faith Archives

Embracing Your Role as a Spouse

On our Best of 2021 list of Focus on the Family Broadcasts is “Embracing Your Role as a Spouse,” with our guest Kevin Thompson. On the program, he describes the three roles of a spouse:

As friends, spouses play and laugh together.As partners, spouses handle conflict and communicate well.As lovers, spouses put sizzle into their relationship.

Kevin is the lead pastor at Community Bible Church in western Arkansas and regularly counsels couples. He’s also a conference speaker with popular talks about the topics of marriage and parenting.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, marriage December 3, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

GUEST POST: Christmas Anticipation

We are in the Advent Season, and the word “anticipation” seems like an appropriate word to describe how I feel about the approach of Christmas. Saints of old, by faith, anticipated the coming of Christ on that first Christmas. Simeon, for example, rested on the promise God had made to him that he would not see death until he had gazed into the eyes of his savior (Luke 2:25-32).

As a child, my parents required that my older brother and I feed and water our horses before starting our celebration of Christmas.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family December 3, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

It is Time to Right an Historic and Evil Wrong

It is time.

In fact, it’s way past time.

For nearly a half-century, abortion on demand has been legal in all fifty states leading to the tragic holocaust of over 60 million innocent babies.

It is time to right an historically devastating and evil wrong and overturn the fatally flawed Roe decision from 1973.

I’m in Washington, D.C., and will be closely following today’s hearing of the Mississippi Dobbs case inside the Supreme Court. Due to the pandemic, the courtroom will be closed to spectators, but the audio of the proceedings will be available in real time.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, pop culture, pro-life December 1, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Praying Scripture Over Your Child’s Life

Author Jodie Berndt has heard from hundreds, if not thousands, of parents through the years who struggle with praying for their children, as she did:

They feel inadequate.They believe prayer to be a natural part of the parenting process, but rarely feel like their prayers “pack a punch.”Jodie even worried that her proud or anxious prayers might elbow God out of the picture.

The more familiar Jodie became with the Bible, the more Scripture reshaped her perspective and her desires – and the more her prayers lined up with God’s will

The book of James says that “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, parenting December 1, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Post Pandemic State of Marriage and the Family

Coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, you might have missed news last week of a significant study concerning the current state of the American Family.

“The Divided State of Our Unions: Family Formation in (Post) Covid America” confirms much of what we’ve been tracking here at Focus on the Family regarding the rapidly evolving dynamics surrounding attitudes toward marriage and children.

A crisis almost never leaves anyone the same, so a fair question to ask is just how has the global pandemic impacted our relationships?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage, parenting November 30, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Reigniting Your Passion for Jesus

I love meeting new believers in Christ. Their faith is so alive and vibrant that it bubbles over into every area of life. They are eager to serve and worship Him at every opportunity.

Do you remember feeling that way?

Unfortunately, many of us lose passion for our faith over time. We get busy with work, children, and household responsibilities, and the fire that once burned bright begins to fade.

If you’re wondering how to keep your passion alive – or to reignite it if it’s gone dull – tune in to our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Reigniting Your Passion for Jesus.” We’re speaking with Kim Meeder, author of the book Revival Rising: Embracing His Transforming Power.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith November 29, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Government is our Servant – Not Our God

Friday’s passage in the House of Representatives of H.R. 5376, a.k.a. the “human infrastructure bill,” represents an unprecedented grasp of government overreach that threatens to undermine the institution of the family on a number of levels.

Deceptively titled “Build Back Better,” this $2 trillion piece of legislation will actually break the backs of future generations. The only thing it builds is a deepening dependence on Uncle Sam.

The “better” way is for the United States Senate to outright reject this bill.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith November 23, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Planting the Seeds of Success in Your Kids

Parents often dream about their children becoming doctors, astronauts, or business executives. They help their children along that path by helping them develop specific talents or academic excellence.

The trouble with that approach, according to parenting expert Dr. Kevin Leman, is that it focuses on what our children will become, rather than who they’ll become.

To correct course, Dr. Leman offers parents eight strategies for raising successful kids:

Start with the end goal in mind.Expect the best, get the best.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, kids, parenting November 18, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Rescuing Your Marriage from Pornography

Pornography destroys marriages.

It breeds disconnection instead of intimacy.It deepens secrecy.It creates distrust.

The data is astonishing. Josh McDowell did a study which revealed that 79 percent of men in the evangelical church use pornography at least once a month. Fifty-five percent of marriages are negatively impacted by pornography.

Many women are in pain because of their husband’s pornography use. They feel isolated, ashamed, hopeless, and helpless. They’ve tried many things to fight for their marriage – like being more sexual with him; being more patient, forgiving, or gracious; or creating a more loving environment.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage November 16, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Praying for Yourself Is Essential

For whom do you pray? Family? Friends? Leaders? Neighbors? All of the above?

Do you pray for yourself?

Some Christians don’t. They’re consumed by the needs of others. They find it easier to seek help on behalf of someone else than to seek it for themselves. Or they believe that praying for oneself is prideful.

Author Jodie Berndt says praying for yourself is essential. For one thing, prayer connects us to the Spirit of God. As the vine feeds its branches, and the branches bear fruit, so the Lord expresses His goodness through us into the lives of other people.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, prayer November 15, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura