Dad Tired

Jerrad and Chris Hilkin, continue the Q&A series by answering real questions from listeners about marriage, sexuality, church life, and the Holy Spirit. Chris gives honest, biblical responses to topics that many Christian men wrestle with but rarely talk about.

What You’ll hear:
• What is off limits in the bedroom for married couples
• Why church membership matters for spiritual growth
• How to understand the baptism of the Holy Spirit
• What the Bible says about cremation and burial
• Why accountability and clarity are essential in a local church
• How to stay rooted in truth while navigating complex topics

Tune in to hear  the answers you need to stay faithful in the real world.

Episode Resources

1.  Bible passages: 1 Corinthians 6,  Ephesians 4, Romans 12, Acts 2, Hebrews 4 
2. Ask a question anonymously: dadtired.com/question
3.  Support the Dad Tired ministry: dadtired.com/donate
4.  Range Leather – 15% off: rangeleather.com/dadtired – Code: DADTIRED
5.  Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
6.  Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com

In this episode, Kaleb shares how the wilderness seasons of life—times of emotional fog, spiritual dryness, and personal struggle—can shape Christian men into stronger spiritual leaders. Drawing from his personal experience as a husband, foster dad, and pastor, Kaleb walks through Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and how men today can resist the same lies about relevance, performance, and power.

Key Topics Covered:

• Navigating trials with faith, not passivity
• Jesus’ three temptations: relevance, being spectacular, and power
• How identity in Christ helps men resist performance-based living
• The value of prayer, scripture, and devotion in hard seasons
• Praying Ephesians 6 and resisting the enemy daily
• Personal reflections on foster care, depression, and spiritual warfare

Bible References:

• Matthew 4:1–11
• James 4:7
• Ephesians 6:10–18
• Psalm 91
• John 6:35

Mentioned Resources & Concepts:

• Henry Nouwen’s framework for Jesus’ temptations
• Augustine and Luther on resisting the devil
• Martin Lloyd-Jones on spiritual warfare
• Daily prayer practice: Ephesians 6 and resisting the temptations of relevance, spectacle, and power

In this episode, Jerrad sits down with singer, songwriter, and podcast host Matthew West for a conversation about the pain, pressure, and beauty of being a dad.
They talk about sending kids off to college, handling public criticism, and the challenge of staying emotionally present at home when everything pulls you elsewhere. Matthew shares what he’s learned about vulnerability, regret, and learning to slow down. He opens up about how his identity as a father has been shaped by grace.

What You’ll hear:
• Why letting go of your kids is harder than anyone tells you
• What Matthew wishes he had done differently as a young dad
• How to stay soft-hearted in a world that wants you to harden up
• Why words of encouragement matter more than you think
• What it looks like to lead your family with humility and joy
Tune in to learn how to show up, speak life, and lead with their heart as a dad.

Episode Resources

1.  Matthew West’s podcast: The Matthew West Podcast 
2. Song reference: “18 Summers” by Matthew West
3. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
4.  New podcast: Footballin’ with Ben Roethlisberger
5. AccessMore Network daily devotional (upcoming)
6.  Operation Christmas Child: samaritanspurse.org/occ
7. Support Dad Tired: dadtired.com/donate
8.  Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
9.  Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com

Jerrad and Chris continue the Q&A series with another round of  listener-submitted questions. They talk about creation, sexuality, science, theology, and what it looks like to think biblically about topics many men avoid or feel confused about.

What You’ll hear:
• Where Cain and Abel got their wives
• Why people lived longer in the Old Testament
• Whether dinosaurs lived at the same time as humans
• How old the earth might be according to the Bible
• If masturbation is ever okay in marriage
• The key difference between Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians
• Why God created Satan and allows evil
• What to make of the Shroud of Turin

 Episode Resources:

• Ask a question: dadtired.com/question
 • Support Dad Tired: dadtired.com/donate
 • Range Leather – 15% off: rangeleather.com/dadtired — Code: DADTIRED
• Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
• Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com
• Book mentioned: Letters and Papers from Prison – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Gap theory resource: John Lennox on Genesis
• Shroud of Turin research: magiscenter.com

Kaleb Allen continues the wilderness series with a deep look at confusion and spiritual frustration. He explains why these moments are not a sign that something is broken, but often a sign that God is doing deeper work. Kaleb draws from the lives of Elijah, John the Baptist, Moses, and the writings of John of the Cross and C.S. Lewis to help men make sense of what they are going through.

What You’ll hear:
• What to do when life feels foggy, unclear, and hard to explain
• Why God sometimes withholds comfort to give us clarity
• How to recognize false expectations you have placed on God
• Why spiritual dryness is not always about sin
• What it means to trust God’s heart when you cannot trace His hand
• How rest, surrender, and time lead to renewed perspective

If you are feeling spiritually stuck, emotionally flat, or unsure what God is doing. The wilderness has purpose. You are not alone in it.

Episode Resources:

1. The Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis
2.  Dark Night of the Soul – St. John of the Cross
3.  Exodus 3, 1 Kings 19, Psalm 136, Romans 8
4.  The McShane Bible Reading Plan
5.  Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
6.  Support Dad Tired: dadtired.com/donate
7.  Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com

 In this episode, Jerrad challenges dads to stop parenting with a one-size-fits-all mindset and start leading their families like true shepherds. After noticing something during a conversation with his kids, he shares what it means to know each member of your household individually and lead them with intentional care. 

You’ll hear:
 • Why blanket commands and zone defense don’t work in fatherhood
 • What Jesus modeled through one-on-one moments with Zacchaeus, Peter, and the woman at the well
 • How to recognize your role as a spiritual leader in your home
 • Why every member of your family needs a unique plan and goal
 • Practical questions to assess where your wife and kids are spiritually
 • A step-by-step approach to shepherding each heart in your home

 Tune in to learn how to stop guessing and start leading. The sheep God gave you need more than discipline and direction. They need to be known. 

 Episode Resources:

1. Jesus Storybook Bible: jesusstorybookbible.com
2.  The Good Book Company (Tales That Tell the Truth series): thegoodbook.com
3.  Rite of Passage Kit by John Tyson: primalpath.co
4.  Dad Tired Dinnertime Devotional Cards: dadtired.com/shop
5.  Range Leather (15% off): rangeleather.com/dadtired — Code: DADTIRED
6.  Support Dad Tired: dadtired.com/donate
7.  Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
8.  Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com

In this first episode of the Q&A series, Jerrad and Chris respond to real questions submitted by men at the Dad Tired retreat. They talk through theology, lifestyle, and personal struggles with clarity, honesty, and a focus on biblical truth.

What You’ll hear:
• What hell actually is and whether God is present there
• Do you have to be baptized to be saved?
• Is gambling or sports betting always sinful?
• Does the Tower of Babel say anything about space exploration?
• Can Christians smoke cigars or drink alcohol?
• Should believers use profanity, and how does Scripture speak to it?

Tune in to get honest answers to real questions so you can lead your family with conviction, not confusion.

1. Ask your own question: dadtired.com/question
2. Referenced: Philippians 2, Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 6, James, Ephesians, Genesis 11 (Tower of Babel) 
3. Range Leather – 15% off: rangeleather.com/dadtired — Code: DADTIRED
4.  Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
5.  Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com
6.  Support Dad Tired: dadtired.com/donate

Kaleb Allen launches the wilderness series speaking directly to you who feels dry, spiritually empty, or confused. He teaches the difference between seasons we choose and those God leads us into. These teaching is drawn from John of the Cross, the life of Jesus, and Kaleb's own experience. This message is for you who is doing everything right on the outside but still feel like something is missing.

What You’ll hear:
• Why doing all the right things doesn’t always make you feel right
• What an “active” vs. “passive” wilderness season looks like
• Why God may be withdrawing comfort to produce something deeper
• How the Spirit uses detachment to refine your desires
• Why you can’t discipline your way out of spiritual dryness
• What it means to persevere when everything feels dull or distant

Tune in to learn how to walk with God through the dry places. The wilderness won’t last forever—but it will shape you if you let it.

 Episode Resources:

• Dark Night of the Soul – John of the Cross
• John 4, Luke 4, 1 Kings 19, Philippians 2
• The McShane Bible Reading Plan
• Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
• Support Dad Tired: dadtired.com/donate
• Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com

 In this episode, Jerrad  shares what it really means to lead your marriage. He talks about the call to love your wife like Christ loves the church. He shares moments from his own marriage and explains how that love is more than romance or duty. It’s sacrifice, forgiveness, and intentional spiritual leadership.

 What You’ll hear:
• What it actually means to love sacrificially, not just kindly
• How intimacy grows when forgiveness becomes a lifestyle
• Why your marriage is meant to reflect God's love to the world
• How to pursue your wife emotionally, spiritually, and practically
• What servant-hearted leadership looks like day to day
• How confession and sanctification shape both husband and wife

Tune in to discover how a gospel-centered marriage isn’t about perfection. It’s about faithfulness, sacrifice, and showing your family what the love of Jesus really looks like.

Episode Resources:

• Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
• Support Dad Tired: dadtired.com/donate
• Join the Dad Tired Community: dadtired.com/community
• Ask a question or share your story: dadtired.com/question
• Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com
• Range Leather – 15% off: rangeleather.com/dadtired – Code: DADTIRED

In this episode, Jerrad speaks directly to busy dads who feel stretched thin. He shares how the chaos of life, especially in a new season, can cause us to drift from what matters most. Jerrad walks through how to refocus on your mission, identify distractions, and start making space for what God has actually called you to do.

What You’ll hear:
• How to reset your priorities when life feels blurry
• Why physical clutter often reflects inner clutter
• How Jesus modeled saying no to good things for the sake of the mission
• Why most distractions aren’t sinful but still harmful
• A simple way to evaluate your time and get clarity
• How to craft a short, clear mission statement for this season

Tune in to get focused, clear, and back on track with the mission God has given you as a husband, father, and disciple.

Episode Resources:

1. Thrive Family Life (Pop + Play game and more): thrivefamilylife.com — Use promo code DADTIRED for 10% off
2. Dad Tired Conferences: dadtired.com
3. Read The Dad Tired Book: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
4. Support Dad Tired: dadtired.com/donate
5. Invite Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com