Daly Focus Blog
Music has the power to transport you back in time, doesn’t it?
Listen to an old song, and all the emotions come flooding back … it’s almost like you’re in your childhood home again, or studying for college finals in your dorm, or falling in love with your spouse all over again.
Fast-forward to today. I hope most of us are enjoying the great things about summer – the barbecues, road trips, and visits to the beach or mountains.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of one of C.S. Lewis’ most important books, “The Screwtape Letters.”
Have you read it?
In this classic, Lewis re-imagines Hell as a gruesome bureaucracy where a senior demon, Screwtape, corresponds with his nephew and apprentice, Wormwood. The younger spirit’s assignment is to corrupt a newly converted Christian young man living in London during the tumultuous days of World War II. Through the letters, Lewis examines Christian morality, temptation, and good and evil.
“God’s Not Dead 2,” which debuts this Friday, is the worthy sequel to 2014’s “God’s Not Dead,” one of the largest-grossing faith-based films in history.
Here’s the premise (You can read a more in-depth review of the movie on PluggedIn.com.):
High school history teacher Grace Wesley is asked a question about Jesus and His teachings by a student during class. Ms. Wesley, a devoted Christian, responds accordingly.
The fallout from Grace Wesley’s biblically-based answer is significant.
Is your family looking forward to spring break?
The Daly family is eager for a change of pace to rest and play. While we had a pretty mild winter here in Colorado, the promise of spring and its warmer weather and extended hours of sunshine is always welcomed this time of year.
If you’re a parent, though, you might be asking yourself how to help your children fill those longer days. In the Daly home, we enjoy spending time outdoors and taking in the beautiful Colorado scenery.
The Bible is silent on most of Jesus’ childhood. Except for a brief glimpse of Him at age 12, Scripture shows Jesus as a divine baby born under supernatural circumstances … and then as a man aware of His divinity carrying out a miracle-filled ministry on Earth.
But what about those years in between?
There’s a movie that debuts this weekend that explores the period of Jesus’ life where He “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
Note: Today is the 14th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks that shook our nation. May I encourage you to spend a few moments today praying for our country, our leaders, and all those who are mourning the loss of a loved one who perished that day? For more thoughts on the 9-11 anniversary today, please click here. -JD
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If you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly movie to watch this weekend, you might want to consider Hallmark’s “Truth Be Told,” the latest installment in the “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” TV movie series.
Parents of older children often get bombarded with requests to watch the latest movie popular among their friends. But for those moms and dads who are hoping to instill Christian values in their kids, these common requests pose a real dilemma: how can we equip our children to be in the world, but not part of it? How can we teach them to take in entertainment through discerning eyes and not as a “blind consumer”?
One mom found a way.
Summer is in full swing. Like many of you, my family has already enjoyed some vacation time together. It’s been wonderful to take a break from our daily responsibilities, to relax, and to connect with one another.
We’ve traveled a little, and we’ve laughed a lot. It’s been good for the soul.
In keeping with that spirit, for today’s broadcast, we thought we’d take a break from some of the serious issues we’ve talked about over the past several weeks to enjoy a little humor from our friend, comedian Ken Davis.
I want to draw your attention to an insightful post on Plugged In’s blog that explores the growing view in today’s culture that, when it comes to sex, consent is the only thing needed to make a sexual relationship appropriate: “as long as there’s consent, there need be no other questions.”
In “Miley Cyrus Has Become the Poster Child for Consent,” Focus’ own blogger and movie critic Adam Holtz examines this troubling perspective by comparing it to historic Christian teaching on sexuality:
“To deal with the consent-only sexuality worldview that Miley Cyrus represents, we must ask a couple of simple but crucially important questions: What is the purpose of sexuality?
A news summary on issues that matter.
Father “Marries” “Son” After Adoption Dissolution
In 2000, Norman MacArthur and Bill Novak, two men who identify as homosexuals, were recognized as “father” and “son” in the eyes of the law. Unable to “marry” 15 years ago, Mr. Novak “adopted” Mr. MacArthur instead. Both now in their 70s, the two men successfully dissolved the “adoption” and “married” this past Sunday. The bizarre scenario highlights the new frontier we’re faced with as same-sex marriage grows in acceptance.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
