DadAwesome

Jeff Zaugg
  • 5.0 (142)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

ACTIVATING DADS TO LEAD WITH WONDER Walking with dads as they lead and love their kids toward God's awesomeness. We're on a mission to see dads fully alive and fully activated in their roles—leading with wonder to build intentional connection with their kids while experiencing God's awesomeness together. We partner with dads at every stage of the journey by providing practical fatherhood resources to catalyze connection with their kids, and also with other dads.

  1. 4D AGO

    DA420 | The Research Behind Great Dads, Generational Impact, and How to Move Men from Risk to Resource (Dr. Jeffrey Shears)

    What if the way you love your daughter today shapes her marriage 20 years from now? 🤯 In this episode, fatherhood researcher Dr. Jeffrey Shears shares what 20+ years of studying dads has revealed—and it will change the way you think about your role. ✅ Why your daughters internalize how you treat their mom (and how it shapes who they're attracted to) ✅ How "Nacho Tuesdays" became a game-changing connection strategy with his girls ✅ The generational ripple effect—how your fathering impacts grandchildren you'll never meet   DADAWESOME book -- join the ADVANCE TEAM   SUMMARY What if the way you father your daughter today shapes the marriage she has twenty years from now? In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey Shears—a fatherhood researcher, girl dad, and the chair of the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy—shares over two decades of findings on why dads matter more than they think. You'll hear how generational fathering works, why Nacho Tuesdays became a game-changer for connecting with his girls, and what it really means to move men from risk to resource. Top 5 Quotes  "You are literally responsible for your son-in-law's marital satisfaction. What you do with your daughter impacts generations." "I never met a guy who said, 'I don't want to be a good dad.' The desire is there—they need support." "Every man can be a potential risk, but every man can also be a potential resource to children and families." "Kids don't remember the stuff you bought. They remember the time, the conversations, the intentionality of hanging out with Dad." "If your father tells you that you can do something, you internalize that. Dad's words build a confidence nothing else can."   TAKEAWAYS Your daughters internalize how you treat their mother—and it shapes who they're attracted to and the health of their future marriages. Fathers who affirm their daughters' abilities have a measurable impact—girls with engaged dads are overrepresented in STEM fields. What you do as a dad ripples across generations. Your great-great-grandchildren will be shaped by values you instill today, even if you never meet them. The desire to be a great dad is already there in most men. What's missing is the support, the models, and the community to show them how. Every man is either a risk or a resource to a child. The question isn't whether you'll have an impact—it's what kind. Guest Dr. Jeffrey Shears is a professor of social work jointly appointed at North Carolina A&T State University and UNC Greensboro. He serves as the inaugural chair of the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy and is the board chair of the Fatherhood CoMission. He's spent over 20 years researching the impact fathers have on child development, with a particular focus on generational fathering and intergenerational transmission. He co-authored What All Dads Should Know with Dr. Clarence Shuler. Jeff is a proud girl dad of three daughters and lives in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.   Links Mentioned DADAWESOME Book: dadawesome.org/book 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 What All Dads Should Know by Dr. Jeffrey Shears & Dr. Clarence Shuler Dadsknow.com – Dr. Shears' Website Fatherhood CoMission: fatherhoodcomission.com Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy (via Fathers Incorporated)

    41 min

  2. JAN 29

    DA419 | Don't Long for Someday, The Discipline of Gratitude, and Becoming the Best Version of You as a Dad (Bart Scharrer FROM THE VAULT)

    🚴 FROM THE VAULT BOOK >> recieve the book 5-weeks early >> join the ADVANCE TEAM: https://www.dadawesome.org/book Bart Scharrer has walked through some hard seasons with his daughters. Health crises. Uncertainty. Plans that didn't go the way he expected. But here's what he's learned: Gratitude isn't just a nice idea. It's the way through. ----------------------------------- ✅ Why longing for "someday" can cost you today ✅ How to set the temperature in your home (for better or worse) ✅ A simple practice that taught his daughters confidence and connection ✅ What it looks like to trust God day by day when answers don't come This is a conversation about presence, purpose, and staying the course. -------------------------------- SUMMARY When health crises hit your family and life doesn't go as planned, how do you keep leading well? In this episode from the vault, Bart Scharrer shares how he and his wife have navigated seasons of uncertainty with their daughters—and why gratitude isn't just a nice idea, it's the way through. You'll also hear how teaching your kids to ask good questions can shape their confidence, relationships, and even who they marry someday. Key Takeaways: Don't long for the next season at the expense of today. Embrace where you are right now with your kids. Gratitude is the discipline that keeps you other-centered when life gets hard. It's not ignoring the pain—it's the way through it. Teaching your kids to ask good questions builds confidence, connection, and character that lasts into adulthood. You set the temperature in your home. Your presence, tone, and emotional awareness shape the climate your family lives in. Serving together as a family—in the neighborhood and at church—creates lasting values and surrounds your kids with great people. GUEST Bart Scharrer is a pastor, board member at DadAwesome, and father of two young adult daughters. He and his wife Amy have walked through significant health challenges with their girls and have learned to lead their family with gratitude, presence, and trust in God's timing. Bart is passionate about helping dads stay engaged and intentional through every season of fatherhood. Quotes  "Gratitude is the way through. If I don't live in gratitude, it's so easy to live in complaint." "Don't long for someday at the expense of today. There's so much to be thankful for right now." "Shy is not an excuse for rude. Look people in the eye and ask a question." "I can control how much I love Jesus. I can control how much I love my family." "What's the best version of me? That gives me a target for what I'm practicing towards." #DadAwesome #christiandad #dadlife #parenting #dadpodcast #fatherhood #gratitude #intentionalparenting LINKS DADAWESOME Book: dadawesome.org/book 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

    41 min

  3. JAN 22

    DA418 | Celebrating 8 Years of DadAwesome: Minivan Miracles, Ripping Out Fences, and the Power of Unlikely Friendships (Craig Allen Cooper)

    🎉 8 YEARS OF DADAWESOME! We're celebrating with an incredible conversation with Craig Allen Cooper, the man behind Walker Hayes' song "Craig." ✅ The minivan miracle that softened an atheist's heart ✅ Why Craig's kids are PRAYING for friendships like their parents have ✅ The 5 P's of fatherhood: Provide, Protect, Prepare, Propel, Present ✅ Tables vs. Tablets and real connection with your kids   DADAWESOME Book >> join the Advance Team: https://www.dadawesome.org/book     SUMMARY After eight years and 418 episodes of DadAwesome, we're celebrating with a conversation that captures everything this ministry is about. Craig Allen Cooper shares the story behind Walker Hayes' song "Craig," why his kids are praying for adult friendships like their parents have, and the five P's that guide his fatherhood. Plus, you'll hear how a minivan miracle led to a stadium-filling artist bowing his knee to Jesus.   TAKEAWAYS Your kids are watching your friendships, and they're praying they'll have the same kind of adult community they see modeled in your life. Trust is the foundation of friendship with your kids. When they know you're for them no matter what, the door to real connection opens wide. Tables beat tablets every time. Eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart connection happens around tables of mercy and grace, not through screens. The 5 P's of fatherhood: Provide, Protect, Prepare, Propel, and be Present. These aren't about perfection; they're about direction. Arrows are meant to fly. Your job is to prepare and propel your kids toward their God-given calling, not keep them close forever. What's upstream matters most. Feasting on God's Word daily is what fills you with gladness to pour into your family.   GUEST Craig Allen Cooper is the co-author of Glad You're Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Fences with country music artist Walker Hayes. He is the subject of Walker's hit song "Craig," which tells the story of their unlikely friendship and Craig's influence in Walker's journey to faith. Craig is a speaker, podcaster, and devoted father of four who lives near Nashville, Tennessee with his wife Laura. He's passionate about discipleship, authentic friendship, and helping men feast on God's Word.   QUOTES "Dude, I would give you my blood. You know that, right?" "I've heard my kids say over and over again: I'm praying that I'm going to have adult friendships like you and mom have." "There's a huge difference between table connection and tablet connection. Table connection is eye to eye, heart to heart, soul to soul." "An arrow is meant to fly. There's a tendency to just want to keep it around us, but at some point that arrow will fly." "Every grain of glory, every ounce of praise for anything good in my life belongs exclusively to the Lord Jesus Christ."   LINKS DADAWESOME Book: dadawesome.org/book 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 Glad You're Here by Craig Allen Cooper and Walker Hayes   Glad You're Here Podcast   Mechanics on a Mission   TAGS:   DadAwesome, Craig Allen Cooper, Walker Hayes, Christian fatherhood, fatherhood podcast, intentional parenting, faith and fatherhood, tables over tablets, friendship and faith, 5 P's of fatherhood, Christian dad, parenting podcast, raising kids, family discipleship, Glad You're Here, unlikely friendships, generosity, minivan miracle, dad community, launching kids

    41 min

  4. JAN 15

    DA417 | From Control to Influence, Eradicating the Child-Centered Home, and the Love Jug (Ted Cunningham)

    🏠 Is your home revolving around your kids? Ted Cunningham joins us to explain why eradicating the child-centered home is one of the best things you can do for your family. ✅ The "Love Jug" illustration that will change how you think about your source of life ✅ Why parenting is a journey from control to influence ✅ How honor bombardments and honor lists create close-knit families ✅ The "princess to queen" conversation every dad of daughters needs to hear   DADAWESOME BOOK (join the advance team!) https://www.dadawesome.org/book   SUMMARY Parenting is a journey from control to influence—and the fastest way to squander influence is to be controlling. In this episode, Ted Cunningham shares his famous "Love Jug" illustration, explains why your marriage is actually your greatest parenting tool, and unpacks why eradicating the child-centered home is essential for raising kids who are ready to leave. Plus, you'll hear the powerful "princess to queen" conversation he had with his daughter and how honor bombardments can transform your family culture. TAKEAWAYS Parenting is a journey from control to influence—and the fastest way to squander influence is by being controlling. Your marriage is part of your parenting plan. Kids have a front-row seat to how you treat your spouse. Jesus is your source, not your spouse or your kids. Fire them from that role. The child-centered home creates prolonged adolescence: too much privilege, not enough responsibility. Honor bombardments and honor lists create close-knit families by calling out what's valuable in each person. GUEST Ted Cunningham is the founding pastor of Woodland Hills Family Church in Branson, Missouri, and a sought-after speaker and author on marriage and family. He has written multiple books including Trophy Child and has partnered with the late Dr. Gary Smalley on numerous projects. Ted and his wife, Amy, are celebrating 30 years of marriage and have two adult children. He's known for his humor, practical wisdom, and passionate belief that strong marriages create strong families.   QUOTES "Parenting is a journey from control to influence. With every year, you're losing control and hopefully replacing it with influence." "The fastest way to squander influence is to be controlling." "Jesus is your source, Satan is your enemy, your spouse is your companion." "What's celebrated, what's spoken out loud gets multiplied." "Delete the narrative that says it's too late. Delete the narrative that says it's my fault." LINKS DADAWESOME Book: dadawesome.org/book 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 Trophy Child by Ted Cunningham

    43 min

  5. JAN 8

    DA416 | Vision, Will, and Community: Standing Against a Culture That Wants to Destroy Your Family (Jeremy Pryor PART 2)

    🔥 What if going with the flow is the most dangerous thing you can do as a dad? Jeremy Pryor is BACK for round four, and this conversation will challenge everything you thought about provision, legacy, and multi-generational family.   FULL SHOW NOTES   ➡️ Why vision, will, and community are your only defense against a culture trying to exploit your kids ➡️ The biblical case against "Labanism" and lifetime wage-earning ➡️ How your son-in-law becomes your SON in a multi-generational family ➡️ Why family at 55 should be FAR better than family at 35   SUMMARY If you just go with the flow in today's culture, it will destroy you and your family. In this episode, Jeremy Pryor unpacks why we're living in the Age of Intentionality—where vision, will, and community are the only things standing between your kids and a world trying to exploit them. Plus, he shares why your family life should get richer as your kids grow older, and how to break free from "Labanism" to build assets that serve your family for generations.   TAKEAWAYS We live in a unique age where going with the flow will destroy your family. Intentional fatherhood requires vision, will, and thick community. God's five-part mission for families—be fruitful, multiply, fill, subdue, and rule—is the preloaded vision every dad can build on. "Labanism" is the cultural trap of lifetime wage-earning that keeps fathers dependent and unable to truly provide for their own families. Your son-in-law is your son. Multi-generational family means gaining more kids through marriage, not losing the ones you raised. Family gets better with time. What you experience with your kids at 25 should be far richer than when they were 5.   GUEST Jeremy Pryor is the founder of Family Teams and the author of Family Revision and The Ruling Generation. He and his wife, April, have five children, two sons-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a brand new grandson. Jeremy is passionate about helping fathers build multi-generational families that thrive for centuries. This is his fourth appearance on Dad Awesome.   LINKS: 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 Family Teams Podcast Family Teams Resources: familyteams.com FREE video course from Jeremy: https://familyteams.com/awesome The Movie David (in theaters)   QUOTES "If you just go with the flow, do what's natural, it will destroy you and your family." "The only thing that can stand up against what's coming at our kids is an intentional father." "Your son-in-law is your son. Your daughter-in-law is your daughter." "It gets better. It should be so much more rich when your kids are 25 than when they were 5." "Make it your goal to work with your hands, to mind your own business, so that you will not have to be dependent on anyone." "We are blessed to be a blessing."

    28 min

  6. JAN 1

    DA415 | Your Superpower Is Hurting Your Kids, Creating Emotional Warmth at Home, and Why Attachment Is Everything – Part 1 (Jeremy Pryor)

    🚨 If you just go with the flow, it will destroy your family. Jeremy Pryor is BACK on the podcast with a wake-up call for dads everywhere. In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, he's sharing: ➡️ Why your ability to emotionally detach is hurting your kids ➡️ The difference between "Do I love my kids?" and "Do they FEEL loved?" ➡️ How to become a warmer, more emotionally available father ➡️ What ancient Hebraic families understood that we've forgotten SUMMARY If you just go with the flow in today's world, it will destroy you and your family. In this episode, Jeremy Pryor returns to share why the superpower that helps men provide and protect can actually be the very thing that pushes your kids away. You'll discover why emotional detachment is hurting your children and how to become the warm, present father your family desperately needs. TAKEAWAYS The ability to emotionally detach is a fatherhood superpower for providing and protecting—but using it against your family will cost you their hearts. Your kids can sense emotional distance, and they need to know that what happens to them actually impacts you. The question isn't "Do I feel attached to my kids?" but "Do my kids feel attached to me?" Learning from ancient Hebraic family culture can revolutionize the way we build multi-generational bonds. Your wife has a relational map of the family that you desperately need—invite her advice and steward it well. GUEST Jeremy Pryor is the founder of Family Teams and co-host of the Family Teams Podcast with Jefferson Bethke. He's an author, speaker, and advocate for multi-generational family who has spent years studying ancient Hebraic family patterns and helping modern fathers build lasting legacies. Jeremy and his wife, April, have five children and four grandchildren and lived in Israel on and off for about ten years.   LINKS 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 FREE video course from Jeremy: https://familyteams.com/awesome Family Teams Podcast Family Teams Resources: familyteams.com

    34 min

  7. 12/25/2025

    DA414 | The Most Important 9 Minutes of Your Kid's Day, Choosing Contentment, and Lessons from Sourdough (Dan Tinquist)

    What if the secret to connecting with your kids wasn't more time—but better minutes? ✅ The See, Hear, Know framework for becoming a student of your kids ✅ Why over-teaching actually backfires (and what to do instead) ✅ How to plan your family's year WITH them, not just for them SUMMARY: What if the most impactful moments with your kids are just nine minutes a day? In this episode, fatherhood coach Dan Tinquist shares how morning, afternoon, and evening connection points can transform your relationship with your kids. You'll also hear why over-teaching actually backfires, how to build a family culture where your kids feel safe to fail, and the surprising parallels between making sourdough bread and raising kids. TAKEAWAYS: The most important nine minutes of your kid's day are the first three when they wake up, the three when you reconnect after school or work, and the last three before bed. If every moment is a teachable moment, you will teach them nothing. Sometimes the best thing you can do is pray instead of lecture. We don't rest from our work—we work from our rest. Contentment today fuels driven action tomorrow. Building a family culture where kids feel safe to fail means they'll run to you when they mess up, not from you. Planning your year with your family—not for them—creates ownership and adventure everyone can look forward to. GUEST: Dan Tinquist is a fatherhood coach, host of the Confidad Podcast, and creator of the Time Well Spent Method and Family Culture Framework. He coaches dads from around the world to move from surviving to thriving in their homes. Dan and his wife have four boys and live in Minnesota. QUOTES: "If every moment is a teachable moment, I will teach them nothing." "Control is an illusion. It is chaos that we are attempting to bring peace into." "We don't rest from our work. We work from our rest." "His mercies are new every single morning. When's the last time you lived a perfect day?" "I'm going to pray instead of open my big fat mouth and tell them why I'm right and they're wrong." LINKS: 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 Confidad Podcast Dan Tinquist's Fatherhood Coaching: https://confidad.com/

    38 min

  8. 12/18/2025

    DA413 | Forgiveness Fridays, Throwback Tuesdays, and Building a Close-Knit Family on Purpose (Michael DeAquino)

    ➡️ How yearly family vision summits (with a hot tub!) shape your family's direction ➡️ The power of tying your kids' names to your family's core values ➡️ Why pre-parental counseling removes the shame that keeps dads stuck later SHOW NOTES  https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/413 SUMMARY What if you could prepare for fatherhood before the chaos even begins? In this episode, Michael DeAquino shares how he and his wife are helping expecting parents get on the same page before baby arrives—and why that window of time matters so much. You'll also hear how Michael's family runs themed dinner nights every single day of the week (yes, including Forgiveness Friday and Scenario Saturday), plus how yearly vision summits with your kids in an Airbnb with a hot tub can transform the direction of your family. TAKEAWAYS Creating space to think—like a yearly family summit away from home—is the first step toward vision. You can't see where you're headed when you're drowning in the daily grind. Themed dinner nights (Monday Meeting, Throwback Tuesday, Thankful Thursday, Forgiveness Friday, and more) turn ordinary meals into consistent connection points that shape your family culture. Your kids' names can carry your family's vision. Michael tied each child's name to a core value—closeness, generational faithfulness, righteousness, light, and stewardship—and speaks it over them regularly. The best time to prepare for intentional parenting is before you're holding the baby. Pre-parental counseling removes the shame and chaos that often keeps dads from engaging later. Keystone habits cascade into other habits. Start with what you're already doing (like dinner) and build intentional rhythms from there. GUEST Michael DeAquino is the co-founder of The Parenthood Project and author of The Parenthood Primer, a pre-parental counseling resource for expecting and new parents. He and his wife have five kids ages 2 to 12 and are passionate about helping couples get on the same page before the chaos of parenthood begins. Michael spent 15 years in church ministry before pivoting to equip parents earlier in their journey. QUOTES "I didn't start until my oldest was six. And to see just where things are now—there's a lot of grace." – Michael DeAquino "Our names carry a lot of identity in them. Why not make it even more than just what you call us?" – Michael DeAquino "You're going to get a lot of recognition in your career. You're not going to get a lot of recognition as a father—and that's where you'll end up placing your time." – Michael DeAquino "Everything around us is trying to disintegrate our family. So how do we foster closeness even as our kids get older?" – Michael DeAquino "What if we got to dads before they even hold the baby—before the chaos, before the shame sets in?" – Michael DeAquino LINKS Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618 The Parenthood Primer by Michael DeAquino The Parenthood Project

    33 min
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About

ACTIVATING DADS TO LEAD WITH WONDER Walking with dads as they lead and love their kids toward God's awesomeness. We're on a mission to see dads fully alive and fully activated in their roles—leading with wonder to build intentional connection with their kids while experiencing God's awesomeness together. We partner with dads at every stage of the journey by providing practical fatherhood resources to catalyze connection with their kids, and also with other dads.

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff Zaugg
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    416
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    DadAwesome

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