Being Sons

Why wait for sex until marriage? Is there a compelling reason? Culture has lost God's vision for this incredible gift and the narrow path that ensures we get the most satisfaction out of it. In part 2 of this 2 part conversation, Jay talks with his 20 year old son Baer and his best friend Jake about the hot topic of sex. Whether you are a father prepping for the conversations with your son, or a son looking for the good way, we pray you find these discussions life-giving and equipping.

Navigating our sons skillfully from boyhood into the world of men is confusing and sometimes terrifying, especially when it comes to the topic of sexuality. No father leads his son perfectly, but this perfection we'd like to offer is not as critical as simply having some courageous intentionality. In these next 2 episodes I have a conversation with my 20 year old son Baer and his best friend Jake about their humorously imperfect journeys into manhood. In this episode we look back on the early father + sex son talks and their honest struggles to find God's best for them in a sex-drunk and perverted world. Whether you are a father or a son we pray you find these discussions life-giving and equipping.

What does the journey of sonship look like? No one knows better than Darren Lewis.

In part 2 of this 2-part conversation Darren shares his personal redemptive tale to help us see how God rescues us from living like orphans, reveals our true identity as His beloved sons, and molds us into the spiritual fathers the world so desperately needs.

ABOUT DARREN AND FATHERING ADVENTURES: Darren Lewis is father of 4 sons and founder/director of Fathering Adventures, an adventure ministry in Australia equipping men to father the way God intended. You can join Darren with your son or daughter in Australia like I did for an adventure that will change your relationship forever.

Learn more about Darren at https://fatheringadventures.com.au/

Our guest is Darren Lewis, father of 4 sons and founder/director of Fathering Adventures, an adventure ministry equipping men in Australia with the guidance they need to father the way God intended. Darren's redemptive tale poignantly illustrates how God takes orphans in their brokenness and lovingly molds them into the deeply good fathers humanity so desperately needs.

What does the journey from orphan to son to spiritual father look like?

What does every son, regardless of age, need from a loving father?

Darren has taken the ancient path, chosen radical trust, and is living the life of significance every son is made for. In part 1 of this 2 part story-conversation he offers wisdom and encouragement to help us see and trust that God is up to creating a masterpiece out of every son's story. Enjoy part 1.

Join Darren with your son or daughter in Australia like I did for an adventure that change your relationship forever. Fathering Adventures

In part 2 of this 2-part conversation, Being Sons continues it's interview with New York Times best-selling author and father-figure to many, John Eldredge, discussing his new book "Resilient". Spiritual pressures are increasing and testing our strength in these turbulent times, and God is making provisions for those who align themselves with Him. So how do we do this? How do we recognize what we are under and respond with a strength that prevails? We talk about that, and prepping, and what to do with our dreams and the dreams of our kids when the world is sincerely mad. This episode is packed with the wisdom and encouragement we have all come to expect from a warm conversation with "Papa" John.

Best-selling author and a father to many, John Eldredge joins us again for a 2-part conversation about learning to live with resilience from God in these testing times. It's the subject of his timely new book release "Resilient". We talk about the pressures of the hour we live in, the end of the age, the reasons men's hearts are failing, and the abundant provision God is giving in this hour to His friends. These 2 episodes are packed full of life-giving wisdom and perspective. Join us for this warm and encouraging conversation with a sage who fathers us out of immaturity and into strength.

Have you experienced a tough but life-changing season in the wilderness? It's unavoidable. God takes every son he loves through these tough seasons. But why?

In this encouraging episode I talk with Scott Morin, co-director of Empowering Ranch, about how God uses the wilderness to transform men and prepare them for a supernatural life in the land of blessing and influence. Scott brings his many years of Biblical Hebrew and Greek study to help us unpack this critical character called "wilderness".

ABOUT SCOTT MORIN: Our guest today is Co-Director of Empowering Ranch where he serves as a counselor, speaker, trip leader and Socratic scripture study teacher. He has a master of divinity with an emphasis on Hebrew and Greek. And he is a friend.

Being Sons helps men discover and live the powerful life God intended. Here are Being Sons events and resources:

BOOT CAMPS For men 18+

FIRST TRACKS Father + Son (9-13) Adventure

TRAILHEAD Father + Older Son (14+) Adventure

FIRST BLOOM Father + Daughter (Age 7-13) Adventure

FIGHT CLUB - Campfires for men

Being Sons on YouTube

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In this conversation I got to speak with one of my parenting heroes and an expert on girl's development needs, Sissy Goff. Out of the 29 years experience she has invested in working with girls, she shares some incredible wisdom and encouragement.

How important a role do fathers play in the lives of their daughters? What do daughters need most from us? What questions do daughters carry with them wherever they go, and what gifts does God give uniquely to fathers who have the courage to press in and love well? What common mistakes do fathers make when fathering their daughters into and then through their teenage years? And given that most girls suffer silently under the crushing weight of anxiety, how can we recognize this anxiety and offer our strength in a helpful way?

We also addressed the 4 developmental stages girls must go through to become women.

• Stage 1 – Discovery Years, birth - 5

• Stage 2 - Adventurous, 6-10

• Stage 3 – Narcissistic Years, 11-14

• Stage 4 – Autonomous Years, 15-19

We talk about these things and much more. Listen, enjoy and be encouraged that you are God-picked to be your daughter's father for a reason and with God's assistance you have everything you need to succeed. :)

ABOUT Sissy Goff, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, spends most of her days talking with girls and their families, with the help of her counseling assistant/pet therapist, Lucy the Havanese. She has worked as the Director of Child and Adolescent Counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee since 1993, with a Master's degree from Vanderbilt University. Sissy speaks to parents and children's ministers across the country, and is the author of twelve books, including the bestselling "Raising Worry-Free Girls", "Braver, Stronger Smarter" (for elementary school girls) and her newest book for teenage girls, "Brave". See her full collection at the link below). Sissy is a regular contributor to various podcasts and publications, including their own podcast called "Raising Boys and Girls".

See Sissy's Amazon Bibliography: https://www.amazon.com/Sissy-Goff/e/B...

Daystar Counseling Ministries: https://www.daystarcounseling.com/

Raising Boys and Girls website: https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com/

Raising Boys and Girls podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

Every boy needs things only a father can give.

In part 2 of this 2 part conversation, we continue our interview with David Thomas, a sought after counselor with 26 years experience helping boys and families. We begin to dive into understanding the developmental stages of boys into men.

• Explorer (roughly age 1-4)

• Lover (5-8)

• Individual (9-12)

• Wanderer (13-18)

• Warrior (17-25)

I also asked him "Is it our job as fathers to push or pull our sons through the stages to become men, or do they naturally flow from one into the other?"

What mistakes are common for fathers to make when fathering boys as they transition into manhood, between 7 and 20+ years old? What do we as fathers tend to focus too much on? Too little on? And what should we focus more on instead?

What is your counsel to fathers when we blow it? How do we most effectively reconnect with sons?

Very practically, what habits can we, as fathers, build into our routines with our sons to keep the lines of communication and joy open? What common qualities do you see in good, effective fathers? What do you want to say to men who fear they do not have what it takes to raise a son? (Maybe because fathering was not modeled well for them?)

If you are a father to a boy, you will wanna hear this encouraging discussion. And be sure to go back and listen to part 1.

ABOUT David Thomas: DAVID THOMAS, L.M.S.W., (Licensed Master Social Worker) is the Director of Family Counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, TN. He is the co-author of ten books, including the best-selling "Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys" and "Are My Kids on Track? The 12 Emotional, Social & Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach" as well as his two latest titles "Raising Emotionally Strong Boys" and the companion workbook "Strong and Smart: A Boy's Guide to Building Healthy Emotions" (available for pre-order now!). He is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, including his own called Raising Boys and Girls, has been featured in publications like The Washington Post and USA Today, and speaks across the country. He and his wife, Connie, have a daughter, twin sons and a yellow lab named Owen. You can follow him on social media @raisingboysandgirls and find the latest parenting resources at raisingboysandgirls.com.

Daystar Counseling Ministries: https://www.daystarcounseling.com/

Raising Boys and Girls website: https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com/

Raising Boys and Girls podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-boys-girls/id1366344369

David Thomas has written several books on raising boys, including:

1. Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys

2. Are My Kids on Track? The 12 Emotional, Social & Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach

3. Raising Emotionally Strong Boys (available for pre-order now!)

4. Strong and Smart: A Boy's Guide to Building Healthy Emotions" (available for pre-order now!) See his bibliography on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/David-Thomas/e/B001JS98NC?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000

Every boy needs things only a father can give. So what are those things? In part 1 of this 2 part conversation, Jay talks with David Thomas, Director of Family Counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries, to help us understand the developmental stages of boys into men and what they need uniquely from their fathers.

ABOUT: DAVID THOMAS, L.M.S.W., (Licensed Master Social Worker) is the Director of Family Counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, TN. He is the co-author of ten books, He is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, including his own called Raising Boys and Girls, has been featured in publications like The Washington Post and USA Today, and speaks across the country. He and his wife, Connie, have a daughter, twin sons and a yellow lab named Owen. You can follow him on social media @raisingboysandgirls and find the latest parenting resources at raisingboysandgirls.com.

Daystar Counseling Ministries: https://www.daystarcounseling.com/ Raising Boys and Girls website: https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com/ Raising Boys and

Girls podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-boys-girls/id1366344369

David Thomas has written several books on raising boys, including:

1. Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys

2. Are My Kids on Track? The 12 Emotional, Social & Spiritual Milestones Your Child Needs to Reach

3. Raising Emotionally Strong Boys (available for pre-order now!)

4. Strong and Smart: A Boy's Guide to Building Healthy Emotions" (available for pre-order now!) See his bibliography on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/David-Thomas/e/B001JS98NC?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000