DA403 | Building the Overcome Muscle, Morning Rhythms with Your Kids, and Why Play Matters (Zac Ernst)

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🏋️ Want to become a stronger dad? It starts with doing hard things—together.

✅ How to stay emotionally strong when your teenager isn't in the mood to talk

✅ Why opposition is actually a gift (even when it feels impossible)

✅ The power of gamifying life and creating playful memories with your kids

✅ How a simple bike ride and croissant can become a weekly rhythm your son will remember forever

OVERVIEW

What if the obstacles you're facing right now are exactly what you need to grow stronger as a dad? In this episode, Zac Ernst shares how opposition builds your overcome muscle, why emotional strength matters more than ever with teenagers, and how a simple Tuesday morning bike ride can change everything. Plus, he opens up about losing half his income the month after doubling his mortgage—and the moment God broke through his fear with joy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Emotional strength means staying steady through your kids' ups and downs rather than riding their emotional roller coasters.
• Opposition and hard things aren't obstacles to avoid—they're opportunities to fortify your faith muscle and show your kids what trust looks like.
• Play isn't optional for dads. It connects you to childlikeness, creates lasting memories, and reminds you that joy is found in pointless moments without outcomes.
• Three out of five men have no one to call in crisis. Finding your tribe and suffering together breaks isolation and builds unshakeable bonds.
• Your worry as a dad is like a five-year-old worrying about taxes—God's got this, and freedom comes when you open your hands and trust Him.

LINKS

• Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome
• Learn about the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort
• Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org
• Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618
• Pursuit Official Website https://joinpursuit.co/
• Zip Chip (favorite toy for play)
• Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
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QUOTES

1. "Your fear and worry right now is equivalent to your five-year-old worrying about taxes."
2. "For a child, 15 minutes can be a lifelong memory. For us, it's a blink—but for them, it's forever."
3. "The most vulnerable man on the sand is the strongest. Let's eliminate shallow conversation and get to the heart quickly."
4. "Play isn't pointless—it's for joy. Men forget to have moments with no responsibility, no outcome, just pure fun."
5. "Every time we go through something challenging, we fortify something in our minds that tells us: I have what it takes. Jesus will get me through this."