What happens when a boy grows up fatherless, afraid, and surrounded by violence — and then God interrupts his story?

This is Christian Rasmussen’s raw and unfiltered testimony of healing, identity, and manhood restored.

In This Podcast:

• Growing up in chaos without a father
• Abuse, poverty, fear & generational brokenness
• The moment God showed up
• How Christian learned to walk as a man of integrity
• Breaking cycles for his future family
• The gospel in the simplest possible form
• Real hope for every man who grew up without a dad

Gabriel Neves grew up with an alcoholic, abusive stepdad, ran with gangs, and hit rock bottom facing a life sentence in prison—until Jesus met him in a jail cell and rewrote his story. In this episode of Dudes Without Dads, he shares how God broke addiction, healed father wounds, restored his relationship with his dad, and turned him into a husband, father, and pastor.

What You’ll Learn:

• How growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father shaped Gabriel’s view of manhood and identity.
• The moment gang life, drugs, and violence led him to a near life sentence in prison.
• How a simple, persistent gospel witness (and a Bible in jail) sparked a radical heart transformation.
• The difference between condemnation and conviction—and how to hear God’s voice over shame.
• How God restored his relationship with the man who once terrorized his home.
• Practical advice for dads who never had a dad and feel terrified of repeating the cycle.
• Why healing from father wounds is possible through Jesus, community, and honest repentance.

What happens when a fatherless boy meets pornography at eight years old, grows up angry, addicted, and suicidal—then hears a stranger say, “The heavens are open over you, God has called you to ministry”?

In this vulnerable conversation, Seth Watkins shares his journey from fatherlessness, porn addiction, and depression to freedom in Jesus, healing from abandonment, and a new legacy as a husband, soon-to-be dad, and minister of the gospel.

You’ll hear about:

• Growing up without a dad and feeling like “a menace to society”
• How early porn exposure created cycles of shame, lust, and loneliness
• Homelessness, anger, and the social anxiety porn produced in his life
• The rock-bottom moment when he considered ending it all
• The phone call and church encounter that literally saved his life
• How a prophetic word unlocked his calling into ministry
• Practical tools Seth still uses: accountability, software, community, and counseling
• How he plans to father differently and break generational curses

🔗 Links & Next Steps

• 🌐 Learn more about Dudes Without Dads: https://www.dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com/
• 📩 Share Your Story or Apply to Be a Guest: https://www.dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com/contact/

If this episode encouraged you, send it to a man who grew up without a dad. We’re breaking chains together.

#dudeswithoutdads #fatherless #christianmen

What happens when five men who grew up without fathers sit down to talk about forgiveness, healing, and becoming the dads they never had? You get one of the most powerful conversations we've ever recorded.

In this roundtable episode, you'll hear:

Antjuan's Story: Growing up in North Tulsa without a father, finding mentorship through a basketball coach, and discovering that community starts with the family.

Gabriel's Journey: From seeking validation in gang life to finding true identity and forgiveness in a prison cell. His story will challenge everything you think about redemption.

Curtis's Testimony: Adopted as a baby, he shares how his earthly father's unconditional love became a picture of God's adoption—and how he forgave his biological father after years of silence.

Coty's Breaking Point: The moment he confessed his addiction to his wife and experienced Christ's love through her grace: "It's not me against you—it's you and me against whatever this is."

The Power of Forgiveness: Curtis shares the heartbreaking story of his brother's murder and how God led him to forgive—not just others, but himself.

Key Insights:

• Why mentorship is the most critical investment for fatherless men
• How gang members become surrogate fathers in the absence of real ones
• The moment each man experienced personal forgiveness that changed everything
• Why forgiveness is the foundation of becoming the dad you never had
• How God shows up as Father when earthly fathers fail

This Episode is For You If:

• You grew up without a father and don't know where to start
• You're struggling to forgive someone who hurt you deeply
• You're a young dad trying to figure it out without a model
• You feel disqualified from God's love because of your past
• You want to break generational cycles but don't know how

Important Reminder: Nothing disqualifies you from God's love. Your past doesn't define your future. You can become the dad you never had.

Guest Invitation: Gabriel closes with a powerful invitation—if you've believed the lie that God doesn't love people like you, this episode is for you.

• Coaching / Speaking → https://dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com/coaching

• Support the mission → https://dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com/give

• Subscribe → https://dudeswithoutdadspodcast.buzzsprout.com

• Connect with BetterMan → https://betterman.com

If you grew up without a dad—or with one who was distracted or destructive—this episode will hit home. Chris Harper from BetterMan joins Joshua Brown to talk about what happens when a man finally finds clarity, community, and calling.

Chris shares his story of chasing everything that didn’t satisfy, how God rebuilt him, and why the 4 W’s of manhood (Word, Woman, Work, World) are changing families across the country.

In This Episode:

• How father wounds shape your faith and identity
• Why holiness is the new happiness
• The 11-week path to biblical manhood
• The #1 reason men need other men
• How to bless your kids—starting today

Links:
• Learn more at dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com

• Join a BetterMan group → betterman.com

• Subscribe for more conversations that grow godly men

Keywords: father wounds, biblical manhood, BetterMan, discipleship, fatherhood, christian men, masculinity

Officer Ezekiel “EZ” Zimmerman grew up without a father, was adopted at nine, and later discovered a calling to ministry—while wearing a badge. In this raw and hope-filled conversation, EZ shares how God turned anger and identity wounds into a life of service as a deputy sheriff and school resource officer.

You’ll hear the adoption story behind his name change, why the word “chosen” reframed his identity, and a jaw-dropping account of an arrest that became a redemption story. EZ also issues a heartfelt challenge to law enforcement across America—inviting officers to find healing, purpose, and community in Christ.

What we cover:

• Father wounds, anger, and early faith through his grandparents
• The courtroom moment that changed his name and future
• Ministry “behind the badge” and how faith changes policing
• A real story of addiction to freedom (and how a single question sparked it)
• A challenge and invitation to every officer listening
• Life verse: Jeremiah 29:11–13 and the promises inside it
• Resource: Wild at Heart by John Eldredge (men’s discipleship)

Connect with Officer EZ:
• Facebook: search “Ezekiel Zimmerman” (ambassador page)
• Email: ezimmerman80@gmail.com

• Agency: Howard County Sheriff’s Office, Kokomo, IN
• National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (Indiana Ambassador)

🙌 Subscribe and join a community of men who are breaking cycles, healing from the past, and building strong families through faith.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE NOW: / @dudeswithoutdadspodcast

🎧 Listen to full episodes on Spotify / Apple Podcasts:: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2512163

🙌 Support the Mission: Every gift helps us reach more people: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_butt...

Connect with the Show:
• Share this episode with an officer or someone battling addiction
• Visit our site for resources & show notes
• Subscribe and leave a review—it helps more “dudes without dads” find hope

Hashtags: #Adoption #Faith #LawEnforcement #Testimony #IdentityInChrist

00:00 Intro
00:18 Early years & father wounds
02:10 Realizing what’s missing
04:45 Big brother’s influence
07:00 Brother leaves for the Army
09:00 Anger, loss & coping
12:00 Faith through grandma’s church
14:00 Meeting John (the future “Dad”)
16:00 Adoption & name change to Zimmerman
18:00 What it means to be “chosen”
21:00 Advice for would-be adoptive parents
23:00 Identity in Christ, heritage & DNA
27:00 Calling to law enforcement + ministry
33:00 Can a cop be a minister?
36:00 The warrant, the planned attack… and a miracle
42:00 Addiction to freedom: chapel, banquet, job, church
46:00 A charge to officers in America
49:00 How to seek God & find a church
52:00 Life verse: Jeremiah 29:11–13
56:00 Where to find Officer EZ & final challenge

Welcome to Dudes Without Dads — where broken stories become stories of redemption. This podcast episode dives into the lasting impact of a fatherless upbringing and how it shapes our relationships. Discover hope and strategies for mental health as we explore the complexities of childhood experiences and redefine what it means to be a father, while navigating emotional challenges.

In this powerful episode, Gabriel Nieves shares his raw and redemptive journey from a fatherless childhood and gang involvement to discovering hope, identity, and purpose in Jesus Christ. Facing a life sentence, Gabriel experienced the radical love of God behind bars, turning his life around and now serving as a pastor in the very city he once terrorized.

🎙️ Hosted by Joshua Brown, this podcast exists to help men who grew up without fathers become the dads they never had.

🙌 Subscribe and join a community of men who are breaking cycles, healing from the past, and building strong families through faith.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@UCaj6v1EF8LLG7MYP7u-FifQ

🎧 Listen to full episodes on Spotify / Apple Podcasts:: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2512163

🙌 Support the Mission: Every gift helps us reach more people: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=WYH4HRS8EW7K2

📖 Grab Gabriel Nieves Book: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Gang-Gabriel-Nieves/dp/1092398333
→ Buy one for yourself — and one to give to another dude who needs it.

#DudesWithoutDads #ChristianPodcast #Fatherhood #Testimony #JesusSaves #RedemptionStory #faithpodcast

🎧 Listen to full episodes on Spotify / Apple Podcasts:: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2512163

Timestamps: 00:00 - Growing up without a father 03:00 - First exposure to 07:00 - Joining a gang at age 13 14:00 - Drug addiction and 20:00 - Arrest and facing life in prison 24:00 - Encountering Jesus in jail 30:00 - Transformation and redemption 35:00 - Life today and the call to fatherhood

A quick intro to the Dudes Without Dads podcast. Hosted by Joshua Brown, this movement is for men who desire to become the dads they never had —through powerful stories, practical tools, and a Christ-centered network that serves the local church and partners in disciple-making.