Dudes Without Dads Podcast

Joshua Brown

Dudes Without Dads is a podcast for men who grew up without a father—and are determined to become the dad they never had. Hosted by Joshua Brown, this movement is built on real stories, raw conversations, and the belief that your past doesn’t define your legacy. Each episode brings together powerful testimonies, expert insights, and practical wisdom to help you break cycles, heal from wounds, and lead with love. Whether you’re a young dad trying to figure it out, a grown man still wrestling with the silence of your childhood, or someone who feels disqualified—this show is for you. No shame. No sugarcoating. Just hope, healing, and a brotherhood of men becoming better fathers, husbands, and sons. 🔁 New episodes every week — including roundtable talks, guest interviews, and spiritual insights. 📍 Part of the As You Go Network — a movement to make disciples where we live, work, and play.

  1. 4d ago

    Kyle Lee: From the Ring to the Cross

    Kyle Lee — better known as "Crazy Kyle" — walks Joshua through one of the wildest, most redemptive testimonies we've ever recorded. From childhood martial arts to Xanax addiction, MMA cage fights, a near-suicide, a friend's suicide, a mission trip to Haiti, and a moment at 2:30 in the morning outside a Catholic church when he heard the voice of God — Kyle's story is proof that Jesus really does show up. ⏱️ Chapters:  00:00 - Intro / Kyle's Testimony  02:48 - Meet Kyle: Born Christmas Eve 1986  03:14 - Bruce Lee & The Start of Martial Arts  05:36 - Moving to Portland, TN  07:14 - The Wannabe Gangster Years  08:44 - The Car Fight With Dad  11:48 - Reconciliation at Chick-fil-A  16:16 - Losing Faith, Xanax & the Dark Years  24:00 - Almost Ending It All  25:00 - A Friend Takes His Life  31:16 - Watching Rocky Before the Fight  32:35 - The Apostolic Church — "The God Punch"  40:40 - Mission Trip to Haiti  52:46 - The Elderly Woman's Prophecy  58:00 - Getting Full Custody of His Kids  62:00 - The Man Dying at Walmart  64:00 - TobyMac & the 10-Mile Run  67:12 - The Rosary & the Fever That Broke  70:57 - "Two and a Half" — Mother Mary's Voice  74:30 - Our Lady of the Lake — God's Voice at 2:30 AM  79:01 - The Guardian Angel Memory  88:00 - Living in the Spiritual Foxhole  89:30 - Closing Prayer 🔗 Resources:  Legion Jiu-Jitsu (Nashville): where Kyle teaches  Arms of Hope Ministry (Haiti): https://www.armsofhope.org Apply to be a guest on the show: https://www.DudesWithoutDadsPodcast.com 🎙️ Listen to Dudes Without Dads: https://www.DudesWithoutDadsPodcast.com 📲 Join the Movement: https://www.dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com New episodes every Thursday. Subscribe, share, and get this to the man who needs it. #DudesWithoutDads #CrazyKyleLee #Testimony #Redemption #MMA #JiuJitsu #FatherWound #FromAddictionToFreedom #ChristianMen #BecomeTheDadYouNeverHad #MensMinistry #ChristianPodcast #BreakTheCycle #HeardGodsVoice #Deliverance fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

  2. Sep 17

    Pastor Jason: Rejected by His Father, Called by the Father

    Pastor Jason grew up without his dad and once heard his own father say, "I don't have a son named Jason." On this episode of Dudes Without Dads, he shares how God rewrote his story — from a broken home to the pulpit — and how every fatherless son can go get the blessing. ⏱️ Chapters:  00:00 - Intro  01:48 - Meet Pastor Jason  03:05 - Before the Divorce  09:29 - "Who Would You Rather Live With?"  11:18 - The Friday Dad Never Showed  17:51 - Doug: The Man Who Kept Showing Up  21:52 - Grandfather Pat Paul Smith  26:16 - Living Alone at 17  29:34 - January 22, 2002 — Meeting Jesus  31:48 - Called to Preach With a Speech Impediment  35:55 - "I Don't Have a Son Named Jason"  37:16 - The Letter That Took a Month to Write  45:25 - The Blessing (Matthew 3:17)  47:00 - Closing Prayer 🔗 Resources:  Apply to be a guest: https://www.DudesWithoutDadsPodcast.com Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis: https://www.amazon.com 🎙️ Listen to Dudes Without Dads: https://www.DudesWithoutDadsPodcast.com 📲 Join the Movement: https://www.dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com New episodes every Thursday. Subscribe, share, and get this to the man who needs it. #DudesWithoutDads #FatherWound #FatherlessMen #Matthew317 #TheBlessing #ChristianMen #BecomeTheDadYouNeverHad fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

  3. Sep 3

    Chip Pugh: Made to Win — The 6 Skills Every Man Needs

    What it means to be Made to Win — and why the trophy isn't the point Why you don't need a pulpit to be in ministry The Westminster Abbey tomb inscription that changes how you think about impact The 6 SKILLS every man needs to live on purpose: Speak, Know, Invest, Lift, Live, Share How the meaning of your name can rewire your identity ("Charles" = free man) What "the blessing" is and how to go get it — even at your father's grave How investing in ONE person can change a nation Chad Brinker's Super Bowl moment — and why the pinnacle felt hollow ⏱️ Chapters:  00:00 - Intro  00:22 - Meet Chip Pew, Chaplain of the Tennessee Titans  04:39 - Ministry Outside the Pulpit  09:25 - The Westminster Abbey Tomb Quote  11:42 - The Penny Illustration  14:19 - What Does Winning Actually Look Like?  17:10 - Chad Brinker's Super Bowl Moment  22:14 - The SKILLS Framework Introduced  27:38 - The Power of Your Name — Charles = Free Man  33:44 - The Emmanuel Story  35:38 - The Blessing Every Son Needs  36:31 - Joshua's Grave-Side Moment  38:00 - Invest in the One  43:21 - Where to Get Made to Win 45:46 - Final Word: You Were Made to Win 🔗 Resources:  Made to Win by Chip Pew (bulk-order promo): https://www.oakspress.com Made to Win on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com Apply to be a guest on the show: https://www.DudesWithoutDadsPodcast.com 🎙️ Listen to Dudes Without Dads: https://www.DudesWithoutDadsPodcast.com 📲 Join the Movement: https://www.dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com New episodes every Thursday. Subscribe, share, and get this to the man who needs it. #DudesWithoutDads #MadeToWin #ChipPew #TennesseeTitans #NFLChaplain #BiblicalManhood #ChristianMen #FatherWound #FatherBlessing #BecomeTheDadYouNeverHad #MensMinistry #ChristianPodcast #Discipleship #B1MakeOne #ChadBrinker fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

  4. Aug 20

    Dr. Wayne Chappelle: Father Wounds & the Wingman Every Man Needs

    Dr. Wayne Chappelle ("Dr. C") is the psychologist trusted by NBA stars, Olympic gold medalists, and elite Special Operations — and co-author of Heal Your Hurting Mind with Craig Groeschel (#5 NYT Bestseller). In this episode, he brings that clinical wisdom to the men Joshua serves every week: guys who grew up without a dad, or with one who did more damage than good. Dr. C breaks down what father wounds actually do to the brain, why every man has them, and how to move from victim to survivor. He walks through the diamond analogy, why Michael Phelps ended up in a hospital bed after 20 gold medals, and lays out the concept of the wingman — the brother who will punch you in the face because he loves you. What you'll learn: ▪️ What high performers hide behind closed doors ▪️ Why walls protect you for a season — then cost you your family ▪️ Victim vs. survivor — helplessness vs. hopefulness ▪️ The diamond analogy: how pressure creates value ▪️ Michael Phelps and the hollowness of the trophy ▪️ Nietzsche vs. Frankl — pleasure vs. purpose ▪️ The wingman every man needs and how to find one ▪️ Tony Cardello: from federal prison to one of the strongest men in Kansas City ▪️ Why provision without presence is still emotional absence ▪️ Romans 8:28 and 8:38–39 — the closing word every man needs to hear Get the book: 📖 Heal Your Hurting Mind — Craig Groeschel & Dr. Wayne Chappelle (#5 NYT Bestseller) Dudes Without Dads — training men to become the dads they never had. 🌐 dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com 📅 New episodes every Thursday 🙋‍♂️ Apply to be a guest — dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com 👍 If this hit home, hit like, subscribe, and share with a brother today. "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17 fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

  5. Aug 13

    Pastor Brandon Petty: A Journey Through the Wilderness — Childhood Trauma, the Ministry Mask & Finding Freedom | Dudes Without Dads

    Pastor Brandon Petty returns to Dudes Without Dads for a raw, deeply honest conversation about his new book A Journey Through the Wilderness — releasing August 11. Brandon is the lead pastor of Generation Church, a fast-growing congregation in a small farming town north of Nashville, and founder of the Landmark Association, a network of churches committed to pastor and church health. Brandon opens up about the severe sexual and physical abuse he suffered between the ages of 8 and 10, the identity that was formed underneath the shame, and the years he spent running from his story while building a ministry that was blessed beyond his character. He shares the 2015 moment when God stopped him from running — when he came face to face with his abuser — and the solitude sabbatical that finally began his healing. Joshua and Brandon talk about the difference between a memory and a monument, why your family of origin is part of your sanctification, why every man wants to be fully known but fears it more than anything, and what it looks like to live for fruit instead of achievement. In this episode: Why the years between 8 and 10 shape a man more than his teenage yearsThe abuse Brandon endured — and what "love" was distorted to meanMemory vs. monument: how we turn wounds into shrines and stay stuckReconciling with a father who wasn't there — and baptizing him before he diedThe ministry mask: being blessed beyond your characterAchievement vs. fruit — and why nobody will talk about your achievements at your funeralThe 2015 moment God forced him to stop runningThe solitude sabbatical that changed everythingWhat Mother Teresa said about prayer — and why it wrecked BrandonHis new book A Journey Through the Wilderness and the roadmap at the endGet the book & connect with Pastor Brandon: 📖 A Journey Through the Wilderness — releases August 11 on Amazon 📸 Instagram: @BePettyGC 📘 Facebook: Brandon Petty ⛪ Generation Church — Portland, TN 🔗 Landmark Association — landmarkassociation.com Connect with Dudes Without Dads: 🌐 dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com 📅 New episodes every Thursday 🙋‍♂️ Apply to be a guest at dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17 fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

  6. Jul 30

    Carl Thomas: The Top 5 Questions Men Ask About Porn — Addiction, Shame, the Brain & How to Actually Break Free | Dudes Without Dads

    This week on Dudes Without Dads, Joshua sits down with Carl Thomas — founder and executive director of Live Free Ministries and CEO of XXXchurch.com — for a straight-talking conversation about the one topic most men will never bring up in the lobby: pornography. Joshua brings the top 5 questions men are actually asking themselves — the ones typed into search bars at 2 a.m. — and Carl answers them with the compassion of a brother who's been there and the clarity of an expert who's spent 20+ years in this fight. Carl opens up about his own recovery, the moment his hidden father wounds surfaced as full-blown panic disorder years into ministry, and why the answer isn't "just love Jesus more." Joshua and Carl unpack the neuroscience of compulsive behavior (why "just stop it" doesn't work), why pornography is a "cure" for something deeper, the difference between white-knuckling and true agency, why shame is the fuel of addiction (not the solution), and the practical first step every man listening can take today. In this episode: Why an estimated 50% of men — and 30-40% of pastors — are struggling with pornographyThe real question isn't "what is porn?" — it's "what is porn for me?"Dysregulation: why porn is almost never actually about sex or lustAttachment wounds, father wounds, and how the brain learns to "regulate" through compulsionThe window of tolerance and why rational thinking goes offline in a craving momentWhy "just pray harder" from the pulpit hurts more than it helpsThe Body Keeps the Score principle: remove the cure without healing the cause, and something worse takes its placeHow 60–90 days of sobriety actually rewires the brain — and what it doesn't fixThe goal isn't the absence of temptation — it's the agency to chooseCarl's #1 next step for any man ready to break free: get connectedConnect with Dudes Without Dads: 🌐 dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com 📅 New episodes every Thursday 🙋‍♂️ Apply to be a guest at dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com Learn more about Carl & the Rewired course: 🔗 rewired.x3pure.com 🔗 xxxchurch.com "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17 fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

  7. Jul 23

    Why Don't They Love Me?" — James Ludeman on 36 Years Without a Father, Approval Addiction & Being Asked "Will You Be My Dad?" | Dudes Without Dad

    This week on Dudes Without Dads, Joshua welcomes James Ludeman — a 36-year-old husband and father of two from St. Petersburg, Florida, now living outside Nashville, Tennessee. James has never met his biological father. He was raised by his grandmother, grew up surrounded by addiction and abandonment, and later found faith in Christ on a missions trip at 15. James opens up about the "why don't they love me?" question that shaped his childhood, the approval addiction and pornography struggle that followed, and the rock-bottom moment at 21 that turned his life around. He shares how God met him in Jackson, Mississippi — and how, years later, a little girl asking "Will you be my dad?" changed everything. Today, James is a husband of nearly 10 years and the adoptive father of two. Joshua and James talk honestly about fatherlessness, faith, forgiveness, and what it takes for a man to break the cycle he was handed and become the father he never had. Connect with Dudes Without Dads: 🌐 dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com 📅 New episodes every Thursday 🙋‍♂️ Apply to be a guest at dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17 fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

  8. Jul 16

    Is This Where I Come to Get a Dad?" — Ron Hauenstein on the Orphan Spirit, Broken Homes & the 24/7 Dad Cure | Dudes Without Dads

    August 2019. A warm Saturday night at a Spokane neighborhood fair. Ron Hauenstein is manning a booth alone when three 15-year-olds walk up. Before Ron can say a word, the girl asks him three questions in a row: "Is this where I come to get a dad?" "What do I have to do to get a dad?" "Will you be my dad?" Her father, she said, was "a druggie with seven kids who doesn't mean anything to him." That's the reality Ron has been staring down for a decade. This week on Dudes Without Dads, Joshua sits with Ron Hauenstein — founder and Executive Director of the Spokane Fatherhood Initiative (SpoFI) — for one of the most sobering and hopeful conversations we've had on the show. In 1960, only 5 out of every 100 American babies were born outside marriage. Today it's over 50%. Among first-time moms 25 and younger, it's roughly 80%. Ron didn't just watch it happen — he set out to do something about it. Since 2018, SpoFI has issued 700+ certificates of completion through their 24/7 Dad classes: 24 hours of instruction over 6 weeks, evidence-based, with the first four lessons pointed inward before a single "tool" is handed out. What Joshua and Ron unpack in this episode: 🕰️ How three shifts — no-fault divorce, the pill, and the workforce reshuffle — dismantled the covenant of home 🏠 Why kids today don't have a "home" anymore — just "my dad's apartment" and "my mom's house" 💔 The orphan spirit — what it is, how it forms, and 6 ways to know you're carrying it 😤 Why anger is really about security and shame is really about significance 📚 The 24/7 Dad curriculum — how men come in defeated and leave changed (without being told what to change) 🙏 James's story — separated from his four kids for 7 years, reunited after God got a hold of him 👨‍👧 The four-year-old who told her dad: "You don't get mad at us anymore. You don't yell at us like you used to." ✝️ Ron's personal turning point in Bible Study Fellowship — the identity shift from "a sinner saved by grace" to "a saint saved by grace who sins" 🇺🇸 A history moment you didn't know: Spokane is the birthplace of Father's Day (1910, Sonora Smart-Dodd) ⛓️ The stat every listener needs to hear: a child raised without a father is 20 times more likely to end up in prison Ron's closing word for every man listening: "There's a hole in you — and a hole in your children's hearts — that can only be filled by a father, or your Heavenly Father." Connect with Dudes Without Dads: 🌐 dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com 📅 New episodes every Thursday 🙋‍♂️ Apply to be a guest at dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com Learn more about Ron & take the class: 🔗 spofi.org — 24/7 Dad classes are on Zoom, six times a year, $20 refundable deposit 🔗 fatherhood.org — buy the 24/7 Dad curriculum and start it in your own town 🔗 fathers.com — Ken Canfield's Seven Secrets of Effective Fathers (free online course) If this episode marks you, do three things: leave a rating and review, share it with one brother who needs to hear it, and subscribe so you don't miss what's next. "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17 fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

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5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Dudes Without Dads is a podcast for men who grew up without a father—and are determined to become the dad they never had. Hosted by Joshua Brown, this movement is built on real stories, raw conversations, and the belief that your past doesn’t define your legacy. Each episode brings together powerful testimonies, expert insights, and practical wisdom to help you break cycles, heal from wounds, and lead with love. Whether you’re a young dad trying to figure it out, a grown man still wrestling with the silence of your childhood, or someone who feels disqualified—this show is for you. No shame. No sugarcoating. Just hope, healing, and a brotherhood of men becoming better fathers, husbands, and sons. 🔁 New episodes every week — including roundtable talks, guest interviews, and spiritual insights. 📍 Part of the As You Go Network — a movement to make disciples where we live, work, and play.

Information

  • Creator
    Joshua Brown
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Dudes Without Dads Podcast
  • Show Website
    Dudes Without Dads Podcast

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