Creating Good and Godly Men with Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA - Episode 092

The Journey of a Christian Dad Podcast

Mark Hancock shares his story of how and why Trail Life got started, differences between boys and girls and what boys are looking for.

Mark has 2 Masters Degrees in the Mental Health Counseling field, had his own private practice, and was a youth and college Pastor. He's been a guest on Focus on the Family, James Dobson's Family Talk and is a speaker at conferences across the country.

He's been married over 30 years, lives in Greenville, South Carolina and has 2 sons. And he has a great sense of humor! He keeps myself and those around him laughing all the time.

His son wrote a note explaining why he left the Boy Scouts. It was 3 words. "You weren't brave."

We talked about the 3 questions that boys want answered when they are in a group: Who's in Charge? Who's with Me? What is our Mission?

Boys are wired for risk and competition. Boys learn empathy by let our sons lose. We must not shield them from the opportunity to learn from losing. Boys need to learn language so that they understand their emotions and can learn empathy.

Boys are hungry for people that pay attention to them. This generation of kids are:

• Unguided
• Ungrounded
• Unappreciated
• Uninspired

And that leads to them being "Unproductive Narcissists". Trail Life USA focuses on Character, Leadership and Adventure. It is Christ Centered and Boy Focused.

As a girl dad, this conversation helped me understand more differences between boys and girls and also helped me understand some things about how I grew up.

Men: we need to be Brave, not passive.

GOD spoke of this 6,000 years ago.

From the Book of Genesis: Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry?" Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." (NOT DOING what is right is a Sin of Omission)

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Weekly Challenge: Find something to connect with your child on this week. 6 Bonus Points if you can also find an emotion to walk through, sit with it and ask Jesus to sit in it with you.

Download Trail Life's booklet, "Raising Godly Boys" HERE

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