pop culture Archives

Watch and Win: Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Glorious Unfolding”

As we’ve been sharing with you for the past week, our friend Steven Curtis Chapman has released a powerful new song – “Glorious Unfolding”!

If you haven’t heard it yet (or seen the accompanying video), I’d encourage you to take a moment right now to enjoy it. I believe you’ll be moved as you pause and consider the larger story God is telling through your life.

Steven based his lyrics on Jeremiah 29:11: “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to give you hope and a future.’”

At times, God’s story will lift us to glorious mountaintops.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: entertainment, events, faith, pop culture August 6, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Andy Rooney Thought Every Child Should Have

Although he struck many of us as something of a curmudgeon, I enjoyed watching and reading Andy Rooney over the years.

Mr. Rooney lived a long and colorful life before passing away at the age of 92. Many of his newspaper columns were compiled into various books. The following essay that I’m going to excerpt, “What Every Kid Should Have Growing Up,” comes from one of his best-selling works titled Sweet and Sour.

Reading over this list, I have to admit that I wish I had all these things growing up.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, family, kids, parenting, pop culture August 1, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Ten Books Every Christian Should Read

Although not everybody has the luxury of enjoying a summer vacation, the season invariably lends itself to setting aside some time to read a good book. If you’re looking to pick one up, our online resource center is packed with exciting and entertaining titles.

Whatever your taste, I think you’ll find a title to your liking.

If you’re more inclined to invest in the classics (including some modern ones), the following list should be helpful to you.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, faith, pop culture July 28, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are We Middle School Bullies on a Social Media Playground?

Is it just me, or have you noticed a real increase in downright meanness online these days?

While cruel and hateful words can rear their heads just about anywhere, unkindness is especially intense in the social media world. It seems the gloves can come off and a verbal free-for-all can explode at almost any time. Sadly, this is too often the approach of professing believers and non-believers alike. It can be sparked by even what may at first seem to be the most innocent of topics.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, friendship, pop culture, technology July 18, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Dear Kitten – Do You Have a Mentor?

I’m not sure what it is about cat videos but the Internet is full of clips about felines – cute ones, grumpy ones, you name it.

“Dear Kitten,” one of the latest to go viral, is actually a commercial for a particular brand of cat food, but the creators pack a lot of meaning into it.

Now even if you’re not a cat person, you have to admit that kittens are cute. But there’s something even more appealing about this video.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, friendship, pop culture July 17, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Homosexuality and Eating Shrimp: What Does the Bible Say?

Same-sex marriage is in the news. That’s partly the result of various national-level religious liberty debates stemming from Christian photographers, florists and bakers conscientiously declining to participate in homosexual marriage ceremonies – and the lawsuits that they’ve had to face.

With all the conversation on the topic, I’m sure this has happened to many of you: you’re online, reading articles on these stories, when you decide to read the comments section.

“Sure Leviticus says homosexuality is a sin; but it also says eating shellfish and wearing clothes made out of different types of thread are sin.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, homosexuality, pop culture, promos June 20, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Would You Choose a Pet Over a Child?

They call them “fur babies,” and many couples in the U.S. are opting for them. One headline aptly described it this way: “Americans are having dogs instead of babies.”

The United States isn’t unique in this trend. We’ve seen for a while now how birth rates worldwide are plummeting and the number of pets are increasing. Japan, a country where sales of adult diapers outnumber those of baby diapers, has a population of more than 22 million pampered pets versus only 16.6 million children under 15.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, family, kids, parenting, pop culture June 11, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The American Church Has a Choice to Make

Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, has been consistently coming out with interesting and relevant perspectives on the Christian faith, the general culture and the interaction between the two. I enjoyed sitting down with him in Nashville recently for an interview on his popular internet-based show.

In a piece published last week for Christianity Today, “4 Trends for Churches to Consider,” Stetzer builds on some of the points he presented earlier this year refuting the myth about the “dying” American Church.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, faith, pop culture, religious liberty June 9, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Congratulations to Focus Radio Theatre on Industry’s Top Win

Focus on the Family Radio Theatre’s production of the Charles Dickens classic “Oliver Twist” won the 2014 Audie Award for Best Audio Drama.

An Audie is a significant achievement for anyone involved in spoken word entertainment. The special recognition is the genre’s equivalent to the Academy Awards given out to exemplary movies and films.

So in a sense, it’s like saying Focus on the Family’s “Oliver Twist” won an Oscar. And it’s our fifth Audie Award from the Audio Publisher’s Association.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: kids, news, pop culture, promos June 2, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Post-Abortive Woman Calls Focus Broadcast “Voice of Hope” (VIDEO)

For those of us whose pro-life convictions stem from our Christian faith, the New Jersey Star-Ledger’s recent headline was disconcerting: “Why I perform abortions: A Christian obstetrician explains his choice.”

Willie J. Parker, who performs abortions up to the 24th week of pregnancy, explains his decision this way:

In listening to a sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King, I came to a deeper understanding of my spirituality, which places a higher value on compassion.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, faith, news, pop culture, pro-life May 30, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura