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With remarkable literary skill, the author of Esther recorded God’s work on behalf of His people without once mentioning God’s name. As we begin our journey through Esther, we sharpen our theological lens to see God’s invisible hand moving people and events.

From the Series: Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity

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Jim Daly speaks with author and ministry leader Denise Shick about how parents and church leaders can guide young people through today’s confusing conversations about gender and identity. Drawing from her deeply personal story—including the impact of her father’s gender transition during her childhood and her own season of gender confusion—Denise shares how cultural influences, social media, and shifting societal norms are shaping the next generation. With compassion and biblical clarity, she shares powerful redemption stories and offers practical encouragement for parents who want to talk honestly with their children about God’s design for male and female, while pointing young people toward the lasting hope, identity, and healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Get a copy of Denise Shick's book, Grace & Truth: Navigating Faith-Based LGBT Conversations With Youth, for a gift of any amount.

This booklet describes scenarios where you and your family might encounter transgender issues – at school, in private spaces and in your family – and gives guidance for responding with wisdom and grace. The free PDF also helps you understand transgender terminology and ideology and their effects on the culture.

Focus on the Family's staff of licensed, professional counselors can help you bring healing and restoration to your family with Christian perspectives you can trust.

Buy your copy of Jim Daly’s book, ReFOCUS! He shares how believers can engage others in the culture with the love of Christ and reveal the heart of God.

Laura Perry Smalts shares her story of childhood pain and trauma that led her to identify as a man for seven years. She'll unpack the spiritual transformation she experienced because her parents and the love of many other Christians that convinced her to place her faith in Christ.

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Erin and Greg share their thoughts on the value of women and we hear excerpts from author and former CEO of Mothers Of Preschoolers (MOPS), Elisa Morgan. She shared how women should find their beauty by looking through God's eyes. We'll also talk about the upcoming Mother's Day podcast series from Focus On The Family called Legacy of Love.

Hello, Beauty Full

Listen to the Legacy of Love podcast series celebrating Mother's Day

Dealing With Inlaws

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If you enjoyed listening to the Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage podcast with Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley, please give us your feedback.

Nantucket - a romantic island off the coast of Massachusetts. Waterbrook - a humble cabin in the woods in the mountains north of New York City. Long Beach Island - a little house by the Jersey shore. See, those are places where my wife has been her most beautiful. That's not because she had new makeup on, or was all dressed up, or did her hair differently. Those are just some places where we've gone to be alone, and where I finally slowed down and noticed her again. She was beautiful all the time, but I didn't notice it all the time, because I saw her best when we were alone. If you're in a lonely time right now, let's talk.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Seen In Your Desert."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Genesis 16:7. It tells the story of a young woman named Hagar. Maybe you remember that Abraham and Sarah got impatient for God to send the son that He had promised, and Sarah was getting older and older. The baby didn't come, so Sarah, going along with the customs of that day, suggested that Abraham sleep with Hagar, her maidservant, and then Hagar would be the surrogate mother through whom a child would come. They couldn't wait for God to do it His way, so they had to figure out a way they were going to do it. It's not how God wanted it done, and after Hagar gets pregnant, Sarah gets a little jealous. And Hagar gets a little caustic about it.

Now we find her out in the desert all alone because guess what? She's been driven there by her mistress, Sarah. Here she is used, rejected, deserted, she's pregnant, she's alone in the desert, she's the picture of abandonment; all alone, or so she thinks.

Genesis 16, verse 7: "The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert. The angel of the Lord said to her, 'You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.'" He goes on to describe some of what to expect from this son, and then she gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her. "'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.' That's why the well is called Beer Lahai Roi." Which, by the way, means "the well of the Living One who sees me."

It's interesting the name of God here, "I have seen the One who sees me." Maybe right now you're in the desert; it's a very lonely desert. God sees you in your loneliness, and He has heard your tears. We keep hearing our desire to be seen...Oh, here is the God who sees you. The broken relationship, the lost loved one, the years of living alone, the collapse of your family; God sees you. Do you see Him? She said, "I have now seen the One who has been seeing me." When no one sees, when no one knows, when no one understands, Ishmael. You know what that name means? God hears.

And guess where we tend to see God best? Yeah, in the deserts of our lives. Not until we are stripped of all the other supports in our life, that's when Hagar finally saw the God who had been seeing her all along. That's when we see Him. That's when you dig deep into His resources; you see what He can do. You feel His love, and you let His love be enough. Paul said, "When everybody had abandoned him" (2 Timothy 4:17), "the Lord stood by my side."

I told you when I noticed my wife's beauty and wisdom the most - when there was no one else around. Well, it's the same in a relationship with the Lord Jesus. When it's just the two of you, maybe like it is right now, you can see Him as you've never seen Him before.

Read: Ephesians 5:1-4

Brooke’s bag bounced against her back as she raced across the field. Her sister April stood on the sidewalk just outside the middle school.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Brooke squeezed her big sister. “How long will you be home before you have to go back to college?”

“Two weeks.” April smiled and tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder.

Kids poured out of the school and whizzed by. One of Brooke’s friends waved as she zipped past. “See you on Monday, Brooke.”

“Bye,” Brooke called after her. Her cell phone vibrated against her leg, and she pulled it out.

You HAVE to text me after you see this. It was a message from her friend Mindy.

Brooke touched the screen and music blared from her phone.

“What are you watching?” April asked. She peered over Brooke’s shoulder at the screen.

An unflattering photo of the principal’s head was attached to the body of an ape. It danced around for a couple seconds, and then everything faded to black.

April frowned as Brooke slid the phone into her pocket. “I hope you don’t watch videos like that all the time.”

Brooke shrugged. “I’ve asked Mindy to stop sending them, but she doesn’t listen.”

“Well, it’s not your fault if she tries to get you to watch things that you shouldn’t. But you do have a choice. You can choose not to view the things she sends.”

Brooke nodded. Her sister was right. The videos Mindy sent her didn’t even make her laugh. They made her feel terrible.

April rested a hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “You know how Mom’s always talking about how we need to love others the way Jesus loves us and treat people the way He would? Well, that includes people online and on our phones too. We need to treat them with love and respect because Jesus loves them and died for them.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Brooke said.

“Why don’t you get out your phone so we can take some selfies?” April gave her cheesiest grin and made bunny ears behind Brooke’s head as Brooke took a picture. “Then maybe you can show me the most recent pics of you and your friends.”

Brooke nodded, then held up her phone for another selfie and smiled.

–Annika Klanderud

How about you? Have you ever watched something online that you knew you shouldn’t have? Sometimes it may feel like the things we do online are pretend and don’t really matter, but they can hurt both you and others. Show others God’s love by treating them with respect both online and in person, and use technology to enhance your relationships with others instead of hurting them.

Today's Key Verse: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Use technology in good ways

 “God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

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Barnabas stood up for the newly converted Paul when no one else would, modelling a grace that gives people a second chance. Is there someone in your life who needs you to stand up for them today?

Acts 9:26 – “When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.”

In 1859, the largest solar storm in recorded history took place. Known as the Carrington Event, it produced a massive geomagnetic disturbance blamed for disrupting the telegraph system. The website Space.com says, “It’s been conjectured that a storm on the scale of the Carrington event, if it happened today, could cause an internet apocalypse.”

The ominous word apocalypse intrigues us. It’s the Greek title of the book of Revelation (apokalupsis). But the word doesn’t only mean a catastrophe or the end of the world. As the title Revelation implies, it also refers to an unveiling, a revealing.

The book opens, “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1). Revelation reveals Jesus as the Lamb of God, a term John uses more than twenty-five times in Revelation to describe Him. The book also reveals Christ as one whose “eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters” (vv. 14-15). When John first saw the Lamb of God, he “fell at his feet as though dead” (v. 17). But this Lamb touched him and said, “Do not be afraid. . . . I am alive for ever and ever!” (v. 18).

Rather than fearing any apocalypse, we can embrace Revelation for showing us the glorified, resurrected Christ. He’s the one we worship.

With trademark humor and warmth, British evangelist J.John and his wife Killy share candid stories about the ups and downs of 42 years of marriage and global ministry. From a seasoned perspective, they offer practical, biblical advice for “maintaining” your relationship. The pair discuss how “The Four R’s” – respect, responsibility, romance, and resolve can shape a marriage to go the distance.

Marriage Works

J.John Collection

Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage Podcast

Adventures in Odyssey: Journey in the Impossible

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The post Hon. EC Manning – Faith Once Delivered: Part 5 appeared first on MGO Radio/Canada's National Bible Hour.