Focus Magazine: Christian Living

Busy, Busy, Busy

Simple ways to reclaim your schedule.

Brushstrokes of Heaven

As her mother lay dying, a daughter paints life.

School Choice Matters

Determine the best education options for your kids.

Consumed by Fear

A mom's descent into depression and anxiety — and her journey back to health.

Blind Spots

Surrendering our limited view to God's perfect perspective.

The Right Touch

Making a big difference in little ways.

Aching for Compassion

Six ways to encourage friends with chronic pain.

Faith on Empty

Alone in the desert, I learned how to depend on God.

Friends Are Waiting

It's not easy getting out on a work night, but sometimes you need it.

Whatever Happened to Manners?

Setting the example for civility.

Patient Expectation

Learning to trust God's timing.

Welcome-Mat Missions

How one couple makes friends for eternity.

Worship: More Than Music

A worship leader's perspective.

Church: When It's Time to Move On

Pastors share their thoughts on when you should leave your church and how to do it in a God-honoring manner.

Self-Discipline: Underrated and Underused

How long had I misunderstood a basic biblical concept?

Having Fun Yet?

A Christian perspective on pleasure and enjoyment

Driving Yourself Crazy

Who's managing your emotions -- you or your circumstances?

Dancing My Way to a New Routine

When my wife suggested ballroom dancing, I was skeptical.

{ The Covert Nap Taker }

Is my need for a snooze shameful?

Frenzy for Fame

Do you want to be famous? Millions of Americans do!

The Rude Dude

What do my bad manners say about my faith?

Back to the Basics

Choosing to live the simple life.

Don’t Go It Alone

The rewards of friends for life.

The Unlikely Story of Warren

An unexpected friendship gave me a new outlook on lost souls.

Love Management

Whether you must love a forgetful father or a messy roommate, a lazy spouse or tough in-law, the love principle doesn’t change.

When Two Pray

Bring God into your marriage on a regular basis.

Feeling Invisible After 50?

Older women often find themselves overlooked in society. Find out what you can do about it.

Joy After Sorrow

How my family survived and healed after my husband’s death.

Feeding Jesus

What we do for the homeless, we do for Him.

Going Down?

Seeking humility in a “look at me” world.

Encounters With the Great Physician

Do miracles still happen? Take the word of a medical professional.

Tithe-Exempt?

The challenges of single parents giving to the kingdom.

e-vangelism

The mission field is just a click away.

Fish Stories

What bait are you using to reach people with the Gospel?

Roll Up Your Sleeves

The church needs seasoned, dedicated midlifers who have more time to see projects through to completion

Hope, Love and Healthiness

In the months following Sept. 11, researchers interviewed New Yorkers to find out how they were doing.

Supporting Foster Families

An estimated 650,000 children are in foster care nationwide.

Ready to Ride

A daughter’s quest inspires her mother to move forward in her own life.

Midlife Career Change

When you need to find something new to do for your life’s work.

Sunburn

A single mom reflects on how God wants to heal the pain in our lives.

Ready for an Emergency?

How to prepare for a health crisis.

Buried in Debt?

It’s much easier to get into financial trouble than to get out of it.

Don’t Send a Sympathy Card

The last thing a grieving friend needs is a well-intentioned but meaningless platitude.

The Truth About Trials

Finding God at work in the troubles of life.

The Problem With Nice Guys

What happens when passive husbands fear conflict and follow a false view of Jesus?

Big Story, Your Part

What part do you play in God's divine drama?

Sweet Minute of Prayer

How are we supposed to cram in an hour of prayer in the midst of jobs, chores, errands, cleaning, church, work, school?

Faith Mates

The challenge of blending two spiritual lives.

What Idols Taught Me About God

How often do I treat God like a hawker of miracles, a dealer of blessings, or a cosmic insurance plan against the vagaries of life?

Instant Expectations

Our journey with God is not like popping corn in the microwave, but rather like growing corn in a field.

Escape From the Clutches of Clutter

How much clutter is okay?

Two for the Money

How couples can pair their differing perspectives for a secure financial future

God's Money Managers

Letting go of what isn't mine.

Be a Barnabas to Your Pastor

It's time to do a bit of shepherding for the shepherd.

Righteousness Exalts A Nation

If we seek righteousness, we may turn our nation's direction back toward God.

Becoming a Christian

Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is foundational to just about everything.

'Tis the Season for Tag

Showing kindness to someone - even a total stranger - is as easy as, Tag, you're it.

A Heart to Serve

God calls us to service in many different ways and occupations. Your unique gifts are the key.

A Hope Big Enough

Will Barbara’s boyfriend walk away when he finds out she’s HIV positive?

A Storyteller With Purpose

As a cowboy and storyteller, Wil Robinson keeps the history of the West alive.

A Time to Forgive

When a girl’s mother remarries, she gets more than just a new father when she is abused.

Badges of Honor

You can find ways to honor others if you look hard enough.

Building Bridges

The 50th observation of the National Day of Prayer celebrates our heritage as one nation under God.

Catch Us if You Can

When this family becomes overwhelmed with busyness, they determine to find a cure for calendaritis.

Celebrate the Shepherd

Clergy leaders, like everyone else, need family, spiritual and physical support.

Christmas Reclaimed

Are Christians at fault for allowing Christmas to be hijacked?

Coming Home

Thanksgiving is a time for families to thank God for his provision and to strengthen family ties.

Employed by God

If you are working in a 'secular' position, are you working for God?

Eternity in Our Days

A mom figures out that she can live for Christ and affect those in her life through the mundane things of daily life.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Focus on the Family gets involved with ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition/ to help a family.

Get Fit!

Dr. Ken Cooper describes maintaining a healthy lifestyle and the danger of quick-fix diets.

Give Your Pastor a Break

People often ask how I've managed to pastor the same church for nearly a quarter century.

Glory From the Ashes

Bitter enemies during WWII, two men both find new life and friendship they never expected.

How a Fish Taught Me to Drive Better

What message do you send by your driving behavior?

How to Avoid Devilish Detours on a Heavenly Hike

God's Word and the book, Pilgrim’s Progress, may be the tools you need to raise your children in today’s world.

I Saw You Smile

Though his head shook from side to side, I could see him light up as his eyes caught mine.

In Every Circumstance

Life on earth can be tough, but God calls us to worship Him anyway.

In Lenten Lands

Douglas Gresham, the stepson of Christian author C.S. Lewis, has lived an eccentric life worthy of such a father.

In Touch With the Troops

Jeanette Cram, the Cookie Lady, has been baking cookings for soldiers on the front lines since the 1990 Gulf War.

Investing in Others

If your children are grown, mentoring younger couples can be a great ministry.

I’d Like Some Peace, Please!

Have you ever been so stressed that you couldn’t relax? Learn how talking to God can help.

Lead Me Not Into Temptation

How can a single-again woman maintain her sexual purity?

Lessons in Perfection and Grace

Gospel singer Russ Taff learned the truth about grace -- after trying to serve God the hard way.

Let's Roll

Todd Beamer new that, ultimately, he had nothing to fear on Sept. 11

Love Your Neighbor

Your neighbors are those who share the turf with you. Just how much do you love them?

Memories of My Father

Looking back on a life well-spent gives a daughter a glimpse of God's faithfulness.

Mom, You're the Best!

We need capes. Long, bright, red capes with SSM (Super Single Mom) emblazoned on the back.

Not So Happily Ever After

Even though one woman’s "happily ever after" is shattered, she still has hope.

Numbering Our Days

Numbering our days aright isn't accidental. It begins with a choice, a choice to seek God first.

Our Heavenly Home

With heaven on our minds, we'll live differently.

Petition 2493

A fictional petition to stop all religious broadcasting is still going strong, with Dr. Dobson as a main player.

Playing for Fitness

Play with your children is a wonderful path for fitness for everyone in the family.

Raiders of the Posh Park

Yard sales yield interesting finds — some of eternal value.

Remembering the Divine

It can be a challenge helping kids understand that Christmas is not just about getting things.

Send in the Clowns

Two guys find that life in the circus suits family values quite well.

Sharing the Heartache

A woman wishes she could have rescued her mother from living in a concentration camp.

Small Gifts, Large Rewards

Medical missionary John Brashler sees firsthand how God spreads His love by meeting basic needs.

Steven Curtis Chapman

Steven Curtis Chapman's music has ministered hope to those affected by the Paducah and Littleton school shootings.

The ABCs of Manly Hospitality

The apostle Paul encouraged Christian believers to “practice hospitality.”

The Baby Monitor Solution

God should stock up on baby monitors, because frankly, His children seem to be acting up more than mine.