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Disney World. The Magic Kingdom. How can a four-year-old girl be a little cranky in that dream destination for kids her age? Our granddaughter had been having a great day there with her mom and her cousins while her daddy was busy in meetings. She'd done all the princess stuff she loved, she'd gotten the autographs of Disney characters that she loved, she'd gone on rides she'd been looking forward to. But for some reason, by early afternoon she was just a little out of sorts. By that time, her dad was available, and he showed up to take her on some rides. And suddenly, it was like the clouds had blown away and the sun came out. She was the bouncy, happy little girl we all know again. In retrospect, I guess it was easy to diagnose why the clouds had rolled in. She was missing her Daddy!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Substitute For a Daddy."

It's true of every one of us, even if our childhood is way behind us. There's a spot in our heart and in our life that was meant to be filled by a father. If you've been trusted by God with the awesome assignment of being a father, don't ever forget there's nothing that can take your place in the life of your son or daughter. No matter how young or how old they are.

In Ephesians 6:4, our word for today from the Word of God, He speaks directly to dads: "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." We fail our children, and we fail the God who gave them to us when we continually "exasperate" them.

We exasperate them by our absence. We're so busy they just get our leftovers while everyone else gets our best. And that's wrong priorities. We exasperate our children by our unavailability. We're around them, but we're not with them. We're all tied up with sports on TV or some website, checking something out, we're doing our "chores" or we're involved in our hobby or our work. We're there, but they can't have us - because from the way it looks to them, there's something always more important than they are.

We exasperate our children by our criticism, too. How many of us have been wounded by the feeling that we could never be good enough for our dad? If you're always harping on what they need to improve, on what's wrong with them, that child is going to have a hard time believing they have a lot of value. The praise and encouragement of a dad is one of the most powerful life-shaping forces on earth.

Our kids are also exasperated by a father's silence - he doesn't express his feelings, he doesn't show or speak his love for them. So they're never sure where they stand. And a dad can exasperate a child with just passivity - a failure to lead, to set and enforce consistent boundaries, to provide spiritual leadership for them.

Maybe you're thinking about the hole you have in your life because of what your father never was for you. I call it the daddy deficit. I've got a wonderful promise from God for you in Psalm 68:4-5. "His name is the Lord...a father to the fatherless." And Psalm 10:14 declares that "You, O God...are the helper of the fatherless." God is already your Creator. He wants to be your Father - to love you, to care for you, not like the earthly father you had, but like the father you always wished you had.

But first you've got to have the sins forgiven that stand between you and Him. God the Father sent His only Son, Jesus, to die to pay for those sins so you can belong to the ultimate Father you were made for. The day you put your total trust in Jesus to forgive your sins, you get a personal Savior and you get the Father that your heart is missing.

You ready for that? Tell Him you want to belong to Him. Tell Him today. Go to our website and find there the verses that will show you how to be sure you belong to Him. That site i

Read: 1 John 2:15-17; 4:1-6

“C’mon, guys!” Lara jumped into the pool. “Let’s make a whirlpool!”

“Ooh! Yeah!” Her brother Jerome pushed his goggles up onto his forehead.

“A world pool?” Four-year-old Emelia, the youngest of the seven siblings, hung onto the ladder and scrunched her forehead.

“A whirlpool, Lia. It’s where we go around and around until we make a current,” Lara explained. “I’ll piggyback you, okay?”

“Okay.” Emelia leapt onto Lara’s back.

They all went around and around and around, until Imogene decided she was going to go the other way.

“Aaahhh! Help!” She giggled. “I can’t…move!”

Lara turned and braced her feet, laughing. “I can’t either!”

“Look! I’m swimming in place!” Jerome paddled furiously. “I…can…almost…reach…the wall! There!”

Momma, who’d been watching from the deck, stood up. “Who wants a snack?”

“Me! Me! Me!” everyone chorused.

“All right.” Momma opened the cooler. “Come on out and have a granola bar, and then you can go back in.”

They clambered out and dangled their legs in the water while they ate.

“You know,” Momma said after a minute, “you kiddos making a whirlpool made me think about how we as Christians have to live.”

“I hope we don’t go around in circles.” Lara frowned.

“No, I was thinking more about the current you made. It was hard to go against it once you really got it going, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Imogene grinned. “I couldn’t get anywhere!”

Momma nodded. “The world around us makes a current, and it can be very hard not to go along with it. But we as Christians are called to live another way—we’re called to trust and obey Jesus and follow His way of truth and love in the Bible. If we try to live that way on our own, it’s like you trying to go against the whirlpool—you can’t get anywhere.” Momma smiled. “Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t leave us to swim against the current on our own. He supplies us with His own strength and grace. And if we’re relying on Him as we go against the world’s current, His love will become evident in us.”

–Ellie Shirk

How about you? Have you ever made a whirlpool? It’s difficult to go against a strong current in the water, and it can be even harder to go against the world’s current. But God will always give us the strength we need to stand against the world’s ways and follow Jesus instead. Trust Him to help you follow the way of Jesus in this world so others can see His truth and love in your life.

Today's Key Verse: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Follow Jesus, not the current

How do you feel when you have to make major life decisions? You don't have to make these decisions alone—God wants to give you clear direction. Dr. Stanley shares the principles necessary to making right decisions.

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Blaise Pascal famously said there’s an “infinite abyss” inside us that only an infinite God can fill. “You have made us for yourself, O Lord,” Augustine prayed, “and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” As David put it, like thirsty people in the desert, our whole being “longs” for God (Psalm 63:1).

Surprisingly, however, it isn’t only humans that experience longing. God does too. While the infinite God of the universe needs nothing outside Himself to be fulfilled, the Bible says He “longs” to have us back when we stray (James 4:4-5), and repeatedly says He wants a people to call His own (Exodus 6:7; Hebrews 8:10).

For thousands of years this longing has fueled God’s missionary endeavors: sending prophets to win back His straying people and ultimately sending His Son to find His lost sheep (Isaiah 30:18; Luke 19:10). The good news is that in the end, this longing will be fulfilled: “They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). God and human beings will dwell together (v. 2).

Humans long for God and no substitute will satisfy. God longs for humans and no substitute will do. So no wonder there’s rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7). When we run to God’s open arms, everyone is fulfilled.

It’s Witness Wednesday! Join Todd Friel on campus at Georgia Tech as he engages students in conversations about faith, where we come from, and the creation of the universe. Through several conversations, listen along as the truth of God’s word is brought to bear on the worldview of several real-life students.

Segment 1

• Todd Friel stops an architecture student and uses a building’s design to argue for a Creator.

• The student insists the universe isn’t really “organized,” pushing Todd to press the bigger question: How much evidence is enough?

• The conversation turns into a blunt reality check about what people ignore every day, even when it’s right in front of their nose.

Segment 2

• Todd talks with a biomedical engineering student who says that some “impossible” events are totally plausible.

• The student claims morality is subjective and shrugs off guilt—until Todd uses the Ten Commandments to test the “good person” claim.

• The exchange ends with the student frankly admitting he doesn’t care about judgment.

Segment 3

• Todd meets Junior from Jamaica, who calls himself a Christian… but can’t explain the gospel clearly.

• Todd walks Junior through God’s law, exposing how “good person” confidence collapses under honest self-examination.

• Junior admits he’s still “searching,” and Todd urges him not to confuse religious familiarity with true saving faith.

Segment 4

• Todd speaks with Dan, a Catholic civil engineering student, and presses the logic of salvation-by-good-works until it breaks.

• The courtroom analogy lands hard: being “sorry” or doing “extra good” doesn’t erase real guilt, or satisfy justice.

• Todd lays out the “great exchange” and calls listeners to stop striving, repent, and trust Christ alone before it’s too late.

___

Thanks for listening!

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Welcome to episode #254! ️ Pure Victory Podcast: Karissa's Story: Breaking the Silence
Porn, masturbation, and erotica are often labeled as “men’s issues”—but what happens when a woman bravely breaks the silence?

In this powerful and honest conversation, Braden and Kristen welcome Karissa, who shares her deeply personal journey of struggling with masturbation and erotica from a very young age, all while growing up in a Christian environment. What unfolds is a story of secrecy, shame, isolation—and ultimately, hope.

This episode explores how addiction thrives in silence, how shame distorts God’s voice, and why courage and confession are often the first steps toward true freedom. Whether you’re male or female, single or married, Karissa’s story offers insight, compassion, and a reminder that you are not alone.

⚠️ This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Don’t miss next week as Karissa shares the practical steps and resources that helped her walk into healing and lasting freedom.

Key Takeaways

• Porn, masturbation, and erotica are not gender-specific struggles—women often suffer in silence.
• Shame keeps people stuck by convincing them something is “wrong” with who they are, not just what they do.
• Freedom often begins before behavior changes, when secrecy is broken and the struggle is brought into the light.
• Triggers are rarely just visual—they are often connected to loneliness, stress, unmet desires, or emotional pain.
• Choosing the right safe person to share with can dismantle years of shame in a single moment of courage.

Scriptural Highlight

Bringing hidden struggles into the light doesn’t bring condemnation—it creates space for healing, community, and grace.

️ Action Items

• Reflect: Ask yourself, “Where am I staying silent out of fear or shame?”
• Identify a Safe Person: Choose one trusted, grace-filled individual you could talk to if you were ready.
• Name the Cycle: Pay attention to emotional triggers (loneliness, boredom, stress) that often come before temptation.
• Stay Curious, Not Condemning: Replace self-judgment with curiosity—“What am I really needing right now?”
• Commit to Part 2: Make a plan now to listen to next week’s episode for practical tools and next steps toward freedom.

Subscribe to the Pure Victory Podcast so you don’t miss Part 2 of Karissa’s story.
Want to help others find freedom? Visit PureVictoryPodcast.com to support the mission.

You are not alone—and freedom is possible.

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Resources

FamilyLife Canada: Porn Recovery Resources

FamilyLife Canada: Resources and events to strengthen your marriage

Online marriage resources (FamilyLife Canada)

The episode emphasizes authenticity, connections, and the importance of self-compassion in the parenting journey. Dr. Danny Huerta and Rebecca St. James explore the 'comparison trap' and how it impacts parents, with Kate Strickler, author of 'I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen.' They discuss the negative effects of constantly comparing oneself to others, the importance of contentment, and practical steps to shift mindsets towards gratitude. They also address how these issues manifest in family life and offer advice for building healthier perspectives. We also answer a listener's question about disciplining an impulsive child, providing strategies to support development of self-control.

I Just Wish I Had A Bigger Kitchen: And Other Lies I Think Will Make Me Happy

Nurturing Gratitude In Your Child's Heart

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Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "Whine Country." Enjoy!