“Every young man needs a comprehensive view of life that begins with this fundamental proposition: True satisfaction in life is directly proportionate to one’s obedience to God. In this context, moral boundaries take on a whole new perspective: They become benefits, not burdens.”

“Our children hunger to know that they are loved unconditionally, through failure and success, no matter what they say or do. And, while few would ever admit it, they are dying to experience the security and comfort that come with appropriate boundaries.”

“When we model qualities of our Father in heaven by allowing the love of Jesus Christ to flow through us and into our children, we’re succeeding as parents. We do not propose a complicated, deeply theological set of practices to make this happen. Our advice is simple and summarized by three ‘T’s: time, touch, and talk.”

“We need to let our children know they can come to us at any time about anything. After the first few times that they come to us and hear us assume responsibility and apologize for our actions against them, they’ll know they can trust us with their emotions.”

“There is a cause and effect between encouragement and confidence. Kids who hear well‐timed and well‐placed affirmation from their parents are more easily convinced of the truth the Bible says about their intrinsic worth.”

“Good fathers exhort and encourage and implore their sons; great fathers drive home these messages with their own spiritual, moral, and social integrity … In a thousand different ways, a son absorbs his father’s values by witnessing actions, behaviors, and attitudes. The real legacy we leave in our sons’ lives is what we have lived out before them.”

“As you parent you must never back off from giving affection. When your sons and daughters are teenagers, it may feel awkward—but don’t stop. They still need your loving touch.”

“You might have heard the old adage: it’s not quantity time that matters; it’s quality time. But really, that’s a partial truth. It is quality time that matters, but quality time can only happen when plenty of quantity time is available.”

“We have yet to meet a child (or an adult, for that matter) who feels deeply loved when he is given only occasional bursts of ‘quality time.’”

“I cannot stress enough how important it is for you as a parent to both recognize and honor who your child is and what gifts and abilities he or she possesses. Don’t overlook or play down talents that seem odd or undesirable to you. Play up your child’s gifts!”

“If we view fatherhood as a series of problems and solutions, we miss the first and most important principle: successful parenthood depends on who you are more than on the techniques you know.”

“The tragedy is that so many men have left [discipline] to their children’s mothers. Not only is this unfair to the mother, but it robs the child of the security and self‐esteem which come from being disciplined by the father.”

“Typically what passes for masculine training in most homes is vague and hit‐or‐miss. We assume sons will somehow ‘get it.’ But most don’t.”

“Biblical manhood was never intended to be burdensome. Instead, real manhood was designed by God to be liberating and a means of great reward.”

“I believe the greatest relational longing that a man has is the need for a heart connection with his father. When that connection is gone—whether it has been severed or was never established—it launches him into a passionate search for the love, approval, and affirmation of a dad.”

“If you are serious about moving your son to manhood, begin asking the Lord to lead you to a small community of men. Seek out a group of fathers with sons who will band together with you in the adventure.”

“Life is more than a job. Sons need to hear this from a dad. They need to see this in his life. Nothing satisfies the human heart as fully as service for the kingdom—in one’s area of giftedness.”

“We often view spiritual training as an event. God expands it to include a lifestyle! The father who has committed himself to these ideals and has placed them upon his own heart is continually looking for opportunities to teach them to his son.”

“Settle upon a manhood definition that you and your son can pursue together. You cannot call your son to a vision you cannot define. And remember, the deeper your commitment to personally pursue this vision yourself is, the better for your son. It must be real to you in order to be real to him.”