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Boys Will Be Boys

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What Boys Need

Peter Westerman October 13, 2020

Boys have some very urgent and obvious needs as they grow toward manhood. These needs can be met by Christian men in the home and the church. God’s objective for every boy (and every Christian) is expressed in Ephesians 4:13: “…become mature, attaining to the whole measured of the fullness of Christ.” What do boys need so that they may achieve this goal?

Boys Need the Lord

Boys need to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Each person must decide to accept the gift of salvation from the Lord Jesus (John 3:3, 16; Acts 4:12, 16:31; Romans 3:22-24,6:23, 5:1, 8:1).

By far the greatest number of Christians accept salvation through Christ in their childhood or early teen years. God has used the examples of Christian men to draw many boys and young men to him (2 Timothy 2:2).

Every boy finds some way to put his fantastic energy to work. Boys are activists at heart— they long to serve a cause. They want to accomplish things that count in areas they enjoy. God intends for this force to be directed toward Christian living, as we see in Philippians 1:21, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Without the Lord, boys have no valid direction for their lives.

Boys Need the Word

Growth in Christ must follow a boy’s decision to accept Christ as Savior. Boys can’t do this on their own. They don’t know how. As an adult Christian and Brigade leader, you are in a strategic position to help them.

Show them how to read and understand the Bible and how to apply what they read in everyday life (1 Peter 2:2; Psalm 119:9-11). As they sense the meaning of God’s Word, the Spirit will lead boys in prayer, witnessing, and service. They need help in making these discoveries. That’s a part of your job as their Brigade leader. CSB materials are designed to help you do this.

Boys Need the Church

Boys need other believers for fellowship and encouragement they provide (Hebrews 10:24- 25; Galatians 6:1-5; Ephesians 5:17-21; Colossians 3:16). No one can be a dynamic Christian without the help of other believers. It is in the assembly of believers that boys meet more Christian men and other boys.

The Scriptures clearly teach that each believer has a specific ministry to other members of the body of Christ, the church. Boys need to be a part of the church to grasp the opportunities and fulfill the responsibilities God has given them as a part of the local assembly.

Christian men must set an example of active participation and involvement with other believers in their church to demonstrate to boys the beauty and necessity of uniting with other Christians. Moreover, boys need the guidance and help of Christian men as they develop their leadership potential.

Boys Need Men

Young boys particularly are attracted to men who take a genuine interest in them. If their fathers and/or the male believers they know lack the qualities of true Christian manliness — or if these men simply fail to make themselves available — boys will follow the trends of secular society, as interpreted by their peers.

The world offers many male images that appeal to a boy’s sense of adventure and significance. But a Christian man will influence boys for eternity if he is willing to share himself, his life and activities, his fun, and his Savior.

The Bible is clear on this point — fathers are charged with the God-given responsibility of the Christian nurture of their children (see Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:21; 1 Timothy 5:8).

The friendship of a man means a lot to a boy. Paul’s close relationship with Timothy (see 1 Timothy 1:2) and Barnabas’ discipling ministry with John Mark are vivid demonstrations of what happens when a man befriends and disciples a young man.