Programs And Podcasts

You followed God. Took the risk. Then you’re discussing which car to sell and wondering, “Seriously, God? This is what I get?” When you’re disappointed with God, old doubts can suddenly get teeth. Deconversion expert John Marriott joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack how suffering, unmet expectations, and feeling betrayed by God can shake what you thought you believed.

Show Notes and Resources

• How Can I Help My Kids Avoid a Crisis of Faith?.
• John Marriott.

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
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The military has a roll call – reading out the names to see if everybody’s there. Family get-together? Well, you know who you’ve got. You’ve got Mom, Dad, Grandma, Granddad, and grandchildren. You don’t usually have roll calls. Now, there was a point where we had one three-year-old grandson who took roll in his own little way. While we’re all busy in the usual chatter and bustle of everyone catching up, our grandson was obviously evaluating who’s there and who isn’t. You could tell. Before very long, he would pipe up, “Where’s Grandma?” or “Where’s Daddy?” or whoever happens to be MIA at the moment. And he wanted answers about where they were and why they weren’t there. He wanted every person in the family to be there!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Making Sure the Family’s There.”

If you belong to Jesus Christ, and you know your sins are forgiven, when all of God’s family gets together in heaven, you know you’ll be there. But what about your family on earth? Will they be there and are you doing what you need to do to help them be there?

It’s easier to tell almost anyone else about Jesus isn’t it, than it is to tell someone from your family? You can go to Mexico on a mission trip and tell people there about what Jesus did for them…you can say a word to someone at work or in a restaurant or in your neighborhood. You can be really involved in Christian activities that are aimed at helping people be in heaven with us and seldom if ever explain to your own family members what Christ has done for you and what Christ did on the cross for them. Probably because it’s just plain hard.

The priority of Jesus for us as His ambassadors shows up in a story recorded in Mark 5, beginning at verse 18. It’s our word for today from the Word of God. The Bible says, “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with Him.” Jesus had just set this man free from years of spiritual bondage. “Jesus did not let Him, but said, ‘Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.’ So the man went away and began to tell in all the Decapolis (which was his home area) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”

It would have been easier for this man to go with Jesus and run around serving Him everywhere but home. Just like some of us. And we should be spreading the Good News about Jesus, of course, to people that God brings into our life and we should be a part of His mission to reach every lost person. But it should start at home. Maybe Jesus is saying to you today, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.”

How do you do that? First, pray by name every day for the lost members of your family. Second, evaluate what about you might be making them think less of Jesus – maybe your temper, your selfishness, your mouth. Whatever it is, take some time to let Jesus change it. Your family needs to see a difference in you that will mean something to them.

Thirdly, let them know how much they mean to you. Sometimes a letter might be the best way to do that – a letter with four main parts. Here they are: “I love you,” ”Thank you for,” ”I’m sorry for,” and “I wish we could.” In that last part, talk about how you hope your relationship can be from now on. And let them know how much you want to be in heaven with them forever.

Sometimes, our family members think we’re condemning them, but you may need to say, “If being good could get anybody to heaven, you’d probably be on that list. But I found out that our only hope isn’t how good we are. It’s what Jesus did and what we do with what He did for us.”

Don’t nag them. Don’t argue religion with them, please. It’s not about religion. It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about His cross. So stick to that. Pray for an open door to

This hour we travel down under to catch up with our favorite Scottish apologist. He has a lot to say about what’s going on in the world. Get his take on the Fly Dubai terror in the sky incident and learn why law enforcement officials in the U.K. are being trained in Islam. Get ready to think biblically and critically.

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Join us this hour to learn how to pray specifically for those whom God has called into the world of entertainment.  How hard is it to keep a Christian witness in a me-centric world?  Learn how to pray for those who remain faithful while being creative.  Then, beloved Pastor Chuck Swindoll joins us to tell the full story he never expected to write in his new memoir Awakened by Grace.

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The story of the prodigal son is ultimately a revelation of the Father’s heart.

Teaching from Luke 15, Dr. Michael Youssef shows that the Father’s love is neither weak nor permissive. He allows rebellion, grieves over separation, and waits patiently—but when repentance comes, He runs in mercy to receive the one who returns.

This is costly, redemptive love. Dr. Youssef points to the cross, where Jesus Christ bore the shame and cost of redeeming sinners who could never save themselves.

And rebellion does not always look the same. Some run openly into the far country. Others hide behind religion, pride, and outward respectability. But the call to both is the same: repent and come home.

This episode calls listeners to:

• See the holiness and compassion of the Father,
• Repent of open or hidden rebellion,
• Trust the inerrant Word of God,
• Receive the mercy offered through Christ,
• Intercede for those still in the far country,
• Rejoice in the Father’s redemptive love.

The Father’s arms remain open to the repentant. The question is whether we will humble ourselves and come home.

Scripture Focus: Luke 15:1

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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Some people bake a double batch of cookies and then wonder why they’re tempted to eat sweets. Some make sure their new car has a supercharged-mega-hemi-turbo-GT engine and wonder why the police seem to be handing out more speeding tickets. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us take an honest look at temptation and how we often set ourselves up for the fall. We’ll learn to recalibrate and set ourselves up for more success, and more satisfaction.

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Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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