Episodes

Dec. 2, 2025

Healing Childhood Wounds

Do memories from your childhood stir up difficult emotion? Jim Daly encourages you to believe that healing is possible because while you can’t erase bad memories, you can overcome them. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Dec. 1, 2025

Reconcile in Person

Is technology bad for relationships? Jim Daly explains why addressing problems through electronic means may be the worst thing we can do when we’re engaged in conflict with someone. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 28, 2025

Artificial Self-Worth

Studies show that those with a poor self-image are more likely to compare themselves to others. Jim Daly shares how to be happier and more content by escaping the comparison trap. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 27, 2025

An Open Letter on Thanksgiving

In honor of Thanksgiving, Jim Daly reads a portion of an editorial that has been published in The Wall Street Journal every Thanksgiving Eve since 1961. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 26, 2025

Answerable Courage

The first settlers didn’t have it easy, but they gave thanks anyway. Jim Daly shares why we should do the same by humbly giving thanks to God for the many blessings He’s given us and trusting Him to guide us into the future. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 24, 2025

Leave Garbage Behind

Life can be tough when you feel weighed down by the “stuff” of your past. The solution starts by leaving the negativity of your past … in the past. Jim Daly shares helpful tips for doing just that. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 21, 2025

They Can’t Fly on Their Own

We don’t always recognize a thing’s value by what we see on the outside. Jim Daly explains how a broken Christmas figurine taught author Gary Thomas to handle marriage with the same care as an irreplaceable keepsake. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 20, 2025

Beauty and Barbed Wire

The reason relationships can be hard is because of what John Lennox calls “beauty and barbed wire.” Although the people we love may wound us, they’re also the ones who infuse our lives with healing, beauty, and new life. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 19, 2025

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is more than just turkey and stuffing. Jim Daly shares why, at its heart, Thanksgiving is all about being aware of the blessings God has given us. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 18, 2025

Beyond the Silent Treatment

The silent treatment has been around as long as marriage. Which is ironic because cutting off communication is the worst thing you can do. Jim Daly explains why you should talk more, not less, when your marriage hits a rough patch. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 17, 2025

Handling a Toddler’s Public Tantrum

Every parent has suffered the dreaded “toddler tantrum.” And yet, many moms and dads don’t know what to do. Jim Daly offers helpful suggestions for gaining control when a little one loses control in public. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 14, 2025

Raising Responsible Kids

Making children behave is a common strategy for helping them become more responsible. Jim Daly shares why the most effective way to develop a child’s maturity is to help them learn self-control. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 13, 2025

What Is Love?

What is love? Is it a warm, fuzzy feeling? Jim Daly explains why love doesn’t just hold on when life is easy – it holds on when everything within us wants to let go. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 12, 2025

All Those Terrible Firsts

It’s never easy when a loved one dies. Still to come are all those “terrible firsts” you experience in their absence. Jim Daly shares tips for making the first holidays without your loved one just a little easier to bear. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 11, 2025

Wounds No One Sees

Countless veterans suffer from wounds that no one sees. Jim Daly shares an unforgettable story that taught him humble respect for those who have sacrificed so nobly for the cause of freedom. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 10, 2025

Control Your Appetites

When it comes to food, most of us understand the importance of controlling our appetites. Jim Daly explains why that’s wise advice for the sexual health of a marriage as well. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 7, 2025

Character vs. “Right” Traits

Even when our children make poor choices, we hope they’ll develop good character. Jim Daly explains why good character is an important goal for kids even when they’re doing the right things. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 6, 2025

Hold My Beer!

Which is more important? Possessing a special talent? Or possessing the character to use that talent for a good purpose? Jim Daly explains why talent reveals what we can do; character reveals what we ought to do. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 5, 2025

Try New Things

Every marriage hits a lull sooner or later. Jim Daly shares a tip that will help you get out of the rut you’re stuck in and breathe new life into your marriage. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 4, 2025

Heart Size, Not Gift Size

Life’s most meaningful rewards come not from having, but from sharing. Jim Daly explains why generosity isn’t determined by the size of your gifts but by the size of your heart. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Nov. 3, 2025

When the Problem Isn’t the Problem

Parenting can be difficult when your perceptions of a problem are incorrect. Jim Daly shares tips that will help you avoid jumping to conclusions too quickly about what’s influencing your child’s behavior. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Oct. 31, 2025

Living with Fear and Anxiety

We all experience moments of worry, but some people suffer from relentless fear. Jim Daly shares practical advice for coming alongside a friend or loved one who struggles with anxiety and steering them in a healthy direction. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.
Oct. 30, 2025

Unexpected Paths

When life puts us on an unexpected path, how should we respond? Jim Daly explains why the secret to success isn’t avoiding mistakes, it’s learning how to grow through them and keep moving forward. Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.