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Jonathan Almonte grew up in extreme poverty in the Dominican Republic, without a father in the home and believing that joining a gang might be his best path to a better life.

But God began changing his story through a local church, a childhood friend, and a Compassion International sponsor who faithfully wrote him letters from Michigan. Years later, when Jonathan’s father told him he was a mistake, those relationships helped him understand that his identity was not defined by rejection, poverty, or his past.

In this episode, Jerrad and Jonathan talk about father wounds, growing up fatherless, forgiveness, poverty, faith, spiritual darkness, Christian fatherhood, and the way God can redeem the most painful parts of our story.

Today, Jonathan is a husband, father, and serves tens of thousands of children in the Dominican Republic through Compassion International.

If you’ve struggled with rejection, an absent father, forgiveness, or questions about your identity in Christ, this conversation is for you.

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When was the last time you felt genuinely excited about your future?

For a lot of men, life slowly becomes survival mode—work, bills, marriage, kids, responsibilities, repeat. Somewhere along the way, we stop dreaming.

In this off-the-cuff episode, Jerrad shares three dreams that have been stirring in his heart for the future of Dad Tired, including serving military families, creating deeper healing experiences for men, and making space for more meaningful conversations.

But underneath all of it is a bigger realization: sometimes you have to heal before you can dream again.

Jerrad reflects on the last few years of confronting sin, pain, brokenness, and unhealthy patterns—and how God has used that healing to give him the capacity to look forward with hope again.

If you’ve felt stuck, exhausted, or like you’re simply trying to make it through the week, this episode is an invitation to lift your head, let God deal with what’s underneath the surface, and begin asking what He might still want to do with your life.

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Sin rarely destroys a man’s life all at once. More often, it slowly kills his joy, peace, intimacy, trust, focus, and spiritual health—and eventually, he gets used to living around the damage.

In this episode, Jerrad asks a difficult question: What has died in your life as a result of sin? Through an honest personal confession, the story of a refrigerator filled with spoiled milk, and the hope of the gospel, he challenges men to stop minimizing the “small” compromises they’ve grown comfortable with.

You don’t have to keep living surrounded by dead things. Jesus is not intimidated by the broken, hidden, or lifeless places in your story. Bring them into the light, confess them, and trust the God who makes dead things alive again.

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What if sleep isn’t wasted time, weakness, or something to squeeze in after everything else is done? What if it is actually one of God’s most practical invitations to trust Him?

In this episode, Jerrad sits down with Brett McCracken, senior editor and director of communications at The Gospel Coalition and author of The Wisdom of Sleep: How Rest Reveals God’s Truth and Revives Weary Souls.

Together, they explore why God designed us to spend nearly a third of our lives asleep, how sleep reminds us that we are the creation—not the Creator—and why closing our eyes each night can become an act of surrender.

A Prayer Before Sleep

Father,

As I close my eyes tonight, I remember that I am not God.

I have limits.
You have none.

I need rest.
You neither slumber nor sleep.

There are things I did not finish, problems I could not solve, and people I cannot protect on my own. I release them all into Your hands.

Forgive me for believing that everything depends on me.

Thank You for the gift of sleep; a grace I receive, not something I earn. As I lie down, remind me that Christ has finished the work I could never finish.

Protect my home.
Watch over my family.
Quiet my mind.
Restore my body and soul.

As sleep resembles death, remind me that I have died with Christ. And if You wake me in the morning, let the rising sun remind me that I have also been raised with Him into new life.

Tonight, I surrender control.

You are awake, so I can sleep.
 You are sovereign, so I can rest.
 You are faithful, so I do not have to be afraid.

Into Your hands I place this night.

Amen.

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What is really happening when anger, discouragement, anxiety, or apathy suddenly takes over?

In this raw solo episode, Jerrad processes his own battle with comparison and insecurity after watching other successful men in ministry. What initially felt like simple discouragement revealed something much deeper: an old wound had been touched, and the enemy was using it to whisper familiar lies.

Jerrad also shares a surprising example from UFC fighters Sean Strickland and Dustin Poirier that demonstrates what can happen when a man has the courage to stop numbing and ask, “Why am I actually feeling this?”

Whether your emotions come out through anger and impatience or disappear inward through silence, withdrawal, and apathy, they may be pointing toward a wound that needs attention.

You’ll learn how to:

• Recognize emotions as warning lights on the dashboard of your soul
• Identify the wound underneath your reaction
• Notice the lies being whispered in moments of pain
• Stop using anger, alcohol, pornography, entertainment, work, or your phone to numb
• Slow down and invite the Holy Spirit to reveal what is really happening
• Replace the enemy’s lies with the truth of God’s Word

Before you react, withdraw, or numb yourself, pause and ask:

Where is the wound?
What is the lie I’m believing?
God, what truth do You want to speak over me?

Mature men are not men who never experience strong emotions. They are men who learn to recognize what they are feeling, bring it honestly before God, and allow His truth to lead them.

Scriptures Mentioned

John 8:44
Psalm 139:23–24
Matthew 6:25–34
Romans 8:28

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In this deeply moving episode of Dad Tired, Jerrad sits down with former country music star Granger Smith for a raw and hope-filled conversation about grief, faith, and true conversion.

Granger opens up about the tragic loss of his three-year-old son, River, the darkness that followed, and the moment on a tour bus when he cried out for Jesus to save him. He shares how that moment began to unravel everything he thought he knew about himself, his identity, and even his faith.

Together, Jerrad and Granger talk about what it means to move from simply knowing Christian language to truly tasting the goodness of God, why “I’ve always been a Christian” may be a warning sign, and how God sometimes strips away the very things we use to feel secure so that we can finally see Him clearly.

Granger also shares why he eventually walked away from country music, what it looks like to serve in ministry now, and the heart behind his book Poison in the Well, written for those stuck in nominal Christianity.

CONTENT NOTE
This episode includes discussion of child loss, drowning, grief, suicidal thoughts, and spiritual darkness. Please listen with care, especially if children are present.

IN THIS EPISODE
• Granger’s life as a husband, father, former country artist, and pastor
• The loss of his son River and the grief that followed
• The tour bus moment when Granger cried out to Jesus
• Why grief, shame, and despair exposed the emptiness of surface-level faith
• The difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God
• Why Scripture became food instead of a religious obligation
• What led Granger to walk away from country music
• The warning signs of nominal Christianity
• Why every man should examine whether he has truly been born again

RESOURCES
Pre-Order Granger Smith’s book: Poison in the Well
Dad Tired Retreat: dadtired.com

Former Green Beret John Arroyo survived the 2014 Fort Hood mass shooting after being shot through the throat. But in this powerful conversation, John shares why the deepest wound of his life wasn’t the bullet — it was growing up without a father.

John and Jerrad talk about father wounds, gangs, addiction, becoming a teenage dad, military life, trauma, and the healing power of realizing that God had been with him all along.

This is one of the most moving conversations we’ve ever had on Dad Tired.

Important Links:
Dad Tired Annual Retreat
Host A Dad Tired Conference at your church
Join the FREE Family Leadership Program
Shop the Dad Tired store for best-selling gear

Important Links:
Dad Tired Annual Retreat
Host A Dad Tired Conference at your church
Join the FREE Family Leadership Program
Shop the Dad Tired store for best-selling gear

In this episode of Dad Tired, Jerrad sits down with Kaleb and Chris for an honest conversation about one of the most common tensions Christian parents face: What do I do when my kid doesn’t want to go to church anymore?

Together, they talk through the difference between forcing empty religion and faithfully leading your home, why Sunday worship is about more than personal preference, and how our kids are formed by seeing real stories of redemption inside the body of Christ. This conversation is a call for dads to lead with conviction, compassion, and consistency as they disciple their families toward Jesus.

Important Links:
Dad Tired Annual Retreat
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What does real friendship actually look like for men?

In this episode of Dad Tired, Jerrad is joined by Kaleb Allen and Chris Hilken for an honest conversation about brotherhood, grief, betrayal, loneliness, and the kind of friendship that goes far deeper than networking, convenience, or shared success.

Together, they talk about why so many men struggle to build meaningful friendships, how pain often becomes the soil where real brotherhood grows, and why true friends are the ones who stay when your life is messy, costly, or inconvenient.

This conversation is a reminder that men were not made to follow Jesus alone. We need brothers who know us, love us, challenge us, and are willing to “waste time” with us for the sake of something eternal.

Important Links:
Dad Tired Annual Retreat
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Sponsor: VARA Safes. Promo code: DADTIRED20

In this episode of Dad Tired, Jerrad sits down with Dr. Kathy Koch, founder of Celebrate Kids, to talk about raising kids who feel fully known, deeply loved, and prepared for life.

Dr. Kathy shares practical wisdom for Christian dads on speaking identity over their children, understanding different learning styles, building emotional intelligence, avoiding over-parenting, and helping kids grow into confident, faithful adults.

They also discuss why a father’s words carry so much weight, how dads can affirm more than performance or appearance, why reading to your kids matters, and how to parent children who think, learn, and process differently.

This conversation will encourage any dad who wants to lead his family spiritually, connect more deeply with his kids, and raise children who know who they are in Christ.

In this episode:

• Why dads need to speak identity over their kids
• How children become who we tell them they are
• Understanding your child’s unique learning style
• The danger of over-parenting
• How to prepare kids for adulthood
• The difference between correction and criticism
• Helping your kids feel known and loved at home

Key reminder: If your kids don’t feel known at home, they’ll look somewhere else to be known.

Dad Tired Annual Retreat
Host A Dad Tired Conference at your church
Join the FREE Family Leadership Program
Shop the Dad Tired store for best-selling gear
Sponsor: VARA Safes. Promo code: DADTIRED20

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Hey guys, quick update from Jerrad.

As you’re listening to this, I’m currently in Alaska with my son and a group of Dad Tired dads and sons for a father-son rite of passage trip.

This season is packed with Dad Tired events, including the Alaska trip, Family Camp, our family mission trip to Guatemala, the annual Dad Tired retreat, and upcoming one-day conferences. Because of that, the podcast schedule may look a little different over the next few weeks.

If an episode drops on a different day than usual — or if there isn’t a new episode when you expected one — thanks for giving us some grace as we move through a full season of ministry.

The best way to stay up to date on upcoming trips, retreats, conferences, and schedule updates is to join the Dad Tired email list using the link in the episode description.

We love you guys, and we’ll be back to our normal rhythm soon.

- Jerrad

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