Jim Daly

Can You Focus Too Much on Your Marriage and Family?

“Marriage is important, but it’s not the most important thing.”

That comment may seem a bit off-the-wall coming from a guest on the Focus on the Family broadcast. But then, Francis Chan often has a unique way of looking at God and His people.

Francis and his wife, Lisa, join us for today and tomorrow’s program, “Living Your Marriage in View of Eternity.” They’ll offer some challenging insights about living the Christian life, about consistency in our faith, and about being adventurous, not just in our walk with God, but in our walk with our mate, as well.

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

How to Understand Your Personality Type

Imagine if you put lions, otters, beavers, and a few golden retrievers all in the same room. What do you think would happen?

Talk about crazy. It’d be like Wild Kingdom in there.

There’s no surprise why. They’re nothing alike. They each approach the world through their own unique perspective and don’t see eye-to-eye on much of anything.

By this point, if you’re not familiar with the concept or the terminology, I should tell you that the scenario I just described isn’t an actual zoo (although it can sure feel like one some days).

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

Does American Christianity Have a Future?

On today’s program I ask Dr. Ed Stetzer, the executive director of LifeWay Research, a very straight-forward question: Is Christianity in America dying?

Based on some of the headlines in the media, you might believe that it’s on the brink of extinction.

Most of the news reports in recent months were based on a study by the Pew Research Center, which asserted that American Christianity is in decline. Not surprisingly, the secular media latched on to the story and offered dozens of interpretations and theories about Pew’s findings – most of them negative.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, church

Are Household Chores Getting You Down?

I recall an informal poll I saw once that showed how many people thought the saying “cleanliness is next to godliness” was in the Bible. I don’t remember the exact percentage, but it was the vast majority, something like 80 percent.

For the record, it’s not in Scripture. But the fact that so many people think it is reveals a deeper issue, I think.

There are a lot of expectations placed on Christian women today to keep a household running smoothly.

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

How to Respond When Your Child Notices Magazine Covers at the Supermarket

The “sex sells” mantra is obvious at the grocery checkout line where magazine covers featuring sexually provocative images are displayed eye-level to impressionable children.

What’s a parent to do?

That was the dilemma Joann Condie recently faced. A registered nurse and licensed professional counselor with Focus on the Family’s counseling department, Joann was at the supermarket with her elementary school-aged grandson and his friend. As the cashier rang up their groceries, Joann noticed the boys looking at the scantily clad brunette on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: parenting, pop culture

Guest Blog: Why Homeschooling Was a Great Option For My Family

I have, in my house, a rising Tiger. Our second born, Seth, begins his college career at Clemson this fall. He has always been, and remains, an amazing young man.

He is filled with both passion and compassion, he loves learning, reads voraciously, is strong as a bear and is an outstanding musician. He makes our parental hearts swell with love and pride. Oh, and for the record, he looks like me and is thus incredibly handsome.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting

How to Prepare for Middle School

If you’re the parent of a middle schooler, I have a suggestion for you: buckle up.

This may be the most tumultuous time in childhood.

It’s like a prism that focuses a remarkable amount of life change into a short time span. Our two boys are smack in the center of their middle school years, so we’re witnessing it firsthand.

The physical, mental, and hormonal changes alone are intense. But many kids also face the added stress of leaving behind elementary school and entering a larger environment with more classes, new friends to meet, and more responsibility to bear.

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

Confessions of an Idolater

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Maybe you notice a wrinkle you’re convinced wasn’t there yesterday, or you wonder if you’ve put on a few extra pounds since the last time you really looked.

Or … maybe you don’t see any of those things.

Somehow we learn how to look at our reflections without seeing the things we don’t like about ourselves, don’t we?

But our selective blindness doesn’t end there.

We often don’t pause and examine our lives long enough to see our own negative behavior.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith

Are Pro-Lifers the Abolitionists of Today?

Although Monday’s vote in the United States Senate to defund Planned Parenthood fell seven votes short of the necessary 60 to move forward with cloture, pro-life leaders are vowing the fight has only just begun.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Although tremendously disappointing, Monday’s vote marked the first time since the partial-birth abortion debates of the late 1990s and early 2000s that we’ve had an open debate on the Senate floor about what happens during abortion.

I want to applaud strong pro-life women like Iowa’s Sen.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: faith, policy, pro-life

UPDATE: Focus on the Family Builds Houses for Families of the Egyptian Martyrs

I wanted to give you an update on the houses Focus on the Family has been building for the families of the 20 Egyptian martyrs killed earlier this year by ISIS terrorists.

As you’ll remember, these men, all in their twenties, had been in Libya in search of work. They were attempting to provide for their impoverished families living in Egypt when they were taken hostage and beheaded because of their Christian faith. Immediately following the tragedy, Sami Yacoub, the regional director for Focus on the Family’s Middle East outreach based in Egypt, reached out to their grieving family members.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: church, faith, news, pro-life, religious liberty