Dad Tired

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You can love your wife, love your kids, and still be afraid to admit the question underneath it all: Is this it?
This week, Jerrad sits down with author Jared C. Wilson for an honest conversation about midlife, unrealized dreams, and the fear that your best years might already be behind you. Jerrad shares the restlessness he's feeling as he approaches 40—including the struggle to connect with his wife beyond conversations about the kids.
Together, they talk about why achievement can't carry the weight of your identity, how men can become driven at work and passive at home, and why meaningful friendships are worth pursuing even when life feels impossibly full. They also discuss aging parents, the deeper pain beneath destructive habits, and the grief of losing a close friend.
Through it all, Jared keeps returning to the good news: your acceptance in Christ doesn't rise and fall with your accomplishments. You can face the next season with courage because Jesus is with you.
If you've struggled to put words to what you're feeling lately, this conversation may help you start.
In this episode:
The fear that you haven't accomplished what you thought you would
When dreaming about the future becomes a source of identity
Reorienting ambition toward relationships and eternal significance
Knowing your wife beyond your roles as parents
Why men can be engaged at work and checked out at home
Finding brothers, facing loss, and taking the next step with Christ
Resources:
Preorder Good News for Midlife by Jared C. Wilson: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/815986/good-news-for-midlife-by-jared-c-wilson/
Explore Jared's books: https://www.jaredcwilson.com/books
This week's challenge: Make space for one conversation you've been avoiding—with your wife, a trusted friend, or the Lord. Start by saying what you've actually been feeling.

Do other people get a better version of you than your wife and kids get?
Recorded outdoors in Guatemala during the first Dad Tired Family Missions Trip, Jerrad sits down with a group of dads for an honest conversation about the gap between the fathers they hoped to be and the men their families experience.
They talk about replaying parenting mistakes at bedtime, struggling with emotional consistency, watching their own anger show up in their children, and giving so much to others that their families get what’s left.
Then Jerrad asks one final question: What kind of dad does your family get because you’ve encountered Jesus?
There’s rain, laughter, vulnerability, and hope for every man who loves his family deeply and still knows he needs grace.
Special thanks to Adventures in Missions for hosting our families in Guatemala.

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You want to be a present dad, an intentional husband, a healthy man, and a faithful follower of Jesus. But does your calendar make room for the things you say matter most?
Recording from Antigua, Guatemala, Jerrad Lopes shares an honest look at the gap between his priorities and his schedule—and the simple exercise he’s using to bring them together. Instead of trying to do everything every day, he’s identifying what belongs in a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly rhythm.
From intentional time with each child to marriage, Scripture, and friendships where you can be fully known, this episode offers a practical place to start. Jerrad also reflects on why achievement can’t satisfy a soul that needs Jesus and shares the heart behind the first Dad Tired family mission trip.
This week’s challenge: write down the kind of man you want to become. Then put one practical step on your calendar.

Strong families begin with healed men.

Are You Sure You're Saved? Ask Yourself This.
If you died tonight, how confident are you that you'd spend eternity with Jesus? A five? A seven? A ten?
For many Christian men, that question brings up more anxiety than confidence. We believe in Jesus, but we still struggle with doubt, repeat the same sins, and wonder whether we're doing enough to be saved.
In this episode of Dad Tired, guest host Pastor Chris Hilken of College Ave Church in San Diego tackles one of the most important questions of the Christian faith: How can I know if I'm really saved?

Drawing from 1 John, Romans, and the Gospels, Chris challenges the questions we often ask ourselves about salvation and points us back to the finished work of Jesus.
You'll hear why:
Having doubts doesn't automatically mean you lack genuine faith.
Your salvation isn't earned by being a good enough Christian.
Confession, repentance, and a growing desire to obey God matter.
Your calendar, priorities, and relationships can reveal what you truly love.
Confidence in salvation comes from trusting Jesus, not trusting yourself.
Whether you've followed Jesus for decades or you're quietly wrestling with where you stand with God, this conversation is an invitation to examine your heart without losing sight of God's grace.
You don't have to put your confidence in your performance when you can put your confidence in Christ.

What do you do when you want to lead your family toward Jesus, but your own failures make you feel like a hypocrite?
Jerrad sits down with pastor, author, and Family Discipleship Podcast host Adam Griffin to talk about fatherhood, spiritual leadership, and learning to start again.
They discuss the dad who loses his temper in the morning and feels unqualified to pray with his kids at night, why repentance belongs in family discipleship, and how to keep showing up when growth feels painfully slow.
There’s also plenty of laughter, a last-minute father-daughter concert, and a reminder that God’s goodness doesn’t change with the way he answers our prayers.
If you’ve wondered whether you’re doing enough—or whether you’ve messed up too much to lead—this conversation offers encouragement and a next step.
Resources:
Adam’s books and Family Discipleship resources
Our Family Devotional
Share this episode with a dad who needs encouragement to start again.