Jim Daly

Tips to Build Your Child’s Faith Foundation

What do you do in the car with your kids? What about at breakfast or at the dinner table? How about in the backyard when you’re throwing the ball with your boys or playing “chase” with your daughters?

Scripture provides a great idea in Deuteronomy 6:6-7:

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (ESV).

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, parenting

Understanding Teen Depression and Suicide

Focus on the Family is airing an important two-day broadcast titled “Understanding Teen Depression.”

Depression and suicide rates among kids are staggering. Everyone should be concerned. Right here in Colorado Springs, we’ve had an escalation of teen suicide clusters that is breathtaking, with two schools not far from our campus having a total of 12 suicides in the last three years.

That sort of pain is not unique to our community. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than 3 million adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 report at least one major depressive episode in the past year, and more than 2 million report severe depression has impeded their daily functioning.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, news, parenting

Help Your Children Build a Strong Faith

Yesterday I shared with you why it’s more important than ever for public school students to participate in this year’s “Bring Your Bible to School Day,” the Focus on the Family-sponsored and student-led free speech event.

#BringYourBible has grown exponentially since we originally launched it in 2014: The first year, 8,000 students participated. The second year, 155,000. Last year, over 355,000. This year, we’re hoping 500,000 students will bring their Bible to school and will share and read Scripture with their friends during appropriate times, like before and after school, during recess or lunch, etc.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, events, faith, parenting, religious liberty

First Grade Student Told Not to Talk About God

It’s been four years since Focus on the Family launched the student-led “Bring Your Bible to School Day,” which has a combined participation of half-a-million students.

You’d think with all the news coverage the event has received, and with all the students who have led events at their schools, that parents, teachers and administrators around the nation would be better attuned to students’ First Amendment rights.

Sadly, that’s still not the case.

For example, just last month it was reported that an Indiana first-grade teacher instructed students to not talk about God or Jesus.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: events, kids, news, religious liberty

How to Stay in Love after 25 Years of Marriage

When it comes to marriage, Bob Kraning and his wife, Carol, have got the experience that counts. In May, they celebrated 60 years as husband and wife.

Whenever I hear about a couple like that, I can’t help but wonder, “What’s their secret?”

Bob provides some of the answers in a recorded message called “Twenty-Five Years and Still in Love.” Their “secrets” are actually timeless truths available to all of us. That’s why this program has been a blessing to countless marriages for the nearly 30 years we’ve been airing it.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage

Watch Chris Tomlin Share What #MullyMovie Meant to Him

A few weeks ago I announced a project all of us here at Focus on the Family are very excited about: we’re helping spread the word about a beautiful and life-changing movie, “MULLY.”

The film tells the story of Charles Mully, who has rescued more than 12,000 children and teens who were living on the streets of his native Kenya.

Mully was moved to compassion by his own experience of being abandoned by his family at age 6 – and his desire to obey God’s prompting in his heart to help children society had discarded.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: entertainment, events, pro-life, promos

Reasons to Save Your Marriage After an Affair

The problem with life moving so fast is you never see the cracks starting to form.

That’s what Bob and Audrey discovered. They met in Bible college. They were passionate about their faith and each other and wanted to change the world together. They got married, and within a few years had three kids, were active in a national ministry, and began pastoring a thriving church. They attended marriage conferences and read books together. They were highly visible and well-known in their community.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage

Human Gene Editing: Three Threats You Should Know

On the surface, news that scientists are learning how to tweak the genetic code of organism cells – potentially “editing out” deadly illnesses and diseases – seems positive. Indeed, there is a lot of potential good that can be derived from technologies like these, which is why Focus on the Family supports its use in basic research as well as in treatment of diseases in adults and children.

But, as with most things, there are also potential dangers we have to be aware of.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: news, pro-life

Benjamin Watson Shares What Dads Should Expect When Their Wives Are Expecting

When my first child Trent was born 17 years ago I knew two things right away:

I loved him desperately.
I didn’t know how to be a dad.

I doubt I was much different than most guys. There’s a lot about fathering that men have to learn as they go. But every new dad and soon-to-be new dad could benefit from a playbook. We’ve got just the thing for you on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Helping Men Prepare for Fatherhood.”

We’re talking to Benjamin Watson about his book “The New Dad’s Playbook: Gearing Up for the Biggest Game of Your Life.” If you and your wife are expecting, you’re going to want to hear this program.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, parenting

He Experienced God’s Grace As the Towers Were Falling

Where were you on 9/11?

If you’re old enough to remember that Tuesday, I’m sure that question instantly brings an answer to your mind.

It was early in the morning here in Colorado when the news broke. I had been having devotions and turned on the television just before the second plane hit the World Trade Center. Like everybody else, I spent the rest of the day glued to the television, watching one of the most epic and tragic moments in American history unfold.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, faith, news