DadAwesome

DA423 | A Miracle in a Jail Cell, Death to Life at Death Beach, and Why Getting Uncomfortable Reveals God's Love (Jeff Zaugg)

🇸🇻 What happens when a man in a jail cell starts screaming curses — and then worship begins? In this powerful solo episode, Jeff shares the miraculous story of what God did inside a county jail in El Salvador during a recent mission trip with fathers and sons. You'll hear: ➡️ How worship flipped an environment from darkness to God's peace in an instant ➡️ Why getting uncomfortable reveals where God wants to bring healing ➡️ The beloved story Jeff shared with inmates that brought men and women to tears INVITES: Support JEFF'S FUNDRAISER - Team DADAWESOME 6-Mile SPARTAN event ($25 or $250) Join the ACCELERATOR - Six Week coaching cohort SUMMARY: What happens when you step into a dark, crowded jail hallway in El Salvador and a man starts screaming curses at you in English? In this raw solo episode, Jeff shares the miraculous story of what God did on a mission trip over his 44th birthday — and why getting uncomfortable as a dad is exactly where God wants to meet you. Plus, he reads the beloved story You Are Special by Max Lucado and shares why it changed everything inside that jail cell. TAKEAWAYS Worship often precedes breakthrough. When darkness and resistance filled that jail hallway, it was worship that flipped the entire environment from hostility to God's peace. Getting outside your comfort zone reveals places in your heart where God wants to bring healing — you can't grow staying in the comfort loop. The marks the world gives you — and the marks you give yourself — don't have to stick. What matters is what your Maker thinks of you. Teenage young men who dream about being dads and starting families are growing up in homes where fatherhood is cast as a vision worth pursuing. You are special because God made you, and He doesn't make mistakes. That truth changes everything — for you and for your kids. Top 5 Quotes "Worship released peace. Worship flipped the environment of that space. It radically shifted things — worship." "Getting uncomfortable going, serving — getting to new places often reveals new places of our hearts." "We can stay in a comfort loop and continue to stay comfortable — or we can go." "I'm dreaming about being a dad, starting a family. I loved hearing that answer from teenage young men." "The marks from the world don't have to stick. Walk in freedom and know your true identity." GUEST This is a solo episode with Jeff Zaugg, founder and executive director of DadAwesome. Jeff shares from a recent mission trip to El Salvador where he traveled with a group of fathers and teenage sons, served alongside the ministry of Jonathan Ferrant, and witnessed a miraculous encounter in a county jail in La Libertad. 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 Donate $25 to support Team DadAwesome's activation event: You Are Special by Max Lucado BraveCo — Father & Son Rite of Passage Events Jonathan Ferrant / El Salvador Mission Project E15 Ministry (El Salvador)

DA422 | FROM THE VAULT: False Identity, De-Escalation, and the Dad Wisdom You Didn't Know You Needed (Jamie Winship PART 2)

This is the most downloaded episode in DadAwesome history — and Part 2 picks up right where we left off. 🔥 Jamie Winship is back from the vault with stories and wisdom that will stop you in your tracks. ➡️ What being abducted in Iraq taught Jamie about staying calm as a dad ➡️ How to identify the false beliefs quietly running your life ➡️ Why your true identity is the greatest gift you can give your kids   DADAWESOME ACCELERATOR - Spring Cohort -  DADAWESOME book: https://www.dadawesome.org/book SUMMARY What if the biggest thing holding you back as a dad isn't your circumstances — it's what you believe about yourself? In this episode, Jamie Winship picks up right where we left off in Part 1, sharing jaw-dropping stories from being abducted in Iraq with his family, and unpacking the dad wisdom buried inside those moments. You'll learn why staying calm, staying present, and refusing to jump into drama can change everything in your home. Plus, Jamie walks through how to identify the false beliefs that are quietly running your life — and how to exchange them for who God actually made you to be. Takeaways: Give your spouse and your kids the gift of your true identity — it's the greatest thing you can offer your family. The enemy lives in the hypothetical future. God is only present in the present tense. Stay there. Don't participate in another person's drama. De-escalate, stay calm, and love the person in front of you. You can't give away what you don't have. If you carry false beliefs about yourself, they will come out in your parenting. Your true identity from God is other-focused, self-emptying, and rooted in unconditional love — even for your enemies. Guest: Jamie Winship is the co-founder of Identity Exchange and the author of Living Fearless. A former police officer turned international peacemaker, Jamie has spent decades working in conflict zones around the world alongside his wife, Donna. Together they help people discover their true identity in Christ. They have three grown sons and live out their faith in some of the most dangerous — and beautiful — places on earth. Quotes "You want your kids to have a right view of God, but you can't give away what you don't have." "Do not participate in another person's drama. Stay back from it. Stay calm." "God is only present in the present tense. The enemy is present in the hypothetical future." "The greatest gift I can give my sons is to untie their knots." "A child's false identity — once they believe it, they see it every time."

DA421 | Jamie Winship FROM THE VAULT - Fear, Faith, & Fatherhood in a War Zone - PART 1

🔓 FROM THE VAULT: The most downloaded DadAwesome episode EVER is back — and it's a two-parter. Jamie Winship shares the jaw-dropping story of praying for invisibility with his kids in the middle of a collapsing government in Indonesia. But this episode goes way deeper than one miracle moment. ➡️ Why fear is the #1 enemy of intentional fatherhood ➡️ Two questions every dad should ask God daily ➡️ Why your true identity is the greatest gift you can give your kids   DADAWESOME Book - https://www.dadawesome.org/book DADAWESOME Accelerator Coaching Groups: https://www.dadawesome.org/coaching   SUMMARY: What would you do if a violent mob was heading straight for your van — with your kids in the back seat? In this fan-favorite episode pulled from the DadAwesome vault, Jamie Winship shares the incredible true story of praying for invisibility in the streets of Indonesia, why fear is the number one enemy of great fatherhood, and how your true identity in Christ is the greatest gift you can give your children. TAKEAWAYS: Kids learn to be afraid from their parents' fear — and learn courage from their parents' faith. Fear is an invitation to transformation, not a signal to run. Ask God: "What do You want me to know? What do You want me to do?" The greatest gift you can give your kids is the truth of who you are — your true identity in Christ. External conflict is produced by internal conflict, produced by fear, produced by false identity. Transformation starts in the heart. In the walk with Jesus, there is no win-lose scenario. When you believe that, you can gamify the hard stuff and find joy even in danger.   GUEST: Jamie Winship is a former police officer turned international peacemaker who has spent decades bringing identity-based conflict resolution to some of the world's most dangerous places. He and his wife, Donna, have three sons and have lived and served in conflict zones including Indonesia and Baghdad. Jamie is the author of Living Fearless and teaches globally on identity, courage, and hearing God's voice. This is the most downloaded DadAwesome episode of all time — pulled from the vault and too good not to reshare.   QUOTES "Kids learn to be afraid of things from their parents' fear." — Jamie Winship "The greatest gift you can give your kids is the truth of who you are." — Jamie Winship "Fear is an invitation to transformation. It's an invitation to a conversation." — Jamie Winship "In the walk with Jesus, there is no win-lose scenario." — Jamie Winship "God, what do You want me to know? And what do You want me to do?" — Jamie Winship   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 Identity Exchange Book - Living Fearless    

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)

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