446 | MULTIPLIERS Part 4: A Ring Lost in Five Acres, The Giant Five, and Turning Success Upside Down (Chad Johnson)

DADAWESOME BOOKRhythms & HabitsBrotherhood & Mentorship
Written By Jeff Zaugg

Episode Description

When Jeff's sister lost her engagement ring in a five acre pasture hours before her wedding rehearsal, a rope, a grid, and a prayer turned an impossible search into a three minute miracle. In part four of the Dad Awesome Multipliers series, that story becomes a blueprint for intentional fatherhood built on three things: a system that works, partners in the search, and faith in what you cannot yet see. Chad Johnson joins with a three minute segment unpacking his Giant Five framework and why putting career first costs a man everything that matters.

  • Jeff Zaugg is the founder and host of DadAwesome, a podcast and movement helping fathers turn their hearts toward heaven and toward home. What began in 2018 as a ten week experiment with a handful of friends has grown into 400 plus interviews with dads, grandpas, pastors, and authors, plus live activation events that have gathered over a thousand men. He and his family spent more than two and a half years traveling the country in an RV. He's the author of the new book DADAWESOME.

    Chad Johnson is a father of eleven, an entrepreneur, and the creator of the Giant Five framework, a simple system for keeping faith, marriage, children, health, and calling in their right order. He's known for pushing his family toward character over comfort, including relocating them to Los Angeles for five months so his kids could work in his business facility. Chad previously joined DadAwesome for episodes 216 and 217, and today spends his time traveling, blessing families, and pointing men to Christ.

    • Intentional dads need a system. Without one, you chase whatever is loudest instead of the people you love most.

    • The Giant Five framework orders your priorities: faith, marriage, children, health, and work. Most men have that list upside down.

    • You were never meant to search alone. Partners spot what you miss and call you higher when you drift.

    • Love sometimes looks like challenge instead of comfort, especially when your kids are settling into ease.

    • You don't have to search the whole field today. Move the rope a few feet and walk the line again.

  • Welcome and Celebration (00:39)

    Jeff Zaugg: Welcome back to DadAwesome. Today is episode 446, part four of our summer DadAwesome Multipliers series.

    A quick celebration note. Last Saturday, August 1st, was our DadAwesome Challenge up in Minnesota. Team DadAwesome took on a cycling challenge. About 60 team members biked 58 miles, and we raised over $50,000 to fuel fatherhood ministry. I am so grateful.

    Part of what we raised goes to a local partner, AIM, Always Intentional Man. For 10 years they have been coaching dads connected to crisis pregnancy centers. They are in five crisis pregnancy centers, and they walk dads through a life coaching journey to help them develop a fatherhood mission statement. We love our partner. So part of what we raise goes there, and part goes to DadAwesome, fueling the work we do here.

    Well done to our team in Minnesota taking on Team DadAwesome.

    There is another opportunity coming in October. On October 17th in Dallas, Texas, we have the Spartan race with Team DadAwesome. And then we have the fall challenge, which anyone anywhere in the world can join as long as you get a couple of friends to join you. It is the 100 mile running challenge.

    Quick reminder on how that works: 100 miles over 10 weeks. It kicks off in September and goes through Thanksgiving Day. The goal is brotherhood. The goal is doing something hard, but it is on your own time. There is not one spot in the world you have to be. It is 10 miles a week, so you can chip away at it with five two-mile runs. You can hike it or run it at any pace you want. If you are an intense runner, you can double it and do a 200 mile challenge. You can find all of that information at the link in the show notes.

    Okay, today: DadAwesome Multipliers, part four. We are going into the theme of intentionality.

    Free Small Group Curriculum (02:44)

    A quick way to be intentional is to invite some other dads to join you. We are halfway through this summer series, and for the back half of the summer we have a small group curriculum we want to share with you for free.

    If you are thinking about doing a small group this fall, this is for you. Being a multiplier means you carry the vision forward to other dads, but you will grow too. When you invite other dads in, you grow even more.

    The curriculum is free. All you have to do is send me a voice message. I decided to make this really relational. I want to hear from you about your idea for a small group. Click the link in the show notes to send me a voice message up to 90 seconds. Let me know your name, where you are in the country, and what you are thinking about for a DadAwesome small group this fall or at some point this school year. I will send you the PDF with all the resources for the DadAwesome small group curriculum.

    Okay, with all those invitations and celebrations out of the way, this is episode 446, DadAwesome Multipliers part four.

    Chapter 11: Lost and Found in a Field (03:48)

    It was a beautiful summer day in northern Wisconsin, just a few hours before my little sister's wedding rehearsal in our childhood backyard. The whole family buzzed with last minute rehearsal prep, but in an instant, joy turned to devastation.

    From inside the house, I heard my sister's cries, the kind that instantly told me something had gone terribly wrong. I ran inside and found her crying hard, tears streaming down her face. She had lost her engagement ring. It had slipped off while she was horseback riding with our older sister.

    My parents' five acre horse pasture was packed with tall, thick grass. The ring could be anywhere.

    As her older brother, I jumped into action. Something deep inside of me kicked into gear. It felt like God was whispering confidence to take on what looked impossible. I grabbed a few lead ropes from the barn and tied them together, creating a makeshift search line. If we were going to find this ring, we needed a system.

    My older sister Jessie and I walked up the hill to the middle of the pasture. We stretched the rope across the field in a long line, making a search grid. The plan was simple: walk the length of the rope, scan the ground, then move the rope a few feet over and repeat. The method made sense, but searching five acres would take days. We had maybe two hours before rehearsal.

    Before taking another step, we paused and prayed. We asked God for help, for direction, for a miracle.

    Then we started searching, walking each side of the search rope and shifting it seven or eight feet before walking and scanning again. On the second or third shift of the rope, about three minutes into our search, something incredible happened. Jessie, who was halfway down the line, suddenly gasped. She yelled, "I found it."

    For a moment I stood frozen in disbelief. Then pure joy exploded. Jessie, my strong, confident, rarely emotional sister, ran straight into my arms. I spun her in circles while we laughed and shouted our hearts out. We grabbed the walkie talkie and radioed back to the house with the news, our voices filled with exhilaration.

    That same evening, my little sister walked down the aisle with a radiant smile, her engagement ring back on her finger. She was glowing even brighter than her ring.

    God's Relentless Pursuit (06:15)

    This story reminds me of Jesus' parable in Luke 15:3 through 7, where a shepherd leaves 99 sheep to search for the one that is lost. The shepherd does not calculate the odds or set time limits. He pursues until he brings him home.

    Here is the shift. The shepherd does not search because it is his job. He searches because of who he is: a protector, a pursuer, a father who will not rest until his own are safe.

    That is our identity too. When our teenager's heart grows distant or connection feels lost, we do not treat it like a problem to solve. We pursue, because that is who we are. Fathers who chase what we love. Through our relentless pursuit of our children's hearts, they discover what it means to be loved by a father who will never stop seeking them.

    From Parable to Practice

    Finding that ring meant more than recovering jewelry. It was about living out the relentless love that characterizes God's heart toward us. And this same pursuing love becomes our blueprint for intentional fatherhood.

    Like that day in the horse pasture, becoming DadAwesome requires three key elements.

    First, a system that works.

    When faced with that overwhelming field, I did not just start wandering around hoping for the best. I created a system: lead ropes tied together, a methodical grid, and a plan of attack.

    As dads, we need systems that guide our intentionality. Without them, we end up chasing whatever seems loudest instead of the people we love. Our best intentions get buried under the chaos of everyday life.

    Chad Johnson shared his Giant Five framework with me in episodes 216 and 217. It is a simple system that ensures his top priorities get his best attention:

    • Faith: foundational relationship with God

    • Marriage: unity and intimacy with your wife

    • Children: intentional parenting

    • Health: maintaining physical, mental, and spiritual wellness

    • Career, work, ministry: using your God given abilities

    A system does not have to be complicated to be effective. It might be as simple as a weekly calendar review with your spouse, a morning prayer focused on each family member, or a monthly adventure planned with each child.

    The key is consistency. In our search for the ring, consistency meant moving the rope a set distance each time, then carefully scanning every inch of the ground. In fatherhood, it means showing up day after day, monitoring the health of your marriage, checking in with each child's heart, and adjusting your approach when needed.

    Second, partners in the search.

    I did not search for the ring alone. My sister and I tackled it together, multiplying our effectiveness and encouraging each other when the task felt impossible.

    The journey of intentional fatherhood was not designed to be solo either. We need partners who will search alongside us, who will shout with joy when we find what we are looking for, who will keep us accountable to our values.

    As I have discovered in my own fatherhood journey, there is something powerful about gathering with other dads who share your commitment to intentionality. They will spot treasures you miss, pick you up when you stumble, and celebrate your victories in a way that fuels you forward.

    Who are your partners in the search? Who knows your heart as a dad and calls you higher when you start to drift? If you do not have these people yet, finding them might be your most important next step.

    Third, faith in what is unseen.

    When we laid that rope in the field, we could not see the ring. It was hidden in the tall grass, impossibly small in the vast space. But we believed it was there to be found.

    This mirrors the heart of our heavenly Father described in Luke 15. He does not search for us because we are easy to find, but because we are precious to Him. His pursuit is relentless, methodical, and filled with joy when what was lost is found.

    The same is true in intentional fatherhood. We plant seeds of truth, love, and wisdom in our children's hearts, often without seeing immediate fruit. We invest in our marriages during busy seasons, trusting that intimacy will deepen over time. We pursue God's presence even when He feels distant.

    We live out this faith when we pause to pray, as my sister and I did in that horse pasture. We acknowledge that our efforts alone are not enough, that we need God's guidance, wisdom, and strength to find what we are searching for.

    When Love Looks Like Work (11:07)

    Chad Johnson, a father of 11 children, reflected on his commitment to including his children in family business ventures. Noticing some of his younger children settling into a routine of comfort and ease, he intentionally created work opportunities that would help them develop character.

    Chad decided to relocate his family to Los Angeles for five months so they could work in his business facility. His kids put on coveralls, helped with production, and learned the satisfaction of hard work.

    When asked why he pushes against comfort, Chad explained, "I really am okay with stirring the pot. I don't want my kids to have a sterile, safe, protected, isolated environment."

    The most intentional dads understand that love sometimes looks like challenge, not comfort. It looks like searching a five acre field when it would be easier to give up. It looks like maintaining consistent family rhythms when work demands pile up. It looks like prioritizing marriage when children's needs seem endless. It means remembering that your children need to see a thriving marriage more than they need another activity or convenience.

    Remember This

    The search for that engagement ring in a five acre field seemed impossible. Yet through intentionality, partnership, and faith, what was lost was found. What came next made every moment worthwhile: spinning my sister in circles, shouting with joy, witnessing my other sister's radiant smile during her entire wedding ceremony.

    Your family deserves that same intentional search. They are worth the system, the persistence, and the prayer. But most importantly, they are worth your action today. Not someday when conditions are perfect, but right now, with whatever tools you have available.

    As Chad Johnson reminds us, live like a movie you would want to watch with your children and grandchildren. The most compelling movies do not happen by accident. They are crafted with intention, scene by scene, moment by moment.

    And when you find what you are searching for, the celebration will be worth every step of the journey, whether it is your child's heart, your wife's trust, or God's presence in your home. Because that is the heart of our Father. He seeks, He finds, and He rejoices.

    Your family is being shaped by today's choices. Make them count.

    Setting Up the Chad Johnson Segment (13:34)

    Jeff Zaugg: Within this theme of intentionality, part four of DadAwesome Multipliers, I mentioned Chad Johnson three or four times in that chapter alone. A couple of quotes and a couple of things I learned from him. But I want you to actually hear from him.

    So I have a three minute segment from my interview with him a few years ago. This will be so helpful to bring additional depth to his Giant Five framework. We list the whole Giant Five framework in the book, in that chapter, but just a one liner on each one. This is about three minutes of him unpacking it.

    Here is Chad Johnson.

    Chad Johnson on the Giant Five (14:25)

    Chad Johnson: So many of us as men, as fathers, as business leaders or ministry leaders or whatever, are confronted with so many competing things for our attention, our time, our energy, our resources. How do we filter? How do we prioritize?

    For me, it has to be Him first. We say that, and I know we mean it, but in reality it is much more challenging on a daily basis to ask, am I seeking Him first, His kingdom, His righteousness, and letting Him add everything else to me?

    So my relationship with the Lord is number one. If you have ever heard my testimony, I am such a broken man and such a weak man who has been so redeemed and is saved daily by His power. I cannot tell any other story except the goodness of God in my life, because that is where it ends and begins. Any fruit that anybody ever sees in my life, Jeff, anything good, I can say with all confidence: it is in spite of me and not because of me. It is because of what He has done. So that is first and foremost.

    Next is my marriage. I feel like biblically, we as men are to seek Him first. But then if we are married, our number one priority after our relationship with the Lord is our marriage. Are we abiding in unity? Are we together? Are we united? Are we intimate? Are we moving toward oneness? Not perfection. God forbid, there is no perfect marriage. But in that, are we thriving and growing, and is it a life giving relationship?

    That then allows us to go to the third priority, which is parenting. I see a lot of dads, Jeff, skip to fatherhood and think, at least I can excel here, maybe my marriage is not what it needs to be. I would encourage all of us to make sure we are right with mom and really in a place where we need to be there, because out of that we parent so much more effectively as dads and fathers.

    Jeff Zaugg: Mm hmm.

    Chad Johnson (16:16): So third is children. Fourth is maintaining my health and wellness. I lost it twice in my life and realized I need to steward this, because life, business, and ministry are an energy game. I want to have my best every day by His grace. So, managing health.

    And then fifth is our calling. It is using those God given gifts and unique abilities to earn, serve, and minister, whatever the work is that God has called us to do. If it is traveling around in an RV blessing families and leading men and pointing them to Christ, then it is that.

    To me, it always comes fifth. I call it turning success upside down, because so many people make this number one. Business or career or success, quote unquote, or money becomes number one, and all these other things suffer. And I sit there and think, we gain the world and lose our soul. It profits a man nothing, Scripture says.

    So to me it is a holistic way to prioritize. I am more excited than ever about my next 25 years being about helping people maintain and build on those priorities.

    Action Steps (17:25)

    Jeff Zaugg: Let's move now into action steps. We are going to walk through reflection, multiplication, and activation. We have been doing this all series, and this is part four of the DadAwesome Multipliers series.

    Reflection

    Map your fields. Just like I used a lead rope to map out that five acre field with my sister in the chapter, map your fields using a piece of paper. Do some form of mapping of your fatherhood and your current life. What areas feel distant in terms of connection? Is there a child where you think, I just feel like there is coldness here? Is there a part of your marriage and the pursuit of your wife where you know you can up your game? What about pursuing your heavenly Father and your time with the Lord? Map your fields. You have to map first.

    Then get honest. What am I hoping for in those areas? What are some of my hopes and dreams? If we do not have those identified, then we do not know the gap between our current map, our current audit, and where we hope to be. There is some reflection here that I think is so important.

    Run the Giant Five. Faith, marriage, children, health, work. Use that framework from Chad and really pray into this: which one of these is receiving my leftovers? Which one of these Giant Five areas do I need to focus on first?

    Chad mentioned that he needed to turn success upside down, because in that last area, work, he was being successful, but he needed to amp up the other areas. For many men, career provides tangible success, a tangible scoreboard. I am succeeding. That is an area we need to flip.

    For some of us, though, career needs more focus, because there is a need for more drive in the area of being a provider and providing provision. So maybe it is career for you. Using the Giant Five framework can be really helpful.

    Celebrate. What is one area you can celebrate looking back? What is a victory that you can celebrate? That is huge here under reflection.

    Multiplication

    Name your partners. My sister was my partner in the search. Who are your partners? Who are the other dads, the friends, who are in this adventure with you? Is there any frequency right now of meeting up with those other dads? Is there a text thread already started where you think, I can grow, but I can grow better together? Searching the field never would have worked alone. I needed my sister with me. So as you look at your fields and do that audit in reflection, in multiplication let's build those friendships.

    Get the small group curriculum. The resource we are offering you is the small group curriculum around the DadAwesome book. Send me a message to get that curriculum, that three page PDF that helps you understand how to build out your small group around DadAwesome. It is a great tangible example.

    Send a few texts. You can send a couple of text messages and encourage a few other dads to listen to this episode, episode 446. That way they have the same framework of intentionality and building.

    Use the side door. Lastly under multiplication, I gave those two specific invitations earlier: the Spartan obstacle course race in Dallas, Texas on October 17th if you are in that area, or the fall 100 mile running challenge over 10 weeks. That is also linked in the show notes. It is a practical way to give what we call the side door to a man's heart. Sometimes a running challenge is the best way for you to build those brothers who will search and press in and grow as dads. But you actually need a tangible invitation, and the running challenge might be just that.

    Activation (19:52)

    Block off time. I want to encourage you to block off some time on your calendar this week to do deeper work around the Giant Five framework. This is huge, to go deeper versus just listening and moving on. So block off some time for deeper reflection. That is a specific activation.

    Open Luke 15 with your family. Use the passage of Scripture I read earlier, Luke 15:3 through 7, about the shepherd who leaves the 99. I think this is a great passage to open up with your family, with your kids, and let them know: this is how I feel about you. I will always go looking for you. I am like the shepherd as your dad. I will leave everything behind to go find you, to love you, to pray for you. That is how much I love you.

    There are some specific ways you can leverage this passage to share your heart as a dad who pursues his kids.

    Pause and pray (22:09). My sister and I prayed before we started our search for that lost engagement ring. I would encourage you to pause and pray before you take a step into any of these areas. That is an activation: pause and pray, just like we did.

    Move the rope. We moved the rope seven or eight feet each time. Pray: God, is there an area in my family and my intentionality where I can move the rope tomorrow? Do not get overwhelmed. You can move the rope and walk that line again. The next day, move the rope. It is a practical way to use that story to get really practical. It is just one pass at a time. Do not get overwhelmed with the entire field. One pass at a time.

    Keep celebrating. Look at what God has done and celebrate.

    In the show notes, the actual DadAwesome Labs for chapter 11 that I read is there for you to look at, with other activations and discussion questions over that chapter.

    I am so thankful you guys are listening. So thankful you guys are pressing in to this summer series, DadAwesome Multipliers. I am praying for you guys. Have a great week.

    • "I really am okay with stirring the pot." (Chad Johnson)

    • "Live like a movie you'd want to watch with your children and grandchildren." (Chad Johnson)

    • "I call it turning success upside down." (Chad Johnson)

    • "Any fruit that anybody ever sees in my life is in spite of me." (Chad Johnson)

    • "Don't get overwhelmed with the entire field. One pass at a time." (Jeff)

    ACTION STEPS:

    Action Steps

    I. Reflection

    • Map your fields. Get a piece of paper and map your current life as a dad. Where does connection feel distant? Is there a child where things feel cold? Where could you raise your game in pursuing your wife or your time with God?

    • Be honest about the gap. Name what you're hoping for in each of those areas. Without naming the hope, you can't see the distance between where you are and where you want to be.

    • Run the Giant Five. Faith, marriage, children, health, work. Pray through which one is currently getting your leftovers.

      • For many men it's work that needs to be turned upside down, like Chad described.

      • For some it's the opposite, and career needs more drive because provision is the real need.

    • Celebrate one win. Look back and name one victory. Don't skip this part.

    II. Multiplication

    • Name your partners. Who are the other dads in this adventure with you? Is there a rhythm of meeting? Is there a text thread already going? The field search never would have worked alone.

    • Get the free small group curriculum. Send a voice message with your name, where you're located, and your idea for a fall small group. You'll get the three page PDF back.

    • Send a few texts. Invite two or three dads to listen to episode 446 so you're all working from the same framework.

    • Use the side door. Extend a tangible invitation: the Spartan race in Dallas on October 17, or the fall 100 mile running challenge. Sometimes a physical challenge is the best on-ramp to brotherhood.

    III. Activation

    • Block the time. Put a block on your calendar this week for deeper work on the Giant Five. Don't just listen and move on.

    • Open Luke 15:3-7 with your family. Read the parable of the shepherd who leaves the 99, then tell your kids directly: this is how I feel about you. I will always come looking for you.

    • Pause and pray first. Before stepping into any of these areas, stop and pray, the same way Jeff and his sister did before they started the search.

    • Move the rope. Ask God for one area where you can move the rope seven or eight feet tomorrow. One pass at a time.

    • Keep celebrating. Look at what God has done and mark it.

    • Go deeper. DadAwesome Labs for Chapter 11 is linked in the show notes with additional activations and discussion questions.

 

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Jeff Zaugg
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DA445 | MULTIPLIERS Part 3: The $5.5 Billion Blind Spot, Conditional Love, and a Scoreboard Set to Infinity (Jamie Winship)