What are you holding onto so tightly that, if Jesus asked you to let it go, you'd walk away sad? In this episode, Kent and Lawson dig into the story of the rich young ruler and why it still hits hard for dads today. This is not just a conversation about money. It is about anything that competes for our trust, identity, security, and obedience. Possessions, status, titles, comfort, control. Anything we grip harder than we cling to Christ can quietly become a problem.
The guys talk about what Jesus was really getting at in this well-known passage, how God's kingdom completely redefines value, and why this story matters for fathers trying to lead their families with open hands.
This episode will challenge you to ask an uncomfortable but necessary question: Do you have your possessions, or do your possessions have you? If you want to follow Jesus more faithfully, lead your kids with greater clarity, and model what real surrender looks like, this conversation is for you.
Read the story of the rich young ruler (all 3 accounts): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2019%3A13-30%3B%20Mark%2010%3A17-30%3B%20Luke%2018%3A18-30&version=ESV
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MEET THE HOSTS
Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. After a twenty-year career as a business leader, he embarked on biblical fatherhood ministry projects. He’s authored four books. The most recent, Don’t Bench Yourself: How to Stay in the Game Even When You Want to Quit. He and his wife April have been married for three decades and they have five sons.
Lawson Brown married his high school sweetheart, and is a father of two adult daughters. He’s a business leader and a former (always!) Marine. He’s served as a small group leader, helped launch ministries and a church plant where he served as its Men’s Ministry leader. His faith journey has always been centered in a grounding from his wife, Audrey, and supported throughout by many men who’ve been brothers along the way. His family is nearing an empty nest phase and has recently relocated to the Florida Gulf Coast beaches area.
FEATURING GREAT GUESTS
Gary Chapman
Ken Blanchard
Chip Ingram
“Y’all are teaching Godly wisdom in ways that I can understand and put to use raising these 8 kiddos of mine, and to be a more present and respectful husband! Keep it up Brothers! God bless y’all!”
–Cody C.
“I’ve been listening to the Father on Purpose podcast for about 3-4 months or so now and I absolutely love the fathering advice that is discussed. This show has helped be become a better father day after day.”
–Matthew S.
RECENT PODCASTS
Today's episode, we have the pleasure of talking with pastor Aaron Harvie. Aaron is the senior pastor at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, KY. Prior to his role there, he served as a Church Planting Mobilizer with the North American Mission Board and taught at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has an extensive background in pastoring and planting churches in Kentucky and Philadelphia. Aaron and Allison have 5 children: John, Grace, Luke, Porter, and Claire. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ouachita Baptist University in 1995 and a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1998.
Needless to say, Aaron's a sharp dude. Not only that, he's a gold mine for dads who want to better disciple their kids. We get into some of his personal testimony, the importance of a close relationship with God's word, what it really means to "measure up" as a dad, and much more. You don't want to miss this one.
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It started as a simple family phrase: "Look for the overlooked." However, Lawson's daughter Olivia flipped this on its head, encouraging her students to ask if maybe one of the people you're overlooking is yourself—or even a version of yourself you've neglected for too long. In this episode, we unpack what it means to notice the unseen, and not just in the people around us, but in the parts of ourselves we’ve pushed aside. What have we neglected in the name of productivity? What’s been quietly waiting for us to slow down, breathe, and listen?
Turns out, Jesus was in the business of seeing the overlooked—from the woman at the well to the leper no one would touch. And if we want to follow His lead as dads, it might mean noticing the quiet parts of our own soul that need care, rest, and reconnection with the Father. This one’s part biblical reflection, part personal confession, and part reminder that even (especially?) the busiest dad needs to hit pause and pay attention to the ones that no one else will.
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Faithful. Gentle. Loving. Godly. Patient. These are the kinds of words we hope our kids would use to describe us. But if they were being totally honest, what’s the one word they'd actually write down? Would it be something we’re proud of—or something that hits a little too close to home, like angry, stressed, or even absent? In this episode, Kent and Lawson walk through a simple but eye-opening exercise that reveals how our day-to-day choices as dads shape how our kids experience us.
The good news? Whatever word they might choose today, it’s doesn't have to be the final word. With time, intentionality, and God’s help, we can grow into the kind of fathers who reflect the heart of Christ in our homes. There’s no guilt trip here—just a real opportunity to reflect, reset, and grow. So whether you walk away from this conversation feeling encouraged or convicted, lean in. You are not a father on accident. So go be a father on purpose.
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What’s Your Mission as a Dad?
Being a godly dad is hard work. Challenges abound, and sometimes, we just need some ideas, encouragement, and a little laughter along the way. So, we created the Father On Purpose Podcast to have real, fun, and practical conversations about being dads. Fatherhood is awesome, sacred, and hard all at the same time. We don’t have all the answers, but together as dads, we’ll try to figure it out.