Jim Daly

Freedom of Houston Pastors Still at Risk

Last week’s bombshell out of Houston that its mayor, Annise Parker, had subpoenaed the sermons from area pastors is still causing ripples both inside and outside the faith community.

On Friday, city attorneys revised their demands. Instead of requesting the pastor’s sermons, they’re now demanding “all speeches or presentations” related to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. The controversial law, also known as the “Bathroom Bill” allows men who consider themselves women to use the women’s restroom.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: church, policy, religious liberty

Helping Overly-Connected Kids Live in the Real World

Our children live in a screen-driven world.

In some ways, it’s been this way for a long time. Since the 1950s, television and children have gone together like cereal and milk.

Who doesn’t remember Saturday morning cartoons?

The advent of video games and the proliferation of smart phones and tablets in the past decade have only served to add to a child’s “screen time.” Walk through a mall or an airport and you’ll see that many children seem perpetually “connected” to an electronic device.

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

Focus Powers New Resource for Pastors

October is Clergy Appreciation Month, so it’s a timely moment to let you know about Focus’ latest efforts to help pastors. We’re working with the North American Mission Board to power the organization’s care line for pastors.

I’ll let Michael Lewis, the group’s executive director of Pastoral Care and Development, tell you more:

At the North American Mission Board (NAMB) we are keenly aware of the daily pressures that come with serving as a pastor.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: church, pastors

Pastors’ Sermons Subpoenaed in Houston

The city of Houston has subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors.

Yes, you read that correctly.

It’s a chilling turn of events for those of us who practice our faith and value the self-evident right to religious freedom recognized by the First Amendment.

The reason why this subpoena is being made is especially ominous: It targets high-profile pastors who opposed the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), which, among other things, gives people who identify as transgender the right to file a discrimination complaint if they’re barred from accessing a restroom.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: news, pastors, policy, religious liberty

Firsthand Account of Christians Fleeing from ISIS

We’ve all heard the horrible stories of persecution in the Middle East at the hands of ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). The radical militant group is targeting people of various faiths and ethnic backgrounds with violence, including area Christians, forcing these people to flee their homes to save their lives.

Thanks to the generosity of many Focus friends, Sami Yacoub, the regional director of Focus on the Family Middle East, and his team have been helping the refugees.

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

The Six Ways to Boost Happiness in Your Marriage

A lifelong marriage goes through many seasons.

The romantic honeymoon phase kicks off the journey, but soon enough, the couple often enters into the hectic young-children-and-little-sleep stage. Before they know it, those toddlers are teens … and then the high schoolers go off to college.

Pretty soon, that once fresh-faced husband and wife are coming home to an empty nest.

With all of these changes and challenges how can we keep our marriages healthy and happy?

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

Fresh Truths to Encourage Parents

Psalm 127 provides invaluable insight into God’s heart for families. They are familiar verses most Christian parents have heard or read countless times:

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to those he loves.

3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, parenting

Adrian Peterson: A Good Parent?

Adrian Peterson was back in court yesterday, but the USA Today headline from last week jumped out at me:

“Associates of Adrian Peterson only see evidence of ‘a good parent’”

The embattled former Minnesota Vikings star running back was indefinitely suspended last month after charges of child abuse against him were made public. He’s admitted to disciplining his son with a switch, although he suggests he never intended to harm the boy.

The pictures of the bruises suggests a much different and sordid story.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: news, parenting, pop culture

How Should We Respond to the Ebola Outbreak?

Are you worried about the Ebola virus? Daily headlines about the disease are generating more than a little fear and anxiety in our culture. When Ebola was confined to the other side of the world it didn’t seem like a pressing problem to many people in the U.S., but after an infected man brought the disease from Liberia to Texas in late September, a lot more Americans began paying close attention. Today news outlets are reporting the sad news that the infected man, Thomas Eric Duncan, has died.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: news

The Hardest Peace

I can’t remember the sound of my mom’s voice.

That’s because she died of cancer when I was just 9 years old. It was a blow, of course, the security of my entire world shattered in an instant. The tragedy was made even worse because nobody told me my mom was so ill.

How do you explain to a young child that his mother is dying of cancer?

It’s not easy to explain death and terminal illness to a young boy or girl.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith, family, kids