Family and Home Archives

5 Things to Look for in a Pastor

October is Clergy Appreciation Month, a time when Christians are encouraged to express gratitude to their pastors, ministers and leaders.

But the subject gives rise to a question:

What makes a pastor a leader you can trust and follow and ultimately appreciate, not just every October but the other eleven months of the year?

I’m sure we all have our “non-negotiable” characteristics. I’ve come up with a list of five things (based on Scriptures found in Titus and 1 Timothy 3) that I think Christians may want to look for in a pastor.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, pastors October 8, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Father’s Final Act of Love

Over the past few days I’ve found my thoughts turning often toward 13-year-old Gracie Johnson, the sole survivor of a freak Colorado rockslide that claimed the lives of her parents, sister, and two other relatives while hiking this past Monday in Buena Vista.

As a Colorado resident this tragedy may be hitting me especially hard, but you don’t need to be a local or even an outdoorsman to be affected by this widely circulating story. The idea of the unthinkable happening and changing our lives in a moment may be a universal fear, and one most of us would prefer not to dwell on.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, husband October 7, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

“Focus Findings” is Where Research Meets Common Sense

We’ve probably all been there – we’re scanning a news article online or watching a story on a magazine news show and we see something that just stops us cold. It’s a declaration presented in fact, and even backed up by “research” that you know is at odds with what Scripture teaches.

“Christian marriages end in divorce at the same rates as all other marriages, so what does it matter if you don’t marry a believer?”
“Marriage is an outdated institution that demeans women.”
“Everyone knows kids do just as well when they’re raised by same-sex parents as by their biological parents.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, family, kids, pop culture October 3, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How “Grace Unplugged” Director Brad Silverman Engages the Culture

One of my passions is to encourage believers to engage the culture with a Christ-like spirit. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, you can bless the people around you when you’re open to letting God use you in your sphere of influence.

Brad Silverman is one of those Christians who “gets” that. He’s a writer and director of movies. Some may consider Silverman to be something of an anomaly in Hollywood, but he is faithful to that calling.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, entertainment, pastors October 1, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are American Christians Ignoring the Mayhem of the Middle East?

Our 24/7 news cycle is consumed these days with American politicians sparring over the debt ceiling and the implementation of President Obama’s controversial healthcare plan, both important debates to be sure. Meanwhile, the tragic fact that followers of Jesus Christ are being targeted and slaughtered across the globe is given scant attention.

We learned recently of the horrific attack against a Pakistani church by Muslim extremists that killed 85. In Kenya, the jihadists that attacked an upscale mall in Nairobi reportedly killed hostages that couldn’t recite the Koran.

Topics: Current Events/ Family and Home Tags: church, faith, religious liberty September 30, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Fetal Pain Opens Eyes to Preborn Humanity

Recently, a colleague shared an encouraging article with me from Utah’s Deseret News. Titled, “Small survivors: How the disputed science of fetal pain is reshaping abortion law,” the piece does an excellent job of highlighting the humanity of preborn babies.

The article tells the story of twin toddlers, Caleb and Julian, who had been born at 26 weeks and 5 days gestation. Their birth age is noticeably earlier than the 28 weeks milestone the Supreme Court had originally set as the point of “viability” back in 1972.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, pro-life September 26, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

5 Ways to Sabotage Your Marriage Before It Starts

Most people don’t get married planning to divorce, but the research suggests so much of what they do before they wed sadly leads them to that place.

Part of the reason might be that, as a culture, we’re often more enamored with the wedding than the actual marriage. A colleague of mine once worked in a church office. He regularly encountered heartbroken brides-to-be who made the mistake of booking the reception hall before the sanctuary, only to discover the church was already taken.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, intimacy, marriage, sex, wife September 25, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

One Reason Acts of Kindness Go Viral

Even the casual observer will acknowledge there’s an overabundance of sarcasm and biting attitudes throughout the culture today. Horrifying violence and evil are regularly depicted on the news and throughout social media. And in case you haven’t noticed, a growing number of people are cynical of societal institutions.

Then, in the midst of all that, there are the acts of kindness. A glimmer of hope and light, these stories oftentimes spread like wildfire via social media.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, events, news September 24, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Unique Way to Encourage Your Children

If you listened to today’s broadcast on the importance of parents encouraging their kids, you may have heard me mention that I keep journals for my boys, Trent and Troy. Since it’s a bit of a passing comment within the broadcast, I want to expand on that remark here in my blog and share with you what my journaling looks like and what motivated me to start.

As you may know, my own father wasn’t around for much of my childhood.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, kids, parenting September 23, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

We get their calls and emails all the time: people who are going through the unthinkable and reach out to us hoping for hope. It’s never easy to understand why these men and women – often through no fault of their own – are hurting so badly.

And, indeed, it’s an age-old question: Why do bad things happen to good people?

A brokenhearted wife who just learned her husband cheated on her.

A family that lost their home in this tough economy.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, events, faith, friendship September 20, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura