DadAwesome

Your emotional detachment might be quietly wounding the people you love most.
In PART 2 of our Father's Day LOOK-BACK, Jeff resurfaces five more conversations that hit different the second time around.
✅ Why your kids can feel when you've checked out emotionally
✅ How to stop pointing your kids to yourself as the source of life
✅ The dad who never raised his voice and what it did to his son
✅ What "unhurried presence" actually looks like in everyday moments
✅ The hard truth about emotional regulation every dad needs to hear
INVITATION
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SUMMARY
In Part 2 of this Father's Day look-back series, Jeff Zaugg resurfaces five more powerful conversations from the past dad year, featuring Jeremy Pryor, Ted Cunningham, Pastor Tim Timberlake, Mac Lake, and Seth Dahl. The clips cover a dad's superpower of emotional detachment and how it can quietly wound the people he loves most, the faulty input-output theory of parenting and why God is the only true source of life, the transformative power of tone and speaking to the king in your child instead of the fool, the gift of unhurried presence and what it looks like to truly savor your kids, and the hard truth that a man who can't regulate his emotions forces his family to do it for him. This episode is a flyover packed with activation, challenge, and the kind of dad wisdom that sticks.
KEY QUOTES
"My kids can actually feel that. Like, if something were to happen to me, I think dad would be the least affected." — Jeremy Pryor, Ep. 415
"My source is Jesus, not you." — Ted Cunningham, Ep. 417
"In us we have both a fool and a king. The one that you address is the one that will respond." — Pastor Tim Timberlake, Ep. 424
"A posture of unhurried presence. So often we are present with our kids, but we're not present with our kids." — Mac Lake, Ep. 435
"A man who can't regulate his emotions forces his wife and kids to do it for him." — Seth Dahl, Ep. 429
TAKEAWAYS
Your emotional detachment is a superpower that can become a weapon. Dads are wired to disconnect under pressure, and that's often a gift. But when that same skill gets used to keep your family at arm's length, your kids feel it. The question isn't how attached you feel. It's whether they feel attached to you.
You were never meant to be the source. Pouring into your kids so they pour back into you is a trap. Your job, according to Deuteronomy 6, is to point them every single day to the only true source of life. Fire yourself. Fire your kids. God in heaven is the source.
Tone is one of the greatest gifts a dad can give. Pastor Tim Timberlake's father never raised his voice, never disciplined from anger or frustration, and the love in his tone did the convicting. Your size, your volume, your first response, those things mark your kids. Speak to the king in them, not the fool.
Unhurried presence is a posture, not a schedule. Mac Lake leaves adult conversations to throw a football for 60 minutes if that's what his grandkids want. The shift is simple but hard: let your kids be the thing that matters most in the moment, not an interruption to what actually matters.
Emotional self-control is a fruit your family gets to eat. When you're getting triggered by your six-year-old, you're not parenting. You're asking them to regulate you. The Holy Spirit wants to grow self-control in you so your family is nourished by it. Your heart is upstream to everything in your home.
LINKS
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Jeremy Pryor — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/415
Ted Cunningham — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/417
Pastor Tim Timberlake — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/424
Seth Dahl — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/429
Mac Lake — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/435

_*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> It's Father's Day week and we're doing something special.
In Part 1 of The Dad Year Lookback, Jeff Zaugg revisits five conversations that stirred something deeper this year, featuring Dave Brickey, Lance Welch, Dr. Jake Smith, Chris Cirullo, and Craig Allen Cooper.
✅ Why your weakness as a dad might be your greatest strength
✅ The difference between raising kids in the gap vs. the gain
✅ How to stop dismissing your own feelings before you dismiss your kids'
✅ God's call for dads to be bringers of order, not complainers of disorder
✅ The secret gift of a minivan that turned an atheist toward Jesus
You don't have to do the miracles. You just have to be tight with the man who did. 🙏

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SUMMARY
In this Father's Day special, Jeff Zaugg revisits five of the most impactful conversations from the past "dad year"... Featuring voices like Pastor Dave Brickey, Dr. Jake Smith, and Craig Allen Cooper. The clips explore the transformative power of fatherly weakness and repentance, the damage of performance-based parenting, the importance of emotional self-awareness, the biblical call to create order in family life, and the ripple effect of quiet, Jesus-fueled generosity. It's a looking-back episode that's really about looking up — because the best thing a dad can do for his kids is stay close to the One who can do what we can't.
TAKEAWAYS
Your weakness as a dad is not a liability — it's a bridge. When you humbly repent and admit you need Jesus, your kids see who their real Savior is.
Raising kids in "the gap" (measuring what they fell short of) creates a performance identity that damages their sense of worth. Celebrate the gain — the progress they've made.
Defensiveness and dismissiveness toward your kids often starts with dismissing your own feelings. Learning to name what's going on inside you is the first step to staying steady.
God designed dads to be bringers of order — not complainers of disorder. Reverse engineer a family vision, create systems, and name the chaos so your kids can learn to do the same.
You don't have to do the miracles. You just have to be tight with the man who did. Small, unseen acts of generosity done close to Jesus can change the trajectory of another family forever.





_*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> QUOTES
"My strength points my kids to me as their savior, but my weakness points them to who my savior is." — Pastor Dave Brickey, Ep. 391
"You lead with your strengths, but you connect through your weaknesses." — Pastor Dave Brickey, Ep. 391
"My heavenly Father has set the scoreboard to infinity." — Jeff Zaugg, reflecting on Ep. 394 with Lance Welch
"I don't get to choose what feelings I have. I only choose what I do with them." — Dr. Jake Smith, Ep. 398
"He can't walk on water — but he just might be tight with the man that did." — Walker Hayes (via Craig Allen Cooper, Ep. 418)
LINKS
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Dave Brickey — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/391
Lance Welch — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/394
Dr. Jake Smith — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/398
Chris Cirullo — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/410
Craig Allen Cooper — https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/418

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There's NO scoreboard for a healthy marriage—and no quarterly report on your kids' souls. 📊🚫
Gabe Biedenbaugh is back for Part 2, and this conversation goes deep on what really matters at home.
✅ Why chasing a "scoreboard" at home is a trap (and what to measure instead)
✅ Covering your daughters vs. sending out your sons—a powerful picture of spiritual authority
✅ The eulogy drill: a simple exercise that will change how you lead your family
True legacy isn't how you're remembered. It's what your family still does when you're gone. 🔥
SUMMARY
There's no quarterly report for your marriage and no scoreboard for your kids' souls—so why do so many dads keep looking for one? In part two of this conversation, Gabe Biedenbaugh exposes the scoreboard trap and shares the vision statements that guide his marriage and parenting. Plus, he unpacks a powerful perspective on covering your daughters versus sending out your sons, and why true legacy isn't how you're remembered—it's what your family still does when you're gone.
TAKEAWAYS
It's a trap to look for a scoreboard at home. Winning at home is consistency, owning your mistakes, and asking for forgiveness quickly.
The best gift you can give your children is a healthy marriage. Aim to be more in love when your kids leave than you are right now.
Sons are sent out to start new families; daughters remain under their father's spiritual covering until that authority is transferred at the wedding.
The foundation of your life matters far more than the facade. A bridge that looks good but lacks integrity is a bridge no one should cross.
Identity is not something to be discovered—it's something to be received from God.
Legacy isn't how you're remembered. It's what your family still carries on—in faith, discipline, and character—when you're gone.
GUEST
Gabe Biedenbaugh is a pastor, men's ministry leader, and the founder of The Forge, an online ministry helping men find clear, God-given direction for their lives. Every Friday, he sends out his "Forge Fridays" email, and he created the 21 Days guided reset to help men establish direction and become who God designed them to be. Gabe and his wife have four children—three sons and a daughter—and live in St. Augustine, Florida.
QUOTES
"There is no scoreboard for a healthy marriage. There's no quarterly report of how your kids are doing in their soul." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
"Winning at home is being consistent at home." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
"The best gift you can give your children is a healthy marriage." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
"The foundation matters so much more than what you put on the facade." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
"Identity is not something to be discovered—it's something to be received." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
"Legacy is not how you're remembered. It's what your family still does when you're gone." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
"I want dads to be tough and tender." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
"Motivation can last for a season, but motivation will not sustain you. Inspiration will." — Gabe Biedenbaugh
LINKS
Join the DadAwesome Prayer Team: Text "pray" to (651) 370-8618

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

7-Day Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

DadAwesome Podcast: dadawesome.org/podcast

Free Chapter + Intro Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

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

DADAWESOME book: dadawesome.org/book

Gabe Biedenbaugh's Substack - THE FORGE- https://theforgemen.substack.com/

Reverb Church

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SUMMARY
Pastor Gabe Biedenbaugh opens up about the generational faith handed down to him, the shame that nearly disqualified him from his calling, and the "you're not enough" lie so many men carry. In part one of this Father's Day conversation, he shows why vulnerability, brotherhood, and a heart to serve are the way home.
TAKEAWAYS
The legacy of faith can start with one man stepping in — Gabe's grandfather died young, and other men fathered his dad.
Shame attacks your identity; conviction shows you the way out, condemnation just says you're the problem.
Beat the lie head-on: "I'm not enough, but Christ in me is more than enough."
Vulnerability in real brotherhood is where men get unstuck and find freedom.
A dad living free brings joy home; serving (not being served) is the posture — "leaders are into towels, not titles."
QUOTES
"Satan's goal isn't to tell you a blatant lie — it's to tell you something so close to the truth you believe it."
"My job isn't to fill someone else's cup — it's to empty mine, and let God do what He wants with it."
"Conviction says you've made a mistake, but here's the way out. Condemnation says, no — you're the problem."
"When you have shame in your life, it impacts the way you bring your best, or lack thereof, to your family."
"I want to walk into my home with the attitude of Jesus, who took off his garment to wash feet."
LINKS
Join the DadAwesome Prayer Team: Text "pray" to (651) 370-8618

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort

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

7-Day Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

DadAwesome Podcast: dadawesome.org/podcast

Free Chapter + Intro Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

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

DADAWESOME book: dadawesome.org/book

Gabe Biedenbaugh's Substack - THE FORGE- https://theforgemen.substack.com/

Reverb Church

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SUMMARY
Most men are getting lived by their lives instead of actually living them. In this conversation, Alan Briggs unpacks how a life of constant escape leaves us empty at the end of the day, and what it looks like to design something we can actually engage with instead. From Yes Days with your kids to preparing for the car ride home the way you'd prepare for a business meeting, Alan brings practical insight that will reshape how you show up as a dad this week.
TAKEAWAYS
---The best dads aren't the ones with the most time. They're the ones who prepare for the small moments with the same intentionality they bring to work.
---A coming of age year for your son doesn't require waking up at 4 a.m. It just requires showing up consistently and inviting other trusted men to speak life into him.
---Celebrate who your kids actually are instead of trying to make them love what you love. Curiosity is the doorway to connection.
---We were built for both meaningful work and real rest. Without a healthy theology of both, we swing between burnout and apathy.
---The question that changes everything: What is the good life for you and your family three years from now?
GUEST
Alan Briggs is a coach, author, and adventurer based in Colorado Springs. He runs two and a half companies, including a coworking space, and spends his days helping leaders find a lighter, more sustainable way to live and work. He's the author of multiple books, including his latest resource on anti-burnout, and the host of his own podcast for leaders. Alan and his wife are raising four kids ranging from 12 to 23, including two adopted children. He loves the mountains, disc golf with his son, and learning to cheer for his kids in the worlds they love most.
QUOTES
"Most men are getting lived by their lives. They are not living their lives. They are letting choices make them. They are not making intentional choices."
"I prepare for business meetings. Do I prepare that well for a date with my wife, a date with my daughter, a car ride? Almost always, no."
"You don't have to be up at 4 a.m. with your kid. You don't have to do it every day. But do something that affirms you've got what it takes."
"Celebrate exactly who they are and exactly what they love doing, instead of trying to make them love the things that you love doing."
"We are not the sum of what we carry. Our identity and who we are loved by is so much more important than what we are as dads."
LINKS
Join the DadAwesome Prayer Team: Text "pray" to (651) 370-8618

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort

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

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

7-Day Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

DadAwesome Podcast: dadawesome.org/podcast

Free Chapter + Intro Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org

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

Dad Awesome book: dadawesome.org/book

Alan Briggs - H2LEADERSHIP

Alan's BOOKS