faith Archives

Guest Post: Help Defund Planned Parenthood By Doing This

How did Planned Parenthood become a billion-dollar-a-year non-profit?

Why did U.S. taxpayers provide $528 million in grants and reimbursements to the organization in 2014 alone?

The answer is partly because Planned Parenthood is very good at marketing its products.

For instance, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards recently posted a meme to her Facebook page touting the services the group provides. The meme enumerated the number of pap tests, breast exams and STI tests conducted by the organization.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, policy, pro-life July 30, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are You Struggling in Life?

“Leave the broken, irreversible past in God’s hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.” – Oswald Chambers

Elisa Morgan will never forget the day she heard a loud crash from somewhere in her house. The noise, she discovered, was a three-shelf hutch that had fallen from the wall, taking her late grandmother’s antique china collection with it. It all lay shattered in pieces on the floor … and there was nothing she could do to fix it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith July 27, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Focus Sends Staff to the Global Leadership Summit

For more than 10 years now, Focus on the Family has sent team members to Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit. We’ve found the benefits to be well worth the investment.

Our staffers return to the office from the conferences praising the quality of the speakers and the practicality of the timely content. As an organization, we benefit from our employees learning about the newest developments in leadership theory as well gleaning tried-and-true principles from best practices.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: events, faith July 24, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Want to Laugh?

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.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, entertainment, faith July 20, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Sharing Your Faith with Non-Believers

Is your home a lighthouse?

The purpose of a lighthouse, remember, is to shine brightly through the darkness to lead people on the open water safely to shore.

It’s no accident that sort of imagery illustrates how the Christian’s life is supposed to be. I’m sure you’ll recall Matthew 5, where Jesus says, “You are the light of the world” and then encourages us to let our “light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven.”

That means a Christian’s home ought to shine with God’s love, grace, and presence and be inviting to the neighborhood around it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith July 17, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Use Your Words Wisely

I’ll bet you remember the moment your life changed.

It may have been in childhood or even when you were an adult. But someone said something to you that was hurtful. That person may not have even meant for their words to sting, but they cut you deep, and that moment changed your entire perception of yourself from that point forward.

For me, it was ninth grade. I was in my high school’s weight room, getting ready for football season.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith July 16, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

We Don’t Need Nice Men

“We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise” – C.S. Lewis.

It’s a popular trend these days to raise boys into “nice guys.” Men are expected to be sweet and gentle – almost feminine – in the way they interact with the people around them. But I think that mentality is putting our families at risk. We don’t need more “nice” guys. We need strong men.

First of all, let me clarify.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, husband, parenting July 13, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Video: A Beautiful Rendition of Amazing Grace

Former U.S. Secretary of State and accomplished pianist Condoleezza Rice and Grammy-nominated violinist Jenny Oaks Baker recently teamed up to play a touching rendition of the favorite hymn “Amazing Grace.” I hope you enjoy.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, pop culture July 10, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Hope for Parents of Prodigals

Few things are as painful for a Christian parent as a child who turns away from his or her faith. And the deeper the pain, the deeper our need for hope.

Maybe that’s why the story of the prodigal son has remained one of the most beloved parables in Scripture for centuries.

The story doesn’t make promises or guarantees about “wayward” children, of course. But it does offer hope to parents in desperate need of it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family, pop culture July 9, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Same-Sex Couples at Family Gatherings: Would You Take Your Kids?

Long before the Supreme Court imposed same-sex marriage on the country, Christian parents had been dealing with the culture’s growing acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex relationships and the impact it has on their children.

We at Focus are hearing from more and more of them as they navigate these difficult waters with friends and relatives who are homosexual while also trying to model Christian behavior for their own children. Here’s a question typical of those we receive:

My sister-in-law is currently married to her partner.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, homosexuality, parenting July 8, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura