Raising Godly Boys Minute

Can you protect your son from today's toxic culture? The Bible says to “train up a child in the way he will go, and he will not depart from it.” Just like training to throw a spiral pass or paddle a canoe, training your son to avoid today's moral pitfalls is worth the time and effort. Workouts and drills are for more than the football field and the outdoors. Teaching your son that daily...

Would you give your son a blessing? It may sound like a strange concept, but it’s  seen throughout the Bible between fathers and sons. Dr. John Trent and Dr. Gary Smalley wrote about this in their book, The Blessing. They say that most blessings in the Bible include five things, quote, “meaningful and appropriate touch, a spoken message, attaching high value, picturing a special future, and an act...

How can you be sure your son will succeed? If you've asked this question, you're not alone.  We all want the best for our children, but how can we help them on their way?  Give your son something to aim for.  Set a target for him that ignites excitement.  Surround your son with great examples of godly character. Finding father figures and mentors to teach him, train him, and be his guide...

Is your son struggling in school? He’s not alone. Unfortunately, many traditional schools are not set up to maximize a young man’s success. First, boys are wired to be movers, so sitting all day can be a challenge. Second, boys’ ears are less skilled at picking up higher frequencies, so learning from a female teacher’s voice can be difficult. And lastly, boys usually develop slower than girls, so...

How fast can a riptide kill you? Matthew was about to find out.  Caught in a riptide off the coast, he watched the shoreline grow further away as he exhausted himself fighting against the current.  Weak and in despair, he suddenly remembered his training, and swam a short twenty feet out of the current, where he was able to float, recover his strength, and swim back to shore. Today’s toxic culture...

How can you teach your son how to have a relationship with Jesus?  A parent of a prodigal child was reflecting on his kid’s growing up years, and said, quote: “I’ve realized that we raised our children in church, but not in Christ.” [end quote] How can we teach our boys to abide in Jesus? First, we have to make sure our own walk with the Lord is growing. Second, encourage your son to not just atte...

Has your son ever wanted to be a knight? Plastic swords and armor strewn about his room, breastplate dangling from his bedpost, and picture books of Teutonic knights adorn many a boy’s room. What is it about righting wrongs, defeating evil tyrants and rescuing the innocent that calls out to a boy? The Bible says, “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” ...

How does a boy learn right from wrong? Sometimes, boys can learn more from our mistakes than from our teaching.  Brian had just finished teaching ax and saw safety to a troop of boys eager to build towers and rope bridges.  While loading his equipment, he carelessly tossed a saw that bounced and rolled to within a foot of the boys he had just taught about safety. Everyone froze.  They all stared a...

Do you know where the world’s tallest skyscraper is located? At an incredible height of 2,722 feet (just over half a mile), Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, is almost 500 feet taller than the second-tallest skyscraper. If you want to build high, you must first dig deep and build a foundation below the surface. As a parent, grandparent, or mentor, you can help build a deep and firm...

Have you ever seen good advice ignored, with hilarious results? I heard about a boy who camped with a new group of friends in a campground he knew well.  It flooded frequently, and was nicknamed, “The Swamp.”  All of the adults and other boys ignored his advice to camp on higher ground, and they pitched their tents in the easy, sandy soil. Finding the highest ground, he slept through the night to...

Here’s an idea to connect with your son: show him your high school yearbook. First, let him make fun of your outdated haircut and clothes. Show him the picture of your basketball team, and the page where it says you were voted class clown. Next, show him pictures of your friends. Talk about what friendships ended and which ones have lasted through the years. And finally, talk about the power of ch...

Why is there an attack on biblical manhood? All around us, the very idea of a man as a devout father, provider, and hard worker is ridiculed and torn down.  A spineless, conforming, weak-willed androgyne is modeled, and we are told to sacrifice our sons to modern culture. How can you keep your son safe from these attacks? Model godly character.  What he sees in you, he will follow. Provide godly m...

“In a thousand feet, turn left.” Imagine that you’re driving in a town you’ve never visited before. The GPS on your phone is telling you what turns you need to make.  But suddenly, your phone’s battery dies. Without your GPS, you feel lost, alone, and you wonder if you’ll even make it to your desired destination. That “lost”  feeling is what many young men experience in our society today. In the c...

Why do boys love adventure? Mark Twain said, “There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy’s life that he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.” The search for adventure drives some boys to video games, where they can conquer kingdoms and gain virtual accolades.  Others find their adventures in sports. But deep down, the call of the woods, the wild, the mountains...

Doesn’t it seem like the more you want your son to talk, the less he will? Of course, some boys are talkative. But generally speaking, your son is not going to volunteer a lot of information about his day. One reason is biological. Males have fewer language centers in their brain than females, and process things internally. Your son may also feel the pressure from you to share, and is backing away...

What makes worship, worship? Jesus defined worship for the Woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well in John 4:23 and 24. “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” We should teach our children to worship God w...

If you ask your son what it means to be brave, what would he say? Your son would probably answer that bravery is entering a dangerous situation or saving  someone’s life– and that’s true. But in this day and age when depression and suicide rates of teenage boys are at a crisis point, your son needs to know that there’s another way to be brave– asking for help. Give your son small exercises in aski...

Where should a boy turn to when he needs wisdom? Today, through the internet and other sources, there is more information available than ever before. But the best source of information and wisdom is found in a book written thousands of years ago — the Bible. The book of Proverbs is especially powerful when it comes to seeking wisdom. We often think we need a “life hack” to navigate life’s most dif...

Here’s a startling statistic: The average iPhone screen time for an adult in the United States is around seven hours each day. But the average amount of time a parent spends with their child is only about two hours a day. Here are some screen-free ideas for connecting with your son today. Make banana splits with your boy. Build a lego garage for his cars. Campout in the living room. Have him help...

Do you remember when someone gave you bad advice? Did you take it? If so, what were the results? When seeking advice, who or what can you trust? The most trustworthy source of truth is the Bible. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The best first step in all situations is going to God and asking for His guidance. Seeking advice from family, friends, co-workers, pastors, counselors, and othe...

His face was shattered– and so were his dreams.  When James Clear was in high school, he had big plans to be a baseball star. But one day, he was hit in the face with a baseball bat, and suffered a brain injury.  That’s when James discovered a powerful concept. As he recovered, he began to hone in on the small habits in his life, then started to work on his baseball skills again. Years later, Jame...

Do you hear voices? There are many voices in the world competing for our attention, but none can compare to the voice of the Lord.  God speaks to His children, sometimes audibly, but mostly through His Word, the Bible. Are you listening for and to God’s voice? Or are you letting worldly voices silence Him? How can you recognize God’s voice?  In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice;...

Rachel’s six-year- old son loves to play t-ball. He admires his coach and enjoys carrying around his bat. But there is one thing he loves more than anything else– his bright green uniform. There’s a reason for this. As young men grow up and learn to navigate social settings, they are always asking three questions– “Who is with me?” “Who is in charge?” And, “What is our mission?” On sports teams, t...

Do you remember the last time your child lied to you and how it made you feel? According to research, parents are the primary victims of lying, with 86 percent of lies being told to them. Kids often believe they are clever enough to fool their parents, but fathers and mothers usually see right through their lies. Parents are not as easily deceived as children think. Most of the time, the truth is...

“Do yourself a favor. Take a kid fishing.” That’s a quote from a man named Frank White, who produced a show called Southern Sportsman. He would say those words at the end of every broadcast. Psychologists would agree with his suggestion. Fishing gives your son an opportunity to be outside, practice problem-solving skills, and connect with others. One study even found that combat veterans who went...