Hometown Heroes – Michael Weston – 12/05/23
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Kids Corner: Traditions VS Reality
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We all know the nativity story. The stable, the innkeeper, the sheep, the three wise men, the baby. But how can we tell what really happened apart from the classic story we hear every year? And why is there a difference?
Bible Verses: Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 2, Revelation 22:18 and 19, Deuteronomy 4:2, Mark 12
Capital Connection – Pro-life, Pro-pot, and Pro-pay raise? – 12/01/23
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How to Win on Abortion?
Is Marijuana Bad Medicine?
Do State Lawmakers Deserve a Pay Raise ?
Lots of questions this week as we explore the thorny issues impacting our listeners in PA and NY. Here to make sense of those questions are Dan Bartkowiak at the Pennsylvania Family Institute and Jason McGuire at New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms.
Faith Under Fire – 2023’s Abortion Battles – 11/30/23
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Today’s “Faith Under Fire” Feature on Family Life features analysis of how the pro-abortion and pro-life movements have adapted this year, after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v Wade, sending the lawmaking decisions back to each of the 50 states.
Jim Harden is President of Compass Care, which operates pregnancy care centers in Albany, Rochester and Buffalo. One of their facilties was firebombed and vandalized, showing how opposition to the pro-life movement has been harsher and more violent in multiple locations across the country this year. Harden tells Family Life that those who are most strident in making abortions legal are less concerned about women’s rights or women’s health care, but more interested in maintaining their profitable businesses.
He quotes research that indicates that the number of Americans who believe at least some restrictions or oversight of abortion providers has grown this year to the largest percentage in our lifetimes.
There also are new statistics this week that show 32,000 more babies were saved in 2023 than the preceding year.
Family Life 5 O’Clock Report – 11/29/23
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Inside Out – Responding to Criticism – 11/29/23
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“Inside Out” on Family Life
How do you respond when coworkers tell you they’ve been hurt by Christians, or say that Christianity is offensive? Kaitlin Miller Febles talks about how believers led by the Holy Spirit can live out the most powerful response.
“I think when we first respond with just defensiveness, we can come across as callous toward what this person’s experienced by someone maybe even in the name of Christ,” says Kaitlin Miller Febles. “And if they don’t feel heard and understood, I think they’re far less likely to hear us, or even want to understand us back. But humility has a way of disarming people.”
Febles counsels us to listen well and mourn behavior in the name of Christ that is not at all Christlike. “Just even as we denounce un-Christlikeness, we don’t denounce Christ. Christians may act shamefully, we need to acknowledge that, but we’re not ashamed of Christ.”
We have an opportunity to speak the actual message of Christ with words, and also with our lives, when the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit shape the way we live. “For each hateful or selfish or greedy or manipulative Christian example that an unbeliever has experienced, we can be a counter example, as a Christian that they also now have to explain,” Febles says.
Kaitlin Miller Febles writes on this topic and other issues for The Gospel Coalition.
Hometown Heroes – Arctic League Charity – 11/28/23
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“Hometown Heroes” on Family Life
An organization which will provide gifts for 3,000 children in the month ahead has a goal to assure that every child in their county receives a gift at Christmastime.
This year’s president of the Arctic League is Scott Heffner. He gives us the impressive history of the organization — this is its 111th year! He also talks about the logistics and fundraising which happen throughout December and throughout the year, to raise its budget of $175,000.
Family Life 5 O’Clock Report – 11/27/23
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A Family Life Interview – Ron Hutchcraft on Church-Leader Burnout – 11/27/23
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Ron Hutchcraft has spent decades as a Christian broadcaster, a ministry leader, a mission worker, and a sought-after speaker at religious conferences.
In October, he was featured at the Family Life Pastor’s Conference, providing inspiration to well over 200 pastors from Pennsylvania and New York. In conjunction with his visit to our listening area, he was interviewed by Family Life News, seeking his recommendations for clergy and for congregations.
In light of today’s difficult trends where 42 percent of congregational pastors are ready to quit, there is much which needs done to strengthen the church and reverse that reality.
In our conversation, Hutchcraft looks at the Big Three challenges identified by that research, offers practical steps to reduce stresses and loneliness, and warns that church fights over politics or social issues are against the Bible’s calling. He points to the impact of Covid shutdowns and mandates and disagreements, and gives a movie-plot parallel. You also will hear reminders that the church’s shepherds also hold responsibility to address their own misguided motivations and unhelpful mission drift.
Ron Hutchcraft leads Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, which works to provide spiritual rescue, bringing hope to unchurched people in the language of the listener. RHM also operates “On Eagles Wings”, an evagelistic and training outreach to Indigenous young people.
His daily radio story, “A Word With You”, airs multiple times each weekday on Family Life broadcasting, plus our online streams.
A parallel Family Life Podcast is also available: Check our pastors’ first-person stories on “The Calling” with Steve Smith. Episodes can be found here.
Kids Corner: Distracting Decor
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There’s a lot of distractions this time of year. The presents, the lights, the garlands, the pageants, the cookies. It’s easy to forget why we do it all.
Bible Verses: Luke 12:22-34, Colossians 3, 1st Timothy 6:17-19, Psalm 119:11, Proverbs 2:5 and 2nd Corinthians 4:7
