Daly Focus Blog
One of the guiding philosophies at Focus on the Family that’s woven into the very fabric of our organization is the sanctity of human life.
In part, our statement of faith in this area reads:
“We believe that human life is created by God in His image. It is of inestimable worth and significance in all its dimensions … from the single cell stage of development to natural death.”
By and large, Christians do well in recognizing the value of the preborn.
When you think about it, instilling virtue in our children can be pretty serious business. After all, the adult world is a competitive place, and we want our kids to be prepared. And that leads some parents to bury their children under some pretty harsh standards.
At report card time, a parent wanting their child to learn responsibility may question why their nearly straight A student didn’t get that one grade just a little higher. Or maybe they snap at their teenager if he or she shows the slightest sign of irresponsibility.
Is it really possible that some nice people go to Hell?
Well, according to the Bible, the somber answer to that question is yes. But, let’s admit it, that can be a tough concept to wrap our heads and hearts around.
Speaker Jay Carty says that’s because we minimize God’s holiness and act as if He “grades on a curve.”
He describes it like this: Picture a scale of holiness numbered from one to 10. The Hitlers of the world would be at the bottom, while people like Mother Teresa might be a nine or 10.
Forgiveness may be one of the hardest things God asks us to do.
Not so sure? Well, think about Jonah.
Jonah was a prophet of God. His life was devoted to serving the Lord and following His will. But then God said, “Forgive the Ninevites.”
Now, remember who the Ninevites were. They weren’t the innocent-looking people so often portrayed in Sunday school lessons. They were cruel and wicked and enemies of God’s people. It would be the equivalent of God saying to us, “I want you to go to the Middle East to forgive ISIS.”
I’m sure you remember Jonah’s initial response.
Everyone knows that alcohol addiction can destroy a marriage. In fact, my own father could never break free from the battle with the bottle.
But it doesn’t have to be so.
Today, I want to share with you a story about an Indiana couple who reached out to us for help. Their story might be yours or someone you love and care about. If so, please share it with them.
Focus on the Family’s National Institute of Marriage can help couples get back on the path towards a healthy, stable relationship.
Today is Friday the 13th, a day some associate with bad luck. Just saying the phrase brings to mind other (imagined) connections with misfortune, like black cats, broken mirrors and an open umbrella indoors.
While as Christians we should steer clear of these “silly myths,” (1 Tim 4:7) the reality is we have a few “superstitions” we believe, too. Ours might not be rooted in magic or chance, but in a misunderstanding of what Scripture truly teaches.
Theodore Roosevelt, always quick with a succinct and witty quip, said it well.
“Comparison,” he once observed, “is the thief of joy.”
And so it is.
Kay Wyma, our broadcast guest today, shares this illustration for how easily – and early – comparing ourselves to others begins.
She took her kids and a few of their friends to a day of fun at a local water park. On the very first ride, a young boy in their group was told he wasn’t tall enough to join everyone else.
We’re inspired by love stories because of their happy endings. But, more often than not, before the “happily ever after,” fairy tale couples usually have to travel a lot of hard road.
That was certainly the case with Irene and Domingo Garcia. In fact, the beginning of their story was characterized by so much brokenness and conflict it was unlikely they could have ever had a happy ending.
Irene was 13 when she first met Domingo, a 16-year-old, street-wise tough guy who was already an alcoholic.
If a couple in your church was headed for divorce, would anyone be able to see it coming before it was too late?
Chances are less likely than you might think, according to a new study that Focus on the Family sponsored through LifeWay Research. The study found that in the three months leading up to divorce, churchgoing couples in troubled marriages show similar levels of involvement as those in healthy marriages in four areas:
Attend church once a week or more
Involvement in a small group
Serve in community ministries
Hold positions of responsibility at church
What’s even more astounding is that nearly one-third of churchgoers who divorced never told anyone in their congregation that they were experiencing marital problems.
Are the people around you struggling in some area of life? Maybe the real question is: Are you attentive enough that you would notice?
Let’s face it, we tend to have pretty shallow relationships with most of the people we cross paths with every day. We ask co-workers how they’re doing when we pass in the hall, but we expect a generic “fine, thank you,” rather than a genuine answer.
It could be that someone near us is having a rough go of it, but we’d never notice because we’re too wrapped up in our own daily routines.
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.
