Father On Purpose Podcast
Manhood Journey
Recent Episodes
What if the best Christmas you ever gave your family had nothing to do with what was under the tree? In this episode, Kent and Lawson talk honestly about money pressure, comparison, and the expectation that "good dads" should deliver a huge Christmas every year. They share stories from tight-budget Decembers, laugh about Buzzsaw Louie and Tesla wish lists, and then slow down long enough to ask a better question: What is all this gift giving actually teaching our kids?
Walking through passages like Psalm 107 and Acts 20, they unpack the difference between generosity and consumerism, why it is more blessed to give than receive, and how to reset unrealistic expectations before Christmas morning. You will pick up practical ideas like simple Advent rhythms, service-based "gifts," low or no cost traditions, and creative ways to bless neighbors, teachers, and exhausted young parents without adding financial stress.
Whether this year has been lean or abundant, this conversation will help you point your kids away from "who got the biggest gift" and back to the Savior who never changes. As we head into this year's Christmas season, remember, you are not a father on accident, so go be a father on purpose.
We've launched video now! Check out the video version of today's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jbRAn65x8EM
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- Range Leather: Support the show and upgrade your fatherhood swag. Shop Range Leather and get 15% OFF with code MJ15
- Grab some fresh beans! https://rangecoffee.com/
- Fatherhood Guard – Connect with dads from over 20 states and at least 2 countries by joining the Fatherhood Guard. Grab your welcome hat at https://manhoodjourney.org/donate/fatherhood-guard/
- Buy Kent's latest book: Don't Bench Yourself on Amazon
- Read the new State Of Biblical Fatherhood report here: http://manhoodjourney.org/sobf
- Find tools to share the report here: https://manhoodjourney.org/sobf-tools
- Have a topic you want us to touch on? Well, get in touch! Send us an email at: [email protected]
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About our hosts:
- Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. After a twenty-year career as a business leader, he embarked on biblical Fatherhood ministry projects. He's appeared on television, radio, web outlets and podcasts. He's spoken at parenting and men's events, and authored four books. The first, Wise Guys: Unlocking Hidden Wisdom from the Men Around You, was written to help men learn how to find mentors and wise counsel. The latest, Don't Bench Yourself: How to Stay in the Game Even When You Want to Quit, aims to help dads stay present in their roles as fathers and husbands even when they feel like giving up. Kent's life has been radically affected by godly mentors and his lovely wife, April. They have been married thirty years and have five sons and one daughter-in-law. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Lawson Brown is husband to his high school sweetheart, a father of two young adult daughters, has been a business leader since 1995, and is a former Marine. He served as a small group leader for teenage boys for many years, helped start the Christian media ministry City on a Hill Productions, then later Sanctuary – a new church in Kennesaw, GA – where he served as its leader for Men's Ministry. Lawson's journey of faith has always been centered in a grounding from his wife, Audrey, and supported throughout by many men whom he's found as brothers along the way. His family is nearing an empty nest phase and has recently relocated to the Florida Gulf Coast beaches area.
What if the most powerful thing you could bring to Thanksgiving this year wasn't your famous [insert random comfort food], but a grateful heart your kids can actually see?
In this episode, Kent and Lawson help dads get super practical about gratitude, right in the middle of a noisy, entitled world. Using the word GRATEFUL as an acrostic, they walk through eight anchors for a dad's heart: Grace, Reflection, Appreciation, Thanksgiving, Empathy, Faith, Understanding, and Love.
You will hear stories about tiny frogs in a muddy trail, anonymous generosity on YouTube, benefit dinners that do not go as planned, and friends who choose gratitude in the middle of crushing loss. Together, Kent and Lawson connect these real-life moments to Scripture and to simple ideas you can try with your own family this Thanksgiving.
Whether you want a quick conversation starter around the table, a game to play with your kids, or just a reset for your own attitude before the holiday rush, this episode will help you trade comparison and entitlement for a grateful, open-handed way of living.
We'll also include the Scriptures we referenced below, in case you want to go back and study them for yourself.
G - Grace: "For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." — John 1:16 (ESV) R - Reflection: "I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds." — Psalm 77:12 (ESV) A - Appreciation: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." — 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) T - Thanksgiving: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!" — Psalm 100:4 (ESV) E - Empathy: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." — Romans 12:15 (ESV) F - Faith: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." — Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) U - Understanding: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." — Proverbs 3:5 (ESV) L - Love: "We love because he first loved us." — 1 John 4:19 (ESV)
We've launched video now! Check out the video version of today's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/f6LfEomB-Jk
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- Range Leather: Support the show and upgrade your fatherhood swag. Shop Range Leather and get 15% OFF with code MJ15
- Grab some fresh beans! https://rangecoffee.com/
- Fatherhood Guard – Connect with dads from over 20 states and at least 2 countries by joining the Fatherhood Guard. Grab your welcome hat at https://manhoodjourney.org/donate/fatherhood-guard/
- Buy Kent's latest book: Don't Bench Yourself on Amazon
- Read the new State Of Biblical Fatherhood report here: http://manhoodjourney.org/sobf
- Find tools to share the report here: https://manhoodjourney.org/sobf-tools
- Have a topic you want us to touch on? Well, get in touch! Send us an email at: [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
About our hosts:
- Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. After a twenty-year career as a business leader, he embarked on biblical Fatherhood ministry projects. He's appeared on television, radio, web outlets and podcasts. He's spoken at parenting and men's events, and authored four books. The first, Wise Guys: Unlocking Hidden Wisdom from the Men Around You, was written to help men learn how to find mentors and wise counsel. The latest, Don't Bench Yourself: How to Stay in the Game Even When You Want to Quit, aims to help dads stay present in their roles as fathers and husbands even when they feel like giving up. Kent's life has been radically affected by godly mentors and his lovely wife, April. They have been married thirty years and have five sons and one daughter-in-law. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Lawson Brown is husband to his high school sweetheart, a father of two young adult daughters, has been a business leader since 1995, and is a former Marine. He served as a small group leader for teenage boys for many years, helped start the Christian media ministry City on a Hill Productions, then later Sanctuary – a new church in Kennesaw, GA – where he served as its leader for Men's Ministry. Lawson's journey of faith has always been centered in a grounding from his wife, Audrey, and supported throughout by many men whom he's found as brothers along the way. His family is nearing an empty nest phase and has recently relocated to the Florida Gulf Coast beaches area.
What kind of legacy are you really leaving for your kids – your name, or your Savior's?
In this final week of our Psalm 112 series, Kent and Lawson walk through verses 9 and 10 and unpack what it means for a dad to be generous and righteous, not wicked and worried. They talk about "freely scattering" your gifts like seed in a field, and how that applies to dad stuff like your time, your connections, your money, and even your encouragement.
You will hear how Psalm 112 points beyond our performance to the perfect righteousness of Jesus, why real legacy is more about your great-grandkids loving God's Word than anyone remembering your name, and how the "wicked being vexed" shows up today in jealousy, frustration, and comparison. The guys also get super practical about slowing down in Scripture, writing verses out by hand, and letting God's Word soak in instead of just bouncing off your busy day.
If you have ever wrestled with feeling like you are not enough as a dad, or you are tempted to chase your own platform instead of God's purposes, this one is for you.
In this episode you will learn:
- What it looks like for a dad to "freely scatter" his gifts in everyday family life
- How generosity, righteousness, and honor fit together in Psalm 112
- Why your true legacy is Christ's righteousness, not your achievements
- The difference between a struggling believer and the "wicked" in Scripture
- Simple ways to slow down, rightly handle God's Word, and lead your family spiritually
You are not a father on accident. Go read Psalm 112 (slowly!) and be a Father On Purpose.
We've launched video now! Check out the video version of today's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4t5UIsAR0wU
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Range Leather: Support the show and upgrade your fatherhood swag. Shop Range Leather and get 15% OFF with code MJ15
- Grab some fresh beans! https://rangecoffee.com/
- Fatherhood Guard – Connect with dads from over 20 states and at least 2 countries by joining the Fatherhood Guard. Grab your welcome hat at https://manhoodjourney.org/donate/fatherhood-guard/
- Buy Kent's latest book: Don't Bench Yourself on Amazon
- Read the new State Of Biblical Fatherhood report here: http://manhoodjourney.org/sobf
- Find tools to share the report here: https://manhoodjourney.org/sobf-tools
- Have a topic you want us to touch on? Well, get in touch! Send us an email at: [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
About our hosts:
- Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. After a twenty-year career as a business leader, he embarked on biblical Fatherhood ministry projects. He's appeared on television, radio, web outlets and podcasts. He's spoken at parenting and men's events, and authored four books. The first, Wise Guys: Unlocking Hidden Wisdom from the Men Around You, was written to help men learn how to find mentors and wise counsel. The latest, Don't Bench Yourself: How to Stay in the Game Even When You Want to Quit, aims to help dads stay present in their roles as fathers and husbands even when they feel like giving up. Kent's life has been radically affected by godly mentors and his lovely wife, April. They have been married thirty years and have five sons and one daughter-in-law. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Lawson Brown is husband to his high school sweetheart, a father of two young adult daughters, has been a business leader since 1995, and is a former Marine. He served as a small group leader for teenage boys for many years, helped start the Christian media ministry City on a Hill Productions, then later Sanctuary – a new church in Kennesaw, GA – where he served as its leader for Men's Ministry. Lawson's journey of faith has always been centered in a grounding from his wife, Audrey, and supported throughout by many men whom he's found as brothers along the way. His family is nearing an empty nest phase and has recently relocated to the Florida Gulf Coast beaches area.
What makes a man steady when life gets shaky? In part two of our Psalm 112 series, Kent and Lawson unpack verses 5–8 and discover that generosity isn't just about giving money—it's about living open-handed before God. From Lawson's trip to visit his daughter in New York to Kent's humbling "YMCA incident," this episode is packed with real-life moments that show how generosity and trust in the Lord go hand in hand.
The guys talk about what it means to raise kids who see a dad that listens well, admits when he's wrong, and gives freely—whether that's time, encouragement, or attention. They also tackle the trap of entitlement, how to build a heart that isn't afraid of bad news, and why most dads underestimate the spiritual power of simple kindness.
In this episode you'll hear:
- How Psalm 112 links generosity to unshakeable stability
- The difference between generosity and entitlement
- How giving—of any kind—trains your heart to trust God
- Simple ways to model generosity for your kids
- Why admitting your mistakes at home might be your most generous act
For the dad who wants to be steady, grateful, and rooted in God's character—this one's for you.
We've launched video now! Check out the video version of today's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vCrpuwHBfFw
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Range Leather: Support the show and upgrade your fatherhood swag. Shop Range Leather and get 15% OFF with code MJ15
- Grab some fresh beans! https://rangecoffee.com/
- Fatherhood Guard – Connect with dads from over 20 states and at least 2 countries by joining the Fatherhood Guard. Grab your welcome hat at https://manhoodjourney.org/donate/fatherhood-guard/
- Buy Kent's latest book: Don't Bench Yourself on Amazon
- Read the new State Of Biblical Fatherhood report here: http://manhoodjourney.org/sobf
- Find tools to share the report here: https://manhoodjourney.org/sobf-tools
- Have a topic you want us to touch on? Well, get in touch! Send us an email at: [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
About our hosts:
- Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. After a twenty-year career as a business leader, he embarked on biblical Fatherhood ministry projects. He's appeared on television, radio, web outlets and podcasts. He's spoken at parenting and men's events, and authored four books. The first, Wise Guys: Unlocking Hidden Wisdom from the Men Around You, was written to help men learn how to find mentors and wise counsel. The latest, Don't Bench Yourself: How to Stay in the Game Even When You Want to Quit, aims to help dads stay present in their roles as fathers and husbands even when they feel like giving up. Kent's life has been radically affected by godly mentors and his lovely wife, April. They have been married thirty years and have five sons and one daughter-in-law. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Lawson Brown is husband to his high school sweetheart, a father of two young adult daughters, has been a business leader since 1995, and is a former Marine. He served as a small group leader for teenage boys for many years, helped start the Christian media ministry City on a Hill Productions, then later Sanctuary – a new church in Kennesaw, GA – where he served as its leader for Men's Ministry. Lawson's journey of faith has always been centered in a grounding from his wife, Audrey, and supported throughout by many men whom he's found as brothers along the way. His family is nearing an empty nest phase and has recently relocated to the Florida Gulf Coast beaches area.
What does a "Psalm 112 man" actually look like in a busy dad's real life? Kent and Lawson kick off a three-week walk through Psalm 112 (vv. 1–4 today), unpacking what it means to fear the Lord, delight in His commands, and model four marks at home—upright, gracious, compassionate, and righteous. You'll hear practical cues you can use this week, like scheduled windows for texts/emails, small daily "deposits," and how to show grace in the grocery-store parking lot).
We also talk perspective on "wealth and riches," why righteousness endures, and how the gospel fuels growth over time—without pretending dads have to be perfect. Pull up a chair, laugh with us, and leave with two or three doable steps for leading your family with joy and awe. You're not a father by accident—go be a Father On Purpose.
We've launched video now! Check out the video version of today's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XqcBAd5snzc
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Range Leather: Support the show and upgrade your fatherhood swag. Shop Range Leather and get 15% OFF with code MJ15
- Grab some fresh beans! https://rangecoffee.com/
- Fatherhood Guard – Connect with dads from over 20 states and at least 2 countries by joining the Fatherhood Guard. Grab your welcome hat at https://manhoodjourney.org/donate/fatherhood-guard/
- Buy Kent's latest book: Don't Bench Yourself on Amazon
- Read the new State Of Biblical Fatherhood report here: http://manhoodjourney.org/sobf
- Find tools to share the report here: https://manhoodjourney.org/sobf-tools
- Have a topic you want us to touch on? Well, get in touch! Send us an email at: [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
About our hosts:
- Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. After a twenty-year career as a business leader, he embarked on biblical Fatherhood ministry projects. He's appeared on television, radio, web outlets and podcasts. He's spoken at parenting and men's events, and authored four books. The first, Wise Guys: Unlocking Hidden Wisdom from the Men Around You, was written to help men learn how to find mentors and wise counsel. The latest, Don't Bench Yourself: How to Stay in the Game Even When You Want to Quit, aims to help dads stay present in their roles as fathers and husbands even when they feel like giving up. Kent's life has been radically affected by godly mentors and his lovely wife, April. They have been married thirty years and have five sons and one daughter-in-law. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Lawson Brown is husband to his high school sweetheart, a father of two young adult daughters, has been a business leader since 1995, and is a former Marine. He served as a small group leader for teenage boys for many years, helped start the Christian media ministry City on a Hill Productions, then later Sanctuary – a new church in Kennesaw, GA – where he served as its leader for Men's Ministry. Lawson's journey of faith has always been centered in a grounding from his wife, Audrey, and supported throughout by many men whom he's found as brothers along the way. His family is nearing an empty nest phase and has recently relocated to the Florida Gulf Coast beaches area.