Focus on the Family with Jim Daly

Episode: John Smoltz: A Story of Triumph and Unexpected Turns (Part 2 of 2)

Date: October 24, 2025
Guests: Jim Daly (Host), John Fuller (Co-Host), John Smoltz (Hall of Fame pitcher)

Overview:

In this candid and heartfelt episode, Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz continues sharing his faith journey, focusing on the transformative power of grace in his life—especially as a father, husband, and leader. Hosted before a group of men in Wisconsin, the conversation delves into Smoltz’s struggles and growth, covering his divorce, the challenge of balancing truth and grace, legacies from his own dad, and what it means to be a spiritual leader in turbulent times.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Balancing Truth and Grace as a Father

[03:10 - 06:11]

• Pressure to be a ‘Truth Dad’:
  Jim Daly points out that many dads default to rigid disciplinarians, missing the chance to show grace to their children.

  “We’re the ones, wait till your father gets home, then the hammer’s coming down. You want to talk about truth, he’s going to put it right on your backside.” — Jim Daly [03:22]

• Smoltz’s Transformation:
  John Smoltz admits he started as the ‘truth dad’ and shares how he learned to lead with grace, especially after experiencing unexpected life hardships.

  “To experience grace and to show grace, it started with my children. I had to learn a lot with some of my children... it progressed into loving them unconditionally instead of trying to change them.” — John Smoltz [03:45]

• Vulnerability:
  He reflects on how exposing his own struggles to his children broke down harmful divisions within the family.

  “When your kids see you’re vulnerable and when they see you’re not this person that can’t have hard things happen to them… when you start hiding things and you get division and split in the household, that’s never a good thing.” — John Smoltz [05:34]

2. Walking Through Divorce and Learning Forgiveness

[06:17 - 11:22]

• Facing the Unexpected & Emptiness:
  Smoltz opens up about the lowest point in his life—his divorce. Despite his driven personality, he felt unable to motivate himself and turned deeply to Christ for support.

  “There was nothing you could do to motivate me then... I had to find out a lot about myself in that moment... I was not good at forgiving. … It’s hard to extend forgiveness when you know it.” — John Smoltz [06:33]

• Becoming the ‘Older Brother’:
  He identifies with the older brother in the Prodigal Son story, grappling with extending forgiveness to others and himself.

  “That is 100% me. My wife corrects me because I used to say, ‘I’m the prodigal son.’ She said, ‘No, you’re the brother of the prod.’ The older brother.” — John Smoltz [07:35]

• Letting God Lead in Utter Weakness:
  Smoltz recounts a profound story of speaking at a Zig Ziglar conference when utterly depleted, relying exclusively on God’s strength.

  “I said, Lord, you have to show up. I’ve got zero energy. I don’t even know what I’m going to talk about... when I walked out there, I don’t even remember all of what I said... I got a standing ovation.” — John Smoltz [09:12]
  “It was the most unbelievable of my life.” — John Smoltz [11:17]

3. Faith, Fame, and Ultimate Identity

[11:22 - 13:40]

• Struggles of Success and Vulnerability:
  Contrary to what people assume, Smoltz insists that success makes it harder, not easier, to need Jesus.

  “If you have everything, you don’t need Jesus. And that’s probably harder... I’ve been vulnerable enough to realize that even though I’ve been given a platform with a jersey and a Hall of Fame and all that stuff, that all pales in comparison to where I know I’m going.” — John Smoltz [11:51]

• Core Life Lessons for Men:
  Smoltz stresses the futility of achievement compared to faith.

  “If there’s anything in my life that I’m holding onto or I have to hold on to, I’m running the wrong race. I can honestly say that I can let go of everything knowing now that the faith that I have sustained me... it’s not about making the US Open or making the hall of Fame... but I no longer hold on to it in a way to where it replaces what Christ wants me to do.” — John Smoltz [13:40]

4. Advice for Young Men and Spiritual Leadership

[16:16 - 18:55]

• Pressure and Authenticity:
  To young men, Smoltz emphasizes embracing pressure, but ultimately, an authentic relationship with Christ is essential because “we’re not fooling God.”

  “I’m not going before any of you when I die. Like, we’re not fooling God and we’re not fooling Jesus.” — John Smoltz [16:46]

• The Drift of Life:
  He uses a vivid analogy to explain how easily one can lose their way if not intentional:

  “Life happens like sitting in an ocean in an inner tube... in 10 minutes, you’re a mile or two away. Life does that to you. If you’re not careful… next thing you know, you are completely in something you never intended to be.” — John Smoltz [17:49]

5. Legacy: Lessons from His Father

[18:55 – 22:00]

• His Father’s Example:
  Smoltz’s father was proud, supportive, and always present, handing out homemade baseball cards and attending every game.

  “He never met a stranger... he made my first baseball card... he handed out this baseball card every single place he went.” — John Smoltz [19:27]
  “He never missed a game. So when you have kids, you’re like, whoa, I get it.” — John Smoltz [21:01]

• On Legacy and Blessing:
  Smoltz reflects on generational cycles and the importance of fathers giving their children a blessing, breaking chains of emotional withholding.

  “If you withhold that blessing based on what happened to you... the likelihood of spinning that in is incredible… breaking that chain, that generational chain in your family of making sure that you give the blessing to your children.” — John Smoltz [24:15]

6. For Dads of ‘Prodigal’ Children

[22:00 – 25:08]

• Grace, Prayer, and Non-Conditional Love:
  Smoltz encourages fathers not to wrap their identities around their children’s outcomes and to rely on prayer, grace, and ongoing support.

  “Nothing I do in life should define who you are and vice versa... I realized I’m doing the very best I can for you and I’m going to pray for you and hope that you get to experience peace... and that love is not going to change.” — John Smoltz [22:16, 24:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I had to learn a lot of tough lessons and I had to ask for forgiveness and I had to go through forgiveness and the marinade that I was under, I would have eliminated a lot of people in my life based on the pain and hurt that happens to you. And that’s what I’m saying. Like, what do you do when you don’t see it coming? Well, I just learned to lean in more.” — John Smoltz [04:33]

• “I wish I was empty more because I would trust more and lean in, because God took me through that place in my life where he literally picked me up and brought me through it to the other side.” — John Smoltz [08:05]

• “I don’t think we ever arrive. And I think that’s a good thing because he wants us to stay dependent upon him.” — John Smoltz [16:14]

• “If you have everything, you don’t need Jesus. And that’s probably harder.” — John Smoltz [11:51]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Beginning and Introduction: [00:32 – 03:10]
• Fatherhood: Truth vs. Grace: [03:10 – 06:11]
• Divorce, Forgiveness, Brokenness: [06:17 – 11:22]
• Faith, Success, & Real Treasure: [11:22 – 13:40]
• Advice for Men & Spiritual Leadership: [16:16 – 18:55]
• Father’s Legacy & Passing the Blessing: [18:55 – 22:00]
• Encouragement for Dads with Prodigal Kids: [22:00 – 25:08]
• Final Reflections & Thanks: [25:08 – End]

Tone & Takeaway

The episode is marked by humility, honesty, and warm encouragement. Smoltz’s willingness to share imperfections, setbacks, and the slow progress of spiritual maturity encourages Christian families—especially fathers—to lead with vulnerability, grace, and persistent faith. His reflections on legacy, the need for ongoing dependence on God, and the power of unconditional love offer deep resonance for listeners at all stages of life.