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TitreDateDurée
DA448 | MULTIPLIERS Part 6: The Purple Carabiner, Delighting in What They Delight In, and Kind Fathering from a Stranger (Ft. Alex Burton)20 Aug 202600:21:00

SUMMARY:

Most of us parent from what we already know and love. We steer our kids toward the sports we played and the interests we developed, and then we wait for them to get excited about our world. In Part 6 of the Multipliers series, Jeff reads Chapter 23 of the DadAwesome book and shares an archive clip with Alex Burton about a prayer, a purple carabiner, and a campfire question that changed everything.

TAKEAWAYS

  • Delight in what they delight in. Stop waiting for your kids to get excited about your world and step into theirs instead.
  • Our Heavenly Father does not just tolerate what we care about. He delights in it. He came down instead of making us climb up.
  • Ask the men who know you best: what do you see in my life that I am not seeing, and what am I missing? Then do not get defensive. Write down what they say.
  • Connection is worth the sacrifice. The cost is not always money. Sometimes it is time, and sometimes it is setting aside your preferences for theirs.
  • Pause and pray before you show up. Alex asked God what to bring before he ever left his house, and a child he had never met walked away knowing she was known.

Guest

Alex Burton is an outdoors enthusiast, a climber, and a father of three. He and his wife, Mel, have been married more than 26 years. Alex serves on the staff team at Wild at Heart. His full conversation with Jeff is Episode 297.

QUOTES

  • "I experienced something I can only describe as kind fathering from a complete stranger." (04:30)
  • "This wasn't just a piece of climbing equipment anymore. It was proof that someone saw her. Someone cared about what brought her joy. God knew her favorite color, and He used Alex to show her." (04:50)
  • "Alex, right now, if I could choose who'd be around this campfire with, I would choose my son. Can you say the same?" (06:30)
  • "You don't need to become an expert in what your kids love. You just need to show up and jump in. When you step into their world, you're reflecting how God treats us. He came down instead of making us climb up." (10:20)
  • "It wasn't even so much, it could have been anything, but it was purple." (13:20) Alex Burton

ACTION STEPS

I. Reflection

Name what each child delights in. Write down each kid's name, and next to it, what they are into right now. Legos, surfing, bike rides, theater, dance, soccer. If you are not sure, that is your invitation to get curious.

Find where you are resisting. Is there a passion of theirs that annoys you, crowds your calendar, or that you secretly hope they outgrow? Name it, then go a step deeper and ask why your heart is positioned that way.

Ask if your kids know they are delighted in. Do they know that your favorite role in life, outside of being married to their mom, is being their dad? Try asking them directly: do you have any idea how much I love you? Then watch their eyes.

II. Multiplication

Ask the campfire question. Take it to two or three friends: what do you see in my life that I am not seeing, and what am I missing? Do not defend yourself. Just write it down.

Be an Alex for another dad. Alex took a half day off work for a family he had never met. Could you take time off, help with a project, or create a moment for another dad and his kids?

Send a joy bomb. An unexpected gift at an unexpected time, to your wife, your kids, or a dad who is grinding. No occasion required.

III. Activation

Pray before you show up. Before the recital, the game, or youth group pickup, pause in the car and ask God if there is something He wants you to bring or say. The pause is huge.

Jump into their world this week. Research what they love. Show up with a surprising level of joyful curiosity and joyful participation.

Put something in their hand. Something small from the store or ordered online, given for no reason, with the words: I see you, I love you, I delight in you.

Pray Zephaniah 3:17 over each child by name, out loud, this week. Insert their name into the verse and let it reshape how you pray for them.

LINKS

DA447 | MULTIPLIERS Part 5: A Million Ants in Our RV, Guarding the Doorways, and Freedom That Fights for Others (Ft. Zach Neese)13 Aug 202600:27:25

Summary

A $30 campsite with a canyon view felt like hitting the jackpot… until Jeff flipped on the lights and watched the floor move. In part five of the DadAwesome Multipliers series, Jeff reads Chapter 19 of the book, "Ant Attack," and unpacks what a million ants taught him about spotting threats, sealing entry points, and cleaning up what already got inside. Then Zach Neese joins with a sobering four minutes on the doorways we open without realizing it, and why nobody else in this world is going to guard your house but you.

Heads up: this episode is not designed for little ears. The conversation goes into spiritual warfare, darkness, and the ways private choices affect the people we love most.

Top 5 Takeaways
  1. The first few ants are scouts, not the problem. Train yourself to look past what's obvious and ask harder questions about attitudes, friend groups, and entertainment choices before they become a full scale invasion.
  2. Real freedom propels you to lead. Freedom is not permission to do whatever you want. Healing, forgiveness, and wholeness are what unlock your ability to serve and protect the people God gave you.
  3. Threats come through old bridges and new ones. The septic hose was modern convenience turned against them. The tree branches were nature's ancient highway. The tactics evolve, but the goal stays the same.
  4. Sealing the doors is not enough. You have to deal with what already got inside, and then intentionally replace it with something life giving. Removing the threat is not the same as restoration.
  5. Nobody else in this world is going to guard your house but you. Not schools, not church, not extended family. The assignment is yours, and it takes courage plus God's strength.
5 Quotes
  1. "Real freedom propels us to lead. That healing, forgiveness, and wholeness unlock our ability to serve and love the way God designed." (Jeff Zaugg)
  2. "A dad fighting his own addiction can't guard his family's doorways. A father still carrying his childhood anger can't see the real threats to his kids." (Jeff Zaugg)
  3. "Every open door is a spiritual gateway." (Zach Neese)
  4. "We give him permission all the time to rearrange the furniture, so to speak, in our hearts and our house, so that he is the only spirit that feels welcome here." (Zach Neese)
  5. "I wasn't just being entertained by a movie. I was being entertained by the spirit behind the movie. And that spirit wasn't just in my closet. That was roving through my house." (Zach Neese)

 

Guest Bio

Zach Neese is a pastor, worship leader, and author who has spent years teaching on worship, spiritual authority, and the doorways we open in our homes. His conversation with Jeff first aired on DadAwesome episode 159, and the clip featured in this episode digs into how entertainment choices, conflict patterns, and private habits can invite influences we never intended to host. (Verify current role and book title before publishing.)

Action Steps

Reflection
Walk your doorways. Grab paper or a note on your phone and list them out: phones, tablets, gaming systems, streaming devices, specific apps, YouTube, Instagram.
Look for the white powder. What warning signs have you driven past without asking questions?
Notice the small stuff. What are the few ants on the countertop right now? An attitude, a mindset, an entertainment choice that could become a full scale assault?
Check your own closet. What is hidden that you have convinced yourself is not really causing harm?

Multiplication
Who are the men who know what is in your closet? How do you close that gap this month?
Share episode 447 with a few dads who are fighting for freedom alongside you.
Read Nehemiah 4:13 and 14 with your family and unpack what it means to fight as a family.
Listen to the full Zach Neese conversation in episode 159.
Apply for the September DadAwesome Accelerator cohort.

Activation
Cut down one bridge this week. Remove a subscription, remove a device, create a new boundary.
Pray out loud. Use the John Eldredge Daily Prayer and the head of household prayer. Out loud matters, because the enemy cannot hear your thoughts.
Replace, do not just remove. Pick a book, a rhythm, or a practice to fill the space.
Go deeper with the Chapter 19 DadAwesome Lab.

LINKS
DA446 | MULTIPLIERS Part 4: A Ring Lost in Five Acres, The Giant Five, and Turning Success Upside Down (Chad Johnson)06 Aug 202600:23:34

SUMMARY

When Jeff's sister lost her engagement ring in a five acre pasture hours before her wedding rehearsal, a rope, a grid, and a prayer turned an impossible search into a three minute miracle. In part four of the DadAwesome Multipliers series, that story becomes a blueprint for intentional fatherhood built on three things: a system that works, partners in the search, and faith in what you cannot yet see. Chad Johnson joins with a segment unpacking his Giant Five framework and why putting career first costs a man everything that matters.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  1. Intentional dads need a system. Without one, you chase whatever is loudest instead of the people you love most.
  2. The Giant Five framework orders your priorities: faith, marriage, children, health, and work. Most men have that list upside down.
  3. You were never meant to search alone. Partners spot what you miss and call you higher when you drift.
  4. Love sometimes looks like challenge instead of comfort, especially when your kids are settling into ease.
  5. You don't have to search the whole field today. Move the rope a few feet and walk the line again.

QUOTES

"I really am okay with stirring the pot." (Chad Johnson)

"Live like a movie you'd want to watch with your children and grandchildren." (Chad Johnson)

"I call it turning success upside down." (Chad Johnson)

"Any fruit that anybody ever sees in my life is in spite of me." (Chad Johnson)

"Don't get overwhelmed with the entire field. One pass at a time." (Jeff Zaugg)

ABOUT CHAD JOHNSON

Chad Johnson is a father of eleven, an entrepreneur, and the creator of the Giant Five framework, a simple system for keeping faith, marriage, children, health, and calling in their right order. He is known for pushing his family toward character over comfort, including relocating them to Los Angeles for five months so his kids could work in his business facility. Chad previously joined DadAwesome for episodes 216 and 217.

ACTION STEPS

REFLECTION

Map your fields. Get a piece of paper and map your current life as a dad. Where does connection feel distant? Is there a child where things feel cold? Where could you raise your game in pursuing your wife or your time with God?

Be honest about the gap. Name what you are hoping for in each area. Without naming the hope, you cannot see the distance between where you are and where you want to be.

Run the Giant Five. Faith, marriage, children, health, work. Pray through which one is currently getting your leftovers. For many men it is work that needs to be turned upside down. For others it is the opposite, and career needs more drive because provision is the real need.

Celebrate one win. Look back and name one victory. Do not skip this part.

MULTIPLICATION

Name your partners. Who are the other dads in this adventure with you? Is there a rhythm of meeting? Is there a text thread already going? The field search never would have worked alone.

Get the free small group curriculum. Send a voice message with your name, where you are located, and your idea for a fall small group. You will get the three page PDF back.

Send a few texts. Invite two or three dads to listen to episode 446 so you are all working from the same framework.

Use the side door. Extend a tangible invitation: the Spartan race in Dallas on October 17, or the fall 100 mile running challenge.

ACTIVATION

Block the time. Put a block on your calendar this week for deeper work on the Giant Five. Do not just listen and move on.

Open Luke 15:3 through 7 with your family. Read the parable of the shepherd who leaves the 99, then tell your kids directly: this is how I feel about you. I will always come looking for you.

Pause and pray first. Before stepping into any of these areas, stop and pray, the same way Jeff and his sister did before they started the search.

Move the rope. Ask God for one area where you can move the rope seven or eight feet tomorrow. One pass at a time.

Keep celebrating. Look at what God has done and mark it.

Go deeper. DadAwesome Labs for Chapter 11 is linked below with additional activations and discussion questions.

LINKS MENTIONED

DA445 | MULTIPLIERS Part 3: The $5.5 Billion Blind Spot, Conditional Love, and a Scoreboard Set to Infinity (Jamie Winship)30 Jul 202600:26:30

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/

 

TRACK CPA — Minnesota-based, nationwide tax, accounting, bookkeeping, and financial services. https://trackcpa.com/

 

QUOTES


"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 202600:32:51

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

Top Five Quotes
  1. "The current chapter of dad life is not the whole story."
  2. "You can't eliminate chaos, but you can shape how it unfolds."
  3. "Your kids are watching how you handle the unexpected. What story are you writing?"
  4. "It's not about preserving the physical reminders. It's about keeping the stories alive."
  5. 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

DA443 | MULTIPLIERS Part 1: Hearts Toward Heaven, Hearts Toward Home (Mark Batterson)16 Jul 202600:19:01

Welcome to Episode 443 and the kickoff of a brand new seven part summer series: the DADAWESOME MULTIPLIERS. It's a lightweight, campfire ready series built to help you spread the mission of Dad Awesome through the end of August. Each week you'll get a slice of the forthcoming Dad Awesome audiobook, a featured guest voice from the vault, real time multiplication coaching, three practical lab activation steps, and a giveaway.

https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/443

In Part 1, Jeff Zaugg sets the flyover. He reads the book's dedication and preface, tracing how one casual patio question from his cousin in Arizona, "How do you stay intentional as a dad?", exposed that he was pouring growth into every area of life except fatherhood. That single unanswered question sparked a ten week experiment with twenty friends, a first episode filmed at the base of a snowy sledding hill, a name change from DadVentures to DadAwesome, and eventually a movement built on hundreds of small yeses. The episode closes with a two minute clip from Jeff's first ever interview with Mark Batterson, who wrote the forward for the book.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Intentional fatherhood starts with a question, not a program. Staying awake to "How do you stay intentional as a dad?" changed everything.
  • The mission runs on two turnings from Malachi 4:6, hearts toward heaven and hearts toward home.
  • Read to lead. You don't need 250 books, but read a dozen so you can lead on the home front.
  • Your mistakes are one of your greatest teaching tools. Kids learn to apologize by watching you do it.
  • Prioritize your children, don't idolize them. Batterson names that as a big difference.
  • Batterson learned more about the heart of the Heavenly Father from parenting his three kids than from all his degrees and seminary trips combined.
  • Movements are built on small yeses, not one grand gesture.

THIS WEEK'S LABS

  • Reflection: Do an intentionality audit. Open your notes app or a journal and honestly assess how you're staying intentional, heart toward heaven and heart toward home. What are you reading and listening to? Does your calendar show fatherhood is an area of real pursuit?
  • Multiplication: Be an inviter. Copy paste one text to ten dads inviting them into the seven week challenge through the end of August. Listen each week, then get together to talk about it over coffee, wings, a campfire, a run, a bike ride, or a boat. Get two or more to say yes and you've moved from addition to multiplication.
  • Activation: Name your small yes. What yes have you been putting off that God is nudging you toward this week? A dad daughter date, a date with your wife, a follow through you keep intending but haven't done. Pick it and act on it.

GIVEAWAY

Send Jeff a voice message up to 90 seconds using the link in the show notes. Introduce yourself and share what this first episode stirred up, your action step, or a question. Each week one message gets randomly picked to win DadAwesome summer gear.

DA442 | Gamifying Family Values, Manmaker Challenges, and Founding Father Faith PART 2 (Tyler Van Eps)09 Jul 202600:34:07

Send DadAwesome a VOICEMAIL (and we will send you the SMALL GROUP guide)

 

Jenga blocks, jiu jitsu mats, and a decade vision for your family. 👊


SUMMARY
What if your family values were something your kids could actually touch? In Part 2 of this paddleboard conversation, Tyler Van Eps shares how he turned a Jenga set into a discipleship tool, why physical discomfort opens the door to spiritual growth, and what it takes to build a legacy of courage in your kids. Plus, he unpacks the question God placed on his heart: what is required to be a founding father?


TAKEAWAYS

  • You can only control the outcomes so much as a dad, but you can control the inputs. Zoom out to a 90 day view to realign your family direction.
  • Purpose, vision, and value language is abstract for kids. Make your family values tangible with tools like Jenga blocks and card decks so your kids can see, touch, and speak them.
  • Your family values will stay the same, but the language needs to match the season your kids are in.
  • Men grow through moments of physical and spiritual discomfort. Gatherings like Manmaker sneak spiritual vulnerability in the side door.
  • Think in decades, not just weeks. Ask yourself what you need to be doing today to have a strong relationship with your kids as adults.
  • Your kids will face fear, but you can build a reservoir of courage into their heritage that they can tap into for the rest of their lives.

GUEST


Tyler Van Eps is a husband, father, and intentional family leader passionate about making spiritual formation tangible. He and his wife, Shelly, practice quarterly whole life stewardship reviews and have built family values their kids can see and touch. Tyler is also the creator of Manmaker, a series of high intensity gatherings that challenge men toward biblical manhood through physical and spiritual growth. He and his family live in Minnesota.


#DadAwesome #christiandad #dadlife #parenting #dadpodcast #fatherhood #intentionalfatherhood #familyvalues

 

LINKS



QUOTES

  • "I wanna be remembered as a good husband, a good father, a follower of Jesus... I wanna be remembered as a courageous person... I can't control whether my kids are afraid or scared of something, but I always want them to feel that they've got somewhere in them, somewhere in their heritage, somewhere in their spirit, a reservoir of courage that they can tap into."
  •  "I'm so dialed into what success looks like in my career... I can tell you if I'm on track, off track on anything, but I have no idea how it's all feels as a dad... you can only control the outcomes so much, but there's so much that you can control as far as the inputs." 
  • "I want these moments where we ramp up the intensity a little bit... it's immediately putting you in a space of both physical and spiritual discomfort and a little bit of vulnerability. But for men, the physical discomfort almost overrides your awareness of how spiritually uncomfortable you might be." 
  • "I was challenged for the first time to think in like a decade thing... when I think about wanting to have a strong relationship with my kids as adults, what are the things that I need to be doing today to set the tone for that?" 
  • "Personally I wanted an environment where it felt like I don't know what's gonna come out of this. I don't know when a guy's gonna step up to this blocking sled. I don't know what he's gonna say right before he pushes this thing down ten yards downfield."
DA441 | Follow Jesus, Live With Enthusiasm, and Fight for Family (Tyler Van Eps PART 1)02 Jul 202600:40:39

Join the up coming DadAwesome ACCELERATOR Coaching Cohort: https://www.dadawesome.org/coaching

 

SUMMARY:

What happens when two dads strap GoPros to paddleboards and hit the lake at 5:45 in the morning? In this episode, Jeff sits down with longtime friend Tyler Van Eps for a raw, reflective conversation about intentional fatherhood, family rhythms, and what it looks like to lead your kids with purpose. From milestone trips to weekly family huddles to quarterly prayer rhythms, Tyler shares the experiments his family has been running...

FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS

  1. Fatherhood moves through three distinct seasons of investment: physical, time, and emotional, and knowing which season you're in changes how you show up.
  2. A weekly family huddle built around purpose, vision, and values gives your kids a compass they will eventually use to call out greatness in each other.
  3. Milestone trips don't have to be expensive or elaborate because what your kids remember most is being pulled out of the normal lineup and seen as an individual.
  4. The goal is not to control your family's calendar but to steward it, which means learning when to add things and when to subtract them without shame.
  5. Adopting a posture of exploration in your fatherhood is far more sustainable than building rigid rules, because it invites your family into the journey with you.

TOP QUOTES

  1. "Instead of being an amazing leader and a decent dad, I want to be an amazing dad and a decent leader."
  2. "Follow Jesus, live with enthusiasm, and fight for family. The fight for family came out of, hey guys, we gotta stop fighting with our family and we gotta figure out a way to fight for our family."
  3. "There has to be a surrender that's kind of fundamental to the way that you approach fatherhood and family and faith."
  4. "Soaking in the moments of peace and allowing them to be there with the assumption that disruptions are around the corner."
  5. "If I'm not a steward of the time God's given me with my kids, there are these core memories that I could just be blazing by without even realizing it."

GUEST

Tyler Van Eps is a husband, father of four, and Senior Vice President at the National Christian Foundation Twin Cities, where he serves families and business owners around the stewardship of generational wealth and kingdom-minded generosity. A longtime friend of the Dad Awesome community, Tyler has joined the show multiple times including a campfire conversation and a tree fort recording. He is passionate about leading with purpose, living with enthusiasm, and building a family culture rooted in faith. 

LINKS

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

 
DA440 | Emotional Detachment, Unhurried Presence, and Pointing Your Kids to the True Source (Dad Year in Review PART 2)25 Jun 202600:23:29

Your emotional detachment might be quietly wounding the people you love most.

In PART 2 of our Father's Day LOOK-BACK, Jeff resurfaces five more conversations that hit different the second time around.

✅ Why your kids can feel when you've checked out emotionally

✅ How to stop pointing your kids to yourself as the source of life

✅ The dad who never raised his voice and what it did to his son

✅ What "unhurried presence" actually looks like in everyday moments

✅ The hard truth about emotional regulation every dad needs to hear

INVITATION

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

SUMMARY

In Part 2 of this Father's Day look-back series, Jeff Zaugg resurfaces five more powerful conversations from the past dad year, featuring Jeremy Pryor, Ted Cunningham, Pastor Tim Timberlake, Mac Lake, and Seth Dahl. The clips cover a dad's superpower of emotional detachment and how it can quietly wound the people he loves most, the faulty input-output theory of parenting and why God is the only true source of life, the transformative power of tone and speaking to the king in your child instead of the fool, the gift of unhurried presence and what it looks like to truly savor your kids, and the hard truth that a man who can't regulate his emotions forces his family to do it for him. This episode is a flyover packed with activation, challenge, and the kind of dad wisdom that sticks.

KEY QUOTES

  • "My kids can actually feel that. Like, if something were to happen to me, I think dad would be the least affected." — Jeremy Pryor, Ep. 415
  • "My source is Jesus, not you." — Ted Cunningham, Ep. 417
  • "In us we have both a fool and a king. The one that you address is the one that will respond." — Pastor Tim Timberlake, Ep. 424
  • "A posture of unhurried presence. So often we are present with our kids, but we're not present with our kids." — Mac Lake, Ep. 435
  • "A man who can't regulate his emotions forces his wife and kids to do it for him." — Seth Dahl, Ep. 429

TAKEAWAYS

  1. Your emotional detachment is a superpower that can become a weapon. Dads are wired to disconnect under pressure, and that's often a gift. But when that same skill gets used to keep your family at arm's length, your kids feel it. The question isn't how attached you feel. It's whether they feel attached to you.
  2. You were never meant to be the source. Pouring into your kids so they pour back into you is a trap. Your job, according to Deuteronomy 6, is to point them every single day to the only true source of life. Fire yourself. Fire your kids. God in heaven is the source.
  3. Tone is one of the greatest gifts a dad can give. Pastor Tim Timberlake's father never raised his voice, never disciplined from anger or frustration, and the love in his tone did the convicting. Your size, your volume, your first response, those things mark your kids. Speak to the king in them, not the fool.
  4. Unhurried presence is a posture, not a schedule. Mac Lake leaves adult conversations to throw a football for 60 minutes if that's what his grandkids want. The shift is simple but hard: let your kids be the thing that matters most in the moment, not an interruption to what actually matters.
  5. Emotional self-control is a fruit your family gets to eat. When you're getting triggered by your six-year-old, you're not parenting. You're asking them to regulate you. The Holy Spirit wants to grow self-control in you so your family is nourished by it. Your heart is upstream to everything in your home.

LINKS

DA439 | The Dad Year in Review: Strength in Weakness, Order Out of Chaos & Being Tight with Jesus (Part 1)18 Jun 202600:26:41

It's Father's Day week and we're doing something special.

In Part 1 of The Dad Year Lookback, Jeff Zaugg revisits five conversations that stirred something deeper this year, featuring Dave Brickey, Lance Welch, Dr. Jake Smith, Chris Cirullo, and Craig Allen Cooper.

✅ Why your weakness as a dad might be your greatest strength

✅ The difference between raising kids in the gap vs. the gain

✅ How to stop dismissing your own feelings before you dismiss your kids'

✅ God's call for dads to be bringers of order, not complainers of disorder

✅ The secret gift of a minivan that turned an atheist toward Jesus

You don't have to do the miracles. You just have to be tight with the man who did. 🙏

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SUMMARY

In this Father's Day special, Jeff Zaugg revisits five of the most impactful conversations from the past "dad year"... Featuring voices like Pastor Dave Brickey, Dr. Jake Smith, and Craig Allen Cooper. The clips explore the transformative power of fatherly weakness and repentance, the damage of performance-based parenting, the importance of emotional self-awareness, the biblical call to create order in family life, and the ripple effect of quiet, Jesus-fueled generosity. It's a looking-back episode that's really about looking up — because the best thing a dad can do for his kids is stay close to the One who can do what we can't.

TAKEAWAYS

  1. Your weakness as a dad is not a liability — it's a bridge. When you humbly repent and admit you need Jesus, your kids see who their real Savior is.
  2. Raising kids in "the gap" (measuring what they fell short of) creates a performance identity that damages their sense of worth. Celebrate the gain — the progress they've made.
  3. Defensiveness and dismissiveness toward your kids often starts with dismissing your own feelings. Learning to name what's going on inside you is the first step to staying steady.
  4. God designed dads to be bringers of order — not complainers of disorder. Reverse engineer a family vision, create systems, and name the chaos so your kids can learn to do the same.
  5. You don't have to do the miracles. You just have to be tight with the man who did. Small, unseen acts of generosity done close to Jesus can change the trajectory of another family forever.

QUOTES

  1. "My strength points my kids to me as their savior, but my weakness points them to who my savior is." — Pastor Dave Brickey, Ep. 391
  2. "You lead with your strengths, but you connect through your weaknesses." — Pastor Dave Brickey, Ep. 391
  3. "My heavenly Father has set the scoreboard to infinity." — Jeff Zaugg, reflecting on Ep. 394 with Lance Welch
  4. "I don't get to choose what feelings I have. I only choose what I do with them." — Dr. Jake Smith, Ep. 398
  5. "He can't walk on water — but he just might be tight with the man that did." — Walker Hayes (via Craig Allen Cooper, Ep. 418)

LINKS

Dave Brickey — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/391

Lance Welch — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/394

Dr. Jake Smith — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/398

Chris Cirullo — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/410

Craig Allen Cooper — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/418

 

 

DA438 | No Scoreboard at Home, Becoming the Man God Designed (Gabe Biedenbaugh) PART 211 Jun 202600:35:15

Book - Get the recently released DADAWESOME book on Amazon.

Amazon Review - leave a short Amazon review to help more dads learn about the book.

----------

There's NO scoreboard for a healthy marriage—and no quarterly report on your kids' souls. 📊🚫

Gabe Biedenbaugh is back for Part 2, and this conversation goes deep on what really matters at home.

✅ Why chasing a "scoreboard" at home is a trap (and what to measure instead)

✅ Covering your daughters vs. sending out your sons—a powerful picture of spiritual authority

✅ The eulogy drill: a simple exercise that will change how you lead your family

True legacy isn't how you're remembered. It's what your family still does when you're gone. 🔥

SUMMARY

There's no quarterly report for your marriage and no scoreboard for your kids' souls—so why do so many dads keep looking for one? In part two of this conversation, Gabe Biedenbaugh exposes the scoreboard trap and shares the vision statements that guide his marriage and parenting. Plus, he unpacks a powerful perspective on covering your daughters versus sending out your sons, and why true legacy isn't how you're remembered—it's what your family still does when you're gone.

TAKEAWAYS

  • It's a trap to look for a scoreboard at home. Winning at home is consistency, owning your mistakes, and asking for forgiveness quickly.
  • The best gift you can give your children is a healthy marriage. Aim to be more in love when your kids leave than you are right now.
  • Sons are sent out to start new families; daughters remain under their father's spiritual covering until that authority is transferred at the wedding.
  • The foundation of your life matters far more than the facade. A bridge that looks good but lacks integrity is a bridge no one should cross.
  • Identity is not something to be discovered—it's something to be received from God.
  • Legacy isn't how you're remembered. It's what your family still carries on—in faith, discipline, and character—when you're gone.

GUEST

Gabe Biedenbaugh is a pastor, men's ministry leader, and the founder of The Forge, an online ministry helping men find clear, God-given direction for their lives. Every Friday, he sends out his "Forge Fridays" email, and he created the 21 Days guided reset to help men establish direction and become who God designed them to be. Gabe and his wife have four children—three sons and a daughter—and live in St. Augustine, Florida.

QUOTES

  1. "There is no scoreboard for a healthy marriage. There's no quarterly report of how your kids are doing in their soul." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
  2. "Winning at home is being consistent at home." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
  3. "The best gift you can give your children is a healthy marriage." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
  4. "The foundation matters so much more than what you put on the facade." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
  5. "Identity is not something to be discovered—it's something to be received." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
  6. "Legacy is not how you're remembered. It's what your family still does when you're gone." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
  7. "I want dads to be tough and tender." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
  8. "Motivation can last for a season, but motivation will not sustain you. Inspiration will." — Gabe Biedenbaugh

LINKS

DA437 | Son, Come Home: Shame, Freedom & Fatherhood (Part 1) — Gabe Biedenbaugh04 Jun 202600:31:08
Join the summer DADAWESOME ACCELERATOR 6-week coaching group:   SUMMARY

Pastor Gabe Biedenbaugh opens up about the generational faith handed down to him, the shame that nearly disqualified him from his calling, and the "you're not enough" lie so many men carry. In part one of this Father's Day conversation, he shows why vulnerability, brotherhood, and a heart to serve are the way home.

TAKEAWAYS
  • The legacy of faith can start with one man stepping in — Gabe's grandfather died young, and other men fathered his dad.
  • Shame attacks your identity; conviction shows you the way out, condemnation just says you're the problem.
  • Beat the lie head-on: "I'm not enough, but Christ in me is more than enough."
  • Vulnerability in real brotherhood is where men get unstuck and find freedom.
  • A dad living free brings joy home; serving (not being served) is the posture — "leaders are into towels, not titles."
QUOTES
  • "Satan's goal isn't to tell you a blatant lie — it's to tell you something so close to the truth you believe it."
  • "My job isn't to fill someone else's cup — it's to empty mine, and let God do what He wants with it."
  • "Conviction says you've made a mistake, but here's the way out. Condemnation says, no — you're the problem."
  • "When you have shame in your life, it impacts the way you bring your best, or lack thereof, to your family."
  • "I want to walk into my home with the attitude of Jesus, who took off his garment to wash feet."

LINKS

DA436 | Coaching Boys into Manhood, Reclaiming Play, and the Questions That Will Anchor Your Next Three Years (Alan Briggs)28 May 202600:42:02
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SUMMARY

Most men are getting lived by their lives instead of actually living them. In this conversation, Alan Briggs unpacks how a life of constant escape leaves us empty at the end of the day, and what it looks like to design something we can actually engage with instead. From Yes Days with your kids to preparing for the car ride home the way you'd prepare for a business meeting, Alan brings practical insight that will reshape how you show up as a dad this week.

TAKEAWAYS

---The best dads aren't the ones with the most time. They're the ones who prepare for the small moments with the same intentionality they bring to work.

---A coming of age year for your son doesn't require waking up at 4 a.m. It just requires showing up consistently and inviting other trusted men to speak life into him.

---Celebrate who your kids actually are instead of trying to make them love what you love. Curiosity is the doorway to connection.

---We were built for both meaningful work and real rest. Without a healthy theology of both, we swing between burnout and apathy.

---The question that changes everything: What is the good life for you and your family three years from now?

GUEST

Alan Briggs is a coach, author, and adventurer based in Colorado Springs. He runs two and a half companies, including a coworking space, and spends his days helping leaders find a lighter, more sustainable way to live and work. He's the author of multiple books, including his latest resource on anti-burnout, and the host of his own podcast for leaders. Alan and his wife are raising four kids ranging from 12 to 23, including two adopted children. He loves the mountains, disc golf with his son, and learning to cheer for his kids in the worlds they love most.

QUOTES
  • "Most men are getting lived by their lives. They are not living their lives. They are letting choices make them. They are not making intentional choices."
  • "I prepare for business meetings. Do I prepare that well for a date with my wife, a date with my daughter, a car ride? Almost always, no."
  • "You don't have to be up at 4 a.m. with your kid. You don't have to do it every day. But do something that affirms you've got what it takes."
  • "Celebrate exactly who they are and exactly what they love doing, instead of trying to make them love the things that you love doing."
  • "We are not the sum of what we carry. Our identity and who we are loved by is so much more important than what we are as dads."
LINKS
DA435 | Speaking Life, Unhurried Presence, and a Biblical Definition of Leadership (Mac Lake)21 May 202600:47:19

🎙️ 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
DA434 | Bob Goff on Becoming a Secret Superhero Dad & Hovering Over Your Family (FROM THE VAULT)14 May 202600:35:21

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
  1. "The kind of grandfather you want to be will be a byproduct of the kind of dad that you are." — Bob Goff
  2. "Hover over each person in your family. What does kid number one need that I could only uniquely provide them?" — Bob Goff
  3. "What your family really needs you to provide is you, like, fully present." — Bob Goff
  4. "Sometimes the familiar will get in the way of what's actually possible." — Bob Goff
  5. "Everybody doesn't get a slice, but everybody's fed." — Bob Goff
Links
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 202600:28:51
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 
  1. "You guys are wired with tender hearts. Tough and tender is a powerful combination as a man." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
  2. "Under mad is usually sad or scared or confused. Lead with your heart more than your head." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
  3. "Tell me more. That's how she gets it out, and then it's not there between you anymore." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
  4. "Defensiveness bombs the bridge. Compassion builds it. That's the work of fathering a daughter's heart." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield
  5. "Anchors of memory in a place. Find one or two spots that become yours together with your daughter." Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield

 

DA432 | The Closeness Gap, the Five Senses Experiment, and Dropping Your Anger with Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield (Part 1)30 Apr 202600:31:42

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

 

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SUMMARY

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."
Links:
DA431 | JOY BOMBS 💣, Nothing Is Lost, & the Interstellar Scene That Rewired a Dad (Daniel Chesnut)23 Apr 202600:50:23

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 
  1. "The strongest man on the sand is the most vulnerable man on the sand."
  2. "I made time. I created time. And I can make time work for you, not against you."
  3. "Spend the next decade becoming the kind of person who can be entrusted with more in 10 years."
  4. "Whatever you do, cultivate access to your kid's heart. That's it. Just stay in their life."
  5. "Nothing is lost. Even the moments you regret are being restored."

 

Links
DA430 | Core Memories, Unhealed Wounds, and What It Looks Like When a Dad Does the Inner Work (Mark Odland)16 Apr 202600:48:18

Most dads are carrying something they never dealt with... Mark Odland is a trauma therapist who works with high achieving men, and he joined us for one of the most honest conversations we've had on this show.

✅ How stuck memories quietly affect the way you parent

✅ A simple tapping technique you can use with your kids right now

✅ Why doing your inner work is one of the most important things you can do for your family

SUMMARY

Most dads are carrying something they never dealt with. In this episode, therapist Mark Odland explains how unprocessed memories stay stuck in the brain and quietly shape the way you parent, the way you react, and the way you show up at home. You'll also hear what trauma therapy actually is, why doing the inner work is one of the bravest things a dad can do, and how healing in one generation changes everything for the next.

TAKEAWAYS

  • When your nervous system gets overwhelmed, memories can get stored in a way that doesn't heal properly and that affects you more than you realize years later.
  • The "butterfly hug" tapping technique is something you can use with your kids in real time to help a hard moment not become a stuck wound.
  • Trauma therapy helps the brain do what it was already designed to do, heal itself when the right conditions are present.
  • The cage many high achieving men live in isn't always visible from the outside. But deep down, they know something's in the way.
  • Whatever you wish your dad had done differently with you, ask yourself if you're doing that with your kids. That question is a powerful starting point.
  • Doing one therapy session doesn't commit you to years on a couch. It's just a first step, and first steps create momentum.

GUEST

Mark Odland is a licensed therapist, trauma specialist, and the founder of Lion Counseling. He's also the author of Escape the Cage. Mark and his wife have four kids and live in Duluth, Minnesota, where yes, he has surfed Lake Superior.

QUOTES

  • "As long as we have the opportunity to be connected to safety and truth, the brain can heal itself." — Mark Odland
  • "You don't have to sign your life away. Just do one therapy appointment." — Mark Odland
  • "Whatever invisible force is keeping you in a cage, the dad you want to be is in there." — Mark Odland
  • "If you can't muster up the belief that you're worth it, look at a picture of your family. They are worth it." — Mark Odland
  • "Some healing usually proceeds breakthrough. Doing some looking back before you try to propel forward." — Jeff Zaugg

 

LINKS

 

DA429 | Loaded Guns, Unprocessed Grief, and the Dad Who Can't Regulate His Own Emotions with Seth Dahl09 Apr 202600:45:10

"A man who can't regulate his emotions forces his wife and kids to do it for him."

Seth Dahl back for a 5th conversation on DadAwesome.

He breaks down what's actually happening when dad loses it and what it takes to change.

✅ Why emotional dysregulation is an identity issue, not just a temper problem

✅ The loaded gun analogy that will change how you think about anger at home

✅ Teen boundaries, the Wise Phone, and how to give freedom without losing your mind

 

SUMMARY

A man who can't regulate his emotions forces his wife and kids to do it for him. That's the hard truth Seth Dahl drops early in this conversation, and it only gets more honest from there. This is a raw, alumni-only Zoom call that turned into something worth sharing with every dad who's ever lost it over something stupid and wondered why.

 

Takeaways:

  • If you can be triggered, you're identifying with something more than your role as a dad. That's an identity issue, not just a temper issue.
  • Unprocessed emotions don't disappear. They show up as anger, porn, checked-out dads, and kids walking on eggshells.
  • God's model in Genesis wasn't control. It was influence with a boundary. That's the parenting theology most of us are missing.
  • For teenagers, the online world is the living room. Know who they're talking to, just like you would if they came to your house.
  • The Wise Phone gives kids what they need without what gets them in trouble.

 

GUEST:

 

Seth Dahl is an author, speaker, grief recovery specialist, and emotional health coach. He and his wife have three kids and have developed a deep framework around completing past emotions, processing present emotions, and shaping future ones. Seth is a longtime friend of DadAwesome and is featured in the DADAWESOME book.

 

LINKS

 

DA428 | What Unlocks When You Stop Grinding, Becoming the Primary Storyteller, & Parenting from Sonship (Jay Heck interviews Jeff Zaugg)02 Apr 202600:53:41

Jay Heck of Being Sons flips the mic and digs into the DADAWESOME book with some really honest questions.

 

✅ The prayer counseling session that broke a 15-year lie Jeff had been living under

✅ Why parenting from scarcity makes your voice smaller (and what changes when you don't)

✅ The black pen blue pen journaling exercise that helps you actually hear from God

✅ Three things every father can bring to their kids: proximity, placing hands on, and prayer

 

Get the 7-Day DADAWESOME Video Series - 

 

SUMMARY

Most dads are trying to figure out the right strategy. But what if the thing holding you back isn't a lack of tactics, it's a lie you've been believing about whether you're even loved? In this mic flip episode, Jay Heck of Being Sons turns the tables and interviews Jeff about the Dad Awesome book, and the conversation gets honest fast. You'll hear about the prayer counseling session that changed everything, what it means to set the scoreboard to infinity, and how a dad who's operating from fullness becomes the most compelling voice in the room.

 

TAKEAWAYS

  • Your kids need to see you pause and point to what God has done, not just celebrate the mountaintops but name the hard stuff too.
  • When you stop trying to earn love and start receiving it as a son, things like dancing, crying, laughing, and gentleness just start coming out of you naturally.
  • You are not behind. Whatever season of fatherhood you are in, God is not disappointed. He's inviting you to turn toward him, not catch up.
  • The three P's of intentional fatherhood are pursuing your kids, praying for your kids, and being present with your kids.
  • Fathers who operate from abundance naturally draw their kids, their kids' friends, and other families in. Scarcity thinking is contagious, and so is thankfulness.

GUEST

Jay Heck is the founder of Being Sons, a fatherhood ministry focused on dad and daughter and dad and son adventure experiences. He hosts the Being Sons podcast and is passionate about helping men step into the father heart of God so they can lead their families well.

QUOTES

  • "Your heavenly father has set the scoreboard to infinity. You can't add to it. You can't subtract from it."
  • "As I learned more about my identity as a loved son of God, I danced more, cried more, laughed more."
  • "Gratefulness and fear can't live simultaneously. When we are grateful, we move toward more vision and more hope."
  • "Fathers who operate from abundance naturally become the most compelling voice in the room."
  • "You are not behind. God in heaven is not disappointed. He is loving this moment that you are turning."

LINKS

DA427 | Dad-Daughter Dates, Daily Prayer, and the Fireball Story That Didn't Make the Book (Jeff Zaugg)26 Mar 202600:27:08

What do you do when your schedule is maxed out and you feel like you're failing at the very thing you preach? In this episode, Jeff gets honest about dropping the ball on dad-daughter dates, shares three raw discoveries from book launch week, and tells the story of a flaming ball of toilet paper on a frozen lake that never made it into the book — for good reason.

  • Without a concrete accountability loop, even your highest priorities will quietly slip off the calendar.

  • In your fullest, most pressured seasons, adding one stabilizing anchor — not removing things — might be the wisest move you make.

  • Daily prayer with other men isn't just spiritual discipline; it's a stabilizing force that steadies you when everything else is swinging.

  • Bringing two simple questions to a dad-daughter date can surface honest feedback and spark some of the most important conversations you'll have with your kids.

  • Fatherhood grows through friendships and focus — those two things, compounded over years, change everything.

 

DADAWESOME BOOKhttps://www.dadawesome.org/book

 

 

DA426 | DADAWESOME Book Launch, Building Systems Before the Crisis, and the Confetti Puke Story (Jeff Zaugg)19 Mar 202600:35:35

It's LAUNCH WEEK - the DADAWESOME book is available to the world!

https://www.dadawesome.org/book

In today's episode, Jeff shares what actually happened on book launch day (confetti, a four-year-old, and one very close call with a pair of white shoes), reads Chapter 18 of DADAWESOME live, and honors the grandpa whose legacy made this whole thing possible.

✅ The upstream generational moves Jeff's grandpa made that are still changing lives today

✅ The Crashing Cabinet — a chapter about the $2 wall strap that changes how you think about fatherhood systems

✅ Why your family needs a free dad, not a perfect one

SUMMARY:

The Christmas card version of fatherhood isn't real life — and Jeff Zaugg isn't pretending otherwise. In this book launch episode, Jeff reads Chapter 18 of the DADAWESOME book, shares the upstream legacy moves his grandpa made that are still bearing fruit today, and tells the story of what actually happened on launch day (hint: it involved confetti, a four-year-old, and a pair of white shoes that almost didn't survive).

TAKEAWAYS:

  • Thinking generationally means asking what moves you make today will still be bearing fruit with your grandkids and great-grandkids.
  • Small, preventative systems — like a $2 wall strap — protect your family before the pressure hits, not after the crash.
  • Your inadequacies as a father create space for God's strength to work through you, not around you.
  • Unresolved pain is like hidden glass — sharp, waiting, and causing damage until it's fully addressed.
  • Your family doesn't need a perfect dad. They need a free one.

GUEST

Jeff Zaugg is the founder of DadAwesome, host of the DadAwesome Podcast (400+ episodes, 8+ years), and author of the newly released book DADAWESOME. He and his wife have four daughters and are based in Northeast, Florida.

 

QUOTES

  1. "Your family doesn't need a perfect dad. They need a free one."
  2. "Small choices prevent big disasters. Asking for help before the crash is wisdom, not weakness."
  3. "Unresolved pain is like hidden glass — sharp, waiting, cutting us when we least expect it."
  4. "Our inadequacies as fathers create space for God's power to work through us."
  5. "Brotherhood isn't a luxury for fathers who have margin. It's oxygen for fathers who are drowning."

 

Links:

 

DA425 | Steward Their Speed, The Battle for Your Head, and Fathering from Strength Not Wounds (Tim Timberlake) PART 212 Mar 202600:30:11

🗣️ "Every king who takes over a territory changes the language first — because language determines culture."

Pastor Tim Timberlake is back for Part 2, and it does NOT disappoint.

In today's episode, you'll hear:

✅ Why the words you speak are literally shaping your child's world

✅ How to steward your kids' speed in a culture moving way too fast

✅ The powerful truth about grief — you won't get over it, but you will remember more

✅ Why you can't lead your kids somewhere you've never been

Don't father from your wounds. Father from your scars.

 

SUMMARY:

Every king who takes over a territory changes the language first — because language shapes culture. In Part 2 of this conversation with Pastor Tim Timberlake, you'll hear why the words you speak over your kids are literally forming their world. Plus, Tim gets real about grief, the little deaths that come with every new season of your child's life, and why the only way to be a great father is to remain a son of God first.

 

TAKEAWAYS

  • Language shapes culture — what you speak over your kids is forming their world, for better or worse.
  • Boundaries aren't restrictions; they're what make the game worth playing. Your kids thrive within them.
  • You won't "get over" the loss of a loved one, but you will grow stronger — and you'll remember more, not less.
  • Every new season of your child's life requires mourning who they were so you can fully enjoy who they are.
  • Don't father from your wounds. Father from your scars.

 

GUEST

Tim Timberlake is the lead pastor of Celebration Church, an author, and a speaker known for his passionate, scripture-rooted teaching. He and his wife, Jen, have a son, Max. Tim is the author of several books including The Art of Overcoming and Bumpy Road to Better.

 

LINKS

 

QUOTES

  1. "Every king who takes over a territory changes the language first — because language determines culture." — Tim Timberlake
  2. "Don't father from your wounds. Father from your scars." — Tim Timberlake
  3. "If you remain a son to God, you'll be a better father to your kids." — Tim Timberlake
  4. "We can only take people to the last place we've been." — Tim Timberlake
  5. "You won't get over it — but you will grow stronger, and you'll remember more." — Tim Timberlake

 

DA424 | The Fool and the King, Turning Pain into Praise, and Love Times Three with Tim Timberlake (Part 1)05 Mar 202600:30:01

🔥 Pastor Tim Timberlake lost his dad the day after his 18th birthday. 24 years later, he's STILL unpacking the treasures from their last conversation.

➡️ Why every dad has a "fool" and a "king" inside—and the one you address is the one that will respond

➡️ How to make your pain purposeful instead of letting it steal your joy

➡️ The power of TONE and why the love of a father can convict a child into becoming better

 

SUMMARY

What does it look like to father from love instead of frustration? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Pastor Tim Timberlake shares what it was like losing his dad the day after his 18th birthday—and how 24 years later, he's still unpacking the treasures from their final conversation. Tim opens up about how his father's tone, words, and presence shaped the man and dad he's becoming today. Plus, he reveals the simple practice that keeps him anchored in gratitude and why every dad has both a fool and a king inside—and the one you address is the one that will respond. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week.

TAKEAWAYS

  • Legacy is not what you leave for your children—it's what you leave in them. Frame it with your words and your presence.

  • Every dad has both a fool and a king inside, and the one you address in your kids is the one that will respond.

  • Don't just turn your head toward your kids—turn your heart. Be where your feet are and be relational, not just transactional.

  • Pain will produce fruit if you stay in it long enough. Make it purposeful and turn it back into praise before it becomes pride.

  • If you don't plan your celebrations, your defeats will plan themselves. Collect moments, not things.

QUOTES

1. "Legacy is not what I leave for someone. It's what I leave in them."

2. "We both have a fool and a king in us, and the one you address is the one that will respond."

3. "If I don't plan my celebrations, my defeats will plan themselves."

4. "Every word is like a thousand pound weight. Be mindful of where you place it."

5. "The love of my father would convict me into wanting to become better."

GUEST

Tim Timberlake is the Senior Pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, and Christian Faith Center in Creedmoor, North Carolina. He's the bestselling author of The Power of 1440 and The Art of Overcoming. Tim is a gifted communicator, thought leader, and sought-after speaker known for blending biblical truth with real-life wisdom. He and his wife, Jennifer, are the proud parents of their son, Maxwell. Tim's father, the late Bishop Mack Timberlake, continues to shape his legacy as a father and pastor to this day.

LINKS 

 

DA423 | A Miracle in a Jail Cell, Death to Life at Death Beach, and Why Getting Uncomfortable Reveals God's Love (Jeff Zaugg)26 Feb 202600:27:28

🇸🇻 What happens when a man in a jail cell starts screaming curses — and then worship begins?

In this powerful solo episode, Jeff shares the miraculous story of what God did inside a county jail in El Salvador during a recent mission trip with fathers and sons.

You'll hear:

➡️ How worship flipped an environment from darkness to God's peace in an instant

➡️ Why getting uncomfortable reveals where God wants to bring healing

➡️ The beloved story Jeff shared with inmates that brought men and women to tears

INVITES:

  1. Support JEFF'S FUNDRAISER - Team DADAWESOME 6-Mile SPARTAN event ($25 or $250)
  2. Join the ACCELERATOR - Six Week coaching cohort

SUMMARY:

What happens when you step into a dark, crowded jail hallway in El Salvador and a man starts screaming curses at you in English? In this raw solo episode, Jeff shares the miraculous story of what God did on a mission trip over his 44th birthday — and why getting uncomfortable as a dad is exactly where God wants to meet you. Plus, he reads the beloved story You Are Special by Max Lucado and shares why it changed everything inside that jail cell.

 

TAKEAWAYS

  • Worship often precedes breakthrough. When darkness and resistance filled that jail hallway, it was worship that flipped the entire environment from hostility to God's peace.
  • Getting outside your comfort zone reveals places in your heart where God wants to bring healing — you can't grow staying in the comfort loop.
  • The marks the world gives you — and the marks you give yourself — don't have to stick. What matters is what your Maker thinks of you.
  • Teenage young men who dream about being dads and starting families are growing up in homes where fatherhood is cast as a vision worth pursuing.
  • You are special because God made you, and He doesn't make mistakes. That truth changes everything — for you and for your kids.

 

Top 5 Quotes

  1. "Worship released peace. Worship flipped the environment of that space. It radically shifted things — worship."
  2. "Getting uncomfortable going, serving — getting to new places often reveals new places of our hearts."
  3. "We can stay in a comfort loop and continue to stay comfortable — or we can go."
  4. "I'm dreaming about being a dad, starting a family. I loved hearing that answer from teenage young men."
  5. "The marks from the world don't have to stick. Walk in freedom and know your true identity."

 

GUEST

This is a solo episode with Jeff Zaugg, founder and executive director of DadAwesome. Jeff shares from a recent mission trip to El Salvador where he traveled with a group of fathers and teenage sons, served alongside the ministry of Jonathan Ferrant, and witnessed a miraculous encounter in a county jail in La Libertad.

 

LINKS

 

DA422 | FROM THE VAULT: False Identity, De-Escalation, and the Dad Wisdom You Didn't Know You Needed (Jamie Winship PART 2)19 Feb 202600:32:17

This is the most downloaded episode in DadAwesome history — and Part 2 picks up right where we left off. 🔥

Jamie Winship is back from the vault with stories and wisdom that will stop you in your tracks.

➡️ What being abducted in Iraq taught Jamie about staying calm as a dad

➡️ How to identify the false beliefs quietly running your life

➡️ Why your true identity is the greatest gift you can give your kids

 

DADAWESOME ACCELERATOR - Spring Cohort - 

DADAWESOME book: https://www.dadawesome.org/book

SUMMARY

What if the biggest thing holding you back as a dad isn't your circumstances — it's what you believe about yourself? In this episode, Jamie Winship picks up right where we left off in Part 1, sharing jaw-dropping stories from being abducted in Iraq with his family, and unpacking the dad wisdom buried inside those moments. You'll learn why staying calm, staying present, and refusing to jump into drama can change everything in your home. Plus, Jamie walks through how to identify the false beliefs that are quietly running your life — and how to exchange them for who God actually made you to be.

Takeaways:

Give your spouse and your kids the gift of your true identity — it's the greatest thing you can offer your family. The enemy lives in the hypothetical future. God is only present in the present tense. Stay there. Don't participate in another person's drama. De-escalate, stay calm, and love the person in front of you. You can't give away what you don't have. If you carry false beliefs about yourself, they will come out in your parenting. Your true identity from God is other-focused, self-emptying, and rooted in unconditional love — even for your enemies.

Guest:

Jamie Winship is the co-founder of Identity Exchange and the author of Living Fearless. A former police officer turned international peacemaker, Jamie has spent decades working in conflict zones around the world alongside his wife, Donna. Together they help people discover their true identity in Christ. They have three grown sons and live out their faith in some of the most dangerous — and beautiful — places on earth.

Quotes

  1. "You want your kids to have a right view of God, but you can't give away what you don't have."
  2. "Do not participate in another person's drama. Stay back from it. Stay calm."
  3. "God is only present in the present tense. The enemy is present in the hypothetical future."
  4. "The greatest gift I can give my sons is to untie their knots."
  5. "A child's false identity — once they believe it, they see it every time."
DA421 | Jamie Winship FROM THE VAULT - Fear, Faith, & Fatherhood in a War Zone - PART 112 Feb 202600:32:06

🔓 FROM THE VAULT: The most downloaded DadAwesome episode EVER is back — and it's a two-parter.

Jamie Winship shares the jaw-dropping story of praying for invisibility with his kids in the middle of a collapsing government in Indonesia. But this episode goes way deeper than one miracle moment.

➡️ Why fear is the #1 enemy of intentional fatherhood

➡️ Two questions every dad should ask God daily

➡️ Why your true identity is the greatest gift you can give your kids

 

DADAWESOME Book - https://www.dadawesome.org/book

DADAWESOME Accelerator Coaching Groups: https://www.dadawesome.org/coaching

 

SUMMARY:

What would you do if a violent mob was heading straight for your van — with your kids in the back seat? In this fan-favorite episode pulled from the DadAwesome vault, Jamie Winship shares the incredible true story of praying for invisibility in the streets of Indonesia, why fear is the number one enemy of great fatherhood, and how your true identity in Christ is the greatest gift you can give your children.

TAKEAWAYS:

  • Kids learn to be afraid from their parents' fear — and learn courage from their parents' faith.
  • Fear is an invitation to transformation, not a signal to run. Ask God: "What do You want me to know? What do You want me to do?"
  • The greatest gift you can give your kids is the truth of who you are — your true identity in Christ.
  • External conflict is produced by internal conflict, produced by fear, produced by false identity.
  • Transformation starts in the heart.
  • In the walk with Jesus, there is no win-lose scenario. When you believe that, you can gamify the hard stuff and find joy even in danger.

 

GUEST:

Jamie Winship is a former police officer turned international peacemaker who has spent decades bringing identity-based conflict resolution to some of the world's most dangerous places. He and his wife, Donna, have three sons and have lived and served in conflict zones including Indonesia and Baghdad. Jamie is the author of Living Fearless and teaches globally on identity, courage, and hearing God's voice. This is the most downloaded DadAwesome episode of all time — pulled from the vault and too good not to reshare.

 

QUOTES

  1. "Kids learn to be afraid of things from their parents' fear." — Jamie Winship
  2. "The greatest gift you can give your kids is the truth of who you are." — Jamie Winship
  3. "Fear is an invitation to transformation. It's an invitation to a conversation." — Jamie Winship
  4. "In the walk with Jesus, there is no win-lose scenario." — Jamie Winship
  5. "God, what do You want me to know? And what do You want me to do?" — Jamie Winship

 

LINKS

 

 

DA420 | The Research Behind Great Dads, Generational Impact, and How to Move Men from Risk to Resource (Dr. Jeffrey Shears)05 Feb 202600:41:17

What if the way you love your daughter today shapes her marriage 20 years from now? 🤯

In this episode, fatherhood researcher Dr. Jeffrey Shears shares what 20+ years of studying dads has revealed—and it will change the way you think about your role.

✅ Why your daughters internalize how you treat their mom (and how it shapes who they're attracted to)

✅ How "Nacho Tuesdays" became a game-changing connection strategy with his girls

✅ The generational ripple effect—how your fathering impacts grandchildren you'll never meet

 

DADAWESOME book -- join the ADVANCE TEAM

 

SUMMARY

What if the way you father your daughter today shapes the marriage she has twenty years from now? In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey Shears—a fatherhood researcher, girl dad, and the chair of the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy—shares over two decades of findings on why dads matter more than they think. You'll hear how generational fathering works, why Nacho Tuesdays became a game-changer for connecting with his girls, and what it really means to move men from risk to resource.

Top 5 Quotes 
  1. "You are literally responsible for your son-in-law's marital satisfaction. What you do with your daughter impacts generations."
  2. "I never met a guy who said, 'I don't want to be a good dad.' The desire is there—they need support."
  3. "Every man can be a potential risk, but every man can also be a potential resource to children and families."
  4. "Kids don't remember the stuff you bought. They remember the time, the conversations, the intentionality of hanging out with Dad."
  5. "If your father tells you that you can do something, you internalize that. Dad's words build a confidence nothing else can."

 

TAKEAWAYS

Your daughters internalize how you treat their mother—and it shapes who they're attracted to and the health of their future marriages.

Fathers who affirm their daughters' abilities have a measurable impact—girls with engaged dads are overrepresented in STEM fields.

What you do as a dad ripples across generations. Your great-great-grandchildren will be shaped by values you instill today, even if you never meet them.

The desire to be a great dad is already there in most men. What's missing is the support, the models, and the community to show them how.

Every man is either a risk or a resource to a child. The question isn't whether you'll have an impact—it's what kind.

Guest

Dr. Jeffrey Shears is a professor of social work jointly appointed at North Carolina A&T State University and UNC Greensboro. He serves as the inaugural chair of the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy and is the board chair of the Fatherhood CoMission. He's spent over 20 years researching the impact fathers have on child development, with a particular focus on generational fathering and intergenerational transmission. He co-authored What All Dads Should Know with Dr. Clarence Shuler. Jeff is a proud girl dad of three daughters and lives in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

 

Links Mentioned

 

DA419 | Don't Long for Someday, The Discipline of Gratitude, and Becoming the Best Version of You as a Dad (Bart Scharrer FROM THE VAULT)29 Jan 202600:40:44

🚴 FROM THE VAULT

BOOK >> recieve the book 5-weeks early >> join the ADVANCE TEAM: https://www.dadawesome.org/book

Bart Scharrer has walked through some hard seasons with his daughters. Health crises. Uncertainty. Plans that didn't go the way he expected.

But here's what he's learned: Gratitude isn't just a nice idea. It's the way through.

-----------------------------------

✅ Why longing for "someday" can cost you today

✅ How to set the temperature in your home (for better or worse)

✅ A simple practice that taught his daughters confidence and connection

✅ What it looks like to trust God day by day when answers don't come

This is a conversation about presence, purpose, and staying the course.

--------------------------------

SUMMARY

When health crises hit your family and life doesn't go as planned, how do you keep leading well? In this episode from the vault, Bart Scharrer shares how he and his wife have navigated seasons of uncertainty with their daughters—and why gratitude isn't just a nice idea, it's the way through. You'll also hear how teaching your kids to ask good questions can shape their confidence, relationships, and even who they marry someday.

Key Takeaways:

  • Don't long for the next season at the expense of today. Embrace where you are right now with your kids.
  • Gratitude is the discipline that keeps you other-centered when life gets hard. It's not ignoring the pain—it's the way through it.
  • Teaching your kids to ask good questions builds confidence, connection, and character that lasts into adulthood.
  • You set the temperature in your home. Your presence, tone, and emotional awareness shape the climate your family lives in.
  • Serving together as a family—in the neighborhood and at church—creates lasting values and surrounds your kids with great people.

GUEST

Bart Scharrer is a pastor, board member at DadAwesome, and father of two young adult daughters. He and his wife Amy have walked through significant health challenges with their girls and have learned to lead their family with gratitude, presence, and trust in God's timing. Bart is passionate about helping dads stay engaged and intentional through every season of fatherhood.

Quotes 

  1. "Gratitude is the way through. If I don't live in gratitude, it's so easy to live in complaint."
  2. "Don't long for someday at the expense of today. There's so much to be thankful for right now."
  3. "Shy is not an excuse for rude. Look people in the eye and ask a question."
  4. "I can control how much I love Jesus. I can control how much I love my family."
  5. "What's the best version of me? That gives me a target for what I'm practicing towards."

#DadAwesome #christiandad #dadlife #parenting #dadpodcast #fatherhood #gratitude #intentionalparenting

LINKS

 

 

DA418 | Celebrating 8 Years of DadAwesome: Minivan Miracles, Ripping Out Fences, and the Power of Unlikely Friendships (Craig Allen Cooper)22 Jan 202600:41:10

🎉 8 YEARS OF DADAWESOME! We're celebrating with an incredible conversation with Craig Allen Cooper, the man behind Walker Hayes' song "Craig."

✅ The minivan miracle that softened an atheist's heart

✅ Why Craig's kids are PRAYING for friendships like their parents have

✅ The 5 P's of fatherhood: Provide, Protect, Prepare, Propel, Present

✅ Tables vs. Tablets and real connection with your kids

 

DADAWESOME Book >> join the Advance Team:

https://www.dadawesome.org/book

    SUMMARY

After eight years and 418 episodes of DadAwesome, we're celebrating with a conversation that captures everything this ministry is about. Craig Allen Cooper shares the story behind Walker Hayes' song "Craig," why his kids are praying for adult friendships like their parents have, and the five P's that guide his fatherhood. Plus, you'll hear how a minivan miracle led to a stadium-filling artist bowing his knee to Jesus.

 

TAKEAWAYS
  • Your kids are watching your friendships, and they're praying they'll have the same kind of adult community they see modeled in your life.
  • Trust is the foundation of friendship with your kids. When they know you're for them no matter what, the door to real connection opens wide.
  • Tables beat tablets every time. Eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart connection happens around tables of mercy and grace, not through screens.
  • The 5 P's of fatherhood: Provide, Protect, Prepare, Propel, and be Present. These aren't about perfection; they're about direction.
  • Arrows are meant to fly. Your job is to prepare and propel your kids toward their God-given calling, not keep them close forever.
  • What's upstream matters most. Feasting on God's Word daily is what fills you with gladness to pour into your family.
  GUEST

Craig Allen Cooper is the co-author of Glad You're Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Fences with country music artist Walker Hayes. He is the subject of Walker's hit song "Craig," which tells the story of their unlikely friendship and Craig's influence in Walker's journey to faith. Craig is a speaker, podcaster, and devoted father of four who lives near Nashville, Tennessee with his wife Laura. He's passionate about discipleship, authentic friendship, and helping men feast on God's Word.

 

QUOTES
  1. "Dude, I would give you my blood. You know that, right?"
  2. "I've heard my kids say over and over again: I'm praying that I'm going to have adult friendships like you and mom have."
  3. "There's a huge difference between table connection and tablet connection. Table connection is eye to eye, heart to heart, soul to soul."
  4. "An arrow is meant to fly. There's a tendency to just want to keep it around us, but at some point that arrow will fly."
  5. "Every grain of glory, every ounce of praise for anything good in my life belongs exclusively to the Lord Jesus Christ."
  LINKS

 

 

 

TAGS:

 

DadAwesome, Craig Allen Cooper, Walker Hayes, Christian fatherhood, fatherhood podcast, intentional parenting, faith and fatherhood, tables over tablets, friendship and faith, 5 P's of fatherhood, Christian dad, parenting podcast, raising kids, family discipleship, Glad You're Here, unlikely friendships, generosity, minivan miracle, dad community, launching kids

 
DA417 | From Control to Influence, Eradicating the Child-Centered Home, and the Love Jug (Ted Cunningham)15 Jan 202600:43:07

🏠 Is your home revolving around your kids? Ted Cunningham joins us to explain why eradicating the child-centered home is one of the best things you can do for your family.

✅ The "Love Jug" illustration that will change how you think about your source of life

✅ Why parenting is a journey from control to influence

✅ How honor bombardments and honor lists create close-knit families

✅ The "princess to queen" conversation every dad of daughters needs to hear

 

DADAWESOME BOOK (join the advance team!)

https://www.dadawesome.org/book

 

SUMMARY

Parenting is a journey from control to influence—and the fastest way to squander influence is to be controlling. In this episode, Ted Cunningham shares his famous "Love Jug" illustration, explains why your marriage is actually your greatest parenting tool, and unpacks why eradicating the child-centered home is essential for raising kids who are ready to leave. Plus, you'll hear the powerful "princess to queen" conversation he had with his daughter and how honor bombardments can transform your family culture.

TAKEAWAYS

  • Parenting is a journey from control to influence—and the fastest way to squander influence is by being controlling.
  • Your marriage is part of your parenting plan. Kids have a front-row seat to how you treat your spouse.
  • Jesus is your source, not your spouse or your kids. Fire them from that role.
  • The child-centered home creates prolonged adolescence: too much privilege, not enough responsibility.
  • Honor bombardments and honor lists create close-knit families by calling out what's valuable in each person.

GUEST

Ted Cunningham is the founding pastor of Woodland Hills Family Church in Branson, Missouri, and a sought-after speaker and author on marriage and family. He has written multiple books including Trophy Child and has partnered with the late Dr. Gary Smalley on numerous projects. Ted and his wife, Amy, are celebrating 30 years of marriage and have two adult children. He's known for his humor, practical wisdom, and passionate belief that strong marriages create strong families.

 

QUOTES

  1. "Parenting is a journey from control to influence. With every year, you're losing control and hopefully replacing it with influence."
  2. "The fastest way to squander influence is to be controlling."
  3. "Jesus is your source, Satan is your enemy, your spouse is your companion."
  4. "What's celebrated, what's spoken out loud gets multiplied."
  5. "Delete the narrative that says it's too late. Delete the narrative that says it's my fault."

LINKS

 

DA416 | Vision, Will, and Community: Standing Against a Culture That Wants to Destroy Your Family (Jeremy Pryor PART 2)08 Jan 202600:27:30

🔥 What if going with the flow is the most dangerous thing you can do as a dad?

Jeremy Pryor is BACK for round four, and this conversation will challenge everything you thought about provision, legacy, and multi-generational family.

 

FULL SHOW NOTES

 

➡️ Why vision, will, and community are your only defense against a culture trying to exploit your kids

➡️ The biblical case against "Labanism" and lifetime wage-earning

➡️ How your son-in-law becomes your SON in a multi-generational family

➡️ Why family at 55 should be FAR better than family at 35

 

SUMMARY

If you just go with the flow in today's culture, it will destroy you and your family. In this episode, Jeremy Pryor unpacks why we're living in the Age of Intentionality—where vision, will, and community are the only things standing between your kids and a world trying to exploit them. Plus, he shares why your family life should get richer as your kids grow older, and how to break free from "Labanism" to build assets that serve your family for generations.

 

TAKEAWAYS
  • We live in a unique age where going with the flow will destroy your family. Intentional fatherhood requires vision, will, and thick community.
  • God's five-part mission for families—be fruitful, multiply, fill, subdue, and rule—is the preloaded vision every dad can build on.
  • "Labanism" is the cultural trap of lifetime wage-earning that keeps fathers dependent and unable to truly provide for their own families.
  • Your son-in-law is your son. Multi-generational family means gaining more kids through marriage, not losing the ones you raised.
  • Family gets better with time. What you experience with your kids at 25 should be far richer than when they were 5.

 

GUEST

Jeremy Pryor is the founder of Family Teams and the author of Family Revision and The Ruling Generation. He and his wife, April, have five children, two sons-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a brand new grandson. Jeremy is passionate about helping fathers build multi-generational families that thrive for centuries. This is his fourth appearance on Dad Awesome.

 

LINKS:   QUOTES
  1. "If you just go with the flow, do what's natural, it will destroy you and your family."
  2. "The only thing that can stand up against what's coming at our kids is an intentional father."
  3. "Your son-in-law is your son. Your daughter-in-law is your daughter."
  4. "It gets better. It should be so much more rich when your kids are 25 than when they were 5."
  5. "Make it your goal to work with your hands, to mind your own business, so that you will not have to be dependent on anyone."
  6. "We are blessed to be a blessing."
DA415 | Your Superpower Is Hurting Your Kids, Creating Emotional Warmth at Home, and Why Attachment Is Everything – Part 1 (Jeremy Pryor)01 Jan 202600:34:09

🚨 If you just go with the flow, it will destroy your family.

Jeremy Pryor is BACK on the podcast with a wake-up call for dads everywhere. In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, he's sharing:

➡️ Why your ability to emotionally detach is hurting your kids

➡️ The difference between "Do I love my kids?" and "Do they FEEL loved?"

➡️ How to become a warmer, more emotionally available father

➡️ What ancient Hebraic families understood that we've forgotten

SUMMARY

If you just go with the flow in today's world, it will destroy you and your family. In this episode, Jeremy Pryor returns to share why the superpower that helps men provide and protect can actually be the very thing that pushes your kids away. You'll discover why emotional detachment is hurting your children and how to become the warm, present father your family desperately needs.

TAKEAWAYS

  • The ability to emotionally detach is a fatherhood superpower for providing and protecting—but using it against your family will cost you their hearts.
  • Your kids can sense emotional distance, and they need to know that what happens to them actually impacts you.
  • The question isn't "Do I feel attached to my kids?" but "Do my kids feel attached to me?"
  • Learning from ancient Hebraic family culture can revolutionize the way we build multi-generational bonds.
  • Your wife has a relational map of the family that you desperately need—invite her advice and steward it well.

GUEST

Jeremy Pryor is the founder of Family Teams and co-host of the Family Teams Podcast with Jefferson Bethke. He's an author, speaker, and advocate for multi-generational family who has spent years studying ancient Hebraic family patterns and helping modern fathers build lasting legacies. Jeremy and his wife, April, have five children and four grandchildren and lived in Israel on and off for about ten years.

 

LINKS

DA414 | The Most Important 9 Minutes of Your Kid's Day, Choosing Contentment, and Lessons from Sourdough (Dan Tinquist)25 Dec 202500:37:42

What if the secret to connecting with your kids wasn't more time—but better minutes?

✅ The See, Hear, Know framework for becoming a student of your kids

✅ Why over-teaching actually backfires (and what to do instead)

✅ How to plan your family's year WITH them, not just for them

SUMMARY:

What if the most impactful moments with your kids are just nine minutes a day? In this episode, fatherhood coach Dan Tinquist shares how morning, afternoon, and evening connection points can transform your relationship with your kids. You'll also hear why over-teaching actually backfires, how to build a family culture where your kids feel safe to fail, and the surprising parallels between making sourdough bread and raising kids.

TAKEAWAYS:
  • The most important nine minutes of your kid's day are the first three when they wake up, the three when you reconnect after school or work, and the last three before bed.
  • If every moment is a teachable moment, you will teach them nothing. Sometimes the best thing you can do is pray instead of lecture.
  • We don't rest from our work—we work from our rest. Contentment today fuels driven action tomorrow.
  • Building a family culture where kids feel safe to fail means they'll run to you when they mess up, not from you.
  • Planning your year with your family—not for them—creates ownership and adventure everyone can look forward to.
GUEST:

Dan Tinquist is a fatherhood coach, host of the Confidad Podcast, and creator of the Time Well Spent Method and Family Culture Framework. He coaches dads from around the world to move from surviving to thriving in their homes. Dan and his wife have four boys and live in Minnesota.

QUOTES:
  1. "If every moment is a teachable moment, I will teach them nothing."
  2. "Control is an illusion. It is chaos that we are attempting to bring peace into."
  3. "We don't rest from our work. We work from our rest."
  4. "His mercies are new every single morning. When's the last time you lived a perfect day?"
  5. "I'm going to pray instead of open my big fat mouth and tell them why I'm right and they're wrong."
LINKS:
DA413 | Forgiveness Fridays, Throwback Tuesdays, and Building a Close-Knit Family on Purpose (Michael DeAquino)18 Dec 202500:32:43

➡️ How yearly family vision summits (with a hot tub!) shape your family's direction

➡️ The power of tying your kids' names to your family's core values

➡️ Why pre-parental counseling removes the shame that keeps dads stuck later

SHOW NOTES 

https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/413

SUMMARY

What if you could prepare for fatherhood before the chaos even begins? In this episode, Michael DeAquino shares how he and his wife are helping expecting parents get on the same page before baby arrives—and why that window of time matters so much. You'll also hear how Michael's family runs themed dinner nights every single day of the week (yes, including Forgiveness Friday and Scenario Saturday), plus how yearly vision summits with your kids in an Airbnb with a hot tub can transform the direction of your family.

TAKEAWAYS
  • Creating space to think—like a yearly family summit away from home—is the first step toward vision. You can't see where you're headed when you're drowning in the daily grind.
  • Themed dinner nights (Monday Meeting, Throwback Tuesday, Thankful Thursday, Forgiveness Friday, and more) turn ordinary meals into consistent connection points that shape your family culture.
  • Your kids' names can carry your family's vision. Michael tied each child's name to a core value—closeness, generational faithfulness, righteousness, light, and stewardship—and speaks it over them regularly.
  • The best time to prepare for intentional parenting is before you're holding the baby. Pre-parental counseling removes the shame and chaos that often keeps dads from engaging later.
  • Keystone habits cascade into other habits. Start with what you're already doing (like dinner) and build intentional rhythms from there.
GUEST

Michael DeAquino is the co-founder of The Parenthood Project and author of The Parenthood Primer, a pre-parental counseling resource for expecting and new parents. He and his wife have five kids ages 2 to 12 and are passionate about helping couples get on the same page before the chaos of parenthood begins. Michael spent 15 years in church ministry before pivoting to equip parents earlier in their journey.

QUOTES

"I didn't start until my oldest was six. And to see just where things are now—there's a lot of grace." – Michael DeAquino

"Our names carry a lot of identity in them. Why not make it even more than just what you call us?" – Michael DeAquino

"You're going to get a lot of recognition in your career. You're not going to get a lot of recognition as a father—and that's where you'll end up placing your time." – Michael DeAquino

"Everything around us is trying to disintegrate our family. So how do we foster closeness even as our kids get older?" – Michael DeAquino

"What if we got to dads before they even hold the baby—before the chaos, before the shame sets in?" – Michael DeAquino

LINKS

 

 

DA412 | A 3-Year Journey to Launch Your Kids, 30 Skills Every Teen Should Learn, and Moments That Impact All of Time (Matt Hanson)11 Dec 202500:39:29

📍 When did you become a man? Most guys can't answer that question clearly—because they never had a defining moment.

Matt Hanson is on a mission to change that. In this episode, he shares the Ion Path—a 3-year Christian rite of passage for dads and their 12-16 year olds.

You'll hear:

➡️ Why Dad is "LeBron James" in the faith transfer game (50-60 points!)

➡️ How 30 conversations in 30 days can transform your relationship

➡️ The simple framework for teaching your kids 30 life skills before they launch

➡️ Why it's more important to be IN the conversation than to be RIGHT

 

SUMMARY:

What if you could give your son or daughter something most kids never receive—a clear moment when they know they've become a man or woman? In this episode, Matt Hanson shares the vision behind the Ion Path, a 3-year Christian rite of passage designed to help dads and their kids become co-learners on the journey to adulthood. You'll hear why only 8-10% of church kids keep their faith for a lifetime, what makes dad "LeBron James" in the faith transfer game, and how 30 simple conversations can transform your relationship with your child.

 

TAKEAWAYS:
  • Most kids raised in the church never experience a defining moment that marks their transition into adulthood—and it's time to change that.
  • Dad is the single biggest factor in whether a child keeps their faith for a lifetime. If faith transfer is a 100-point game, dad is 50-60 of those points.
  • The most powerful thing you can do for your kids is love their mother well and stay in the conversation—it's more important to be in the conversation than to be right.
  • A 3-year intentional journey with your 12-16 year old—built around conversations, skills, challenges, and adventures—can launch them into adulthood with confidence and faith.
  • You don't have to have all the answers. The Ion Path equips dads to go on this journey alongside their child as co-learners, not experts.
GUEST

Matt Hanson is the founder of the Ion Path, a 3-year Christian rite of passage designed to help dads and their children become co-learners on the journey to adulthood. After a successful business career, Matt turned his attention to the crisis of faith retention among young people and assembled a coalition of faith leaders to create a standard for rites of passage across denominational lines. He and his wife Mary have three adult children—Savannah, Noah, and Tatum—and live in Southern California.

QUOTES
  1. "It's more important to be in the conversation than be right. I heard one person say that they've only had one conversation with their daughter, but it started when she was four and it never stopped."
  2. "If it's a 100-point game, Dad is the LeBron James. He's 50 to 60 points in that game."
  3. "Ion is a Greek word that means a moment in time that impacts all of time. As dads, we are in a series of moments in time and we are forming the next generation, which will last a long time."
  4. "If I finish and check off all 30 of those skills with my son, my son's not going to enter adulthood wondering if he's a capable person—because he's going to know there's at least 30 things I know, and I learned them from my dad."
  5. "You get the dad, you get the family. You get the family, you get the church. You get the church, you get the community. It is the powder keg."
LINKS
DA411 | The Daily 15, Brain Science Behind Morning Routines, and Why Sabbath Is Your Family's Secret Weapon – Part 2 (Chris Cirullo)04 Dec 202500:30:50

🕐 What if 15 minutes could change your entire life?

✅ The brain science behind why your morning and evening routines matter more than you think

✅ How to build a sustainable Daily 15 practice that actually sticks

✅ Why Sabbath might be the most Christ-like (and kid-favorite) rhythm your family is missing

✅ The one thing 93% of men said they want to grow in

 

SHOW NOTES

https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/411

 

SUMMARY

What if the first thing you did each day was sleep—and trust God with it? In this episode, Chris Cirullo unpacks the brain science behind why your morning and evening routines carry exponential power, and how a simple 15-minute daily practice can transform your faith, health, and focus over time. Plus, he shares how his family has made Sabbath the most anticipated day of the week—complete with chains hitting the floor and kids fighting over who gets to throw them.

TAKEAWAYS
  • The Daily 15 is a sustainable morning routine that anchors your day in hydration, scripture, prayer, prioritization, and movement—all in just 15 minutes.
  • Your brain is most "plastic" during wake-up and bedtime windows, meaning small, consistent inputs during those times create outsized transformation.
  • In Jewish tradition, evening begins the new day—so the first act of every day is actually resting and trusting God for the first eight hours.
  • Sabbath is the only commandment we boast about breaking, yet God designed it for human flourishing—not as a burden but as a gift.
  • Start your Sabbath practice small and sustainable (even takeout Thai food counts), then expand it over time with sensory anchors your kids will crave.
GUEST

Chris Cirullo is a former Army Ranger, executive coach, and the founder of Mission Fit. He helps high-performing men build lifelong health, faith, and focus through his coaching programs and his new book, The Daily 15. Chris and his wife have four sons and live with deep intentionality around family rhythms, Sabbath rest, and hearing God's voice. He's passionate about helping fathers lead their homes as kingdom outposts.

 

LINKS

 

QUOTES
  1. "Where God gives responsibility, He will come and aid you in the ability."
  2. "The first thing we do in our day is go to sleep and trust the Lord for the first eight hours. Then we wake up and we do—after we've rested."
  3. "You can create exponential change in the way your brain functions in those wake-up and bedtime windows compared to other hours of the day."
  4. "Sabbath is the only one of the Ten Commandments that we're okay boasting about breaking."
  5. "It's like compound interest. At some point it hockey sticks and you look back and realize—I'm a different person now."
DA410 | Why Dads Are Called to Bring Order, Solving Family Friction Points, and Setting Impossible Goals – Part 1 (Chris Cirullo)27 Nov 202500:31:00

✅ The biblical reason dads are called to bring order to their homes

✅ How to train your kids like a football coach (M&Ms included!)

✅ The power of a weekly family meeting to solve your biggest friction points

✅ Why setting "impossible" goals actually works

SUMMARY

Chaos doesn't have to be the norm in your home. In Part 1 of this conversation, Army Ranger turned fatherhood coach Chris Cirullo unpacks the biblical call for fathers to bring order—and shares the practical systems he's built to lead his five sons with both fun and discipline. You'll also hear why setting impossible goals might be the key to real growth.

TAKEAWAYS
  • God designed fathers to bring order and strategy to their homes—it's part of our calling, not just a nice-to-have.
  • Training kids in specific behaviors with immediate rewards (like M&Ms) can save decades of frustration.
  • Weekly family meetings with your wife help you identify and solve one key friction point at a time.
  • Setting "impossible" goals narrows your options and forces clarity on what actually needs to change.
  • What gets measured improves—but what gets measured and reported improves exponentially.
GUEST

Chris Cirullo is a former Army Ranger with four combat tours in Afghanistan, a former collegiate football player, fitness coach, and tech startup leader. He now coaches men through Mission Fit and serves on the team at Forming Men. Chris and his wife Justine homeschool their five sons in Eugene, Oregon, and are expecting their sixth child.

LINKS Quotes:
  1. "Minutes of training can sometimes save decades of headaches for a father."
  2. "I have this innate responsibility as a father to bring order. We're not all great at it, but we do have to find ways to make efforts unto that end."
  3. "Setting impossible goals is one of the most effective ways to actually make meaningful growth."
  4. "What gets measured improves, but what gets measured and reported improves exponentially."
  5. "God wanted to partner with Adam to bring about order in the world, and He stopped short of producing complete order so that man as a father and a husband could do some of that work."
TAGS

fatherhood, intentional parenting, family systems, discipline, order, army ranger, coaching dads, homeschool dad, training kids, goal setting, Parkinson's law, Pareto principle, Pearson's law, accountability, family mission, Christian dad, family meetings, parenting hacks, dadlife, Genesis

DA409 | Why Your 5-Year-Old Isn't Selfish, Walking Through Repair, and the Gift of Just Showing Up (Chris Ammen)20 Nov 202500:43:02

What if your kid's "selfishness" is actually developmentally normal? 🤯

✅ Why emotional awareness makes you a better dad (not a softer one)

✅ How to walk your kids through the "I'm sorry" process step by step

✅ The turkey hunting philosophy of spiritual formation

✅ Why showing up in children's ministry is a slingshot back to your home

SUMMARY:

What if your child's selfishness is actually a God-given gift? In this episode, Chris Ammenshares why understanding your kid's developmental stage changes everything about how you parent. Plus, he unpacks the "turkey hunting philosophy" of spiritual formation and why the most powerful thing you can do as a dad is simply show up and love your kids for who they are, not what they accomplish.

TAKEAWAYS:
  • Your children are growing out of egocentrism, not being punched out of it. Understanding their developmental stage brings patience and grace to your parenting.
  • Growing in your own emotional awareness is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids. When you learn to express the full range of emotions, you create space for them to do the same.
  • Walk your kids through the mechanics of relational repair. Chunk it up into small steps so they build the muscle memory for when they're older.
  • Spiritual formation is a longitudinal process. It's so slow you'll hardly notice the grass growing, then one day you'll look around and see what God did while you were faithful day by day.
  • Call your kids to where they already want to go. Shoulder-to-shoulder time doing what they love is where the real conversations happen.
  • Men in children's ministry matter more than you think. Boys need men who cheer them on for who they are, and girls need to see men who treat them with respect and kindness.
GUEST:

Chris Ammen is the founder of Kaleidoscope, a ministry helping kids understand and love the Bible through chapter books, audio content, and a weekly podcast. A former children's pastor with 15 years of experience, Chris is passionate about meeting kids at their developmental level and equipping parents to disciple their children at home. He's the author of Raising Disciples at Home and the host of the Kaleidoscope Podcast. Chris and his wife have four kids ages 5 to 12 and live in the thick of raising their own disciples.

dadawesome, christiandad, dadlife, parenting, dadpodcast, fatherhood, kaleidoscope, childrensbible, emotionalawareness, raisingkids, familydiscipleship, christianparenting, boydad, girldad, childrensministry, faithathome, intentionalparenting, dadcommunity, spiritualformation, parentingtips

Quotes:
  1. "This is not going to happen in 24 hours. This is not going to happen in a year. This is going to be so slow that I'm hardly going to notice the grass growing underneath my feet. And then I'm going to look around one day and say, look at what God did while I was just being patient and faithful day by day by day."
  2. "They grow out of egocentrism. It's not punched out of them. It's not beaten out of them. It's not manipulated out of them. That's something that they have to come to as their brain develops."
  3. "Hold up, this is not about you, this is about her. Both of our eyes right now need to be on her and making sure that she is okay."
  4. "Call your children to where they already want to go. And while they're there, give them some truth."
  5. "Don't underestimate that, both for the boys in the room and maybe even more importantly for the girls in the room. To have a man who looks at them with respect and kindness and graciousness, not as an object, is deeply formational."
  6. "You don't have to be a champion in the room. You can just be an awkward dad who's learning how to be around other children."
  7. "God thought of them before He thought of the mountains and the seas and the oceans, and He called them very good. He does not regret them."

 

LINKS:
DA408 | Raising Sons Who Invite Others In: Wrestling, Delayed Phones, and Legacy Rewritten (Carl Cartee)13 Nov 202500:39:13

🍕🤼‍♂️ Pizza nights. Wrestling matches. Honest talks about sex, phones, and finding the right wife.

✅ Why Tuesday wrestling nights built more than just muscle
✅ The 18th birthday dinner where 4 friends said the exact same thing (and it wasn't planned)
✅ How to talk about sex early and often without shame
✅ Why delaying phones until driving age might be the move
✅ The story of the Sons of Korah and rewriting your family legacy

SUMMARY
What does it look like to raise teenage boys who become strong men of character? In this episode, Carl Cartee—songwriter, speaker, and dad of four sons—shares how weekly wrestling nights, honest sex talks, and delayed technology built a foundation of trust in his home. You'll hear the story of his son's 18th birthday dinner where four friends said the same surprising thing, why he wishes someone had told him about choosing a spouse differently, and how the Sons of Korah can change your entire perspective on fatherhood legacy.

TAKEAWAYS

  • Wrestling nights and messy pizza-making weren't just fun—they were intentional time in your presence that builds connection and dignity in your sons.
  • The simplicity of being invited into God's work as a father takes the pressure off perfection and puts the focus on faithfulness.
  • Early and often conversations about sex, desire, and God's design create safety and health instead of shame and secrecy.
  • Choosing a spouse isn't just about attraction at 25—it's about finding someone you genuinely like being with through every season of life.
  • Your family legacy isn't determined by what you inherited from your fathers—through Christ, you're rewriting the story for your kids.


GUEST


Carl Cartee is a songwriter, speaker, and worship leader from Franklin, Tennessee. He's written over 150 songs for artists including Elevation Worship and Oak Ridge Boys. Carl and his wife, Heather, host the podcast "Married to Someone Who's Nothing Like You" and are passionate about helping marriages thrive. They have four sons ranging from 14 to 19 years old. Carl loves creativity, adventure, and pointing people to Jesus through music, art, and authentic conversation.

 

TOP QUOTES

  • "God has dignified me by inviting me into His work through my sons. If it turns out great, awesome. But even if there are no guarantees these boys go up and to the right for the rest of their life, I cherish being invited in."
  • "Together is better—not just in the great times, but when you feel shame, when you didn't score any points. There's a different outcome when you do that alone versus when you do it with somebody who's there for you on the mountaintop or in the valley."
  • "Don't marry somebody that you necessarily think is sexy right now. Look for somebody that you like being with. Because when it comes to seasons of life and circumstances throughout the course of a marriage, you might be married to two or three different women."
  • "Shame as a young man was an absolute killer. It was an absolute destroyer of relational connection and intimacy. When the boys bring their struggles to us instead of harboring that shame, it speaks of health in that area."
  • "No matter what heritage you have, if God is your refuge and strength, there is nothing from your past, nothing from the generations before you that you cannot undo through the power of worship and trusting in the Lord. You are rewriting legacy."
DA407 | Creating Spiritual Curiosity, Jesus' Lion and Lamb Moments, and Building Faith Through Questions (David Murrow)06 Nov 202500:31:22

"Discovered truth always beats delivered truth."

David Murrow just dropped some serious wisdom for dads who want to stop lecturing and start creating real spiritual conversations.

 

In today's episode, you'll hear:

✅ How to pray 15-second prayers with your kids that integrate faith into everyday moments

✅ Why Jesus asked hundreds of questions but only gave 8 direct answers (and what that means for your parenting)

✅ The 3 journeys every man walks: submission, strength, and sacrifice

DadAwesome Voice Mail: SUMMARY:

Raising your kids on lectures and long prayers isn't working—Jesus knew that 2,000 years ago. In this episode, David Murrow shares how to create spiritual curiosity in your home using questions instead of answers, 15-second prayers instead of lengthy devotionals, and parables that stick. You'll also hear his groundbreaking research on why men are finally coming back to church, and how every dad moves through three essential journeys: submission, strength, and sacrifice.

TAKEAWAYS
  • Discovered truth always beats delivered truth—guys need space to talk and share their experiences, not just receive lectures.
  • Jesus asked hundreds of questions but only gave eight direct answers in all of Scripture—create curiosity through great questions instead of telling your kids what to think.
  • The foundation of your faith must be built on being like a lamb (gentleness, sensitivity, mercy) before you can exercise lion-like strength in love.
  • Try 15-second prayers with your kids throughout the day—integrate faith as something you do all the time, not just on Sundays.
  • Touchstones are physical objects that help spiritual truths stick—give your kids something tangible to carry that reminds them of what they're learning.
GUEST

David Murrow is the author of Why Men Hate Going to Church and The Map: The Way of All Great Men. For over 25 years, he's been helping churches engage men through groundbreaking research and practical resources. He's currently developing Man Time, a parable-based video series that creates powerful spiritual conversations. David is passionate about helping dads disciple their kids through questions, stories, and hands-on experiences rather than lectures.

Links Mentioned:   Quotes
  1. Discovered truth always beats delivered truth. Guys need space to talk and share experiences, not just receive lectures.
  2. Jesus asked hundreds of questions but only gave eight direct answers in Scripture. Create curiosity, not lectures.
  3. Try 15-second prayers with your kids. Integrate faith as something you do all the time, not just Sundays.
  4. The foundation of your faith must be built on being like a lamb before you exercise lion-like strength.
  5. Church is now more masculine than culture. It's recognized as a safe place where guys can go.

 

DA406 | How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex, Building a Marriage That Thrives, and the Power of Proactive Fatherhood (Dave Willis)30 Oct 202500:43:55

🎯 As a dad, are you leading the conversation about sex with your kids—or letting the world do it for you?

✅ Why dads need to play the lead role in sex conversations (even with daughters!)

✅ How to make your marriage thrive with 7 simple shifts

✅ The power of resisting passivity and taking proactive action

✅ FREE resources that will strengthen your family today

SUMMARY:

Your kids are going to learn about sex from somewhere—will it be from you or from the world? In this episode, Dave Willis returns with game-changing resources for dads who want to lead intentional, shame-free conversations about sex with their kids. Plus, he shares powerful insights on strengthening your marriage through simple shifts that create deeper connection. This conversation will equip you to resist passivity and take proactive action in the areas that matter most.

TAKEAWAYS

  • Resist passivity and take the lead in having ongoing, shame-free conversations with your kids about sex and God's design for their bodies.
  • Your marriage is one of the first gifts you give to your children—they learn what relationships should look like by watching yours.
  • Fun is fuel for your marriage—without laughter and playfulness, everything else begins to collapse.
  • The mind feasts on what it focuses on—intentionally focus on God's plan for your family and flourishing will follow.
  • Being proactive as a husband and father isn't domineering—it's loving leadership that your wife finds attractive.
  • Create a team around your growth—invite other dads and couples to join you on the journey toward intentional parenting and thriving marriage.

GUEST

Dave Willis and his wife, Ashley, are the authors of multiple books including the bestseller, The Naked Marriage, and their newest release, Do Marriage Better: Seven Simple Shifts for Deeper Connection. They're also Christian speakers, marriage coaches, and the hosts of The Marriage on the Line Podcast. They have four sons and live near Augusta, Georgia. Dave is passionate about helping dads lead their families with intentionality and helping couples build marriages that thrive.

LINKS

 

 

 

QUOTES

  1. "Your wives find being proactive in you very sexy. Women, by God's design, are attracted to a husband who takes action."
  2. "Fun is fuel. If your marriage feels like it's on empty, it's because you've put fun on the back burner. Laughter isn't frivolous—it's vital."
  3. "If we don't teach our kids about sex, the world's gonna do it for us and the world's gonna teach them the wrong messages."
  4. "The mind feasts on what it focuses on. Focus on God's plan for your family and the flourishing will follow."
  5. "Resist passivity. God hasn't called us to be passive. There are times to be still and patient, but never passive."
DA405 | Courageous Fatherhood, The Gift of Physical Touch, and Doing for One More Kid (Peter Ostapko)23 Oct 202500:49:15

✅ Why following Jesus is the most adventurous thing you'll ever do

✅ The often-overlooked power of physical touch with your kids

✅ How to build the deep brotherhood every dad desperately needs

✅ A game-changing challenge: Do for ONE kid outside your family what you do for your own

 

LEAVE DADAWESOME A VOICEMAIL

✅ Under 90-seconds

✅ Begin with your first name and where you are from

✅ RECORD YOUR MESSAGE HERE

SUMMARY

Imagine standing at the edge of a 30-foot-high dive over ice-cold water with your son watching from below. That terrifying moment of decision mirrors what it means to be a risk-taking dad in today's world. In this episode, Peter Ostapko from Kinsman shares the cliff-jumping story that changed how he parents, plus powerful insights on the gift of physical touch with your kids, the critical importance of being present, and why every dad needs deep brotherhood. You'll also hear an unforgettable challenge: do for one kid outside your family what you do for your own kids.

TAKEAWAYS
  • Following Jesus as a father is meant to be the most adventurous, risk-taking, beautiful journey—not boring or safe
  • Physical touch with your kids is a powerful gift that communicates love, safety, and connection in ways words cannot
  • Your presence as a dad matters more than you realize—availability beats ability every time
  • Deep friendships and brotherhood are essential for the fatherhood journey; isolation is the enemy
  • Challenge yourself to "do for one more kid" outside your family what you already do for your own kids
  • Being a sower and planting seeds means showing up consistently without always seeing immediate results
  • Don't place unrealistic expectations on your kids because you're trying to overcompensate for your own broken past
  • The Kinsman Journal helps fathers unlock the power of their story and create spaces for authentic connection
GUEST:

Peter Ostapko is a leader with Kinsman, an intentional men's ministry focused on faithfully demonstrating redemptive, Christ-centered brotherhood. Kinsman creates resources including publishing, podcasting, and gatherings to influence men toward authentic connection and purposeful living. Peter is also the creator of the Kinsman Journal, a beautiful resource designed to help men unlock the power of their stories. He's a husband, father, and passionate advocate for helping dads build deep friendships and lead their families with courage and intentionality.

LINKS: TIMESTAMPS 
  • 00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
  • 02:53 - The Cliff Jumping Story: Taking Risks as a Dad
  • 08:30 - Why Following Jesus Should Be Adventurous
  • 15:45 - The Gift of Physical Touch with Your Kids
  • 23:10 - Being Present: Your Availability Matters Most
  • 30:20 - Deep Brotherhood and Why Dads Need Friendship
  • 37:15 - The Kinsman Journal: Unlocking the Power of Story
  • 42:00 - Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself
  • 44:20 - The "Do for One More Kid" Challenge
  • 46:17 - Peter's Prayer Over Dads
  • 48:00 - Closing Thoughts & Resources
5 TOP QUOTES:
  1. "Following Jesus is to be the most adventurous, risk-taking, frightening, wonderfully beautiful, dependent, abiding thing we'll ever experience in our life."
  2. "The role of a father is the most important title, mantle, role you'll ever have in your entire life outside of being a spouse to your wife."
  3. "Do for one kid outside of your kids what you do for your kids. Be intentional with them. Invite them into dinners and love on them. You never know what some of these kids are going through."
  4. "We talk ourselves out of way too many things. God is on the other side saying, 'Listen, I got an adventure for you. Do you want to do this or not?' He doesn't force us. He invites us into it."
  5. "Your presence matters more than you realize. Just being available for your kid—that's what matters most."
DA404 | Three Mile Per Hour Fatherhood, Emotional Regulation, and Breaking Generational Patterns (Tyler Graham)16 Oct 202500:43:42

When you're constantly hurrying from one thing to the next, it's almost impossible to be the dad you want to be.

In this episode, you'll hear:

✅ The moment his son flinched and why it became the turning point

✅ How emotional regulation helps you stay in the "green zone" with your kids

✅ Why your role isn't to be Superman—it's to be the chief repenter

✅ The power of visioning your 80th birthday party (and reverse engineering it!)

This conversation will challenge you to slow down, stay steady, and stop letting your kids catch the shrapnel.

LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE for DadAwesome - share your QUESTIONS here

Summary:

What happens when the pace of your life is stealing your ability to be present with your kids? In this episode, Tyler Graham shares the moment his son flinched when he sat down beside him—and how that changed everything. You'll hear why emotional regulation might be the most important skill any dad can develop, how living at three miles per hour creates space for real connection, and why being the chief repenter in your home is more powerful than being Superman.

Takeaways:
  • Dads need to be the thermostat, not the thermometer—setting the tone rather than reacting to it.
  • When a dad blows up, the kids catch the shrapnel, and those moments leave lasting impressions.
  • Emotional regulation is one of the most critical skills for fatherhood—learning to respond from the green zone instead of the red or blue.
  • Vision is essential: imagine your child's eulogy or your 80th birthday party and reverse engineer the habits you need today.
  • Your role as a dad isn't to be Superman—it's to be the chief repenter, modeling humility and grace for your kids.
Guest Bio:

Tyler Graham is a dad of six, founder of Three Mile Per Hour Fatherhood, and a passionate advocate for helping fathers slow down and live at the pace of presence. Through coaching cohorts and resources, Tyler encourages dads to develop emotional regulation, break generational patterns, and build a compelling vision for their family's future. He lives with his wife and six kids on their homestead, where they're building a legacy rooted in connection, intentionality, and grace.

Quotes

  1. "I cannot be the type of dad I want to be when I'm in a hurry."

  2. "When a dad blows up, the kids catch the shrapnel."

  3. "A dad's role is not to be Superman. A dad's role is to be the chief repenter."

  4. "Dads need to be the thermostat, not the thermometer—set the tone, don't react to it."

  5. "My son flinched when I sat down. That's when I knew something had to change."

Links

 

DA403 | Building the Overcome Muscle, Morning Rhythms with Your Kids, and Why Play Matters (Zac Ernst)09 Oct 202500:40:09

VOICE MESSAGE - leave us a 90-second question or comment or fedback... Start with your first name and where you are from: https://www.speakpipe.com/DadAwesome

 

🏋️ Want to become a stronger dad? It starts with doing hard things—together.

✅ How to stay emotionally strong when your teenager isn't in the mood to talk

✅ Why opposition is actually a gift (even when it feels impossible)

✅ The power of gamifying life and creating playful memories with your kids

✅ How a simple bike ride and croissant can become a weekly rhythm your son will remember forever

OVERVIEW

What if the obstacles you're facing right now are exactly what you need to grow stronger as a dad? In this episode, Zac Ernst shares how opposition builds your overcome muscle, why emotional strength matters more than ever with teenagers, and how a simple Tuesday morning bike ride can change everything. Plus, he opens up about losing half his income the month after doubling his mortgage—and the moment God broke through his fear with joy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Emotional strength means staying steady through your kids' ups and downs rather than riding their emotional roller coasters.
  • Opposition and hard things aren't obstacles to avoid—they're opportunities to fortify your faith muscle and show your kids what trust looks like.
  • Play isn't optional for dads. It connects you to childlikeness, creates lasting memories, and reminds you that joy is found in pointless moments without outcomes.
  • Three out of five men have no one to call in crisis. Finding your tribe and suffering together breaks isolation and builds unshakeable bonds.
  • Your worry as a dad is like a five-year-old worrying about taxes—God's got this, and freedom comes when you open your hands and trust Him.

LINKS

QUOTES

  1. "Your fear and worry right now is equivalent to your five-year-old worrying about taxes."
  2. "For a child, 15 minutes can be a lifelong memory. For us, it's a blink—but for them, it's forever."
  3. "The most vulnerable man on the sand is the strongest. Let's eliminate shallow conversation and get to the heart quickly."
  4. "Play isn't pointless—it's for joy. Men forget to have moments with no responsibility, no outcome, just pure fun."
  5. "Every time we go through something challenging, we fortify something in our minds that tells us: I have what it takes. Jesus will get me through this."

 

 

DA402 | Four Pillars of Manhood, Emotional Safety, and Getting to the Rocking Chair with Love (Josh Krehbiel)02 Oct 202500:47:18
  • How to pass the 4 pillars of manhood to your kids
  • Why celebrating vulnerability matters more than perfect discipline
  • How to normalize hard conversations about sex, money, and struggle
  • The long view: Becoming a tender-hearted grandpa starts now

FULL SHOW NOTES

LEARN about joining the Fall 2025 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohorts

SUMMARY

Some days you feel like a C-grade dad, and that's when presence matters most. In this episode, Josh Krehbiel shares how he's learning to create emotional safety for his kids, celebrate vulnerability over performance, and pursue the long view of becoming a tender-hearted grandfather. You'll hear about the four pillars of manhood, why crock-pot freedom beats microwave solutions, and how to get to the rocking chair with love on your heart.

TAKEAWAYS
  • Marking moments matter: Creating manhood ceremonies and intentional milestones leaves lasting impressions on your kids, even if the follow-up isn't perfect.
  • Celebrate vulnerability first: When your kids fail or confess something hard, make it about their openness before addressing consequences—this builds emotional safety.
  • Reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously, and be fueled by the future: These four pillars of manhood provide a framework for raising boys and girls with character.
  • Pursue purity as a top priority: The war for purity as a father protects your ability to show physical affection and have compassion without contamination.
  • Freedom is crock-pot, not microwave: Breakthrough comes through long-suffering love and staying present, not by trying to manhandle change.
GUEST

Josh Krehbiel is the lead founding pastor of Every Day Church in Roseville, Minnesota—a community focused on prayer, discipleship, and sending out leaders and movements. Along with his wife Katie, Josh is passionate about raising up the next generation through worship, ministry, and authentic family connection. They have four children: three teenagers and a five-year-old. Josh is also a songwriter and worship leader who believes in the power of declaring truth over families through music and prayer.

 

LINKS QUOTES
  1. "When failure happens we celebrate the vulnerability first because the most important thing is connection and felt safety."
  2. "I want to get to the rocking chair with love on my heart and grandkids who say grandpa is kind."
  3. "Freedom doesn't happen through manhandling it happens through long suffering love and staying present in the crock pot not microwave."
  4. "Your kids don't feel safe because you think they're safe they feel safe when you celebrate their vulnerability over their performance."
  5. "The war for purity as a father protects your ability to show physical affection with compassion instead of contamination."
DA401 | Beyond Comfort Zones: A Father-Daughter Conversation on Risk, Faith, and Inheritance (George & Ambery Gourlay)25 Sep 202500:51:08

🌍 From South Africa to America—this father-daughter story will challenge everything you think about comfort, risk, and legacy.

George moved his family across the world and his daughter Amberly just started grad school in Boston. Together they share:

✅ How one grandfather's radical encounter changed generations

✅ Why true security comes from identity, not circumstances

✅ The power of giving daughters space to be uncomfortable

✅ What it means to be a pioneering father in today's world

SUMMARY:

What happens when a father chooses courage over comfort and moves his family across the world to pioneer something new? In this episode, George Gourlay and his 23-year-old daughter Amberly share their story of leaving an established ministry in South Africa to start fresh in America. You'll hear how one grandfather's radical encounter with God shifted an entire family line, why security comes from identity rather than circumstances, and how giving daughters space to be uncomfortable actually draws them closer to their Heavenly Father.

TAKEAWAYS
  • One person's choice to choose God can literally change generations—the legacy you leave matters more than the comfort you keep
  • True security for your children comes from pointing them back to their Heavenly Father rather than trying to be their ultimate provider
  • Pioneering requires vulnerability and risk, but it creates inheritance and legacy for those who come after you
  • Give your daughters intentional affection and affirmation while also creating space for them to grow uncomfortable and dependent on God
  • The long dull years of middle-aged prosperity can become excellent campaigning weather for the enemy—comfort can be your greatest threat to effectiveness
GUESTS

George Gourlay is the lead pastor who moved his family from Durban, South Africa to Northeast Florida in 2024. He served for 14 years in ministry leadership in South Africa, following in the footsteps of his father who had a radical encounter with God that transformed their family line. George is married to Leanne and has three children: Amberly (23), Luke (20), and Mitch (10).

Amberly Gourlay is a 23-year-old graduate pursuing global studies and international relations in Boston. She delivered her university's commencement speech, challenging fellow graduates to choose courage over comfort with the heart of Isaiah's "here I am, send me." She's passionate about women's leadership in church and politics and embodies the pioneering spirit passed down through her family line.

Top 5 Quotes:
  1. "One person's choice to choose God and one husband's choice to choose his wife and to choose his children literally changes generations." - Amberly Gourlay
  2. "The long dull monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity are excellent campaigning weather for the devil." - C.S. Lewis (quoted by George)
  3. "I have the privilege of a father who knows who our Father is in reality... He is not provider in and of itself, but he stewards what God provides." - Amberly Gourlay
  4. "You need to love Jesus even more than you love me... dad, what you're telling me is you love Jesus more than you love me. But it didn't matter because it was this bigger picture." - George reflecting on his father's words
  5. "As you begin to be uncomfortable and you have to go to God for things because your physical parents are far away, you begin to experience so much more of who He is." - Amberly Gourlay
LINKS:
DA400 | Celebrating 400 Episodes, Looking Back at God's Faithfulness, and the DADAWESOME Book Preview (Jeff Zaugg)18 Sep 202501:01:40

Seven and a half years ago, a simple question on a cousin's patio changed everything: "How do you stay intentional as a dad?" That moment sparked what became 400 podcast conversations, over 1,000 men mobilized in activation events, and a million dollars raised for ministries serving the fatherless. In this milestone episode, Jeff celebrates by looking back at God's faithfulness, sharing the first-ever preview of the upcoming Dad Awesome book, and highlighting transformational moments from 16 unforgettable conversations that shaped this movement.

Takeaways:
  • Milestone moments matter - Pausing to celebrate and shine the spotlight on what God has done builds faith for the journey ahead
  • Small yeses create waves - Dad Awesome wasn't built on one grand gesture but hundreds of small commitments to growth over eight years
  • Intentionality transforms everything - Just like discovering great coffee, small shifts in daily rhythms can revolutionize your entire approach to fatherhood
  • Stories cascade through generations - When dads point to God's goodness consistently, children naturally learn to do the same with their own kids
  • Community accelerates growth - The DA plus three model shows that fatherhood gets exponentially better when you're not doing it alone
  • Generosity reveals faith - Taking steps forward in generosity, whether with time, words, or resources, grows our trust in God's faithfulness
Links:

  • Learn about the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort

  • Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618

  • Download a free chapter of the DadAwesome book

  • Clips from 16 DadAwesome Episodes:

  • 25 | Patei Iyegha

  • 38 | Pursuing Shalom, Chasing Dreams & Being All-On-Dad (Paul Hurckman)

  • 77 | Crafting Key Moments, Modeling KINDNESS & Praying with Desperation (Ryan Skoog)

  • 98 | Awaken The Warrior Heart (Pablo Ceron)

  • 137 | Spirit-Filled Parenting, Hearing God's Voice, & Shaping our Kids as Arrows (Seth Dahl)

  • 148 | Andy Crouch - The Tech-Wise Family

  • 187 | Jon Tyson on Skillful Manhood, Capturing First Moments & The Intentional Father

  • 214 | Context, Fainting Goats & Being Secretly Awesome (Bob Goff)

  • 238 | A Place for the Heart (Ken Helser)

  • 250 | Raising Kids Humbly, Loving Your Wife Fully, and Soaring Joyfully (Morgan Snyder)

  • 286 | Parenting for the Third Generation, Building Family Assets, and Championing the Beauty of Fatherhood (Jeremy Pryor)

  • 298 | Dialing In, Leading with Love, and Being the Loudest Voice in Your Child's Ears (Dr. Jackson Drumgoole)

  • 314 | Tackling Fear in a War Zone, Modeling Courage, and Embracing Your True Identity (Jamie Winship)

  • 364 | Bedtime Blessings, Birthday Letters, and 5 Simple but Life-Changing Habits (Justin Whitmel Earley)

  • 375 | Experiential Christianity, Lingering with Jesus, and The War for Your Attention (John Eldredge)

  • 385 | Raising Kids Who Live Generously, Creating Miracle Moments, and the 1% Challenge (Todd Harper)

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DA399 | Seeing Your Kids, Feeling with Them, and Delighting in Who They Are (Dr. Jake Smith - Part 2)11 Sep 202500:26:37

🔥 PART 2 is here! Dr. Jake Smith is back with the game-changing attunement triangle that will transform how you connect with your kids.

70% of Christian leaders don't finish well as dads. Don't be part of that statistic.

In today's episode, you'll discover:

✅ The 4 components of attunement that create lasting relationships

✅ How to escape the "smothering grind" before it destroys your family

✅ Why behavior modification is sabotaging your connection with your kids

✅ The difference between "crushing life" and actually living it

SUMMARY:

The battle for your attention as a dad is real, and 70% of Christian leaders won't finish well. In part two of this critical conversation, Dr. Jake Smith reveals the attunement triangle that creates lasting relationships with your kids and how to escape the smothering grind that leads to burnout, flame out, or tap out. You'll discover why seeing your kids underneath their behavior changes everything and how to move from survival-mode parenting to deeply connected fatherhood.

TAKEAWAYS:
  • Attunement is the key to all healthy, deeply connected relationships: "I see you, I feel with you, I suffer alongside you, and I delight in you."
  • The smothering grind pushes 70% of dads toward three outcomes: burnout, flame out, or tap out—and none of them are acceptable.
  • Stop teaching your kids to survive you and start teaching them to thrive in the world by moving beyond behavior modification.
  • The attunement triangle consists of attunement at the top, with containment and repair as the foundational supports.
  • You have two escape routes from life's river: hyperphoria (crushing it through activity) or hypophoria (checking out through apathy)—both lead to destruction.
  • Your kids need you to stay in the river of life, feeling what's yours to feel and facing what's yours to face.
GUEST:

Dr. Jake Smith is a licensed professional counselor, author, and the founder of Plumline Ministries. He specializes in helping men navigate the challenges of modern fatherhood while maintaining their emotional and spiritual health. Jake has extensive experience in counseling Christian leaders and is passionate about helping dads finish well in their most important relationships. 

LINKS QUOTES
  1. "I see you, I feel with you, I suffer alongside you, and I delight in you."
  2. "70% of Christian leaders don't finish well—don't be part of that statistic."
  3. "Stop teaching your kids to survive you and start teaching them to thrive in life."
  4. "Are you crushing life or is life crushing you?"
  5. "The goal isn't perfect parenting—it's staying in process."
  6. "Attunement is the one thing that ensures relationships last."
  7. "Your kids don't need behavior modification—they need you to see them."
  8. "Escape the grind before it leads to burnout, flame out, or tap out."
  9. "Great parents don't always have great kids—but connected parents do."
  10. "You don't have to be a perfect dad—you just have to be present."
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