Ever feel like you're talking… and it goes straight through your kid's ear and right out the other? This week in part 2 of our series we're calling "From Overwhelmed to Intentional," Kent and Lawson get super practical about communication with your kids, especially in the teen years.
You'll be challenged to consider why "Why won't they listen?" might be the wrong question, how your posture and timing matter more than your volume, and why listening is not weakness, it's leadership leverage. Lawson shares a real story from a weekend with his daughter in New York that reframed how he shows up in deeper conversations. Kent breaks down how to season hard conversations with grace (Colossians 4:6), ask questions that are not "gotchas," and trade control for influence so your kids learn to listen to God, not just comply with you.
If you want the kind of relationship where your kids, no matter the age, want to talk to you, this is a deposit worth making.
Want to shape the direction of the show this year? Leave us a voicemail and tell us what you're facing as a dad: manhoodjourney.org/podcast Scroll down to "What's Your Story?" and leave us a message!
You're not a father on accident. Go be a father on purpose.
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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
“I listen to the father on purpose podcast and you guys are amazing. Thank you for all you guys do and please keep it up. Us Fathers need this NOW more than ever.”
–Joel C.
“Thank you for the effort and time you put into leading us dads toward the Kingdom of God. I have learned and put to use so much by listening to the podcast.”
–Cole S.
RECENT PODCASTS
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We get super practical, unpacking why a paper Bible on the table matters, how to make small weekly “deposits” that compound over years, and why carving one hour to sharpen your axe (plus a standing date night) without guilt might be essential for your fatherhood rhythm. We also dive into apologetics for busy dads—Goose’s book Answer with Truth and his “Carry the Fire” training show how to raise kitchen-table apologists who can stand firm before college ever tests their faith.
If you’ve been craving a band of brothers and a clear next step, today’s episode will light the way.
Check out Goose's ministry: https://www.mensalliancetribe.com/
Find Goose's book "Answer With Truth" here: https://a.co/d/3MwMe6K
Listen to the Men's Alliance Tribe podcast: https://www.mensalliancetribe.com/podcast
We've launched video now! Check out the video version of today's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VVVX8hLLWvg
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Has your "fear dial" felt like it's cranked to eleven lately? In this honest, funny, and practical conversation, Kent and Lawson unpack the tug-of-war between faith and fear—and why “biblical faith” isn’t faith in outcomes, it’s faith in a Person. You’ll hear a simple picture dads can use at the dinner table to explain how Jesus’ presence displaces fear, not just decreases it, plus a few stories from real dad life that’ll make you nod and laugh. We touch Mark 9:24 (“help my unbelief”), Hebrews 11, and Romans 10:17 without going seminary-level, then land on ways to model courageous trust for our kids this week. If your home has unknowns, this episode gives you a path from panic to peace. Share it with a dad who needs a steady voice today.
Check out Scott MacLellan's non-profit providing support for addiction recovery: https://www.riversoul.org
We've launched video now! Check out the video version of this show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ocpmKrp3Ayc
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Feeling the world spin a little too fast lately? In this honest conversation, Kent and Lawson unpack a simple five-step “Pathway to Peace” drawn from Philippians 4:6–9: panic, pause, pray, praise, and peace. While panic can often be an involuntary jolt, we discuss how intentional pausing resets your home’s tone, and how prayer and praise invite "the peace that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4).
Kent shares a fresh analogy that makes Christ's command “do not be anxious” feel doable, not dismissive, and Lawson tells a candid leadership story that every dad can learn from. Stay to the end for a special cameo—April reads Scripture that anchors the whole episode. We hope today's show helps you lead your family with a calm heart, steady hands, and a Christ-centered mindset.
Check out this amazing veterans focused men's ministry Lawson mentioned in the episode: shepherdsmen.com
We've launched video now! Check out the video version of this show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r3iF3aCPoVs
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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.
