faith Archives

Memories of Christmas

What’s your favorite Christmas memory?

We asked a wide variety of Focus on the Family broadcast listeners that same question, and their answers were eye-opening.

Very few of them responded with the stereotypically “perfect” Yuletide moment.

Some of the stories we heard were funny and others will bring a tear to your eye. We learned about some strange family traditions, tales of last goodbyes and lifelong prayers answered.

Their stories were a good reminder: Christmas doesn’t have to be “perfect” to be wonderful.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith December 24, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: What Should Christmas Mean to Americans in the 21st Century?

The question has been asked, “Is Christmas still relevant?” In our modern, enlightened world, with information at our fingertips and life moving forward at breakneck speed, does this holiday even have anything to offer us anymore? What does the “archaic” Christian tradition of celebrating the seemingly obscure birth of a baby born more than 2,000 years ago even mean in a modern context?

For me, it means everything.

Because I’m not as smart and self-sufficient as I’d like to think I am.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith December 23, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Duck Dynasty is Controversial? So is the Gospel.

The buzz surrounding Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson is growing after it was announced last night that he was being put on “indefinite hiatus” from his incredibly popular show on A&E.

Television executives made the move after Robertson’s quotes during an interview with GQ Magazine were recently published. [Caution: Graphic language] In the course of the wide-ranging discussion, Robertson talked about sin and homosexuality. He also paraphrased a Scripture passage from 1 Corinthians 6 and expressed in rather indelicate terms the anatomical realities of homosexuality.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, faith, pop culture, religious liberty December 19, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Singleness During the Christmas Season

Being single during the holidays is the stuff movies, blog posts and TV show plot lines are made of. While they’re usually making light of how “awkward” things are for singles during Christmas, others try to look on the bright side of things.

I’m not belittling the importance of the topic. Our own outreach for single adults, Boundless, has a plethora of resources addressing the issue – and for good reason. God created us for community and companionship.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, marriage, parenting, relationships December 17, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Reaching the World Online Through Our Digital Engagement Center

Focus on the Family’s perennial calling to help families thrive recently received a huge boost when we unveiled our “Digital Engagement Center.”

This newly constructed, state-of-the-art social media command center uses cutting-edge technology to help our family-help specialists directly reach families searching online for advice to life’s challenges. In the past, we were only able to help people who came to us for help. And while hundreds of thousands of people do come to us for help every month, we’re also very excited about being able to proactively seeking out people who may not know Focus offers this kind of support.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: faith, marriage, parenting, technology December 16, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Tickets Available for Focus on the Family Movie Event

For more than 35 years now, Focus on the Family has been sharing the wonderful truth about God’s design for family. This time, we’re doing it on the big screen.

Again and again, culture tries to deconstruct, discredit and dismiss God’s design for family. That’s why in our first feature-length film, “Irreplaceable,” host Tim Sisarich (who heads up Focus on the Family New Zealand) will go on a journey to try and figure out who has it right: God, or culture?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, entertainment, faith December 13, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Should Christians Be Better Tippers Than Non-Christians?

Waiters and tipping have been in the news a lot lately. Consider these stories:

A lesbian waitress at a New Jersey restaurant that claimed a family left a judgmental note instead of a tip (an allegation that was proved a hoax)
A St. Louis-area server who posted a receipt signed by a pastor that says, “I give God 10% why do you get 18” (the pastor later apologized and said folks at her table left cash tips)

There has to be a reason these stories go viral.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news December 11, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Click Here for the Best Programs of the Year

If you’re a regular listener to our daily radio program, you know that each December we re-air some of our most popular broadcasts of the year.

Simply put, it’s the “best of the best,” and I want to share the schedule with you below, complete with links for easy access.

Wherever you are, you can catch the broadcast on the radio, online or even via our mobile app.

If you want to find out what local stations carry the Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast, you can access it at this link.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith, marriage, parenting, relationships December 10, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Did This Painting Sell for $46 Million?

Norman Rockwell was originally paid $3,500 for the painting, a detailed illustration of an older woman and a young boy bowing their heads in prayer over a meal in the middle of a crowded restaurant. It first appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in 1951.

And just last week the 62-year-old masterpiece, “Saying Grace,” sold at auction for $46 million.

I don’t pretend to be an art connoisseur or an expert when it comes to the valuation of the art market.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news, pop culture December 9, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

5 Things Christians Can Learn from Adoption

I recently had the opportunity to write a piece for The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, a group dedicated to engaging the culture and speaking to issues in the public square.

The ERLC is led by Dr. Russell Moore, who recently guest blogged for me.

If you want to read my post, “Five Things Christians Can Learn from Adoption” – a piece that captures the lessons all of us at Focus have learned from our Wait No More program – you can do so by clicking here.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: adoption, faith, kids, parenting December 5, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura