Raising Godly Boys Minute

If you plan to go skiing, you wear ski boots. If you’re heading to the beach, you wear sandals. For a quick jog around the block, you wear running shoes. You select your shoes based on the type of activity. Similarly, when training, correcting, or playing with your son, it’s vital to select the appropriate tone for the task at hand. It’s also crucial that you understand your son’s personality so t...

Have you ever broken an arm? Depending on the type of break, the doctor might have needed to set the bones straight before placing your arm in a cast. That cast kept your arm protected so that the broken bones could grow back together. If your relationship with your son is broken, you also need to set things straight. Take time to allow the relationship to heal. This may require a season of rest a...

Have you ever watched a stunt driver race his motorcycle up a steep ramp and into the air? Maybe he did a double backflip with a bunch of twists and turns. Those crazy stunts require an incredible about of control. If the stuntman were to leave the ramp at the wrong angle, he’d land off target and experience an awful wipeout. To succeed in life, your son also needs to be in control. Because boys a...

Imagine sending an army to war without the tools or training to achieve victory. And yet, we are sending boys, ill-equipped, into a culture that seems to have declared war on boyhood. The results are tragic. Boys are almost twice as likely to be put in special education and three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. And each year, fewer young men enroll in higher education. But changing th...

Fidgeting. Being loud. Having trouble staying seated. Running or climbing when it’s not appropriate. We used to consider these normal behaviors for young boys.  But now, they are listed as symptoms of ADHD. Attention disorders are certainly real. But in some cases, what if instead of changing our boys’ behavior, we need to adjust our approach as adults? For instance–too much screen time and not en...

You’re sitting at the dinner table, and you ask your son if he’s ready for basketball tryouts. Your son’s face starts to turn red. Suddenly, he stands up, pushes his plate away, and knocks his chair over intentionally as he leaves the room. You’re confused. What caused this sudden anger outburst? Researchers have discovered that when boys seem angry or withdrawn, they are often actually anxious. S...

You’ve no doubt heard of Babe Ruth, who set a record for most number of home runs in his baseball career– seven hundred and fourteen. But here’s a statistic you probably haven’t heard– Babe Ruth’s total career strikeouts. One thousand three hundred and thirty. That’s right– he struck out far more than he hit homers. When it comes to your own son, of course you want him to hit all the proverbial “h...

Is your son glued to a screen? You’ve tried everything, but you just can’t pull your son away from his video games. Well here’s something to consider. Does your son’s real life give him the same opportunities for adventure that his virtual world does? Of course, video games are addictive by design. But researchers have found that boys also turn to gaming out of boredom, seeking freedom and risk. T...

Billy Graham was one of the most influential evangelists of the 20th century. He boldly proclaimed the Gospel to over 200 million people. But in addition to his important preaching ministry, Billy Graham also had an important message for fathers. He said, “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” As a dad, you have the...

Gangs. They are responsible for almost half of the violent crime in the United States. And yet, boys and men continue to join these groups in droves, some recruited as early as elementary school. Why? Here’s a big reason. As boys interact socially, they are always asking three questions: “Who is with me?” “Who is in charge?” And, “What is our mission?” Often, church groups and social clubs, althou...

In the old days of coal mining, canaries were brought into mines. If the bird died, the miners knew they needed to escape, because there was something noxious in the atmosphere. In our society today, boys are just like those canaries. Many are faltering in every area, including school, relationships, and mental health. But there is one simple thing that can make young men more likely to make healt...

Boys love the story of David and Goliath. Afterall, anytime there’s a battle involving giants with swords, it’s sure to capture attention. But too often, boys fail to apply important lessons from David’s life. Before David defeated Goliath, he had learned to depend on God when battling lions that attacked his sheep. By relying on God in these smaller tests of faith, David had confidence that God w...

Do you use your phone to send text messages? According to statistics, around 80% of Americans do. Those text messages are often sent to family, friends, and co-workers. And now, more than ever, millions of children also carry a smart phone. If you’ve decided to provide your son a phone, make sure he uses it responsibly. But in addition to that, use text messaging as a way to connect with him. If y...

We need to listen to our children. One old-school method of dealing with children was “The children should be seen and not heard.” Connecting with our child’s heart, especially our sons, is critical to having a loving relationship with them, and connection begins with listening and understanding. We must value who they are and who God has made them to be. As we start to listen more to them, we wil...

Two of the most difficult words for a parent to say are, “I’m sorry.” Are you saying them enough? As parents, we should ask for forgiveness from our kids if we lose our temper, or don’t control our tongue, or if we jump to conclusions without gathering the necessary facts. The difficulty is that we can feel vulnerable, inadequate, and even slightly humiliated when apologizing. But here’s the truth...

Glance into your purse or wallet and you’ll probably see a few dollar bills. Written on those dollar bills are these words: In God We Trust. It’s nice having that motto on our coins and bills—but it’s even more important to demonstrate that motto in our lives … that we teach this to our sons. Has your son trusted in Jesus as his Savior? If so, are you teaching him the importance of trusting in the...

Glance into your purse or wallet and you’ll probably see a few dollar bills. Written on those dollar bills are these words: In God We Trust. It’s nice having that motto on our coins and bills—but it’s even more important to demonstrate that motto in our lives … that we teach this to our sons. Has your son trusted in Jesus as his Savior? If so, are you teaching him the importance of trusting in the...

When Benjamin Franklin’s name is mentioned, kids think of the Guy who placed a metal key on a kite string. But adults recognize Benjamin Franklin as one of America’s most important Founding Fathers. In addition to helping to write the Declaration of Independence, he also had great advice about the learning process. He said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” K...

When you’re expecting a baby, you’re filled with dreams of how extraordinary your child will eventually become. But if your son has special needs or experiences developmental delays, you dream about him functioning in an ordinary way. The expectations we have for our children don’t always turn out the way we wish. During these times, it’s easy to become angry, frustrated, and bitter. When these em...

Do you know the four magic words to motivate your son? These four words are powerful. These words might help your boy pay attention at school or cause him to clean his room. Are you ready for the four words? They are: “Here’s what’s at stake.” You see, boys are motivated by challenges. And when they don’t know what’s at stake, it’s hard for them to stay focused. Here’s an example. Maybe your son l...

“What were you thinking?” Most parents ask their son this question at least once.  Preteens and teens often make decisions without considering consequences. There’s a valid reason for this. Teen brains are still developing. The portion of their brain responsible for planning ahead and understanding the if-then effects, the prefrontal cortex, isn’t fully mature until the mid-20's. Until then,...

Do you ever use things around you to teach truth? Jesus did it all the time. A caterpillar, wrapping itself in a cocoon and emerging as a beautiful butterfly, is a good example of this teaching process. The caterpillar enters its “tomb,” dies to its former life of destroying plants, and changes into something wondrous and beneficial to those around it. We call it “metamorphosis.” The Apostle Paul...

How can you get your son to unplug from his electronics and go outside?  You know his bones and muscles are atrophying with no activity, but how can you help him become the young man he has the potential to be? Dane enrolled his son in Trail Life.  On his first hike, he thought he might have made a mistake, for it was a long, exhausting trek up the side of a mountain.  But when the other boys brok...

Does your son know what it means to respect women? He certainly isn’t going to learn this by watching society. Best-selling author and father Dave Willis says parents must be intentional about teaching their sons to view the opposite sex in a healthy way. First, Willis says to have clear conversations. Discuss what behavior is and isn’t OK. Point out that, while Jesus was on earth, he treated wome...

Life is hard.  Is your son ready? Does he have the tools to come face-to-face with the things you went through– and overcome? When the disciple Peter stepped out of the boat to follow Jesus, it was a great act of intense faith.  But the roar of wind and waves around him took his focus from Christ, and he began to sink. Teach your son to focus intently on the face of Christ, and seek him with his w...