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When our youngest son was just learning to walk and talk, my wife always knew when I walked in the door from work. She said she would just hear this loud, one-syllable announcement from our son, "DA!" No, not "Daddy"…not "Da-Da," just "DA"! And that's how he would greet me as I walked in. My wife said he actually would go to the door late in the afternoon and begin looking for me. And when I finally arrived—say it with me now—"DA!"

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Looking For Daddy.”

My son went to the door looking for his father, and he found one. Tragically, a lot of people have gone looking for a father in their life and there was no one there.

In fact, maybe for you the word "father" is a hurting word. In one way or another, your father wasn't there for you—physically, financially, emotionally, or supportively. You went to the door, but there was no one there. That leaves an emotional deficit. It makes you feel incomplete, cheated, unexplainably lonely, trying to compensate for the lack of a father's love in countless ways…some that leave you even more scarred. I call it a Daddy deficit.

In our word for today from the Word of God there is hope for someone who has never had the father they needed. Galatians 4:4-6, God's Word, "When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." God is showing us here this incredible possibility of actually belonging to our Creator in a deeply personal way—as a child in His family, with God Himself as your Father. Not like your earthly father. No, God is like the father we always wished we had, not the father we had.

And God goes on to say here, "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.’" Now, in the Greek language this part of the Bible was written in, that "Abba" is a deeply affectionate word for Father; it’s like "Daddy" or "DA!" See, God literally offers you, not a religion, not a rulebook, but a love-relationship with Him—the Creator God—as your Daddy.

Even if you've had a wonderful earth-father, there's still that sense of incompleteness, that sense of someone's missing. That's because someone is. See, there's a hole in your heart that can only be filled by this One who wants to be your Heavenly Father. He's always fair, always loving, always understanding what you're feeling, always dependable, always stronger than anything you're facing—always there for you.

We're missing our ultimate Father, not because He's left us, but because we left Him. The Bible says, "Each of us has turned to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6). We’re separated from God by all the sins of our life--every time we've done it our way instead of His way. That's why, in the Scripture we read, "God sent His Son... to redeem" us. I’ll tell you this; God removed all doubt about whether or not He really loves you when He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to pay your death penalty for your sin on His cross.

I don't know how you picture God, whether He's waving a condemning finger at you, or His arms are folded, staring at you, or He's just too busy for you. That might have been your earthly father. It's not the Heavenly Father. His arms are wide open. He’s so waiting for you to come to Him.

The Father you've wanted your whole life becomes your Father when you put your trust in His Son, Jesus, to forgive all your sin. The Bible says, “To all those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God.” When you open up to God's Son, He makes you a daughter or a son of God.

If you’ve never begun a relationship with Him, I would encourage you today to let your heavenly Daddy come into your life and love you as you were always meant to be loved, wit

Join us as we wing our way down under to catch up with Scottish apologist, David Robertson. We will discuss Australia’s gender laws and the confusion it’s causing. We will find out who Tommy Robinson is and talk about what Ireland did during this year’s Eurovision song contest. Great ready because this hour is designed to get you thinking critically and biblically.

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Dr. Corey Miller, President and CEO of Ratio Christi, will join us to compare the teachings of the Bible to the beliefs of Mormonism. As a seventh generation Mormon, he will explain what drew him to the Jesus of the Scriptures and why he left the LDS church. Join us for this timely conversation.

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Spiritual bondage can take many forms, but no situation is beyond God’s power. Dr. Tony Evans explains how Christ demonstrated His authority over demonic forces and what that means for believers today.

Listening to Biblical Truth is not the finish line—it’s the starting point. In this convicting message from James 1, Dr. Michael Youssef makes it clear: genuine faith is proven by obedience. God’s Word must be received with humility, planted deep by the Holy Spirit, and lived out in daily life.

Dr. Youssef exposes the danger of shallow Christianity—religious activity without repentance, performance without transformation. The Word of God is a mirror: it exposes sin, confronts excuses, and demands change. Anything less than obedience is not spiritual maturity—it is self-deception.

This episode calls believers to:

Scripture Focus: James 1:19–27

 If today’s teaching stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone. 

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Sometimes, a simple phone call becomes more than a request for help. It becomes a picture of the body of Christ at work.

A few months ago, a listener named Renee from North Carolina called the show during a difficult season. As a widow raising her special-needs grandchildren on a fixed income, she was carrying a heavy burden. Medical bills were mounting, daily expenses were rising, and her grandchildren's needs were increasing.

Renee later described that season as a time when she felt she was “running out of options.” There was only so much money available, and the girls were beginning to need more care and intervention than she could provide on her own.

“It was disconcerting,” she said. “Things were falling apart.”

But that phone call did not end with her struggle. It became the beginning of something deeply encouraging.

After Renee shared her story on the program, another listener, Dwayne, heard her need and felt led to help.

Renee had never met him. She did not know his name at the time. But within a couple of days, she received word that someone wanted to step in and assist.

Her first response was disbelief.

“I’m still trying to process it,” she said. “There certainly had to be more people deserving than me.”

But as the situation unfolded, Renee began to see the Lord’s hand in it.

“This had to have come from God,” she said. “You don’t turn God down.”

FaithFi works with Helping Hands in situations like this to ensure needs are carefully reviewed and assistance is handled wisely. Helping Hands walks through a process that includes reviewing documents and bills, conducting interviews, and confirming the specific needs.

In Renee’s case, the ministry met with her several times, verified the situation, and then paid the bills directly.

That support helped provide relief in several areas. Renee received assistance with her mortgage, groceries, and gas. She had recently started going to a food bank, but her grandchildren’s doctor appointments often prevented her from getting there. As food and gas prices continued to rise, even practical help with daily expenses made a significant difference.

“It was just mind-boggling,” Renee said.

While the financial assistance was meaningful, Renee also wanted listeners to know that their prayers were felt.

“To the listeners, first, you can feel the prayers that go out,” she said. “It’s palpable.”

She described a series of events that followed, moments where she knew people were actively praying for her and her grandchildren. That spiritual support helped lift the burden she had been carrying.

“I’m able to smile and give genuine hugs and devote my brain to my girls,” she said. “That is God’s gift.”

When Renee finally learned Dwayne’s name, she said she could now add him to her prayers.

“To Dwayne, I am forever in your debt,” she said. “Your heart is huge. I don’t know your situation, but God bless you. Truly, God bless you, because you made a world of difference for my girls and me.”

Her gratitude was not only for the financial support but for the reminder that she had not been forgotten. God had used the generosity of one listener, the prayers of many, and the careful work of a ministry partner to bring help at just the right time.

Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

That is what we see in Renee’s story. One member of the body of Christ carried a heavy load. Another member saw the need and responded. Others prayed. A ministry came along

Perfection can be a terrible leadership strategy for a home. In this honest men's panel, three dads open up about their biggest parenting regrets—from working too much to not being spiritually present—and the turning point when they stopped pretending to have it all together. They share powerful stories about balancing work and family, the importance of spiritual leadership through weakness, and how admitting struggles has deepened their family relationships. Dave Wilson leads a transparent conversation full of laughs, regrets, and practical encouragement for men.

Show Notes and Resources

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