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Fatherhood isn’t about choosing between quantity and quality time with your kids. For Aaron McHugh, it’s about being present in your child’s life for the long haul. Through personal stories and thoughtful reflection, Aaron shows how rest, curiosity, and allowing God to shape you can create the meaningful life experiences you want as a man and father.
Key Takeaways Prioritizing curiosity, wonder, and exploration in your daily life can transform your overall experience. Kids care more about a long follow-through than any short-term bursts of heroism. On a scale of 1-10, most of life’s moments fall between a 5 and a 6.2, but you can be intentional to create more 10s. If your life experience isn’t what you want, you have to allow God to renovate you from the inside out. Aaron McHughAaron McHugh is a writer, podcaster, adventurer, author, and global leadership coach. He hosts the fast-growing podcast “Work Life Play,” leads Reboot Your Life experiential weekends, and has been married to his wife, Leith, for over 26 years.
Key Quotes 20:50 - "Those investments, the kindness or the choices or Friday mornings getting pancakes together, when he was in a carseat, dropping him off in grade school. So that's really encouraging. So I would offer that as encouragement to you Dad's in the middle of it now, in the thick of it now, is it really does matter and it really does somehow, someway does find a home in them. And to me, it's kind of like the Book of Proverbs. It's in, in real time that wisdom and insight and love does indeed matter. " 26:59 - "Becoming a person who values connection over accomplishment. Now, I still wrestle with all these things. They're just kind of hard wired in my, the way I learn to make life work from the beginning. At the same time, I believe all of us are a work in progress and under renovation and there's a lot of hope to have around that. Summer is where I would start, is start less on the externals and start more on the internals." Links from Today’s Conversation Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Aaron McHugh’s Website Work Life Play Podcast Tent-Bound: A Poem About Midlife and New Horizons by Aaron McHugh Fire Your Boss: Discover Work You Love Without Quitting Your Job by Aaron McHugh Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
In this episode, award-winning actor and speaker Cameron Arnett shares his story of choosing Jesus over Hollywood and how that decision shaped his future. Tune in to discover key principles for staying strong in your faith, doing “Satan checks” when your marriage is under attack, and trusting God to fulfill His promises.
Key Takeaways It is through faith and patience that you inherit the promises of God. Do a “Satan Check” when you feel attacks on your marriage. Put Christ over everything you think is your sustaining power, including your career. Make the Bible and the Holy Spirit your foundation for being a man, a husband, and a father. Ground Zero is about knowing who you are based on what the King has said about you. Cameron ArnettCameron Arnett is an award-winning actor, director, producer, and speaker. He’s well known for his appearances in Miami Vice, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and films including the Kendrick Brothers’ The Forge. Cameron has been married to his wife, BJ, for nearly three decades.
Key Quotes 12:50 - "The thing for dads to understand is that you don't lose your footing. You don't lose your validity, your power, your strength by being playful. As a matter of fact, if you have that as your foundation, the time when you have to be a disciplinarian, the time that you have to lay down the law, whatever it may be, it's wrapped around the Abba side. The jump into your lap side, the knowing that regardless of the correction that needs to be made, it's made behind and surrounded with a love that is caressing." 37:11 - "Christ Over Career is calling the Church back to the Lord, and keeping him at the helm of every decision. That's our mantra, that's our mission, our purpose, our everything, is to reintroduce the Church to the King. And then ground zero begins, unraveling happens. If you remain and allow Him to continue to unravel through life, He begins to put [it back] together. And when He puts together, he does it fast. As long as you don't make new decisions, that puts you ten steps back." Links from Today’s Conversation Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Christ Over Career Cameron Arnett A Good Man: A Child’s “I coulda, woulda, shoulda!” Story by Cameron Arnett Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
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In the second half of this conversation, Vince Miller shares a vulnerable Prodigal Son story that demonstrates the gracious love of God. He'll also challenge you to pray the hardest prayer you'll ever pray to experience real change. Tune in for timely insights on discipleship, leadership, and embracing your identity as a son of God.
Key Takeaways The Bible is a story about men. It's not about being the hero dad; it's about being a child of the Dad who is the hero of the story. If you really want change in your life, you have to pray the hardest prayer of your life: "God, do whatever you want to change me." When you follow the Lord well as a son, you can lead other people into the same following. Vince MillerVince Miller is a passionate speaker, prolific author, and dedicated mentor to men. As the founder of Resolute, he exists to disciple and develop men to lead. Vince has three grown children and one grandchild.
Key Quotes 15:19 - "The reality is that you're going to leave this life with only three titles, disciple, father, husband. That's it. We spend all this time and energy working on all these other titles in our life, and these are the only three you're going to die with. And if we can come to terms with that and become the very best disciple, father and husband we can be, we learn how to do that by being a child of the Father of all mankind. And if we can live in that role and that identity, it makes everything else easier and better, and then we it relieves us of the responsibility to try to be the perfect dad, perfect husband, hero dad, hero, father. It doesn't matter anymore because we follow One who is the hero of the story and we're just a child of Him pointing everyone else to the same Father that we follow. So that's my hope for books like this, especially this one right here that you're talking about today." 18:25 - "Men want you to pray for a change in their life, but they don't often want to be change. In other words, of all these prayer requests I've gotten, I can count on maybe 1 or 2 hands today, how many men have written me saying it is me who needs to be changed, not their circumstances? And that's what I think men fail to understand, is we need identity. We need old identity, a whole fail identity transformation. In other words, when Jesus said, Come follow me, what He was saying is actually come follow Me and leave everything else behind. And we just don't like that. We want our circumstances to change, not us to change. And that's unfortunate because Jesus wants us to change, not our circumstances." Links from Today’s Conversation Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Manhood, Courage & Adventure (episode 031 w/ Vince Miller) Resolute Essential Elements: Forging Godly Men by Vince Miller The Vince Miller Show Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Six months ago, Vince Miller became a first-time grandfather. He joins today’s episode to share personal insights around multigenerational thinking, assuming the role of patriarch, and the power of being physically, mentally, and emotionally available to your kids.
Key Takeaways You can be given a title—like father or grandfather—without assuming the role. Proverbs is predominantly about a father passing on wisdom to a son. A 30-second conversation can change the trajectory of someone’s life. Fathers need to be present, available, and engaged. Vince MillerVince Miller is a passionate speaker, prolific author, and dedicated mentor to men. As the founder of Resolute, he exists to disciple and develop men to lead. Vince has three grown children and one grandchild.
Key Quotes 16:15 - "I went from a dad who really didn't want to spend time with me to a dad who did want to spend time with me. And he happened to be a Christian and who imparted basic, basic things to me that I needed as a young man and basic lessons like how to treat women, how to eat a meal, how to be polite, how to confront difficulty. And the very, very important things like who is Jesus? What has He done for you? How to have a relationship with Him." 29:31 - "I've also learned a valuable lesson, just about presence. Just about being there when they need you, and that means not being somewhere else. It means not being somewhere else. It means you're physically not somewhere else and that your mind is not somewhere else. I think sometimes for dads, that's a hard mechanism to turn off in our minds because there's plenty of dads who are present but not available. But we need to be both present and available at the same time and engaged." Links from Today’s Conversation Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Manhood, Courage & Adventure (episode 031 w/ Vince Miller) Resolute Essential Elements: Forging Godly Men by Vince Miller The Vince Miller Show Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Being a dad doesn’t stop when your kids grow up. As Reverend Elmo Winters shares in this episode, your kids constantly watch what you do, so the example you set will shape their future. Tune in to hear an important conversation about intentionality, racial reconciliation, and kingdom-focused living.
Key Takeaways Set a good example for your kids by walking out what you talk about. Everyone needs someone in their life to call out and draw out what they can’t see in themselves. Be open-minded, quick to listen, and slow to speak—regardless of another person’s race or culture. Most fathers around the world want the same thing: to provide, to give advice, to be respected, and to be a good leader. Never put ministry or the church above your family. Elmo WintersReverend Elmo Winters, MBA, has served in ministry for over 43 years, including his current role as Executive Director of the KINGDOM Group International, Inc. He travels the world, training and speaking to churches, ministries, and men’s groups on unity and reconciliation issues. Reverend Winters is married to Therese Winters. They have three sons, two daughters, and nine grandchildren.
Key Quotes17:44 - "I've learned to be quick, quick, quick to listen and slow to speak. Regardless of who you are encountering, regardless of what culture they're from, I believe we can learn from others. We can learn a lot from other people. I love cultures. I love different people. It's important that when we speak that we need to understand that our words have power. The Word of God says that we have in our tongue the power of life and death. So when we speak before young men, ladies in our families, your daughters, you ought to be speaking life, speaking positively. Let them see that."
Links from Today’s Conversation Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Kingdom Group International, Inc. Growing by Going: A New Approach to Being an Effective Witness by Elmo Winters Building the Bridge Podcast Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
As a licensed professional counselor and dad of three, Chris Bruno is acutely aware of how childhood trauma can impact your fatherhood approach. In this conversation, Chris describes the importance of processing your experiences with others, finding healing from the past, and becoming deeply rooted in brotherhood as you raise your kids.
Key Takeaways You became the man you are today because of the guidance or lack thereof from the men who came before you. Exploring your own story means confronting the areas you’ve walled off within yourself and processing your experiences with others. We are the best fathers when we have brothers alongside us. Trauma continues to pass through generations until someone has the courage to feel it. Chris BrunoChris Bruno is an author, licensed professional counselor, founder of ReStory, and CEO of Restoration Project. He is passionate about the intersection of transformation and adventure. Chris and his wife, Beth, have three young adult children.
Key Quotes "We are the best father when we have our best brothers with us. We need those guys. Those are guys in my life and we need our brothers. And also we need someone else who's on the outside who's got some training, is a professional in some ways to come along side to create a safe space for a child to unfold." "We are heaps of undigested experience. When you have indigestion, there's something unwell about your body. So if there's undigested experience, there's something unwell about your soul and we need someone to come alongside us and to be with us and partner with us and talk through those things with us to digest the experience so that in that moment, we can make meaning in a way that won't be a traumatic meaning. It won't be one of those collapsed vows or walled off moments in life." Links from Today’s Conversation Man Maker Project: A Father's Guide to Initiating His Son to Manhood by Chris Bruno Sage: A Man's Guide Into His Second Passage by Chris Bruno Brotherhood Primer: A Man's Guide To Turning Buddies Into Brothers by Chris Bruno Restoration Project ReStory Counseling Chris Bruno’s TEDx Talk: ReStory: How to Live Your Truest Story Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
There’s only so much growth you can experience in your normal rhythms of life. That’s why Jeff Ford has pushed his limits to the extreme by summiting the tallest free-standing mountain in the world—three times! In this episode, he shares the powerful faith and fatherhood lessons that he’s learned from doing such physically challenging things with other men.
Key Takeaways How your children view God is directly dependent upon how they view you. Therefore, reflect His image today. Doing hard things physically is analogous to the Christian faith because you must count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds. Create drive-by phrases—quick, pithy reminders of your family’s values. Don’t wait until a Mount Kilimanjaro experience to find your brotherhood. Jeff FordJeff Ford serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Man Up and Go, a global non-profit organization that mobilizes men to fight for the fatherless as Jesus commands. He also serves in several advisory and advocacy positions and has summited Mount Kilimanjaro three times. Jeff and his wife, Liza, live in Florida with their two children.
Key Quotes 10:05 - "How your children view God is directly dependent upon how they view you, therefore reflect His image today. I know that my kids are looking at me and their view of God is going to be shaped by the father that they had on earth. Their Heavenly Father, they're going to hear that language in church. How we reflect Jesus, God the Father to our kids is going to have an impact on their view of God, and I believe their sentence of Him." 22:34 - "This is an opportunity for growth and nothing changed except our mind. Nothing change except for our outlook. And you think we are so caught up in this materialistic world and that we judge things based on what we can see, taste, touch, smell. And yet the Bible says that our battles against, not that stuff, it's against invisible powers of which is the mind. The mind is an invisible thing that somehow integrates with the physical thing called a brain, but comes out in this ethereal, invisible, and that is what actually drives your decisions, is your mind." Links from Today’s Conversation Man Up Man Up Trips Patros Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Mic flip! Listen as Jeff Zaugg sits down with Kent Evans and Lawson Brown on the Father on Purpose Podcast to discuss his own parenting journey. He shares fresh ideas to help you live an awesome dad life, invest time with your kids, and model joy, faith, and wonder.
Key Takeaways You’re not being DadAwesome if you’re just pursuing the heart of your wife and kids; being DadAwesome requires brotherhood. Never wait until you think you’ve “arrived” before you take the initiative to lead. Help your kids remember God’s provision by prompting them with this phrase: “Look at what God did.” There’s no better way to spend your time as a dad than by intentionally connecting with your kids. If you’re a discouraged father, it’s time to throw off weight from the past, receive God’s love, and walk in your sonship. Jeff ZauggJeff Zaugg is the founder of DadAwesome and Fathers for the Fatherless, two ministries that resource and rally dads through engaging podcasts and 100-mile bike rides. Jeff and his wife, Michelle, have been married for eighteen years and are parents to four daughters.
Key Quotes 23:25 - "We say at DadAwesome, you are not being DadAwesome, if you're just pursuing the heart of your wife and your kids. If it's just about you in the home front, you actually have missed half the mission because it's all shortsighted. If you don't have brothers, if you don't have a few other guys that are after this mission together, you will not make it the distance. You will not be able to hold that arm, hold that strength. It's the only way to be DadAwesome is to do it in brotherhood." 33:36 - "If we think about the longevity of investment of time, we only have this limited amount of time with our kids before they leave the house. It's tiny, fractional moments versus deep, rich opportunity when they're on the home front. Dads, [spending intentional time with our kids] is just the easiest and best investment with compounding interest than we can ever imagine." Links from Today’s Conversation Manhood Journey Anger-Free Dad Father on Purpose Podcast The Forge Movie Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
What does it mean to go beyond shallow community and find real brotherhood? In this episode, Steve Sargent describes how God turned every part of his story—even the messiest parts—into a beautiful symphony. From overcoming addiction to learning to live authentically, Steve shares powerful wisdom for all dads, no matter your past.
Key Takeaways Avoid getting stuck in a shallow community; don't be afraid to get deep. Life stories without trauma and chaos are just as significant and victorious as stories with those elements. If you want an authentic relationship with your kids, you have to pull back the veil and share your story with them. Foxhole Symphony means that God is making something beautiful out of your mess—mud, bullets, and shrapnel included. Steve SargentAs a pure adrenaline junkie, facilitator, speaker, and entrepreneur, Steve Sargent spent most of his life chasing the next high, even in ministry roles. As such, God has shown him how to use this gift and calling to help people and organizations become the best version of themselves. Steve and his wife, Christina, have two children.
Key Quotes 5:14 - "These guys [from the 12 step program] loved on me. They showed me and modeled authentic community. They discipled me. They gave me a job. They said, here's some work. Here are the stipulations, you're going to a 12 step meeting every day. You're coming to a Bible study every night, church twice on Sunday. And that was the beginning. That was the beginning when I got to understand what God intended with community and discipleship. And I've just been on fire for it and hungry for it ever since." 34:46 - "It's God making beautiful music out of our mess. That's the symphony. There's men coming together in the foxhole. There's shrapnel, there's bullets flying, there's mud, it's messy, it's dirty, it's scary. There's all this adrenaline and emotion and we've got each other's backs and God just makes something beautiful out of it. He takes it all and wraps it up and there's just this beautiful symphony that results from the offering, the willingness and the offering to offer that mess to God. He'll use it all, but we've got to offer it to Him. Otherwise it's just our mess that we hold on to in isolation, in darkness, just gripping on to it. But when we offer it to the Lord, He makes beauty from ashes." Links from Today’s Conversation Foxhole Symphony Podcast Sage: A Man's Guide Into His Second Passage by Chris Bruno Marked Men For Christ Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email [email protected] to learn more Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Jim Barnard is known as The Suffering Guy. In this heartfelt episode, Jim shares the pivotal moments of his life story, including countless crises and miracles he’s experienced along the way. His story offers hope for others walking through challenging times, and he’ll encourage you to look to the source of all comfort as you try to make sense of reality.
Key Takeaways The gap between reality and what we hope for is full of disappointment, dissatisfaction, and distress. You’re never alone in your suffering; the God of Comfort is always with you. Your story is your greatest gift because it helps others know that their hard stories can become ones of flourishing, too. God isn’t going to send you in a new direction empty-handed. Jim BarnardJim Barnard is a pastor and the founder of tiller coaching. He offers coaching without barriers to those who are suffering the reality of the expectation gap. Jim has encountered suffering firsthand as he has navigated his wife’s rare chronic illness, but he continues to pursue joy and celebration as his story unfolds.
Key Quotes3:27 - "As we'll get into my story, there's just been a lot of suffering, a lot of what I call expectation gaps. You know, we all have hopes and expectations for career, for marriage, for parenting, for life. And often reality comes in underneath that. And that gap between reality and what we hope for is full of disappointment and dissatisfaction and distress. And I hate that. Like I've experienced copious amounts of, you know, expectation gaps. And every single time I'm stuck in the gap, there's an invitation to take myself too seriously, you know, like, woe is me, this is awful. I hate it. Like I'm I want to cope, you know, whatever. And I just I love Richard Foster's book, The Celebration of Discipline. Like that has been kind of a cornerstone book in my life. Where he says at the end that celebration is the thing that can save us from taking ourselves too seriously. [00:04:32][64.9]
33:41 - "[My story] is the story that God's given me and I've got to use it. I hope people listening to this are reflecting about their own story. I hear so many people say, I don't have that good of a story or I don't like my story. I don't want to share it. I don't think it's optional, honestly. Authenticity is required of the Christian walk, so in using my story I've been able to help people. "
Links from Today’s Conversation Tiller Coaching The suffering guy. by Jim Barnard MADE ALIVE by Jim Barnard The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster Hope Heals Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email [email protected] to learn more Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
What does it mean to stay nimble as a father? In today’s episode, Corey Peters offers his perspective and will push you to break out of your comfort zone to make a difference for your community. Plus, you’ll discover one simple question that can transform your relationship with your kids.
Key Takeaways Ask your kids, “What kind of dad do you want me to be?” Celebrate a lot; coach a little. Listen to God’s nudge to move beyond your own comfort and bring comfort to others. Basketballs are a love language spoken by all children. A simple way to get started is to go to a gas station in a rough area and just pray. Corey PetersCorey Peters is a coach, teacher, and father of two living in Iowa. He is passionate about helping to build better men who step up for their wives, children, and community in the name of Jesus. Corey and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 25 years.
Key Quotes 34:27 - "You've got to know that you're forgiven and that Jesus is a loving Father, that loves you at your worst and that He's there for your worst and He's picking you up, not kicking you out." 35:48 - So, loving the wife, I would say is the first. Just being real. Telling your kids you don't know. Being truthful with them. Try not to mold them into something they aren't. Trying to push your image to who they are, but trying to pull out what God says they are. Coach them up. Love them up." Links from Today’s Conversation Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email [email protected] to learn more Somebody Died For You DA+3 Group Guides (2024 Summer Series) 333 | Betting on Yourself, Relearning How to Parent, and Doing Hard Things (Bryan Byrd: Part 1) 334 | Heroic Consistency, Getting Hungry for God, and Being a Safe Container for Grief (Bryan Byrd: Part 2) Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
With a background in the aerospace industry, Santosh Swamidass can list plenty of ways that fatherhood is just like rocket science. In this conversation, Santosh illustrates the importance of launching your kids with the right targets in mind. With tools and systems shared in this episode, you can raise your kids to love Christ, discover their purpose, and impact the world around them.
Key Takeaways The trajectory you set for your kids before they launch has a lifelong effect and, if you do it well, an eternal impact. Find force multipliers like tools, guides, and systems to help your kids grow spiritually with less effort and better results. To avoid forgetting 90% of what you learn each week, you just need a few short bursts of repetition to retain more of what matters. Each week as a family, memorize one verse, pray for others two times, have three spiritual conversations of substance, and read the Bible four times. Commit to a steady drip infusion of wisdom through your kid's childhood so it can have a compounding effect. Santosh SwamidassSantosh Swamidass is a pastor, architect of Project Based Discipleship, and Founder of the Launching Ground and Launch Network. He spent 10 years working in the aerospace industry and has over 25 years of ministry experience. Santosh and his wife, Christy, are enjoying the adventure and learnings of discipling their 7 kids.
Key Quotes 13:51 - "Jesus' references this even as the greatest commandment and what we see right after that in Deuteronomy, it's not the priests. It's not the the temple. It's not the tabernacle. It doesn't talk about what we would consider the church and the pastors. It talks about the parents and the home. This is what we're talking about, family discipleship." 32:57 - "We have a short period of time that will have an effect for the lifetime of our children. The reality is, if we do it well, it has an effect on eternity. In all the things that I invest my life in, there are there are very few that are going to last beyond my lifetime. My children, by the grace of God and their legacy is one of those things, and how they pass their faith on is going to be a lot of it derived from how we as fathers actually pour into our kids. And we know the statistics that the number one indicator for a child's faith in their future, it's actually the father's." Links from Today’s Conversation Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email [email protected] to learn more Live near Dallas, Texas? Join us for the upcoming Fathers for the Fatherless Spartan Obstacle Course on August 19-20, 2024. Launching Ground Family Discipleship Subscription Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Every father needs the right tools to raise his kids well, and Kent Evans likes to use the analogy of a Swiss Army Knife. His main blades include asking thoughtful questions, seeking wisdom from others, and staying rooted in God’s Word. Tune in now to discover why anger isn’t an effective parenting strategy—and what you should do instead.
Key Takeaways Be curious and seek wisdom from the men you know. Your boys need to hear you acknowledge your weaknesses and imperfections. Don’t connect your apology to your child’s behavior. You don’t need to have a sex talk with your son; you need to have an 8-10 year conversation. As dads, most of our anger is not righteous anger. Kent EvansKent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. He’s a Christian speaker and author of three books. Kent and his wife, April, have been married for 29 years and have five sons.
Key Quotes 24:36 - "Odds are, the vast majority of things that make you angry are unbiblical, unwise, and unproductive. Let's go explore those together and see what God's Word has to say about it. Because for me, I have discovered over time that there there is a way to look at life through a far less angry lens and to be able to call my anger out when it happens in a way that's more healthy, albeit sometimes more painful. And I just hope I can get some dads to join me on that that journey. Because frankly, we hear from dads all the time who say their number one struggle is anger." 32:51 - "Let all, not some, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Anger is not to be managed. It is not to be controlled per se, although we should have control over our mouth and our spirit. Anger is to be put away. As we look at it, it's a very challenging topic because our culture and our modern era and our access to news that doesn't matter. Proverbs 16, whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit, then he who takes a city. Do you have governance over your spirit? Can you rule your spirit? Can I rule my spirit or does my spirit rule me? And we just find anger lurking in the shadows so often, almost every day." Links from Today’s Conversation Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email [email protected] to learn more Manhood Journey Timothy Keller Books The Anger Free Dad Course Father on Purpose Podcast Kent Evans Books Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Michael Swalley joins this episode to share the unexpected connections between breakdancing and fatherhood. Tune in to hear Michael’s thoughts on the battle against busyness, the power of your wife’s voice, and the value of being known by others. As you embrace your identity as a son of God, you’ll experience the freedom to be the father you are meant to be.
Key Takeaways Your fatherhood journey might begin with grieving the loss of many things. There is power in the voice of your wife. How much of your busyness is motivated by trying to earn an identity God has already given you? The fundamental truths of God don’t put you in a box; instead, they free you up to express yourself more creatively. Just like breaking, fatherhood is a communal experience, and attempting it in isolation will affect your performance. Michael SwalleyMichael Swalley is the Executive Director and North American Regional Head of Break Free Ministries, where he works passionately to make disciples in the global Hip-Hop community. Michael and his wife, Ellen, live in Colorado Springs with their three daughters and one son.
Key Quotes 23:10 - "The identity as a son really frees us up as fathers, to make time with our family. That has been a process for me and very much learning that right now." 25:36 - "There are some very basic fundamental truths of being a father that we learn from God who has revealed Himself as such. Those truths don't put us in a box. And then as you live into those, those truths, it frees you up to be the dad that God has created you to be. Each one of us, God has gifted us with unique kids, and He knew those kids that we are going to father and He knew that we were uniquely gifted with our lives to be able to father those kids." Links from Today’s Conversation BreakFree2024.com Apply to join the Fall 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email [email protected] to learn more DA+3 Group Guides (2024 Summer Series) Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Alex and Stephen Kendrick of Kendrick Brothers Productions have created some of the most influential Christian feature films, including WAR ROOM, FIREPROOF, and COURAGEOUS. With their new movie about to hit the box office, Alex and Stephen share what God is teaching them about discipleship, sacrifice, and being forged into stronger men and fathers.
Key Takeaways God does things for us, with us, in us, and through us—in that order. Don’t let pride stand in the way of your growth. Every step you take in obedience to Jesus qualifies you to help someone else take that step. The fire of a forge strengthens you through heat and pressure. One man choosing to disciple another creates a multiplication effect that spans generations. Alex and Stephen KendrickAlex and Stephen Kendrick of Kendrick Brothers Productions use their passion for storytelling to spread the Gospel and share stories of hope and redemption throughout the world. With Alex as the director and Stephen as the producer, they have co-written nine screenplays and several books. They each have six children and reside in Albany, Georgia, with their families.
Key Quotes 8:48 - "Part of the chain breaking is you really need Jesus' help to change your own heart and mind. Our dad was in Scripture saying, God, teach me how to be a good dad, I wasn't given that example. I'm kind of driving in the dark here. I don't know what this looks like. As he's reading Scripture and applying that to his life, God, the perfect Father of all, was coming alongside him, helping him to not only love us and provide an example of integrity and truthfulness, but to humble himself and repent and ask for forgiveness when he blew it." 16:04 - "We're making a movie about discipleship, and we're learning about discipleship at the same time. We're studying the Great Commission. We're studying what it looks like to follow Jesus on a daily basis, and then invite other people to come along with us and say, follow me as I follow Christ. The word disciple means follower, and a disciple of Jesus is a fully devoted, all in follower of Jesus walking with Him. As He takes a step, you take a step, following Him closely. Our daily journey of faith with God is an abiding, intimate, fellowship relationship that as we learn to lean in to the Lord every day and say, Lord, lead me. What happens is when a man surrenders fully to the Lordship of Jesus, the Holy Spirit becomes the hand in the glove of our empty lives, and He enables us to do what we cannot do on our own." Links from Today’s Conversation DA+3 Group Guides (2024 Summer Series) The Forge Movie Get Tickets for The Forge Kendrick Brothers Productions Alex Kendrick - White Chair Film - I Am Second® Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
God has given fathers unique duties that they can't pass off to anyone else—not even the Church. In this DA+3 Group Guide, Seth Dahl encourages fathers to step up to the plate in the spiritual formation of their kids. You'll be challenged to avoid false comforts, pay attention to your thoughts, and discover what brings you joy.
Key Takeaways Children are Arrows: Parents are responsible for shaping children into arrows that can take out the enemy. Misinterpretation of Thoughts: Discern where your thoughts are coming from. Avoid False Comforts: Be intentional about where you seek comfort after a hard day. Ask God for Help: Teach your kids to ask God for help since He is the only one who can guide and help us best. Awareness of What Makes Me Come Alive: Your self-awareness, wife-awareness, and kid-awareness can bring life to your family.DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Seth Dahl uses the analogy of a sporting goods store to explain how some parents shift the responsibility of spiritually sharpening their kids to the Church. Have you fallen into the same trap? Why is it important to view our children as arrows in relation to the Armor of God? What stands out to you in 1 Corinthians 2:16? How do you distinguish between thoughts from God, yourself, and the enemy? After a tough day, what false comforts do you turn to (e.g., sugar, TV, alcohol)? What changes when you turn to the true Comforter instead of false comforts? Have you ever tried to save or rescue your kids, putting yourself in the "God" spot? How do you teach your kids to ask God for help when they face challenges? What are three things that make you feel more alive? Have you discovered what brings joy to your wife and kids? Seth DahlWith over 15 years of experience working with children and being a children's pastor, Seth Dahl has cultivated a passion for helping parents create a thriving family culture at home. Seth, Lauren, and their three children homestead with a large garden and a handful of animals on a small farm in Texas.
Key Quotes 3:25 - "If we don't learn to work with our children when it comes to the things of the kingdom, we actually limit our ability to fight, our ability to win, our ability to take dominion, and our ability to extend the kingdom to the earth. [When we do this we] hide our children in the quiver. If we just protect our kids from the big bad world and we don't get them out, we don't let them loose, obviously carefully, obviously focused and aimed and wisely. If we don't get them out they're going to struggle because arrows are not meant to sit in the quiver, arrows are meant to fly and strike the enemy. If we don't get our kids out and let them do that, we're actually preventing them from operating in the God given identity that they've been called to. We're just protecting, protecting, protecting instead of preparing and releasing and aiming." 7:12 - "Sometimes we have to be introspective and prayerful around where is this thought coming from? Sometimes that thought is a lie from the enemy. Sometimes that thought is just your own thought. Guys, I just want to encourage you to really think into and pray into, what is my thought life? Are my thoughts from heaven or my thoughts destructive thoughts from the accuser? Our thought life matters." Links from Today’s Conversation 137 | Spirit-Filled Parenting, Hearing God's Voice, & Shaping our Kids as Arrows (Seth Dahl) SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop” Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Unlock five steps to become a moment-maker dad. In this DA+3 Group Guide, Patei Iyegha will encourage you to slow down, create “sticky moments,” and reflect on your family’s values. Tune in to this bite-sized episode and walk away with practical ideas to become more intentional and present as a dad.
Key Takeaways Power of Words: Actions speak louder than words. Pay attention to the words you are speaking over your kids. Slow Down: Slow is pro, so lean into simplicity and creativity. Technology: Take back 13,000 hours with your kids just by spending two fewer hours a day on your phone. Sticky Moments: Invest in connection now so you’ll have influence in the future. Family Values Audit: Your time and money will always reveal your priorities.DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Are there any words or phrases your parents said that have stuck with you since childhood? When did you last ask your wife or kids to audit your words? What holds you back from slowing down and embracing simplicity and creativity? Why do you think slowing down is important as a dad? How has your phone/technology use changed over the years? What would you do with an extra 13,000 hours with your kids if you put down the phone for 2 hours a day? When thinking about your own childhood, what “sticky moments” stand out to you (ex. fried egg Fridays, family Bible story time, Christmas light adventures, etc.)? Do you have any existing “sticky moments” that your family regularly looks forward to? If you were to pull up your calendar right now, what percentage of time is spent with your family? What are three ways you can invest time and money to create closeness with your kids? Patei IyeghaPatei Iyegha is a trauma surgeon who lives in the Twin Cities with his wife Andrea and 8 kids, ranging from 18 to 2. When he’s not working or spending time with family, he’s probably training for or competing in an obstacle course race or other endurance event. If it’s hard, he’s interested!
Key Quotes 6:31 - "The idea of a glowing device that's in our pocket, that's with us, it's in our cars, it's at the kitchen table, the glowing device. It was only campfire and the sun. You can't even look at the sun. It's too powerful. So it was like looking at a campfire as your one option for something that glows. It's mesmerizing. It draws our attention. Well, the phone is doing that, and it's harming our families. It's harming my family the amount of time I spend on my phone." 7:48 - "If your kids want to be with you and want to spend more time with you and begging for you, that's just going to give you more influence over their lives. So, when it comes to those harder conversations, when they're pre-teens or teenagers, you've got a lot of investment in there because you've been spending the time, speaking into their lives. They've enjoyed being around you, they trust you, they love you. It just leads to more influence when they get when they get older." Links from Today’s Conversation 49 | Adding Action to Being a Moment Maker Dad (Patei Iyegha) The Power Of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop” Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
The way you parent today impacts multiple generations. In this week’s DA+3 Group Guide, you’ll hear Jeremy Pryor’s vision for multi-generational families with a clear identity. Get instant ideas to foster family relationships, train your children for their future roles, and integrate your work into your fatherhood role.
Key Takeaways Multi-Generational Family: Raise your children to be excellent parents to your grandchildren. Parent with that third generation in mind. The Need for a Fatherhood Archetype: Scripture provides a blueprint for the ideal father, and it’s not always what today’s culture praises. Training: Approach fatherhood like a coach, training your children for their future roles rather than just focusing on short-term behavior correction. Integrate Work and Family Identity: View your work as an extension of your role within your family, not as a separate identity. Family Friendships: Socialize your children within family and community settings, not just with peers.DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions
When you think about your kids becoming parents, what parenting characteristics do you want them to have? What specific actions do you need to take to raise your kids to be great parents to your grandkids? How do you think society views the role of a father in today’s culture? What characteristics of Abraham do you think are most important to emulate as a dad? What shifts do you need to make to train your children for their future roles rather than focusing on short-term behavior corrections? How can you ensure that your family’s values are a central part of your family identity? Have you ever fallen into the trap of viewing your work as a separate identity instead of an extension of your role within your family? Why do you think integrating your work and family identity is important? How can we encourage our children to build strong relationships with their siblings and family members? What are some practical ways to socialize your kids within your family and community—instead of just with peers and friends their own age? Jeremy PryorJeremy Pryor is a business owner, creative entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and builder of multiple movements with family at the core. Jeremy and his wife have five children and reside in a multigenerational home near Cincinnati, Ohio.
Key Quotes 8:12 - "I've been tracking a trend over the last ten years, and the trend has been to represent the new ideal father as the traditional mother. The traditional mother was very present, very empathetic, right there meeting the needs of kids. This idea of that traditional mother, I began to see that when there have been positive descriptions or symbolic, positive descriptions of the father, he would be that mother." 11:45 - "Let's think about the level that we're valuing, inter-friendships between siblings and just the strength of that. I just want to challenge and encourage you guys to really pray on, how can we foster deeper friendships between our kids? Regardless of the age gap there can be deeper friendships." Links from Today’s Conversation 286 | Parenting for the Third Generation, Building Family Assets, and Championing the Beauty of Fatherhood (Jeremy Pryor: Part 1) 287 | Creating Intentional Spaces, Carrying the Spirit of Elijah, and Fighting Against the Destruction of Fathers (Jeremy Pryor: Part 2) Register for the FATHERS FOR THE FATHERLESS Events in Dallas, Texas SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop” Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Looking for fresh ideas on building better habits, routines, and rhythms with your kids? Tune in to this week’s DA+3 Group Guide featuring Justin Whitmel Earley. From morning huddles to bedtime rituals, you’ll explore ways to transform everyday moments into meaningful connections with your family.
Key Takeaways New Day, New Start: Every day is a new chance to parent differently and experience more of God’s grace. Pause Prayers: Before disciplining or interacting with your kids, take a moment to pray and ask for guidance to approach the situation with love and understanding. Morning Huddles: Start your day with a family huddle where you teach your kids a simple prayer or affirmation. Bedtime Rituals: Create a routine that transforms ordinary moments into opportunities for connection. Don’t be discouraged if it takes several tries to work! Reconciliation Rituals: Don’t just immediately move on after conflict or discipline. Whether it’s a hug, a joke, or a shared Tic Tac, show your kids and spouse you’re still on their side.DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Do you ever feel weighed down by past parenting mistakes—whether from a day, week, or year ago? What are some practical ways you show yourself grace and embrace the “New Day, New Start” mindset as a dad? What changes for you when you say a quick prayer before disciplining your kids? How do you find the right balance between discipline and showing grace? What does your current morning routine look like with your family? How can you make your family’s routine more intentional and spiritually focused? Do you have a bedtime ritual that helps you connect spiritually with your children? What is your biggest challenge when trying to establish a new family habit or routine? How do you model reconciliation for your kids? Is there a small, fun gesture you use to reconnect with your kids after conflict, such as sharing a Tic Tac, telling a joke, or giving a hug? Justin Whitmel EarleyJustin Whitmel Earley is a lawyer, author, and speaker from Richmond, Virginia. His most recent book, Habits of the Household, was published in 2021. Justin is married to Lauren and has four sons: Whit, Asher, Coulter, and Shep.
Key Quotes 2:07 - "Every day is a new chance to experience grace from your heavenly Father and step in with your whole heart to being a dad. New day, new start. Do not beat yourself up about yesterday, last week, last month, last year, the last decade of your dad life. Don't play the comparison game and do not disqualify yourself. God has not disqualified you. So let's walk with a lot of grace." 6:03 - "There's a comical and halting nature to starting any important habit with your family, which is very important to realize. Nothing in the household is normal until it is, you have to practice. Links from Today’s Conversation 253 | Reframing Your Parenting with New Habits (Justin Earley) Habits of the Household SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop” Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
In the third installment of the DA+3 series, rediscover timeless advice from Jim Jackson. You'll learn why being "fast, large, and loud" isn't effective and how to make a shift that leads to more connection with your kids. Plus, explore the 10 DA+3 Discussion Questions below to prompt meaningful conversations about legacy, peace, your fatherhood report card, and more.
Key Takeaways Be Slow, Soft, and Low: Our default as dads is to be fast, large, and loud. Instead, you can create more connection by changing how you approach your kids. "One-Another" Fatherhood: Look at all the areas in the Bible with "one another" commands and apply those behaviors to your relationship with your children. Your Child is Not Your Report Card: How your kids behave is not a reflection of your value. Beyond Understanding: You will never understand everything as a dad. Prayerfully seek God's wisdom, insight, and understanding. Legacy: Love your wife and kids well.DA+3 Group Guide Discussion Questions:
Why do you think us dads default to being fast, large, and loud? How do you practice being "slow, soft, and low" instead of "fast, large, and loud" when interacting with your kids? Scan the infographic of all the "one another" commands in the New Testament. Which one stands out most to you as something you want to practice more? Have you ever patted yourself on the back when your child behaved well? On the other hand, when did you feel like a failure because of something your kid did or didn't do? If you had a real "Dad Report Card," what subjects or things would it measure? (Hint: It should not be directly linked to your kid's behavior.) What does it look like to be okay and remember where your value comes from, even when your children are struggling? Thinking about Philippians 4:7, in what situations or areas of your life do you need to pray for the peace of God, which transcends all understanding? What is the #1 legacy you want to leave as a husband? What is the #1 legacy you want to leave as a father? Jim JacksonJim Jackson and his wife, Lynne, are the co-founders of Connected Families, a non-profit ministry that has been bringing reliable, God-centered, research-based parenting resources to all families since 2002.
Key Quotes 3:22 - "Dads, we're really good at feeling that stress and jumping forward and stepping in and fixing stuff and getting stuff done and getting people to do the stuff that we need them to do. Even if it's just by our posture, we get big and we get loud and we get demanding, and the people around us, we think that it's respect, but oftentimes I fear that it's fear. We think that we're doing something in the name of gaining respect, when in fact we're scaring people into a form of compliance that builds distance in their trust of us, not closeness." 5:00 - "Obedience is a matter of the heart, not a matter of behavior. When our kids comply, that's not obedience. That's just doing what they're told because they've been told to do it because they're scared of what will happen if they don't. If that's the the mode of operation for us, then our kids grow in fear as we grow in a sense of demanding and being the habit just keeps getting bigger and bigger as the kids get older and older." Links from Today’s Conversation The Power of Positive Connection (028 Jim Jackson) Connected Families Connected Families Framework All the “one another” commands in the NT [infographic] Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart by Jim & Lynne Jackson SUMMER SALE in the DadAwesome Store: Get 20% off when you use the code “tanktop” Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 - Visa fler
