Introduction: You Are a Son of the King

What makes a guy strong?

Ask around and you’ll get lots of answers. Muscles. Being fast. Winning. Being the best at a game. Never looking scared. Never crying. Being the one everybody looks up to.

Some of those things are fine. It’s great to be fast or to win a game! But the Bible has a very different idea of what real strength looks like. And it starts with a very different question: not What can you do? but Whose are you?

“And: ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’”

— 2 Corinthians 6:18 (BSB)

If you belong to Jesus, you are a son of the King. The Lord Almighty, the most powerful being in the universe, calls Himself your Father. That’s where real strength comes from.

Being a guy today isn’t always easy. There’s pressure to prove yourself. To be tough. To win. To look like you’ve got it all together. To laugh at things you know aren’t funny, and to hide what you really feel. It’s easy to measure yourself by your scores, your stats, your level in a game or how many people think you’re cool. And it’s easy to forget who you really are.

That’s why we’re going to spend 30 days remembering.

What’s in this book

• Week 1 — Who I Really Am. What God says about you, and why your worth isn’t your score.
• Week 2 — Strength Under Control. Anger, revenge, gentleness, and why real men can cry.
• Week 3 — Friends and Brothers. Friends who make you better, mentors, and respecting girls.
• Week 4 — Courage. Caleb, Jonathan, Elijah, Stephen and a boy king.
• Week 5 — Work, Honor and Faith. Working hard, keeping your word, guarding your eyes and standing firm.

At the end of each week, you’ll also meet a real man from history who trusted God in amazing ways. You can read their whole stories in the Brave for God books.

How each day works

Every day takes about five to ten minutes and has five parts:

1. The verse. A short passage from the Bible. Read it slowly.
2. The teaching. What the verse means for a guy like you.
3. Think about it. A question to think about, or talk about with your dad, a friend or a leader.
4. Try this. One small thing to do today.
5. The prayer. A prayer to pray. Add your own words too!

Tips

• Grab a notebook. Write down your answers, your prayers and anything God shows you.
• Read with someone. A dad, grandpa, uncle, older brother, coach or youth leader would be a great reading partner.
• Be real. You don’t have to act tough with God. He already knows everything.
• Missed a day? Just keep going. He isn’t keeping score.

Let’s find out what the King says about His sons.

For parents, grandparents and leaders

Sons of the King is an Ochorus devotional series for boys aged 9 to 12, written alongside our series for girls, Daughters of the King, and our co-ed series Rooted. Book 1 focuses on identity and character: worth that comes from God rather than performance, and strength that is under control. It covers anger, friendship, courage, integrity and work, through men of the Bible who trusted Him. It aims to build character and faith, and it doesn’t address adult roles. Scripture is quoted from the Berean Standard Bible. Each week ends with a short true story from our Brave for God series. Two days may deserve a conversation. Day 17 is about treating girls with respect. Day 27 is about guarding what you look at, especially on screens, and it tells boys to tell a parent if they see something online that troubles them.