“For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you, and encouraged you, and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:11–12
With Father’s Day approaching, it’s worth asking a deeper question: What kind of legacy are we leaving as men, as dads, and as stewards of what God has entrusted to us?
Jonathan Lewis, President of Eastport Financial Group and Founder of Fathers for Fathers, joined the show today to discuss fatherhood, faith, and the financial discipleship that can shape generations. Fathers for Fathers is a faith-based organization that restores hope, healing, and purpose in the lives of men, especially fathers.
A Story God Redeemed
Jonathan’s passion for fathers is deeply personal. At 15 years old, he experienced the traumatic loss of his father in Nova Scotia. In the years that followed, he carried guilt, grief, and brokenness. He couch-surfed, slept in his car, and eventually joined the Canadian Armed Forces, where discipline helped steady his life.
Looking back, Jonathan sees how God used even the painful parts of his story. The wounds and scars that once felt like liabilities have become part of the way he ministers to hurting men today.
He points to Revelation 12:11, which speaks of overcoming “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” God did not waste Jonathan’s story. Instead, He redeemed it and now uses it to help other men find hope and healing.
Your Story Is Not Over
Many fathers carry silent shame or regret. Some feel they have failed their children. Others feel absent, discouraged, or unsure how to begin again.
Jonathan’s message to them is simple: Your story is not over if you are still breathing.
Too often, men rehearse their failures and live in what Jonathan calls the “depreciation room,” constantly reminding themselves of what they have done wrong. But the gospel invites men to step out of shame and into repentance, responsibility, and renewed purpose.
That does not mean minimizing sin or pretending failure has not happened. It means acknowledging what is true, bringing it into the light, and receiving the grace of Christ. As Jonathan explained, change requires contrition. It requires owning mistakes. And ultimately, it requires the substitute who has already stepped in for us: Jesus Christ.
The First Step Toward Faithful Fatherhood
For fathers who feel distant from their children, the first step may be small, but it should be faithful.
Jonathan especially encourages absent fathers not to hide behind excuses. Many men who are not actively involved in their children’s lives genuinely want to be, but they feel trapped by regret, conflict, or past failures. Still, faithfulness begins with taking responsibility.
That may mean reaching out. It may mean providing financially. It may mean supporting your children's mother with humility and integrity. It may mean confessing hidden sin to a spiritually mature man and inviting him to hold you accountable.
The goal is not to shame men, but to call them forward. Fatherhood requires courage, humility, and community. Men were not meant to carry the weight alone.
Stewardship Begins at Home
Because Jonathan also works with families through Eastport Financial Group, he sees stewardship as more than managing money. Biblical stewardship includes how we handle our time, relationships, influence, responsibilities, and resources.
A man may be generous with money but neglect generosity with his love, presence, patience, or encouragement. That
