Sons Who Lead Their Sons

Earlier today, I was in Austin giving a talk titled Raising a Man You’ll Be Proud Of. The room was full, and the men were engaged. I saw them paying attention, some nodding in agreement. The mothers in the room were doing the same, with a few even wiping away tears.

After the talk, I stayed to answer questions. A mother, probably in her thirties, waited her turn. As she stepped up to speak, she asked me something that stopped me in my tracks:

“Do you know of any good podcasts for boys who want to be men?”

Her son is eleven, a boy who loves podcasts and listens to them constantly. And here she was, a mother — searching for a voice that could speak to the masculine heart of her boy.

I offered what I could. I encouraged her, reminding her that God’s grace is sufficient. I told her about joining Trail Life, about speaking life into her son and her husband. I did what I could in the moment.

But as I walked away, her question kept echoing in my mind. It stuck with me in a way I couldn’t shake.

Because here’s the truth: the soil of an eleven-year-old boy’s heart is some of the most fertile ground on earth. It will grow something — good or bad — depending on what seeds are planted. Yet, far too often, culture is the one planting weeds while fathers stand by in silence.

Where are the men? Where are the fathers who are walking in their sonship and leading their sons?

We need men who will break generational curses. Men who will spend real, intentional time with their sons. Men who will stop outsourcing masculinity to coaches, podcasts, and YouTube. We need men who will take responsibility for the little hearts watching them, learning from them, imitating them.

We don’t need more noise. We need more fathers.

Men, it starts with you. Lead yourself first, then lead your son. Don’t wait for someone else to step in. Don’t tell yourself “he’ll figure it out on his own.” You are the model. You are the one he’s watching.

And if you don’t feel ready yet, if you don’t feel whole yet? Start your journey back to the Father — because only then will you be able to lead your son back to Him too.

A boy who watches his father walk as a son of the Father will grow into a man you’ll be proud of.

Looking back on my own journey: I realize how much I failed in this area with my first son. I relied on hope, thinking things would work out on their own. Thankfully, God was faithful. But there was so much more I should have done.

I don’t want you to feel judged by this. I want you to feel challenged and empowered. You don’t have to have all the answers right now. You don’t have to fix everything overnight. But you can take one step today. You can begin again.

The Father delights in sons who get back up, no matter how many times they fall. And your son is waiting for you to show him how. There is still time. There is still hope. There is still grace.

So, stand up. Lead your son home. My hope is that all my sons will see a dad who gets up, brushes off the dust, and tries again — knowing that ultimately, I’m not their Father, just a fellow son walking with them.

I want them to see me own my failures and keep moving forward. I want them to learn what it means to depend on grace while walking with grit. I want them to understand that even dads are sons, leaning on the same Father who holds them all.

And I hope they grow up not just imitating me, but following the One I follow.

It’s never too late to be a son. And it’s never too late to lead yours. Dive into the walk to the Father: start here:👉 Download the devotional