Do Parents Have to Attend Every Game?

In this candid and hilarious episode, the fellas sit down with NYC pastor Michael Keller and his best friend (and official pastor of Dadville) Elliott Cherry. Growing up in the shadow of his late father, legendary pastor Tim Keller, Michael shares what it was really like being a pastor’s kid, stepping away from inherited faith, and discovering his own identity in Christ. Together, the dads unpack key insights from Michael’s books, The Stories We Live By and Talking to Kids About Hard Things, exploring why modern culture’s "you do you" narratives leave parents exhausted and anxious. Instead of striving for perfect parenting, Michael explains why kids don't need flawlessness—they need parents who model repentance, grace, and quick forgiveness when things go wrong. Packed with faith-filled wisdom, disc golf reality checks, and middle-child banter, this episode offers an essential roadmap for navigating fatherhood with authentic grace. All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com/ All Things Jon: http://jonmcl.com Thanks to our sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at http://bollandbranch.com/dadville Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to http://quince.com/dadville 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Compassion - There’s a child waiting for a sponsor today. Don’t wait for the “right time.” Go to http://compassion.com/dadville and be the one who says yes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you have to attend every one of your child’s games? And why can missing just one still feel like such a big deal? Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin return for part two of their everyday etiquette conversation on Dadville. They compare notes on birthday-party drop-offs, parenting expectations, correcting a spouse’s story, and the fine line between helping a friend and taking over. There are also neighborhood lawn-mowing debates, airplane armrest opinions, and a surprisingly involved discussion about who gets to tend the fire. In this episode: The difference between wanting to attend and feeling required to attend. Birthday invitations that leave parents guessing. When a correction changes a story—and when it just stops the fun. Why helping can feel different depending on whether the host is standing right there. Touring updates, Christmas music, and Jon’s coffee-shop research. Join us: http://dadville.substack.com Thanks to our sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at http://bollandbranch.com/dadville Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to http://quince.com/dadville 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. The Subtext Podcast: Search for The Subtext wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Polo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! The Bible Project - Shop 35% off through November with code DADVILLE athttp://bakerbookhouse.com Compassion - There’s a child waiting for a sponsor today. Don’t wait for the “right time.” Go to http://compassion.com/dadville and be the one who says yes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drew Baldridge grew up on a small family farm in Illinois, where your value was measured in how much work you got done. In this conversation with Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin, he explains how that mindset carried him through more than a decade in Nashville and a viral wedding video that still didn’t land him a record deal. You’ll hear how Drew pulled together his own radio team from out-of-work industry pros, hand-wrote more than 200 notes to stations, and took “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” to No. 1 five years after it came out. He also talks about what farm life taught him about risk, why he calls hard work both his superpower and a cost, and how honest feedback from his own dad shapes the way he thinks about raising kids. Along the way: a round of Farm or Fake, a field fire fought with buckets from a cousin’s pool, his three-year-old son Lyric’s stage presence, and the night a label put Brantley Gilbert’s songs on his new CDs. If you’re a parent trying to work out what success is actually worth, press play. Subscribe, and find more at http://dadville.substack.com. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp: Our listeners get 10% off their first month at http://betterhelp.com/dadville Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at http://bollandbranch.com/dadville Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to http://quince.com/dadville 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. The Subtext Podcast: Search for The Subtext wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Polo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! The Bible Project - Shop 35% off through November with code DADVILLE athttp://bakerbookhouse.com Compassion - There’s a child waiting for a sponsor today. Don’t wait for the “right time.” Go to http://compassion.com/dadville and be the one who says yes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin team up with Joey and Chris from the Brave and Big podcast for a special crossover episode! The guys kick off with a hilarious round of "Dadville or Slipknot" before tackling the viral golf post that had offended golfers flooding their comments. Together, they dive deep into the real question: How do dads balance personal hobbies without escaping family responsibilities? From navigating "wartime" parenting with young kids to processing the sobering stat that 90% of time with kids happens before age 18, the hosts discuss building healthy family rhythms, "rupture and repair" in parenting, and why you should always assume the best in your relationship with your children. Plus, actionable 7-day takeaways to connect with your kids this week. Hosted by Joey and Chris, Brave and Big focuses on taking daily steps to live a brave, big, and intentional life. 🌐 Website: ⁠braveandbig.com⁠ 📸 Instagram: ⁠@braveandbigpod⁠ Thanks to our sponsors! Compassion - There’s a child waiting for a sponsor today. Don’t wait for the “right time.” Go to ⁠⁠http://compassion.com/dadville⁠⁠ and be the one who says yes. Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: ⁠⁠Download the free SEEDS app⁠⁠ and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. The Subtext Podcast: Search for ⁠⁠The Subtext⁠⁠ wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Polo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to ⁠⁠https://heypolo.com/dadville⁠⁠ or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! The Bible Project - Shop 35% off through November with code DADVILLE at⁠⁠http://bakerbookhouse.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Dadville, Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin welcome back close friend and musical powerhouse Justin Rosolino. The guys kick off with behind-the-scenes audio chaos and memories of meeting in Muncie, Indiana—where Justin initially mistook Jon McLaughlin for a jazz-fusion guitar icon. Justin opens up about his journey from performing R&B at the Apollo Theater as a kid and touring with artists like Vince Gill and Amy Grant, to stepping away from full-time music to teach high school history. He shares how late-night conversations with Joanna Gaines led to his role leading community engagement at Magnolia, where he helps drive initiatives like the Magnolia Scholars program at McLennan Community College. All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com/ All Things Jon: http://jonmcl.com Thanks to our sponsors! Compassion - There’s a child waiting for a sponsor today. Don’t wait for the “right time.” Go to http://compassion.com/dadville and be the one who says yes. Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at http://bollandbranch.com/dadville Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to http://quince.com/dadville 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. The Subtext Podcast: Search for The Subtext wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Polo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! The Bible Project - Shop 35% off through November with code DADVILLE athttp://bakerbookhouse.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny Wuerffel's résumé reads like a movie that would be too perfect to believe. He won four straight SEC titles at Florida, a national championship, and the 1996 Heisman Trophy. He's in the College Football Hall of Fame, and there's a road named after him. In this episode of Dadville, Dave and Jon ask what it's like to live that and then decide what comes next. Danny's website: https://www.dannywuerffel.com Wuerffel Foundation: https://www.dannywuerffel.com/foundation/ Allstate Wuerffel Trophy: https://wuerffeltrophy.org Join us: http://dadville.substack.com Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp: Our listeners get 10% off their first month at http://betterhelp.com/dadville Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at http://bollandbranch.com/dadville Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to http://quince.com/dadville 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. The Subtext Podcast: Search for The Subtext wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Polo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Dadville! In this episode, we’re balancing a little benevolent self-promotion with essential dad business. First up, we share our upcoming Christmas tour dates—from Jon’s live debut in Hoover, Alabama to Dave’s return to the Schermerhorn in Nashville. Next, 44-year-old Jon details wielding a new $10 drywall saw to carve out a 6-foot hole in his wall, fix a leaking PVC pipe with IKEA kids' table scraps, and disassemble his dryer using neighbor Andrew’s borrowed multimeter. Then, we officially convene "Etiquette Court" to rule on life's burning social dilemmas. We debate whether it's okay to ghost a party, why swiping phone photos leads to unwanted rash pictures, the glory of 2x-speed voice memos, splitting checks when you only drink "horse tea", and why touching another man’s thermostat is an absolute crime. Grab your tools, check your manners, and enjoy the show! All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com All Things Jon: http://jonmcl.com Thanks to our sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at http://bollandbranch.com/dadville Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to http://quince.com/dadville 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. The Subtext Podcast: Search for The Subtext wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Polo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Dadville, we sat down with counselor and family friend Will Mooney to talk about what it actually takes to show up well for our kids. We dive deep into the core truth that "more is caught than taught"—our children mirror our emotional health far more than our verbal lectures. Will opens up about his journey into counseling, helping us unpack shadow selves, old personal baggage, and inevitable parenting ruptures (including an infamous milk-throwing incident!).  From overanalyzing innocent spouse questions about water bottles to surviving school drop-off lines, we discuss why doing internal self-work is the ultimate parenting strategy. We explore how vulnerability and honest repair model resilience, why we don't need to act like unfazed cowboys, and why no parent should navigate this journey alone. Join us for a funny, deeply honest, and practical conversation about turning daily chaos into meaningful growth and fatherhood connection. Thanks to our Sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: ⁠⁠⁠Download the free SEEDS app⁠⁠⁠ and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. The Subtext Podcast: Search for The Subtext wherever you get your podcasts. Hey Polo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we sit down with our good friend Robert Cunningham—pastor, writer, speaker, and founder of Christ for Kentucky. We kick things off with a crucial parenting debate: can YouTube piano tutorials replace traditional music lessons? Then, Robert gets honest about making a massive career pivot away from a comfortable pastorship with four kids and zero financial safety net to launch his own ministry. We also dig into his incredible work erasing $250 million in medical debt for Kentucky families, why future generations might judge our smartphone habits like lead paint, and how we can approach complex cultural debates around faith and identity with disarming humility. It’s a funny, honest, and thought-provoking conversation on raising boys, trusting God, and navigating major life transitions. Grab your favorite cup of coffee and join us in Dadville! Visit Christ for Kentucky: https://www.christforky.org/ All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com/ All Things Jon: http://jonmcl.com Topics 00:00 – Welcome to Dadville & The Great Piano Lesson Debate 03:45 – Introducing Robert Cunningham 07:30 – Navigating the Career Pivot Without a Safety Net 18:15 – Reimagining Wealth Stewardship & Kingdom Investment 26:00 – Erasing \$250 Million in Medical Debt for Kentucky Families 36:30 – Public Strategy, Age Verification, and Protecting Kids from Tech Addiction 46:15 – Moving Beyond Online Echo Chambers 53:00 – The Beauty of Christian Ethics & Theology of the Body 1:01:30 – Deconstructing the Modern Identity Fallacy 1:18:00 – Grace, Complexity, and Wholehearted Discipleship 1:30:00 – Wrapping Up in Dadville Thanks to Our Sponsors! Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: ⁠⁠Download the free SEEDS app⁠⁠ and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. HeyPolo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to ⁠https://heypolo.com/dadville⁠ or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re catching up on the back-to-school flow and having some honest, vulnerable talks about our 40s. We laugh about the exact ways we are becoming our dads, from driving like grandmas to stockpiling ten of everything in the garage. We also reflect on what we’d tell our younger 25-year-old selves (hint: relax!) and why we need to stop focusing so much on the worries "just out of frame". Finally, we draft our ultimate Dadville Hall of Fame, sharing our favorite dad gear like sleep machines, Nike Cortez shoes, and our family-favorite card game, Play Nine. Grab a spoonful of peanut butter and join us! Since we spent so much time laughing about our inherited traits, would you like to create a personalized "Are You Becoming Your Dad?" quiz to see how your own habits stack up against our slow driving, lawn maintenance standards, and medicine cabinet stockpiles? Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp: Our listeners get 10% off their first month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://betterhelp.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shopify.com/dadville⁠⁠ Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bollandbranch.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Exclusions apply. Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! SEEDS: ⁠Download the free SEEDS app⁠ and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. HeyPolo: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to https://heypolo.com/dadville or use code DADVILLE and get 70% off your first year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices