Raising Godly Boys Minute

Boys love the battles in video games! But did you know an even more ruthless battle rages around your son? Secular forces are battling for your son’s heart and mind. They want to distract him, tempt him, and destroy him by controlling his thoughts. But the Bible provides clear instruction on how to battle the enemy. Romans 12:2 says, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the re...

Did you ever jump on a trampoline? If so, you loved seeing how high you could leap into the air. But, inevitably, every time you soared upward, you eventually came back down. As a Dad, you understand that parenthood also involves “highs” and “lows.” Maybe your son draws a picture that says, “I love my Dad!” Or perhaps he scores a goal on the soccer field. The “highs” of parenthood are great. But “...

Did you ever try to cut a 2 x 4 with a hacksaw? Or hammer a nail with a wrench? It just doesn’t work very well. Using the right tool makes all the difference in successfully completing a job. When it comes to training boys, having the right tools and resources makes a big difference. God’s Word is our go-to resource. From it, we learn important truths and principles that guide us as we train our s...

Prison is a hard place. But the pain of prison extends beyond concrete walls and barbed wire fences. According to Prison Fellowship, over 1.5 million kids have an incarcerated parent. Around 92% of them are fathers. That’s a sad statistic. It means that hundreds of thousands of boys are growing up without a dad. All boys need a proper role model to guide, encourage, and love them. Break the cycle....

If you’ve ever been to a circus, you’ve seen clowns juggling balls and clubs. Juggling may look simple enough, but it’s actually a lot harder than it looks. Parenting boys is also harder than expected. You’re trying to juggle multiple schedules, manage conflicts, and adapt to various personalities. And many times, you hardly have enough time to deal with one issue before another one comes flying a...

Have you ever heard your son say, “I’m bored”? If so, you’re not alone. These days, boys stay inside the house watching their digital devices for way too many hours a day. In fact, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, kids spend an average of 4 to 6 hours a day playing video games and watching TV. Do your boys a favor by introducing them to the great outdoors. As...

Sometimes https://www.traillifeusa.com/raisinggodlyboys , the routines of life can make us feel as if we’re running on a hamster wheel.  If you had a pet hamster, you know that they love running. Give a hamster a hamster wheel, and they’ll run on it day after day after day. While there’s certainly value in developing life routines, it’s vitally important that boys experience times of adventure bey...

A battle rages—and boys are on the front lines. They are daily bombarded by anti-Christian philosophies: Relativism—disrupts truth and biblical morality, Humanism—teaches that a person must depend on himself, not God, if this is true, then why do we even need God? And evolution—teaches that we evolved by mere chance, the very existence of a loving Creator is ridiculed. Don’t let these worldly phil...

A reporter asked Thomas Edison, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” One of the greatest inventions of the 19th century was the lightbulb. But creating the lightbulb required lots of trial and error. Failure is a part of life. In fact, it’s normal and natural. And even though no one likes to fail, it t...

Have you ever walked across a rickety bridge and wondered if it could manage the weight? If you are carrying something heavy that fear can be very real. Carrying truth can be like that. Especially when you are carrying truth to a boy. Make sure the bridge -- your connection to that boy -- is strong enough to carry the weight of that truth. The reality with boys, particularly teens, is that simply...

Have you given your son any “tummy time” today?  “Tummy time” is a fairly new concept in the parenting world, in which parents of infants are encouraged to let their baby spend time on their stomach. Babies often protest and find it very uncomfortable. But without this valuable time, they will not strengthen critical muscles or eventually learn to crawl.  No matter your son’s age, he still needs o...

What’s the difference between being a smart parent and an overprotective parent? It’s a hard balance to strike. But as Christians, we have a secret weapon that we often forget about: Prayer. Every boy is different, and parenting strategies that work well with one boy can sometimes have disastrous results with another. But the one method that will always work is hitting our knees in prayer, asking...

It only takes a small mistake– such as incorrect hip placement– to send a novice rock climber on a painful slide back down the rock wall. In the same way, there’s a small mistake you can make in disciplining your son that can cause you to lose ground with him: getting too emotional. It can be difficult to not cry or raise your voice when addressing heavy topics with your boy. But as soon as you sh...

If you could pick a superpower as a parent, what would it be? The ability to teleport your son to every sports practice instead of making the long drive? Researchers have found that every parent has a “superpower” of sorts that can improve their relationship with their son, help him avoid perfectionism, and promote emotional health. It’s  simply this: an apology. There’s no need to make your apolo...

Who does your child really belong to? I’ll give you a hint: It’s not you. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 God is the creator and owner of everyone and everything. We are called to be his ambassador and steward everyone and everything he’s given to us. Author Paul Tripp says it’s vital for us to understand that...

How are your arrows doing? Psalm 127:4 says that children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Nowadays, we can drive down to the local sporting goods store and pick up a package of fiberglass arrows. These arrows are used for sport and are almost always retrieved after being shot. In Bible times, the warrior’s arrows most likely were built by him. The warrior knew that the battle would be l...

Can you point to a scar on your body? Perhaps, as a kid, you cut your arm when falling off your bike, or scraped a leg while climbing a tree. Some boys think scars are cool because they tell an exciting story. But not all scars are visible. Emotional scars often hurt more than physical wounds. When correcting your son, what kind of words are you using? Hateful speech can scar a boy’s spirit and en...

Here’s an interesting parenting twist on the golden rule. Psychologist Dr. Joshua Straub suggests that, when it comes to your son, you replace the word “treat” with the word “understand.” So the golden rule then becomes “understand your son the way you want to be understood.” Now, understanding your son may seem like an impossible task– especially if he’s a teenager! But here’s some ideas to start...

Surfers don’t try to avoid the waves or control them– they learn to glide over them. In the same way, family psychologist Dr. Joshua Straub has developed three steps to help your son “surf” over his emotions, instead of stuffing them down or using them to hurt others. First, empathize with your boy’s feelings. Second, address the behavior. Explain the difference between healthy and unhealthy ways...

Johnny dropped his bat to the ground, embarrassed that he had just struck out again. But when he glanced at the crowd and saw his dad give him a reassuring nod and smile, he felt his shoulders relax. It’s easy as a parent to feel like you’ve “struck out” with your son when you lose patience or make a mistake. When this happens, you may start thinking that you’re a terrible parent, or that you’re d...

Did you know that a recurve bow arrow can fly 2.5 times faster than a cheetah can run? This type of arrow can reach speeds of 150 miles per hour, while the world’s fastest cheetah maxes out at about 60 miles per hour. The Bible likens children to arrows. Psalm 127:3-4 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the...

Have you ever seen a boy bite into a lemon? If so, his face probably scrunched up into wrinkles because of the super sour taste. You may have never bitten into a lemon, but in life, we all experience sour moments. Maybe your son loves basketball. But then, while making a simple layup, he sprains his ankle and can’t join the school team. During times of unexpected frustration, help your son see thr...

Boys love fireworks! There’s just something about a monstrous Bang!—Boom!—and Blast! that shakes the air and excites the heart. As the sky vibrates with fiery explosions, fingers tingle with excitement, and fountains of sparkling light shine down on smiling faces. But guess what lasts even longer than firecrackers and bottle rockets? Memories do! Have fun with your son as you ring in the New Year...

As January 1st approaches, do you plan to make any New Year’s resolutions? About 32% of Americans do. Here are the top 3 resolutions they make: Get More Exercise Lose Weight Save Money Even though these are commendable resolutions, there’s something even more important that we should strive toward. That’s loving the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind. Of course, that’s easier said t...

Boys love statistics—the crazier the better! For instance, did you know that the average American eats around 23 pounds of ice cream a year? Talk about brain freeze! Here’s another statistic: Each year contains almost 9,000 hours! That’s a HUGE number. But do you know how YOU spent your time throughout this past year? How many hours did you stare at your phone? How many hours did you spend with yo...