Jim Daly

This is Not Why Jesus Died

The New York Times ran an interesting opinion piece this weekend: “Raising a Moral Child.” It was a good piece filled with interesting advice. The principles the author gleaned from various studies easily translated into practical action items parentscould implement in their homes:

Praise the character behind the action.
Teach children to feel guilt, not shame, when they misbehave.
Model good behavior.

And yet, something felt… incomplete. Not with the article itself, mind you – but for us as believers.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith, kids, parenting

WATCH: Elderly Couple Demonstrates Marital Joy

A couple of months ago I blogged about marriage and joy. In that post, I encouraged Christian couples to live out a marriage that exemplified the goodness of God’s design by enjoying each other and having fun together. One sentence summed up the crux of that post:

“It does the culture and the Church a world of good when Christians mix joy and pleasure into the message of commitment and sacrifice in marriage.”

Today I want to introduce you to a husband and wife who can show us all a thing or two about applying that simple truth.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: faith, husband, marriage, wife

WATCH: Help Your Family Thrive for 3 Generations

Toss a pebble into a lake, and the resulting ripple impacts the entire body. In the same way, you have the ability to positively influence your family by taking small steps that create big impact.

I know I’ve seen this principle in my own life.

My childhood story is not a pretty one. It involves divorce, death, and a lot of dysfunction.

I was only 5 when my father, who was an alcoholic, abandoned the family.

Continue ReadingTopics: Family and Home Tags: events, faith, kids, marriage, parenting

Can Our Film “Irreplaceable” Rise Above Censorship Efforts?

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.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: events, marriage, parenting, pop culture, religious liberty

Dave Ramsey Likens Focus Movie/Curriculum to “Investment in Your Family”

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.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: events, marriage, parenting

Good News: Common-Sense Abortion Industry Rules Upheld in Texas

The first time some people heard of the dangers abortion can pose for the woman was during the court trial of abortionist Kermit Gosnell last year.

Kermit Gosnell was ultimately found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 41-year-old Karnamaya Mongar, who died from complications from her abortion.

However, the sad reality is that medical complications and even death can threaten the lives of women who seek abortions – even in centers that submit to state regulations and inspections.

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

How to Respond to the Ousting of Mozilla’s CEO

This is the kind of news story that will make you shake your head at where we are as a culture.

The co-founder of Firefox maker Mozilla, Brendan Eich, is a “thoughtful, nerdy, humble guy” (according to a homosexual San Francisco-based journalist) – the type of man you would want to run a technology company. He created the JavaScript programming language and uses his smarts and influence to advance the principles of individual freedom and an open Internet.

Continue ReadingTopics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, news, religious liberty

Practical Help for the Spiritually Stuck

Do you ever feel spiritually stuck?

If so, you’re not alone. Research suggests that 80 percent of North American Christians spend three to four months of the year feeling disconnected from God. As a result, they might become frustrated with the church and they might stop growing in their faith.

If we’re being honest, we’d admit that this spiritual malaise can be an easy place to get to. We’re so easily distracted and overwhelmed by our technological gadgets and our busy lives that it’s all too easy to stop reading the Bible.

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

Day of Dialogue Helps Students Express Their Biblical Views

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.

Continue ReadingTopics: Focus Events Tags: events, faith, homosexuality, kids, religious liberty

Ghastly Revelation Gives Abortion Debate a Moment of Clarity

The news came as a shocker to many: British hospitals were incinerating the remains of aborted and miscarried babies to heat their facilities.

How can we not be aghast at this news… at this act committed against these precious little bodies?

As The Telegraph reports, England’s “Department of Health issued an instant ban on the practice which health minister Dr. Dan Poulter branded ‘totally unacceptable.’”

Indeed, it is “totally unacceptable” that parents who had just lost their child weren’t consulted on what they wanted to happen to their babies’ remains.

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