Focus on the Family Commentary

The name Benedict Arnold was once synonymous with honor and courage. But then he switched his allegiance from America to the British army. Jim Daly explains why a reputation is only as strong as the character beneath it.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Bullying regularly makes headlines, but it’s still a problem that flies under the radar in many schools. Jim Daly shares warning signs that parents can watch for to discern whether their child is being bullied.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

In his classic poem, The Mending Wall, Robert Frost says, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Jim Daly shares why good fences make good marriages, too.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Every marriage faces obstacles. Jim Daly shares the story of a couple who learned to turn their greatest challenge into an opportunity to love each other more deeply.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Many parents struggle with how to create a loving marriage and a healthy home. Jim Daly shares about a reporter’s experience that convinced her that families really can be strong, healthy, and happy together.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

One of the toughest things about suffering is that it isolates us. Jim Daly explains why when we’re suffering, receiving support from a healthy community is absolutely crucial.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Rumble strips along the highway can save your life. Rumble strips in your marriage can save your relationship. Jim Daly shares why rumble strips can keep your marriage in its proper lane before it drifts too far.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Jim Daly shares how to teach your daughter to tap into her potential and change the world by standing for what’s right, even when it’s easier to look the other way.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

You can’t always see a thing’s true value at first glance. Jim Daly explains why what appears unremarkable on the surface could be hiding something amazing underneath.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Small disagreements can separate a couple. Jim Daly shares why when you empty yourself of yourself, the things that once drove you apart can bring you together.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

When work and family life get out of balance, our lives can get so out of order that the things we accomplish become more important than the people we love. How do we keep our priorities straight? Jim Daly explains.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

What’s the best standard for measuring our kids’ maturity? Academics? Athletic ability? Or attitude – how they treat other people? Jim Daly explains why character is the most important attribute we can instill in our children.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

How big is the “joy gap” in your marriage? Jim Daly explains why joy doesn’t appear by accident; rather, it grows when it’s cultivated, moment by moment, choice by choice.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Do you have big goals? If so, Jim Daly shares what you can do to dramatically increase your odds of success. But be warned: there is a catch.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

You can’t change your spouse, but you can influence him or her. Jim Daly shares why affirmation, not criticism, is the best way to produce positive change in your marriage.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

What do Sputnik and the four-minute mile have to do with a successful marriage and kids with character? They illustrate why success or failure often lies in what we believe is possible. Jim Daly explains.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Children learn to do what they’re taught, not what they’re told. Jim Daly explains why it’s so important that parents say what they mean and mean what they say to shape their child’s behavior properly.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Jim Daly shares the story of “Dads on Duty,” who volunteered at a local school to mentor students, protect school grounds, and demonstrate that men of good character raise boys of good character.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Many wives believe they’re helping their husband by pointing out his flaws when, really, they’re pushing him away. Jim Daly says, “To draw your husband closer and to influence him to change, cheer him on.”   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

It’s a lie that “words can never hurt me.” Words can be devastating. Jim Daly shares the story of two female sportswriters and a series of hate-filled tweets that illustrate the real and present danger of digital bullying.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Is America in trouble? Jim Daly says why it’s easier than we think for a powerful civilization like ours to disappear from history and explains what you and I can do today to prevent it.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

If you want your marriage to be better, move your relationship in a positive direction. How? Jim Daly shares how to improve your marriage through the wisdom of dance.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Sometimes we get a good life through goals. Sometimes we have to take our hands off the wheel and see where life takes us. Jim Daly shares why the best course of action is often the one that catches us by surprise.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Adult maturity is largely developed in childhood. But parents don’t always have to make life lessons so serious. Jim Daly shares fun ideas for helping your children mature while having some fun along the way.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

The world can feel like solving the Boolean Pythagorean Triples problem. What’s that? Jim Daly explains and shares why life’s most complex questions are answered by life’s most basic building blocks.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Do you repeatedly remind your children to complete their chores or do their homework? If you’re tired of repeating yourself, Jim Daly shares a practical idea for helping you motivate your children to take responsibility for themselves.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Things that offer momentary escape often cost us more than they’re worth in the end. Jim Daly explains why life’s greatest rewards belong to those who know when to let go and when to stay steady.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Do you ever feel like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day? Jim Daly shares how to escape the endless repetition of Groundhog Day by remembering that each day is a blank canvas that you get an opportunity to fill.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Would you stop mentioning homework to your children if that commitment improved your kids’ grades and prepared them to be responsible adults? Jim Daly shares the principle beneath this strategy and why it works.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Jim Daly shares the legend of Margorie McCall, one of the wildest second-chance stories you’ll ever hear, and explains why it’s so important to take advantage of second chances when we get them.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Anything can lead a marriage into conflict if we allow it. Jim Daly shares how to strengthen marriage by minimizing selfishness and maximizing sacrifice.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

The Holocaust is not only an important event in Jewish history; it’s an important event in human history. Jim Daly explains why the human race must remember the past, so tragedies like the Holocaust never happen again.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Healing from emotional pain can be tough, but it’s the ticket to personal freedom. Jim Daly shares how to set yourself free by finding the courage and strength to forgive a person who has wounded you.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Things often have more value than they first appear. Jim Daly explains why, if you look closely, you’ll discover the divine spark of people’s humanity and value that’s impossible to calculate.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Many parents underestimate their influence. Jim Daly shares why, when circumstances are difficult, it’s mom and dad that keep their child’s world steady and enables them to thrive.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

There are twists and turns in every marriage. Jim Daly shares why good marriages aren’t good because a couple never faces obstacles but because they keep their marriage a priority … even when things don’t go as planned.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

A t-shirt designer stirred up controversy when he printed one that asked whether dads were babysitters or parents? It got a lot of people talking. Jim Daly shares his own thoughts on the role of fathers in the lives of their children.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Very few people have lived up to their name like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Jim Daly shares how Dr. King’s life teaches us to transform our lives – and others’ – by standing for transcendent principles.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Self-centeredness ruins marriage. Jim Daly explains how to build a relationship that’s bigger than either one of you by sacrificing for each other and striving for unity.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

How far would you go to overcome a bad habit? Jim Daly explains why, when we’re facing an out of the ordinary problem, we often need an out of the ordinary solution.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Moms and dads are often shortsighted in one crucial area of parenting – their kids’ ability to think for themselves. Jim Daly shares how to teach children to make good choices by helping them learn self-discipline.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Many people think of faith in strictly spiritual terms, but faith can improve your relationships as well. Jim Daly explains why one of the greatest factors to a strong marriage is a strong shared faith.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

As you may have discovered, helping your family live a healthy lifestyle is often easier said than done. Jim Daly shares how to encourage your children toward good health and good relationships.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

What is your top priority for your children – good grades or good character? Jim Daly shares how to help your children make maturity and kindness a priority in their lives.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Without pain, life would be perfect, wouldn’t it? Believe it or not, no. Jim Daly shares why even though pain doesn’t feel good it does good.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Do you find it hard to lose weight? Jim Daly explains why the secret to shedding extra pounds is more than diet. It’s a little bit of grit and a whole lot of support from a strong community of friends and family.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Which is more important: equality of outcome for all or individual freedom? Jim Daly explains why it’s impossible for everyone to be equally happy, or equally wealthy, or equally successful.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

The key to a successful marriage engagement isn’t whether it’s long or short, it’s what you do with it. Jim Daly shares why an engagement period isn’t dead space but an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a successful marriage.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Do your children know how to handle money well? There is a simple test you can give your kids to find out. Jim Daly shares what it is and how it will help your children develop a healthy relationship with money.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

As the new year gets underway, it’s wise to stop, take a moment, and look back over the past twelve months. Why? Because, as Jim Daly shares, looking back is key to moving forward.   Support Family Ministry   If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.