Guiding Your Kids Toward Faith Without Forcing It
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this episode, I'm joined by my co-host Uncle Joe for one of our live Q&A sessions — where real men from the Dad Edge Alliance bring their real questions, and we do our best to give them real, honest answers. This one covers a lot of ground. We open with a powerful question from Rich — a man who spent nearly 30 years as an agnostic, gave his life to Christ six months ago, and now wants to know how to lead his 11 kids toward faith without forcing it on them. Joe brings wisdom from his own walk, and I share a deeply personal story about going to church with my son Ethan — how one...
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From The Dirt to The Dad & the Story of Forgiveness and Finding Freedom featuring Nikki Sixx
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this episode, I sit down with Nikki Sixx — founder of Mötley Crüe, rock legend, bestselling author, and a man whose story goes so much deeper than anything that ever happened on a stage. This conversation is not about the music. It's about what happens when a boy grows up without his father, carries that wound through decades of addiction and chaos, and finally — through sobriety, therapy, forgiveness, and faith — becomes the kind of dad his own kids can always run to. Nikki opens up about growing up without his dad in the picture, how the story he was told about his father wasn't...
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The Dad Edge Podcast
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The Hard Journey Back from the Edge of Divorce featuring Tara & Tim Katzman
The Dad Edge Podcast
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Finding God, Grit, and Purpose in the Desert featuring Terrence Ogden
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this episode, I sit down with Terrence Ogden, founder of Official Project Grit — a man who transformed a life of addiction, jail time, and rock bottom into one of the most inspiring stories of resilience, grit, and faith you'll ever hear. We start with the Immortal 32 Ruck — a 75-mile road march from Gonzales, Texas to the Alamo, now in its seventh year, inspired by the 32 men who answered the call at the Alamo knowing it was a one-way ticket. But what makes Terrence's story so gripping is where he came from. Years as a severe heroin addict, cycling in and out of jail, until a mentor...
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How Young Men Can Shape Their Life & Future Starting Now featuring Dan Cocran
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this episode, I sit down with Dan Cocran, a young leader who is on a mission to help men in one of the most overlooked seasons of life—the years between 18 and 30. While many resources exist for married men, fathers, and established professionals, very few focus on young men who are still trying to find their footing in the world. Dan shares the inspiration behind the Forging Your Future Young Men’s Summit, an event designed to help young men build confidence, discover purpose, and develop the leadership skills they need to thrive in their careers, relationships, and communities....
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The Conflict Cycle That Keeps Married Couples Stuck & Unhappy
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this Wednesday Q&A episode, Uncle Joe and I respond to a powerful question from a dad who’s struggling with impulsive reactions, shutting down during conflict, and feeling like he can’t get out of the same argument patterns with his wife. If you’ve ever caught yourself reacting instead of listening, or walking away from conversations feeling frustrated and disconnected, this episode will hit close to home. We unpack the truth that two things can be true at the same time—both partners can be overwhelmed, both can be carrying heavy loads, and both can feel unseen. The key...
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The One Rule Every Dad Needs (Be Where You Are While You’re There) featuring Jon Bernthal
The Dad Edge Podcast
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Why High Achievers Still Feel Empty After Success & How to Fix It featuring Brad Stulberg
The Dad Edge Podcast
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What to Do When You Feel Disrespected in Your Marriage
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this powerful Q&A episode, Uncle Joe and I tackle one of the most common — and emotionally charged — challenges men face: feeling disrespected by their wives and not knowing how to respond without escalating the situation. We unpack why reacting in anger never works, why most men were never taught conflict resolution skills, and how to move from emotional reactivity to grounded leadership. Uncle Joe also shares his raw personal story — three failed marriages, a radical transformation in faith, and what it really means to earn respect instead of demanding it. If you’ve...
info_outlineIn this episode, I'm joined by my co-host Uncle Joe for one of our live Q&A sessions — where real men from the Dad Edge Alliance bring their real questions, and we do our best to give them real, honest answers.
This one covers a lot of ground. We open with a powerful question from Rich — a man who spent nearly 30 years as an agnostic, gave his life to Christ six months ago, and now wants to know how to lead his 11 kids toward faith without forcing it on them. Joe brings wisdom from his own walk, and I share a deeply personal story about going to church with my son Ethan — how one pastor's offhand comment cracked something open in me, and how an honest, vulnerable conversation in a car changed the entire trajectory of my relationship with my son around faith.
The second question is one that hits close to home for a lot of men in this community: when things have been bad in your marriage for a long time and you finally start getting wins — how do you avoid going complacent? Joe and I both dig into this one from personal experience. Joe speaks to the PTSD that builds up inside a man after years of a hard marriage, how fear and insecurity can quietly self-sabotage the very progress you've worked so hard for, and why faith — not fear — has to lead. I talk about consistency, keeping the sword sharp, and why marriage is exactly like the gym.
We close with a bonus coaching moment on communication — why "you make me feel" is a conversation grenade, and how to ask for clarity in a way that actually works.
Timeline Summary
[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities
[1:01] Welcome to the Q&A — live questions from real Dad Edge Alliance members
[1:42] Reminder: Roommates to Soulmates Cohort preview call on April 1st at 7pm Central
[2:50] Question 1 — Rich: I gave my life to Christ six months ago after 30 years as an agnostic. How do I lead my older kids toward faith without forcing it?
[6:07] Joe's answer: You lead by example, walking it out in front of them — including when you fail and change course
[8:33] Joe's story: his son Colin told his wife "the dad I have now is not the dad I had ten years ago"
[9:21] The power of community in faith — why you cannot walk this walk alone
[9:55] What Joe does every two weeks: a Zoom Bible study with his entire grown family
[11:02] Your outside world is always a reflection of your inside world — get your inside right first
[13:47] Larry's answer: his personal journey from cultural Catholic to full believer — and what changed in the last year
[15:17] The situation with Larry's son Ethan — a controversial church, a girlfriend pushing conversion, and how Larry navigated it without muscling him
[16:35] How Larry approached it: curiosity over control — asking questions instead of issuing warnings
[17:14] Larry goes to church with Ethan and hears a pastor say: "I had a great dad — but I had to find God by myself"
[19:12] The conviction that hit Larry on the way home: "I'm failing you just like his dad failed him"
[21:33] The honest conversation in the car — and Ethan's response that Larry never expected
[23:10] How Larry invited Ethan into a Bible study as a fellow learner, not a teacher — and what it has done for their relationship
[25:22] Question 2 — Anonymous: When things have been bad for years and you finally start getting wins in your marriage, how do you avoid getting complacent?
[25:56] Larry's answer: expect your wife to pull back at first — she's afraid to hope. Keep the sword sharp and never take your foot off the gas
[28:01] Joe's answer: be mindful of the PTSD and insecurity that builds up inside a man after years of a hard marriage
[29:21] How fear and insecurity can quietly self-sabotage the progress you've worked so hard for
[30:16] Let faith lead, not fear — fear has never once led Joe somewhere he was glad he went
[31:03] A real-time example: a man texting Joe that morning — his wife said she wants to stop counseling and he went into panic mode
[32:26] How to get clarity instead of telling yourself a story
[34:23] The right way to ask for clarity — why "you make me feel" is a grenade and what to say instead
[36:31] Words have power. Be effective, not just right.
[37:27] Bonus: never text your wife emotional content — everyone reads it through their own filter
Five Key Takeaways
- You lead your kids toward faith the same way you lead them in everything else — by living it in front of them, including letting them see you fail and change course.
- You don't have to be an expert to lead your kids spiritually. Invite them to learn alongside you. "Let's figure this out together" is more powerful than "let me teach you."
- Your outside world is always a reflection of your inside world. If you want things to change around you, start with what's happening inside you.
- When your marriage starts turning around, don't get complacent. Marriage is like the gym — you don't work chest for eight weeks and then wonder why it's gone. Consistency is everything.
- Stop telling yourself a story about what your wife meant. Get clarity. And when you do, don't say "you make me feel" — own your interpretation and ask with curiosity, not accusation.
Links & Resources
- Roommates to Soulmates Cohort & Preview Call: https://thedadedge.com/soulmates
- The Men's Forge: https://themensforge.com
- Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1456): https://thedadedge.com/1456
Closing
If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the most powerful thing you can do for the people you love is get yourself right on the inside first.
Whether it's leading your kids toward faith, rebuilding your marriage, or just showing up differently than you have before — it all starts with the man in the mirror. Not the version of you that has all the answers, but the version that's humble enough to say "I don't have it all figured out, but I'm willing to learn."
That's the man your kids need. That's the man your wife needs.
If this episode resonated with you, share it with a man who is in the middle of his own turning point.
Go out and live legendary.