Episodes
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In John 10:10, Jesus says that He came so we may have life to the full. This verse guides Tim Lukei’s work as a men's pastor and non-profit leader. Listen in as Tim lists practical tips for building a vibrant men's community. Plus, he describes why adventure matters for your heart, marriage, and family.
Key Takeaways If you're following Jesus and it feels boring, you're not doing it right. A multi-generational team will create a multi-generational ministry. Adventuring as men often opens us up to do life together authentically. Don't just be a dad who was there; be a dad who was intentional and present. Tim LukeiTim Lukei is the Men's Pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, California. He also runs Maverick River Collective, which equips churches to establish sustainable, transformational men's ministries. Tim and his wife, Korrie, have been married since 2006 and have three children.
Key Quotes 6:29 - "Adventuring together creates connection moments and moments of, this is so awesome we got to experience this together. That is adventure as it pertains to man's ministry and family and parenting. The best way I know to how to connect with my kids is going on an adventure. And that doesn't always mean hopping on a plane, going to Hawaii or wherever else. It could be like, hey, we're going on a bike ride and I'll take you to this rad new playground. It's going to be amazing. That could be an adventure. And it doesn't cost necessarily anything. My kids beg me to to go on bike rides and it costs nothing." 16:18 - "Do the self processing and figuring out, for me it was immediately, I recognized, I am burnout. I'm exhausted. No matter what you should already have had people in your place that you're reaching out in to go, hey, I'm not okay. Have you recognized it? And then begin the processing on what does it look like to become whole again? To get soul rest, to take some time, if you can, to figure out, is there areas where I need a coach or a therapist? One of the things that I try to do as a men's pastor is normalize therapy for men all freaking day. It's not something you do when you're in crisis. It's something that you do constant. Guys, we don't do that well. We don't process, talk through our hardship, difficulty or past. We don't, that's not our natural gear, for at least most guys. Maybe you have some meaningful conversations with people who speak truth into your life, but whether it's painful or not, you need to have that. Definitely figure out what things are the reasons, How did you get here, and don't just throw Band-Aids at something." Links from Today’s Conversation Get 15% off the DadAwesome Store During the Mother’s Day Sale (use code: MOMAWESOME) Maverick River Collective Conversations in the Wild Podcast Men of Mariners — Mariners Church Play the Man by Mark Batterson Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder Resilient by John Eldredge 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, Dean Deguara reflects on how he identified his children's purpose through prayer and prophecy. He details the practical ways he and his wife raised their kids to be resilient and bold, from bedtime prayers to meaningful car ride conversations and more.
Key Takeaways God will give you clues about your kid's purpose. The small deposits of time add up. Be just as competitive about your kid's purpose as their performance. Teach your children how to make good choices on their own. Dean DeguaraDean Deguara is the lead pastor of Real Life Church in Sacramento, California. He and his wife, Amy, have been married for 30 years and have two adult children.
Key Quotes 16:56 - "We were a family on mission. And so wherever we went, we tried to be the same people we were in public, that we were in private. And then just allowing our influence to be who we are." 26:16 - "One of the biggest things I like to encourage is teach your children how to make good choices on their own. As they're growing up, I think a lot of times we wait for these big transitional moments for our kids to make these [big decisions], where there's just a lot of pressure. Now [they] have to make a decision, where you're going to go to college and we didn't give them and we didn't allow them to make any choices until those biggest choices in life. We just started in the safety of our home and the safety of our family, just giving our kids opportunities to make big decisions." Links from Today’s Conversation Get 15% off the DadAwesome Store During the Mother’s Day Sale Detours: The Unpredictable Path to Your Destiny by Tony Evans Real Life Church 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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One day, your child will transition into a young adult. Fathers play an essential role in recognizing those moments through ceremony and celebration. In the second half of this conversation, Michael Warren explores how dads can support their children by welcoming them into a larger community and fostering a sense of belonging.
Key Takeaways Don't talk about it; be about it. Present your son to a community of men and vocalize why he belongs there. Create milestone moments for all of your children. Make the courageous call to the person you think would be willing to meet with you to talk about being a dad. Michael WarrenMichael Warren is a dad of four who is passionate about equipping fathers to lead their sons into REAL masculinity. He lives in Anchorage, Alaska, where he facilitates the Alaska Knights program at ChangePoint.
Key Quotes 4:31 - "When it comes to my daughter, it's been a little extra work. I've had to learn a lot about her heart, a lot about how God has made her, it's been a little slower for me, and I've had to run some experiments and try things out. What's caused me to not give up and all that's complex and, quite frankly, confusing to me sometimes, about pursuing the heart of preteen, early teen daughter has been this, I'm going to reject passivity and expect the greater reward by stepping in and creating some milestones for her, too." 20:26 - "If there's something that you want, what responsibility comes with the burden? What responsibility comes with a heightened sense of urgency? And that's not to shame, guilt, pressure, it's not about that. If this is on your heart, I would say just move with it. Find another person and just take the next step. Our God is a God of next steps, practical next steps. Because what kind of a God would He be if He showed us the entire landscape and made us feel overwhelmed and discouraged? That's not His character. " Links from Today’s Conversation DadAwesome Activation Events Host an Event in Your Area: Contact Us Alaska Knights: Raising a Modern Day Knight Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father's Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Michael Warren is passionate about equipping fathers and mentors to guide young boys into manhood. His goal is to facilitate adventure moments that give sons an answer to the question, “When did I become a man?” In part one of this conversation, Michael describes how dads can define and model the timeless principles of manhood to their kids.
Key Takeaways Fathers must communicate a clear definition of manhood. Middle school is a strategic time to start calling boys up and out of the home—away from distractions like video games—and into learning led by dad. A REAL man Rejects passivity, Expects God’s greater rewards, Accepts responsibility, and Leads courageously. REAL men have a work to do, a will to obey, a woman to love, and a world to serve. Michael WarrenMichael Warren is a dad of four who is passionate about equipping fathers to lead their sons into REAL masculinity. He lives in Anchorage, Alaska, where he facilitates the Alaska Knights program at ChangePoint.
Key Quotes 17:38 - "The longevity that we've enjoyed has been tied to the fact that it's really transforming men's hearts and their families and the definition of manhood and the context that we teach, where that definition plays out are really transferable and in every season." 20:54 - "A real man, R-E-A-L, R, rejects passivity. A man rejects passivity. E, expects God's greater reward. A, accepts responsibility, and L, leads courageously. So, rejects passivity, expects God's greater reward, accepts responsibility, leads courageously. Expect God's greater reward, what does that mean? Well, that means delayed gratification. That is a principle that every man needs to entertain and think about. I'm going to make sacrifice now, but I know what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I've got energy, I've got time, I have my purity. I have these things that are God given that once I spend them, I don't get them back. Those are the main principles, this R-E-A-L. What's important to mention is that we call them the four W's. The four W's are the contexts where you can directly apply the R-E-A-L. So the four W's arem a man has a work to do, a will to obey, a woman to love and a world to serve." Links from Today’s Conversation Spring 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Group: Email [email protected] to learn more Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father's Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis 215 | Creating Ceremonies, Building Life-Changing Committed Friendships & Raising Modern Day Knights (Robert Lewis) Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Ian Smith joins us in this episode with passionate ideas to help dads enjoy fatherhood more. He shares his habits of looking for adventure in the challenge, asking hard questions, and taking ownership of mistakes. His energetic spirit will help you reframe your perspective on parenting so you can show up with renewed purpose.
Key Takeaways You can enjoy fatherhood more when you view it as an adventure and a good challenge. Get big enough on the inside to own it when something’s not great. Nothing brings more stability and security to a family than a dad who submits to the authority of the Heavenly Father. Get out of the ditch of passivity by taking action. Build up your kids and reinforce their identity through positive language. Ian SmithIan Smith is an entrepreneur, former pastor, coach, and mentor living in Winnipeg, Canada. He has been married to his wife for 25 years and has six children. Ian is passionate about helping others go from feeling frustrated and apathetic in their faith to seeing real, lasting change in their lives.
Key Quotes 24:11 "There's all of this stuff that we go through and situations and fears we have, it's natural. But we can learn to cope with them in such bad ways or we can numb ourselves. We can get complacent. We can Netflix ourselves, drink ourselves, sports ourselves, work ourselves, tax ourselves out of it all. [Instead] of actually dealing with it and never dealing with it. And all that's going to do is continue to hurt us, which then is gonna hurt our family." 35:50 - "[Telling myself] I'm going to make a change and get on the path, and you'll find you'll walk out of that thing really quickly with accountability and a little bit of a vision about where you want to go. That's a really important piece too, is if you don't like the life you have, start envisioning the one you want and let that burn on the inside of you. You'll be amazed that when you have the what you want start to settle in your heart, the how is going to make itself known to." Links from Today’s Conversation Spring 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Group: Email [email protected] to learn more Hero Collective Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship: Your Destiny Awaits You by Jack Frost Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Our conversation with Jeremy Morris continues as he shares insight on healing unprocessed pain, rebuilding relationships, and cultivating peace. Jeremy's healing journey wasn't quick or easy, but through his experiences, you'll see God's faithfulness in restoring his family.
Key Takeaways Time doesn't heal all wounds, but God can. The thing that you're doing to anesthetize the pain isn't the problem; the pain is the problem. Don’t give your family the leftovers of you. Walk with your children through enough adversity that they’re prepared for it when they leave the nest. Without peace, nothing matters. Jeremy MorrisJeremy Morris is a husband and father of four living in Boise, Idaho. He co-founded Wild Courage, a ministry that equips men to tell the stories born in the redemption of lives and souls. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys coaching football, camping with his family, and managing his ranch.
Key Quotes 12:37 - "The thing that you're doing for the pain, isn't the problem. Let's go back into your story and find that unprocessed pain that sometimes is so subconscious we don't even know. I also want to say this, pain is the same. Just because you don't have my story, doesn't mean that your pain is less than mine. The pain is relative and your story matters. Going into your story and inviting God into that messy place that you never thought you could ever talk about and going to the source of that pain and finding out why." 23:11 - "It's just having the scary hard talks and helping [your children] navigate emotions. Speaking to their heart and not their actions. Now, that doesn't mean there's no discipline and consequences for actions, but it's not the first thing we go to. We go after their heart level of why did you show up this way? What's going on inside of your heart? Dealing with it in a heart issue instead of what was modeled to us of, like, discipline, discipline, discipline. Shame, shame, shame. Creating a safe environment. We don't want our kids to experience trauma. We're good with some adversity because we want to walk with them through it. I've learned to get really good at cleaning up my messes and finding humility in the times where I blew it. Humility just always wins. It always wins." Links from Today’s Conversation Spring 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Group: Email [email protected] to learn more Wild Courage The Wild Courage Podcast Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Shame holds back many men from sharing their stories of redemption. Jeremy Morris once felt this. But he learned that the key to unlocking healing is to have the courage to be seen. In this episode, Jeremy shares his unfiltered testimony and demonstrates the power of vulnerability and wild courage.
Key Takeaways Most men would rather go to the moon, climb Mount Everest, survive in the wilderness, or do other crazy things before being vulnerable. The key to unlocking healing is to have the courage to be seen. Are you using certain things to stuff down the unprocessed pain that’s trying to crawl up out of your soul? If God can forgive you, that is enough to carry on. Jeremy MorrisJeremy Morris is a husband and father of four living in Boise, Idaho. He co-founded Wild Courage, a ministry that equips men to tell the stories born in the redemption of lives and souls. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys coaching football, camping with his family, and managing his ranch.
Key Quotes 10:07 - "The most healing I've received, in a lot of areas, has been when I've had the courage to be vulnerable enough to share my deep, dark pain with someone and to be received with love back. Which, if you really knew me, there's no way you could like me, let alone love me. The courage part comes from us having the courage to be seen. Which, I think, God wired us to be seen and heard by others that we're in relationship with. Men will go to the moon, we'll climb Mount Everest, we'll jump off crazy things with parachutes, we'll ride bulls, we'll survive in the wilderness. And we would rather do all of those things before being vulnerable. I've just found that it's the key to unlocking healing and to be what we're all created to be, which is to be seen and heard and not judged and loved where we're at in the mess of it all." 36:23 - "They put me in jail and something in me changed in my prayer. I don't know how to explain it, other than I asked God, from one father to another father, please take this for me. The dad I'm going to be, I can't do this anymore. And He took it. I don't know if it was because I wasn't praying to get out of my circumstances anymore, which I think looking back, my prayers to Him were always to get me out of the mess that I created. But there was something about me pulling on to heaven, as a dad and crying out to a dad that I think was the difference and His perfect timing." Links from Today’s Conversation Learn More About the DadAwesome Accelerator Group: Email [email protected] Wild Courage The Wild Courage Podcast Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Chad Wallen helps teach fatherless young men practical tools that their dad could have taught them if he had been involved in their lives. It’s an active way of fighting against harrowing statistics and intervening in tangible, practical ways. Join us as Chad shares his thoughts on self-care, words of affirmation, and mentoring the next generation.
Key Takeaways You can’t be a good dad if you’re not a healthy version of yourself. Don’t make your wife translate your love to your children. Nationally, 75% of men incarcerated are from a fatherless home. What does it look like to mentor fatherless young men while providing opportunities to learn new skills, advance their careers, and build confidence? Chad WallenChad Wallen is a loving husband, foster parent, and dad to three girls and a son. He helped start Advance Camp in Oregon because he has such a huge heart for the fatherless. Now, Chad Wallen lives in the Dallas area and directs Advance Camp Texas.
Key Quotes 7:42 - "That was a hard thing to learn is finding that happy medium between taking care of yourself and finding you as a priority and taking care of your family and finding them as a priority, realizing you can't be 100% dad if you're not 100% you." 17:52 - "My mom used to tell me all the time your dad loves you. He told me last night that he loves you and he's really proud of you. Well, I don't need my wife translating for me. These words need to come out of my mouth. And it's hard. Sometimes I have to pep talk myself but I know that's my role is to speak my words, not to have my wife speak my words for me. That's one thing I have constantly worked on with myself is making sure my words are my words and my wife is not my translator." Links from Today’s Conversation Advance Camp USA Learn More About the DadAwesome Accelerator Group: Email [email protected] Top 5 Podcast Moments of 2023 | Year in Review — The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
For Zack Blair, walking in unconditional love is the foundation of joyful fatherhood. In this episode, he shares personal experiences and practical examples to show why connecting with your kids matters more than trying to be perfect. And ultimately, how it leads to a parenting approach grounded in thankfulness and love.
Key Takeaways Walking in unconditional love is the source of joy and thankfulness. How can your children one day remember your heart if you are not intentional to connect with theirs? Use your hands to express love, not produce pain. You need other men in your corner—not just for you, but also for your kids. Zack BlairZack Blair is an author and the founding pastor of Hill City Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Lauren, have been married for 17 years, have three children, and are foster parents.
Key Quotes35:00 - "An apology, it goes so far with [your children]., Hey, dad's imperfect, but he's trying, and he's taking ownership in the areas that that he missed it. I tell my kids, I'm not going to be a perfect father. I'm going to do some things great. You're going to look back and you're going to say, man, that wasn't so great. Whatever we did great, carry it on. But whatever we didn't do great, fix it and keep on getting better."
39:53 - "When you hold your child and you look at them and you feel the pain of, maybe I didn't receive this or I don't know that I received that unconditional love. In every man where we look back on our life with regret, that's an area that if we dig deep and we we allow the Lord to heal and we open up to the right people, that will change our family's trajectory forever. A lot of guys will get stuck in the normal things that society talks about to distract us, but there's a part of us that's unhealed. If we can focus on that part and with kindness and curiosity, just go there and ask the Lord, Lord, when did I accept this lie? Or when did I develop this belief about myself? Or when did I experience this pain and God where were You in those moments? Even with help through counseling and and pastoral guidance, even when the Lord heals that it'll change everything and you will be set free to be the dad that you really want to be. So go there. Be brave enough to go there."
Links from Today’s Conversation Learn More About the DadAwesome Accelerator Group The Father Code: Codes of a Connected Father by Zack Blair Follow Zack Blair on Instagram The Father Code YouTube Playlist Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Phil Comer wasn’t raised with a faith background. So when his first son was born, he knew he had to get radically intentional if he was going to raise children who walk with God. In this episode, Phil shares the habits that helped him develop his newfound faith as a young father and launch his grown children into the world with success.
Key Takeaways Men are designed and commanded to be tenderhearted, kind warriors. No one can love their wife or be used by God as a father without the Holy Spirit. Memorized Scripture carries with you through life, enables you to do battle, and brings you joy. Even if all you do is quietly speak the Scripture out loud for several years, you will memorize it. It’s not what you say to your kids that instructs them; it’s what they see from you. Phil ComerPhil Comer is a husband, father, and grandfather with 40 years of pastoral and counseling experience. After planting a church in 2004, Phil and his wife, Diane, went on to launch Intentional Parents International. The ministry focuses on equipping young parents and providing focused teaching in the spiritual training of children.
Key Quotes 25:57 - "We need to teach this to our kids. We need to model it for our kids, and we need to realize that we need it. When it comes to the memorizing part, we're supposed to meditate on Scripture. Now, I can do that by reading it, but what about when I'm out on a walk and I don't have my Bible on me? Anything I do have, I'm able to bring back up and chew on. That's really what that verse means, that meditating is chewing on something and that's where God comes in." 38:02 - "You can't be saying one thing and be living another. That will destroy your kids, and it will lead them away from Christ so quickly. If you are modeling a genuine, authentic faith, if you are a passionate Jesus follower, your kids will pick that up because values are caught more than they're taught. We always have to look at our life every day, am I getting more lukewarm? Am I losing my passion or am I growing in my passion? As long as we're the growing side of Christianity and the growing side of Jesus, our kids are going to pick it up." Links from Today’s Conversation 160 | Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Phil Comer & Brook Mosser) Intentional Parents International A Practical Guide to Memorizing Scripture Together Raising Passionate Jesus Followers: The Power of Intentional Parenting by Phil & Diane Comer The Intentional Parents Podcast Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
For Jay Vallotton, the turning point in his marriage was learning to connect with his wife through her emotions rather than trying to fix them. Now, Jason urges men to reconsider their approach to emotions, both in marriage and parenting. Tune in as he shares practical advice for repairing mistakes, handling dysregulation in a child, and approaching conversations with the end in mind.
Key Takeaways To live wholeheartedly means addressing sin, being present, and fulfilling your God-given call instead of allowing fear to shrink you. Your wife needs to feel seen, known, and heard. Trust is not built through the absence of mistakes but by how you repair. The #1 conversation hack is to start with the end in mind. The right time to instruct and discipline is not when your child is emotionally dysregulated. Jay VallottonJay Vallotton is the founder of BraveCo, a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Bethel Church, and an overseer of the Bethel Transformation Center. He is passionate about helping people discover their God-given identity, find freedom, and walk out their true calling. Jason lives in Redding, California, with his wife, Lauren, and their five kids and daughter-in-law.
Key Quotes 3:48 - "One of the prayers that David prays is, God, search me, know me, reveal to me what's going on in my life. Which honestly, is such a scary, dangerous prayer. But on the other side, I think that in order to live wholeheartedly we do have to address those areas in our life that aren't whole, that have cracks or have a little bit of brokenness or doubt, and that's a very challenging thing to do. But what that really means is when I come home and my wife confronts me on something and I dismiss her feelings, I'm not living wholeheartedly. When I come home and my kids want to play and I don't want to be present, I'm actually not living wholeheartedly. The practical application of being. The things that you write on your heart, the things that you write on your wrist, the truth, God's truth.. You have to live those out in your day to day life. And there's accountability inside of that." 17:05 - "Trust is not built through the absence of mistakes. Trust is built by how you clean up a mess. Your wife will trust you because she knows you can have a bad moment, you're going to go away, you're going to process through that in a healthy way and come back and give her what you wish you would've given her in the moment. That's more valuable than being able to nail it every time, because we innately know no one's going to nail it every time. But what we don't know is, I trust that you're going to come back and repair what has been damaged. If you can repair what you are messing up, you're adding so much more value than just trying to get it right, perfectly or expecting yourself to. You're not and your wife's not, more importantly, your whole environment, isn't. So, your kids are going to watch you do this process. Your wife's going to watch you do this process, and they're going to follow in this ecosystem that it's okay to fail. It's not okay to hurt each other but it's okay to fail because we can go back and clean up a mess." Links from Today’s Conversation BraveCo BraveCo Conference 2024 (Redding, California - June 12-14, 2024) 131 | Winning The War Within (Jason Vallotton) 145 | Resilience, Servanthood & Showing Up For Others (Jason Vallotton) Follow Jason on Instagram Dates, Mates and Babies with the Vallottons Podcast Make a Donation to DadAwesome FATHERS FOR THE FATHERLESS Events Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Would you show love to a masked gunman who abducted you and your family? For Jamie Winship, the answer was yes. As he shares the details of this frightening experience, Jamie will inspire you to exchange fear for love as you seek God’s true identity for you.
Key Takeaways Being in your true identity makes you more relational, take risks, and face reality. The enemy is always in the hypothetical future, but God is in the present. To identify false identities, ask God, “What are the things I believe about myself that hurt me?” Your true identity in God will be others-focused, self-emptying, and characterized by unconditional love for your enemies. Jamie WinshipJamie Winship is known for bringing peaceful solutions to some of the world’s highest conflict areas. His work in law enforcement and education led his family around the world, including South Asia and the Middle East. Jamie and his wife, Donna, are co-founders of Identity Exchange and have three adult sons.
Key Quotes 11:26 - "When you watch Jesus, Jesus never runs anywhere. He's never in a hurry. He's never freaked out. He not dramatic. He is intense. Like when He throws over the tables, but it's so tactically smart what He's doing, it's so well thought out. He's not just dramatically reacting to drama. So never participate, the enemy loves drama. The enemy loves drama because drama goes out of control. 15:36 - "You're in constant conflict. Either inside yourself or with people around you. Those are the signs of the false self. It's self-protection. Self-promotion. Separation is a sign of the false self. The false self will always move in separation, never in connection with others. It'll constantly separate out. The soul that sinneth, the soul that separates it will die. It's not about you did a bad thing, God's going to kill you. It's like human beings were made to live in connection with others and God. And when we separate it, it basically destroys us. Those are the symbols, the signs of the false self. But deeper than that, this is the exercise I would suggest is just sit alone with God and just breathe and relax and try and settle down and just say, God, search me right now. And would You help me to be able to say the things that I believe about myself that hurt me? What are the things I believe about myself that hurt me? And and just let them come to your mind." Links from Today’s Conversation 314 | Tackling Fear in a War Zone, Modeling Courage, and Embracing Your True Identity (Jamie Winship: Part 1) Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God by Jamie Winship Identity Exchange: Online Courses, Individual Coaching, and More Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
Jamie Winship is no stranger to conflict. From working as a police officer to living in international war zones, he learned how to tackle fear with faith—and he modeled it for his children, too. In this episode, Jamie details some of the dangerous situations his family faced as they followed God’s calling. Plus, he’ll inspire you to hang onto joy, even when fear tries to swallow you whole.
Key Takeaways When living in a high-conflict area—whether a warzone or your home—you have to gamify preparedness with joy instead of fear. There are times when you may need to pray to be invisible. If you’re afraid to fail, you won’t be able to model courage in front of other people. God cannot invite you into greater challenges in the future if your only goal is self-protection and self-promotion. The greatest gift you can give your kids is the truth of who you are. Jamie WinshipJamie Winship is known for bringing peaceful solutions to some of the world’s highest conflict areas. His work in law enforcement and education led his family around the world, including South Asia and the Middle East. Jamie and his wife, Donna, are co-founders of Identity Exchange and have three adult sons.
Key Quotes 20:13 - "Only the fear of falling and loud noises is is innate in us, but all other fear is learned. I want to say to your listeners, what are you afraid of? That's the most important question, what am I afraid of? And this is a daily question. It's not a one off. It's even incident into incident. Why am I afraid right now? Fear is beautiful because it's a warner, it's a flashing warning light. It's an invitation to transformation. It's an invitation to a conversation that leads to transformation. God, why am I afraid right now? What am I afraid of?" 21:34 - "God wants me to know I can protect you in any situation. Though a thousand fall on my right and 10,000 fall on my left, yet will I stand? God says, I want you to know that I can protect you in this kind of situation. How would I know that? By staying. By staying. Why would you want me to know that? Because in the future are greater challenges than this that I want to invite you into, But I can't invite you into them, if the goal of your life is self-protection and self-promotion. Because that's how fear works. And if your goal is self-protection and self-promotion, it will become the goal of your kids. Let's teach them other than that worldview." 29:39 - "External conflict produced by internal conflict, produced by fear, produced by false identity. What's the shift? The shift is not in, stop the war, bring financial aid, change religions. None of that stuff has ever worked. It's a transformation of the human heart, which the whole Bible is telling us. And we're looking for some other solution. Spiritual transformation in your own heart. You're living in a false identity. It's a shift into the true identity, which can only be known in Christ. Shift into true identity moves you into courage. It encourages you, which moves you into internal peace, which makes you able to create external peace." Links from Today’s Conversation DadAwesome Store Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God by Jamie Winship Identity Exchange: Online Courses, Individual Coaching, and More Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
After studying the prayer lives of extraordinary leaders around the world, Ryan Skoogs began to identify patterns. These patterns shifted not only the heart and mind of the leader but also the culture around them—in their home, organization, and beyond. As the leader of your home, you must create a culture of prayer that starts with you. In this episode, Ryan shares the practical steps to do just that.
Key Takeaways Be willing to “waste time” with God. To start an intentional prayer life, just walk and talk with the Lord. Twenty minutes of prayer to Jesus each day for eight weeks will change your brain chemistry in ways that are visible on a brain scan. Where is prayer a line item in your organization’s (or family’s) budget? Don’t discount the little opportunities where you can be quick to pray. Ryan SkoogRyan Skoog is an entrepreneur, ministry leader, author, world traveler, and adventure dad. He is co-founder and president of VENTURE, a church-planting and community development nonprofit that works in the toughest places of the world, serving war refugees, trafficked people, oppressed children, and the unreached.
Key Quotes 30:06 - "20 minutes of prayer a day, for eight weeks, will change your brain neurons and chemistry so much that you can tell on a brain scan. There's an agnostic neuroscientist that started just measuring prayer and it had to be prayer to Jesus. It wasn't just meditation and mindfulness, sand is soft, no, it is God is love. God is gracious, that kind of focus and prayer. It can change your brain scan so it fires all the parts that are amazing." 39:26 - "Don't discount the little moments throughout the day of stopping and acknowledging God. A kid has a test, let's stop and pray. We have a phrase around here, we want to be quick to pray. I think in creating a culture in your family, being quick to pray about little things quickly, oh, hey, let's pray about that. And then taking 20 seconds to pray about it and making that normal in your family, making that normal that we just talked to God throughout the day has just been a really, really helpful culture." Links from Today’s ConversationLead with Prayer: The Spiritual Habits of World-Changing Leaders by Ryan Skoog and others
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 midst of a chaotic world, fathers need to know how to stay grounded, steady, and wild. Tim Bohlke brings years of wisdom and experience to equip dads to do just that. Through real-life examples and a spirit of encouragement, Tim unveils new ways to embrace joy, balance, and remembrance of what God has done.
Key Takeaways The cumulative effect of carrying too much weight will break you down. Avoid isolation by inviting others in, asking for input, and allowing people to be honest with you. The key to being aware and alert to what God is doing today is remembering what he has done in the past. Fight for the people, places, and experiences that bring you life. Tim BohlkeFounder and director of Harbor Ministries, Tim Bohlke has spent three decades investing in leaders and helping forge a new path that will serve leaders, their families, and their organizations well. He is a husband, father, grandfather, author, coach, and more.
Key Quotes 14:05 - "That is the imagery that people all have strength waiting, as the difference making leaders have figured out that idea of harbor as it connects to mission. And no matter how critical your mission is, you got to have time in a harbor to resource, restore and get yourself ready." 29:27 - "When we remember what God's done, that's one of the values of quieting down, seeking solitude, is that only then do you take the time and find the time to really process and remember the ways God showed up in our story. That's what brings strength. And that's what brings courage and reminds us God is a God of promises, that He does show up and He will not only then, but going forward as well." Links from Today’s Conversation 51 | Father Family Rhythms Part 1 (Tim Bohlke) 81 | Adjust the Pace, Live w/ SELF-CONTROL & Hear God's Voice (Tim Bohlke) Stay. Wild. : An Invitation to Pursue God in Fully Disrupted World by Tim Bohlke Harbor Ministries SPACE Podcast 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 stems from how you were parented. That’s why understanding the stories and trauma of your past is essential if you want to provide a secure beginning for your children. In this episode, Dr. Dan Allender offers expert advice to help you own the past, share your stories with others, and find beauty along the parenting journey.
Key Takeaways A child has a secure beginning if they have attunement, containment, and a parent who can repair ruptures. The level of failure in parenting is higher than in marriage, friendships, or work. When you’re triggered, take a 90-second pause to decrease emotional flooding. There are two great callings in life that you must hold together at the same time: to grow in intimacy and to grow in independence. Write down your thoughts and then share them with your wife, a group of men, and a story guide, such as a therapist or pastor. Dr. Dan AllenderDr. Dan Allender is an author, professor, and co-founder of The Allender Center and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. With a unique approach to trauma and abuse therapy, he presents on topics such as sexual abuse recovery, intimacy, marriage, and more. Dan and his wife, Becky, enjoy spending time with their three adult children and their grandchildren.
Key Quotes 4:58 - "It's really a sweet gift to be able to see our children parent in a way in which they have truly learned from our mistakes, and yet they've also developed their own way of being in the world. Having adult children, one of the realities that dawns on me virtually every year and that is you're never done. Some of the most complicated days are with adult children. And yet our children love us, and yet they are pretty clear and vocal about where they have felt like we have not done well, past and present, and with a deep invitation, with honor and forgiveness, but to grow. That's one of the things I would say it's just such a life giving presence when your children are taking in your life and growing, but when they have the ability to return that, to invite you to grow, that even with younger children has a level of mutuality that often [doesn't] get talked about in the parenting process." 37:36 - "The reality is, we live in a sinful world and a broken world as already with a proclivity to our own false independence. So, our task, is in some sense, to parent in a way that accentuates the giftedness, while also helping a child name and engage the parts of their own world that don't come as quickly or naturally. Links from Today’s Conversation Become a DadAwesome Anchor Partner The Allender Center Podcast “Parenting the Parent” — Dr. Dan Allender’s podcast episode featuring his two daughters Dr. Dan Allender’s Books StoryWork Conference and Master Class The Allender Center Upcoming Events and Workshops 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 rookie dad, Taylor Doolittle has endless encouragement for other dads in his shoes. In this episode, he emphasizes the value of running after God, pursuing your wife, and enjoying every season with your kids. His vivid analogies will inspire you to make intentional choices as a husband, father, and friend to create the life you want to live.
Key Takeaways Every season with your kids is fleeting, so be gracious with yourself. Passionately running after Jesus and pursuing your wife will leave a lasting impact on your kids. Combine multiple activities—such as working out and being with friends—with intentional multitasking that keeps you whole and healthy without taking up too much time. However difficult you think this is for you as a dad, it’s a thousand times harder for your wife, so suck it up, buttercup. Your daily decisions are single bricks that create the foundation for your life and family. Taylor DoolittleTaylor Doolittle is a passionate realtor in the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul areas. He and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters.
Key Quotes 16:16 - "What I should have been focused on and what I still need to be focused on is my relationship with the Lord. That's absolutely number one, because you're not going to be a good leader for your family unless you are modeling yourself after the greatest leader. So that's number one. Number two, is absolutely pursuing your wife with as much passion as you can." 26:51 - "Not putting pressure on yourself and just realizing that, as a parent, it's less about what you teach and it's more about what you model to your kids. So, pursuing your relationship with the Lord and passionately loving your wife are the two things that you got to do that are going to make a lasting impact on your kids, whether you believe it or not." 35:15 - "Serve your wife, humble yourself, and don't place any expectations on your kids unless they're holy expectations." Links from Today’s Conversation Make an End-of-Year Donation Contact Taylor Doolittle Connect with Taylor Doolittle on Instagram Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 -
After spending 13 years climbing the corporate ladder, Kyle Depiesse was burnt out and knew he needed a change. He certainly didn’t have everything figured out, but he took a single step that the Lord used to guide him towards bigger and better experiences than he could have imagined. In this episode, Kyle shares the stories and advice that shaped his life—and his adventurous parenting style.
Key Takeaways Take one step toward your goals and trust that God will bless your obedience and continue to direct you. Slow down the fast pace of life with a simple question: “How am I experiencing God right now?” Spark joy by doing things you’ve never done before as a family. Society puts professional success on a pedestal, so you must play defense to protect your relationships, health, finances, and more. Kyle DepiesseKyle Depiesse is the founder and CEO of Guys Trip, where he organizes adventurous trips and events to help men connect, have fun, and grow. Kyle is married to Lois, and they have one son, Cal.
Key Quotes 6:41 - "It's really important to honor people in front of other people. Thank people and be grateful for people while they're around. Tomorrow's not guaranteed." 31:01 - "If you can just take a minute and maybe even have intentional questions to ask yourself, maybe that's the cheat code. Maybe that's the hack, what am I grateful for? How am I experiencing God right now? Just ask yourself some questions and reflect. I don't think we give ourself the gift of reflection and we don't give ourself the gift of solitude enough. And sometimes there's things that just bubble up to the surface And when you pause and you reflect and you're in solitude, you can allow those things that come up to the surface." Links from Today’s Conversation DadAwesome Store Make an End-of-Year Donation Guys Trip Kyle Depiesse on Instagram Tough Mudder — Twin Cities 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 business owner and father to six, Jordan Stone has plenty of reasons to let busyness consume him. But he’s learned the power of slowing down, being present, and creating room in his agenda for how God wants to use him. With real-life examples and practical tips, Jordan Stone will inspire you to rethink the concepts of legacy, ownership, provision, and more.
Key Takeaways God may have a calling for your family that extends for multiple generations. A pioneer goes into uncharted territory and tries to establish something that doesn’t exist yet. Make room in your schedule to be available for interruptions. Avoid getting stuck in a singular definition of provision. Parenting is gardening, not carpentry. Jordan StoneJordan Stone and his wife, Elizabeth, live on the Oregon Coast with their six children. After relocating from Cincinnati, they moved into the home Jordan’s grandparents built and lived in for over 40 years before they both passed away. As a family, they own and run multiple businesses together.
Key Quotes 13:47 - "The reason we start out with [with our family mission each day] is because what we're doing is very difficult. A pioneer is somebody who goes into uncharted territory and tries to establish something that doesn't already exist there. And that's how we see what what we're trying to bring Kingdom wise into this place." 40:08 - "What really happens, at least in my case, there are so many things that we suppress through busyness. The demons in our life, the baggage in our life, the things that are quite uncomfortable to face. Busyness provides us a very socially acceptable way to never confront those things. When you stop [the busyness] all of it has the opportunity to come to the surface and you don't have any more excuses not to deal with it." Links from Today’s Conversation https://dadawesome.org/store 305 | What an Awesome Ride. What a Wild Opportunity. (Jeff Zaugg) 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 husband and father, Ben Serpell has been tempted by passivity plenty of times. It was only after confronting certain fears that he was able to begin living with full power. In this episode, he shares practical examples of how to set a high standard of love in your home. Plus, you’ll learn why “winning vs losing” is the wrong mindset and how a learner’s approach will help you extract more wisdom from your parenting journey.
Key Takeaways When you shift from a “winning vs losing” mindset to “winning vs learning,” you can continue to grow without having to start from the beginning. Your job as a parent is not to rescue your children from hardship but to sit with them as they learn necessary lessons. As a man, you should be setting the standard of love in your home through sacrifice. Passivity is birthed from fear of failure and fear of rejection. Ben SerpellBen Serpell moved from Australia to America at the age of 18 and married his wife, Brittney, one year later. They have been married for two decades and have three children. Ben and Brittney both serve on the leadership team at Loving On Purpose, where they provide marriage and family coaching through conferences, online workshops, and more.
Key Quotes 4:33 - "If it's either winning or losing, then someone's losing and someone's winning. If you talk about an argument, if you talk about connection, if you talk about you and your kids and even you and yourself, which is the biggest one where we need to start, especially as dads. If I'm losing today, then I have to start over. If I'm learning then this is stuff I can use for tomorrow's victory." 15:33 - "It is hard to watch your child struggle. Oh, it's so hard. But, I think what we do if we're not managing our own insecurity on the inside is we try and rescue our kids from that trouble and then we take away again, well, we're back to the learning. We take away the learning. What the Holy Spirit does is He'll come sit with us and go, Oh, that looks heavy. Wow. What do you think happened? What do you need from me? How can I help? I have a whole slew of resources back here. It's just waiting for you. And it probably starts with peace. Let's get some joy back. Let's get some truth in there. And let's begin to walk together. But I'm going to sit with you and I'm fine if you feel it. I can handle you sitting in your mess for a minute, and I'm going to bring comfort to that person rather than rescue that person." Links from Today’s Conversation https://dadawesome.org/store 305 | What an Awesome Ride. What a Wild Opportunity. (Jeff Zaugg) Imperfect Parenting: Connection Over Perfection by Brittney Serpell Loving On Purpose KYLO University Life Academy Loving On Purpose Podcast Network Connect with dadAWESOME Make a Donation to dadAWESOME Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618 - Show more
