“Inside Out” on Family Life How do you respond when coworkers tell you they’ve been hurt by Christians, or say that Christianity is offensive? Kaitlin Miller Febles talks about how believers led by the Holy Spirit can live out the most powerful response.     “I think when we first respond with just defensiveness, we can …

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Inside Out:  Managing Family Conflict During the Holidays  Ways to prepare What we can do, and what to avoid Who can offer you comfort? Do upcoming holiday gatherings already have your stomach in knots? A veteran counselor with Focus on the Family suggests thinking ahead of time about how both historic family dynamics and differing …

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We develop our way of looking at the world—our worldview—before we turn 13. Remarkably, new research finds that fewer than one in ten parents think through how to guide their children spiritually during those critical years.   Dr. George Barna directs the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University and includes these findings in his …

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“Inside Out” on Family Life : What can the Church do to reach the “Nones” and the “Dones”? Some churchgoers are walking away. Others you might expect to come aren’t entering. Author and speaker Michelle Van Loon talks about the “Dones” and the “Nones,” and how to we can “spur one another on to good …

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If our understanding of who God is and how He works in the world doesn’t have a foundation in the Bible, it’s possible that we hold “sketchy views.” A great many things work to pull us away from Jesus Christ. That’s not news. “The Scripture teaches us that the world, the flesh, and the devil are …

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When a friend is suffering, we want to help, but so many of us just don’t know how, or feel inadequate for the task.  Vaneetha Rendall Risner is familiar with suffering. She also knows how it can draw us to God. Her first suggestion for those of us who don’t know how to support a …

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Parents can be tempted to make the children the family’s highest priority. But giving our children the best of our time and attention is not actually what’s best for them, according to Dr. Greg Smalley.   Smalley is an author and speaker who serves as vice president of Marriage at Focus on the Family. He …

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Bridging divides — and loving as Jesus loved — amid this era of conflict, in the church and in the culture: “Strive actively for peace” Conflict over presidential politics and pandemic precautions revealed the substantial divisions between Christians that we live with today. “The divisions that we’re seeing in the American church—the conversations—are not different …

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Inside Out: The Search for a Church that Feels Like Home We’re called to be part of a church, but looking for one is difficult. Writer and speaker Michelle Morin talks about why it’s hard, what to keep in mind, and why it matters that we’re part of one.  Searching for a congregation is difficult …

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“Teaching the Names of Jesus” It’s helpful to use simple terms when we teach children about God. It also can be clarifying for adults, says pastor and author Jimmy Dodd.   “It’s really important to be able to just explain theology on a really, really basic level,” he says.   Jimmy Dodd and Sally Dodd …

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