Raising Godly Boys Minute

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 wants to drag your children far away, and fighting the culture is exhausting and dem...

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 attend a church service, but also join a small group and serve in a ministry. And finally, ...

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.” God teaches us a desire to save the helpless and see righteousness prevail in his word. ...

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 as he pulled out his wood tools safety card, and handed it to the 14-year-old tro...

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 biblical foundation for children. A child’s foundation of faith is best built by purposeful...

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 the lullaby sound of rhythmic drumming rain, and woke to find the camp a wet, soggy s...

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 choices. Be honest about what you’re proud of and what you regret. Share about your relations...

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 mentors. Show him a standard he can trust and hold. Give him a challenge.&nbs...

“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 confusion of cultural relativism, mixed roles, and gender fluidity, boys don’t know ...

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 and the seashore live deep in all young boys. You can feed that desire and strengthen th...

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 because he feels like he just isn’t going to be able to give you enough. Here are a few ways...

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 wherever they are, not just at church. What matters most in worship? The posture of our...

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 asking for help in everyday life– with his homework, with his chores, or at public places....

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 difficult situations. But all we need is God’s Word and His Spirit living in us. If you or your son ...

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 you make a family photo album. Find a nontraditional holiday online, and celebrate it toget...

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 others isn’t wrong, especially from fellow Christians who know the Word. But seek God first and...

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, James made ESPN’s All-American player list, and now credits the small habits for the reas...

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; I know them, and they follow me.” God’s voice will never contradict His Word. And when...

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, the uniform is a symbolic answer to those questions. In life, it’s not always so clear. It’s up...

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 clear and will come out sooner or later. We should remind our children that God is omniscient...