In part one of our Parenting Pathway series Mentoring and Modeling Approach to Parenting, Family Ministries Pastor Dave Carl and church member Brad Buhl talk about modeling manhood for our boys.
There are few events in the modern boy’s life where he can point to a line and say, “Today I am a man!” Culturally we don’t typically celebrate the passing of boyhood into manhood. Because of that, we see grown men walking through life wondering, “Is this it? This is what manhood looks like?” These men struggle to find their role as leaders of their home, nurturing and caring for those around them, and growing in their walk with Christ. But in a world where the definition of “manhood” is unclear, we can follow Christ’s lead and model for our boys what it means to be godly men.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.Psalm 139:23-24
With relationship as the key word, Dave and Brad discuss the emotional needs of boys and men, the need for mentors, and how to bring men who are like you into your boys’ lives.
Additional Resources:
- Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father’s Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood, by Robert Lewis
- Wild Things: The art of Nurturing Boys, by Stephen James and David Thomas
- Passport to Purity: from Focus on the Family, by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
- Passport to Identity: from Focus on the Family, by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
