intimacy Archives

Returning to a Godly Perspective on Sex and Romance

One of the most powerful forces God created for humanity exists in the realm of love, sex, and romance. The potential for both pleasure and blessing is virtually immeasurable. So is the potential for destruction.

As a group, Millennials and younger generations don’t tend to believe that. A significant percentage see sex as a purely physical experience. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. From an evolutionary standpoint, there isn’t anything sacred about sex. If there is no God, then sex is strictly biological.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, intimacy, relationships, sex November 7, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Men Can Escape the Trap of False Intimacy

I want to speak directly to the men today.

Some of you are probably tired of reminders about the importance of your sexual purity. But I encourage you to join me today and tomorrow for our broadcast, “Men: Maintaining Sexual Purity.” Our guest is author Fred Stoeker, the president of Living True Ministries and an expert in this area.

He speaks from personal experience and from biblical wisdom to show both younger and older men the value of honoring God with their sexuality.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, husband, intimacy, relationships February 21, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Five Ways to Improve Bedtime with Your Spouse

If you’re married, chances are you’ve encountered some challenges when it comes to sleeping together – and I don’t mean that kind of “sleeping together.” I mean getting some actual shut-eye.

Who can sleep through loud snoring, after all?

Or perhaps you’re married to someone who can’t stay still – there’s tossing, turning, and even “stealing” the blanket.

What about those couples who have mismatched sleep patterns or preferences – the night-owl who marries the early-bird?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, intimacy, marriage, wife August 17, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Improve the Intimacy in Your Marriage

A few times a year, our radio program highlights what for many can be a very sensitive topic: sexual intimacy within marriage.

I agree that it’s a conversation that should be handled with respect and a certain measure of discreteness, but it needs to take place.

Confusion about sex and sexuality is rampant in our culture, and the negative influence on the Christian community is pervasive. God’s design for sexual intimacy is too important an issue for the Church to politely ignore.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, intimacy, marriage November 16, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Sex and Love: Do Husbands Know the Difference?

Do most men know the difference between love and sex?

A lot of men assume they have that distinction pretty well settled – until they realize the lines are more blurred than they thought, and their marriage suffers because of it.

The fact is, struggles related to sex and intimacy within a marriage are one of the top reasons we’re contacted here at Focus on the Family. So it’s an important issue for us to address.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, husband, intimacy, marriage, wife June 23, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Helping Your Husband Overcome Sexual Abuse

Several weeks back I shared a few thoughts relating to a two-day broadcast we were airing. It was about the sexual abuse many women suffer in childhood, and the pain that follows them into adulthood.

But sexual abuse isn’t a trauma only girls face. It’s also common to boys as well — and it’s terrible for every victim.

Boys are told they shouldn’t cry. Men are supposed to be tough. They’re strong; they’re conquerors. But what do those messages imply to a boy when he has been overpowered and victimized?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, husband, intimacy, marriage May 19, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Help Your Wife Overcome Sexual Abuse

When Dawn left home, her sexual abuse ended, and she thought, “It’s finally over.”

But it didn’t take long for her to discover the ugly truth – the aftermath of her abuse was just getting started.

Female sexual abuse can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss. But keeping it quietly hidden in the shadows so the rest of us can breathe a little easier is precisely the kind of secrecy that keeps so many victims trapped in their pain.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, husband, intimacy, marriage, sex April 28, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why Are These Christian Women Reading Porn?

One of our nation’s leading Christian publishers conducted a survey asking respondents to name the most influential book they had read in the past year. A startling number of women – Christian women – said “Fifty Shades of Grey” was their favorite book of the year.

Why is that so noteworthy?

Because the “Fifty Shades of Grey” books are a written form of pornography, plain and simple. It’s a book series that’s become nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, having sold more than 100 million copies in just a few short years.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, entertainment, intimacy, marriage, sex February 4, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Doing This Will Help Your Marriage

My wife Jean always knows when I’ve taped a broadcast with author and speaker Dr. Gary Chapman.

It’s uncanny. I’ll walk through the door and, inspired by my time with Dr. Chapman, I’ll ask her something like, “What’s one thing I could do to help you today?” And she immediately knows who I’ve spent time with.

And that’s how God uses Dr. Chapman. He’s a relationship expert, and he helps couples create and maintain an emotionally safe environment in their marriages that is conducive to positive growth.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, husband, intimacy, marriage, wife December 29, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Christian Women and Porn

Does it surprise you that, in a recent poll, Christian women voted Fifty Shades of Grey to be their favorite book of the year?

In some ways, we shouldn’t be shocked, after all, we have an Enemy who is determined to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Because his desires are rooted in his hatred for the image of God, he attacks our most intimate and meaningful relationships with fierce intensity. After all, the union of husband and wife potentially produces more human life created in God’s image.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, entertainment, intimacy, pop culture, wives August 25, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura