Raising Godly Boys Minute

What makes you happy? Not just a little happy, but really happy? Maybe it’s when your team wins the championship, or when you get that work promotion, or when you slice into that perfectly cooked steak. Those things are fine, but one of the greatest joys in life is seeing your son obediently follow the Lord. Third John 3:4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”...

Boys need their mom and their dad. As a mom and dad play with their young son, the mom will remind him to “be careful.” The dad will toss the son into the air and encourage him to run as fast as he can. The boy will ignore his mom and hang onto his dad’s every word. But when that little boy falls and scrapes his knee, he’ll suddenly stop ignoring his mom. He’ll run to her, seeking comfort. As they...

What’s your son’s default location? Jackson, a 16 year old, was tinkering on his car in the garage when his mom brought her laptop out and set up a makeshift desk. She didn’t say much– just did her work and asked Jackson, once, what he was working on. When she left an hour later, both she and Jackson were smiling. She had keyed into a secret of parenting a teen boy– figure out his default location...

If you’ve ever gone backpacking in the great outdoors, you know the importance of bringing the right equipment. You pack a tent, not a tire. You pack matches, not a microwave.  Similarly, when your son heads off to school, make sure he packs the right characteristics. This includes: Honesty—to complete his own work instead of cheating off others. Respect—to see people for who they really are, no m...

Has your son experienced the death of a loved one? Maybe a classmate who died. Or perhaps a grandparent who suddenly passed away. Dealing with death is hard for everyone. But for kids, it’s especially confusing. A common perception is that boys are tough. But the truth is, we all experience grief and heartache. It’s just that we handle it in different ways. As a dad, take time to listen to your so...

A reporter once asked John D. Rockefeller, “How much money is enough?” Rockefeller, widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history, replied, “Just a little bit more.” Sadly, Rockefeller would never have enough money to be satisfied. When it comes to our possessions, the Bible consistently calls us to be content with what God has given us. Contentment...

Do your kids have household chores? Some kids think taking out the trash or washing the dishes is cruel and unusual punishment. But it isn’t. In fact, research shows that chores actually help kids in their physical, mental, and social development. When you give your son a job and he successfully completes it, he develops self-worth and self-esteem. This leads to confidence in knowing that he can a...

Boys love toys! Some of their favorites are racecars, robots, and rockets. And (according to kids) the louder, faster, and crazier the toy, the better! As a dad, you probably don’t play with toy dinosaurs anymore, but you just might have a big-boy toy like a motorcycle or boat. It’s fine to enjoy toys. They can even be a way of connecting with your son. But don’t let toys consume your time and att...

Did you know our homes are training grounds? President John Adams said, “Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private virtue, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.” Our homes can be training grounds for good and godly character. More than I want my children to be famous, rich, or exceptional, I want them to be good. The apostle Peter wrote, [M]ake every effort to supplem...

One of life’s great challenges is learning to not just go with the flow, because sometimes the flow goes in the wrong direction. We live in a day of great distraction. Because of the digital age, information flows constantly. Some say we have become the society that is looking down – always checking our phones, tablets, and devices. These tools of mass distraction can cause us to miss important th...

John Wesley, a famous 18th century preacher, said, “There is no such thing as a solitary Christian.” As parents, we want to raise our kids to love the Lord and be responsible adults. But challenges from the worldly culture around us make parenting tough. Sometimes so tough that we grow discouraged when we don’t see immediate results. When you feel this way, remember that parenting isn’t a solitary...

Do you manage your time properly? In the craziness of normal everyday life, it’s easy to lose track of time. Perhaps your son starts school at 8 am. You’ve got a work meeting at 10 a.m. Soccer practice begins at 3:15 in the afternoon. And, of course, there’s church, piano lessons, and dozens of other activities that you and your family participate in. The question is, are you punctual or persisten...

The land of the free and the home of the brave. What a great country we live in. The freedom we get to experience here in America was not cheap to attain. Many people gave all for the liberty we have. Jesus also gave everything for us to be free. The salvation He provided by dying on the cross is free, but it isn’t cheap. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. John 8:36 says this, “So if...

Remember this famous quote? “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” President John F. Kennedy during his inaugural address in 1961. As Christian men trying to raise godly boys, our mantra should be, “Ask not what God can do for me; ask what I can do for God.” It’s natural for us to think about ourselves first and not what we can do for God and what we can...

Successful living involves risk-taking. Over 300 people rejected Colonel Sanders’ special recipe for Southern fried chicken before he received a “yes.” Today, because of his persistence, KFC boasts 20,000 restaurants in 125 countries. We are wise as parents to instill in our boys the value of adventurous living. When we do, we cannot control the outcome. But we can control ourselves. We can make t...

Do you break your own rules? You no doubt have rules for your son– like no texting while driving, and no procrastinating on his homework assignments. But if your son constantly sees you breaking your own rules, he will struggle to have respect for you.  Of course, your boy does need to know that parents have more authority than kids. But, to the best of your ability, demonstrate the good habits yo...

Want to make a powerful imprint on the lives of children? I believe the most powerful method the Lord gave parents to influence our children is the simple practice of family worship. In our sophisticated age, we may forget the spiritual power of opening the Bible, reading it to our families, and leading in prayer. God made it simple: pick up the Word, share it, and lead others to the throne of gra...

Is it attention deficit disorder– or dad deficit disorder? In his book Raising Boys, Steve Biddulph  [BID-dulf]  tells a powerful story about a dad named Don. Don’s son was diagnosed with “attention deficit disorder.” This was years ago, before ADD knowledge was so widespread, so Don misunderstood the diagnosis. He thought it meant that his son simply needed more attention. When school was out, Do...

What will you leave to your children and the generations that come after you? The saying, “You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse,” is a poignant reminder that you can’t take anything with you in death, but you can leave something behind by how you live. Your children are watching you and learning from you day by day. Are you leading them closer to Christ or further from him? Teach them about J...

How can we instill integrity into our children? Teach them that we always live in God’s presence.  Jesus is always in the room. As a family, read books or listen to radio theater stories of godly people like Hudson Taylor, George Mueller, Corrie ten Boom, and William Wilberforce, for example. Discuss lessons from their lives Children need to feel valued as they learn to speak truth. If parents imm...

David. Moses. Abraham. Peter. While all of these men achieved amazing things for God, they all also had shortcomings. In the same way, the great men who built this country were also flawed. There’s a trend in culture right now to dismiss their heroism, and choose instead to emphasize their shortcomings. But as Theodore Roosevelt once pointed out, [quote], “far better is it to dare mighty things…th...

How high is heaven above the earth? The distance is immeasurable, just like God’s love for you. As the Bible says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God’s love for those who fear him.” King David paints a powerful word picture in his psalm, writing that God “has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” If you have turned to God and trusted in his so...

Digital technology has become controlling, addictive, and intrusive. Parents, it’s ok for you to be the “bad guy” about the use of electronics. Don’t let the culture squeeze you into its mold. Our children don’t need endless hours of internet and television exposure. Scientific studies show that too much digital time actually alters brain patterns. Consider not allowing “screen time” during the we...

What memories do you have with your grandfather? The power of a grandpa’s love in a young man’s life cannot be understated. Child psychologist Dr. Mary Polce-Lynch once counseled a 10-year-old boy who lived thirteen hours from his grandpa. This boy didn’t see his grandpa very often, but talked about him every single day. She asked the boy to describe what his grandpa meant to him, and the boy was...

Father’s Day has been ranked towards the bottom in popularity among the top 15 national holidays. Why would that be? Father’s Day can be a difficult day for many people because of traumatic experiences we’ve had with our fathers. Dads play a very important role in the lives of their children and when you do not have that person in your life in a healthy way, it can affect you in many ways. One of...