Daly Focus Blog
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s tragic death and multiple days of rioting and looting across America, I could think of no better person to join us on the Focus on the Family Broadcast today than my friend Senator Tim Scott (R-SC).
I’ve long felt a special connection with South Carolina’s junior senator, but not only because he is a fellow believer in Christ. We have something else in common. Growing up poor in the Palmetto State, Tim Scott never had a father in his life.
The terrible circumstances of George Floyd’s death last week in Minneapolis while in police custody, along with the accompanying multi-city protests and riots of the last few days and nights, leaves many more questions than answers.
Progress in the area of race relations all too often seems painfully slow.
How can we move forward – boldly, swiftly and thoughtfully, helping the disenfranchised remain both hopeful and encouraged?
We look at the headlines and the images on television and the internet and have to think, surely there is a better way.
There is news out of Chicago that Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker will be imposing fines on three churches for meeting for worship services this past weekend.
According to the statewide stay-at-home order, churches are considered “nonessential.”
I understand that believers can worship everywhere, anywhere and at any time – but why are churches considered “nonessential” but liquor stores and pot shops deemed essential?
Illinois isn’t the first state to be so heavy handed and employ a double standard when dealing with people of faith.
As all but a handful of states begin the long and careful process of reopening their economies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, strong opinions abound on both sides of the aisle.
Prudence dictated widespread closures early in the crisis, especially given the horrific death toll projections. But as the economy has cratered resulting in over 36 million people out of work, a rising suicide rate and the deaths of people who are forgoing healthcare out of fear of leaving their homes, it makes good sense to find our way forward in a responsible and measured manner.
Are you a member of a small church congregation?
Every house of worship is feeling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, of course, but the extended closure and quarantine has put many smaller churches on the brink of closing their doors for good.
I spoke with my friend Benjamin Watson a few weeks ago about his efforts to help raise funds for these congregations. The former NFL star has a real heart for helping those on the margins.
This COVID-19 Church Relief Fund is being administered by the National Christian Foundation (NCF), a trusted organization that Focus on the Family has collaborated with for decades. Through this campaign, 100% of proceeds will go to churches that are the most at risk. NCF is distributing $3,000 grants to churches as funds are available.
There’s a lot that we don’t yet know about the chilling and tragic story surrounding the violent death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery of Brunswick, Georgia.
But here’s what we do know.
On February 23rd Ahmaud Arbery was killed in broad daylight while running on a suburban street following an altercation with Gregory and Travis McMichael.
According to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the McMichaels – who are father and son – “confronted Arbery with two firearms.
Today is
the National Day of Prayer.
If you’re not familiar
with it, this annual observance is held on the first Thursday of May and invites
people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint
resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry
S. Truman.
In honor
of today, I hope you’ll tune in for a special edition of our Focus on the Family Broadcast we’re calling “Prayers and Stories of Hope for America.”
We’re airing
your stories of hope, your tales of God’s faithfulness during this time of
crisis, and your prayers for our nation in the days ahead.
Six months
ago, none of us has could have imagined what American families would be going
through right now because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Thousands
continue to get sick and die. Millions are out of work, and our nation is still
only in the very beginning stages of re-opening. There’s plenty to fear.
Or is
there?
What do
passages like Philippians
4:6-7 mean? It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known
to God.
On today’s Focus on the Family Broadcast, I have the pleasure of talking with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar.
It might surprise you that with a budget of $1.4 trillion dollars, the HHS is the largest cabinet department on earth. If it were a country, it would be only behind the United States, China, Japan, Germany and France.
Given the programs and responsibilities entrusted to Secretary Azar, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Food and Drug Administration, the department’s work is vital – and especially in the age of the coronavirus global pandemic.
News broke over the weekend of a drive-by shooting at the West Monroe, Louisiana, property of Willie Robertson, the star of the “Duck Dynasty” franchise.
According to police reports, 8 shots were fired from a car outside the fence that surrounds the home. One of the bullets broke through the window of a house owned by son John Luke Robertson, who is married to Mary Kate and has an infant child.
Thankfully, nobody was injured, but the incident understandably rattled the family.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
