Daly Focus Blog
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.
In a light-hearted article, the Wall St. Journal recently declared Colorado Springs, Colo., where Focus is headquartered, the top place in the U.S. to find love.
Seriously.
Here at Focus, we think that’s great. In fact, we’re even holding a gathering event that might help cement that title: this Aug. 7-9 Focus on the Family’s Boundless ministry is hosting Pursuit 2014, a special weekend for single 18-39 year olds.
If you’re not familiar with Boundless, here’s a quick overview.
Tomorrow Focus on the Family’s first movie, “Irreplaceable,” will debut in more than 700 cinemas across the country. Seats are filling up fast (with some theaters already sold out) – despite attempts to censor our documentary.
Just in time for tomorrow’s premiere, we’ve released a powerful new trailer for the film. Check it out below:
As you can see, “Irreplaceable” is far from just your average documentary. Yes, you will leave the theater empowered and equipped better to defend your Bible-based views.
It’s a minute-long video that shares a reality some would want to deny.
In a clip from “Irreplaceable,” Focus on the Family’s first movie debuting in a one-night event on May 6, host Tim Sisarich talks with Dr. Anne Moir, a neuropsychologist.
And yet, there are some professionals who claim that “saying there are differences in male and female brains is just not true.” These voices believe the differences between men and women are learned and shaped through culture.
It started in December, when Focus on the Family first began running “Irreplaceable” trailers in cinemas across the nation.
The trailer was benign, a collection of clips with a voiceover of host Tim Sisarich asking what happened to the belief in traditional family. What happened to the view that a man and woman should marry, raise children and remain committed for a lifetime?
During the trailer, Sisarich rightly points out that the culture is now seemingly at odds with that simple and natural design formula.
It’s hard to believe we’re less than a month away from debuting Focus on the Family’s first-ever movie. We’re working hard to be ready for the big one-day event that will take place on May 6 in more than 700 cinemas nationwide – we’re making final edits to the film and spreading the word via media interviews (like this one I gave to Janet Parshall at the 25-minute mark).
As we prepare to launch “Irreplaceable” we’re also looking ahead to “The Family Project” – the small-group DVD-based curriculum to be launched this summer that will continue to explore the themes introduced in our documentary.
About 90 percent of today’s school-age children attend public schools – and they’re discussing a lot more than reading, writing and arithmetic in their classes.
Conversations on controversial topics like homosexuality, transgenderism and same-sex marriage now form a surprising part of a teen’s school life. Part of it can’t be avoided – these topics dominate the national conversation as courts hear case after case devoted to homosexual rights and same-sex marriage.
However, it’s also becoming apparent that an increasing number of schools are actively promoting views that are contrary to biblical teaching.
Focus on the Family’s first feature-length film, “Irreplaceable” will debut in a one-night theatrical event in more than 700 cinemas nationwide on May 6. I want to share a clip from the movie that really sets up what the documentary is all about.
This clip features author and cultural commentator Eric Metaxas talking about two different views of family – and his words drive deep into the heart of the question, “What is family?”
As “Irreplaceable” host Tim Sisarich explains during the trailer, “Every day in the media, the life choices of my neighbors, even in public policy, I seem to be told that I’ve got it wrong.”
More and more, it seems like vastly different views of family are coming head-to-head in the culture.
Here’s a heartwarming story as we close in on the end of the week: there’s a Colorado young woman who’s taking care of preemies and their families in a most thoughtful way.
Student Suzy Luff is 20 years old, and she’s been handknitting hats for these tiny babies in area hospitals for six years now. Her effort started small – just Luff and her loom. However, it’s since grown into a nonprofit organization called Hats 4 Hope that trains hundreds of volunteers through knitting parties.
Just two weeks ago I found myself in Nashville, TN attending the National Religious Broadcaster’s Convention. It’s always a good time to reconnect with some old friends and meet new ones as we strategize ways to more effectively and efficiently spread the Good News of the Gospel.
But while I was holed up in meetings at the Opryland Hotel, a team from Focus was across town at the Fellowship Bible Church hosting our latest Wait No More conference.
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.
