faith Archives

Who is the Wisest Person You’ve Ever Known?

How would you define wisdom?

Merriam-Webster defines it as “accumulated philosophic or scientific learning” or the “ability to discern inner qualities and relationships.”

Yet, for Christians, wisdom is so much more.

It was Solomon who wrote that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10).

Just last month, Focus on the Family Board Member Rev. Dr. Ken Fentress (who is also the senior minister of the Montrose Baptist Church in Rockville, Maryland) spoke to the staff about four types of wisdom the Bible teaches about, and how they translate in the workplace.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith March 30, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

In Remembrance of Good Friday

Yesterday here at Focus, we enjoyed our Maundy Thursday chapel. It was a special time for our staff to come together and reflect on our Lord’s final hours before ascending Calvary to shed His blood on our behalf.

Today, our offices are closed in honor of the holy remembrance of Good Friday.

A few of my non-Christian readers may not understand what today represents. Even some Christians may not fully appreciate the deep, meaningful symbolism ascribed to Jesus and His sacrifice.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, faith March 25, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

When Holy Week & Terrorism Collide

Mobile phone video taken in the moments immediately following the terrorist attack in Brussels shows people running in a smoky airport terminal.

Dust settles on an empty stroller.

We watch a mother hug her young son, fear and worry in her eyes.

Sadly, scenes like what I’ve described above are becoming the new normal. Since June 2014, ISIS has carried out 75 attacks in 20 countries, killing at least 1,280 innocent people. While the majority of these attacks have occurred in the Middle East, ISIS is increasingly targeting the large cities and suburban areas of Europe and North America.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, faith, news March 23, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Help a Friend in Trouble

Job’s friends have endured a lot of criticism through the centuries … and justifiably so.

I’m sure you recall that at the height of Job’s suffering they each, one by one, let loose a barrage of accusations about how Job’s pain and misfortune were all his fault.

Maybe they meant well. Maybe they thought they were offering Job solutions to the mysterious predicament overtaking him. “Who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, friendship March 23, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Talk with Your Kids about the Threat of Terrorism

We woke up this morning to horrible news out of Brussels.

Another terrorist attack.

Reports say there were shouts in Arabic before a suicide bomber killed at least 14 people at the Brussels airport. A second blast took 20 more lives during rush hour at a metro train in the capital.

And so once again, a scant four months after the terrorist attacks in Paris, we’re seeing how hatred wreaks destruction and death – and it’s all playing out on our TV and computer screens.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, family, kids, news, parenting March 22, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Remembering a Faithful Pro-Life Leader

When I spoke at the March for Life event in Washington, D.C., in January, I thanked the Catholic Church for its faithful leadership on the abortion issue. It was the Catholic community that mobilized immediately after the Roe v. Wade ruling, in part because it had been grappling with the issue of abortion long before the Supreme Court rendered its horrific ruling in 1973.

That heritage and sincere commitment to defending life was evident in Father Lawrence W.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, news, pro-life March 21, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Timeless Wisdom from Gary Smalley

As I told you recently in my blog, I was deeply saddened by the passing of my friend Dr. Gary Smalley almost two weeks ago.

Hundreds of you responded on my blogsite and through Focus’ various social media outlets with your condolences, fond memories, and thoughtful recollections about the countless ways Dr. Smalley positively influenced your marriages and your families.

The Smalley family and close friends are honoring Gary in a memorial service tomorrow in Branson, MO, at the College of the Ozarks chapel at 3PM CST.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, parenting March 18, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Two Women of the Proverbs

Proverbs 31 is the quintessential description of a wise, virtuous woman. She’s God-fearing and lives her life with purpose, diligence, and grace.

But there’s another woman in Proverbs who doesn’t get quite as much attention. She’s found in chapter seven.

In contrast to the Proverbs 31 woman, the Proverbs 7 woman is the prototypical “wild thing.” She’s rowdy and has lost her moorings, deciding she’s going to make her own decisions about how to live her life, about her sexuality, and about how to interact with men.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith March 15, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Have You Ever Thought of the Childhood of Jesus?

The Bible is silent on most of Jesus’ childhood. Except for a brief glimpse of Him at age 12, Scripture shows Jesus as a divine baby born under supernatural circumstances … and then as a man aware of His divinity carrying out a miracle-filled ministry on Earth.

But what about those years in between?

There’s a movie that debuts this weekend that explores the period of Jesus’ life where He “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, faith, pop culture, promos March 9, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

John Ortberg on How to Make Important Decisions in Life

We know which road Robert Frost took in his famous poem, “The Road Not Taken.”

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.

But the choices we face in real life don’t seem nearly so romantic or easy. In fact, important decisions are often the most anxiety- and fear-producing experiences in life.

Fortunately, we have our faith in Christ, right? Well, that ought to give us more confidence, but seeking God’s will can sometimes intensify the pressure even more.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, faith March 8, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura