The Generational Dad

Craig Foust and Matt Tilley
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We are two dads, husbands, and counselors that follow Jesus. Our mission is to help you be a great dad and husband in your family

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    What is confidence

    Biblical Confidence: Trusting the Lord Instead of Yourself Matt and Craig of The Generational Dad discuss what confidence should look like for a biblical man, contrasting Western “John Wayne” self-reliance with confidence rooted in God. Using Proverbs 3, they emphasize trusting the Lord rather than one’s own understanding, writing God’s wisdom on the heart, resisting envy and violence, doing good to neighbors, and recognizing that “the Lord will be your confidence.” They connect confidence to security, peace, and contentment rather than boasting or dominance, noting that relying on wealth, health, or other temporary supports produces anxiety and can collapse like Job’s losses or market instability. In Philippians 4, they explain “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” as Paul’s learned contentment in both need and abundance. They also reference Kevin DeYoung’s framework of God’s sovereign, moral, and specific will, urging obedience to Scripture, pursuit of wisdom, and living to glorify God. 00:00 What Confidence Means 01:46 Confidence at Home 03:34 Western Man Myth 05:30 Proverbs 3 Opens 09:57 Wisdom Heals 16:17 The Lord Your Confidence 19:17 Confidence Acts 26:03 Temporary vs Eternal 28:48 Envy and Confidence 29:31 Philippians 413 Misused 32:03 Contentment in Christ 34:22 Skating Rink Reminder 36:17 Modeling Godly Confidence 41:11 Gods Will Explained 42:09 Sovereign Moral Specific 48:50 Glorify God Daily 50:42 Phil Robertson Example 55:49 Jesus Our Confidence

  2. Nov 4

    Being a Man is Being a Servant (Biblical masculinity series Episode 7 completed)

    Servanthood Over Selfish Ambition: Humility, Fatherhood, and Biblical Self-Care (Philippians 2:3) Craig Foust and Matt Tilley discuss Philippians 2:3 and how difficult it is to live as a servant in everyday life, especially in family roles. They explore fighting selfish ambition, dying to self, and checking heart motives when serving to avoid bitterness, burnout, or seeking recognition and reciprocity. They describe teaching children to serve through shared household work, framing servanthood as including guidance and discipline, and pointing to Jesus as the suffering servant who serves both physical and spiritual needs. They critique common cultural ideas of “self-care” as often becoming selfish escape, arguing true self-care is seeking God in the middle of chaos through prayer and refocusing on Jesus. Craig shares practical examples from home life, routines, and noticing how time with God restores him. 00:00 Philippians 2 3 Intro 00:57 Serving Starts Inside 02:42 Delight Changes Desires 03:10 Parenting Motives Check 04:11 Dopamine And Selfishness 06:31 Serving Without Payback 09:11 Hidden Service And Humility 10:40 Teaching Kids To Serve 15:07 Discipline As Service 18:15 Jesus The Suffering Servant 20:52 Servants In Pop Culture 23:50 You Are Not The Hero 24:31 Helpers Not Heroes 25:25 Serving Over Self 26:58 Recognition Heart Check 27:47 Worth Beyond Works 29:11 Self Care Reframed 32:17 Seek God In Chaos 34:32 Rest Without Escaping 37:09 Serving As Family Culture 39:14 When God Feels Distant 42:04 Prayer In The Sauna 45:09 People Pleasing Teaser 45:39 Closing Encouragement

  3. Oct 20

    How do you read your bible when you don't have motivation to do it

    Reading the Bible Without Motivation: Using a Sober Mind to Guide Emotions Matt and Craig discuss how to read the Bible and practice spiritual disciplines when motivation is low, arguing that people are often driven by fluctuating emotions and physical exhaustion. They describe emotions as competing “drivers” in the body and define motivation as a force that points behavior toward relief or desire, then emphasize using a “sober mind” to choose which impulses to follow. Drawing from 1 Peter 1:13–16 on preparing the mind for action and holiness as being set apart for God, they propose an exercise of holding the Bible and noticing bodily sensations and resistance, converting these responses into prayer and discernment. Using fuel and microbiome cravings as an analogy, they explain how repeated choices reshape desires over time, while acknowledging ongoing struggle with sin and weakness (Paul’s thorn, Romans 7). They close by framing this as the first step in a series on biblical masculinity modeled after Jesus. 00:00 Why Motivation Fades 01:55 Emotions Drive Habits 05:07 Motivation Defined 06:15 Shame and Desire 07:02 Gird Your Mind 11:24 Bible in Hand Exercise 14:37 Fuel and Microbiome 15:45 Feeding Holy Desires 17:46 Still Fighting Sin 19:19 Sin Works Fast 20:12 Stirring Spiritual Longing 21:14 Submitting Emotions to Truth 22:18 Preparing for Temptation 23:18 Neuroplasticity and Habits 25:14 When Scripture Feels Dry 29:09 Naming Resistance and Repentance 30:54 Faith Uses Reason 33:13 Evidence for the Resurrection 35:37 God Shaped Longing 36:31 Biblical Masculinity Series 38:12 Closing and Next Episodes

  4. Oct 13

    Responsibility and Role of a Man

    Spiritual Headship: Pointing Your Family to Jesus Without Trying to Be the Savior Craig and Matt, Christian fathers and counselors on the Generational Dad podcast, discuss a husband and father’s responsibility as the spiritual head of the home. They contrast cultural images of dads (including ’90s TV examples) with a biblical framework, emphasizing that men often over function by trying to fix problems quickly, even though growth requires process and men are not God. Spiritual leadership involves creating time and space for scripture, prayer, confession, repair, and guiding through questions rather than lecturing, while also guarding what influences and schedules enter the home. They outline traits of a biblical man—loving God first, pursuing holiness, sacrificial love, discipling children, diligent work, providing beyond money, protecting, courage, self-control, humility, and modeling faith—while noting leadership looks different by family and requires intentional action, ongoing dependence on Jesus, and wrestling honestly with doubt. 00:00 What Is A Spiritual Leader 00:56 Gut Reactions To Fatherhood 01:53 Nineties TV Dad Models 04:37 Fixing Versus Understanding 06:28 Biblical Examples Of Quick Fixes 09:35 Defining Spiritual Headship 12:55 Lead With Questions Not Lectures 15:41 Guarding And Curating The Home 19:13 Traits Of A Biblical Man 24:13 Provision Beyond Money 25:07 Love God in Family Chaos 26:29 Faith Builds Self Control 27:56 Daily Spiritual Headship 28:35 House Rules and Repair 29:59 No One Size Fits All 32:19 Flexible Leadership for Real Life 33:35 Cultivating Faith Moments 37:09 Intentional Not Passive 38:43 Leading Without All Answers 40:42 Core Responsibilities at Home 42:10 Wrestling With Doubt 43:04 Final Encouragement and Farewell

  5. Oct 6

    When Does Thinking About the Future, Rob You of Doing Something in the Present?

    This is a video about is about how future thinking can paralyze us from doing something right now. This is an easy trap for dads to fall into with young kids. Thinking when they are older we will read the Bible together or do this or that activity. We often miss opportunities at setting standards at a young age due to how difficult it is and hope it will be easier when our kids are older. We need to think about this differently and this episode goes over how to do so.

  6. Sep 29

    what are the most important conversations we need to have with our kids

    In this episode we talk through some of the most important conversations to have with your kids and how to make space for those conversations. Remember, so many of these conversations need to happen many times over a kids development!

  7. Sep 29

    What if you and your wife are not on the same page about how to raise your kids?

    When You and Your Spouse Disagree on Parenting: How to Get Back on the Same Page Matt and Craig discuss what to do when spouses aren’t aligned on parenting—whether in day-to-day “micro moments” like discipline and routines or bigger issues like spiritual leadership. They emphasize that disagreement is normal because husbands and wives are wired differently, but bitterness grows when couples stop having ongoing, specific conversations about goals, motivations, fears, and desired outcomes for their kids. They recommend presenting a united front to children, delaying discipline to collaborate privately, and trying the least invasive approach first before escalating. They encourage replacing “my way vs. your way” with an “our approach,” using shared resources to spark dialogue, and prioritizing Jesus and the marriage covenant. The episode also addresses differences in theology, standing firm on core beliefs while pursuing truth assertively and lovingly, and modeling faith consistently for children even in difficult family dynamics. 00:00 Parenting Page Mismatch 01:16 Why Couples Differ 02:08 Talk Before Bitterness 03:25 Ongoing Vision Talks 05:07 Delay Discipline Strategy 06:53 Least Invasive First 08:07 One Flesh United Front 10:46 Tag Team Parenting 12:34 Learning From Outside Voices 16:41 Agree On Outcomes 18:38 Get Specific With Goals 21:43 Long Term Vs Tonight 22:47 Nonnegotiables in Marriage 23:30 Lead Kids with Truth 24:01 Assertive Not Aggressive 24:25 Scripture Brings Stability 26:06 Prioritize God Then Spouse 27:09 Sex and Covenant Roles 30:15 Disagree and Still Grow 32:22 Threading Truth and Love 34:09 Luke 11 Clean House 36:29 Counterfeit Gods and Idols 37:40 Faith at Home After Divorce 39:12 Baptism and Communion Story 42:53 Remove Barriers to Jesus 43:55 Stand Firm for Peace 44:58 Closing Thanks and Next Time

  8. Sep 29

    How do you show up for your family when you have no gas left in the tank

    Showing Up When You’re Empty: Faith, Expectations, and Repair in Fatherhood In their first Generational Dad episode, Matt and Craig discuss how husbands and fathers can show up for their families when they feel exhausted and spiritually inconsistent. Craig describes unrealistic expectations about leading his family in scripture and how disappointment can turn into anger; they emphasize slowing down, building awareness, adjusting expectations for kids’ developmental limits, and quickly apologizing and reconnecting after failure so scripture and discipline aren’t associated with anger. Craig shares a moment of losing his temper with his children and later apologizing, and they describe teaching repair and continued love after hurt. Practical strategies include brief “emergency” prayers, a spouse “tap out” method, using physical tasks or playful activities to break negative cycles, limiting dopamine-driven phone distractions, and remembering they also “need Jesus.” They apply the same principles to marriage: stop keeping score, choose sacrificial love, rely on God rather than a spouse for ultimate needs, confess weakness, and seek reconnection even without a quick emotional fix. 00:00 Welcome to Generational Dad 00:38 Running on Empty 01:09 The Ideal Morning Routine 03:13 When Expectations Create Anger 05:48 Repent Fast Reconnect 07:39 A Real Parenting Blowup 09:49 Discipline With Attachment 13:03 No Energy Left What Now 13:53 Prayer Tap Out and Tasks 16:04 Make It Physical Make It Fun 20:04 Dopamine Distraction Check 22:00 God Wants Your Attention 22:32 Bedtime Hook to Jesus 25:45 Breaking the Anger Cycle 27:06 Honest Limits With Kids 28:13 Marriage Under Pressure 31:22 Stop Keeping Score 33:31 Serving Changes Your Brain 36:22 Leaning on God Together 39:15 When Prayer Feels Dry 42:16 Final Takeaways and Farewell

  • 8 Episodes

About

We are two dads, husbands, and counselors that follow Jesus. Our mission is to help you be a great dad and husband in your family

Information

  • Creator
    Craig Foust and Matt Tilley
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Craig Foust and Matt Tilley
  • Show Website
    The Generational Dad