The Journey of a Christian Dad Podcast

The Big Idea: Marriage isn't dying - It's Misunderstood Emerson explains the dynamic that has helped millions of couples: "Without Love, She reacts without Respect. Without Respect, He reacts without Love." - The Crazy Cycle Many husbangs aren't bad men, They're tired. They feel nothing they do is good enough. So they withdraw. And when they withdraw, their wives feel unloved. And the cycle spins. Why "Happy Wife, Happy Life" is Dangerous When a man bases his worth on his wife's happiness: -He makes her his emotional god. -He becomes insecure. -He becomes reactive. -He slowly loses hope. Emerson reframes this powerfully, "Is your value God-given... or spouse driven?" God may use your wife to refine you, but she does not get to define you. Why Men Stonewall (And Why It's Misunderstood) University of Washington research (2,000 couples over 20 years) revealed: -85% of those who withdraw in conflict are men. -Men's heart rate spike into fight-or-flight mode during heated arguments. -Withdrawal is an attempt to de-escalate, not to reject. But wives interpret it as: "I don't love you." That's where mutual understanding matters more than communication. The Sexual Disconnect: What Most Couples Miss Men often think, "If she loved me, she'd meet my sexual needs." Women often think, "If he loved me, he'd emotionally connect first." The truth? Both want emotional and sexual connection. They just start from different ends. "You have to love her emotionally apart from sexual agenda." When she feels safe, secure and pursued, her desire increases. When he feels respected and wanted, his heart opens. This isn't manipulation. It's understanding design. Different Shades of Right One of the most practical lightbuld moments: Most marriage conflict is not moral, it's preference. It's not black and white, but different shades of right. Instead of: "I'm right, you're wrong." Try: "We're teammates. Same team. Same goal. Different plays." That language changes everything. Emerson's Challenge: Picture Jeses standing beyond your wife's shoulder. When she annoys you... Ask yourself, "Would I respond this way if I knew I was doing this unto Christ?" You would die for her. The real question is, "Can you live with her... patiently, consistently and sacrificially?"

Jeff and Ty joined us to talk about overcoming loneliness and building community right where you are. In a culture where garage doors close before neighbors can say hello and isolation is the norm, this book offers a simple solution. -Ever have a big goal that you wanted to complete, but things got in the way? -Do you wish you had a group of guys or neighbors to spend time with? -What is an often overlooked mission field? -Can your family get involved with Party in the Front? Check out Jeff and Ty's book Party in the Front! HERE Join our FREE Facebook group The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE Check out my wife's kids book that helps children develop resilience, perseverance and learning from failure in her book Never Will I Ever. HERE is a LINK

Today Glen Henry joins us. He started making videos years ago about real life, including the messy stuff. He is the creator of Beleaf In Fatherhood that has hundreds of thousands of followers. His life was changed when his wife asked him what his 5 year plan for their family was? And then she walked out of the room. He was a hip-hop artist that didn't want kids and now he is one of the most powerful voices reshaping what it means to be a modern dad. Glen and his wife have a podcast called How Married Are You? And Glen has a new book coming out called Father Yourself First: Everything You Need to Become the Father Your Family Deserves. Glen grew up without a father figure in his life and made a decision to become a great father. He saw an example of what he wanted to become when a youth pastor invited him into his life. Glen saw how the youth pastor's family lived and that was something he had never seen. On this episode we talk about: -Having a Poverty Mentality -Comparison is the thief of joy -Glen's first prayer was "God, please kill me!" -When Glen called his dad seeking permission to commit suicide -Presence is a gift (great time of year to focus on this) -Patience is long-suffering Check out Glen David's new book on Amazon HERE Here is the Beleaf In Fatherhood FB page CLICK HERE JOIN OUR FREE FB GROUP THE JOURNEY OF A CHRISTIAN DAD HERE Check out the movie I think everyone needs to see Soul On Fire HERE

Michael Ray shares stories of overcoming adversity and living with joy. We talk about the time when God spoke and Smile Project Louisville got started. I saw Michael on Facebook and new I wanted to get to know him and why he wants to put smiles on other people's faces. He has a passion for it and I knew there would be some stories I wanted to hear. AND, I want to smile more! Who doesn't!!! :-) Smile and Be The Reason Someone Smiles Today! AND if you haven't seen Soul on Fire yet, go buy your tickets right now!!! One of the best movies I've ever seen about the best human I've ever known! And while you are watching, look for my family in the movie as well as William H Macy, John Corbett and Joel Courtney! Watch the Soul On Fire movie trailer and GET TICKETS HERE Connect with Michael Ray through his Facebook Page HERE Join our FREE Facebook group The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE Check out a book I helped write, Notes from Dad HERE Check out my wife and daughter's books HERE

The SOUL ON FIRE MOVIE COMES OUT TODAY! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! I highly recommend that you bring your family to go see this movie!!! This is the most inspirational movie I've ever seen, you'll love experiencing this movie at the theater with other people! In the movie, you will see a great example of unconditional love. John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), plays Denny in the movie and you can see him age and see the progession of Parkinson's disease. My family got to be on set during the filming of the wedding scene of John and Beth O'Leary. My wife took a picture of Denny O'Leary in his wheel chair that day because she saw how happy and joyful he was. John O'Leary says his dad is the most joy filled person he has ever met. And I agree with John, his dad definitely displays the Fruits of the Spirit. In this episode, I read Denny's excert P is for Parkinson's from The ABC's of Christianity - A Father's Inspiration Advice to his Adult Children. And I also share some of my own thoughts about Denny and reflect on his writing to his adult children that was not meant for the public. But when people found out about what he wrote, they asked for copies. Denny printed about 1,000 of these and I was blessed to receive one from Denny before he passed away. One thing that blows everyone away, Denny refers to his Parkinson's as a gift. Imagine that, a disease that will progress to the point of you not being able to cause you to become weak, lose to the ability to move and ultimately kill you, and being able to appreciate what receiving his Parkinson's disease made possible and how it changed his life. There is a quote from Denny in the movie that people love, "You can't choose the path you walk in life, but you can choose how you walk it." Let me know what your thoughts are about this episode at TheChristianDad@gmail.com or DM me on Messenger or post in The Journey of a Christian Dad Facebook Group. I'll post the picture my wife took in The Journey of a Christian Dad Facebook Group. Click HERE to join the FREE group. WATCH THE MOVIE TRAILER AND BUY YOUR TICKETS at SoulOnFireMovie.com HERE! Check out John O'Leary's website HERE Our goal is to insprire 1,000,000 souls over Opening Weekend! Get your tickets today and encourage everyone you know to do the same. I have seen the movie with audiences 6 times and I still can't convey the impact this movie had on the audience. It's an experience, BE A PART OF THE SOUL ON FIRE MOVEMENT!

This episode was recorded on the morning of September 10th. This episode opens with an emotional reflection and 4 things Christian Dads can do right now. And then we get into the show. When John O'Leary was just 9 years old, he suffered burns over 100% of his body in a house fire. Doctors gave him less than 1% chance to survive. And yet, by God's grace, the love of his parents and the courage of the community, John not only survived - he has gone on to live a life on fire with purpose! He's a best-selling author, a sought-after speaker, and now the subject of an upcoming major motion picture Soul On Fire, releasing nationwide October 10th. John's story isn't just about tragedy, it's about faith, family and choosing to live life fully alive. On this episode, we talk about John's tragedy at 9, self-worth, physical and mental struggle, Jesus examples of how to live and John's memories about his dad Denny O'Leary. We also share some stories about a few actors in the movie; William H Macy and Joel Courtney. What are John's memories of who his dad was and what was it like being selected to give his eulogy? When your kids write your eulogy, what will they write? Why did John's dad call his Parkinson's disease a gift from God? What lessons did John learn while in the hospital for months? What's it like when your dad get a life changing medical diagnosis? This is a movie that the world needs now. It's the story of the greatest human I've met and the stories of all the heros that helped him live and live life on fire! My immediate thoughts after watching the movie was that I am so grateful I got to see it at the theater with people I love. This is great movie to experience with others. We are hoping that this movie inspires 1,000,000 people opening weekend. My ASK is that you bring your family to the movie opening weekend and encourage others to see it as well. It is very important to have a big opening weekend. It helps the movie stay in theaters longer and therefore more people will see it. Share this episode with others, let people know that you are going to see the movie, use hashtag #soulonfiremovie, and help grow awareness of this movie. Challenge: Let's fill up theaters and vote for good. Go to a film about family, grace, heros and unconditional love! Talk after the movie about who the heros were and how to live differently. The movie comes out October 10th! Let's do our part to impact the world with this movie. Please let me know if you are going to the movie. PM me or email me at TheChristianDadPodcast@gmail.com . And if you'd like Ignite Character series that John mentions, I'll send you a free link. Here is a link to the movie trailer CLICK HERE Check out the official Soul On Fire movie website and buy tickets HERE If you liked this episode, listen to John's first appearance on the podcast in 2022 HERE Join our FREE Facebook Community The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE

Here is a link to buy tickets and group tickets to see Soul On Fire. Rent out a whole theater, invite groups or buy a ticket!!! CLICK HERE Check out John O'Leary's website HERE Listen to the previous episode recorded in December 2022 I did with John O'Leary HERE This is an Episode for anyone who needs a spark, who are looking for positivity and for people who are wanting to be inspired. If you are looking for a group of guys to do life with, join The Journey of a Christian Dad Facebook Group HERE

Has your relationship with Jesus gone stale? Do you long for a life of purpose, joy and power... but feel stuck in routine or lukewarm faith? Jason joins us today and we talk about these questions that he addresses in his new book Wake Up Jesus People: Life Giving Disciplines to Awaken the Warrior Within. -Awaken your passion and purpose each morning -Replace mediocrity with clarity, courage and consistency -Anchor your identity in Christ, not culture -Set life priorities that fuel your relationships, purpose and peace Check out Jason's new book Wake Up Jesus People HERE Check out Jason's website HERE Join our FREE Facebook group The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE Check out my wife's books HERE

Mitch is back with us this weak with a really cool challenge at the end of this episode. -How has the Authority Bridge has helped Mitch grow his influence and coaching business? -Has you ever gotten angry when you heard someone tell you not to worry or when you read Philippians 4? And what can we do about it? -What is the Everything Everywhere Fallacy? -What does Masey McLain (she's the actress that plays Beth in Soul On Fire) have to do with the Challenge that Mitch Matthews throws out this week? Check out Mitch Matthews website and Unlock 10 Keys to Living Your Best Life HERE And a link to the 11 Prayers HERE Join our FREE Facebok community The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE I'd love it if you write a review for the podcast so that it can help other dads listen to the show and join our community! Here's a link to my wife's children's books, including the hilarious book Nate Saves the World HERE

Little change, this one opens with a prayer from Mitch. Mitch Matthews, host of the DREAM THINK DO podcast, joins us today. He's a success coach and has spent the last 20 years helping organizations like Nike, United Airlines and NASA. Most importantly he loves Jesus, his wife/kids and coffee! -How do you incorporate prayer into your life? -Who is paying attention to how your live your life? -Have you ever been burned out? -How has the understanding of the word Meek worked against Christian Men for hundreds of years? -What can we do when our kids push our buttons and why are they so good at it? Here is a prayer Mitch shared. "Lord, What do you want me to know? Is there anything you want me to do?" If I can function out of a love and curiousity, instead of being offended, I'll have been conversation and outcomes. Check out Mitch Matthews websire HERE Join our FREE Facebook group, The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE I'd love it it you write a review for The Journey of a Christian Dad Podcast so that it can help other dads listen to the show and join our community! Here's a link to my wife's children's books, including the hilarious book Nate Saves the World CLICK HERE

Excited to have Chris Robinson on with us to talk about a dangerous place in life and what to do about it. It's a place we refer to as "The Drift". Chris wants to help everyone break free from the comfortable trap of "Satisfactory Achievement." He is married, with 6 children and a successful career in John Maxwell's organization and he found himself in a dangerous place. That place is the Secret Place of Satisfactory Success. Some call it "Being Asleep at the Wheel". On this episode, Chris shares: -About his own faith life - Life is better on the other side of YES! -The moment he realized he was stuck in Satisfactory Achievement -The 7 Step Framework to go From Drift to Drive And we talk about marriage, relationships, careers, infertility, miscarriage, parenting and more. "Unhappiness is not Knowing where you want to go and killing yourself to get there!" Check out the Challenge at the End to help you be a Better Man! Order Chris Robinson's Book From Drift to Drive HERE and get some Free Bonuses when you Pre-Order Join our FREE Facebook Group The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE Check out Comedian Michael Jr.'s Book HERE

Excited to share this episode with you. There are some emotional moments in this episode. Our guest this week is a Servant Leader who helps leaders win at work and win at home! I've seen Brian McRae positively impact hundreds of people that I know, including myself. For years I prayed for a mentor in my business life. God answered that prayer in spades in his time, not mine. Brian IS one of these mentors that God brought into my life. Truly an answered prayer. Study, practice and teach is a theme in this podcast. What's the best way that you learn? For me, it's when I teach. -Who do you spend time with? Who do you allow to influence your life and your decision making? -Do you have a mentor or faith group in your life? -Are you living for Success or Significance? Check out Galations 5:22 -What's one thing that I learned from Brian that I do everyday that I do every day that has helped my life and my marriage? -What is the new AI? We talk about how John Ruhlin (Giftology, friend and former guest on the podcast) was an Ambassador for Christ through his thoughts, words and actions and how he was able to weave Christ into conversations and plant seeds all the time. Yes, that IS Blake Brewer (Legacy Letter) in this episode's podcast picture with Brian and I. Brian introduced me to Blake years ago and I'm so grateful for that! CHALLENGE: Take Massive Action on one thing that you heard in this episode (especially the one that makes you the most uncomfortable)!!! -Are you in a business that would benefit from referrals? If so, here is a link to the Referrral Partner Transformation Course CLICK HERE Check out John Ruhlin's book Beyond Giftology HERE Check out Brian McRae's website HERE Join our FREE The Journey of a Christian Dad Facebook Group HERE

Emily Wilson wrote Sincerely Stoneheart, which is a book that helps us understand what plays the enemy uses to harden your wife's heart. Emily has been involved with ministry with women for 14 years, taught high school girls and is now an author whose target audience is Christian women. She has learned that the enemy works on women in very specific ways. And by reading her books, we can learn how to understand our wive's better. This understanding will help us be more empathetic, give us more patience and also help us love our wives better. -A tender heart is not weak. The enemy wants women's heart to be hardened and cold. -The enemy wants our wife to feel like a victim. -Why do women take so many things personally? -What are some lies that the enemy uses on young girls? Check out Emily Wilson's Website HERE Buy the new book Sincerely Stoneheart HERE Join our FREE Facebook group The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE Check out my wife's book Never Will I Ever HERE. This book helps kids learn the value of perservearance and coming to terms with their own limitations.

Matt Hammitt joins us this week with some stories a lot of us can relate to. He's married and has four children and his son was born with half of a heart. He's the former lead singer of Sanctus Real from 1996-2016. At the beginning, his wife was on the tour with the band. He details His book Lead Me: Finding Courage to Fight for Your Marriage, Children and Faith is very vulnerable talking about the challenges of being on the road without your wife and family, his son almost dying when he was born, not knowing how to deal with marital conflict, imposter syndrome and more. Even though Matt and I talk about some difficulties that we've experienced, we bonded and laughed often throughout this episode. -What should you do when your wife "TRIGGERS" you? -How do you and your wife Grieve? -When you are going through -Does your wife want you to lead your family? -What words has Matt used to work through Imposter Syndome? -Where did the song Lead Me come from? -Is who we hope to be really how people we love see us? CHALLENGE: Do an Audit of your life. Who we are versus who we want to be? What's keeping me from walking it out today? Check out Matt Hammitt's website HERE And check out his new song No Matter the Cost. It's really good. Check out the tour that Matt is on with Kirk Cameron and also check out the great kid's books HERE JOIN our FREE Facebook group for Dads at The Journey of a Christian Dad click HERE Check out my wife and daughter's books on Amazon HERE Check out a book I contributed to called Notes From Dad HERE

So excited to have Andy Archer with us today. He's a 27 year old Starting Pitcher for the Savannah Bananas. He tells us the journey through college, the dissapointment about the minor league draft, joining the workforce and then into how teaching a group of kids at Sunday School changed his life. As I talked with Andy, I put myself in his shoes and also thought about what his parents thought about the decisions he made in his life. -risks he took -surfing on lunch break -living a comfortable life vs living a life with purpose and using your God giving abilities -reading the Bible cover to cover -living away from all of his family and looking for ways to serve -how can you catch your kids imagination and be influenced by things that are good, true and beautiful Some questions to ponder: -when are times of life when someone can be depressed? -what do you do when you feel like your sin makes you not worthy of God's love? -what are some of the hardest words to say? Something I'm focused on is finding ways to have fun with my wife and daughters and also having fun while we are together. Whether we are playing sports, watching videos, doing houswork, going on an adventure day or just hanging out, it's important for me remember to have fun, laugh and connecting with my family. I wanted to record this podcast as a reminder for us dads to have FUN! Sometimes fun requires us to be uncomfortable. Andy talks about how he was below average dancer and one of the things he loves the most is the choreographed dancing that the Bananas do. He tells a cool story about doing the "Thunderstruck" dance. His story made me think about when I relax and am goofy with my family and let go of caring about being judged by other people. The Savannah Bananas are a lot of fun! Check them out in person with your family and on YouTube! Challenge: Have a conversation with one of your guy friends and read the same chapter of the Bible and discuss what each of you got out of it. Connect with Andy Archer and watch some cool videos on Instragram HERE Check out the Savannah Bananas HERE Join our FREE Facebook Group The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE

Trent Talbot joins us this week to talk about how he went from being a doctor to quitting his job and starting a book publishing company. The movie Cuties came out and he had a young daughter and Trent knew something had to be done. He was newly married, but had the idea to quit his job and start a company that creates books that capture children's imagination and attention. -Have you ever had an idea, but knew your wife would push back? -How did you know whether you should start the business and keep going? -What is something you can do to surprise your wife and have her see your leadership? -What is "Christian Cringe"? -What are you doing to help your children's moral development? We talk about some of the authors: a mafia crime boss, Hercules, Kirk Cameron and Trail Life are some of the authors. Trent talk about a goal he has everyday with his kids besides read books. He's got a simple goal of playing with each of his kids for at least 10 minutes. Trent also shares what life is like with 4 kids under 5 years old and what he does to prioritize his wife. He shares that he could do a lot better in this area. I thought it was cool that Trent was open, transparent and vulnerable about this part of his life. Challenge: Connect with your wife kids and connect with them about ideas and truth this week! Talk about a book or video with them. Brave Books has a subscription model and they are launching Brave Plus that will be a free video platform that comes with your book subscription. Check out Brave Books website HERE Check out Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk HERE Join our FREE Facebook Group The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE Check out my wife's children's books and journals HERE Please rate the podcast on Apple Podcast or Audible. I'll read your review on an upcoming show! And if you have a topic or want to share anything with me, shoot me an email at TheChristianDadPodcast@gmail.com or message me on FB.

So excited to have Kirk Cameron on this episode!!! Love his personality, energy and humor! Yes, he busts my chops about the workout group that I am a part of, F3! I was not ready for him to go off script and... well, you'll hear! He was the star (Mike Seaver) of the TV show "Growing Pains" and the movie "Fireproof". Kirk also hosts The American Campfire Revival Podcast and has a new book that just came out called Born to Be Brave. He also has a new TV show coming out Feb 18th called Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk! This show is to help ignite your kids imagination for the good. Kirk was an Aethist and became Christian during the filming of Growing Pains and how this created challenges when he was 17 years old and trying to promote good. He said he learned how God opens some doors and he closes some doors. He talks about the total disaster his life could have become from money, riches, wanting to belong, fame, success, etc. -When challenged, default to Sincerety and Truth -God Hates Lying Lips -Default to Truth and Love -Disagree without Hating each other (Civil Discourse) What does it mean to be a Reporter or a Reformer? Are you sensing that America is craving change and a Christian Revival? Kirk Cameron is on tour right now, the tour is called Strong Families, Strong Communities. Go see him! I'm excited to meet him and hear more about helping expand the Kingdom. On this week's episode we also get to hear about a man who who was known by the names: Ronnie Epps, Ron Epps, "Short Change", dad, grandpa, and lots more. Some things to think about as you listen to this episode? -Do you begin with the end in mind? -What do you do consistently to help get you to where you want to go? -What are 3 things you would like to be said about you at your funeral? -What did the pastor mean when he said Ronnie took people from Stranger, to friend to accomplice? Challenge: Take an hour or two to think about your Vision for you life and write it down. Check out Kirk Cameron's new book Born to Be Brave HERE Check out Aventures with Iggy and Mr Kirk HERE Join our FREE Facebook Community The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE Check out the World's Funniest Dad Book for Kids, Nate Saves the World HERE

Be A Hero At Home with "Dr. Phil", counselor and F3 OG - Episode 125

Pastor, Author, Family Man and General Contractor, Scott Holloway joins us today to talk about Striving for the Masteries: Fulfulling Your Purpose and Potential through the Passionate Pursuit of Jesus Christ. Scott vulnerably shares a story about his wife crying because she thought her new husband couldn't provide enough money for them AND that he would never be able to provide a decent income. From this day, Scott worked on developing himself so that he could become the man God intended him to be. The Biblical phrase "Striving for tthe Masteries" speaks of the athlete's pursuit of excellence, and is applied in the Bible to our running the race of life as we pursue the moral and personal excellence of Christlikeness. Just as with any athlete, we can only achieve excellence as we are temporate in all things. (1 Cor 9:25) Striving for the Masteries is a great book to read through and also use the Free Worksheets that you can download online to assess where you are at and to envision your potential to live the abundant, victorious, purposeful life that God created and redeemed you to experience. Thank you for listening to this episode and sharing the podcast with other dads on The Journey! Check out Scott's book HERE Download the free Worksheets HERE Join our FREE Facebook group, The Journey of a Christian Dad HERE Want to get some Christmas gifts and support my wife and daughter? Check out their children's books and journals HERE ***My wife's book "Nate Saves the World" is the funniest Dad Joke kid book ever!***

Don Beebe was the first player to be a part of 6 Super Bowl teams and is famous for chasing down Leon Lett. Deion Sanders and Don Beebe both had the combine record of 4.25 in the 40. Don shares the behind the scene story when he was at the combine. Insane! So many miracle stories in Don's story. Out of football for 3 years, one of the colleges that had recruited him out of high school called and asked if he'd come back and play. His grandfather was not a good man, but Don's dad succeeded as a dad even though he had an awful father. He changed the Legacy of the Beebe name. After he retired from football, he created The House of Speed and has trained over 200,000 athletes. He coached high school and won state championships and he is now the head coach at Aurora University. He was able to sign a 10 year contract and demanded some specific things to be included in his contract. -Why do bad things happen to good people? Romans 8:28 -Why did Don run down Leon Lett in the SuperBowl? -What is the #1 attribute we need to be a great leader? -How do we know if we are actually a Man of God? -What's something you learned from legendary coach Marv Levy? -How does revenge affect you and what are the ripple effects? Some of my takeaways: "If it's about playing time, then we don't have a relationship." "What you are at home IS what you really are." "Discipline out of love" "Character will be revealed in every game you play." "Things are Caught not Taught." "Sin will keep you from this book." "It's important that you know the playbook. If you don't know the playbook, you can't perform in life." Check out Don's website HERE Order Don's new devotional In His Image HERE Join our FREE Facebook group of Journey Dads HERE Christmas Gift Idea: Let me know if you buy one of my wife's children's books. I'd love to thank you for supporting her. Here is the Amazon link to the funniest Dad Joke kid's book in the world (Nate Saves the World) HERE By my book, Notes from Dad (I'm a contributing author) HERE