faith Archives

What Haunts Me this Halloween

Halloween is a volatile topic with many Christians, and for good reason. Its origins are pagan and disturbing. And yet, it seems to be growing in popularity on all fronts. From plastic front-lawn tombstones to inflatable monsters (and all the candy), Americans are expected to spend nearly $7 billion this year on the holiday.

Seven billion!

Nevertheless, when it comes to Oct. 31, as a Christian, you probably fall into one of three camps.

1. Enjoy It

You grew up trick-or-treating and wearing the Superman costume.

Topics: Current Events Tags: faith, family, humor, pop culture October 31, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How Shoeboxes Help Spread the Gospel

It’s hard to believe the holiday season is right around the corner. In an effort to combat the overly materialistic hue Christmas has taken on, some commentators will bemoan the tradition of gift-giving.

I won’t be one of them.

Don’t get me wrong – I agree that, far too often, we’ve allowed Christmas to become what it’s not. It’s obviously not about running over fallen shoppers to get the “it” toy for a son or daughter.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, kids, relationships, religious liberty October 30, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Could You Do Without This for 24 Hours?

Have you ever noticed how culture glorifies multi-tasking and busyness? Lately, it seems we’re trying to accomplish more than ever in shorter and shorter periods of time. We buy faster and more efficient technology and install apps on our phones in the hopes of getting ahead.

In fact, some will even admit to a rush that comes from simultaneously answering emails, talking on the phone and scanning Facebook.

But what happens when we do all of this from the kitchen countertop as we serve our children their morning cereal?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, pop culture, technology October 29, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

These 4 Things Will Help Keep Intimacy Alive During the Toddler Years

If you’re the parent of a toddler, you might feel like you’re too tired and busy to even think about sex with your spouse – and for good reason. Your sleep schedule is off. Work levels around the house are at an all-time high. If all that isn’t enough, there’s still a rambunctious toddler – or toddlers – that needs to be cared for, played with, loved on, and disciplined.

With all that’s going on, it might be tempting for some, especially moms, to view sex as merely another item on a never-ending to-do list.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, intimacy, sex October 23, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Post: Mom and Dad Together, as It Should Be

Today I’m sharing a piece by Alliance Defending Freedom’s senior opinion editor and writer, AWR Hawkins. As you may know, ADF is on the forefront of the effort to preserve the timeless, universal, and unique institution of marriage. In this piece, Hawkins makes the case for the lifelong union of a husband and wife.

____________

Home is a place with a function. It is the roof under which Mom and Dad, together in marriage, ground and raise a family.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, husband, parenting, wife October 22, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: A Stirring Life Lesson

We have no idea the impact our random acts of kindness might have on the people receiving the good deed – that’s the lesson found in a beautiful Thai commercial that recently took the Internet by storm.

The ad features the story of a kindly shop owner who has compassion on a young, poor boy caught shoplifting medicine for his ailing mom. The humanity that man consistently shows the downtrodden is eventually returned to him when he needs it most.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, news October 21, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Is This One of the Toughest Jobs?

Serving as a pastor is no easy task. In fact, I can’t think of many more challenging callings in life.

Consider:

A lot of people think pastors work just one day a week. The reality is quite the opposite. Most pastors are fortunate to get one day off per week. Most are on-call 24/7. When it comes to an erratic schedule, a pastor is like a firefighter or a police officer, except he has to stop at red lights, often in a very used car or truck that’s seen better days.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, pastors October 16, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: “How Great Is Our God” Around the World

God has given me the privilege of traveling the world. During my senior year of college, I studied in Tokyo. That experience gave me a glimpse of what I was to experience later during my early tenure at Focus, first as the international field director for Asia, Africa and Australia and later as the vice president of our international division.

All told, my travels have taken me to more than 70 countries. During each visit, I’ve had the honor of meeting with fellow believers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, faith, staff October 11, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Father’s Final Act of Love

Over the past few days I’ve found my thoughts turning often toward 13-year-old Gracie Johnson, the sole survivor of a freak Colorado rockslide that claimed the lives of her parents, sister, and two other relatives while hiking this past Monday in Buena Vista.

As a Colorado resident this tragedy may be hitting me especially hard, but you don’t need to be a local or even an outdoorsman to be affected by this widely circulating story. The idea of the unthinkable happening and changing our lives in a moment may be a universal fear, and one most of us would prefer not to dwell on.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, husband October 7, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Remembering Pastor Chuck Smith

By the time I accepted Christ in high school, the “hippie” movement was in full swing, as was the “Jesus movement” – a dynamic uprising of young Christians whose style and manner of worship was pretty unconventional, at least compared with that of the prior generation. Where I lived, many of these new believers were surfers and beach people. They were hungry for the Lord, but they didn’t have much interest in anything traditional – especially getting all gussied up for Sunday church in neatly pressed suits and dress clothes.

Topics: Current Events Tags: church, faith, family October 4, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura