Uncategorized Archives

Navigating Faith Deconstruction with Your Loved Ones

How do you help a loved one who is “deconstructing”?

Authors Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett, who have researched the deconstruction movement and engaged in conversations with friends and family about it, describe deconstruction as “a postmodern process of rethinking your faith without regarding Scripture as a standard.”

The Bible itself encourages us to evaluate our understanding of truth (Acts 17:11). However, Alisa and Tim argue that “faith deconstruction” is quite different. In the mind of deconstructionists, Christianity is toxic and abusive in claiming the authority of Scripture.

Topics: Uncategorized Tags: faith, family April 9, 2025 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Inviting Your Children into the Easter Story

When Easter comes around every year, many people think of chocolate, decorative eggs and rabbits carrying baskets. As Christians, we know there’s a lot more to the story. Jesus’ triumphal parade. His last supper with His disciples. His brutal death on the cross. His bodily resurrection.

The events surrounding the Easter story can evoke a complicated mix of emotions – sadness and joy, anger and gratitude, fear and trust, mature themes that can be challenging for adults to process.

Topics: Uncategorized April 4, 2025 by Katie Anderson

Loved, Not Fooled

April Fool’s Day is about catching people off-guard with surprises they never see coming. Like the prank pulled on residents of Sitka, Alaska on April 1, 1974. People woke up that morning to black smoke rising from the crater of Mt. Edgecumbe, a volcano just a few miles away that hadn’t erupted in nearly 800 years.

That morning, 911 was flooded with so many calls that the Coast Guard sent a helicopter to investigate. The source of the trouble, it turns out, was not lava or hot ash.

Topics: Uncategorized Tags: faith, family March 31, 2025 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Cherishing Your Spouse Every Day

Author Gary Thomas thought he had a good marriage. Then God reminded him of the pledge he made to his wife at their wedding: “I promise to love and cherish you until death do us part.” Thirty-six years later, Gary realized that he hadn’t thought of the word “cherish” in terms of his marriage since the day he spoke the vows.

Determined to change course, Gary set out to understand what it really meant to cherish his wife.

Topics: Uncategorized March 24, 2025 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Leading the Charge as a Woman

God calls many women to positions of leadership and influence. That’s a gift to any community because women are often more collaborative, participative and inclusive than their male counterparts.

If God has led you into leadership, I encourage you to listen to my conversation with author Deborah Pegues on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. Deborah spent many years leading in the corporate world. She’s a CPA, a certified behavioral consultant, a Bible teacher, and an international speaker.

Topics: Uncategorized March 7, 2025 by Katie Anderson

Two Prongs of Marriage

Some people believe the definition of marriage should be anything we want it to be. No exclusions. No boundaries.

The problem with that idea is the fabric of reality itself. Marriage was created to function within a particular design because it’s powerful – so powerful that we need guardrails to channel its influence.

To understand what I mean, consider the design of electrical cords on most of the lamps, TVs, and small appliances in your home.

Topics: Uncategorized Tags: family, marriage March 3, 2025 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Fast Track to Unhappiness

Jack Canfield, the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, says comparing yourself to other people is a “fast track to unhappiness.” Comparison distorts our vision. One moment, we see all that we have – the next, we see all that we wish we had.

When our focus is directed outward, we think everybody else has more money, better homes, and nicer cars. We think they’re smarter, more talented, and better looking – or they have happier marriages and better-adjusted children.

Topics: Uncategorized February 26, 2025 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Iced Tea and Marriage

When Jean and I were dating, I made a big mistake. I served her tea.

That may not sound like such a big deal to you, but I was wooing this girl. I wanted to marry her. On this particular occasion, however, everything nearly fell apart. I went all out. I packed a full picnic lunch, complete with a basket full of food, a blanket to sit on, and iced tea. I thought everything was perfect.

And it would have been, except she doesn’t like iced tea.

Topics: Uncategorized Tags: marriage February 19, 2025 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Rules of the Road

When my boys learned how to drive, I don’t mind saying I was nervous about it. I knew they’d do fine, but my wife, Jean and I talked through our expectations before we ever handed over a set of keys. From one parent to another, here are a few things that might make sense to you, too.

Teens usually think their driver’s license is all the permission they need to hit the road. But driving ought to be a privilege they earn instead of an absolute right.

Topics: Uncategorized Tags: kids, parenting February 14, 2025 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Get off the Roller Coaster

Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned roller coaster?

Richard Rodriguez probably. He holds the world record for riding a roller coaster for an astonishing 112 days. Everybody who’s attempted that record will tell you it’s an achievement of endurance, not enjoyment. A roller coaster’s wild dips and corkscrews – designed to create excitement – all lose their thrill when you’re subjected to them over and over and over again.

An endless roller coaster ride isn’t much fun when it’s a marriage, either.

Topics: Uncategorized Tags: faith, family January 31, 2025 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura