Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B50C1AlD3ao

What if the things that slow you down… are the very things God wants to use to form you?

In this slow, soulful conversation, Jerrad sits down with Jake Weidmann—a master penman (yes, that’s a real thing) and artist whose life and work are marked by discipline, creativity, and deep intentionality. From carving sacred art to raising four kids, Jake shares how slowing down has reshaped not just his craft—but his soul.

They talk about the connection between beauty and time, why being creative has nothing to do with being “artsy,” and how discipline and delight can co-exist in the life of a godly man. Jake opens up about the doubts that haunted his early career, what it means to “exult in monotony,” and the emotional moment he hoisted an Amish barn beam onto his shoulder—realizing he was quite literally taking up his cross.

This episode is a breath of fresh air in a world that worships speed.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why slowing down might be the most spiritual thing you do today
• How discipline, doubt, and beauty all shape a man’s soul
• The lost art of doing one thing well over a long time
• What it means to create as a reflection of the Creator
• How parenting and craftsmanship have more in common than you think
• Why creativity isn’t just for artists—it’s for every man made in God’s image
• The surprising story behind Jake’s “Old Rugged Cross” artwork

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Jake’s book and artwork: https://jakeweidmann.com
• G.K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy
• The story of the “pen wizard” and the golden age of handwriting
• Benedictine wisdom: To work is to pray
• Jerrad’s mantra: “Decades over days”

🔗 Resources:
Book Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com
Grab Dad Tired and Loving It: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
Watch the episode on YouTube and subscribe!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/Uovkiigw4gw

What if the thing that nearly destroyed you… became the thing God used to heal others?

In this raw and redemptive episode, Jerrad sits down with Sammy Perez, a man who grew up without a dad, entered the system at age 8, and spent much of his early life in prison. But that’s not where the story ends. Through a prison cellmate, an unexpected visitation, and the unlikely love of a spiritual father, Sammy’s life was completely turned around.

Together, they talk about father wounds, the ache for belonging, how prison both broke and saved him, and the long road to healing as a man and dad. Sammy shares the tear-filled moment he gave his life to Jesus behind bars, the first time he saw his son through glass, and how God turned his pain into purpose.

This is one of the most powerful stories we’ve ever told.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why boys without dads often become men without direction
• How shame disconnects us from our story and how healing reconnects us
• The surprising moment Sammy met his son for the first time
• What it looks like to father when you were never fathered
• How a consistent man named Terry changed everything
• Why God’s love can rewire even the hardest hearts
• The full-circle moment that brought Sammy back into prisons… this time with purpose

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Program
• Sammy’s work helping former prisoners reintegrate into society
• The story of Clarence; the cellmate who wouldn’t stop asking Sammy if he wanted to know Jesus
• Jerrad’s teaching on 2 Kings 6 and the power of new perspective

🔗 Resources:
Book Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com
Grab Dad Tired and Loving It: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
Learn more about Prison Fellowship: https://www.prisonfellowship.org

Watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/L3ObzPJXwXw

What if being a “man” had nothing to do with bench press numbers or beard length—and everything to do with becoming a safe place?

In this vulnerable and soul-stirring episode, Jerrad sits down with Brant Hansen to talk about what it really means to be a man. From playing the flute and battling shame to protecting the vulnerable and bringing peace to your home, Brant flips the typical narrative of masculinity on its head.

They unpack the ache many men feel to be better, why muscle doesn’t equal maturity, and how a man’s deepest strength might just be his gentleness. Brant shares the heart behind his book The Men We Need, what it means to be a “keeper of the garden,” and how every man, no matter his story, can begin again.

This one gets deep fast.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why your presence is more than physical proximity
• How spiritual formation leads to true masculinity
• Why “being strong” often looks like tenderness
• What your tone of voice says about the kind of man you are
• The one vision for manhood that could reshape your home
• How to become a non-anxious presence for your wife and kids
• Why it’s never too late to pivot and become the man God’s calling you to be

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Brant’s book: The Men We Need
• The Hebrew word for God’s covering in Eden—“royal garments”
• Lamentations 3 and Philippians 4 as anchors for anxious men
• Bible Memory App for rewiring shame loops
• The “Keeper of the Garden” vision of masculinity
• How passive men still make their homes unsafe

🔗 Resources:

• Book Jerrad to speak: https://www.jerradlopes.com
• Grab Dad Tired and Loving It: https://amzn.to/3YTz4GB
• Get Brant’s book The Men We Need
• Today’s Sponsor: Classical Conversations