What if the biggest problem in your fatherhood isn't your past… it's your direction? In this episode, we sit down with pastor, husband, Upward Sports league director, and dad of four, Mike Poelzer, for a deeply honest conversation about what it looks like to lead your family on purpose. Mike shares from a different angle than you might expect. He grew up with a strong, faithful foundation—and over time, he realized just how rare that actually is. Instead of making guys feel behind, it gives us something better: a clear picture of what we're aiming for. This is not a "be exactly like Mike" conversation (although, he's not a bad example!) but more of a challenge to change your family tree. We talk about: How to lead your family when you don't feel ready Why small, consistent steps matter more than big changes The role encouragement plays (and why most men avoid it) What it means to think beyond today and lead generationally This isn't about having it all together. It's about getting pointed in the right direction—and taking the next step. Learn more about Mike's church: https://www.springcreek.church/ Connect with Upward Sports and their mission to combine youth sports with Christ-centered growth: https://www.upward.org/ Want to shape the direction of the show this year? Leave us a voicemail and tell us what you're facing as a dad: manhoodjourney.org/podcast Scroll down to "What's Your Story?" and leave us a message! You're not a father on accident. Go be a father on purpose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about our new partners here: https://maninthemirror.org/ Download the Iron Circle worksheet here: https://manhoodjourney.org/iron-circle/ We've launched video now! Check out the video version of today's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gwsycwqRiuU ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Range Leather: Support the show and upgrade your fatherhood swag. Visit rangeleather.com/mj to score 10% off your next order! Grab some fresh beans! https://rangecoffee.com/ Fatherhood Guard – The Fatherhood Guard is now 100+ members strong! Join the fight for God-honoring fatherhood. Connect with dads from over 25 states and at least 3 countries by joining today. Grab your Range Leather welcome hat at https://manhoodjourney.org/donate/fatherhood-guard/ Buy Kent's latest book "Don't Bench Yourself" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1qBF3RJ 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.