In this DA+3 Group Guide, you'll find key points and discussion questions to spark meaningful conversations with other dads. Explore insights on unplugging from technology, checking in with Jesus, expressing emotions physically, sharing Jesus stories, and more.

  5 Key Takeaways

 

• Check-in with Jesus: Pray about decisions, journal the voice of God, and pay attention to frustration flare-ups. 
• Get Outside: Take a break from technology and spend time in nature. 
• Read Ephesians 3:14-19: Pray that God would bring a word or phrase to you as you read these verses.
• Get a Baseball Bat and a Plastic Trash Can: Physically get out the heavy stuff. 
• Share Jesus Stories: Tell others when God has shown up for you.

  10 Group Guide Discussion Questions: 

1. Before making major decisions, do you check in with God through prayer, journaling, etc.?
2. How do you feel about your current rhythms of technology/screens/phone use?
3. How often do you intentionally disconnect from technology?
4. When you think about spending time outside with your family, what memories stick out to you? 
5. What outdoor activities bring you joy?
6. When you Read Ephesians 3:14-19, what word or phrase stands out to you?
7. What does it look like to press into your intense emotions like frustrations instead of running away from them?
8. Have you brought your full emotions to God by doing hard things physically, such as sprinting, doing pull-ups, or beating a trash can?
9. When was the last time you shared your faith stories with others, especially your kids? 
10. What’s one action you want to take after discussing this episode?

 

John Eldredge

 

John Eldredge is an author, counselor, teacher, and the president of Wild at Heart. He and his wife, Stasi, have three sons and are proud grandparents. John loves all things beauty, nature, adventure, and more. 

  Key Quotes

 

• 5:45 - "Another resource, is a book, A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser. I've spoken about this book before around grief, but he has a metaphor of when there's something that flares up, a frustration flare up, or a heaviness, where is this coming from? He would say press into it further versus run away from it. So, instead of chasing the sunset, the sun is setting to the west. Instead of trying to stay in the sun, press into the darkness, is what his metaphor is. Press into the darkness, the areas of hurt, of heaviness, of frustration. Let's actually explore those a little bit with Jesus."
• 9:45 - "Palm trees roots intertangle with other palm trees roots to keep them from blowing over in a storm. They'll bend all the way over to the ground in a storm, but they won't actually snap off or die because their roots are entangled with each other. Maybe that's a promise for you guys, is as we grow brotherhood and grow friendships with other men, as we become DadAwesome by creating a community of men who are together, being that dad for their families but for each other, encouraging each other, praying for each other, holding each other accountable, that we could be rooted and established in God's love, rooted in community and in God's love."

  Links from Today’s Conversation

 

• 299 | Escaping Sedation, Meeting Jesus in Your Pain, and Sharing Fresh Jesus Stories (John Eldredge) 
• Aro Box
• A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss by Jerry L. Sittser
• 304 | Pursuing Visions, Journaling Daily, and Hearing God’s Prophetic Voice (Ken Helser)
• 30 Days to Resilient in the One Minute Pause App

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