."
37:36 - "The reality is, we live in a sinful world and a broken world as already with a proclivity to our own false independence. So, our task, is in some sense, to parent in a way that accentuates the giftedness, while also helping a child name and engage the parts of their own world that don't come as quickly or naturally.
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310 | Supporting Your Wife, Intentional Multitasking, and Building a Foundation Brick by Brick (Taylor Doolittle)
28 Dec 2023
00:43:25
As a rookie dad, Taylor Doolittle has endless encouragement for other dads in his shoes. In this episode, he emphasizes the value of running after God, pursuing your wife, and enjoying every season with your kids. His vivid analogies will inspire you to make intentional choices as a husband, father, and friend to create the life you want to live.
Key Takeaways
Every season with your kids is fleeting, so be gracious with yourself.
Passionately running after Jesus and pursuing your wife will leave a lasting impact on your kids.
Combine multiple activities—such as working out and being with friends—with intentional multitasking that keeps you whole and healthy without taking up too much time.
However difficult you think this is for you as a dad, it's a thousand times harder for your wife, so suck it up, buttercup.
Your daily decisions are single bricks that create the foundation for your life and family.
Taylor Doolittle
Taylor Doolittle is a passionate realtor in the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul areas. He and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters.
Key Quotes
16:16 - "What I should have been focused on and what I still need to be focused on is my relationship with the Lord. That's absolutely number one, because you're not going to be a good leader for your family unless you are modeling yourself after the greatest leader. So that's number one. Number two, is absolutely pursuing your wife with as much passion as you can."
26:51 - "Not putting pressure on yourself and just realizing that, as a parent, it's less about what you teach and it's more about what you model to your kids. So, pursuing your relationship with the Lord and passionately loving your wife are the two things that you got to do that are going to make a lasting impact on your kids, whether you believe it or not."
35:15 - "Serve your wife, humble yourself, and don't place any expectations on your kids unless they're holy expectations."
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309 | Creating Adventures, Finding Balance, and Being the Chief Fun Officer of Your Home (Kyle Depiesse)
21 Dec 2023
00:49:53
After spending 13 years climbing the corporate ladder, Kyle Depiesse was burnt out and knew he needed a change. He certainly didn't have everything figured out, but he took a single step that the Lord used to guide him towards bigger and better experiences than he could have imagined. In this episode, Kyle shares the stories and advice that shaped his life—and his adventurous parenting style.
Key Takeaways
Take one step toward your goals and trust that God will bless your obedience and continue to direct you.
Slow down the fast pace of life with a simple question: "How am I experiencing God right now?"
Spark joy by doing things you've never done before as a family.
Society puts professional success on a pedestal, so you must play defense to protect your relationships, health, finances, and more.
Kyle Depiesse
Kyle Depiesse is the founder and CEO of Guys Trip, where he organizes adventurous trips and events to help men connect, have fun, and grow. Kyle is married to Lois, and they have one son, Cal.
Key Quotes
6:41 - "It's really important to honor people in front of other people. Thank people and be grateful for people while they're around. Tomorrow's not guaranteed."
31:01 - "If you can just take a minute and maybe even have intentional questions to ask yourself, maybe that's the cheat code. Maybe that's the hack, what am I grateful for? How am I experiencing God right now? Just ask yourself some questions and reflect. I don't think we give ourself the gift of reflection and we don't give ourself the gift of solitude enough. And sometimes there's things that just bubble up to the surface And when you pause and you reflect and you're in solitude, you can allow those things that come up to the surface."
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308 | Being a Pioneer, Running Family Businesses, and Expanding the Definition of Provision (Jordan Stone)
14 Dec 2023
00:47:39
As a business owner and father to six, Jordan Stone has plenty of reasons to let busyness consume him. But he's learned the power of slowing down, being present, and creating room in his agenda for how God wants to use him. With real-life examples and practical tips, Jordan Stone will inspire you to rethink the concepts of legacy, ownership, provision, and more.
Key Takeaways
God may have a calling for your family that extends for multiple generations.
A pioneer goes into uncharted territory and tries to establish something that doesn't exist yet.
Make room in your schedule to be available for interruptions.
Avoid getting stuck in a singular definition of provision.
Parenting is gardening, not carpentry.
Jordan Stone
Jordan Stone and his wife, Elizabeth, live on the Oregon Coast with their six children. After relocating from Cincinnati, they moved into the home Jordan's grandparents built and lived in for over 40 years before they both passed away. As a family, they own and run multiple businesses together.
Key Quotes
13:47 - "The reason we start out with [with our family mission each day] is because what we're doing is very difficult. A pioneer is somebody who goes into uncharted territory and tries to establish something that doesn't already exist there. And that's how we see what what we're trying to bring Kingdom wise into this place."
40:08 - "What really happens, at least in my case, there are so many things that we suppress through busyness. The demons in our life, the baggage in our life, the things that are quite uncomfortable to face. Busyness provides us a very socially acceptable way to never confront those things. When you stop [the busyness] all of it has the opportunity to come to the surface and you don't have any more excuses not to deal with it."
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307 | Failing Forward, Raising Powerful Kids, and Breaking Up with Passivity (Ben Serpell)
07 Dec 2023
00:40:55
As a husband and father, Ben Serpell has been tempted by passivity plenty of times. It was only after confronting certain fears that he was able to begin living with full power. In this episode, he shares practical examples of how to set a high standard of love in your home. Plus, you'll learn why "winning vs losing" is the wrong mindset and how a learner's approach will help you extract more wisdom from your parenting journey.
Key Takeaways
When you shift from a "winning vs losing" mindset to "winning vs learning," you can continue to grow without having to start from the beginning.
Your job as a parent is not to rescue your children from hardship but to sit with them as they learn necessary lessons.
As a man, you should be setting the standard of love in your home through sacrifice.
Passivity is birthed from fear of failure and fear of rejection.
Ben Serpell
Ben Serpell moved from Australia to America at the age of 18 and married his wife, Brittney, one year later. They have been married for two decades and have three children. Ben and Brittney both serve on the leadership team at Loving On Purpose, where they provide marriage and family coaching through conferences, online workshops, and more.
Key Quotes
4:33 - "If it's either winning or losing, then someone's losing and someone's winning. If you talk about an argument, if you talk about connection, if you talk about you and your kids and even you and yourself, which is the biggest one where we need to start, especially as dads. If I'm losing today, then I have to start over. If I'm learning then this is stuff I can use for tomorrow's victory."
15:33 - "It is hard to watch your child struggle. Oh, it's so hard. But, I think what we do if we're not managing our own insecurity on the inside is we try and rescue our kids from that trouble and then we take away again, well, we're back to the learning. We take away the learning. What the Holy Spirit does is He'll come sit with us and go, Oh, that looks heavy. Wow. What do you think happened? What do you need from me? How can I help? I have a whole slew of resources back here. It's just waiting for you. And it probably starts with peace. Let's get some joy back. Let's get some truth in there. And let's begin to walk together. But I'm going to sit with you and I'm fine if you feel it. I can handle you sitting in your mess for a minute, and I'm going to bring comfort to that person rather than rescue that person."
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306 | Revolutionizing Orphan Care, Modeling Sacrifice, and Running Close to Your Kids (Mike Gallagher)
30 Nov 2023
00:37:13
Mike Gallagher's life changed forever when he and his wife adopted a child. Already the parents of three biological children, they stepped out in faith to meet a need that many people try to ignore. Now, Mike shares how every dad can get involved in reaching the 100+ million children globally without a permanent place to call home.
Key Takeaways
Help your children build dependency on Jesus by modeling sacrifice and adventurous faith.
To reverse the orphan crisis, we must focus on reunification when possible and adoption when necessary.
Children who have experienced trauma need true safety as well as felt safety.
If you're overcommitted, you won't have the capacity to be there for your children.
Make praying with your children a core aspect of your relationship.
Mike Gallagher
Mike Gallagher and his wife, Mandy, co-founded The Chosen & Dearly Loved Foundation in 2014. Their campaign, 1MILLIONHOME, focuses on shifting the model of orphan care to prioritize family support and reunification. Mike and Mandy have six children: three biological, one adopted domestically, and two adopted internationally.
Key Quotes
8:16 - "We really believe the Lord was leading us to do specific things like adopt children or move or start things and they were glorious, but they required a lot of suffering and and a lot of cost. Honestly, we knew there was cost, but we didn't know the full costs going into a lot of these things. In that cost, it costs the children as well. It costs everybody in the family, these are family decisions, and yet that's the bad news. The good and greater news is it forged such a dependance on Jesus and dependance on guidance from the Lord where we were in situations so desperately needing His wisdom, His protection, His confirmed will, that they witnessed that over so long. That was one just key part of it that that they wanted that and needed that themselves. The other thing was, even though we were involved with pressing things, far reaching things, they were always number one. And they knew that."
12:57 - "[Our children] need to be legitimately safe, welcomed, comforted, supported with whatever they're bringing. And so it's, number one, that sense of felt safety and we can kind of take inventory of how safe are they really with us."
Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618
DA431 | JOY BOMBS 💣, Nothing Is Lost, & the Interstellar Scene That Rewired a Dad (Daniel Chesnut)
23 Apr 2026
00:50:23
There's a moment in Interstellar where Matthew McConaughey sits down and watches 25 years of video messages from the kids he left behind. Daniel Chesnut drove home from that movie snot-crying, climbed into bed next to his sleeping two-year-old, and asked God a simple question: why is this wrecking me? What he heard back changed the way he has fathered for the last decade. In this conversation, Daniel shares listening prayer with your kids, why vulnerability is actually strength, how to play the long game with a 14-year-old, and the truth that's rescuing him in every transition: nothing is lost.
✅ The listening prayer practice he does with his 14-year-old son every year
✅ Why spending your 30s building a future can cost you the people you're building it for
✅ How to cultivate access to your kid's heart (hint: it's not across the couch)
✅ The truth rescuing him in every transition: nothing is lost
Takeaways
Ask God for a word or theme for the year, and invite your kids into the same practice. Take the pressure off of timing.
When a movie, a song, or a moment wrecks you, pay attention. It's a knock on the door of your heart.
Spend your 30s becoming the kind of man who can be entrusted with more, instead of building a future your family won't want to share with you.
Cultivate access to your kid's heart. Delight in what they delight in. Talk over sushi or on the drive, not across the couch.
Nothing is lost. Every missed moment, every transition, every thing you wish you could get back is being restored.
Guest
Daniel Chesnut is a filmmaker, storyteller, and the founder of Process Creative. He and his wife Katie live in Southern California with their 14-year-old son Brooklyn. Daniel has spent years helping people tell their stories on film and is part of the Pursuit Beach Fitness men's discipleship community. He writes about fatherhood, faith, and becoming on his Substack.
Quotes
"The strongest man on the sand is the most vulnerable man on the sand."
"I made time. I created time. And I can make time work for you, not against you."
"Spend the next decade becoming the kind of person who can be entrusted with more in 10 years."
"Whatever you do, cultivate access to your kid's heart. That's it. Just stay in their life."
"Nothing is lost. Even the moments you regret are being restored."
BABY SWIM LESSONS - The Ultimate Routine to Help Our 2 YR OLD Swim and Deep Dive Underwater (The Bucket List Family)
305 | What an Awesome Ride. What a Wild Opportunity. (Jeff Zaugg)
23 Nov 2023
00:40:08
In this special Thanksgiving episode, Jeff Zaugg shares powerful stories of God's faithfulness to the DadAwesome community and ministry. From global impact to huge fundraising milestones and everything in between, Jeff focuses on gratitude and remembrance for all God has done in recent years. Plus, he shares the exciting vision for the next phase of DadAwesome.
Key Takeaways
When you lean into remembrance of what God has done, it goes beyond your family to all the world. (Joshua 4)
10 areas of massive gratitude
Reflecting on 6 years of impact
Entering the next phase of DadAwesome
Your invitation to support DadAwesome in two ways
Jeff Zaugg
Jeff Zaugg is a loving husband, intentional dad, and passionate advocate for the fatherless. With experience in nonprofit leadership and pastoring, Jeff founded DadAwesome in 2018 and Fathers for the Fatherless shortly thereafter. Jeff and his wife, Michelle, have been married for seventeen years and are parents to four daughters, ages two through nine.
Key Quotes
4:47 - "Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. And when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be to your people, to the people of Israel, a memorial forever. This is the set up, get the stones you're going to walk, you're experiencing a miracle, but get the stones so that your kids, when they ask, what do these stones mean to you?"
6:14 - "Our kids are going to ask us, we can answer them, but we can, like the Stones, the moment of giving thanks and remembrance, actually, it went beyond just the Jordan, that God expanded into. And they can remember that God did that same miracle 40 years earlier with the Red Sea. It's not just our kids, but it's all people of the world. So when we as dads live into remembrance and gratitude and telling stories and organizing moments for our kids to to see, look what God has done, it goes beyond our family to all the peoples of the world, that they will see and know that God is mighty and He takes care [of us]."
This episode revisits a profound conversation with Ken Helser. He shares timeless fatherhood wisdom about enjoying intimate time with God, making dreams a reality, and raising children who can become your best friends.
Key Takeaways
You're most blessed when you're most in need of God.
The enemy's greatest strategy against you will always be miscommunication.
Focus on raising kids you can become best friends with.
The hardest thing in the Christian life is to let God love you, and the second hardest thing is to be still.
God wants to speak to you more than you even want to listen.
Ken Helser
Ken Helser and his wife, Linda, co-lead A Place for the Heart with their son and daughter-in-law, Jonathan and Melissa Helser. Ken and Linda pour into the hearts of the students who come for the 18 Inch Journey. They are blessed with four adult children and several wonderful grandchildren.
Key Quotes
4:14 - "God takes us a mountain top to give us a vision, but nothing is ever made reality on a mountaintop. There's rock up there, nothing grows and He always takes us in the valley for the dream and the vision to become reality."
13:39 - "What can I do for [my son] to love You and make You Lord of his life? And the Lord said, All you have to do is love your wife. I said, What? He says, if you love your wife in his presence, he will always trust you and believe you. But if he ever sees you abusing his mother, he will never trust anything you ever say to him. The most important thing you could do is love his mother, in his presence, always."
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303 | Redefining Success, Abiding in Christ, and Becoming a Whole-Hearted Dad (Banning Liebscher)
09 Nov 2023
00:37:10
What's holding dads back from viewing fatherhood as a gift? In this episode, Banning Liebscher tackles some of the most complex obstacles dads face. With joyful reflection and practical advice, Banning will inspire you to approach parenting with a purpose.
Key Takeaways
Master being self-aware and others-aware.
The danger for dads is not a lack of activity; it's activity that is not going anywhere because you have not defined success.
How you love your children will reveal God's love to them.
The goal is not to work harder but to abide more.
Banning Liebscher
Banning Liebscher is a pastor, speaker, and author. Along with his wife, SeaJay, he founded Jesus Culture, a ministry of worship, conferences, and leadership development. Together, they have three young adult children: Ellianna, Raya, and Lake.
Key Quotes
13:10 - "Can my wife give me feedback? Can people around me give me feedback? The biggest thing is people giving me feedback about how they were experiencing me and then me having to go do the work around, what's going on inside of me? I think the Enneagram, Disc test, strength finders, love languages, Myers-Briggs, they're all these different ones. Those helped go, this is how I'm wired. They're there for this is when I'm stressed, how I respond, when I'm overwhelmed, how I respond, when I'm scared, when I'm hurt. Those things actually helped me a ton."
24:19 - "God's going to ask you about your relationships. He's going to ask you about the people that He put in your life, the people that you're called to disciple, the people that you're called to pour your life out for."
33:59 - "The goal is not to work harder, it's to abide more. If you're like, I want to be a better dad, well, you're going to have to work at it. But the point is not, I'm going to work harder. No, I've got to make sure that I am positioning myself in the love of the Father myself, so that I can go be the best version for you."