A young boy was playing with his pet goldfish, when he accidentally killed it.

Scared he would get in trouble, the boy, named David, lied about what happened to his fish.

Immediately, he felt guilty. He confessed the lie to his mom as tears streamed down his face. His mom said, “David, Jesus loves you no matter what you have done.”

That little boy was David Frey, who grew up to be the lead singer of the Christian band Sidewalk Prophets. He wrote a song about that experience, called “You Love Me Anyway.”

As parents of sons, let’s follow the example of David’s mom. Our son is going to make mistakes. When he does, let’s remind him first and foremost that there’s nothing he can do to cancel out Jesus’ all-consuming, unconditional love.

To learn about raising boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Did you listen to your parents, or did you listen to your friends?

Friendships can define a boy’s life.  More than that, friendships in a group can provide identity.  There is a reason sports teammates will fight viciously for one another on the field.  It’s also why gangs are so prevalent– it gives boys a sense of belonging, and can drive them to do things they know are wrong.

How can you help your son choose?  It doesn’t have to be left to chance.

You can give him godly friends who will inspire him as they help each other along the way.  And who knows?  Perhaps your son is the one the others will listen to and learn from.

For more information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Show. Don’t just tell.

In Philippians 3:10, Paul says, “I want to know Christ.” He isn’t talking about head knowledge. In both the Greek and Hebrew languages, the word knowledge is experience based. Paul was saying that he longs to experience God in all of His glory.

That should be our heart’s cry as Christian parents. We can take our son to church and tell him about the importance of a relationship with Jesus. But the best way to teach our boys is to show them.

Let your son see you meeting with God, reading your Bible, praying, and sharing Christ with others. Let Christ transform your life. Your son will notice– and no doubt begin to desire to experience Jesus for himself.

To learn about a proven process for raising boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Theodore Roosevelt famously said,

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

But how? How do we as parents give our sons the chance for glorious triumphs?

Break free of the tyranny of screens!  Go outdoors, and teach your son to test his mettle against a lofty mountain peak, a wicked fastball, or paddling a canoe down a winding river in the early morning mist.

Rescue him from the gray twilight, and teach him to truly live!

For more information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Your son craves four things.

First, he craves belonging– to “fit in.” Second, he wants a sense of competence. He needs to feel “good enough.” Third– boys need to know their worth. And the fourth thing that boys crave is a sense of autonomy. They want freedom and independence.

The next time your son is upset or angry, it may be a good idea to go through this list in your head. Which craving is your son lacking?

Then, once it’s identified, help your son find age-appropriate, healthy, ways to fulfill that desire. For instance, if he’s not feeling a sense of belonging at school, maybe he could find another group of peers to meet with. This could be a youth group, or an outdoor adventure group like Trail Life USA.

For more ideas to raise boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

How can you train your son into good character, character that will last, character that will see him become a man of responsibility and action?

The allures of society can drown your son in ease of life, pleasure, and infinite time-wasting.  Many young men simply fail to do anything with their lives.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Irving Stone wrote of Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy, “...his own integrity… forced him to do his best, even when he would have preferred to do nothing at all.”

There is a way to instill character in your son: give him godly mentors, a high target to aim for, and set challenges for him that will awaken the fire within his soul.

For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

It was just three simple words.

Evangelical Louis Palau was fighting terminal lung cancer. During that time, someone asked him, “After you pass away, if you could send a message down from heaven to all believers, what do you think you would say?”

Palau thought for a moment, then responded with three simple words: “Go for it.”

That kind of God-rooted courage is one of the most important traits to instill in our son.
When he’s little, this looks like letting him climb and explore in age-appropriate ways. When he’s older, this means stepping back to allow him to attempt things and fail big.

And when our son expresses a dream to us, let us be the first one to echo Palau’s encouraging words– “Go for it.”

For more ideas to raise boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

What is your son afraid of?

In today’s world, there is a lot to fear.  School, friends, teachers, and classes are just a few.  Social media and today’s culture pile on enough to scare most adults, let alone children.

But the bible says, “God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Anchor your son in the word of God.  Lead your children to godliness by example.  Give them righteous mentors that will train them in the way they should go, and help them find friends to support, inspire, and uplift them.

Raising a child in today’s world can be scary, but God is with you!

For more information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

“Raising boys is an extreme sport. That’s why I wear workout clothes every day.”

That’s a lighthearted quote from the blog Simply Well Balanced, but it sure has a lot of truth in it! Raising a son is a good way to rack up the steps on your fitness watch. But let me affirm you— if you’re letting your boy be wild– you’re probably doing it right.

Let him run around like crazy outside. Show him how to make mud pies. Watch him do tricks on his bicycle. Go fishing together, and let him hold the fish while you snap a picture.

Sure, it can be exhausting. But if your son ends the day making muddy footprints across your floor– I bet he’ll also have a smile on his face.

For more ideas on raising boys to be godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

In today's directionless culture, how can a boy know which way to go?

As a boy, Luke climbed a 13,000-foot peak.  It was terrifying and exhilarating!   

Just below the summit, the path went through a channel cut into the rock by ferocious winds.  Protecting him from being swept off the rock face were steel cables mounted deep into the rock, secured there by the forest service. 

Confident of the steel cables' protection and seeing the summit, heI forged ahead and reached the top, a memory he'll never forget.

Give your son guidelines, steel cables set in rock, to protect him from being swept away, let him see the reward ahead of him, and there is no mountain he cannot climb.

For information about raising your son into a godly man, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.