Joe: Lead by Example and Community

In this episode, I'm joined by my co-host Uncle Joe for one of our live Q&A sessions — where real men from the Dad Edge Alliance bring their real questions, and we do our best to give them real, honest answers.

This one covers a lot of ground. We open with a powerful question from Rich — a man who spent nearly 30 years as an agnostic, gave his life to Christ six months ago, and now wants to know how to lead his 11 kids toward faith without forcing it on them. Joe brings wisdom from his own walk, and I share a deeply personal story about going to church with my son Ethan — how one pastor's offhand comment cracked something open in me, and how an honest, vulnerable conversation in a car changed the entire trajectory of my relationship with my son around faith.

The second question is one that hits close to home for a lot of men in this community: when things have been bad in your marriage for a long time and you finally start getting wins — how do you avoid going complacent? Joe and I both dig into this one from personal experience. Joe speaks to the PTSD that builds up inside a man after years of a hard marriage, how fear and insecurity can quietly self-sabotage the very progress you've worked so hard for, and why faith — not fear — has to lead. I talk about consistency, keeping the sword sharp, and why marriage is exactly like the gym.

We close with a bonus coaching moment on communication — why "you make me feel" is a conversation grenade, and how to ask for clarity in a way that actually works.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:01] Welcome to the Q&A — live questions from real Dad Edge Alliance members

[1:42] Reminder: Roommates to Soulmates Cohort preview call on April 1st at 7pm Central

[2:50] Question 1 — Rich: I gave my life to Christ six months ago after 30 years as an agnostic. How do I lead my older kids toward faith without forcing it?

[6:07] Joe's answer: You lead by example, walking it out in front of them — including when you fail and change course

[8:33] Joe's story: his son Colin told his wife "the dad I have now is not the dad I had ten years ago"

[9:21] The power of community in faith — why you cannot walk this walk alone

[9:55] What Joe does every two weeks: a Zoom Bible study with his entire grown family

[11:02] Your outside world is always a reflection of your inside world — get your inside right first

[13:47] Larry's answer: his personal journey from cultural Catholic to full believer — and what changed in the last year

[15:17] The situation with Larry's son Ethan — a controversial church, a girlfriend pushing conversion, and how Larry navigated it without muscling him

[16:35] How Larry approached it: curiosity over control — asking questions instead of issuing warnings

[17:14] Larry goes to church with Ethan and hears a pastor say: "I had a great dad — but I had to find God by myself"

[19:12] The conviction that hit Larry on the way home: "I'm failing you just like his dad failed him"

[21:33] The honest conversation in the car — and Ethan's response that Larry never expected

[23:10] How Larry invited Ethan into a Bible study as a fellow learner, not a teacher — and what it has done for their relationship

[25:22] Question 2 — Anonymous: When things have been bad for years and you finally start getting wins in your marriage, how do you avoid getting complacent?

[25:56] Larry's answer: expect your wife to pull back at first — she's afraid to hope. Keep the sword sharp and never take your foot off the gas

[28:01] Joe's answer: be mindful of the PTSD and insecurity that builds up inside a man after years of a hard marriage

[29:21] How fear and insecurity can quietly self-sabotage the progress you've worked so hard for

[30:16] Let faith lead, not fear — fear has never once led Joe somewhere he was glad he went

[31:03] A real-time example: a man texting Joe that morning — his wife said she wants to stop counseling and he went into panic mode

[32:26] How to get clarity instead of telling yourself a story

[34:23] The right way to ask for clarity — why "you make me feel" is a grenade and what to say instead

[36:31] Words have power. Be effective, not just right.

[37:27] Bonus: never text your wife emotional content — everyone reads it through their own filter

Five Key Takeaways

1. You lead your kids toward faith the same way you lead them in everything else — by living it in front of them, including letting them see you fail and change course.
2. You don't have to be an expert to lead your kids spiritually. Invite them to learn alongside you. "Let's figure this out together" is more powerful than "let me teach you."
3. Your outside world is always a reflection of your inside world. If you want things to change around you, start with what's happening inside you.
4. When your marriage starts turning around, don't get complacent. Marriage is like the gym — you don't work chest for eight weeks and then wonder why it's gone. Consistency is everything.
5. Stop telling yourself a story about what your wife meant. Get clarity. And when you do, don't say "you make me feel" — own your interpretation and ask with curiosity, not accusation.

Links & Resources

• Roommates to Soulmates Cohort & Preview Call: https://thedadedge.com/soulmates
• The Men's Forge: https://themensforge.com
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1456): https://thedadedge.com/1456

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the most powerful thing you can do for the people you love is get yourself right on the inside first.

Whether it's leading your kids toward faith, rebuilding your marriage, or just showing up differently than you have before — it all starts with the man in the mirror. Not the version of you that has all the answers, but the version that's humble enough to say "I don't have it all figured out, but I'm willing to learn."

That's the man your kids need. That's the man your wife needs.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a man who is in the middle of his own turning point.

Go out and live legendary.