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

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

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

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

#DadAwesome #christiandad #dadlife #parenting #dadpodcast #fatherhood #intentionalfatherhood #familyvalues
 
LINKS
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Vince Miller (on DadAwesome)

https://wildatheart.org/




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

Join the up coming DadAwesome ACCELERATOR Coaching Cohort: https://www.dadawesome.org/coaching
 
SUMMARY:
What happens when two dads strap GoPros to paddleboards and hit the lake at 5:45 in the morning? In this episode, Jeff sits down with longtime friend Tyler Van Eps for a raw, reflective conversation about intentional fatherhood, family rhythms, and what it looks like to lead your kids with purpose. From milestone trips to weekly family huddles to quarterly prayer rhythms, Tyler shares the experiments his family has been running...
FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS
Fatherhood moves through three distinct seasons of investment: physical, time, and emotional, and knowing which season you're in changes how you show up.
A weekly family huddle built around purpose, vision, and values gives your kids a compass they will eventually use to call out greatness in each other.
Milestone trips don't have to be expensive or elaborate because what your kids remember most is being pulled out of the normal lineup and seen as an individual.
The goal is not to control your family's calendar but to steward it, which means learning when to add things and when to subtract them without shame.
Adopting a posture of exploration in your fatherhood is far more sustainable than building rigid rules, because it invites your family into the journey with you.
TOP QUOTES
"Instead of being an amazing leader and a decent dad, I want to be an amazing dad and a decent leader."
"Follow Jesus, live with enthusiasm, and fight for family. The fight for family came out of, hey guys, we gotta stop fighting with our family and we gotta figure out a way to fight for our family."
"There has to be a surrender that's kind of fundamental to the way that you approach fatherhood and family and faith."
"Soaking in the moments of peace and allowing them to be there with the assumption that disruptions are around the corner."
"If I'm not a steward of the time God's given me with my kids, there are these core memories that I could just be blazing by without even realizing it."
GUEST
Tyler Van Eps is a husband, father of four, and Senior Vice President at the National Christian Foundation Twin Cities, where he serves families and business owners around the stewardship of generational wealth and kingdom-minded generosity. A longtime friend of the Dad Awesome community, Tyler has joined the show multiple times including a campfire conversation and a tree fort recording. He is passionate about leading with purpose, living with enthusiasm, and building a family culture rooted in faith. 
LINKS
Join Team Awesomeness (monthly support team) at any level from $7/month to $1000/month... We have 41 families committed to fueling the ministry DadAwesome as we head toward celebrating 9 years of AWESOMENESS this coming winter: https://www.dadawesome.org/give
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

Your emotional detachment might be quietly wounding the people you love most.
In PART 2 of our Father's Day LOOK-BACK, Jeff resurfaces five more conversations that hit different the second time around.
✅ Why your kids can feel when you've checked out emotionally
✅ How to stop pointing your kids to yourself as the source of life
✅ The dad who never raised his voice and what it did to his son
✅ What "unhurried presence" actually looks like in everyday moments
✅ The hard truth about emotional regulation every dad needs to hear
INVITATION
Join Team Awesomeness (monthly support team) at any level from $7/month to $1000/month... We have 41 families committed to fueling the ministry DadAwesome as we head toward celebrating 9 years of AWESOMENESS this coming winter: https://www.dadawesome.org/give
SUMMARY
In Part 2 of this Father's Day look-back series, Jeff Zaugg resurfaces five more powerful conversations from the past dad year, featuring Jeremy Pryor, Ted Cunningham, Pastor Tim Timberlake, Mac Lake, and Seth Dahl. The clips cover a dad's superpower of emotional detachment and how it can quietly wound the people he loves most, the faulty input-output theory of parenting and why God is the only true source of life, the transformative power of tone and speaking to the king in your child instead of the fool, the gift of unhurried presence and what it looks like to truly savor your kids, and the hard truth that a man who can't regulate his emotions forces his family to do it for him. This episode is a flyover packed with activation, challenge, and the kind of dad wisdom that sticks.
KEY QUOTES
"My kids can actually feel that. Like, if something were to happen to me, I think dad would be the least affected." — Jeremy Pryor, Ep. 415
"My source is Jesus, not you." — Ted Cunningham, Ep. 417
"In us we have both a fool and a king. The one that you address is the one that will respond." — Pastor Tim Timberlake, Ep. 424
"A posture of unhurried presence. So often we are present with our kids, but we're not present with our kids." — Mac Lake, Ep. 435
"A man who can't regulate his emotions forces his wife and kids to do it for him." — Seth Dahl, Ep. 429
TAKEAWAYS
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
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

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

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
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

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

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