Season 2 of the Intentional Fatherhood Podcast kicks off with a new framework for understanding the journey of spiritual maturity, specifically through the lens of fatherhood. This season, we’re exploring the three great movements of the spiritual life: getting our lives together, giving our lives away, and giving our deaths away.

In this first episode, we dig into that first movement: getting our lives together. What does it really mean to move from boyhood to manhood — to take on responsibility, lead with integrity, and build a family — especially when no one ever showed us how? Many of us find ourselves in jobs, routines or situations we don’t love, wondering if this is what life was meant to be. We talk honestly about that struggle and the grace needed when we haven’t been guided through it by a father or mentor.

We also explore how following Jesus leads to a fuller, richer life — one that begins with death to self. Despite what culture tells us, the cross reminds us that life isn’t about achievement or comfort, but about surrender, calling us to accept the limitation of our own desires.

Using the Family Age Chart tool, we reflect on how each season of life is brief and full of transition — and how those transitions often come with both crisis and calling.

This episode lays the foundation for the season ahead: learning how God shapes us through the movements of life, beginning with the hard but holy work of getting our lives together.

Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA

Family Age Chart PDF Download

Scripture Mentioned: Proverbs 29:18, Proverbs 24:16, Matthew 16:24, Galatians 5:19, Colossians 3:5 + Luke 9:23

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In this bonus Q&R episode, we tackle real and honest questions from listeners — covering everything from anxiety and reliance on substances, to conflict with our spouse around phones, to the challenge of leading spiritually at home, and choosing to parent differently than we were raised.

We talk about the importance of practicing healthier rhythms instead of swinging between extremes, and how bringing your spouse into the process creates space for humility and vulnerability. We also look at how to approach conversations about excessive phone use with empathy rather than shame, and how curiosity can open the door to honest dialogue.

From there, we explore what it takes to move surface-level friendships toward deeper, covenant-level connection, and how vulnerability breeds vulnerability. We also discuss the awkward but necessary work of starting new spiritual habits at home — pushing through the discomfort to create rhythms that will last.

And finally, we talk about the desire so many of us carry to parent differently than the way we were raised. The hope of the gospel is that we don’t have to repeat the cycles we inherited. Jesus interrupts generational patterns, opens the door to repair, and empowers us to create new legacies of honesty, humility, and grace for the generations that come after us.

Books Mentioned: The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt + Made for People: Why We Drift into Loneliness and How to Fight for a Life of Friendship by Justin Whitmel Earley

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We’re back with a special Q&R episode, answering real questions from fathers navigating the tensions of parenting, faith, and calling. We talk about what to do when you feel isolated in the early years of raising kids, especially when your closest friends aren’t parents yet, and how to create the kind of community your fatherhood needs.

We also dive into the power of confession — why it’s deeply biblical, how to start small with someone you trust, and how regular rhythms of honesty can bring freedom and healing.

From there, we discuss what it looks like to parent with both authority and love, offering practical ways to set boundaries, repair when you snap, and become a student of your kids — especially if they’re wired differently. We also talk about how essential prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit are in this process, because lovingly discipling our kids isn’t something we can do in our own strength.

Finally, we unpack the tension between work and family — setting healthy boundaries, releasing guilt, serving your family, and finding dignity in your calling without sacrificing presence at home.

Fatherhood comes with real challenges, but you don’t have to figure it out on your own. This episode offers honest conversations and practical tools to help you show up with presence and purpose.

Books Mentioned: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser + The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson

Scripture Mentioned: James 5:16, Ephesians 5:8 + Romans 11:22

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.

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In the final episode of season one, we explore what it means to find meaning, beauty, and art as fathers.

In response to last week’s episode on work, this one turns toward the life-giving pursuits that bring us joy. This conversation is an invitation to remember that you were created to delight — that deep within each of us is a longing for beauty and a desire to pursue what lights us up from the inside out. Whether it’s music, poetry, travel, fitness, writing, reading, camping, cold plunging, or even mushroom hunting, discovering what brings you joy is part of becoming a whole, grounded father.

We also touch on the tendency to overdo hobbies as a form of escape — and how, when rightly ordered, these passions aren’t distractions but sacred spaces where peace, contentment, and even healing can take root.

We share some of our own hobbies — both the ones we enjoy alone and the ones we share with our kids — and how they’ve helped shape the fathers we are today. More than that, we explore how delight can become a doorway into deeper connection with your children.

Because in the end, our family may be the greatest thing we ever create — and life itself may be our most meaningful work of art.

We close season one with a final blessing — a prayer to remind us that we simply cannot do fatherhood without guidance from our Heavenly Father.

Book Mentioned: The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man by Abraham Heschel

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.

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Fatherhood is more than raising children — it’s about showing up in the world as a worker. You were created to work. Not just to earn a paycheck, but to cultivate, build, and serve others through your vocation.

This week, we explore the vocational calling within our Intentional Fatherhood diagram, focusing on God’s original design for work starting in Genesis. From the very beginning, we were made to “garden” the world — to shape it with care and intention.

But work isn’t always easy. We talk about the pain, frustration, and resistance we encounter — what Scripture calls the “thorns and thistles” — and how that struggle can actually become a place of deep sanctification. We reflect on the pursuit of the vocational “trifecta”: doing what you’re good at, what you love, and what the world actually needs.

Each of us shares personal stories from the early, often hidden years of our careers — seasons marked by uncertainty, obscurity, and growth. Looking back, we see how God used those years to develop humility, dependence, and deeper intimacy with Him.

We also wrestle with the tension between overwork and idleness. Sometimes we throw ourselves into our jobs to avoid the demands of home life. But Scripture reminds us: idle hands aren’t the answer either. So how do we stay “busy but balanced”?

We get honest about work, purpose, and presence — in our jobs and in our families — in this week’s episode.

Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 1, Genesis 3:18 + Lamentations 3:27

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Intentional Fatherhood Website (for Diagram of Framework)

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Feeling overwhelmed as a father? Like you’re constantly reacting instead of leading with intention? Maybe you lose your temper more than you’d like or feel like you’re just running a daycare with someone you used to date. You might even wonder if you’re failing as a dad.

In this episode, we get honest about the struggles of fatherhood and explore how simple, consistent habits can shape the atmosphere of your home. From bedtime liturgies and breath prayers to marriage rhythms and boundaries around technology, we unpack small yet meaningful habits — often formed through our own failures and weaknesses — that have become tools of spiritual formation in our families.

The truth is: we become our habits, and our children become us. The routines and rhythms in your home aren’t just daily tasks; they’re shaping the hearts and minds of your family. You already have habits unfolding — responses, defaults, routines. The question is whether you’re being intentional about them. In moments of conflict or chaos, these habits often determine your reaction. So how do we practice our way into something more grounded and loving?

God isn’t waiting outside the mess of our homes — He’s right in the middle of it. The gospel lives in the ordinary friction and beauty of parenting. These small habits, practiced with consistency and grace, can begin to rewire how we love our spouse, our kids, and the God who’s with us in it all.

These rhythms won’t change God’s love for you — but God’s love for you should change your rhythms. So be intentional.

Scripture Mentioned: 1 Peter 3:7

Book Mentioned: Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms by Justin Whitmel Earley

Resources Mentioned: Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting Resource, Hang 10 Movement + Digital Rule of Life PDF

Bedtime Liturgy:

Father: Do you see my eyes?

Child: Yes.

Father: Can you see that I see your eyes?

Child: Yes.

Father: Do you know that I love you?

Child: Yes.

Father: Do you know that I love you no matter what bad things you do?

Child: Yes.

Father: Do you know that I love you no matter what good things you do?

Child: Yes.

Father: Who else loves you like that?

Child: Jesus.

Father: Rest in that love.

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.

Intentional Fatherhood Website (for Diagram of Framework)

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Note: This episode contains mature themes that may not be suitable for younger listeners. Please use discretion.

We are storied people, living within the grand narrative of the kingdom of God. And as a father, you need to know your story. Not just the highlights or heroic moments — but the whole of it. The truth is, your past shapes your present: in your work, your marriage, your friendships, and your fatherhood. To lead well, you must face the story that formed you — including both your own childhood and the generations that came before.

In this powerful episode, we look back to move forward. Together, we explore how our family of origin — with all its beauty and brokenness — deeply influences the families we are building now. Brook opens up about the story he comes from: one marked by abuse, secrecy, and chaos. He shares honestly about the slow and painful work of healing, and how unaddressed generational sin began to surface in his own work, relationships, and family — which nudged him toward the hard work of transformation.

Justin shares a different story: one of inherited blessing, and how he nearly squandered it. But ultimately, he chose to surrender and let God build something new from the foundation he was given.

Together, we reject the lie that we’re doomed to repeat the past — that we’re destined to become our fathers or perpetuate the cycles we grew up in. Through grace and intentionality, there is a better way. God longs to redeem what’s been broken and restore what’s been lost.

This Spirit-led conversation offers practical steps for examining your story, seeking help, and moving toward healing. It’s an invitation to believe in the promise of Joel 2:25: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.”

Scripture Mentioned: Joel 2:25-26, Romans 8:28 + Matthew 25:14-30

Books Mentioned: The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Whitmel Earley

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.

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Believe it or not, caring for your physical body is essential to becoming the intentional father you're called to be.

In this episode, we explore the deep connection between physical discipline and spiritual formation — and why your body isn’t just a shell, but an integral part of your discipleship. We push back against the gnostic idea that separates the material from the divine, grounding our conversation in Genesis 2:7, where God breathes spirit into dust to form a whole human being.

Drawing from Justin’s upcoming book, The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life, we talk about the spiritual implications of everyday physical habits — from how you eat and sleep to how you rest and move. We also highlight the link between physical health and mental well-being.

Like a gardener entrusted with land he didn’t choose and weather he can’t control, you’ve been given a body — with all its genetics, limitations, and challenges. But just like a garden, it’s worth tending.

We encourage you to prioritize rest as the foundation of physical discipline. Step away from the pendulum swing between indulgence and shame around eating, and embrace a rhythm that allows for both fasting and feasting — as well as the steady habits in between. And finally, push your body through physical exercise, knowing that pain and endurance often form what comfort never could.

This isn’t about self-optimization. It’s about faithful stewardship — of the body God gave you, and the life He’s called you to live.

Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 2:7, Romans 6:13, Genesis 3:6, Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1

Books Mentioned: The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life by Justin Whitmel Earley

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.

Intentional Fatherhood Website (for Diagram of Framework)

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Before we can be fathers to our children, we must first learn to live as sons of the Father. The truth is, it’s impossible to be a good father — let alone an intentional one — without the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

In this episode, we explore the essential role of spiritual disciplines in the life of a father. From kneeling prayer to spending what we call “luxurious wasted time in God’s presence,” we share personal rhythms and honest reflections — not lofty ideals, but grounded, consistent, doable practices that shape who we’re becoming as men and as fathers.

We talk candidly about the habits that form us, the spiritual reading that challenges us, and why your kids don’t just need your presence — they need a father who’s being formed. Because in the journey of spiritual formation, there is no neutral ground. As Romans 12:2 reminds us, we are either being conformed to the patterns of this world or being transformed by the renewing of our minds.

So choose something rather than nothing. Start small. Plant the seed — and trust that the Lord will grow it. Your habits may not earn God’s love, but His love should absolutely reshape your habits. Intentional fatherhood begins with intentional formation. And that starts with being a son.

Scripture Mentioned: Romans 12:1-2 + Romans 6:13

Books Mentioned: The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley, Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster + Prayer by Richard J. Foster

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.

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If you’re trying to live as an intentional father, you need to know this: the enemy is after you. Fatherhood is not neutral terrain — it’s a battleground. And too often, that battle drives men into vice, isolation, and quiet resignation. But there’s an antidote: covenant friendship.

In this episode, we explore the transformative power of soul-level friendship — the kind that sees all of you, calls out the best in you, and refuses to walk away when things get hard. We share personal stories of how covenant friendship has rescued us in dark moments, sharpened us in seasons of growth, and held us accountable when we wanted to give up.

We talk about why deep friendship is not just helpful but necessary — and why it requires courage: the courage to be known, the humility to be challenged, and the commitment to stay. Drawing from scripture and our own stories, we reflect on how covenant friendship is one of God’s most powerful tools for shaping us into the fathers we are called to be.

Authentic friendship may be inconvenient. It will almost certainly be costly. But it’s not optional — not if you want to fight the good fight of fatherhood well.

So if you're feeling isolated, distracted, or stuck, don’t retreat. Reach out. This episode is a call to step into the kind of friendship that empowers you as a father.

Scripture Mentioned: Ephesians 6:12, Proverbs 27:17, Ecclesiastes 4:12, John 15:9-17, Revelation 19:6-9 + Hebrews 10:24-25

Book Mentioned: Made for People by Justin Whitmel Earley

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.

Intentional Fatherhood Website (for Diagram of Framework)

Follow @intentionalfatherhood_ on Instagram

Watch + Subscribe on YouTube

Intentional: Website + Instagram

Justin Whitmel Earley: Website + Instagram