Raising Godly Boys Minute

God made boys with a competitive spirit. They crave the excitement of challenging themselves against others and emerging victorious. This desire to compete is a positive characteristic. But when competition within the home mutates into sibling rivalry, beware. Sibling rivalry often begins with jealousy, bitterness, and resentment. Because brothers and sisters don’t know how to process these emotio...

Boys love to test their physical strength through competition. This often involves sports such as football, soccer, or wrestling. But boys also measure their strength through weightlifting. By pumping iron, they develop muscle and gain stamina. The problem is that in the gym, it’s easy for boys to think that bigger biceps equals a better man. Teach your son that, although a challenging physical ro...

Warning! Your son is being targeted. A relentless enemy is trying to entice, trap, and destroy his heart and mind. This enemy hides in the shadows—yet is constantly attacking your son. Who is this enemy? It’s pornography. Here’s a shocking statistic. The top pornographic website has more visits each day than Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter—combined! Don’t let pornography destroy your son’s heart, min...

Boys are in trouble. More than ever, they’re being intentionally misled and confused by an anti-Christian culture that wants to destroy their faith in Jesus Christ. Secular worldviews—including relativism and humanism—also want to devour your son’s heart and mind, and thereby control his thoughts and actions. To withstand these attacks, boys need to be well-grounded in God’s Word. Romans 12:2 says...

Boys crave action and adventure. That’s why video games and movies grab their attention. But too often, this content is crude, sensual, and violent. Help your son find action and adventure in the pages of a good book. But beware. Many of the books written specifically for boys carry unbiblical worldviews. Secular authors are strategically influencing boys in unhealthy ways. Be careful about what y...

It’s a sad fact that anxiety is attacking kids across the country. According to the Center for Disease Control, 7.1% of children have been diagnosed with anxiety. That’s around 4.4 million kids! There are many reasons for this anxiety, including fear of contracting COVID, worry about finding friends at school, and even dread about what the future holds. As a parent, it’s important to remind your s...

Two simple words strike terror in a parent’s heart. Those words are: “Assembly Required.” And yet, too often we ignore the instruction manual when putting together a bike or race car track for our son. We think, “Yeah, I can do this by myself!” But after hours of frustration, we swallow our pride and study the instruction manual to assemble the toy. Parenting your son is also a complex process, es...

Each day contains 1,440 minutes. That may seem like a bunch of time, but it passes by in a flash. The same can be said for weeks, and months, and even years. Time is passing quickly . . . that’s a fact. But here’s another fact: You don’t want to look back on your parenting years with regret. Don’t allow the busyness of life to pull you away from investing time and attention in your son. Because—be...

Statistics indicate that girls struggle with self-image problems more than boys. But if it’s your son that’s hurting because he doesn’t like how he looks, statistics don’t matter. You just want to help your son. Compounding the problem are social media sites promoting their version of what is physically attractive and culturally trendy. When boys compare themselves with these unrealistic expectati...

If you’ve got a boy in your house, you know that God made boys with lots of energy and enthusiasm. It’s important that we provide ways for them to experience fun, excitement, and adventure—beyond the everyday routines of life. This can sometimes be difficult at home where space is limited. That’s why finding ways for him to engage in the outdoors is so important. And, while creating opportunities...

Have you ever played Jenga, the block-stacking game? It’s fun taking turns stacking blocks and watching the tower grow tall. But eventually, the tower becomes unbalanced, and the blocks come tumbling down. As a parent, don’t allow yourself to become unbalanced in life. As you go about your daily routines, avoid stacking too many obligations in your life. The higher your number of commitments, the...

Here’s a trivia question: Which state has the most lighthouses? If you answered Michigan, you’re absolutely right. In the darkness of night, lighthouses warn sailors of shallow sandbars and rocky shorelines. Without these lighthouses, many boats and sailors would crash into these obstacles and suffer great hardship and pain. In many ways, you serve as a lighthouse to your son. As he sails through...

Social media sites have tremendous power to influence your son’s thoughts and actions. But there’s an even more influential force in your son’s life—and that’s his friends. Research tells us that ensuring a positive community of faith for your son is one of the best ways to shield him against negative influences and to set him up for success. Though it’s unreasonable for you to expect your son’s f...

What does 100 billion of anything look like? Astronomers estimate that our Milky Way Galaxy holds around 100 billion stars. If you counted one star per second, it would take you over 3,000 years to count those stars. That’s incredible! And yet, God—the master designer of billions of galaxies—loves each person more than any of those stars. So, the next time you see your son frustrated and hurting,...

Boys are influenced by what they see. That’s a fact. The question is: What are they looking at throughout the day? The answer: Their phones and other digital devices. But what’s especially disturbing and sad is that the internet is bombarding boys with sensual and even pornographic images. Guys may think they’re tough, but they’re no match against sexual temptation. A recent study found that 90% o...

A furious storm rages around us. Today’s anti-Christian culture is battering all those who stand in its way. And it’s only getting worse. Public schools are increasingly hostile to biblical truth and Christian values. In this antagonistic society, it’s easy for Christian boys to get swept away by peer pressure, sexual temptation, and the quest for riches. Don’t let these weights catch your son off...

If you live in the north, the transition from one season to the next brings dramatic weather changes. Many people enjoy fall, but winter quickly pushes it aside. Then people yearn for the warmth of spring, but that’s replaced by the heat of summer. Seasons are a natural part of our environment. So are the seasons of our children’s lives. As parents, we sometimes wish we could hold back time and ke...

Being a parent is one of the greatest joys in life. It’s also exhausting! Whether it seems like you’ve changed a million diapers or whether you feel like a professional taxi driver for your teenage kids, each stage of life has its own challenges. As a parent, it’s certainly your responsibility to guide and train your children. But it’s also important for you to take time to rest physically, . . ....

Did you know that 30% of teen boys use unhealthy techniques to control their weight? This includes skipping meals, vomiting, and even taking laxatives. For parents with boys in this category, we wish there were something like 3 simple steps to help our sons escape the downward spiral of self-image and self-esteem problems. But it’s usually not that easy. In addition to consulting doctors for help,...

Boys love roller coasters. A popular one is called “Mako.” It towers 200 feet high and races through the air at 73 miles per hour. That’s a crazy ride, but parenting boys can be even more scary—or exciting—depending on how you look at it. Maybe your son begins wanting his own space. Then, the next day, he wants to spend all the time in the world with you. Even when the parenting roller coaster fee...

Parenting boys is tough. Parenting teenage guys is 100 times tougher! Or at least it can feel like it. When your teenage son challenges your authority, when he blatantly disobeys, or when he rolls his eyes at your advice—it’s natural to feel frustrated. It’s easy to think, “Why me? Why do I have a son that acts like this?” In these moments of crisis, take heart. Remember that the Lord makes NO mis...

Who is your son’s hero? Is he a sports star? An actor? A musician? As you guide your son through today’s popstar-infatuated culture, encourage him to study the lives of godly men who displayed courage, service, and devotion. Introduce your son to heroes of the faith found in Hebrews 11. There he’ll read about ordinary people who were used by God in extraordinary ways. Your son will be captivated w...

How important is a firm foundation? The construction of an eight floor tower began in 1173 AD. The design and architecture was considered genius. But the foundation was not properly tested. After the first three floors were constructed, it was discovered the tower was leaning! You guessed it … this was the famed “Leaning Tower of Pisa.” A firm foundation is of vital importance in a boy’s life. Whe...

Have you ever heard of the 'seat grip"? For decades now, fathers have taught their sons how to ride a bike using the “seat grip” technique. The father holds the bike upright by firmly gripping the back of the seat while running along behind the bike. The son steers and pedals confidently knowing Dad is behind him, holding him up. Finally, the day comes when Dad removes his grip. The boy...

Did you know that clear boundaries actually help kids feel free? There was an experiment done at a daycare center. At first, the outdoor playground at the daycare was surrounded by a fence. When the children ran outside to play, they would climb the fence and try to see what was behind it. But when the fence was taken down, the children didn’t explore the wide open space. Instead, they stayed clus...