DA401 | Beyond Comfort Zones: A Father-Daughter Conversation on Risk, Faith, and Inheritance (George & Ambery Gourlay)

🌍 From South Africa to America—this father-daughter story will challenge everything you think about comfort, risk, and legacy.

George moved his family across the world and his daughter Amberly just started grad school in Boston. Together they share:

✅ How one grandfather's radical encounter changed generations

✅ Why true security comes from identity, not circumstances

✅ The power of giving daughters space to be uncomfortable

✅ What it means to be a pioneering father in today's world

SUMMARY:

What happens when a father chooses courage over comfort and moves his family across the world to pioneer something new? In this episode, George Gourlay and his 23-year-old daughter Amberly share their story of leaving an established ministry in South Africa to start fresh in America. You'll hear how one grandfather's radical encounter with God shifted an entire family line, why security comes from identity rather than circumstances, and how giving daughters space to be uncomfortable actually draws them closer to their Heavenly Father.

TAKEAWAYS

• One person's choice to choose God can literally change generations—the legacy you leave matters more than the comfort you keep
• True security for your children comes from pointing them back to their Heavenly Father rather than trying to be their ultimate provider
• Pioneering requires vulnerability and risk, but it creates inheritance and legacy for those who come after you
• Give your daughters intentional affection and affirmation while also creating space for them to grow uncomfortable and dependent on God
• The long dull years of middle-aged prosperity can become excellent campaigning weather for the enemy—comfort can be your greatest threat to effectiveness

GUESTS

George Gourlay is the lead pastor who moved his family from Durban, South Africa to Northeast Florida in 2024. He served for 14 years in ministry leadership in South Africa, following in the footsteps of his father who had a radical encounter with God that transformed their family line. George is married to Leanne and has three children: Amberly (23), Luke (20), and Mitch (10).

Amberly Gourlay is a 23-year-old graduate pursuing global studies and international relations in Boston. She delivered her university's commencement speech, challenging fellow graduates to choose courage over comfort with the heart of Isaiah's "here I am, send me." She's passionate about women's leadership in church and politics and embodies the pioneering spirit passed down through her family line.

Top 5 Quotes:

1. "One person's choice to choose God and one husband's choice to choose his wife and to choose his children literally changes generations." - Amberly Gourlay
2. "The long dull monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity are excellent campaigning weather for the devil." - C.S. Lewis (quoted by George)
3. "I have the privilege of a father who knows who our Father is in reality... He is not provider in and of itself, but he stewards what God provides." - Amberly Gourlay
4. "You need to love Jesus even more than you love me... dad, what you're telling me is you love Jesus more than you love me. But it didn't matter because it was this bigger picture." - George reflecting on his father's words
5. "As you begin to be uncomfortable and you have to go to God for things because your physical parents are far away, you begin to experience so much more of who He is." - Amberly Gourlay

LINKS:

• Learn about the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort

• Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to [phone]

• Download a free chapter of the DadAwesome book