Family Life Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Family Life Podcasts
Holidays and DementiaFamily Life’s “Inside Out” podcast with Martha Manikas-Foster
If someone you love is living with dementia, simplifying how you celebrate the holidays could create a more enjoyable time for everyone. Phil Shippers of the Rochester and Finger Lakes chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association offers practical help in this Inside Out news podcast.
One in ten older Americans lives with dementia. Maybe this includes people you love. If so, being flexible and even making a few changes to the way you celebrate the holidays could help everyone feel more comfortable around the table this year.
“We have to realize that due to the changes in the brain, the person is trying to interpret their environment. So, being part of a social event may be upsetting or confusing or stressful,” says Phil Shippers, program director for the Rochester & Finger Lakes Region of the Alzheimer’s Association.
“I think the biggest thing is to be flexible, and perhaps to change our expectations,” he says. “Maybe we try new things. And we want to do this to reduce commotion, to reduce noise and activity, to make the person living with dementia feel more comfortable.”
Even if we’re not organizing the gathering, Shippers says there are practical things we can do to help our loved one living with dementia enjoy the time together. “One of the suggestions that we make is that when people approach the person living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, that they introduce themselves,” he says. “And it doesn’t have to be formal or stuffy. You can just make light of it, saying, ‘Oh, this is your favorite grandson Patrick.’”
We want to preserve each person’s dignity and demonstrate our love. Along the way, Shippers points out, we will make mistakes. “Give yourself some grace as well,” he says. “And just be as positive and really enjoy the moment as much as you can.”
Listen to our Inside Out podcast, where Phil Shippers lists a number of practical ways to make gatherings more comfortable.
For additional help, the Alzheimer’s Association offers support and resources 24/7 through its Help Line at 800-272-3900. You can also contact the Alzheimer’s Association at Alz.org.
That website offers six recommendations for households where the attendees include someone who is dealing with these types of memory loss and limitations.
InsideOut
11/13/2024
Hometown Heroes – Christian mission in Central America(and a bonus Love Story!)Peter and Tyanne Jurka are Mark Webster’s guests on this week’s “Hometown Heroes” feature. The Jurkas are longtime Christian mission workers, serving in Central America. She is from western Pennsylvania, and he grew up in western New York. Their children and grandchildren are also part of their ongoing ministry.
Their story — in their personal lives and the ways they have served people in international mission — are fascinating and heartwarming.
A video highlighting the results of their life-enhancing work is available from StorehouseMission.org.
HometownHeroes
11/12/2024
Major Overhaul Coming to Public Education in New YorkFamily Life’s “Issues in Education” podcastDid you know the Regents exams have been a staple in NY public schools since 1865? They won’t be much longer. The state is in the process of “phasing out” the tests as a required part of teens’ education. Dr. Ralph Kerr with the Teaching and Learning Institute explains why and what’s next, on this week’s edition of “Issues in Education”.
We’re often told that we need to “live our truth”, but what does that mean? What does God say about it?
Bible Verses: Jeremiah 17:9, 1st John 2:21, John 14:6, John 8:31 and 32, Psalm 119:160
Holidays, family, politics? Don’t forget the grace!
Then: Steve gets his hands on some extra tiny recordings.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Family Life’s “Capital Connection”Implications and Effects of Election 2024Our Christian watchdogs in the state capitals of Pennsylvania and New York are back to recap the biggest stories of Election 2024. This is our weekly roundtable for commentary and analysis with Jason McGuire in Albany and Michael Geer in Harrisburg.
Family Life Noon Report anchor Bob Price guides this discussion, reviewing election results from early voting, ballots cast on November 5, and the decisions still pending as the week ends:
- The significance of the “red wave” in presidential and congressional voting
- How voters in our two states chose their legislative leaders, statewide and national
- Did voters who are Christian turn out better than expected?
- Amendment One passes in NY, and other states decide abortion-related ballot issues
- Trends from this week which will carry over into the new year
Michael Geer (president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute) and Jason McGuire (executive director of the New York Family Foundation and New York Family Action) were also on the air with us election night for analysis of the news as it was happening. You can listen to or share those special reports from these two Family Life News podcasts:
- Election Night 8/9/10
- Election Night 11/12
Trail Life USA - Mentoring Boys to become strong and faithful young menRaising boys and young men, in a gender-confused generation.... offering them a deep sense of values, character, and a sense of adventure.Trail Life USA is carrying out a mission to mentor boys who are elementary, middle school and high school ages.This is our second conversation with Trail Life's CEO Mark Hancock. He talks about the Christian emphasis which undergirds this nationwide program which wants to give boys and their families good role models and positive versions of masculinity. Mark Hancock, TrailLifeUSA.orgFamily Life Newsmaker interview, 11/07/2024Our previous conversation with Mark Hancock is here: FLN 7/01/2024Hancock also talks about the uniquely Christian outreach which is a core value for shaping the lives of young men. That two-part podcast with interviewer Gary Bauer is linked from the Trail Life USA website.
When you see Jesus, you see God. If it's still hard for us to wrap our heads around 2000 years later, imagine being the first disciples! Jesse, Emma and Tim discuss John 14:1-14.Support this show by giving to Family Life.Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
People of Faith: When you win, When you loseNoon News Feature - 11/06/24For a faith-based perspective on political and social issues, Family Life News often turns to NY Southern Tier minister Dave Bretch. Noon Report anchor Bob Price asked the Painted Post pastor about how Christians on both sides of the political aisle should respond to election results, whether your "team" won or lost.This special news feature also includes analysis from Christian counselor Christopher Anderson. We got his reaction to one university's move to help its young adults cope with this week's election results by scheduling a day of Legos, coloring and ways to decompress.The Rev. Dave Brecht is lead pastor of Beartown Road Alliance Church. (His sermon based in the nation's capitol which he mentioned during this interview is available from the congregation's website.)Christopher Anderson is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in private practice, based in Olean, New York. He offers insights on individual and family challenges in the Family Life radio feature "Real Answers", heard each month within Noon Report and on our Family Life News podcasts.
It can be easy to to think that the time we have is ours to do with as we wish, but today we learn that's not entirely true, and find out that God expects us to use our time wisely.Bible Verses: Ephesians 5, Matthew 5:16, Colossians 3:17 & 23, Matthew 11,
Tim's favorite apple ever opens a discussion about sharing our joy in the Lord!Then: what really grinds Steve's gears....Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
The Presidency: A Conversationa Family Life News FeatureAs two candidates race toward the end of this year's campaign for the White House, what can we learn from all the Chief Executives who came before?In this podcast from Family Life News, you'll hear from a best-selling author and presidential historian. David M. Rubenstein has compiled stories, records and reflections on all 46 presidents so far, and says the American presidency is "The Highest Calling" in the world.Rubenstein tells interviewer Greg Gillispie about how the presidency has been reshaped across U.S. history, the uniqueness of Americans choosing their own leaders, and how his broad scope across history provides insights into the 2024 election. He is concerned that 80 million citizens who are eligible to vote and shape their governance choose not to take part.David M. Rubenstein is a lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, author and host of a history program on television. He has served as a government official, and is a co-owner of the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball.His book The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency includes interviews with most of the living presidents, essays by other commentators and journalists, and anecdotes about the people who were chosen to lead their nation. 10/31/2024
10/30/24 Real Answers with Chris Anderson. In today's segment, Family Life News Anchor Sarah Harnisch asks Christian Counselor Chris Anderson how to process the upcoming general election. What do you do if you don't like any candidate? What does the Bible say about sitting out on the vote? And how do you process your own emotions when you see inflammatory comments online or in the news? Anderson breaks it down.
Vote Maximizer - Where the most voters have the most influenceA Family Life Newsmaker Interview - 10/30/2024The developer of a web-based tool to evaluate action plans based on political polls and populations says control of Congress runs through Pennsylvania and New York again this year:Dr. Sam Wang and his team created the "Vote Maximizer" website which shows statewide and national trends to measure how and where individuals and groups have the largest influence on government through their votes and other political activities.VoteMaximizer.org shows several Pennsylvania counties where an individual voter has the most influence on their state government: Centre, Erie, Mercer, Luzerne, Lackawanna and Allegheny. The biggest influence this year for New York voters is on some Congressional seats from Syracuse and Utica toward New York City, including Districts 19 and 22. Sam Wang is an Ivy League professor, as well as the founding director of the Electoral Innovation Lab. Princeton University's Neuroscience Lab is named after him.Their website is VoteMaximizer.org. An introductory video is here.He has an interest in improving the government through the ways voting districts are mapped. He gave a TED Talk this fall on "Using Math to Repair Democracy". www.familylife.org/newspodcasts
The Parable Podcast with Family Life on-air host Randy Snavely focuses on the parables of Jesus, the meaning of the lessons He taught, and why He taught them as He did, with commentary and discussion that makes them relevant to our listeners lives today. In this episode, it’s part two of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, taken from Luke 16: 19-31.
The Parable Podcast with Family Life on-air host Randy Snavely focuses on the parables of Jesus, the meaning of the lessons He taught, and why He taught them as He did, with commentary and discussion that makes them relevant to our listeners lives today. In this episode, it’s part one of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, taken from Luke 16: 19-31.
The Cost of Freedom - A place for wellness for military veteransPart 2 of this Hometown Heroes feature from Family Life NewsWe continue our “Hometown Heroes” conversation about an effort to create a safe and healing place for people carrying the weight of the battles of war.Dave Miller-Martini -- a military veteran himself -- is a board member for "The Cost of Freedom" Foundation, which commits itself to creating a veterans' wellness and recovery retreat. Phase 2 of creating that retreat center is now underway at Tionesta, Pennsylvania. For more information: The Cost of Freedom website is TheCostOfFreedom.org How faith plays into their plans to support veterans Their Mission Statement: The foundation "supports development and delivery of innovative holistic healthcare models that integrate faith, nature, mind, body, and spirit to produce individualized treatment care plans." Part 1 of this Family Life News interview is available here: Hometown Heroes 10/22/2024 #HometownHeroes #FamilyLifeNews
Indoctrination versus Education when it comes to Talking Politics at School Recently, the “League of Women Voters” put on high school assemblies in NY encouraging students to vote “yes” on Prop 1. Dr. Ralph Kerr with the “Teaching and Learning Institute” says that crosses a line between teaching students “how” to think and not “what” to think. He discusses more this controversy in the latest installment of “Issues in Education” from Family Life News#IssuesInEducation10/28/2024
There are a lot of things to pay attention to out there in the world, and today we'll be talking about which one (or two) top off the list as the most important.Bible Verses: Deuteronomy 6, Leviticus 19, Matthew 22,
Steve and Tim look at the seasons as another chance to see: God is still on His throne.Then: what does the "sunglasses emoji" even mean?Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Should Pastors talk about Politics from the Pulpit ? If so, how and why ?Paul Batura, editor-in-chief of “Daily Citizen”, weighs in on how much church leaders should discuss elections in our houses of worship.This interview was included in the Family Life Noon Report on October 24, 2024.- - - -Paul Batura is a best-selling author, essayist and consultant on faith and values, cultural debates, and family matters. He says his mission while leading the online news source Daily Citizen is to "help Christians analyze the news and current cultural issues through the principles of truth, moral objectivity and inherent, innate natural rights.” He also has hosted dozens of podcasts in a series "What a Life! Lessons from Legends", gleaning wisdom from a full range of Christian leaders and influential celebrities.His recent post on Daily Citizen: "Think Critically. Vote Biblically" #NoonReport
Being a Good NeighborThe "Inside Out" Podcast from Family Life NewsAmericans feel detached and isolated. Pastor Doug Hankins believes we have a neighborliness problem. On this edition of Inside Out, Hankins talks about Jesus’ call to be good neighbors, the topic of his The Gospel Coalition article “Benefits of Being a Good Neighbor.” Americans feel detached and isolated. Pastor Doug Hankins believes we’re suffering from a lack of neighborliness, and Christians are just the people to solve it. But it won’t be easy.“Neighborliness is costly,” Hankins says. “There’s no shortcut around it. Part of the reason neighborliness is like the fifth level blackbelt of being a Christian is because of the difficulty of it.”Hankins is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Winter Park, Florida. He authored the Gospel Coalition article “Benefits of Being a Good Neighbor.”“I think the way Jesus understood being a neighbor was loving the people who are near you. If there are people around you, there is--if you’re a believer in Christ--a responsibility to consider these people as your neighbors and to ask the Lord ‘what must I do to care for them well?’”.If you are ready follow Jesus into loving your neighbors--connecting intentionally, compassionately, and regularly with the people around you--Hankins suggests starting with a list. “Think about everybody you interact with: friends, neighbors, co-workers. Write their names on a list. Put it somewhere where you see it regularly and just pray for them.”But don’t stop there. Ask friends for help.“I think accountability is going to help. If you’ve got some Christian friends around you, just going to them saying, ‘I think the Lord might be calling me to step up my game in terms of loving my neighbors, could you just pray with me and bring it up once a month and just hold me accountable to this?’”Hankins believes that not only will God show you who to love, He may overwhelm you with opportunities. “He’s going to bring us probably more than we can handle, but He can handle it. And so, we’ll get to love those people well.”You can read Doug Hankins’s article “Benefits of Being a Good Neighbor” from The Gospel Coalition website here.(TGC also published his first-person account of being at the "Asbury Awakening", the college-centered revival which happened in 2023.) #insideout
Today's edition of “Hometown Heroes” introduces you to Dave Miller-Martini.He is with "The Cost of Freedom" Foundation, which commits itself to creating a veterans' wellness and recovery retreat. Phase 2 of creating that retreat center is now underway.Host Mark Webster went to their recent event in Tionesta, Pennsylvania, to bring you their story. (This is the first half of a two-part series.) For more information: TheCostOfFreedom website How faith plays into their plans to support veterans Their Mission Statement: The foundation "supports development and delivery of innovative holistic healthcare models that integrate faith, nature, mind, body, and spirit to produce individualized treatment care plans."Part 2 of this feature is available here: Hometown Heroes 10/29/2024 #HometownHeroes#FamilyLifeNews
When Jesus tells his followers to love each other, why does he call it a "new" commandment? Hope, Tim, and new host Dylan discuss John 13:31-38.Support this show by giving to Family Life.Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
Abortion is on the Ballot this Election YearA Family Life Newsmaker Interview"The abortion industry has been very successful at using fear-mongering as a way to drive voters." -- Nicole Hunt Two weeks from Tuesday, Americans will go to the polls to decide the 47th President of the United States. Also that day, they will decide constitutional amendments that dramatically expand abortion access in 10 states.In today’s feature report, Family Life News interviews Nicole Hunt, a policy analyst at “Focus on the Family” on why the abortion industry has been winning at the ballot box -- and what pro-lifers can do to reverse the trend. Attorney Nicole Hunt is a policy analyst for Focus on the Family. She joined Family Life's Bob Price for an extended interview on the October 21 Noon Report.Resources for more information: Focus on the Family Pennsylvania Pro-Life New York issues surrounding abortion NY's 2024 Proposition One, and its effect on pro-life versus pro-abortion debates in the state Other Family Life News podcasts which discuss how issues will or won't be decided by "values-focused" voters in this fall's elections are on www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts: 10/18/2024 10/10/2024 10/08/2024 10/04/2024 09/25/2024 and others#NoonReport
Financial cyber-fraud is a twelve-billion dollar business each year -- all of it illegal.Consumer advocacy banking specialist Blythe Figurelle is among the experts promoting Cyber Security Awareness month during October. Whether its by phone or an electronic message, the fraudsters try to catch you with what she calls "emotional manipulation".Figurelle says it is common for scammers to initiate contact out of the blue, pretend to be a business or person you trust, or add unreasonable urgency.Her advice: If it's a phone call, don't say anything and hang up. If it's on social media, a text or an email -- delete that message, without clicking any links. You may wish to also block that sender or that phone number On this Family Life News podcast, Figurelle describes the acronym STOP as the four steps you should do, if you suspect a call or a message is not legitimate, or someone pushes you for your account number or other private information:Stay cautiousTake your time ... don't be rushed into anythingOnly trust verified sourcesProtect your codes and numbers and passwords ... every time Bonus content:A coalition of law enforcement and governments in Dubai and Emirates put together a clever public service announcement, urging consumers to always protect all of their personal financial data. This music video portrays a banker whose customer gave away his codes to scammers. Find it here.
Pastors are really busy people, and today we learn what they're up to when they're behind the scenes instead of behind the pulpit.Bible Verses: Ecclesiastes 3:13, 1st Peter 5, James 3, Hebrews 13:7, Acts 20:25, 1st Timothy
Steve and Tim believe that God can use, yes, even a holiday like Halloween for good.Then: which of your memories would you turn into a candle—a nostalgic smell only you would know?Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
How NY's Prop 1 impacts Religious Groups and ChurchesReforming Divorce Laws in PA“Do No Harm” Report Highlights the Dangers of so-called “Gender-affirming” CareWhy Millions of Christians plan to Sit Out the 2024 Election Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire with New York Families and Michael Geer with the Pennsylvania Family Institute discuss the weighty issues in the news -- from Albany to Harrisburg to the ballot box to your hometown.Both organizations offer issues-based voter guides and "how to register to vote" information on their websites. "Capital Connection" with Bob Price airs on the radio and our live streams during the Noon Report and 5 O'Clock Report each Friday. Listen, download or share these conversations anytime, from the "Family Life News" podcast feed.
Children's Hospitals & "Gender Care"A Family Life Newsmaker InterviewA national health-care watchdog group is out with new statistics on the number of so-called "gender transition" procedures being done at children's hospitals. Do No Harm analyzed public insurance records to compile the number of children and teens who were treated using hormones, puberty blockers, and surgical procedures on sexual body parts. The organization also analyzed the amount of money paid by insurance companies to cover those costs. (Public funds such as Medicaid and state and federal government grants are also used for such purposes.)Beth Serio of Do No Harm told us nearly 2,000 underage minors in New York and Pennsylvania were recipients of such procedures in the most recent reporting period. She talks about the exponential growth in this trend, the financial and philosophical motivations for medical providers and hospitals to recommend "gender affirming care", and the complications which can result for patients and for the society.Three PA/NY hospital systems are listed in their national Top Ten List for millions of dollars raked in to perform sex change treatments for minors: Mount Sinai, New York University, and Penn Medicine. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, with 122 such patients, by far tops the list of providers described as what DNH describes as the "Dirty Dozen" in the United States.These links provide more information about Do No Harm, which takes its name from the millenia-old medical motto: DoNoHarmMedicine.org This latest research, headlined "Exposing the Child Trans Industry" Their Stop The Harm Database provides further information, plus an opportunity to look up your own local statistics. The Pennsylvania Family Institute [ PAFamily.org ] has an in-depth analysis of the local implications of these national trends. #FaithUnderFire 10/17/2024
Real Answers - the process of "Adulting"It is a varied range of family situations which has young adults reliant on their parents. In some cases, 20-somethings living in their "growing up" home with their parents is a practical reality or a financial necessity. In some cases, the trendy phrase "failure to launch" applies.Christian counselor Chris Anderson explore the process called "Adulting" in this edition of Family Life's "Real Answers" interview. He believes one key to why so many young adults aren't entering fully into adulthood is an emphasis on "feelings and emotions," a common trend in this generation and in the wider culture. Senses of entitlement and constant readily-available entertainment also can limit some 20-somethings in their discovery of their true potential.Listen to this podcast for Anderson's analysis, advice and recommendations.____"Real Answers" with Chris Anderson is one of our Wednesday news features on Family Life. You can hear these interviews -- about life skills, social trends, family advice, and more -- during our Noon Report and 5 O'Clock Report. The podcast versions are available at www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts. Listen, download or share them: from our Family Life Now app, the website, or most popular podcast platforms. (Search for "Family Life News".)
This week's guest on Family Life's "Hometown Heroes" feature is Jenn Boyd of the "Hope Walks" ministry. It works from Pennsylvania, but provides international medical work to help relieve the physical limitations -- and, just as important, the social and personal stigma -- faced by many children who are born with Club Foot syndrome. Their emphasis is that a treatable condition shouldn't keep a child from walking.This ministry has provided treatments for more than 161,000 children in 14 nations.Hear about how this medical mission work is transforming lives and communities. Tap the podcast player on this page. You can also go to FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts to download or share this conversation with other who you believe would be interested too. (That link also give you a subscribe option to be notified each time Mark Webster posts a new edition of his "Hometown Heroes" interviews.)Jenn Boyd is the communications project coordinator for Hope Walks, based in York Springs, PA. For more information: The website for Hope Walks is www.hopewalks.org A background video is called "Hope Prays, Heals, Impacts ... and Walks". Their site also has multiple other videos online to explain the problem, the mission's ways of healing, and the first-person stories of the families whose lives are enhanced because of a surgery which is simple and common in the U.S.https://youtu.be/aY18O9CTqPI #HometownHeroes
How do Christians shine in a divisive election year? How does God want you to glorify Him? And what does Danny Gokey want you to remember about his friend Mandisa? Tim from Rise Up talks with Danny about all of the above—in about ten minutes.“Ten Minutes With” is a podcast for people who want to listen to podcasts, but don’t have much time. If you’ve enjoyed this episode of “Ten Minutes With,” be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode. You might also consider giving to Family Life—the listener-funded ministry that makes this, and other podcasts possible. Go to familylife.org and find out more about what we do.
Many families, workplaces and friendship are suffering under election-induced stressesHowever, today's Newsmaker Interview on Family Life News says politically-active Christians have a key role to play in shaping that toneThe political climate has become so divided, many people are fearful of talking about campaigns and candidates with friends and co-workers.We sought advice on how Christians can handle election-based conversations.Focus on the Family counselor Joannie DeBrito says it can be okay to disagree, agreeably. However, if someone only wants to argue about politics, it's helpful to just step away.She uses practical examples of how to maintain both a faithful Christian witness and productive relationships, with friends and relatives you may have on "both sides of the aisle". She also gives helpful references from Scripture.Dr. Joannie DeBrito is a coach at Hope Restored Aftercare and a columnist and consultant with Focus on the Family. She has 30+ years experience as a therapist and counselor.Listen for our earlier conversation with her, on parallel topics: May 24, 2024Here are links to her work at Hope Restored and Focus. Information about the resources from Focus on the Family she mentions is available from 855-771-HELP (4357) or FocusOnTheFamily.comSome of her columns and blogs about marriage, parenting and family matters can be found here and here. When you disagree politically with someone - a Christian counselor's recommendations - 10/14/24
"Issues in Education"Retired school principal and superintendent Ralph Kerr joins us for the Monday Family Life News Feature "Issues in Education".This week: Teacher shortages, already significant, are magnified by the number of immigrant children who entered the U.S. in recent years School districts are hamstrung by the multiple languages spoken by their young newcomers, many of whom are not (yet) proficient in English Whether public schools and parochial schools should compete together or have separate leagues and championships -- That debate is renewed again How will public schools be affected, depending on whether a majority of New York voters approve or vote against Proposition One on this fall's ballots Dr. Ralph Kerr founded the Teaching and Learning Institute, based in Houghton, NY. TLI has its mission to influence Pennsylvania's and New York's public schools with increased involvement by people traditional family values and Judeo-Christian beliefs. #IssuesInEducation#FamilyLifeNews
This week we continue the story of Abraham, and we take a look at the greatest test he ever faced, and why God gave it to him.Bible Verses: Genesis 16-22
Family Life 5 PM News Update - 10/10/2024(Family Life's 5 O'Clock Report is on a special schedule this week, as we take four days to invite listeners and web visitors to support Family Life Ministries for the upcoming six months.)#familylife.org/newspodcasts #FamilyLifeNews
Natalie Layne started leading worship at the age of 12. She’s a song-writer and piano player, lover of Jesus and just a lot of fun. Right now, she’s on tour with Tenth Avenue North. If Natalie were summed up in just one word, it would be “joy.” That’s because she chooses to see joy every day.
Join Natalie Layne on tour with Tenth Avenue North 10/5 in Hamburg, NY and 10/6 in Rochester, NY. Tickets available at familylife.org/events.
“Ten Minutes With” is a podcast for people who want to listen to podcasts, but don’t have much time. If you’ve enjoyed this episode of “Ten Minutes With,” be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode. You might also consider giving to Family Life—the listener-funded ministry that makes this, and other podcasts possible. Go to familylife.org and find out more about what we do.
Bad influences are everywhere, and they do have a big effect on how easy it is to do what is wrong, but does that mean that if we keep everything bad away from us we will be perfect?
1st Corinthians 15:33, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 4:23, Mark 7:
Navigating Election SeasonThe “Inside Out” Podcast from Family Life News
How can Christians show Jesus’ radical love in the social, religious, and political climate? Martha’s guest Jeff Jones reminds Christians that our primary allegiance is to King Jesus, and He’s not up for reelection. Jones is lead pastor of Chase Oaks Church in Dallas, Texas, and coauthor with Mike Hogan of the book Rebranding Christianity.
How can Christians show Jesus’ radical love as we approach the November election? “Really, it’s an incredible opportunity to be distinctive,” says Jeff Jones. “Not to take our cues from the world that is very polarized and angry and there’s a lot of misplaced hope and vitriol.”
Jones is the lead pastor of Chase Oaks Church in Dallas, Texas, and coauthor with Mike Hogan of the book Rebranding Christianity. He points out that a believer’s model is Jesus, and He reached out to those who disagreed with Him. “As Christians we get to show a better way. In fact, it’s not just that we get to, we’re commanded to. We’re Jesus-followers, and so we take our cue from Jesus and how did He relate to the world, how did He relate to people who disagreed?” he says. “If we can just shift from sort of culture war mentality to mission field mentality–that’s a major shift–but it’s shifting from fear dominating us to love dominating us. What would it look like to relate like Jesus, who moved toward people in love, especially those who disagreed with him?”
And it’s especially meaningful to remember Jesus’ prayer for unity among believers, recorded in the Gospel of John.
“In a divided world, to see a united church where we can remember ‘hey that’s what we agree on–and that’s Jesus and His mission and His truth, and our hope is in Him,’” Jones says. “And what an opportunity to do that this fall and really stand out as believers, if we’re willing to do that.”
Recognizing our primary loyalty can help Christians avoid getting tangled in partisan rhetoric. “Our allegiance is to King Jesus, which is above all this other stuff. And our hope is in Him,” Jones says. “We await a Savior from there, not here. Our hope, our focus–all of that—as we go into these elections: let’s remember who we are, and where our hope is. And then we don’t have to be afraid. Because it really doesn’t matter who gets in or who doesn’t get in. King Jesus is not up for reelection.”
Learn about Jeff Jones and the book he’s coauthored, Rebranding Christianity. He contends that the Christian “brand” is losing relevance and influence in the U.S. A key reason is that Christians, who represent the brand to the world, fail to display what Jesus wants us to be known for — radical love. Jones says the next five to ten years will either deepen the decline or witness a movement to become more of who Jesus called us to be.
#InsideOut
God Almighty became a human being—and then served others. Why, then, do we ever consider ourselves above serving? Mike, Jesse and Tim consider Jesus’ example (John 13:1-17).
Support this show by giving to Family Life.
Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
Teens & Screens: Keeping Kids Safe OnlineA Family Life News InterviewChristian family advocate Brad Huddleston wants parents to know practical steps for safe internet usage by their children.
Family Life’s Bob Price talks with Huddleston about the physical and emotional changes that happens in teens’ brains and lives, when they are stuck on their phones. He has spiritual inspiration and practical techniques which parents can discuss with their children.
This discussion aired on the radio during the Family Life Noon Report on September 24. Included in the conversation was a preview of a special in-person event sponsored by Family Life upcoming in October. Listen to this podcast, and then individuals, couples, families and church gr0ups may wish to look up information about the workshop. Discounted tickets can be reserved in advance.
Ticket information for the one-night Family Life workshop (Friday, October 18) can be found at www.FamilyLife.org/events The presenters at this event will be Brad Huddleston of Brad Huddleston Ministries and Joseph Sweeney of the Asservo Project. Brad and his wife Beth Huddleston’s ministry offers a “digital detox” plan for families, and they also have a program which compares cell phone addiction to what they call “digital cocaine”. Sweeney’s organization focuses on the dangers of how the internet and social media are used to recruit teens and preteens into human trafficking, for sexual abuse and forced labor.
"Issues in Education" is a Monday News Feature from Family Life.This episode includes commentary from former superintendent and current educational strategist Ralph Kerr on significant issues facing families, teachers, school boards and communities: Beyond Civics courses, what roles do schools play in shaping discussions of campaigns and candidates? How should parents monitor election conversations which may happen at schools? New York State education leaders are surveying every public school district, asking how they are serving their students. One outcome might be recommendations for "regionalization" in many places --- cooperation between schools, and perhaps more consolidations of elementaries, high schools, or even entire districts. Population shifts and budget imbalances are a big reason why. The State Board of Regents (which oversees most of the education in New York) removed from this month's agenda a proposed rule which would have mandated that students could cross gender lines for sports, in high schools, middle schools and elementary programs.Dr. Kerr offers his vantage point on these Issues in Education.
Whether you like it or not, anger is a part of our lives, but why would God give us emotions like that, and is there anything good about them?Bible Verses: Genesis 6:6, Mark 3:5, Psalm 7:11, 2nd Peter 3, James 1, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Psalm 37:8, Ephesians 4, Genesis 4
Is Autumn the coziest time of year? Steve and Tim talk about what they find comforting, as well as how God can grow us in our own "happy places."Then: what flavor is this movie?Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Marriage is a beautiful gift. And also, one of the hardest relationships we face in life. It’s been said that “Marriage is one of God’s primary workshops for change.” So, how can we grow, and change, to be more like Christ, along with our spouse? Rich and Wendy Crawford, are marriage counselors with Focus on the Family. They are leading the Journey to Us marriage conference coming up in Oneonta, NY on September 27th and 28th. They talk with Terese Main about how two imperfect people, who come together in marriage, can grow to be more like Christ. Register for Journey to Us here. About your host: Terese Main is a wife, mom and flawed human. Above all, she loves Jesus. She co-hosts Main & Gabel, which can be heard weekday afternoons on radio stations across New York and Pennsylvania, and at www.familylife.org. She is a native of the Finger Lakes Region and a graduate of Ithaca College. It’s her heart’s desire to encourage others to live their lives fully in God’s blessing.
It's "Capital Connection" from Family Life NewsEach Friday, we air/livestream/podcast a 10-minute roundtable with two state government watchdogs, getting their analysis of cultural, political and social issues facing Pennsylvanians and New Yorkers -- and the nation.On this week's Capital Connection: Why Assisted Suicide is “bad” medicine “Down Ballot” races on election day Can people trust the results of the election ? Reconciling faith with “Border” Issues Previewing the Pennsylvania “March for Life” (Monday, September 23)(Videos for the PA March are available here: previewing 2024 and recapping 2023) Michael Geer (Pennsylvania Family Institute) and Jason McGuire (New York Families) discuss these issues and more on this week’s edition of “Capital Connection”Friday, September 20, 2024
Wesley Adam Hampton was born December 8, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee. While he was a college student at Trevecca in Nashville, Wes invited Andrea Means to attend a Gaither Homecoming concert for their first official date. After two years at Trevecca, Wes and Andrea were married and moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to complete their education. Wes graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, then worked as a minister of worship for The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham for two years before getting a phone call from Bill Gaither that would change his life nearly overnight. Wes joined the Vocal Band in July 2005 as the group’s tenor. His transition into the Vocal Band was virtually seamless, since he already knew the parts to nearly every song in the GVB’s repertoire. And since that time, Wes has done far more than sing a part. He has joined the ranks of an exclusive handful of world class singers who have sung tenor for the Gaither Vocal Band over the years.Find out more about Wes and the Gaither Vocal Band here https://gaither.com/“Ten Minutes With” is a podcast for people who want to listen to podcasts, but don’t have much time. If you’ve enjoyed this episode of “Ten Minutes With,” be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode. You might also consider giving to Family Life—the listener-funded ministry that makes this, and other podcasts possible. Go to familylife.org and find out more about what we do.
Retired FBI & Secret Service Agent Tim MillerA Family Life News InterviewWith two close-calls on the life of Donald Trump within two months, retired Secret Service agents are speaking out about the dangers to elected leaders, political candidates and their families.One of those with an insider's insight is Tim Miller, who had twin careers in the FBI and the Secret Service.Family Life News Anchor Bob Price talked with Miller from his Florida home, just five miles from the golf course that made international news this past weekend.Tap "play" on the podcast player for an extended version of this exclusive interview.Retired Secret Service agent Tim Miller now operates an international security enhancement firm. He uses his decades-long experience to provide training and consultations to help churches, schools and businesses to stay safer.Podcasts of the Family Life Noon Report and the Family Life 5 O'Clock Report are available each weekday from www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts.
It's "Real Answers" on Family LifeThis Wednesday news feature tackles the tough topics faced by many families. Christian therapeutic counselor Christopher Anderson gives insights in how fear in relationships can be replaced by a stronger sense of safety. It's an important transition to make, and can help everyone involved in abusive or troubled relationships. When one or both partners are involved in addictions, this becomes important as well.Listen to this conversation for Anderson's encouragement. Tap the podcast player above. [ Note: If you or someone you know is involved in a situation similar to those described here, you can contact a Christian counseling agency in your area, a local pastor, or dial either of these three-digit phone numbers: 988 or 211. For assistance in a dangerous situation, law enforcement agencies are trained to attentively and respectfully respond in a helpful manner. Ask any of these sources for their details.] "Real Answers" is a Wednesday news feature from Family Life News. In addition to airing during the Noon Report and 5 O'Clock Report, a podcast version is available for 24/7 listening, sharing, subscribing and downloading. Find it at FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts, or you can search for "Family Life News" on many other podcast sources (such as IHeart and Spotify).
In My Father's Kitchen"Hometown Heroes" on Family LifeYou have been at an intersection, where a homeless person is standing at that street corner, holding a cardboard sign asking for help. Many people drive by, which makes sense, because a cash handout might be diverted toward furthering an addiction.Yet, one of those episodes became the spiritual calling for someone who knows a thing or two about feeding people. He bought a lunch, circled back, offered it to the man, and had a life-changing conversation. For both men.John and Leigh-Ann Tumino launched In My Father's Kitchen in 2011 to address the physical and spiritual hungers which were widespread in parts of Syracuse.Chef John Tumino tells our Mark Webster about this ministry, the people it serves, and how the people who carry out this kind of loving work are transformed too. You can find more about In My Father's Kitchen from their website, online video and history.IMFK also sponsors a program to help panhandlers and homeless individuals to build up work experience and skills. It is cleverly named "Hire Ground". - - -Hometown Heroes is a Tuesday feature from Family Life News. Find these inspiring stories during the Noon Report, 5 O'Clock Report, and our podcast feed. These are available from the website, our livestream, the Family Life Now app, and many podcast players. Listen, subscribe or download them by searching for "Family Life News".
Riley Gaines - Approaches to Women's Sports (NCAA, NAIA, and Public Action)This autumn marks a new chapter in the debates on transgendered athletes in sports for college students, teens and younger children.With this new academic year, two major oversight organizations deal with collegiate sports will handle the question differently. The NCAA across all three of its divisions will support student-athletes who were born male to be active with women's sports, women's records and women's scholarships. The NAIA which regulates sports for more than 250 smaller and mid-sized schools is going the other direction, with athletes playing either the male or female sports which matches their genetic makeup.Riley Gaines, a former championship collegiate swimmer is now an advocate for fairness, privacy and safety surrounding transgender policies. She not only is a commentator for Outkick.com, she is a litigant in Title IX lawsuits against the NCAA. In this special Family Life Interview, she says she one significant change over the past year has been the level of public advocacy for protecting women and girls.Archives of our Family Life interviews with former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines: The Politics of Protecting Female Athletes (full 10-minute interview): FLN 5/31/2024 Title IX, and a majority opinion on fairness which crosses all political stances: FLN 5/29/2024 How Riley Gaines' vocational calling began, as an advocate for women and girls: FLN 10/31/2023Also on the issue of gender, education and politics, Family Life aired a related interview 9/16/2024 with Shena Rossettie of the Twin Tiers Family Forum. Riley Gaines testifying recently about her interactions with the NCAA and with a university president:vimeo.com/1000850865#t=1h20m51s
The bible is where we turn when we want to find answers, but where did it come from, and is it really something we should be trusting?Bible Verses: Matthew 24:35, Isaiah 30:8, James 1:22, Psalm 119:11
Jesus IS the way...but how many ways are there to live faithfully for Him? Steve and Tim talk about the value of different spiritual "diets."Then: the hard-boiled harbinger of Autumn has arrived at Steve's household...Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
"Capital Connection"Family Life's weekly roundtable on social, cultural and political issues in PA & NYThis week, the latest from Harrisburg and Albany .... plus a preview of Shippensburg and Binghamton Pro-life cases go to court Protecting parent's rights -- and students' privacy rights at school Abortion rhetoric in the 2024 election Is this Governor Cuomo’s comeback?Jason McGuire and Michael Geer are Christian watchdogs lobbying for the protection and advancement of Christians “and” Christian values in Albany and Harrisburg. Each Friday during the legislative seasons, they join Family Life News for their commentary and analysis --- on the air, on our live stream, and with this weekly podcast. Also, today's Noon Report and this podcast offer a preview of Family Life's two "Capital Connection Live" events. Our panel will speak to a pair of public forums we hold so that listeners and website visitors can be part of an extended conversation on the major issues now shaping New York and Pennsylvania, as well as what will make the differences in statewide and national elections this fall.Between the two events -- one in Clarion County, one in Broome County -- 275 people have already made reservations. Details and preregistration opportunities are available from the EVENTS page at FamilyLife.org.Admission is free, and free passes will be available at the door for anyone who still wants to attend (up to the capacity of the host sites). Each night's program begins at 7:00 p.m. Capital Connection Live: For locations, schedules, speakers' biographies and free ticket information, go to FamilyLife.org/Events Michael Geer is president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute [PAFamily.org]Jason McGuire is executive director of the New York Family Foundation [www.NewYorkFamilies.org]Bob Price is news manager for the Family Life Radio Network and anchors the Family Life Noon Report [FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts]
"Back to School" season is now followed by Back to Church Sunday. Today's podcast offers you a preview of what several congregations in our listening area are doing this weekend.Casey Jones is the executive director of Allegany Hope, a Belmont-based network of Christian congregations in Allegany County. They are not only participating in localizing this weekend's Back to Church Sunday annual emphasis; they also cooperate with a number of prayer, social and mission-oriented projects together.One of those areas of emphasis is the community of Friendship, New York. Churches there have planned free community lunches there, both Saturday and Sunday. (Sept. 14-15, 2024) Back to Church Sunday happens on the third Sunday of September, after people are back to school and back from Labor Day Weekend. This is the 15th year of the national emphasis. There are paid and free resources available to churches each year, to help with their efforts to re-motivate their members and to invite neighbors in. They also have options available to promote a Back to Church Weekend for congregation which offer worship and events on Saturdays. Allegany Hope offers a community-news oriented website, as well as on Facebook: "What God is Doing in Allegany County" The National Back to Church website: backtochurch.com Several motivational videos about the evangelistic differences a congregation can foster in its community: Why have a B2CS? and Why invite a friend? Making it easy to invite a friend -- for worship or a class or a meal: 3-reasons-to-invite A searchable map of participating congregations, with the Welcome Mat out, in PA and NY: www.findachurchnow.com
The "Inside Out" podcast, from Family LifeMaking friends at church can be hard, but it’s both important and possible, and we can grow in the process. We want to find community at church, but it can be hard.One of the challenges, according to writer and blogger Paige Pippin, is that many of us show up on Sundays already exhausted. “Getting to church can feel weirdly taxing at times,” she says. “And maybe it’s our personality--maybe we’re more introverted. Maybe we’re in a very hectic season. Maybe we’re getting our gaggle of young children to church. Or, maybe it’s genuinely heavy or life-altering circumstances, like a sickness or disability. So we show up to church and we already feel tired.”Pippin’s the author of The Gospel Coalition article Help! I Want to Make Friends at Church. Pippin says that in addition to feeling spent when we arrive, we often feel uncertain.“How do I engage?” Pippin asks. “This feels risky and out of control. Perhaps I’m believing others don’t want to be approached, or maybe it’s too much work, or maybe I believe the lie that it just doesn't really matter.”Our reasons for hesitating may be heart-felt, but the opportunity in front of us is a great one. “We, as believers, are ambassadors of the Gospel, and we have this rich opportunity in front of us,” she says. “Accepting that means I have an opportunity to pray for my attitude--my openness--to others before I even enter the sanctuary. And maybe even to start leaving more margin in my coming and going on Sunday morning.”Pippin encourages us not only to seek out friendships, but to seek them out with Christians who are different from us. We’ll likely grow deeper as disciples--and more amazed with God. “Our awe for Him should be expanding as we see Him work in people who think differently than us, or who have walked different roads than us. God is that big, and He’s that able.”None of this is easy. But God supplies everything we need for His Church to be unified.“We, as Christians, have a leg up on friendship, because of the Spirit in us,” she says. “This should give us great confidence in pursuing other Christians. Because we know that this is what the Lord has and so we know that it’s not up to us to muster this strength, or to manufacture chemistry. The Lord wants it. He will show us how.” Join us for our 14-minute conversation by listening to the podcast.You can also read Paige Pippin’s article “Help! I Want to Make Friends at Church”.Paige Pippin is a Christian author, blogger. and stay-at-home mom.Inside Out with Martha Manikas-Foster is one of the Wednesday news features on the air and online. Hear it during our Noon Report, 5 O'Clock Report, and our "Family Life News" podcast feeds.#InsideOut
A Missionary to Our PoliticiansA special Family Life InterviewSteve Amerson and his wife traveled to Washington D.C. as weekly worship services returned to the halls of Congress. Since 2014, he has gone to Capitol Hill twice a month to meet with Senators, Representatives and Congressional staffers. Each time, he brings 200 handwritten notes with Scriptural encouragement and words of hope -- that adds up to 37,000 handwritten notes across ten years.His "The Word on the Hill" Ministries offers signs of spiritual renewal among all who work on Capitol Hill. Democrats, Republicans and Independents all get visits, prayers, and caring attention for the realities of their lives -- amid the loneliness and stress of their government work, and the everyday crises and problems of their personal lives. While the ministry to elected Members of Congress has great value, this interview also includes the story of a young woman who works in a Capitol HillBob Price asked Amerson to talk about his evangelistic and pastoral work, and the spiritual state of our Seat of Government. Tap the podcast player button to hear our interview.You can discover more about Steve Amerson and the mission successes of The Word on the Hill Ministries from their website and in this video. "Of all the voices in government, God's voice should be the loudest"
Local perspectives on the Tuesday Presidential Debate, the first (and perhaps only) debate between current Vice President Kamala Harris and the 45th President Donald Trump.Family Life's Noon Report today sought insights and a preview from Elmira-based political commentator Steve Coleman.
"Issues in Education" is back, for back to schoolThis Family Life News Feature gets analysis and commentary on big issues for local schools, families, students and educators. Retired school administrator Dr. Ralph Kerr joins Bob Price for that important practical conversation.As this program returns from its summer break, here are the topics for this podcast: What are we doing right and what are we doing wrong when it comes to Public Education? Cellphones in School Is Homework necessary any longer?Dr. Ralph Kerr founded the Teaching and Learning Institute which seeks to motivate people of faith to advocate in their home school district. Resources for potential school board candidates are on their website WhyRun.org, as are Kerr's commentaries on other educational matters in Pennsylvania and New York."Issues in Education" is one of our Monday news features in the Noon Report and 5 O'Clock Report. You can hear these newscasts on the radio, on our live stream, and from our podcast feeds. All of our features and extended interviews also are posted to www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts.
When it comes to being a strong follower of God, being meek isn't usually the first thing we think of. Today we learn about what meekness has to do with real strength.Bible verses: Matthew 5:5, 2nd Timothy 1:7, Matthew 26, 1st Peter 3:4, Colossians 3:12, Ephesians 4:2,
Just in time for football season, Steve and Tim talk about one of the ways God can teach us: through watching sports.Then: 101 uses for a leafblower...or just 2.Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Laura Story is a wife, mother and worship leader. And she celebrated her recent birthday with Family Life! Terese Main talks with her about kids, ice cream sundaes, and her hopes for the next year.Join Laura Story for two dinner concerts in February 2025. Buy tickets online at familylife.org/events.“Ten Minutes With” is a podcast for people who want to listen to podcasts, but don’t have much time. If you’ve enjoyed this episode of “Ten Minutes With,” be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode. You might also consider giving to Family Life—the listener-funded ministry that makes this, and other podcasts possible. Go to familylife.org and find out more about what we do.
"Capital Connection" on Family LifeIt's the "season premiere", as our roundtable with resident experts about the happenings in Albany and Harrisburg are back The Capital Connection Crew is back and discussing politics, with just two months to go until the election.Jason McGuire is the executive director of the New York Families Foundation [NewYorkFamilies.org]Michael Geer is the founding president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute [PAFamily.org]Among our topics today, they’re talking about a new initiative to get more people of faith to the polls on November 5.Now that the summer break is over, Capital Connection resumes our Friday broadcasts during the Family Life Noon Report, on air, on app, and via multiple streaming platforms. We also podcast these conversations at FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts.Resources, links and info about subjects covered in this podcast: "Capital Connection Live", two public events in NY and PA, with Michael Geer, Jason McGuire and Bob Price on stage for a full evening of discussion and analysis -- FamilyLife.org/events The March for Life in Pennsylvania, Monday, September 23 --- MarchForLife.org/Pennsylvania/ Take the Pledge to register to vote (Christians at the ballot box, and in early voting) --- National Family Policy Alliance and the Christians Engaged organization Voter registration deadlines are October 21 in Pennsylvania, and October 26 in New York State. Registration -- and updating your name, address or political party (important, if those apply) -- can be done at your local country election office, when you apply for or renew your driver's license, or online through the state government website. Links from many advocacy groups also connect you with this process. Mailed-in applications in both states must be received on or before the deadline date.
A Christian leader, named Chris Leader, is on a 100-day countdown to encourage evangelical Christians to register to vote this fall.The "separation of church and state" isn't in the U.S. Constitution, not in that form anyway. But Chris Leader says many people of faith separate themselves from political and social involvement. His effort "Vote Your Faith" is trying to change that.In this conversation with Family Life’s Greg Gillispie, Leader explains how some Christians are being intimidated, so they avoid voting, politicking, or even speaking out on the issues in the nation and in the local community. He points to Biblical motivation to get registered, plus how a better turnout of Christian voters could quickly solve many of the current problems in our culture.Vote Your Faith offers inspiration, resources and tools to help improve the ratio of faithful Christians who participate in campaigns and elections. (Some surveys show that 25 to 33 percent of evangelicals stay away from the polls on Election Day). As of the airdate of this Family Life News Feature, Chris Leader is about one-third of the way through his 100 Day Countdown to November 5th . He posts a new commentary each day. Here are links to those (soon to be) 100 commentaries and the Vote Your Faith website.
987 medals awarded at the Paris OlympicsAnother 1,647 medals this week at the Paralympic games10.500 athletes last month, and another 4,400 this week from 169 nations700,000 New Testaments and Scripture books distributed!- - - - -Yes, all of these statistics as the sports world has been focusing on Paris. Yes, 700,000 Bible books have been given out, in connection with the Paris Games over the past 6 weeks.Once every 4 years, the 2 versions of the Summer Games bring about a gathering of athletes, officials, families, dignitaries and fans from nearly every nation on the planet.A network of evangelical Christian groups has been working for the past 18 months to coordinate a massive outreach to share Jesus with the people in the region which hosts the Games, and with all those people who come from all over to attend. Some of these people have never had an encounter with Christianity, even though they are citizens of some nations that the friendly to this faith. Some of the volunteer evangelists are sharing Good News with people from places and cultures where, back home, Christianity is banned.Tom Hawkins is with Greater Europe Mission who is among the coordinating team for Ensemble 2024, a massive faith-sharing effort by a combined group of European and global Christians from a wide and diverse swath of the theological spectrum.It ranges from local congregations to large denominations to members of little house churches.This Family Life exclusive takes you to Paris. Hawkins talks about some of the life-changing stories from these efforts and connections. As otherwise-disabled athletes are thriving in their athletic events this week, they see many Paralympic competitors (and fans with handicaps) who have dealt with physical setbacks are ripe to hear the Gospel.He also provides hopeful insight about a potential transformation in Europe, where across the past 30 years, cultures have diminished their faith practices. He says though, that he sees signs that a continent which has increasing become defined as "post-Christian", the culture appears to be, in any places, entering a "pre-Rivival" mode. Bonus factoid: The group of groups chose the name "Ensemble" to show how they are united across cultural and historical and theological distinctives -- and because the same spelling of the same word has the same meaning, across multiple languages. - - - - -Tom Hawkins spoke to Family Life News Producer Greg Gillispie this week, via Zoom, from Paris. The Paralympics Games continue there through Sunday, September 8. For further information:The Ensemble 2024 websiteThe Ensemble 2024 blogTom Hawkins works with Greater Europe Mission (GEM), which carries out extensive envangelization outreaches, during and beyond the Olympics.Tom and his wife Bev met at Nyack College in New York. They have been mission workers in France since 1994.
The Bible is full of gardens. From Eden to Eternity, they are a place to worship, nourish ourselves, and to work. There is so much we can learn from our earthly gardens too. Maybe you’ve spent months toiling and are now reaping the harvest. It’s evidence of God’s faithfulness.
Andrea Burke is a Rochester, NY based gardener who is also a lover of Jesus. Her book, “A Bit of Earth” is a divine blend of poetry, devotional and gardening tips.
Andrea Burke on Instagram
Link to purchase “A Bit of Earth”
About your host: Terese Main is a wife, mom and flawed human. Above all, she loves Jesus. She co-hosts Main & Gabel, which can be heard weekday afternoons on radio stations across New York and Pennsylvania, and at www.familylife.org. She is a native of the Finger Lakes Region and a graduate of Ithaca College. It’s her heart’s desire to encourage others to live their lives fully in God’s blessing.
Zooming Out to Big Views of the Election
A Special Edition of the Family Life Noon Report
Labor Day – 9/02/2024
The proverbial “start” of the election season traditionally kicks in Labor Day Weekend. As American culture slides past the holiday and into the school year, voters are within a couple of months of Election Day. While much of the public has been plugged in to this year’s unique campaign, others are just now ready to begin to explore who and what will be on the ballot.
In this half-hour special from Family Life News, we zoom out beyond the daily and weekly twists and turns of the candidates and their campaign. Today, we delve into some of the bigger issues about the election:
How good is good, and what can you do to be more good? Does God think you’re good? Let’s take a look at these good questions today!
Bible Verses: Romans 3:10, Isaiah 6:46, 1st Corinthians 13, Matthew 23:28, 1st John 1:9, John 3:16, & 1st Peter 2:24.
As Mr. Rogers once asked in song, “What do you do with the mad that you feel?” Feelings happen; how do we react? Steve and Tim talk about our emotions and our actions.
Then: Hopper better wear a life vest.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Superintendent LeeAnne Jordan discusses what it’s like surviving not one, but two floods the past 3 years. She’s speaking today about faith, perseverance and hope with Family Life’s Bob Price, a 1993 graduate of Jasper-Troupsburg High School.
Sometimes being patient with people is tough, but being patient with God can be too!
Bible Verses: Exodus 32, Numbers 16, Numbers 21, 2nd Peter 3:9, Hebrews 12:6
The remnants of Hurricane Debby left a swath of devastation across the twin tiers. From Canisteo to Trout Run, towns were evacuated, homes filled with mud, and barn walls and sheds carried away. The Christian relief group “8 Days of Hope” just began aid work in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. They’re looking for volunteers and supplies. Family Life News Anchor Sarah Harnisch sat down with Communications Director Hannah Fletcher to learn more about the work they’re doing and how you can make a difference. To get information, text the word “hope” to Family Life at 888-413-4156. “8 Days of Hope” can be found online here.
…. A MAJOR HEARING ABOUT “ABORTION PILL REVERSAL” …. IN BUFFALO THIS THURSDAY…..
A number of pro-life organizations are suing New York’s Attorney General. They argue that threats of legal actions by Letitia James and her office will seek to unconstitutionally silence their advice to clients who start on Mifepristone to chemically end a pregnancy, but then have second thoughts. The state sent letters to the pregnancy care center, threatening prosecution if they provide information about abortion-drug reversal processes to people who visit their clinics.
The Alliance Defending Freedom law group represents those centers and sought an injunction against the Attorney General. That hearing was today (August 15, 2024). Prior to this court hearing, Family Life news producer Greg Gillispie got a preview from ADF attorney Gabriella McIntyre.
The ADF statement about the case is here from their website ADFLegal.org.
Family Life News also reached out to the Attorney General’s media team, offering to interview James or her spokesperson.
This podcast post will be updated when we have their response.
Many Christian colleges — like their secular counterparts — are facing financial and enrollment pressures which threaten their futures.
Christian journalist Warren Smith, today’s guest on Family Life’s “Faith Under Fire”, analyzes the issues which have led to numerous faith-based schools retrenching, with some forced to merge or close their doors. He says decisions need to be made — by college administrators, by families with college-bound students, and by churches and denominations. If there is value to higher education with a Christian centering, there are ways to make that more feasible.
In addition to identifying problems with tuition costs and college debts, Smith has some success stories too: Christian universities which have “doubled down” on their unique identities, and some who have focused on degrees which reward graduates with high salaries and numerous career opportunities.
Warren Smith is president of MinistryWatch.com, a Christian news organization which covers national and global ministry organizations, transparency for Christian donors, and religious news across the spectrum. Ministry Watch has done extended coverage on Christian higher education, inspiring trends, and college closures (such as the recent one at Clarks Summit University in the Family Life listening area).
“Faith Under Fire” with Greg Gillispie is a Thursday news feature on the Family Life radio network, on the air and through our live streams. Expanded versions of those interviews are also available from our website and many podcast feed apps. Search for “Family Life News”.
With Jesus, “triumph” doesn’t always look like we expect it to—it doesn’t look like we want it to, either, sometimes. Hope, Jim and Tim discuss Jesus’ Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem in John 12:12-19.
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It’s “Staycation Desinations” on Family Life
This week, a visit to a unique phenomenon of nature, in North Central Pennsylvania.
The Coudersport Ice Mine has been a longtime attraction for locals and out-of-town visitors. After being closed for a number of years, Gary Buchsen (the father) reopened the Ice Mine ten years ago. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, guests can see how layers of ice hold onto the mine’s walls, even with the hot summer temperatures in the surrounding outdoor air.
That man’s son, also named Gary Buchsen, retired after a career as a school superintendent and now leads the family’s operation of the Ice Mine. Listen to that stories — and a preview of what guests experience — in this weekly summer podcast from Family Life News.
The Coudersport Ice Mine is open Wednesdays through Sundays in the summer. More details about the location, hours, and affordable ticket prices are available from their Facebook and website. The travel website Atlas Obscura also took a tour, posting more history, photos and reactions.
Staycation Destinations is a summer feature on the Family Life Radio Network, hosted by Greg Gillispie. Each Friday we seek to map out a unique opportunity for you to map out somewhere unique in Pennsylvania and New York — fairly close to home and fairly affordable. Podcasts of our previous episodes are available anytime to hear, download or share from our News Podcasts page at www.FamilyLife.org. You can also search for “Family Life News” on the Family Life Now mobile app, Spotify and many other podcast sources.
“Buckle up, and enjoy your journeys.”
During Kingdom Bound 2024, Family Life had the privilege of hosting Heart of the Artist, a daily conversation with some of the main stage performers. That includes CAIN, a trio of siblings—Logan, Taylor and Madison! Hear how they keep their relationships right on the road, and what this year’s festival theme verse means to each of them.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:6
Find out more about CAIN here.
Josh Wilson is a PK, husband, dad and broken lover of Jesus. And through it all, he keeps writing songs that connect with us on so many levels. He talks with Terese from the Main & Gabel Afternoon Show about his life and music, including the next generation of his family’s musical talent.He’s in concert 7/28 in Norwich, NY. Connect to tickets at www.familylife.org/events.
Have you ever seen someone else making a difference around you and wonder if you were important enough to make a difference yourself? Should you be doing what they are?
Bible verses: 1st Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4
The JELL-O Gallery – Le Roy NY
It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life
The hometown of Jell-O brand gelatin continues to celebrate the century-plus of fun, wiggly food.
The Le Roy Historical Society intentionally chose a more-fitting name for its museum — this is an art gallery. As you’ll hear in this podcast, some of the most prominent displays at the Jell-O Gallery are the forms of colorful and vibrant marketing which introduced the product to the American public, and demonstrated the ease of making instant Jell-O … so simple even a child could do it.
Listen as well for other parts of the history, and other parts of the displays which focus on vehicles and a wider view of Le Roy’s history.
The Jell-O Gallery is at 23 East Main Street in Le Roy, which is about halfway between Batavia and Rochester.
Here is the winner of the 2024 Photo Contest on the Gallery’s Facebook page:
“Staycation Destinations” airs Fridays on Family Life during the Noon Report and 5 O’Clock Report.
Previous destinations are linked from www.FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts.
It’s the second drama show of the summer, and behind the scenes the kids are learning how God wants us to tell others about what He’s done for them.
Bible verses: Romans 10, Acts 2, Matthew 28:16-20
Good trait, bad trait? Parents can worry about their kids’ temperaments, but everything changes in God’s hands.
Then: can anyone define what “laundry” means?
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
The Attack on Trump — Political & Christian perspectives from Michael Geer – 7/18/2024
As part of the Family Life News continuing coverage of the attempt on Donald Trump’s life on July 13, we continue to seek out reactions and perspectives from the Family Life listening area.
Michael Geer is the founding president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute. (He had been a resident of that area north of the Pittsburgh metro area.) Family Life news producer Greg Gillispie asked Geer to comment on the likely political fallout in Pennsylvania. Winning a majority of Keystone State voters is seen by both major political parties as a key to who will win the presidency this fall. Geer says the assassination attempt, plus the former president’s actions in the immediate aftermath, are likely to influence a number of uncommitted and independent voters.
Geer also offers a faith-based perspective on how, moving forward, this near-death experience is likely to affect the 45th president — and many people for whom this event can be a significant turning point.
Family Life’s Sarah Harnisch sits down with Licensed Christian Counselor Chris Anderson and asks how to handle tough news stories, like the near-assassination of former President Donald Trump. Anderson walks, step by step, how to shepherd your kids and teens from social media, difficult images, and hard news.
Family Life 5 O’Clock Update – 7/10/2024
This is our Wednesday update, including Kevin Williams evaluating the stormy and severe weather crossing Pennsylvania and New York this afternoon and evening.
Our full 15-minute Family Life 5 O’Clock Report returns tomorrow, following our one-day “Project TOWER” Fund Drive.
Family Life Noon Update – 7/10/2024
This is our Wednesday update, including Kevin Williams’ forecast regarding severe weather in Pennsylvania and New York.
Our full-length Family Life Noon Report returns tomorrow, following our one-day “Project TOWER” Fund Drive.
The Closing of Clarks Summit – a Family Life Interview
Clarks Summit University, a Christian college and seminary in eastern Pennsylvania, has ceased operations. While there is grief and sadness surrounding the school’s closure this week, One leader on their staff shares with Family Life News stories of positive responses as well — gratitude, celebration, and a commitment to hope.
Lynze Mewhort has served as a program director and a dorm parent supporting students there. She talks about the immediate reactions among the students and staff at Clarks Summit, appreciation for what the school has done to shape lives and communities across its 90+ year history, and arrangements now underway to help current students transition to their next places.
This interview was part of the Family Life Noon Report on Wednesday, July 3.
Pennsylvania Congressman Glenn Thompson offered his reflections on Clarks Summit on Tuesday, July 2.
It’s not a bad thing to be safe, obviously. But is there such a thing as being too safe?
Bible verses: Matthew 6, Deuteronomy 22:8, Romans 14:13, 1st Timothy 5:8, Ephesians 5:29, 1st Timothy 4:8, 1st Corinthians 6
It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life
“Staycation Destinations” takes you to a museum which celebrates how a water-powered sawmill fostered a transformation of America.
The Hanford Mills Museum in Delaware County New York displays a still-operating waterwheel that powered the mill’s equipment. Education Coordinator Ryan Jones tells us about how economic, geographic and social history has been affected by the way that farmstead were built from the abundant wood in the forests of the region. The Hanford Family was a major player in the industry through a 40-year span.
The Hanford Mills Museum shows its guests the Fitz waterwheel — working exactly as it did when it was installed 98 years ago — during four daily one-hour tours. Also on display: woodworking machinery, milling equipment, photos and historical records, and farm implements from the 1870s to the present. Individuals and families can walk to several buildings across the property, as well as take advantage of an outdoor picnic area.
In addition to its ongoing exhibits (open Wednesdays through Sundays), Hanford Mills offers Exploration Days on selected Saturdays (https://www.hanfordmills.org/events/) with themes like New York’s dairy industry, conservation of natural resources, and the annual Antique Engine Jamboree.
Dr. Ingrid Skop was interviewed for the Family Life Noon Report, with a pro-life OB-GYN’s perspective on the recent Supreme Court decision saying the “Hippocratic Medicine” group was not the right plaintiff to bring suit against the Federal Food and Drug Administration.
What do people mean when they say “Christian Nationalism”?
Christian nationalism is in the news, but what is it?
Nationalism is different from feeling patriotic or making sure to vote every November. Part of what defines nationalism in general is its goal to reserve privileges for only one group in a country that has many groups. Christian nationalism, to be specific, aims for the government to privilege Christians.
Dr. Paul D. Miller believes Christian nationalism is a danger to the Church. That’s because it makes a Christian’s citizenship in a country a higher priority than a Christian’s citizenship in God’s Kingdom.
“If we start to orient our hearts towards America as if it were an ultimate thing, well, that’s actually idolatry, and we misunderstand the entire Gospel, as if the Gospel is all about making America great. And that’s just not why Jesus came,” Miller says. “He said very clearly, ‘My Kingdom is not of this world.’ I’m grateful for America, but it’s really important that I don’t confuse America for Jesus’ Kingdom.”
He believes that Christian nationalism not only threatens the Church, but also our democracy.
“It is a danger, I think, in a more mild sense of being in tension with the principles of liberty and equality for all citizens, Christian and non-Christian alike.”
And while not all Christian nationalists are violent, some are. Those waving Christian symbols and calling on God as they broke into the nation’s capitol on January 6, 2021 are an example of the movement’s violent minority. “That kind of mixing of religious rhetoric with a violent assault on the citadel of democracy is, I think, clearly dangerous for American democracy,” Miller says. “Again, that’s a small minority, but it is there, let’s not ignore it.”
Miller wants the Church to be aware of the danger of Christian nationalism, even as he points out that it’s not the only threat.
“This is part of a much bigger conversation. While we’ve talked about the dangers on the Right, there’s dangers on the Left as well.”
– – –
Dr. Paul D. Miller is Martha’s guest for this Inside Out discussion on Christian nationalism. Dr. Miller is a former member of the National Security Council staff who has served as an intelligence analyst for the CIA and as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. Currently Dr. Miller is a professor of the practice of international affairs at Georgetown University. Read a more detailed biography of Dr. Paul D. Miller discover more about his book The Religion of American Greatness: What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism.
“Jesus wept”—two words that will show both the kind of vulnerability and power Jesus has as God and man. Hope, Mike and Tim look at Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:17-44)
Support this show by giving to Family Life.
Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
Did you know that in some places, being a Christian isn’t legal? What is this all about, and what can we do about it?
John 15:19-20, 1st John 3:13, Matthew 5:10, 1st Peter 3:14, John 16:33
It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life
We begin the Summer 2024 tour of Pennsylvania and New York in the Finger Lakes region, celebrating 300+ people who transformed medicine, culture, sports, politics, the arts and so much more.
Every one of these special people — a woman.
The National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls has used a nomination process through which the general public can nominate potential inductees.
The Hall marked its grand reopening in an expanded facility this spring, and debuts new exhibit space in July with interactive exhibits on loan from the Smithsonian. “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” will be paired with displays of fiber arts from local and regional crafters. A guest presenter is Hinda Mandell of the Rochester Institute of Technology who has explored a unique parallel between textiles and smartphones.
In this exclusive Family Life News podcast, Executive Director and CEO Jennifer Gabriel tells you about the Hall and its history, its mission and its summer schedule.
– – –
The National Women’s Hall of Fame is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details are at www.WomenOfTheHall.org.
“Staycation Destinations” is our weekly summer series, broadcast each Friday at noon on the radio and online, then posted to our News Podcasts page. Each offers a radio tour of a unique site in Pennsylvania or New York, fairly close to home, fairly inexpensive, and good for a potential day trip or longer visit by individuals, couples, families, friends or church groups.
*Each weekend, we also give you a* “**Sidetrip Suggestion**” *-- another place in our two states which stands out in a unique, quirky, or enlivening way.For this weekend, a completely different angle on what a Hall of Fame can celebrate:*The **Bare Knuckles Boxing Hall of Fame** celebrates John L. Sullivan. With none of those bulky boxing gloves, and 75 rounds later, Sullivan won the world championship.It was in barns built in 1889 where Sullivan trained with a very original fitness guru. William Muldoon is celebrated as the "Father of the Modern Medicine Ball". Some of his other fitness innovations are still in use in that industry today.The Bare Knuckles Boxing Hall of Fame [BKBHOF] is seven miles north of exit 30 on I-86, in the town of Belfast, NY.
“Faith Under Fire” – New York’s Attorney General v Pregnancy Resource Centers – 6/20/24
Pregnancy Care Centers are suing State Attorney General Tish James, to prevent the AG from suing the pro-life centers who want to share medical information about the dangers of two abortion-triggering pills.
Gabriella McIntyre of the Alliance Defending Freedom joins Sarah Harnisch to discuss the issues underlying these current and proposed legal battles, plus what the courts will be asked to consider about Freedom of Speech, government regulations, and the public’s access to appropriate medical information.
“Faith Under Fire” is our weekly interview feature which listens to the voices at the center of today’s religious battlegrounds. Hear these conversations each Thursday during our Noon Report and 5 O’Clock Report — and anytime from FamilyLife.org, on the Family Life Now app, or by searching “Family Life News” on your favorite podcast feed.
It’s “Issues in Education” on Family Life
Dr. Ralph Kerr, founder of the “Teaching and Learning Institute”, has the latest education issues in the news, in this conversation with Family Life’s Bob Price.
This week:
- Heat Day in School
- Mitigating Brain Drain
- KidsCount Survey
This week’s edition of “Issues in Education” is our 2023-24 “season finale”, as this program takes a “summer break”.
Dr. Kerr will be back when this Family Life News Feature returns just ahead of the upcoming school year, to help you analyze issues and actions in school districts where you live, and throughout Pennsylvania and New York.
In the meantime, TLI’s website WhyRun.org has ongoing information for parents, taxpayers and educators.
Dads are really important when it comes to being examples, teaching us skill, and taking care of us! Thanks dads!
Bible verses: Colossians 3:21, Psalm 103:13, Psalm 68:5, Isaiah 1:17, Ephesians 5,
There are at least as many ways to worship God as there are…flavors of ice cream? Steve and Tim talk about preferences and truth at Church AND at the ice cream stand.
Then: Steve’s vow of silence is impressive.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Jason McGuire with “New York Families” and Michael Geer with the “Pennsylvania Family Institute” weigh in on the weight issues in the news from Albany and Harrisburg every Friday on Capital Connection. Here’s what’s happening this week.
Transgender Athletes & Female Sports – An Update from Pennsylvania’s State Capitol
An extended Family Life interview with State Representative Valerie Gaydos, who represents District 44 in Western Pennsylvania.
A former college athlete herself, Rep. Gaydos emphasizes fairness and safety as valid reasons to limit girls’ and women’s sports to those who were born female
Family Life News Producer Greg Gillispie spoke with her at the recent Pennsylvania Family Institute event in Moon Township.
Gary Ingraham with the “Love and Truth Network” will be hosting a series of summits in July in Binghamton on how to “heal from” and “deal with” sexual brokenness. Here’s some of his recent conversation with Family Life News.
Friends can be awesome, but sometimes they can let us down. How do we know who to trust, and is there such a thing as a friend that is always faithful?
Bible Verses: Proverbs 13:20, Psalm 1:1, Malachi 3:10, Joshua 23:14, Psalm 100:5, Romans 8:28, Proverbs 29:5, Proverbs 27:6, 1st John 1:9, 2nd Thessalonians 3:3
When you meet someone who doesn’t agree with you on something it can be easy to treat them badly, but is that how God tells us to behave?
Matthew 22:39, Timothy 3:16, Matthew 18, 1st Corinthians 13, 2nd Timothy 2, Ephesians 4:15, Proverbs 16:5, James 4:6.
We’re smack dab in the middle of the longest days of the year! So, how are we using the time? Steve and Tim talk about the time God gives us.Then: Rise Up P.I. is on the case.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve & Tim on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Family Life HOMETOWNS takes you into the petroleum-rich history of Oil City, Pennsylvania.
Jesus claims to be one with God the Father. His striking statement doesn’t sit well with everyone, as Jim, Robbie, and Tim see in John 10:22-42.
Support this show by giving to Family Life.
Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
Our Memorial Day edition of the Noon Report today includes special extended interviews with
- Chaplain Nelson Chapman of the Erie Veterans Administration Hospital
- Retired Army Reservist and V.A. Chaplain Bren Bishop
- Vietnam-era Navy Medic Dan Miller, with the story of the National Cemetery in the Southern Tier
- Pastor Scott Wise of Family Church Fredonia
The music included in these stories includes
- “Taps“, the Civil-War era song, played at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery
- “Journey Home“, a U.S. Army composer‘s song which is a tribute to her military grandfather, and all those who are brought home from battlefields to a hallowed resting place
Family Life has a special program for Memorial Day:
- Emphasis on tributes of deceased military heroes (even more than a day off of work/school, and retail sales specials)
- “Taps” and flag-folding rituals at military funerals
- The history and significance of a National Cemetery
- How Memorial Day can affect veterans who lost friends and colleagues in wartime and during deployments
- A local pastor and a V-A chaplain reflect on the spiritual opportunities as we grieve and remember loved ones
Join Greg Gillispie and Bob Price at noon on Monday, as we tour Pennsylvania and New York for perspectives on Memorial Day.
(This Family Life News Special is also available on our podcast feeds, the Family Life Now mobile app, and you can download or share it from FamilyLife.org)
There’s a lot of talk in church about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit… but how can they all be God?
Bible Verses: John 1, Philippians 2, John 3:16, Hebrews 12:2, Romans 8:34, Genesis 1, Psalm 19:1, Job 12, Psalm 34:8, Malachi 3:10, , Matthew 6:33,
“Inside Out” : Come Ready to Worship
Ever find you’ve gotten to church, but your mind is someplace else?
“We want to urge people: get your heart and your mind ready before worship so that you can be spiritually engaged when you get there,” says the Rev. Alex Mark. He’s the senior pastor of First Scots Presbyterian Church of America in Beaufort, South Carolina.
He encourages us to focus on the privilege we have when we gather to worship God. “The most fundamental thing we need to realize is how important worship really is,” he says. “Our worship today is actually even more awesome than what they saw at Sinai. Because instead of having Moses as worship leader, we have Jesus. Instead of being kept at a distance, we are commanded to draw near.”
Mark is the author of The Gospel Coalition article “Ready for Church: 5 Ways to Be Present in Worship.” Family Life’s Martha Manikas-Foster talks with the pastor about actively engaging in worshiping God.
Foundational to our worship is remembering who deserves our focus. “We are meeting with the living God. We are being led in worship by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is with us. And then I think the practical things flow from that. That’s one of the things sin does—it just distorts our whole worldview. We become more concerned with whether we’re satisfied than whether God is glorified,” he says.
“The goal of worship isn’t to worship in a way that costs us nothing,” he adds. “Worship should cost us, because it’s a display from our hearts to the world of the incredible value and worth of God.
He suggests several ways we can engage spiritually while at church.
“We want to fight distraction,” he says. “My attention span has to be an offering to God. I want to give it to Him. Sing heartily in worship. I am tone deaf and musically illiterate. It is not a good combination. It’s not the quality of our voices that make our worship acceptable to God. It’s what Jesus has done for us.”
He also points out that we can only apply the lessons of a sermon when we’ve listened to it.
“Engage with the sermon. You know, Satan doesn’t mind us being under the Word, as long as we’re not paying attention to it. And so we’ve got the duty to really listen carefully to the ministry of the Word and then make it our goal for the week to put our preacher’s words into action.”
The Rev. Alex Mark reminds us that worship isn’t always led from the front of the church. It includes supporting and cheering on others in the pews.
“One of the reasons we gather together is to encourage each other,” he reminds us. “Encouraging each other, I think, really means we’re intentional to care for one another’s souls, and to make it our purpose to help one another love and savor Jesus Christ more.”
Listen to our 17-minute conversation in this Family Life Inside Out podcast.
Read the article that inspired this conversation on the Gospel Coalition website
Breaking News! Jesus is alive, and He has told His followers that they will do great things when God’s Spirit enters into them. Click the link to get the story!
Bible verses: John 20, Luke 24, Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1-2, John 14 , Romans 10:9, John 8:31
God’s Spirit lives within every genuine believer in Christ. Steve and Tim talk about discerning the “promptings” of the Holy Spirit.Then: Zarfs inspire a corrugated cardboard haiku.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Planned Parenthood Closing Up Shop at a PA location
Why Assisted Suicide is Bad Medicine
Trump Effect on State-by-state Races
Nassau County’s Transgender Athlete Ban
What to Watch for in the Closing Days of the Legislative Sessions
Christian lobbyists Jason McGuire and Michael Geer discuss the issues that impact Christian voters on this weeks’ edition of “Capital Connection”
For further information:
- Pennsylvania Family Institute: www.PAFamily.org
- New York Families Foundation: www.NewYorkFamilies.org
- Previous editions of our weekly “Capital Connection” roundtable: www.familylife.org/news
It’s time again at the kids corner for the kids to record Mother’s Day greetings for their moms, but how do you let your mom know how you feel about her? Maybe more importantly; what does God think about moms?
Bible Verses: Deuteronomy 5:16, Proverbs 6:20, Leviticus 19:3, Isaiah 66:13, Luke 13:34, Hosea 13:8, Romans 3:10, Luke 6, Matthew 5, 1st Corinthians 13,
None of us would be here without her… Mom. Steve and Tim talk about the memories and current influences of “Mom.”Then: Tim learns what a collect call is.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Churches Can Help in the Pornography Crisis
Sam Black joins Martha Manikas-Foster for this “Inside Out” podcast on successful ways churches are helping those ensnared by pornography. Black is the author of The Healing Church: What Churches Get Wrong about Pornography and How to Fix It.
A lot of Christians use pornography.
“Two-thirds of the men in the Church — and a third of women in the church — say they have an ongoing struggle with pornography,” reports Sam Black, who has walked his own journey to healing. He is the author of The Healing Church: What Churches Get Wrong about Pornography and How to Fix It.
He says that churches that default to a purity talk to fight pornography need a better plan.
“They already know they need to be pure,” he says. “They just can’t seem to get the gorilla off their back.”
The way that people who struggle with pornography find hope is in community, Black says. They need brothers and sisters, in a safe environment within distinct parameters, to come alongside them on the walk to freedom. “What I want to encourage you with is, through a safe place and a safe process, living in freedom is absolutely possible,” he says. “You need to press into it to get it.”
But because pornography is tenacious, you won’t solve it alone.
“With this encouragement, I also have to offer some caution: you don’t find freedom on your own,” he says. “Trying harder and leaning on your willpower and your resolve never lasts. You must involve others. And that’s why we have the Body of Christ.”
A free chapter of Sam Black’s book is available for download.
Sometimes we can feel strong when we’re angry, but this morning Miss Fiona and the girls talk about the dangers of letting anger control us.
Bible Verses: John 15:4-15, James 1:20, Psalm 37:8, 2nd Corinthians 5:21, Mark 3:5, John 2, Mark 11, Numbers 20,
Family Life’s “Capital Connection” – 5/03/24
Anti War Protests on U-S College Campuses
Medical Aid in Dying Act
School Choice in the PA Budget
New York’s War on Pregnancy Help Centers
McCormick / Casey Race Tightens
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire with New York Families and Michael Geer with the Pennsylvania Family Institute discuss the weighty issues in the news from Albany and Harrisburg
Communists Seeking Christianity – Family Life’s “Faith Under Fire”
As the Soviet Union’s government was crumbling, leaders there turned to American Christians to seek solutions to the problems of the USSR.
John Bernbaum and prominent Christian evangelist Philip Yancey were invited to Russia, to tell how faith could overcome the social and moral problems there. Bernbaum gives highlights of this fascinating story to Family Life’s Greg Gillispie.
You will hear how a National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC led to invitations for a Christian delegation to talk with Soviet groups, how political and economic problems are rooted in a lack of values and morals in the culture, and Bernbaum’s comments on lessons from the 1990’s Soviets which should inspire church folks in 2020’s America.
John Bernbaum and Philip Yancey are co-authors of “What Went Wrong: Russia’s Lost Opportunity and the Path to Ukraine”
Jesus seeks us out, but we have to respond! Merri, Jesse and Tim talk about God’s pursuing love in the conclusion of the story of the man born blind in John 9:13-41.
Support this show by giving to Family Life.
Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
Licensed Christian counselor Bonnie Kellogg has a heart for the hurting. She’ll headline a daylong conference for widows on Saturday, June 1st at the Chambers Wesleyan Camp in Beaver Dams, NY. This event is intended to help those who are suffering “befriend their grief”. Kellogg spoke recently about the conference to Family Life’s Bob Price. Here’s some of their conversation.
Licensed Christian social worker Bonnie Kellogg has a heart for those who are hurting. She’ll headline a daylong conference on Saturday, June 1st at the Chambers Wesleyan Camp in Beaver Dams, NY. This event is intended to help widows “befriend” their grief. Kellogg spoke recently about this conference with Family Life’s Bob Price. Here’s some of their conversation.
Christian pastor, author and tech “guru” Brad Huddleston talks about what happens in the brain when people become addicted to their devices.
God Uses Long-Lasting Friendships
“Inside Out” with Martha Manikas-Foster
We need long-lasting friendships. But political divisions, our self-reliance, and the failure to prioritize time with friends all work against sustained relationships.
“Intimacy, trust, and vulnerability–which at least to me are all really important factors in friendships—take time. Like years,” says photographer, marriage coach, and author Dorothy Littell Greco. “And that’s not to say that you can’t go deep quickly with someone that you recently met, but I think having friends for a long time—and I’m talking about like decades—is qualitatively different.”
“I think probably most of us could recount seasons in our life where friends just really come alongside of us and give us what we need in order to make it through day to day.”
Greco discusses how we are created to need friendship, and how even when our relationships encounter rocky terrain the challenge can grow us in ways few other things can. “It teaches us how to love, it teaches us how to forgive,” she says, “so there’s something about that forging deeper into friendship that I think allows us to grow up and to grow into people who are more like Jesus. And, at least for me, that’s what it’s all about.”
Greco believes that one way we can keep friendships growing, even during divisive times, is by standing alongside our friends at pivotal moments in their lives. “Showing up is really, really important, right? Showing up for those milestone events—their babies getting christened, or they’re having an engagement party, or somebody’s father died,” Greco says. “So us being present, saying, ‘We value you more than whatever else it is that we could do in that time.’”
Another important way to keep friendships growing is by facing issues head-on. “Those moments when differences surface, all of us, pretty much, have the tendency to just kind of withdraw. But rather than using that as an excuse to pull back, is saying, ‘Well, this could allow us to go deeper with each other,’” she says. “So not backing away from conflict.”
Greco also suggests taking the leap and being authentically yourself with each other.
“Choosing to say, ‘This person, I really like the conversations we’ve had, I’m going to take a risk with them and be a little bit more vulnerable.’”
Dorothy Littell Greco has written on the importance of friendship and how marriages can flourish. She is the author of Marriage in the Middle, Making Marriage Beautiful, and Start Strong.
“Inside Out” is one of our Wednesday News Features on Family Life’s Noon Report and in your Family Life News podcast feed.
“Issues in Education” – Family Life Radio Network – 4/22/24
- Should cell phones be banned in the classroom?
- Four-Day School Weeks are now an option in Pennsylvania
- The New York Legislature’s delays on approving a state budget puts unneeded pressure on local school boards and superintendents
Dr. Ralph Kerr is a Christian advocate for public education in Pennsylvania and New York. The longtime school administrator founded the Teaching and Learning Institute, and he joins the Family Life Noon Report on Mondays to talk about schools, voters, parents, teachers and students.
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire (who leads the New York Families Foundation) and Michael Geer (who leads the Pennsylvania Family Institute) discuss the weighty issues in the news each Friday on Family Life’s “Capital Connection“. Here’s what’s happening this week:
- New York’s Parental Replacement Act
- Punishing De-Transitioners in Pennsylvania
- Limits on Cellphones in School
- Abortion Extremism in the NYS Budget
- Previewing Primary Day in PA
Followup:
Today’s conversation mentioned Chloe Cole, whose body was medically transformed when she was underaged — starting at 12 years old. Her personal dilemmas continued through her teen years, and as a young adult she underwent a “de-transitioning” in order to be a female. She talked about her life and her unique perspective on the so-called “gender-affirming” social movement at her Capitol Hill testimony in 2023. The August 2 Family Life News Feature offered highlights of her first-person presentation, and you can hear, share or download it from FamilyLife.org/newspodcasts.
For more information:
NewYorkFamilies.org
PAFamily.org
When we take care of other people’s stuff, it can feel like a big responsibility, but what about taking care of God’s stuff?
Bible Verses: John 1:3, Colossians 1:17, Acts 17:28, Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2:15, 1st Corinthians 9:27,
When God shows you how He can take something bad and use it for good…while you’re watching a kids show?? Inspired by Bluey, Steve and Tim look at how God works!Then: Our pets’ most Christlike traits…
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Would you let your Kindergartener go swimming in a tank full of sharks? You are anytime you let them go on the internet unsupervised. It’s a playground for predators. In fact, 88% of trafficking is now taking place online. Terese Talks with Lisa Hanson, CEO and Founder of Power over Predators. Her work today is a result of her experience being trafficked.
You can hear more about how to keep your kids safe online when you hear Lisa speak at the Dark Side of Social Media seminar coming to Family Life October 21st. She’ll be joined by Joseph Sweeney from the Asservo Project. This event is great for parents and teens, and registration is open now at www.familylife.org.
Terese Main is a wife, mom and flawed human. Above all, she loves Jesus. She co-hosts Family Life Mornings, which can be heard on radio stations across New York and Pennsylvania, and at www.familylife.org. She is a native of the Finger Lakes Region and a graduate of Ithaca College. It’s her heart’s desire to encourage others to live their lives fully in God’s blessing.
Sometimes it can be hard to admit you were wrong in front of others. How embarrassing! Win or lose, as Christians, honesty is always the best policy.
Bible Verses: James 5:16, 1st John 1:9, Matthew 18:1, Ephesians 4:32, Galatians 6:2, and Proverbs 21:6,
From the truth he preached to the people he associated with, Jesus lived on God’s terms, not man’s. Mike, Becki, and Tim look at two healings of Jesus’ that stunned the world. (John 4:43-54; 5:1-18)
Support this show by giving to Family Life.
Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
If you’ve played a game, you know how frustrating it is when someone cheats. You may have even been tempted to cheat yourself! As Christians, we are supposed to honest, but what do we do when the people around us aren’t?
Bible Verses: Philippians 1:9, Romans 12:2, Thessalonians 5:21, Matthew 5:44, Matthew 10:16, Psalm 37:21, and Romans 12:20
What does it mean to be a man or woman “After God’s own heart?” Steve, Terese and Tim have advice for seeking God in a profound way.
Then: what do YOU call a whatchamacallit?
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Life is full of decisions. Big ones and little ones. How do we know when we are making the right ones?
Bible Verses: Proverbs 4:7, 8:11, and 19:20, James 1:5 and Proverbs 2:6
"Faith Under Fire" A parents-rights advocate says proposed laws are putting children and teen at risk. Randy Thomasson of SaveCalifornia.com updates us on a proposed California law now up for amendments and a vote this month (July 2023) in their state senate. This, he says, opens dangers for underage children in every state.
The legislation seeks to place a parent's affirmation of of their child's preferred gender identity among the criteria considered in child custody cases. That would mean in a case of a divorce or when a child or teen runs away (even from outside of California), judges would consider a parent who disagrees with the child's announced gender role, the health and safety of the child could be considered "at risk" with that parent.
Thomasson tells Family Life's Greg Gillispie that hundreds of California parents (from both sides of the aisle) showed up in the capitol building during hearings, strongly opposed to the proposed change in the law. He predicts it will pass and get the governor's signature.
There have been similar pushes for such laws in New York and other states. Thomasson offers advice for families everywhere, in how to protect their own children and teens amid the current culture wars.
More on the California legislation, and its potential effects elsewhere:
Many lawmakers in Sacramento support Assembly Bill AB-957, Lobbying by SaveCalifornia.com. Multiple thousands who had body-altering procedures, while they were underage, are now regretting that choice. Some want to reverse the surgery or hormone treatments.
Have you ever opened your mouth and the wrong words keep coming out? Or maybe you thought you were being nice and helpful but they took offense to it? In today's episode, Monica can relate!
Bible Verses: Proverbs 15:1, Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 29:11, James 1:19, Proverbs 12:20, Romans 12:18
It's "Staycation Destinations" on Family Life A World War II soldier carried art supplies with him onto battlefields. When he could, he painted to find balance amid the violence around him. After his return home in western New York, Larry Griffis Jr. felt a tug between his budding career running a family business, and fulfilling his inner calling to be an artist. In this Family Life News Feature, you will hear how the choice he made led to an outdoor sculpture museum near East Otto, New York.
The Griffis Sculpture Park offers a unique collection of large steel sculptures, by Griffis and other nationally- and internationally-renown artists. As the founder's granddaughter Nila Griffis Lampman tells us, this is an incredibly opportune day trip for anyone, but especially for families with young children. Unlike many art museums where young children might be bored ("don't run...", "don't touch...") this sculpture park encourages young guests to climb on giant animal sculptures and more. It's all outdoors, with room to walk, play and picnic. Hiking trails connect the 250+ pieces throughout the 450-acre park.
Lampman tells the fascinating story of her grandfather's life journey, artistic discoveries, and his philosophy on making the results of creative endeavors accessible to children.
Griffis Sculpture Park is in Cattaraugus County, about halfway between Buffalo and Salamanca on Route 219. (The park's annual Summer Festival is Sunday afternoon, August 20, 2023. Night Lights happen selected weekends in September and October)
“Staycation Destinations” is our weekly summer series, broadcast each Friday at noon on the radio and online, then posted to our News Podcasts page. Each offers a radio tour of a unique site in Pennsylvania or New York, close to home, relatively inexpensive, and good for a potential day trip or longer visit.
Each weekend, we also give you a “Sidetrip Suggestion” another place in our two states which stands out in a unique, quirky, or enlivening way.
Eckley Miners' Village at Weatherly, Pennsylvania, offers a free walking tour (dawn to dusk) where you can stroll into the 19th Century at what was said to the largest concentration of anthracite coal in the world. Historic buildings show what a company town of the era looked like. A state commission oversees the attraction, and a museum and guided tours are scheduled. This is about 25 miles south of Wilkes-Barre, not far from the I-80 / I-81 interchange.
"Faith Under Fire" Joe Kennedy became a high school assistant football coach at Bremerton High School, as a part of a strengthening Christian faith and a deep sense of calling. After personal prayers on the field after games, later some students and fans would join him at the 50-yard-line.
After he was suspended and eventually fired because the school did not want him promoting religion, an eight-year legal battle followed. This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his First Amendment rights to "free exercise of religion" superceded the school's contention that a school employee could not promote a specific religion (the First Amendment's "establishment" clause).
This week as the fall football season begins, "Coach Joe" and his faith and his team are drawing new coverage from Seattle-area and national media, Family Life revisits an interview we had with Kennedy when he came to New York State on a speaking tour.
More about Joe Kennedy's life, faith, ministry and sense of calling is available here.
Sometimes life is scary, and your first reaction is to run away! But there are times when running away isn't the right choice. Artie Ivy and Peter talk about what other options there are at Mr. Jacobs garage this week.
Bible Verses: Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:20, Philippians 4:13, Hebrews 13:6
A brand new life is such a blessing. As soon as that new baby is born, the new parents are inundated with advice. Steve, Terese & Tim share their best parenting advice.
Then: an unexpected way to assign new nicknames for everyone.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Sometimes our parents or friends can let us down, but what do we do when we feel like God has let us down?
Bible Verses: Job, Romans 8:28, John 16:24, Isaiah 65:24, James 4:3, 1st Peter 3:12
The Bible tells us to ask God for our “daily bread.” But what does that mean? Steve, Terese & Tim share how we can apply it to our lives today, where we can get everything, in an instant.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
At their heart, Sanctus Real is just a 90s band, still making powerful music. Recently they performed at Kingdom Bound and had a chance to talk to Terese Main during Heart of the Artist. They'll appear in concert in Wayland, NY on August 5th. Find out more about the show here.
Did you know that the Bible tells us what happens at the End of the World? What are we supposed to do about it?
Bible Verses: 2nd Peter 3 John 3:16, Matthew 24, 1st Corinthians 12:4,
Family Life's "Staycation Destinations" for Summer 2023 "Ska-Nonh" translates into English, roughly, as "peace and wellness" or "I am glad it is well with you.
That Native American vocabulary -- and philosophy -- gave the name to the Ska-nonh Great Law of Peace Center along the shore of Onandaga Lake in central New York. The Skanonh Center is a living museum which celebrates the culture, history and contributions of multiple nations which found unity they share as the Haudenosaunee People.
The Center is now a project of the Onandaga History Association. Executive Director Lisa Moore offers us an overview of the Haudenosaunee stories, and she provides details of what visitors can experience.
"The things we have a tendency to overlook take on a new level of importance. In Haudenosaunee tradition, being grateful and giving thanks is a regular practice in both everyday life and at special occasions. The Thanksgiving Address, or “The Words that Come Before All Else,” is delivered in Native Haudenosaunee languages at both the beginning and the end of social gatherings, celebrations, and council meetings; and it is recited each morning at the beginning of the school day."
The Ska-nonh Center is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, and is located on the Onondaga Lake Parkway at Liverpool, northwest of Syracuse. Details and schedules are here.
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"Faith Under Fire" When people of faith look at the realities of abuse, violence, addictions and so many more social issues, a lot of the analysis describes these as the culture's "problems". Craig DeRoche told a New York pro-family, pro-faith conference -- and now tells Family Life listeners -- that the vocabulary and perspective on "problems" and "solutions" need to change...if we are to bring a resolution and hope to all these circumstances around us.
DeRoche is the president of the Family Policy Alliance. He says we need to reverse the terms "problems" and "solutions". The troubles around us are less about problems to be solved, but can be better understood as inadequate and unhelpful solutions to the deeper problems people have. As a follower of Christ, he says lives of faith and discipleship are the only solutions that work. He tells his first-person story about how Jesus resolved his own inner problems, and thereby his marriage, family and vocation became better than they ever were before.
DeRoche, in his own work with the national organization, also advocates for this understanding of problems and solutions as he advocates for public policy in his interactions with lawmakers. He calls on people who have discovered the True Solution to be active in their households, local communities, regional and statewide groups, and other ways of faith-sharing and solution-solving.
The Family Policy Alliance has partnerships with organizations in 40 states, including New York and Pennsylvania. Craig DeRoche also spoke at the 2023 Legislative Day in Albany. He hosts a weekly podcast on with stories on culture and faith.
It’s that time of year again! Mr. Jacobs and the gang are putting on a drama show for the community to raise money for missionaries.
Matthew 6,
It’s that time of year again! Mr. Jacobs and the gang are putting on a drama show for the community to raise money for missionaries.
Ecclesiastes 3, and Psalm 37:7, and Proverbs 3
They are short, powerful messages about living life on Earth. Hear which Proverb Steve, Terese and Tim say is their favorite.
Then: Things are getting topsy-piggledy.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
During our one-day "Project REACH" on Family Life, there are adjustments to some of our regularly-scheduled programming.
Here is what is happening today in New York, Pennsylvania, and around the world.
It’s that time of year again! Mr. Jacobs and the gang are putting on a drama show for the community to raise money for missionaries.
1st Corinthians 12
We make all kinds of choices every day. What do I wear, what do I eat? What friends do I make? What answer do I give on the test? What college do I go to when I graduate? And it seems like we have to have the right answer. That's a lot of pressure!
Bible Verses: 1st Peter 3:15, Isaiah 64:6, and 1st Corinthians 13
Can you imagine being in charge of your whole family as a kid? What about your whole town? Or Country! There is a kid in the Bible who knows how it feels. He was only 8 when he became King of Judah!
(Bible verses: 2nd Chronicles 34, 2nd Kings 22, Matthew 7:7, Luke 10:27, Matthew 22:37)
President Biden's actions to write-off some of the college loans for some college students has been controversial. Some who would benefit from Executive Branch forgiveness of student debt wonder how they would add loan payments to their current personal budgets. Others though say it is unfair to force those loan costs onto people who paid up front for their education, didn't take Federal loans, went to a Christian university which doesn't get entangled with government funds -- and anyone who never went to college.
A decision from the U.S. Supreme Court is expected any day.
A New York-based financial adviser predicts that the Court will rule that Mr. Biden had no legislative authority to simply write off some debts for some students. The wrangling has cost the government billions every month, and a ruling could through young people who haven't begun paying off the loans they signed into financial crisis.
College loan expert Paul Celuch was a special guest on the June 23 Family Life Noon Report to discuss student loans, college costs, and options for every student and family who wrestles with debt. He talks about how higher education has relatively little reason to hold down costs, especially after the student loan program was taken away from private lenders a decade ago, and solely rests with the government.
This podcast version of that interview also has some Bonus Content in addition to what was heard during this Noon Report.
Faith Under Fire: First Amendment protections for students and their parents Parents are increasingly being ignored, targeted and attacked – for protecting the rights of their children in school settings. Family Life talked with a Christian attorney who says what is happening to the young people is even worse.
A 15-year-old student in a Clark County school district in Nevada was forced to perform a profanity-laced, sexually explicit, and obscene monologue before the entire class as a graded assignment. School officials then lied to the parents. Although the teen girl had been forced to say those words in front of her class the school board prevented the student's mother from reading aloud those same words in a public meeting of adults.
Abigail Southerland of the American Center for Law and Justice explains the case for us, as well as the multiple efforts which the parents made to complain to the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. (The girl's father had to do so virtually, as he was on a military deployment.)
A decision from the Federal Court is expected soon. Because of the First Amendment issues raised, there could be an appeal of the verdict, to address what the plaintiffs call compelled speech for the student and restricted speech for the parents.
Bonus content:
A written summary of the experiences of this family and the case before the Nevada Court ACLJ's one-page guide on the Free Speech rights of all students in schools nationwide.
Christian agencies and Christian households have been, for centuries, leaders in providing care, love and nurture for children who do not have another safe home.
Where do people of faith get motivated to do so? Often, from their congregations.
Lifeway Research surveyed American Christians about how often they hear about adoption and foster care from their churches' leaders and programs. Executive Director Scott McConnell joins Greg Gillispie to talk about what their researchers found, plus how that promotion of unique ministry to children and teens has changed in recent years. McConnell also offers analysis of how pastors and other church leaders can use these trends to encourage more support for the next generation, whether it is a family exploring whether and how to be adoptive parents and siblings, or a foster family -- or for those who need a different opportunity, options to support the young people and their new families in other ways.
This conversation is a timely companion to this week's Family Life "Hometown Heroes". Listen for that feature here, about a local angle on supporting foster kids and foster families. Foster Hope New York offers that kind of advocacy and encouragement in the Syracuse region and central New York.
Issues in Education Controversial new guidance on gender-identities from the NYS Education Department --- plus how to mitigate Summer “Learning Loss”
Dr. Ralph Kerr, founder of the “Teaching and Learning Institute” has the latest education issues in the news, in this conversation with Family Life's Bob Price.
This week's edition of "Issues in Education" is our 2022-23 "season finale", as this program takes a “summer break” - but don’t worry, Kerr will be back with the start of the upcoming school year, to help you analyze issues and actions in school districts where you live, and throughout New York and Pennsylvania.
Fathers Day is coming up and the kids at Mr. Jacob's garage are wondering where to find good examples of what a good Dad is like.
Bible Verses: Genesis 25, Job, Matthew 7 and Hebrews 12, 1st John 5, John 1:12-13,
You could spend your whole life studying God’s Word. Steve, Terese and Tim share what they think is the main message to take away from the Bible.
Plus, what do the gym, ice cream and God have in common? Listen to find out!
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
It’s a role often unseen—but deeply influential. The role of a mother. When you look at successful families, you’ll often find a sweet, quiet spirit in the shadows. That is the case with Helen Smallbone. You probably know her daughter, Rebecca St. James, or her sons, Luke and Joel of For King & Country. They’re just three of her seven kids. And then there’s her husband, David—who is also prominent in the Christian music world. Cheering them all on is a woman filled with grace and determination. She is the focus of the upcoming movie, “Unsung Hero.” She’s also the author of the book, “Behind the Lights,” which tells the incredible story of her family’s move from Australia to the American music scene. Purchase the book here.
Terese Main is a wife, mom and flawed human. Above all, she loves Jesus. She co-hosts Family Life Mornings, which can be heard on radio stations across New York and Pennsylvania, and at www.familylife.org. She is a native of the Finger Lakes Region and a graduate of Ithaca College. It’s her heart’s desire to encourage others to live their lives fully in God’s blessing.
Have you ever tried to convince your parents to let you get a pet? What do they always say? Mine would say, "Are you going to take care of it? Feed it? Clean up after it?" Fun things almost always come with responsibility. But Why?
(Bible verses: , Luke 12:48, Genesis 37-47)
How did anything go viral before the Internet? Steve, Terese and Tim go back in their memories to share things they remember spreading without social media.
Plus, some encouragement for Father's Day!
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Procrastination ... not just "getting around to it" ... getting through it The reasons we procrastinate are numerous, but Christian counselor Christopher Anderson says our self-doubt often keeps us from making forward progress.
Any time a person feels over-scheduled or over-stressed, it's easy to get bogged down. The tasks might be boring or less important or unstructured. We also might need to develop a better system of rewarding or affirming yourself.
Anderson, a New-York-based Christian counselor, says we can push through our procrastination, by accomplishing one thing, rather than letting a decision-making process leave you spinning your wheels. Each item you can check off your list helps you to get ahead of future to-do lists.
Anderson also says, if you are procrastinating on "getting around to" Bible reading and personal devotional time, that could be why you feel out of balance or anxious. He offers advice -- including perspectives from his own life -- on how and when to make time with the Lord be fruitful and beneficial.
"Real Answers" helps you tackle the tough topics facing today's Christians and families. It is one of our Wednesday features heard on the air and online during the Family Life Noon Report. These conversations are always available for listening or downloading from FamilyLife.org/NewsPodcasts.
What is a ‘good impression’? Is it important? Why?
Bible Verses: Romans 3:23, 2nd Corinthians 5
“Memorial Day in New York and Pennsylvania”
Originally called Decoration Day, the occasion was first marked three years after the end of the Civil War. On May 5, 1868, John Logan, head of the major Union Army veterans association, issued a proclamation from his Washington, D.C., office inviting Americans to celebrate “Decoration Day” on May 30. He urged them to decorate Civil War graves with the “choicest flowers of springtime.” He spoke at the first official commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery that year.
Congress and Presidents ever since have made proclamations which urged remembrance and tributes of those who sacrificed themselves to serve the causes of their nation. Memorial Day is now observed on the last Monday of May.
This year, Family Life News has gathered stories from current soldiers and veterans from our listening area. Hear about “Taps”, volleys, Gold-Star Families, and memorable services at Bath National Cemetery. A pastor offers encouragement, whether you visit a cemetery to decorate the grave of a civilian, or as you memorialize a service person who has died, be that at war or in peacetime.
From the time we can talk, we want to “Do it myself!”, but is that how we should always be? Is it ok to ask for help?
Bible Verses: Matthew 19, Ezekiel 36:27, Matthew 11:28, John 14:26, Ephesians 1:13, Revelation 9:4, Luke 11:13, Philippians 3:14
Actions speak louder than words. But motivation is the key to all we say and do. Steve, Terese & Tim talk about the heart behind life choices, and how you can show the love of God in all you do.
Then: Biblically accurate worship band – what could go wrong?
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
This newscast includes Leonard Cohen’s dramatic reading of the 1915 poem In Flanders Fields.
It’s “Capital Connection”, our weekly roundtable which explores political and cultural issues making news in PA and NY.
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire with New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms and Michael Geer with the Pennsylvania Family Institute have the latest “wheelin’ and dealin’” on policy issues you care about on this week’s edition of “Capital Connection”, including:
- Pros and cons of a “Snitch” Bill in the Pennsylvania legislature
- New York State eventually will end its Vax Mandate for health care professionals
- Are SUNY campuses a solution to the Migrant Crisis ?
- “AI” … Artificial Intelligence
- Social pressures to conform
- Inaccurate stereotypes of people of faith
The development of thinking machines that can learn even more on their own might be the biggest news of this decade.
As the technological innovations mushroom and societal trends veer away from tradition, how are people to respond?
James Spencer, president of the D.L. Moody Center, contends that these times bring yet more opportunities for Christ’s followers to defy the world and choose discipleship.
Spencer says there is an incorrect assumption about how to “fix” problems in the world. While “AI” can process information faster, he tells Family Life’s Abigail Hofland that the core of our human circumstance cannot be resolved simply with data, no matter whether that data is manipulated by brainpower or computer power. Even in the midst of great advances, “AI” cannot take the place of our God-given reasoning ability.
“Faith Under Fire” tackles issues which face Christian citizens in a challenging culture. “Faith Under Fire” airs on Family Life during the Noon Report on Thursdays. Current and archived episodes are always available at FamilyLife.org.
A growing trend is the number of post-high-school adults who live with their parents.
It’s described, somewhat imprecisely, as a “failure to launch.”
The reasons are numerous: financial, medical, convenience — or fear of “adulting”.
Christian counselor Christopher Anderson says there are practical ways families can help their young adult children be more comfortable and confident, ready to enter the next chapter of their lives. Young adults living at home, he says, showed share in the cost of living and share in household tasks. He also says there are significant steps which can help younger teens and
Anderson says the cultural emphasis toward entitlements – and away from personal responsibility — has hampered this generation’s development.
The licensed therapist says teens and preteens can learn be more ready for successful adulthood if they are involved in a church.
Bonus content:* Family Life also asked our frequent News Feature guest for local reaction about this week’s updated news that the U.S. Surgeon General has issued a warning about the social, emotional and physical effects which come from young people being on social media. In his private practice, Christoper Anderson says the device addiction is real. He offers this guidance* to parents and families in the Family Life listening area.
Bonus content: Family Life also asked our frequent News Feature guest for local reaction about this week’s updated news that the U.S. Surgeon General has issued a warning about the social, emotional and physical effects which come from young people being on social media. In his private practice, Christoper Anderson says the device addiction is real. He offers this guidance to parents and families in the Family Life listening area.
"The Impact Project" sprang from a simple act of kindness: A group of church members banding together to assist a woman whose dilapidated home was in dire need of repair. The extensive work a band of volunteers completed in less than 48 hours proved to be a powerful witness to her neighborhood, and the genesis of "The Impact Project" which has since helped hundreds of people in need in Chenango County, New York and beyond. On this edition of "Hometown Heroes", founder Jim Willard recounts those early days and the moving stories that have happened since then.
With three words, Jesus gave His first disciples an invitation that echoes still today: "Come and see." Hope, Jim and Tim look at the ways Jesus invites us to know Him better in the first chapter of John's gospel. (John 1:35-51)Support this show by giving to Family Life.Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
Honor: To regard with great respect. In theory, its simple! Flora and Monica have some questions on how it really works, and Miss Fiona and Mr. Jacobs do their best to explain.Bible Verses: Romans 13, Exodus 20:12, Matthew 19:26, Philippians 4, and 1 Corinthians 13
Have you ever been in a friendship that was unhealthy? It can be hard figuring out if and when it’s time to move on. Steve, Terese & Tim share about the difficult friendships they have faced.Relevant Magazine: "When Is It OK to End a Friendship?"Then: Reality cooking competition at it's biblical best.Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Here’s what’s happening this week on Capital Connection: Migrant Crisis Primary Day Recap Are School Boards the New Battleground in America’s Culture Wars? Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer discuss the local impact of weighty issues in the news from Harrisburg, Albany, and beyond.
Dr. Paul Kengor returns to Family Life to offer insights on public discourse, especially with a faith and values perspective. On this edition of our "Faith Under Fire" Feature, Kengor says Christians need to be boldly involved in the culture around them. Those who sit by silently, afraid to speak up, are worried about human judgment and getting a bad reputation on social media. He contrasts those who decide to "stay under the radar" to avoid controversy with martyrs throughout church history to did not water down truth, just to stay popular or avoid showdowns.At the same time, he points to Scriptural guidance -- and common sense practicality -- that anyone with a vantage point need to offer charitable respect to others whose positions have taken them in a different direction. Paul Kengor is on the faculty at Grove City College in western Pennsylvania, directs the Institute for Faith and Freedom there, and is senior editor of The American Spectator.
When is it good to be embarrassed? When is it bad? That’s what Kyle, Laura, and Sam talk about at Mr. Jacob’s garage.
Bible Verses: Luke 14:11, 1st Thessalonians 5:11, Matthew 18:15, 2 Corinthians 11
Being an adult comes with great responsibility, but it’s also pretty awesome. Steve, Terese & Tim share their favorite things about finally being a grown-up!
Then: That time Steve ate a country.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
What Can 229 Billion Dollars Buy & What’s Not to like about House Bill 300
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer fight to promote Christian values in Albany and Harrisburg. Here’s what’s happening this week at the state capitals.
Events mentioned in this week’s News Feature:
- “The Gosnell Effect” Forum in Philadelphia, Saturday, May 13
- Vision 2023 — Legislative Day in Albany, Tuesday, May 23
For the annual National Day of Prayer, Faith Under Fire talks with Mark Burrell, a Pennsylvania native who draws direct connections between Biblical mandates of America’s Declaration of Independence.
He has written Rediscovering the American Covenant : Roadmap to Restore America. Listen as he talks about the Biblical and spiritual calling which guides a national to renewal, peace and justice. Burrell has recommendations for individual Christians and groups of citizens. Not only should elected and appointed government officials call forth the uniqueness of America’s founding identity, he says congregations have a unique opportunity to encourage faithful citizenship.
Marriage is a signpost pointing to God’s unconditional love.
Marriage is so much more than compatible people with romantic feelings for each other, and we want children to know this. “Marriage is based on a promise. And it’s based on a promise because it’s trying to be a mirror to the love God has shown us in Jesus, which is covenantal love,” he says. “It’s promise-making love.”
To help parents and caregivers teach this, pastor and author Sam Allberry has written the picture book God’s Signpost: How Marriage Points Us to God’s Love. The story revolves around siblings Ethan and Lila, who learn about marriage as they celebrate their grandparents’ 50th anniversary.
“What we want a child to know about God’s love is that it is unconditional,” Allberry says in our Family Life conversation. “God loves us because of what He’s like. He doesn’t love us because of what we’re like. And so we can’t perform our way into it, and we can’t sin our way out of it. He loves us because it’s His nature to love.”
Which is a good thing, Allberry assures us, as even solid marriages don’t always point to God’s love. “Ultimately, our faith is not on whether we get this right, but on whether God Himself is able to love us in this way,” Allberry says. “And He so beautifully is.”
Learn about Sam Allberry’s book God’s Signpost: How Marriage Points Us to God’s Love here.
The Calling is a Family Life original podcast for pastors that focuses on the personal and professional challenges they face in their mission to serve the Lord. In Episode 4, Pastor Jay Riggleman from Bible Baptist Church in Sodus, NY talks about ministry inside and outside of the church as he is also a boys varsity soccer coach at the local public school.
This week on "Hometown Heroes", meet Kevin Keeley of Spring Creek Lavender Farm in the Oneida County village of Remsen, New York.They will host a Thrive Marriage Weekend August 11-12, 2023. Keeley says the wonderful dreams which people take into their marriages often are followed by couples' harder times. There are always ways in which each couple -- and each individual in a marriage can "tune in" to one another and live into joy and commitment Facilitated by marriage experts Chris Bruno and Tracy Johnson, this two-day retreat will take you through four curated experiences that are key to developing marital belonging. Far more than learning tips and techniques, you will walk through the ReStory® marriage process and leave with more understanding, empathy, and a vision for how your marriage can flourish the way God intended.Spring Creek Lavender has graciously decided to offer a special $25 discount for the weekend for Family Life listeners and website users. Use the coupon code “Family Life” when you go to thrivemarriageweekend.com
Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania has an interesting history, with its role as a war crossroads, a coal industry hotbed, and the legend of the Molly Maguires.The community is also the hometown of an invention which revolutionized how multiple generations had access to entertainment and information.Join Mark Webster as our twice-a-month Monday tours of the towns, burgs and communities which make up the Family Life listening area brings you the story of Mahanoy City and its 4,600 residents in east-central Pennsylvania.
Why are we told to help each other? Are there people we shouldn't help? Ivy and Sage show up at Mr. Jacob's garage with some questions. Mr. Brian does his best to answer them with Mr. Jacob's help.Bible Verses: Matthew 21:12, John 2:15, Luke 19:45, Mark 11:15, Mark 10:31 Matthew 25, Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:29, Ephesians 5:1, 1st John 3:2, 1st John 4:20,
You might not even notice. Or, it might be a mild irritation. But for others, it’s maddening! Steve, Terese & Tim share about the sounds that drive them crazy.Then: Internet is just off-brand Library.Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
"PA House Bill 300 & an Update on the Late NY State Budget”There's been lots of “wheelin’ and dealin'” in Harrisburg and Albany this week. There’s progress as Democratic legislators and the governor finalize a proposed NY government budget, which is full of policy changes as well. Jason McGuire of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms analyzes this week's news.Michael Geer of the Pennsylvania Family Institute explains the implications on HB300, which he calls dangerous legislation now advancing in the PA House. Find out more about governmental actions and current issues on “Capital Connection”, airing on the radio Fridays at noon and available 24/7 on Family Life's News-Podcasts page.
Two guys, both named Shane, meet in college. They're studying business. And they end up going into business together. But their business is spreading the Word of God, through music. The story of Shane & Shane is one only God could write. Shane Barnard and Shane Everett talk with Terese Main about the state of worship in the American church, and the heart behind their current hit, "You've Already Won." Plus, an audio preview of some retro songs they would like to put a contemporary spin on. Shane & Shane are in concert 4/28/23 at Clarks Summit University in Clarks Summit, PA and 4/29/23 at First Bible Baptist Church in Hilton (near Rochester), NY. Connect with tickets at www.familylife.org/events.
A public school district ended its 11-year partnership with Arizona Christian University in February 2023, after a school board member felt threatened by the hatred of an organization which centers itself on its faith identity. The university says the actions of the Washington Elementary School District violate ACU's constitutionally protected freedoms.The Alliance Defending Freedom brought a First-Amendment lawsuit on behalf of the University. Alliance attorney Jake Reed gives Family Life's listeners and web visitors an update on the case, and insights into the issues which have impact far beyond Arizona.Family Life's Abigail Hofland leads this conversation.
The move to at-home work has opened new opportunities but also created new challenges to workplace cohesion and accountability.Our specialist on Christ-centered priorities in various aspects of our lives, counselor Christopher Anderson, offers insights on how employees have responsibilities to maintain productivity standards, even if their job has them "out of the office" part or all of the workweek. He describes it as a spiritual issue.Also on this edition of "Real Answers", Anderson speaks to the challenges employers have in recruiting a full staff, and how today's realities and intentional behaviors can help young adults thrive and advance more quickly, as they launch their careers. This feature is matched with a parallel conversation on how employers can demonstrate affirmation to their staff. Listen to the March 29 edition of Real Answers from Family Life.
The drug Mifepristone was the subject of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, temporarily allowing distribution of that abortifacient which has been the subject of varied rulings in multiple states.Dr. Ingrid Skop's work as an OB-GYN was at the center of a Texas judge's ruling which triggered the Supreme Court review. Dr. Skop tells Family Life that she personally has had to save the lives of more than a dozen women who suffered life-threatening side effects after taking Mifepristone. She says the harm to pregnant women has been vastly underreported and ignored by many in the medical community and among Women's Rights proponents. Dr. Skop contends that, even despite the documented harm shown, Mifepristone has been under less FDA review than Tylenol is. Her testimony is likely to be included as the legal disputes continue in upcoming hearings in Federal and state courts.Dr. Skop joined Family Life for an extended conversation on our April 25 Noon Report.More from Dr. Skop: Dr. Skop's biography, and links to articles and interviews Capitol Hill testimony 12 reasons that abortions threaten women's health more than abortion limitations do
"If That Makes Sense" is back to focus on the Gospel of John for a season. In this episode, Robbie, Becki and Tim are looking at where it all begins: with Jesus. Every episode is like a Bible study with friends!Support this show by giving to Family Life!Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
3 Questions to Ask Prospective School Board MembersNext month, New York voters must decide the make-up of their local school board. Dr. Ralph Kerr at the “Teaching and Learning Institute” says there are 3 questions that need to be asked of those who are seeking a seat. Find out what those 3 questions on this week’s edition of “Issues in Education”.These same questions are appropriate to ask when local districts in Pennsylvania hold elections, and when boards in either state select new members to fill vacancies.
Mr Jacobs and Miss Fiona are going for a litter walk and Chelsea and Peter have some questions: Is it a DATE?! What's a 'litter walk'? Join in as Mr Jacobs and Miss Fiona explain environmentalism.Bible Verses: Genesis 1 & 2, Psalm 24:1, Matthew 7:12, Philippians 2:3-4, Psalm 19, Job 12, Matthew 10, Romans 8
How do you live out your Christian faith at work? Even though Steve, Terese & Tim work in ministry, they have some ideas for how to represent Jesus.Then: introducing Rise Up, P.I.Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
It's our weekly conversation with two Christian commentators on what has been in the news. This week: Stockpiling Abortion Pills Transgenderism in the Public Square Still no NY State BudgetJason McGuire (in Albany) and Michael Geer (from Harrisburg) keep us “in the know” on vital issues happening in the governments and in the culture. Bob Price hosts the conversation.
Girls and Social Media With more girls than ever reporting that they feel sad or hopeless, The Gospel Coalition’s Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra talks with Martha Manikas-Foster about social media's impact on girls. They also talk about the precautions adults might put in place before approaching social media as a mission field. More girls than ever feel sad or hopeless. Social media may be the reason why.“In 2009, we know about a third of American high school girls had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” reports Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, senior writer and faith-and-work editor for The Gospel Coalition. “But by last year, so this is about 10 years later, it was up to 57 percent. Which is the highest recorded level of teenage sadness ever.”Zylstra observes that the increase in sadness tracks with the rise of smartphones and social media. Smartphones make it possible to check on your internet friends more often than when you had to wait until you opened your laptop to get connected.How we spend our time makes its mark on us, and girls are averaging five hours a day on social media. During those hours girls are comparing themselves with others--often people they don’t know in person—and they repeatedly feel that they fall short.Disembodied online relationships impact us differently from in-person friendships, Zylstra says, in part because when you walk alongside a friend, you see them on both their good days and bad days. Online you see only the best snapshots of a person’s day. “And if you have 500 friends,” Zylstra says, “every day somebody’s having a good day somewhere. But you’re constantly feeling like, ‘My day never measures up.’”Listen in on our 18-minute conversation about the impact this is having. You’ll also hear Zylstra’s suggestions for how adults who feel called to on-line ministry might wisely approach social media as a mission field.Listen to the podcast that inspired this conversation here and read some of her other writings here.
Church camps are now registering their campers and recruiting for their summer staff.What are the new trends for Summer Church Camp heading into the 2023 season?After the "strangeness" of the pandemic restrictions of the past three years -- plus the social and cultural changes of the past three decades -- what is happening these days in the outdoor ministry programs of our region? Greg Gillispie talks with two local camp directors about trends coming out of Covid, why church camp has such a life-changing spiritual impact on teens and children, and how retreat centers are adapting to have more opportunities to influence faith. You will also hear results of a survey of Christian adults who identify the #1 memory of what shaped their Christian faith from their younger lives. (Today's parents and grandparents -- and congregational leaders -- may want to consider that poll result, as they make family plans for this summer.)Our guests: Sam Richbart, executive director of Camp Hickory Hill Steve Clark, executive director of Delta Lake Camp and Bible Conference Center
A Pennsylvania Christian had worked for the U.S. Postal Service until he faced multiple employment repercussions for refusing to work on Sundays due to his religious convictions.This case regarding First Amendment claims goes to the U.S. Supreme Court, with the justices hearing oral arguments this Tuesday (April 18).Gerald Groff of Lancaster County had sought work with USPS because it would be an employer where he would not be asked to work Sundays. That changed when USPS launched a new contract with a private corporation that wanted Sunday deliveries.In 2019, Groff resigned from his position as a rural mail carrier after years of -- he says -- being harassed, targeted and disciplined for refusing to work Sundays so that he could abide by the Third Commandment, to “keep holy the Sabbath day.” Groff then sued USPS for violating his religious rights. After his claims were denied by both a Pennsylvania district court and the 3rd Circuit Court, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) agreed to take up his appeal on Jan. 13. He is being represented by the First Liberty Institute. First Liberty attorney Jeremy Dys gave Family Life's Abigail Hofland a preview of the arguments to be made in the nation's capitol.Groff's first-person story is here. Other coverage of the issues in this case: FNN. ABC. CNA.
Oh No! Mr. Jacob's radio is broken! It's not playing the normal Saturday morning program. That's because its the Spring Sharathon at Family Life!
Music is a powerful tool to share about God. Steve, Terese & Tim share the one song they would play to share Jesus with someone.Then: you're welcome for the weirdest chicken fact.Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
The Calling is a Family Life original podcast for pastors that focuses on the personal and professional challenges they face in their mission to serve the Lord. In Episode 3, Justin Coffin from Southern Tier Church of Christ in Elmira talks about community outreach and balancing the demands of church and family.
How does Christ's Good News intersect when Bad News happens ... in the nation, in the world, in a community, in the lives of individuals and families and congregations?A unique perspective today, from an elected government official who spoke words of compassion and honesty and hope, following a tragedy on Easter Monday 2023.A shooter entered a bank in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky, causing death and injuries and fear, shooting 13 people. At a news conference just a few hours later, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear spoke plainly and boldly about the message of Easter and his own Christian faith.Family Life's Greg Gillispie narrates this timely Special Feature.
How to combat "Swatting", guns in schools, and Native American mascotsSwatting is intentionally calling in fake threats of violence against schools, hoping to create a SWAT Team response. It's been a recent epidemic seen in Pennsylvania, New York and many other areas of the nation.A March 27 school shooting in Nashville brings to the forefront again questions about safety and security -- and the emotional responses -- for students, school staff, and families.A New York Education Department edict for school districts to eliminate certain mascots and nicknames is causing decisions and budget implications for school boards and administrators. Education watchdog Ralph Kerr weighs in on the weighty issues of the day as they pertain to our public school families and taxpayers. Here’s our update on what’s happening in early April. Dr. Kerr is the founder the Teaching and Learning Institute, headquartered in Houghton, New York.
Easter is such a special time of the year for Christians. It's when we truly contemplate the awe-inspiring sacrifice God made in giving His Son a a substitute for our sin. Steve, Terese & Tim share their thoughts in the latest episode of the Rise Up Podcast!Then: Steve tries to get your seal of approval!Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
We celebrated Good Friday yesterday, but why is it called that? It really doesn't seem good!Bible Verses: James 2:10, Romans 6:23, Romans 5, Matthew 19:26, Ephesians 3:20, 1st Peter 2:21
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Dan Bartkowiak weigh in on important issues happening now in New York and Pennsylvania:Among this week's topics on our weekly "Capital Connection" roundtable: Stalemate at the Statehouse Pumping the Breaks on Renewal Energy Transgenderism on parade in Albany and Harrisburg
"It's come from the universities."That is the evaluation of how Cancel Culture gets spread and becomes the de-facto reality for many in today's American culture from Professor Paul Kengor of the Institute for Faith and Freedom. As college professors and curricula at most schools promote political and social stances in one direction, people are silenced if their conscience and core values have them arriving at differing viewpoints. In this conversation with Family Life's Greg Gillispie, Kengor also offers what he says is heartfelt advice to parents and families of today's high school and college students.In addition to being the Senior Director and Chief Academic Fellow of the Institute on the Grove City College campus in Pennsylvania, Dr. Kengor is also the senior editor of The American Spectator and a frequent commentator on social, cultural and faith issues.
Scams come at us from every direction—postal mail, email, text, and telephone—and they’re getting harder to identify. “It all comes down to you never know who you’re talking to on the other end of the phone or other end of the computer,” says New York State Trooper Officer Mark O’Donnell. By knowing the characteristics of most scams and thinking things through, we’re more likely to keep our money and personal information out of the hands of con artists. “It can be confusing,” O’Donnell says, “and again, these people are professionals, and that’s what they do. They prey on people, and they try to get them confused and scared and nervous for them to open up their bank accounts.” Learn what to look for in this Inside Out conversation, and then pass the word along, especially to members of older generations. “Talk to your parents. It’s like talking to your kids about stuff in school when they’re growing up. You’ve got to talk to your parents about this and your grandparents. It’s kind of a full circle of life,” says O’Donnell, the Barracks E Public Information Officer.
This week’s Family Life Hometown Hero is Jeff Roeters, co-founder of the Rochester nonprofit ‘Guitars for Glory” (www.guitarsforglory.com) . Hear how he brings the healing gift of music throughout the world by providing guitars to those who cannot afford them.Music is an amazing blessing that we often take for granted. There are many communities around the world who do not have access to the instruments we can so easily get our hands on. Guitars for Glory's sole desire is to put guitars and instruments in the hands of churches, schools, missionaries, and orphanages. Our hope is to enhance their musical experience and build up worship leaders within the community; through the giving guitars and musical training.
Mount Morris, New York, is famed for its dam, a park , and a pledge. The dam across the Genesee is the largest of its kind east of the Mississippi. Letchworth State Park and its waterfalls often appear in lists of top travel destinations Mount Morris is Francis Bellamy's hometown.Listen along, as Mark Webster takes you on a radio tour of this western New York community of more than 4,000 population.
There are so many different kinds of people in the world. Does God love all of us the same? What does the Bible say about how we should treat people who are different than us?
There are a lot of lessons to learn from Scripture—both in good and bad examples. Steve, Terese & Tim share some in the latest episode of the Rise Up Podcast!Then: what really goes on in the Teacher's Lounge?Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
How can you know who to trust? It can be difficult to tell sometimes, especially on the internet. How can we know whats true?
Bible Verses: 2nd Timothy 3, and 2nd Corinthians 11
This time of year is a great time to start a new hobby. Steve, Terese & Tim share what they would like to try to occupy the time.
Then: we still don’t know Steve’s superpower.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
On Family Life’s first “Capital Connection” roundtable of February:
- PA: Lessons learned from the federal trial of pro-life activist Mark Houck
- PA: What the House power struggle means for citizens
- NY: What can 227 Billion Dollars buy?
- NY A required “Woke” course for every first-year SUNY student?
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire (New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms) and Michael Geer (Pennsylvania Family Institute) discuss these and other weighty topics in the news each week. They hold our two states’ elected leaders accountable as each digs deep on the issues impacting faith and families.
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“Marriage is worth it!”
That is the message of National Marriage Week, which happens annually February 7-14.
Arlene Pellicane gives you a preview of the week, a take on the state of marriage today, and practical advice for couples. The 2023 emphasis for Marriage Week is “The Value of Date Nights”. Pellicane says if couples aren’t scheduling a date or specific couple time regularly, the benefits of adding at least one date a month can pay off big in contentment and connections. She offers ideas and options.
Get tips on enhancing your relationship, how churches and other entities can foster strong marriages, and how to communicate the value and benefit of marriage for the upcoming generation on National Marriage Week USA website.
While marriage is upheld for its purposes, and marriage upholds the culture….not everyone has a calling to be married.
Arlene Pellicane has ideas for how people who are divorced, separated or single can find way to develop other good relationships and find fulfillment in their personal lives.
Some people also are dealing with real troubles or imbalance or challenges in their own marriage. The spokesperson for National Marriage Week also has encouragement for them, both in our original conversation and in this bonus content. Take the initiative to find the support you need.
Whatever your relationship status, there are resources and people with whom you can talk, share your story, and reach out for helpful perspectives.
Finances are often cited as the number-one stressor in marriages. How can money decisions instead become a source of strength for couples?Christian counselor Christopher Anderson offers Biblical advice on how to keep the "love of money" from interfering with the love in marriage. Rather than trusting one's own knowledge and viewpoints which feed into our spiritual battles, there are better perspectives through which spouses can honor God, honor each other, and put their household on a more-helpful financial footing.
When Julie Chapus answered her phone, she was unaware that the distraught young woman on the other end would be her first contact with a pervasive human rights issue happening in Rochester -- human trafficking.“Miss Julie’s School of Beauty” is a new outreach for victims of human trafficking. The innovative program provides cosmetology training to empower survivors. The training helps those in the Rochester area and also draws survivors from many other areas.Meet Julie Chapus, this week's Family Life Hometown Hero. The founder says Miss Julie’s School of Beauty is an outreach of Christ for Kids Ministries of Rush, New York.When a trafficking victim has spent time on the street, they will likely be arrested for the very situation they have been forced into. Even if escape becomes possible, afterward - left with a criminal record - they experience extreme difficulty finding a job that pays a living wage. The school helps one's past not prevent a beautiful future. Acting on that conviction, we provide survivors and those at risk with an opportunity to earn a cosmetology license and enter into a rewarding career, at no cost to them. Because an state-granted cosmetology license removes the necessity of a background check, graduates are free to pursue an independent living without the necessity of explaining a traumatic history.
It’s something we don’t like to talk about. It’s something we don’t even like to think about. But the reality is 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience some sort of child sexual abuse. It’s usually perpetrated by someone the child knows. Those are the stats from the CDC. Those numbers are likely under-reported, because often times abuse is kept secret.Faith Ingraham has lived with that secret most of her life. She grew up in the church, as a pastor’s kid and was repeatedly abused by her father. Her mother became aware of the abuse. But it remained in the dark for the rest of the family, and for the church. Now, Faith and her husband, Dale teach churches how to respond biblically. Their “Breaking the Silence” seminar is coming up February 11th at Grace Community Church in Painted Post, NY. You can find out more here. Find out more about the Ingraham's Speaking Truth in Love ministry here.Terese Main is a wife, mom and flawed human. Above all, she loves Jesus. She co-hosts Family Life Mornings, which can be heard on radio stations across New York and Pennsylvania, and at www.familylife.org. She is a native of the Finger Lakes Region and a graduate of Ithaca College. It’s her heart’s desire to encourage others to live their lives fully in God’s blessing.
Once was the capital of American steel-making and a major source the barbed wire that shaped the westward expansion, Johnstown, New York, has a hardy history and current population. Soon after its founding by Swiss-German settlers, Johnstown developed as an canal and then railroad hub. The community is famed for floods, rebuilding after the water damage, Clara Barton and the Red Cross.Mark Webster brings you his conversation with Executive Director Richard Burkert of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, who shares some Johnstown's unique story.
It can be so easy to get distracted! Especially when you are supposed to be paying attention to important instructions. There are all kinds of things in the world that can distract us. But can distractions sometimes be a good thing?Bible Verses: Colossians 3:2, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Philippians 4, and Romans 12:21
If you could ask a question of anyone in history, and be guaranteed to get an honest answer, who would you choose and what question would you ask? Steve, Terese & Tim share their answers. Then: what part of Elementary School would you bring back as an adult?Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Charles Dickens' beloved holiday classic takes on a fresh flavor in this touching family radio drama from the producers of "Adventures in Odyssey." True to the original content of Dickens' masterpiece, this presentation vividly contrasts the age-old struggle between earthly gain and eternal treasure. As the stirring story unfolds, you and your family will be challenged anew to examine your own hearts and re-evaluate where your treasure really is.
This week it’s Pastor Steve Bigner of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Eggertsville, NY, talking about their Daily Bread food truck ministry.
Crossroads Prison Ministries' Jose Pichardo tells us how his organization connects inmates with mentors from churches to develop Christ-centered relationships.
The countdown to Christmas has begun! The lights, the decorations, the music, the food, the nativities! You can feel the excitement in the air! Did you know that people were looking forward to Jesus coming even before he was born?
Bible Verses: Matthew 2, John 3:17, John 12:47, John 18:36-37, Hebrews 9:28, Acts 1:11, 2nd Peter 3, and Luke 21:33
Not that people should be judging, but... you may now put up your Christmas decorations without fear of rebuke. Getting festive is not always a simple matter, as Steve, Terese and Tim have found!
Then: Where does watermelon pie rank on America's favorite Thanksgiving pies? (We still don't know.)
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
How can we focus on gratitude this Thanksgiving? Christian counselor Christopher Anderson answers.
Pastor Eric Johns with the Buffalo Dream Center lives homeless for a week in Buffalo each year at Thanksgiving.
Welcome to Business by the Book, a Family Life original podcast that will equip and encourage business owners, managers, and workers to apply Christian principals to any job, business, or industry. In Episode 03, Paul Camallari, a Visual Communications, Brand Development, Marketing & Advertising strategist and consultant, talks about how Christian owned businesses can standout from the crowd as you navigate the different challenges of today's business world.
Dr. Ralph Kerr discusses the latest controversy in the classroom – Indian mascots. Are they offensive or is this “cancel culture” at its worst?
Have you ever wanted something that someone else had? Maybe you went to a friend's house and they had a toy that you've been begging your parents for, or maybe your siblings or cousins got to do something that you wanted to do but couldn't? That's called Envy, and Mr. Jacobs and the gang talk about it in this week's episode.
Bible Verses: Proverbs 14:30, Job 5:2, Galatians 5:6, James 3:14-16, 1st Peter 2:1, Romans 12:21, and Matthew 22
The legal back and forth continues in New York’s concealed carry restrictions for churches. First Liberty Institute’s Jordan Pratt discusses the unconstitutionality of measures passed by the state, despite a ruling by the Supreme Court.
People with cancer are already in a club nobody wants to be a member of. Add holidays to the mix and it gets even more complicated. “As far as the holiday season, because of the emotion, and the community and the family gatherings, it’s a tough time to be dealing with a cancer diagnosis. But God likely, very likely, is at work,” says author Deborah Barr, who interviewed people fighting cancer for her latest book, Strength for the Cancer Journey. How can we help our friends with cancer, especially this time of year? First of all, we can pray. “Prayer is the one thing that Christians can do that unbelievers can’t do for someone with cancer,” Barr says. “But, of course, support takes many forms beyond that. And this is just where we just become the Lord’s extension to that person.” Do offer to help, she recommends, but resist placing the burden on your friend to come up with the way to help. “Especially during the holiday season, a lot of people with cancer are reluctant to ask for help because they don’t want to inconvenience us,” she says. So it’s on us to think about our friend’s day-to-day life, and then offer to do something specific. “Sometimes it’s just practical help. It’s can I pick up a prescription for you? Or babysit so they can take a nap. Sometimes the best support is just listening, sincerely, with real interest.” As we think of friends with cancer, it’s good to keep in contact with those who are nearing the end of their treatments. Some handle chemo and radiation well enough but crash emotionally after it’s all over. “It’s because sometimes, when the treatments end, so does the support,” Barr says. “The need for support doesn’t go away when the treatments are finished. For many people, that may be when your support means the most.” In other words, it’s never too late to begin supporting a friend who’s fighting cancer.
“I believe God can make us sensitive to that so we can step in when others are stepping away,” Barr says. Hear our full conversation in this 13-minute podcast. Learn more about Deborah Barr. Read about her book Strength for the Cancer Journey.
From “The Big Runaway” to the Pennsylvania Canal System and Piper Aircraft, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania has a rich and diverse history. We take closer look on this edition of Family Life Hometowns!
When we do things the wrong way, it can be so frustrating! But can failing be a good thing?
Bible references: 2nd Corinthians 4, Proverbs 26:11, Psalm 119:71, Genesis 11, 1st Samuel, Psalm 119:9, Philippians 2:3, James 4:3, and James 1
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer “take stock” of the election results on Tuesday from the state capitals of Albany and Harrisburg.
Pastor Tim LeCroy with New Life Presbyterian Church recently chaired the PCA General Assembly Committee on Abuse. He helps us notice potential child and adult victims, along with patterns of abusers. LeCroy urges churches to seek outside help when dealing with domestic or sexual abuse.
The Report
How to Use the Report
The election cycle can be stressful, especially if our candidates don't win. How do we navigate that as Christians? Christian counselor Christopher Anderson answers.
Dr. Ralph Kerr heads up the “Teaching & Learning Institute” in Houghton, New York. His goal is to get more people of faith involved in public education.
We start this week by discussing how “issues in education” may impact the vote in tomorrow’s mid-terms.
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer are keeping a close eye on the races and issues you care about in advance of next week’s mid-term elections.
How can we know what God wants us to value as we head to the polls during the midterm election? Focus on the Family’s Nicole Hunt talks about the privilege and responsibility of voting according to Biblical values.
Jesus calls us to humility, and that’s what’s needed to mend divisions in our churches and communities.
“There’s a really kind of twisted pressure in Christianity in this day and age to sort of make a name for yourself. And that can blatantly happen as we’re seeing people professionalize their brand, like try to build a name for themselves instead of God’s Kingdom,” says author, broadcaster, and podcaster Aubrey Sampson.
Jesus calls us instead to choose the place of least honor and leave it to God to raise us up to honor, Sampson points out. That means exercising humility in every interaction, whether on social media, in the neighborhood, or with family. Even when we think we’re right.
“Even if we don’t mean this, we say it in our minds: ‘We don’t agree on this thing. My way is right. Therefore I’m better than them.’ And suddenly we are no longer humble servants that Jesus called us to be, we’re putting ourselves in that place of honor, even if in our own minds. And that posture is just not the way of Jesus,” she says.
God’s people are called to unity, which is not the same as uniformity.
“We are called, by God Himself, we are called by Jesus: ‘Love one another. Build each other up. Serve one another,’” she says. “It doesn’t mean agreeing on everything, but somehow we have to begin asking the Lord to help us be humble, even with people we think are blatantly wrong. And I think that maybe shows us the plank in our own eyes, too, right?”
None of it is easy. But Jesus, who humbled Himself and gave His life for us, never intended for us to do this on our own.
“Truly, it’s the Holy Spirit transforming you to help you become more and more like Jesus and put the other person first,” she says.
Hear our entire conversation during this 14-minute Inside Out podcast.
Read Aubrey Sampson’s article that inspired the conversation here.
Read more about Aubrey Sampson here.
Today's Hometown Hero is youth pastor Tim Swan of Binghamton’s East Side Learning Center. It's an afterschool program run by Grace Baptist Church – bringing fun – and the gospel – to kids on the city’s east side.
Have you ever done something great? Helped someone? Or maybe made someone feel better? It feels good to get the praise for doing good things, but is it always right?
(Bible Verses: Proverbs 16:18, Matthew 6, Romans 12, 1st Timothy 5:18, and Hebrews 10:24)
What are the basic roots of Halloween? Vern Saile, senior pastor of Northgate Free Methodist Church, shares the Celtic roots of the day. He also notes how we can take advantage of the opportunity to connect with community members.
How can parents help their children overcome the learning loss suffered during remote learning? Christian counselor Christopher Anderson answers.
Welcome to the Parable Podcast. Thanks for joining Family Life on-air host, Randy Snavely as he digs into the story lessons taught by the world’s greatest teacher, Jesus. In this episode, it’s part 2 of “Guardian of the Galaxy”. The message Christ shared in Luke 12:15-21 is that life is more than what we accumulate here on earth. Much more!
Welcome to the Parable Podcast. Thanks for joining Family Life on-air host, Randy Snavely as he digs into the story lessons taught by the world’s greatest teacher, Jesus. In this episode, it’s part 1 of “Guardian of the Galaxy”. The message Christ shared in Luke 12:15-21 is that life is more than what we accumulate here on earth. Much more!
Dr. Ralph Kerr at the “Teaching & Learning Institute,” in Houghton, New York, is fighting for Christian families in the public schools.
If you’re gonna die, might as well be doing something you love! ...Right? What kind of thing would be important enough to die for?
(Bible Verses: 1st Peter 3:9, Matthew 5:44, Ephesians 6:12, Philippians 2, Galatians 5:24-25, 1st Peter 2)
The names of God reflect who He is and what He does. Steve, Terese and Tim focus on some of the many Biblical titles of our Lord.
Then: why Steve isn't allowed to play with dog toys...
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer are “honed in” on the “hot topics” that permeate each week from Harrisburg and Albany.
Common challenges and "taking on too much" can weigh down the effective ministry of pastors and other spiritual caregivers. Larry Jennings, Jr. serves as chaplain at Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital. He shares tips to stay healthy, be effective long-term, and avoid burnout.
Learning to negotiate anger is key if we’re going to have good relationships. Dr. Josh Straub and his wife Christy Straub want to help children learn that early. The Straubs are family and leadership coaches who head up the organization Famous at Home, and their newest book for children is What Do I Do with Anger? “I think it’s our God-given emotion that helps protect us from something that could potentially harm us,” says Josh Straub, my guest on this Inside Out podcast. Though it’s God-given, it’s important to know that anger is a secondary emotion, Straub points out. There’s always something behind it. If recognizing that we’re angry is going to be beneficial, we need to look for what’s fueling it. “If you think about what’s in the seat behind, driving the bus, it’s another emotion,” he says. It’s important to teach children to go looking for what that is. To help them, the Straubs use a repeated phrase in the book: “Anger can show you what’s deep in your heart. Naming that feeling can bring a fresh start.” Listening, Straub says, will be key to discovering and naming that feeling. “James, chapter one, says to be ‘quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.’ And then in verse 20 it says, ‘because human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness,’” Straub says. “And I think it’s so important for us not just to look at the verse to go, ‘Hey, we have to listen to others,’ but we also have to listen to what’s going on with ourselves.” It’s a skill that will help children throughout their lives. “Feelings can teach us a lot about situations, so we know how to set boundaries and enter into healthy relationships, and then manage those relationships well,” he says. Learn more about Dr. Josh Straub and Christy Straub and their books here.
This week's Hometown Hero is Kim Reynolds. She heads up the Resurrection Life Food Pantry in Cheektowaga, New York.
With the last chapter of Romans at hand, the podcast comes to one of our regular seasonal breaks. Paul sends personal greetings to his friends in Rome in chapter 16, and Robbie, Becki, and Tim talk about the eternal importance of relationships!
While If That Makes Sense is on break, discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
Support this show by giving to Family Life!
UFOs... Are they real? Are aliens real? Mr. Jacobs might have a surprising answer...
Bible Verses: Revelation 4:8, Ezekiel 1, Psalm 34, Malachi 3, Matthew 7, Proverbs 2:6, Job 12:7, John 15:15, and Revelation 3:20
The title literally means "shepherd" - and Steve, Terese and Tim are sharing memories in appreciation of pastors.
Then: it's not just pastors we're thanking; we've got a special ode to farmers!
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer are “glued” to the issues you care about in Albany, Harrisburg and Washington D.C.
You may recall the name Jack Phillips. It’s the name of the Masterpiece Cake Shop owner who gained national attention for refusing to design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.
Alliance Defending Freedom’s Jonathan Scruggs tells us about the latest court visit over a gender transition cake and the free-speech rights of all Americans.
What do we do when there is tension with the in-laws? Christian counselor Christopher Anderson answers.
Pollster George Barna speaks on the America Values Study, conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University and commissioned by "AmericasOne" founder Marc Nutttle. It evaluated four dozen different values to determine what a majority of Americans say defines them and their life.
Barna tells Family Life's Mark Webster results suggest Americans may not be as divided as is widely believed - at least not when it comes to the values they cherish most and believe define them.
Dr. Ralph Kerr with the “Teaching and Learning Institute” in Houghton, NY is committed to getting more Christians involved in public education.
It’s that time of year again! Fall Sharathon! Bethany and Destin are helping out Ms. Fiona in her garden as they talk about why Sharathon is so important.
Bible Verses: 1st Timothy 6:18, Hebrews 13:16, Ephesians 5:1, Colossians 3:23, and John 14:15
Twice a year, every year, it's a celebration on the radio at Family Life! Sharathon is the biannual event that makes the many ministries of Family Life possible from a financial point of view, and each one of these celebrations has memories to go along with it. Steve, Terese, and Tim share some of theirs.
Then: wait, was Tim a sports fan in secret all along??
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
One of the biggest ways God blesses us Christians is through each other. Robbie, Becki and Tim look at the second-to-last chapter of Romans, where (among other things) Paul models the importance of missionary newsletters!
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It won't be too much longer before the fall foliage will be in "full bloom." We get a fall foliage forecast from Taryn Bauerle, a plant specialist at Cornell University.
After the tragic death of his son, Truett, TobyMac worked through his feelings in his latest release, “Life After Death.” He talks with Terese Main about how is family is doing, and what God has shown him. TobyMac brings his Theater Tour to The Stanley Theater in Utica, New York on Friday, October 7th. Connect with tickets here.
Have you ever had a school assignment that just didn't make sense? What did you do? You probably went to someone like a teacher or parent for help. We all have leaders in our lives (even adults have them) but what do we do when we don't agree with them?
Bible Verses: Romans 13 and Hebrews 13:17, Exodus 1, Daniel 1, and Acts 5.
Is there "a little truth in every joke" - or is it "all in good fun"? Steve, Terese and Tim talk about poking fun, building up, and the heart behind how we use our words.
Then: don't forget your Bible (or your leg warmers).
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire with New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms and Michael Geer with the Pennsylvania Family Institute discuss the weighty issues in the news that impact our listeners where they live.
Should we tear down America's foundations? That's the Marxist/Critical Race Theory position. Author and Denver Seminary Philosophy Professor Douglas Groothuis talks about the riots of 2020 and sheds perspective on America's racial history, along with equity and diversity hiring quotas.
How do we engage the political process in a Godly manner? Christian counselor Christopher Anderson tells us.
Todd Gallagher is a Parker, PA native who has spent nearly 20 years as a missionary to Ukraine and Romania. He talks about his unexpected path to that ministry, as well as the current turmoil in Ukraine.
Dr. Ralph Kerr at the “Teaching and Learning Institute” has more on the issues in the news when it comes to our public schools.
The older you get, the more decisions you start having to make... But how can you tell if you are making the right decision?
(Bible Verses: Proverbs 11:14 and 12:15, James 1:5, Jeremiah 33:3, Proverbs 3:6, 14:12, and Jeremiah 17:9.
There is so much more to worship than just singing in church on Sunday morning. Steve, Terese and Tim are talking about all the different ways we can show love and respect to God!
Then, see if you're on board with our new plan to change the names of the seasons.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer are watching out for you at the state capitals of Albany and Harrisburg.
Focus on the Family's Paul Asay discusses depressions warning signs. He urges us to do away with pat answers and offers a number of ways we can help others who are suffering in sadness.
Around the country, Christians are exiting the Church or adapting the faith to accommodate their preferences. Dennis Allen believes the way to grow resilient, mature disciples is to return to the way Jesus did it.
“Until leaders, leaders in Christ, until we start changing the culture, to realize what relationship means, and true biblical discipleship means, we’re going to keep Xeroxing brittle Christians,” says Allen, a corporate CEO and the author of the new book The Disciple Dilemma.
“We need to walk alongside each other,” he says. “And we don’t know how to do that well in the church. We know how to go to church, but we don’t know how to walk alongside each other well.”
We can return to building disciples relationally, the way Jesus did, helping believers see the importance and cost of commitment. But making the change to labor-intensive disciple-building will take time.
“We like to think in our culture—the American culture—everything’s a microwave pizza. The reality of this is it’s more of a greenhouse model. Leadership needs to make that richer, fuller soil, to raise up disciples. So if you were raising up plants, bushes, and trees, that’s not an overnight moment, that’s not one sermon, not one program.”
This isn’t a church culture change that rests on the shoulders of leadership alone. The people in the pews are key to helping to grow Jesus-dedicated disciples.
“We owe these wonderful followers of Christ who are leading us great respect, love, and support,” Allen says. “And what we do not owe them is a spectator in the pew. We owe them coming up and saying, “Put me in, Coach.”
Hear my conversation with Dennis Allen by listening to this 8.5-minute podcast.
Learn more about Dennis Allen and his book The Disciple Dilemma here.
This week's Hometown Heroes is Jessica Shirey, a media relations volunteer for the West Central PA Area team of Operation Christmas Child.
If you think something's OK, but your friend thinks it's a sin, what do you do? Lydia, Robbie and Tim have a discussion about what we have to give up sometimes when matters start to feel gray.
Support this show by giving to Family Life!
Discover the other great Family Life podcasts!
This edition of ‘Family Life Hometowns’ looks at the rich history of Franklin, Pennsylvania – a key player in the Keystone State’s pre-Revolutionary War history, as well as the development of its petroleum industry. Today, it offers a mix of well-preserved historic architecture and modern recreational activities.
Our bodies are pretty great! That's because God made them that way. But what does the Bible mean when it calls our bodies temples?
(Bible Verses: Psalm 139, 1 Corinthians 6:19 and 20)
It's good to love others and to be loved - but would we say that so easily if we considered what true love costs? Steve, Terese and Tim discuss how unconditional love this side of heaven will always involve difficulty, pain, and failure - and why there's no better way to live!
Then, test your knowledge of TV commercials from decades-past against Tim's.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Life Matters in Pennsylvania. The second annual “March for Life” is set for Monday, September 19th. We get a preview from Michael Geer with Pennsylvania Family Institute.
New Hope Family Services in Syracuse is celebrating a big win. Last week, a federal judge ruled that New York cannot deny the agency its First Amendment right to abide by its Christian beliefs when placing children with adoptive parents. We get the update from Alliance Defending Freedom's Mark Lippelmann and New Hope's Executive Director Kathy Jerman.
Many of the rising cases of depression and anxiety today have roots in discontentment. Christian counselor Christopher Anderson tells us how to be content when life doesn't work out the way we had hoped.
John Cooper Jr. serves veterans and other men at the Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission in Niagara Falls, NY.
With so much negative attention on the K-thru-12 system, is there anything positive to report within our public schools? Dr. Ralph Kerr with the Teaching and Learning Institute takes a closer look.
"Where were you when...?" - it's a question that gets asked whenever the anniversary, 9/11, comes around. Each in a very different place in life, Steve, Terese and Tim reflect on that day 21 years ago.
Then: the Dictionary downloads its regularly scheduled update.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer focus on the issues impacting faith and family at the state capitals in Albany and Harrisburg.
New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms
Pennsylvania Family Institute
New York's new guns which are confusing many people, including gun-owners Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association speaks with Family Life's Bob Price.
Each year more than 10 million people worldwide are newly diagnosed with dementia. And that means more and more adult children are faced with decisions about their parents’ care.
“It is very hard to watch a competent loved one lose his or her ability to bathe and dress, to make a grocery list or fix meals,” says author and seminary graduate Cynthia Fischer. Fischer wrote about caring for her mother in the 2021 Gospel Coalition article “Even Dementia Is Not Dark to God.”
When a stroke deepened her mother’s dementia, Fischer wished she’d known more of her mother’s preferences. That’s why Fischer recommends proactive conversations, as hard as those might be, to learn a parent’s priorities.
“I think some parents will not want to talk about this,” she says. “But over time, gently, revisit that question. And it will not help to get in a fight about it, which is so easy for us to do.”
It’s the kind of conversation that could help with the decisions ahead.
“I wanted my Mom to consider what she would want, rather than me telling her what she would need, which is really, really hard to do.”
Knowing a parent’s wishes is only one part of a difficult job. If you are caring for a parent with dementia right now, Fischer hopes that your church is preparing people to offer support and physical help.
“Scripture reminds us to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially the widows, and I’d include the widowers, and to honor our parents.”
And while asking for help can be difficult, it’s essential for a care-giver’s well being.
“We’re not so good at asking for help. But at least if you start out and say, ‘This is what’s going on,’ some people will come forward and help,” she says.
And some of that help from friends and church family can be as simple as stopping by for a visit, something we might think won’t have any impact.
“I think for those few minutes, or an hour, when you’re with them, they are experiencing your touch, your voice, your presence, and it absolutely makes a difference.”
Listen to the podcast to hear more of Cynthia Fischer’s wisdom for adult children of parents with dementia.
Read the article that inspired this conversation here.
Read Cynthia Fischer’s blog on Childhood Ministry here.
This week's Hometown Hero is a couple who runs Williamsport Bicycle Recycle in Williamsport, P.A. It's a bike shop that gives back to the community by making bicycles and cycling more accessible.
Welcome to the Parable Podcast. Thanks for joining Family Life on-air host, Randy Snavely as he digs into the story lessons taught by the world’s greatest teacher, Jesus. In this episode, it’s part 2 of “What You See is Not What You Get”. The message Christ shared in Matthew 15, verses 10 through 20 is that it’s what comes from the inside that defiles a person, not what the world sees on the outside.
Welcome to the Parable Podcast. Thanks for joining Family Life on-air host, Randy Snavely as he digs into the story lessons taught by the world’s greatest teacher, Jesus. In this episode, it’s part 1 of “What You See is Not What You Get”. The message Christ shared in Matthew 15, verses 10 through 20 is that it’s what comes from the inside that defiles a person, not what the world sees on the outside.
On this Labor Day, we recap a few of our “Staycation” destinations for the summer of 2022.
What does a Christian owe the government? What is our obligation to other Christians? The answer, unsurprisingly, goes back to God's love as Becki, Robbie and Tim look at Romans 13 (as well as "the love chapter," 1 Corinthians 13).
Support this show by giving to Family Life!
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Have you ever said something... and then IMMEDIATELY regretted it? Too bad there's nothing that you can use to edit what you say! Oh Wait... maybe there is?
(Bible Verses: James 1:19, Romans 14, Ephesians 4, Colossians 3, and Proverbs)
Resting sounds easy - so why do we have a hard time doing it? Some fairly big names from the Bible knew the value of rest, after all...
Then, Steve puts the honor system to the test.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
A Christian counselor is concerned with the culture's growing acceptance of the transgender lifestyle. Garry Ingraham with Love and Truth Network in Glendale, Arizona, who will be hosting a conference next month on God's design for sex at the Family Life headquarters in Bath, New York, discusses.
In the United States, surveys show that women outnumber men in churches 61% to 39%. Why is that, and what can we do to get more men in church? Christian counselor Chris Anderson discusses.
This weeks' Hometown Hero is Casey Jones of Belmont, NY. His group, "Alleghany Hope" is helping build stronger communities by connecting people in need with government and church-based services
With so many Bible translations out there, how do you know which one is best for you? What are some helpful tips for reading God's Word? Mike Sherrard with Summit Ministries in Colorado fills us in.
"You can be a real Scrooge sometimes, you know that?" What does "being a Scrooge" mean? Usually, it means someone who is mean and greedy. As Christians, we need to be careful to not be greedy!
(Bible Verses: Romans 8, Galatians 5, Galatians 5:23, and Philippians 4)
When is it a good time to ask for help and get some wise counsel? When isn't it? Steve, Terese and Tim talk about marriage counseling, mental health, and why there's everything right with reaching out for biblical guidance.
Then, Steve sings a song we won't forget.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Step aboard an Erie Canal Cruise in Lockport, New York. Just as the water fills up a lock, Mike Wrona with Lockport Locks fills us in on the history of the town that grew up due to the Erie Canal.
Businessman and author Bob Hasson talks about the pandemic’s impact on the workplace, passion in our work, and our identity beyond the job.
Both Church and country are deeply divided. Author Hannah Anderson believes developing the biblical discipline of discernment can help us sort through all the messages so that we can determine what is good and then pursue it.
“We are being flooded with information and the conversations are often so polarized, so tribal, that we almost need more discernment, maybe, than previous generations,” she says.
Anderson’s the author of three books. One of them is All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment.
“A lot of the polarization that we’re experiencing is because we’re missing this longer, harder process of discernment,” she says.
Discernment, as expressed in the Bible, is more than identifying what’s wrong. It’s “knowing the difference between good and bad so that you can pursue the good,” she says.
Every day there’s more to wade through to find what’s good. Unlike in any time in history, our phones and laptops bring the debates of the public square right to our kitchen tables.
“We’re flooded with conflicting opinions,” she says. “And I think to handle that, sometimes we will take shortcuts.”
Shortcuts can seem attractive because they simplify a complicated world.
“Some of those shortcuts can just be something as simple as polarization and tribal affinity: ‘If my guy said it, then it’s true. And if your guy said it, then it’s false.’ That really is just a way for human beings to cope with this very chaotic world,” she says. “But it is a shortcut, and it won’t necessarily lead us to goodness.”
That’s because when we retreat into safe spaces, or hunker down in like-minded tribes, the people we depend on to tell us what to think could be wrong, and should be challenged.
“That’s why developing discernment in the way that the Scripture speaks about it, as testing things for whatever is true, pure, lovely, of good report, whatever is excellent--that that list of virtues that ultimately reflect the nature of God, those kinds of tests are harder in many ways,” she says. “But they actually lead us to goodness.”
Learn more about Hannah Anderson and her books here.
Abortion is not just an issue in the U.S. It's also a major problem in Mongolia. Missionary Mitch Tillman of Harbor Evangelism tells us of the efforts to "turn the tide" toward valuing life in the country in East Asia.
One person can't do everything. But there is one approach that works for everything: following God's will. Lydia, Mike and Tim look at how Romans 12 simplifies the extraordinary calling of the Church.
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How do we, as Christians, handle hot topics such as abortion and gay marriage? Mike Sherrard with Summit Ministries in Colorado tells us.
Why is Church so important? Do we have to go to church? What good does it do? These are all questions that are covered in this week's episode of the Kids Corner!
(Bible Verses: Titus 3:5, Psalm 113:3, 1st Thessalonians 5:16, Hebrews 10:25, 1st Timothy 6:11, Ephesians 5:7, and Matthew 12:12)
What if you miss God's will for your life? Maybe a better question: what if it doesn't quite work like that? Steve, Terese and Tim talk about living in God's will.
Then: if you feel like Summer is too short, call these folks.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
The catastrophic Johnstown Flood occurred on Friday, May 31, 1889. Park Ranger Elizabeth Shope relays background of the club that owned the earthen dam that gave way and tells about Clara Barton’s rescue efforts following the torrent of destruction on the Conemaugh Valley. The Johnstown Flood National Memorial’s visitor center is located at the site of the dam.
Inflation is adding to the financial stress on couples, yet Focus on the Family Counselor George Stahnke shares tips to help marriages thrive when it comes to money and faith.
Small groups can be challenging for people that struggle with social anxiety. Christian counselor Chris Anderson discusses how churches and individuals can overcome the anxiety hurdle.
This week’s Hometown Hero is Eileen Chapman of Bloomsburg, Pa. Her not-for-profit is meeting needs by filling gaps the government can’t reach.
God's family is like a tree, and we're all the branches. We can only understand our place in the big picture when we go back to the Root. Mike, Robbie and Tim read and discuss their thoughts on Romans 11.
Support this show by giving to Family Life!
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Are you frustrated with God or feel like you don't understand His will for your life? Dr. Richard Blackaby with Blackaby Ministries International in Georgia fills us in on how to navigate the rollercoaster ride of faith.
What happens when you don't follow God? Do good things always happen when you do follow God? Listen as the kids at Mr. Jacob's garage re-enact the story of Elijah!
(Bible Verses: 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st Peter, Romans 8, Matthew 28:20)
"Do you guys just wake up happy?" No, Steve, Terese and Tim aren't happy every single morning of their lives - even if they sound that way on the radio. It's a chat about authenticity and optimism.
Then, hear Jason the Trucker make our day.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Maybe you’ve heard about Kodak film. Well, visitors to the George Eastman Museum get to learn about the pioneer of popular photography and motion picture film. Eliza Kozlowski also underscores more on Eastman’s love of music and appreciation for nature.
Dr. Kevin Lehman is a Psychologist and an author of more than 50 books on marriage, parenting and relationships. You can hear him at the 2-day Leading Your Family Well event at Eastern Hills Church in Williamsville, NY. In this episode, he talks with Terese Main about some of the fundamental issues in our marriages and families. Plus, he shares about what his wife has taught him over the years.
Marriage Event "Making Sense of the Man or Woman in your Life" Sunday, August 14 6:30-8:00 PM $15/couple
Leadership Breakfast "The Way of the Shepherd" Monday, August 15 7:00-8:00 AM $10/person
Moms Event "Building Up Moms" Monday, August 15 9:00-10:30 AM No Cost, Childcare Available (registration required)
Parenting Event "Have a New Kid by Friday - How to Change your Child's Attitude, Behavior, and Character in Five Days" Monday, August 15 6:30-8:00 PM $15/couple
*All Access Pass (Entrance to ALL Events): $25/couple
Find out more and connect to tickets here.
The Biden Administration is now linking lunch money funding to LGBTQ protections. ADF's Erica Steinmiller-Perdomo says schools will be required to enforce non-discrimination policies. She unpacks what the USDA initiative means for public and Christian schools.
The Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade promises to save lives. But women continue to face the circumstances that motivated them to choose abortion in the past. “In every state we will have women who--married and unmarried--face an unwanted pregnancy, face fear, anxiety, and real challenges for bringing that baby into the world,” says Jen Pollock Michel in today’s Inside Out conversation. Michel is an award-winning author whose recent Christianity Today article is titled, “I Was Pro-Life In Theory. It Took Much More to Actually Help.” To be pro-life in America after Roe, Michel believes, means that for many the work--and sacrifice--is just beginning. “A pro-life position means that we’re helping to reimagine a world where every baby is not only brought into the world, but able to flourish,” she says. Many who choose abortion are poor or alone, overwhelmed, unsupported, or in fragile health. Bringing a baby to term can make any of those circumstances more difficult. “I don’t think the majority of women want to give up their children--want to abort their children. I think they just can’t imagine raising them well,” she says. “How could we change that equation for women is what I’d love to think about.” If many of the babies and their mothers are going to be surrounded by a supportive community, and have healthy food and good medical care, it’s going to mean sacrifice by those who’ve wanted Roe v. Wade overturned. “What I think Christians could really start to think about, and what I’d like to challenge myself to think about, is: how do I care about children who don’t have the resources that my own children have, so that we can help women consider wanting to bring a child in to the world, and feeling like she might have the resources available to her.” Learn more about Jen Pollock Michel here. Read her article “I Was Pro-Life In Theory. It Took Much More to Actually Help” here. “I would love for us to imagine all the ways that we could create the kind of world where not only is abortion illegal, but is actually undesirable,” Michel says.
This week’s Hometown Hero is Buffalo, NY’s Aaron Moore. He’s offering young adults paid internships to serve the Kingdom of God in the “Queen City.”
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The Parable Podcast with Family Life on-air host Randy Snavely focuses on the parables of Jesus, the meaning of the lessons He taught, and why He taught them as He did, with commentary and discussion that makes them relevant to our listeners lives today. In this episode, it's the parable of the net from Matthew 13.
What happens to our bodies and souls when we die? Jason Jimenez with Stand Strong Ministries in North Carolina tells us.
Have you ever heard your mom or dad talk on the phone and tried to figure out who they were talking to? You usually have to listen for a while to figure out if its Grandma or your teacher. Why do you have to listen? For Context! That's what the kids at Mr. Jacob's garage learn about this week!
(Bible Verses: Isaiah 2, 2nd Kings 15-16, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17, Matthew 5:18, 2nd Timothy 3:16)
Random Acts of Kindness are good, right? Well, not if they are don't with the wrong heart. Steve, Terese and Tim talk about how to show kindness for all the right reasons. Then, we get some great ideas for a trending art installation.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Who was Milton S. Hershey, the man known for creating a chocolate empire? Curt Sisco with Hershey Trolley Works unfolds details of his life, chocolate-making, and school. Join us we learn more about what Hershey, Pennsylvania has to offer.
You know murder is bad, but what does God say about cowardice when it comes to faith? Author and Promise Keepers CEO Ken Harrison unpacks what daring faith looks like. It may be different from what you image.
College kids are getting ready to head back to campus, but before they do, parents need to know about the alarming number of students turning from their faith. Christian counselor Christopher Anderson explains why, and how parents can combat that.
When you have good news, you share it! We have the privilege of being used by God to share the Gospel. Becki, Tately and Tim are talking about the mysterious ways God spreads his good news to the whole world.
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This week’s Hometown Hero is Roger Woodruff of Hartsville, NY. He’s started a “traveling chapel” to collect Christian literature to send to the mission field, all over the world.
What is the Holy Trinity and how do we interact with each part of the Godhead? Tripp Almon with Summit Ministries tells us.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." "The only thing you have to fear is fear itself." "Hydrate or dy-drate." You've probably heard some of these famous quotes before. What made them popular? Are quotes like that always true? Where can we find the truest quotes? The kids at Mr. Jacobs' garage are about to find out!
(Bible verses: Romans 2:15, 1st John 4, John 18:7, Mark 14:62, Matthew 22).
It's crucial to share our hope in Jesus with others. Steve, Terese and Tim talk about some approaches to letting others know about Jesus - and a story about one thing to never do.
Then, we'll be testing your beard hearing skills.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
What were the original four flavors of Jell-O flavors? Sydney Harvey with the Jell-O Gallery Museum in LeRoy, New York gives us the scoop, along with what’s “not” found in Jell-O gelatin. Learn about the history of the dessert, the factory, and what museum visitors can experience today.
What’s behind Critical Race Theory? How do these thoughts stack up against the plumb line of truth? Author and Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary Douglas Groothuis tells us about the Frankfurt School and ideas that oppose Biblical teachings.
What are churches to do about the alarming percentage of pastors thinking of leaving ministry? One option is to grant weary pastors a sabbatical--or preempt the weariness with intentional time away. Relieving pastors of church responsibilities for a short time can give them time to refocus, recharge, and tap into their relationship with Jesus.
“It is really to reestablish that rhythm of rest,” says Big Flats, NY pastor Alex Ruffer, who believes all believers benefit from regular times of rest. “But it’s also to break some cycles and influences that maybe have been creeping in without our knowledge--both for us, but also for our congregations.”
Ruffer’s been lead pastor at The Bridge Wesleyan Church since 2013, serving the church as its Children’s and Youth pastor for eight years prior to that. Ruffer is taking his first pastoral sabbatical this summer.
“When we encourage leaders: ‘Please take the space you need to get before the Father and hear His voice, and let His voice drive you beyond any other voice,’ then we say, ‘You can now be an instrument that can be set aside for holy purposes,’ because the voice that is most important is being listened to,” he says.
Having a pastor spend time away may seem like it could stagnate the church, but Ruffer believes it has the potential to do just the opposite.
“If we encourage our people and our pastors to take that space on a regular basis,” he says, “they’re going to be hearing from God, they’re going to be hearing revelation and understanding that’s timely, and that’s going to give us a level of fruitfulness that maybe we’ve never experienced before because we’ve just been doing things according to our own understanding and according to our own power.”
With eternity in the balance, some are saved, some are lost. If God is in charge, how could that be fair? It's an age old question that Tately, Mike and Tim are asking as they look at Romans chapter 9.
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This week’s “Hometown Hero” is Corning, NY’s Deborah Chucoski. She’s a world-class triathlete despite being nearly blind.
What is the Biblical Meta-narrative and why is it so important for Christians? Summit Ministries Dustin Jizmejian tells us.
Darren Mulligan is the lead singer of We Are Messengers. He is an Irishman with strong passion for his faith, his family, and his music. He talks with Terese Main about how ministry calls for sacrifice, but the fruit is worth it.
We Are Messengers is in concert at Kingdom Bound at Darien Lake on July 25th. Find out more at www.kingdombound.org
It’s that time of year again! Mr. Jacobs and the gang are putting on a drama show for the community to raise money for missionaries.
(Bible Verses: Genesis 6:6, Isaiah 65:3, John 11:35, Romans 15:13, Philippians 4:7)
Whatever emotion you're feeling, chances are it's in a Psalm. Steve, Terese and Tim talk some of their favorites from the Bible's largest - and maybe most relatable - book.
Plus: the best invention we could come up with to keep your picnic goodies from blowing away.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Do you like the sight and sound of cascading water? Environmental education specialist Rhiannon Summers says 94-foot Ganoga Falls is the highest of 22 named waterfalls at Ricketts Glen State Park. Some folks come to camp for a few days, while others enjoy a day trip to check out the wildlife and beauty.
Dr. Tara Sander Lee, director of life sciences at the Charlotte Lozier Institute addresses more of the common false impressions put forth by abortion supporters.
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Why are we seeing such a rise in mass shootings? Christian counselor Chris Anderson says part of the problem is the state of our country spiritually.
This week’s Hometown Hero is Chris Carpenter of Canastota, NY. She’s started Rahab Refuge Ministries, central New York’s first-ever safe house for sex trafficking victims.
What can truly threaten the eternal hope we have in Christ? The Apostle Paul answers it for us: Absolutely nothing! Tately, Becki and Tim talk about one of the most hopeful chapters in all the Bible.
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Jason Jimenez with Stand Strong Ministries helps us unpack the purpose and power of prayer within God’s sovereign plan.
Steve, Terese and Tim look back on their summer jobs from years past. Plus: what could we say instead of "bless you" when someone sneezes?
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Jimmy Stewart made more than 80 films and is most known for his role as George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. Indiana, Pennsylvania is home to the Jimmy Stewart Museum. Executive Director Janie McKirgan says visitors get to learn more about the actor, family man and World War II pilot while exploring the spot in his hometown.
It’s that time of year again! Mr. Jacobs and the gang are putting on a drama show for the community to raise money for missionaries.
Bible Verses: Ecclesiastes 3:12, 2nd Corinthians 9:7 Philippians 4, Romans 15:13, Psalm 51 Ecclesiastes 7:16, Matthew 11, and Ephesians 2:8)
Dave Frey is the lead singer of Sidewalk Prophets. During the pandemic, he and his band found new ways to reinvent the music wheel with virtual concerts and online experiences. He talks with Terese Main about how much he came to appreciate their fans over the past couple years. Plus, you won't believe the celebrity he ran into at the grocery store!
Sidewalk Prophets is in concert in Tonawanda, NY on July 15. Find out more here: https://sidewalkprophets.com/pages/tour
Dr. Tara Sander Lee, director of life sciences at the Charlotte Lozier Institute addresses some of the common false impressions put forth by abortion supporters.
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The Parable Podcast with Family Life on-air host Randy Snavely focuses on the parables of Jesus, the meaning of the lessons He taught, and why He taught them as He did, with commentary and discussion that makes them relevant to our listeners lives today. In this episode, it's part 2 of "The Parable of the Hidden Treasure" from the Book of Matthew
The Parable Podcast with Family Life on-air host Randy Snavely focuses on the parables of Jesus, the meaning of the lessons He taught, and why He taught them as He did, with commentary and discussion that makes them relevant to our listeners lives today. In this episode, it's part 1 of "The Parable of the Hidden Treasure" from the Book of Matthew
This week’s Hometown Hero is Jim Harden of Rochester, NY. His group CompassCare is helping to eliminate the need for abortion in the “Empire State.”
Because of Jesus, our relationship to God is intimate: God is our perfect Dad and we're His kids. How does that change the way we live for Him? Robbie, Lydia and Tim talk the first 17 verses of Romans 8.
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We've all asked the question. Mike Sherrard with Summit Ministries discusses why God allows difficult situations in our lives.
It’s that time of year again! Mr. Jacobs and the gang are putting on a drama show for the community to raise money for missionaries.
(Bible Verses: 1st Corinthians 9, Colossians 3:23)
There's no way to put a price on God's promises - it's hard to count them, too! His guarantees are one of our greatest treasures. Steve, Terese and Tim list some of their favorite Bible promises. Plus: a way to save money and "have fun" ... from the Rise Up Travel Agency.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Heritage Village of the Southern Finger Lakes lets visitors glimpse what life was like as an inn keeper or traveler in the late 1700s. Sean Lukasic says a blacksmith shop, one-room school house and log cabin are also set up on the property. This summer, a special exhibit highlights the devastation and cleanup efforts 50 years ago following Tropical Storm Agnes.
Author Dennis Allen says Biblical discipleship has been hijacked. He explains what that means for Christians, including millennials. Allen unpacks what the original version of discipleship looks like.
You're a believer, but you continue to struggle with sin. Why is it so hard to do the right thing? If that describes you, you're in good company with the Apostle Paul! Tately, Mike and Tim are talking about Romans 7.
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Reading the Bible in public school? It's legal. Kori Pennypacker with Bible2School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, tells us how her organization is seeking to get the Bible, and good Christian teaching, back into public schools.
Today’s Hometown Hero is Elmira, NY mayor Dan Mandell, a world champion power lifter who’s putting the “muscle” back in public service.
National Park Service Rangers Adam Duncan and Matt Ifill help us learn more about several of the signers of the Declaration Of Independence from New York and Pennsylvania. They outline some of the struggles these men, their families, and others faced in the pursuit of freedom from Britain.
It's the 4th of July weekend, and cookouts and parades are everywhere! It's the perfect time to come together and celebrate our country.
...So why is everyone so angry?
(Bible Verses: Genesis 11:6, Ecclesiastes 4:12, Romans 12:16, 2nd Corinthians 13:11, Titus 3:10, 1st Peter 3:8, Mark 12:31, Romans 12:18, Matthew 5:44, Mark 10:44, Ephesians 6:12, and Matthew 12:25)
Who learns the most at Vacation Bible School: the kids, or the parents bringing them? What about the hard workers behind the scenes? Steve, Terese and Tim talk about the lessons that last from VBS.
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
On the north side of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Science Center offers guests a wide variety of exhibits ranging from a WWII submarine, a guitar exhibition, miniature railroad village showcasing the region before 1945, and a Robot Hall of Fame. Connie George walks us through a few of the displays.
The U-S Supreme Court wrapped up a momentous session this week with another blockbuster ruling. This one protects the 1st amendment rights of a high school coach who was fired for praying on the 50 yard line after games. Family Life’s Bob Price spoke with John Bursh of Alliance Defending Freedom about the case.
The war in Ukraine continues to rage.
“I know that the war has gone down the list of headlines in North America,” Don Parsons told me right before leaving the US to head back to Poland. “But the war is just as intense as it was. There is heavy fighting. There are people who are losing their lives at great numbers on a daily basis.”
Don Parsons is a former church planter in Ukraine who now directs Mission Eurasia’s Unreached People Groups Initiative. He notes that as the war continues, so do the needs of Ukrainian refugees.
“In Poland, in the city of Warsaw, where I’m based right now, the population’s increased by 15 percent in the last three months,” he says. “Fifteen percent. Four hundred thousand plus Ukrainian refugees.”
Parsons suggests three specific ways we can keep praying for God’s intervention in the war in Ukraine.
“I think the first prayer would be just to pray that this war--these atrocities--this evil--would end. And to not cease to pray,” he says. “One of the pastors in Kiev in the early going said that ‘the prayers of the global church is the iron dome of Ukraine.’ So we need to keep standing with Ukraine and praying for Ukraine.”
Parsons notes that the evangelical Ukrainian church is the largest evangelical church in all of Europe. With so many Ukrainian believers now scattered across Europe, Parsons asks us to pray that God will use the dispersion of Ukrainian Christians to spread God’s Good News.
“Pray for a spiritual harvest in the midst of these horrors,” he asks. “The church that we helped plant in Kiev--the pastor was evacuated to Switzerland. He’s helped establish a little church with the Ukrainian community there, and 22 people have come to Christ in the last two and a half months since he’s been evacuated there.”
In addition, Parsons asks us to pray for healing from the personal effects of the war.
“Pray for those that have experienced or are experiencing trauma. Which almost every Ukrainian has at some level.”
My conversation with Don in the podcast lasts just over 16 minutes.
Learn about Mission Eurasia’s work in Ukraine here.
This week’s Hometown Hero is Rae Goodman with One Little Meal. Her group is providing free housing to vets in need.
"I'm not hurting anybody." Actually, our "small," secret sins hurt us and our relationship with God. If our sin-ruled self died by Christ's work on the cross, why would we return to it? Tim, Becki and Robbie talk about pursuing life in Christ.
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What are the core beliefs that Christians should be unshakeable on, and how do they differ from our preferences? Summit Ministries Tripp Almon fills us in.
What do you do when something breaks? Is it still good enough to try and fix, or is it too old and you need to get a new one? What kinds of things will never get to old to fix?
(Bible References: Ephesians 4:14, Romans 12:2, Luke 21:33, Ephesians 4:29, Psalm 119:11)
Your money, your relationships, your fears... Jesus had something to say about those - and a whole lot more! Steve, Terese and Tim are taking a look at the parts of the Bible that came from Jesus' own mouth. (And you'll learn a nerdy Greek Bible word from Tim on the way.)
Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation that will help you think and grow in your faith. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.
Midway State Park on the shores of Chautauqua Lake is rooted in history, first opening as a picnic area. Generations have since enjoyed classic Herschel rides made in western New York, a vintage carousel, mini golf, go-karts, and more. Marla Connelley with New York State Parks gives us a preview.