Focus on the Family Magazine

‘I’m on my

phone too

much! ’

Helping Families Thrive in Christ

OCT / NOV 2025

MADE IN

GOD’S IMAGE

CAIN

MUSIC, MARRIAGE

AND FAMILY LIFE

Page 26

Families need

your help now

more than ever!

Donate today!

Families across Canada are under pressure.

Grocery bills, housing costs and the price of

daily essentials keep rising. And many people

are struggling to keep up.

At Focus on the Family Canada, we’re hearing

from more families who need help, but we’re

also facing increased costs.

Simply put, we’re doing more with less.

Your gift today will bring hope and

personalized support to Canadian families

in crisis.

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26

36

OCT / NOV 2025

In Every Issue

4 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

5 MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT

6 OFF THE SHELF

8 AGE & STAGE

46 MY CANADIAN FAMILY

43

COURTESY OF RIDGECREST CONFERENCE CENTER / PHOTO COURTESY OF CAIN / ILLUSTRATIONX - ALISSANDRA SEELAUS / ADOBE STOCK - CINEBERG

Parenting

10 5 WAYS TO TALK WITH YOUR

PRETEENS

. . . and listen

by Dr. Danny Huerta

12 ‘YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES’

Walking with your teen

toward spiritual maturity

by Levi Lusko

14 NOW WHAT?

Discussing clear

expectations and

consequences with

your adult kids

by Allison Bottke

16 FIRST-BABY STRESS IN NEW

DADS

The Thriving Family

podcast

17 I’M THANKFUL I’M A

PARENT BECAUSE I . . .

by Kat Bittner

18 ‘I’M ON MY PHONE

TOO MUCH!’

Is your phone a tool

or your master?

by Arlene Pellicane

20 SPORTS BETTING & TEENS

by Adam Holz

Marriage

22 A MARRIAGE MIRACLE

How God used Focus

on the Family Canada’s

Hope Restored program

to reconcile one couple’s

marriage

by Camryn Munday

25 HIGHLY SENSITIVE

SPOUSES: WHAT YOU NEED

TO KNOW

The Thriving Family

podcast

26 ON THE ROAD WITH CAIN

Siblings Taylor, Madison

and Logan discuss their

music, marriages and

young families

by Suzanne Gosselin

Faith

DOWNLOAD THE

MEMORY VERSE AT

FocusOnTheFamily.ca/

Magazine

32 MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE

Behind the scenes of

the video series created

by Focus on the Family

Canada and The Union

Movement

by Focus on the Family Canada

35 7 WAYS TO CELEBRATE

YOUR PASTOR

36 STORIES OF HELP

AND HOPE

Everyday people choosing

to see, believe and act

compiled by Sheila Seifert

42 A MOTHER’S JOURNEY

THROUGH GRIEF

The Thriving Family

podcast

An interview with Shirley

Thiessen

43 PAUL AT ATHENS

A biblical model for

engaging a secular world

by Subby Szterszky

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY CANADA 3

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Learning to Juggle It All

THERE ARE SEASONS of family life when we need to get really good

at juggling. Even if we’re not lighting up arenas like the members of CAIN

(page 26), we all face conflicting priorities. Investing in your marriage,

raising your children, developing your career, never mind dealing with

extended family dynamics, navigating cultural issues and growing in your

faith—this all adds up.

That’s why I’m so thankful to work for Focus on the Family Canada. We

know the realities families are facing, so we’re doing everything we can to

come alongside you to equip you for the journey. Family brings comfort that

nothing else can replace.

As you look through this magazine, I hope you feel inspired and empowered

in every area of your life. On page 22, you’ll find a story of a Canadian couple

whose marriage was transformed by Hope Restored. On page 32, you’ll get a

behind-the-scenes peek at our brand-new video series called In God’s Image:

A Journey Towards Wholeness in Sexuality, Identity and Relationships, created

with The Union Movement right here in Canada. On page 43, you’ll find

an article that will help you learn to evangelize like Paul did in Athens. Plus,

throughout this issue you’ll read parenting and marriage tips, and teasers of

season two episodes of our uniquely Canadian podcast, The Thriving Family.

As always, if you need help, I want to remind you we’re just a click, email or

phone call away. Please visit our website at FocusOnTheFamily.ca, email us

at info@fotf.ca or call our team at 1.800.661.9800. We’re here for you!

Jean-Paul Beran, M.A.

President of Focus on the Family Canada

Jean-Paul Beran is the

president of Focus on

the Family Canada.

JOSH YONH

President

Jim Daly

Chief Focus Operating Canada

O President ffi c e r

Jean-Paul Ken Windebank Beran

Chief Operating

O Director ffi c e r of Content

Operations Ken Windebank

Kevin Shirin

Director of Content

Operations

Editor-in-Chief

Jesse Kevin Florea Shirin

Editor-in-Chief

Senior Editorial

Jesse Florea

Director

Sheila Senior Seifert Editorial

Director

Sheila Copy Chief Seifert

Scott DeNicola

Copy Chief

Scott Managing DeNicola Editor

Andrea

Managing

Gutierrez

Editor

Andrea Gutierrez

Senior Associate

Associate Editors

Faith Editors Wismer

Sarah Faith Wismer Brickens

Sarah Brickens

Art Director

Sally Dunn

Art Director

Sally Designer Dunn

Julie Vieux

Designer

Cover Photography

Julie Vieux

Velasco Visuals -

Fernanda Giffin

Cover

Administrative

Photography

Assistant Nancy Pauline

Lennis Pugh

Administrative

Circulation

Assistant Erika Gaulke

Lennis Pugh

Focus Canada

Circulation

Contributors

Erika Laurisha Gaulke Blackstock

Magnus Magat

Camryn Munday

Amanda Regan

Subby Szterszky

Amy Van Veen

THANK YOU!

Focus on the Family provides this magazine and

other resources through the generosity of friends

like you. FocusOnTheFamily.ca/Donate

Subscribe to get this magazine!

FocusOnTheFamily.ca/Magazine

Focus on the Family magazine October/November

2025, Vol. 10, No. 5 ISSN 2471-5921, © 2025 Focus on

the Family. All rights reserved. Published by Focus

on the Family, a nonprofi t organization recognized

for tax-deductible giving by the federal government.

Focus on the Family is a federally registered

trademark of Focus on the Family.

To notify us of an address change or to contact

Focus on the Family Canada: 1-800-661-9800;

19946 80A Ave, Langley, BC, V2Y 0J8; info@fotf.ca

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated,

are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English

Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a

publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV

Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted

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Paper manufactured on Vancouver Island.

4

OCT / NOV 2025

MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT

Highlighting a few of the

many resources of Focus

on the Family Canada

EXPLORE OUR NEW COLLECTIONS of Christian

greeting cards, merchandise and apparel

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JUST IN TIME FOR your Christmas shopping,

we’re excited to share with you two new collections available

in our online store and in-person resource centre.

Greeting cards

Finding affordable greeting cards with scriptural

encouragement can be difficult—so we’ve created a

new collection of cards for every occasion.

Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, birthdays,

baptism or christening, graduation or weddings, or

you’re wanting to send a thank-you, sympathy, or card

simply sharing your love, we have dozens of options

available to choose from.

Merchandise and apparel

Hoodies, T-shirts for adults and children, mugs and a

backpack are all designed with uplifting and encouraging

Scripture verses. From declaring, “I am a new

creation in Christ” (paraphrased from 2 Corinthians 5:17)

to reminding yourself, “My help comes from the Lord”

(Psalm 121:2), to other messages about the goodness of

God, you’ll be inspired every day and be empowered to

share your faith with those around you.

These products are lovingly and thoughtfully

designed by our team at Focus on the Family Canada.

You can shop online at Shop.FocusOnTheFamily.ca

and get free shipping on orders over $75. Or you can

shop in-person at our head office (19946 80A Ave.,

Langley, BC) and enjoy your purchase right away!

Shop online and help families in Canada.

Shop.FocusOnTheFamily.ca

SHOP WITH US AND SUPPORT FAMILIES

Did you know that when you shop with us, you’re

supporting families across the country?

Your purchases—whether online or in-person—

help fund our ministry, so we can continue to offer

Canadians biblical guidance, counseling support,

prayer, helpful resources and more.

Plus, if a family seeking help isn’t sure what they need,

they can contact us for a recommend ation. Or if the

cost of a certain resource is simply out of reach for

their family, your generosity allows us to send it to

them free of charge.

Thank you for partnering with us to help Canadian

families!


OFF THE SHELF

BOOKS

BOARD BOOKS

God Came Near to Me

by Kirsten Wetherell

It Is Well With My Soul

“Hymns for Little Ones” series

by Harvest House Publishers

Otter B Helpful

“Otter B” series

by Pam Kennedy and

Anne Kennedy Brady

Fall Reads & Fun

LEAVES CHANGE COLORS. Air grows crisp. And it’s

the perfect weather for cozying up with a book. Find out why

one of these authors wrote her story and then scout our list of

good reads for your children. Or if you’re interested in family

games, we’ve included a few suggestions to help you make fun

fall memories together.

“Every child will struggle with sin (Romans 3:23). Some may try

to hide their mistakes, while others might work hard to be good

in hopes of making up for them. I wrote His Grace Is Enough

in a playful rhyme to help children understand their need for

grace, the incredible gift of Jesus paying the price for their sin

and the powerful way God’s grace changes us so we can walk

in newness of life.”

—Melissa Kruger

FIND THESE

BOOKS, GAMES

AND MORE.


GAMES

3- TO 8-YEAR-OLDS

Clever Cub Bible Bingo

Jonah, Go Fish!

9- TO 12-YEAR-OLDS

“The Action Bible”:

Guess-It Game

Movie Messages:

The Iron Giant

Free! FocusOnTheFamily.ca/

MovieMessages

FAMILY

Now We’re Talking:

Together Time Talk-Abouts

Bible Conversation Cards

Dutch Blitz

PICTURE BOOKS

Never Walk Alone

by Kathryn Joy MacDowall

His Grace Is Enough

by Melissa Kruger

Harriet Hurry-Up and the

Oh-So-Slow Day!

by Allia Zobel Nolan

KIDS

Drought, Wind, and Fire

No. 34 in “The Imagination

Station” series

by Marianne Hering and

Marshal Younger

Heroes and Villains

“The Action Bible”

illustrated by Sergio Cariello

Beyond the Far Horizon

No. 3 in “The Restorationists”

series

by Carolyn Leiloglou

TEENS

Bishop’s Block

“The Blackgaard Chronicles”

series

by Phil Lollar

Battle of Lion Rock

No. 3 in "Beacon Hill" series

by D.J. Williams

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6

OCT / NOV 2025

Parenting

“SPONTANEITY IS ABOUT NOT BEING TOO

BUSY TO ENJOY RELATIONSHIPS AND

TAKING THE TIME TO INTENTIONALLY

ENTER UNPLANNED MOMENTS.”

— DR. DANNY HUERTA,

VICE PRESIDENT OF PARENTING & YOUTH AT FOCUS ON THE FAMILY,

TAKEN FROM SEVEN TRAITS OF EFFECTIVE PARENTING

CREDIT FOTF - SALLY TK DUNN


PARENTING / AGE & STAGE

0-3

years

QUIET ACTIVITIES

To help my toddler learn how to play independently,

I gradually introduced a period of

quiet activity into our schedule.

First, I stocked up on creative, engaging toys,

and we quietly played with them together.

After a few days, I set aside time for him to play

while I stayed in the room but worked

on my own project—such as folding laundry.

When I felt my son was ready to play by himself,

I put a baby gate across his bedroom door

so he could play safely without having his door

shut. I set a kitchen timer and told him quiet

time would be over when the bell rang.

We started slowly, with only 10 minutes of

quiet time. Every few days, I added another

five minutes until we had worked up to a full

hour. My son soon learned to play happily in

his room, looking at books and building towers

of blocks until the timer let us both know

quiet time was over.

—Kirsetin K. Morello

Toast or Cereal?

Toddlerhood is the time

when children become

more independent thinkers.

During this phase, there is

one word toddlers seem to

know well and use often: No!

To avoid unnecessary conflicts

with my toddlers, I learned to

ask questions that didn’t give

them the chance to say their new

favorite word. Instead of asking

if my kids wanted breakfast, for

example, I’d offer two menu

options they could choose from:

“Would you like toast or cereal?

Pick your favorite.”

I made sure to stand firm on

the options so they understood

that the choice was theirs to

make, but the options could not

be negotiated.

—Jackie Castle

ISTOCK - MEDIAPHOTOS / STEVE BJORKMAN

8

OCT / NOV 2025

AGE & STAGE / PARENTING

Mason Jar Prayers

I wanted to teach my kids the importance of respecting and praying for all our

leaders, so I gathered pencils, paper and a Mason jar. As a family, we listed all the

leaders we could think of—from teachers and coaches to prime ministers and

pastors. Once a week at dinner, we drew a name from the jar and talked briefly

about that person’s responsibilities. Then we asked God to give him or her wisdom

to lead in ways that please Him. We didn’t have to agree with every leader’s

decisions, but the process reminded us to respect, and speak respectfully about,

those in authority.

—Janna Jones

ADOBE STOCK - HOCKLEYMEDIA/PEOPLEIMAGES.COM / STEVE BJORKMAN

CLOSING THE DISTANCE

When my kids were younger, I raised my voice more often than I should have.

I learned the value of taking an extra moment to walk over and sit next to

my kids, putting myself between them and whatever distractions were present.

Then I spoke in a gentler—and more effective—voice.

After I started closing the distance rather than raising my voice, I noticed a

clear change in the tone of our home.

—Dean Ridings

Praise

Reminders

I hid coins around our

house—not for a rainy

day but as a tangible

prompt to help my children

make a habit of

thanksgiving. Each time

we find one, we thank

God aloud for a specific

blessing. Then we drop

the coin into a jar on our

dinner table. Our jar now

overflows, and my children’s

first response to

a gleam of silver—inside

our home or out—is to

pause and praise.

—Alicia Bruxvoort



5 Ways to Talk

With Your Preteens

. . . and listen

BY DR. DANNY HUERTA

I ASKED MY DAUGHTER,

“How was your day?” after picking

her up from school. As words

poured from her mouth, my

thoughts remained elsewhere.

But then the dreaded words came,

“Dad, so what do you think?”

I had no clue what she had shared

and had clearly missed an opportunity

to engage with her. I wouldn’t

want her to treat me or anyone else

this way, so I apologized and asked

her to say it again.

The art of conversation with your

preteens begins with being able to

manage your own brain, triggers,

distractions, demands and fears.

Over the past two decades, I’ve

learned five ways to have and

enjoy conversations.

Carve out time

Although great conversations can happen

spontaneously, be intentional

about scheduling one-on-one times.

Conversational opportunities may

work best for you while doing a project

together, during walks or while riding

bikes. But also recognize quick-chat

moments, such as when you are standing

in line at a store, riding in the car,

sitting at the dinner table or even saying

goodnight at bedtime.

Look beyond behaviors

As you interact with your preteens, don’t

be distracted by their outward behavior.

A disengaged child is not only wrestling

with emotions but also thoughts formed

by how they’re wired and their perception

of their experiences. With curiosity,

explore how they see things, their attitudes

and the way they’re processing

relationships. There’s a lot to understand

to get a more complete picture of why

they’re behaving the way they do.

10

OCT / NOV 2025


Although great conversations can

happen spontaneously, be intentional

about scheduling one-on-one times.

Pause your thoughts

Visualize yourself pressing a mental pause button in

order to concentrate on what they’re saying. Some

parents I’ve worked with have creatively drawn

pause buttons to put in the car, the kitchen and other

places where they need a reminder to focus on the

conversation. After all, preteens can tell if you are

present. As they begin to sense you’re interested,

they may share more. And modeling active listening

also helps them learn to be attuned to others.

Practice your questions

While asking too many questions can feel like an

interrogation, authentic interaction conveys genuine

interest, as do other nonverbal cues. Ask open-ended

questions like these:

• “What is your favorite music to listen to?”

• “When do you feel most confident?

(Or most insecure?)”

• “What do you think is going well for our family?

(Or what is not going so well?)”

Open-ended follow-up questions might look

like these:

• “What is exciting about that to you?”

• “What stresses you out about that?”

Show interest

Children feel valued when you

remember their interests. You

may need to write down what you

hear in a “remember” book. Then

you can show you care by asking

questions about what’s important

to them. Most preteens love to be

seen and known, which is one of

the many reasons why social media

can be so enticing.

God has created people—

adults and kids—as social

beings (1 John 1:7, Romans

15:5, Ephesians 4:25). He

invites us to support and

encourage one another

through back-and-forth

conversation. Though this

may be a series of imperfect

interactions for you and

your preteen, the result can

be a stronger relationship.

Dr. Danny Huerta is vice president of

Parenting & Youth for Focus on the Family.

STEVE BJORKMAN



13-18

‘You Have What It Takes’

Walking with your teen

toward spiritual maturity

BY LEVI LUSKO

I ASKED A GROUP of friends,

“When did you know you became

a man?” I expected defining

moments. What I found instead

was silence. Sadness. For many,

there was no rite of passage—just

years of stumbling, trying to figure

it out.

One friend said it took years of

mistakes—of being a boy in a man’s

body—before he ever began to

feel like a man. Another told me it

wasn’t until he ended up in prison

that someone finally discipled him.

That’s where he received the type of

mentoring he longed for growing

up. It was gutting, and it reminded

me how many young people are

looking for that same kind of guidance,

especially when it comes

to faith.

Make no mistake: If our kids

don’t get a clear path toward spiritual

maturity, they’ll go looking for

one elsewhere. Until our sons and

daughters know their place in the

kingdom, they’ll try to earn it or

avoid it. That’s why it’s critical that

we as parents, mentors and spiritual

leaders come alongside our

teenagers as they wrestle with faith,

doubt and identity.

Let me give you a few things I’ve

learned along the way.

12

OCT / NOV 2025


I’m living proof that the brokenness

behind you doesn’t have to be

the story in front of you.

STEVE BJORKMAN

Be the blessing

you didn’t receive

Some of us didn’t grow up with a

dad who took us aside and said,

“You have what it takes.” But that

doesn’t mean we’re disqualified

from giving that to our kids. You

can’t give what you never got. But

the good news is, God wants to

give it to you so you can pass it on.

So if you’re navigating your teen’s

doubts or pushback, see it as an

invitation: a chance to speak life,

to call him up, to confer a blessing.

I saw this modeled in my own

dad. His childhood was full of

chaos—alcohol, violence, trauma.

And yet, when he came to Christ,

he decided it stopped with him. He

took me on fishing trips, prayed

with me and looked me in the eye

to tell me I was a man of God. I’m

living proof that the brokenness

behind you doesn’t have to be the

story in front of you.

Lead with high standards

and high warmth

That’s the example we see in God’s

relationship with Joshua. In the first

chapter of Joshua, God tells him,

“Be strong and courageous” (verse

7)—high standard. But He also

reassures him, “The Lord your God

is with you wherever you go” (verse

9)—high warmth. That’s the balance

we’re after.

Teens don’t need perfect answers,

especially in the years when they’re

asking hard questions or pushing

boundaries. They need you to stay

in the conversation. Keep showing

up with tenderness and truth. High

standards. High warmth.

Give them a picture,

not just rules

If you’ve ever tried building IKEA

furniture without the picture on the

box, you know how confusing it can

be. The same goes for faith. If we

hand our kids a Bible and a bunch

of dos and don’ts but fail to model

the life it describes, we’ve given

them parts with no picture.

So let your life be the picture.

Let the way you love your spouse,

serve others, repent when you’re

wrong and cling to Jesus in crisis

become the image they build their

faith around.

Stay close to the

presence of God

If your teen is struggling with doubt

or spiritual apathy, what he or she

needs more than a lecture is to see

you personally anchored in Jesus.

God told Joshua, “This Book of the

Law shall not depart from your

mouth, but you shall meditate on it

day and night” (Joshua 1:8). That’s

where strength comes from.

Some of the most defining

moments of my life happened in

God’s presence. If we want that for

our kids, we need to create space

for it—at home and in church.

I believe God wants to speak

through you, not just to you. You

have what it takes to walk with

your teen through this critical season—not

because you’re perfect,

but because God is with you. And

because He’s with you, you can say

to your son or daughter, “I may not

have all the answers, but I’m not

going anywhere. Let’s figure this

out together.”

And that might be the most powerful

thing you ever say.

Levi Lusko is the founder and lead pastor of

Fresh Life Church and a bestselling author.

His latest release is Blessed Are the Spiraling.

He and his wife, Jennie, co-host their podcast,

“Hey! It’s The Luskos.” Levi and Jennie have

one son and four daughters, one of whom

is in heaven.



Now

What?

Discussing clear

expectations and

consequences

with your adult kids

BY ALLISON BOTTKE

19+

JUDY’S OLDEST daughter

had just graduated from high

school and planned to attend

community college for a twoyear

degree in information

technology. Judy was proud of

her eldest child, yet she had

questions about how to effectively

navigate this new season

of parenting.

“I can’t afford to send Melissa

off to school,” Judy wrote. “But

I’m not sure how to set boundaries

that are helpful and healthy.

She isn’t a child, but she’s not

exactly an adult either. Do I

charge rent, does she buy her

own groceries, cook her own

meals—and what about chores?

What role am I supposed to play

now? Am I a parent, roommate,

landlord or what?”

Why did she ask me?

My only child had battled a

heroin addiction that almost

took his life several times and

sent him to prison more than

once. With God’s help and a

whole lot of prayer, my son

kicked that habit, and those

tumultuous times are behind

us. The heartache of my journey

shaped how I approached setting

healthy boundaries with my

son. That experience has since

morphed into a ministry of offering

advice to other parents who

are in the trenches with adult

kids. So that’s what I set to do

with Judy—help her navigate her

next step with her adult child.

I let her know that there might

be times when you lean more

toward a parenting role and

other times when you need to

give some space. Regardless,

the key to successfully navigating

any joint endeavor requires

everyone to follow the same

general roadmap.

Mapping the road

Here are four ways to set boundaries

with adult children, those who are still

living at home or those home from college

during breaks.

Mutual respect. Be respectful, supportive

and clear about boundaries. Keep

your tone calm, caring and direct, to create

more of a two-way dialogue than a

lecture. The point is to express trust, support

and a desire to collaborate, while

also being honest about the household’s

needs. This approach invites them into

adult responsibility without falling back

into a parent-child dynamic.

Open communication. Maintain open

dialogue. You might be eager to start the

conversation about boundaries, but don’t

rush it when your son or daughter walks

in the door or is on his or her way out.

Take time to get settled. The conversation

could go something like this:

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OCT / NOV 2025

AD

STEVE BJORKMAN

Be respectful, supportive and

clear about boundaries.

“I’m glad you’re going to community

college. I know it’s not

always easy to stay close to home

when your friends might be moving

away, so I want you to know I

respect your choice and want to

support you.

“At the same time, since you’ll

be living at home, it’s important

we’re on the same page

about a few things—not to control

you, but so we all know

what to expect and can avoid

misunderstandings.”

Accountability. To continue

the dialogue, you might seek to

encourage your kids to take on

responsibility in this way:

“I want to treat you like an

adult. That means I’m not going

to micromanage your schedule,

but we need to have some basic

agreements—things like being

considerate about noise, communicating

if you’re going to be out

late, helping around the house.

“It’s not about rules for the sake

of rules; it’s about mutual respect.

This is your home and a shared

space. I think we all do better

when we’re honest and clear from

the start. What are your thoughts?”

Expectations and consequences

in writing. We all process things

differently, including words and

intentions. That’s why it might

be prudent to record the major

decisions you make together—a

document that will be signed by

you and your adult child.

Whether your document covers

specific rules like chores, rent

or curfews is up to you. The point

of this exercise is to provide clear

expectations in writing so no one

is taken by surprise.

Launching well

We want to set up our kids for success.

We want them to feel safe,

strong and ready to conquer the

world on their terms. However, our

job as parents isn’t necessarily

over when our kids graduate high

school or turn 18 and “officially”

become adults.

Despite the legal age definition,

many of our “adult” kids are still

in the process of growing up, and

our job is to help direct, not dictate,

that growth. Defining clear expectations

and consequences is a way

to effectively foster healthy relationships

and provide a proactive

roadmap for navigating this new

season of life.

Allison Bottke is a speaker, bestselling author

of 32 books, including Setting Boundaries

With Your Adult Children, and a frequent

guest on national radio and TV programs. In

addition to her own writing projects, Allison

also conducts private consulting, editing and

ghostwriting services.

SAFETY VIOLATION ZONE copy in this zone not safe per trim variance (.25 inch). Anything in this .25inch zone is not guaranteed safe from being trimmed off.

Fun and flexible

⅓⅓

lessons to teach

kids about

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving lesson will

grow gratefulness in children

ages three to 10, teaching them

to have a grateful attitude,

to rejoice always, to count

blessings and to thank God.

AD-FPO

Lesson includes:

One Third

• Bible stories

• easy crafts

• hands-on activities

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lesson for FREE at

TRIM:

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2.58 x 10.5 inch

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lesson!

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15 15

PARENTING / PODCAST

First-Baby Stress

in New Dads

For this episode, we are talking about inevitable stress

and necessary self-care following the birth of a fi rst child,

but not from the perspective you might expect. When

it comes to self-care, new dads may struggle to fi nd

information that applies to them. Sadly, this makes them

feel unprepared and alone if they’re struggling.

First-Baby Stress in New Dads

EPISODE 26

FLIP THROUGH most books

on preparing for parenthood and

you’ll find a hefty section on caring

for a newborn. Self-care for new

moms gets thorough treatment

too, including a heads-up about

commonplace mood swings

known as “the baby blues,” and

the possibility of more serious

postpartum depression and anxiety.

Check out season two of this

podcast featuring authentic

Canadian conversations. This

space—where faith, family and

culture intersect—is available on

Focus on the Family Canada’s

free mobile app, on our website

and wherever you get your

podcasts!

FocusOnTheFamily.ca/Podcast

Self-care for new dads, however,

gets barely a mention. And that can

leave some new fathers unprepared

for their transition to fatherhood.

Left to their own conclusions,

many dads-to-be imagine their

biggest challenge, once baby arrives,

will be in stepping up their game.

They anticipate putting in a solid

day’s work in a sleep-deprived haze

and then returning home to pick

up more than their usual share of

chores. Undaunted, they resolve

to take care of meals, laundry and

whatever else needs their attention.

Like any typical guy, expectant

dads imagine problems that can be

solved by action. But for some new

dads—though the awe and thrill

of welcoming their newborn into

their life never diminishes—baby’s

arrival can kick off a disconcerting

period of turbulent emotions.

And just as new moms are

warned about mood swings in the

early days of motherhood, new

dads need to be tipped off that

they’re at risk for depression too.

Listen to this full episode

of Focus on the Family

Canada’s new podcast,

The Thriving Family.


Podcast

Apple Podcasts Amazon Music YouTube

CREDIT TK

GRATITUDE / PARENTING

I’m Thankful I’m

a Parent Because I . . .

BY KAT BITTNER

• have the possibility of being

smothered with hugs and

kisses every day.

• find that patience isn’t something

I pray for but must

practice daily.

• get to change careers—

becoming a chauffeur, cook,

janitor, nurse, doctor, counselor,

teacher and traffic

controller, among others—

at a moment’s notice.

• spend my days being needed

and basically earning an honorary

badge in multitasking.

• know my kids will inadvertently

help me grow closer to

God—perhaps in the middle

of the night when I’m at the

point of exhaustion as I put

their needs above my own.

• understand that my children

are image bearers of God and

a visible expression of His

unconditional love.

• can once again frequent playgrounds,

amusement parks

and fun centers without

feeling out of place.

• have learned to appreciate

that silence is golden . . . and

also a little suspicious.

• experience the joy of God

entrusting me with His mission

field—an immeasurable

calling fulfilled within my

home.

Kat Bittner is a freelance author who delights

in finding humor in everyday moments.

• can view the world through

the eyes of a child by observing

the silly things my kids

say and do.

ILLUSTRATIONX - TERESA ALBERINI


PARENTING / DIGITAL HABITS

‘I’m on My

Phone Too

Much!’

Is your phone a tool

or your master?

BY ARLENE PELLICANE

MEGAN BEGAN THE DAY

checking the weather, then her

text messages and finally scrolling

through social media. I don’t have

time for this, she thought as she

headed downstairs to fix breakfast

for the kids.

Throughout her morning, she

looked at her phone. The habit felt

as normal as breathing. At the end

of the day, Megan sat on the couch

reading emails, looking up recipes,

ordering groceries and scrolling

through social media to unwind.

She knew she was spending too

much time on her phone, but she

needed it to get things done.

I can relate to Megan, and you

probably can too. According to a

Gallup poll, nearly six in 10 adults

in the United States say they use

their smartphones too much.

How do we break our unhealthy

digital habits so we can be more

present with our kids? Phone-free

mealtimes are a great first step,

along with starting these simple

practices:

18

OCT / NOV 2025

DIGITAL HABITS / PARENTING

NEARLY

60

%

of adults

in the U.S.

say they spend too much

time on their smartphones.

—Gallup, 2022

ADOBE STOCK - NICOLETAIONESCU, WISELAYZ

Find balance

How we begin the day can frame

our waking hours. Do you start the

day with “Good morning, Lord” or

“Good morning, phone”?

I’ve found it helpful to keep

the first 10 minutes of my morning

phone-free. This tells my

brain the phone isn’t an essential

part of my life. Ignoring the

phone first thing in the morning

reshapes my relationship with

it. The phone is my servant, not

my master.

Instead of saying, “I can’t use

my phone first thing in the morning,”

I’ve learned to say, “I don’t

use my phone first thing in the

morning.” Changing that little

word helps me establish a new

identity as a healthy phone user.

It shifts the focus from what

I can’t have to who I’m becoming.

This 10-minute rule can also

be used in the evening as a

bookend to your phone-free

morning routine. Going phonefree

at the end of the day creates

space for family conversations

and time with God, which leads

to closer relationships and

better sleep.

Put it in its place

One evening when I was posting

on social media, my daughter

Lucy asked about dinner and then

returned a few minutes later with

more questions. I grew frustrated

because she was keeping me from

finishing my post.

The principle behind Luke 12:34,

“Where your treasure is, there will

your heart be also,” suddenly hit

me: Why should I be angry at Lucy

for interrupting me? Shouldn’t

I be upset with my phone instead?

What if we got disgusted with our

phones for stealing our affection

and attention from our families

and the Lord?

Most of us think of disgust

as a negative thing, but it can

be a good thing if it transforms

how we view our habits. My

college-age son, Ethan, set his

screen display to grayscale on

his phone to curb his screen

time. His phone was less appealing

without color so he wasn’t

tempted to spend unnecessary

time on it. I took a cue from my

son and started using grayscale

on my screen to remind myself

that my phone is a tool, not a toy.

Be accountable

Every few months, I ask my husband

and kids, “How is my phone use?”

I want to know if they feel ignored

or if I seem preoccupied because

I’m spending too much time on my

phone. I have to be in the right frame

of mind to ask this question, though.

If I don’t feel like getting honest

feedback or making changes, I don’t

bring it up.

It’s easy to slip back into autopilot

with a phone nearby. But I’ve

found that asking this simple question

gives my husband and kids the

chance to tell me how my phone use

affects them. I don’t want my kids to

say, “I wish my mom wasn’t on her

phone so much.” I want them to say,

“My mom showed me how to have a

healthy relationship with a phone.”

Arlene Pellicane is a speaker, host of the

“Happy Home” podcast and author of many

books, including Screen Kids, co-written with

Dr. Gary Chapman.

LISTEN NOW!

Arlene Pellicane talks with Jim Daly

about setting technology boundaries

and healthy screen habits in your family.

FocusOnTheFamily.ca/Radio


PARENTING / MEDIA

For reviews of these and other titles,

visit PluggedIn.com, Focus on

the Family’s media review and

discernment website.

SPORTS BETTING & TEENS

BY ADAM HOLZ

ONCE UPON A TIME, advertisements that ran during sporting

events could be divided into predictable categories: beer, cars,

movies, insurance and prescription drugs.

Something different emerged in recent years: ads for online

sports gambling. Today, we’re just as likely to see Jamie Foxx

or Peyton Manning hocking betting apps as we are to see cute

geckos pitching insurance.

What happened?

In 2018, a Supreme Court decision opened the door for more

states to allow betting on sporting events. The result? A massive

surge in online gambling as states loosened regulations. Last year,

Americans wagered nearly $150 billion on sports. And young people

are particularly vulnerable. An NCAA survey found that 58% of

18- to 22-year-olds have made online bets.

That’s hardly surprising in a world where sports-betting apps are

promoted during every commercial break. As we strive to guide

our kids through the minefields they face, gambling is another

issue that we need to have on our parental radar. Addressing it

with your kids is important and involves several concrete steps:

• Discern. Recognize that online gambling is a potential temptation

kids face, even if they’re not old enough to place bets.

• Communicate. Talk about the principles of wisdom, stewardship

and investment, and how gambling’s lure of “easy money”

undermines those virtues.

• Act. With regard to sports telecasts, consider muting commercials

or switching the channel for a few minutes so you can skip

them and minimize their messaging.

Online gambling isn’t going away any time soon. So it’s up to us

as parents to proactively teach our children how to think critically

and biblically about it.

Adam Holz is an editor for Plugged In and a contributing author to Becoming a

Screen-Savvy Family: How to navigate a media-saturated world—and why we should.

WICKED: FOR GOOD

Can Elphaba overcome the many misconceptions

that Oz residents have about her?

SCHEDULED RELEASE:

NOV. 21

ZOOTOPIA 2

How will Judy and Nick

find the clues to crack

the most perilous case

of their careers?

SCHEDULED RELEASE:

NOV. 26

TRON: ARES

Is reality itself at stake

when a sophisticated

program is sent from

the digital realm to

the real world?

SCHEDULED RELEASE:

OCT. 10

ADOBE STOCK - SEVENTYFOUR / IMDB

20

OCT / NOV 2025

Marriage

ADOBE STOCK - NEW AFRICA

“WHEN YOU OBSERVE AND POINT OUT

YOUR SPOUSE’S UNIQUE TALENTS AND

ABILITIES, YOU’LL SEE HIS OR HER

CONFIDENCE GROW IN KIND.”

— DR. GREG SMALLEY,

VICE PRESIDENT OF MARRIAGE AT FOCUS ON THE FAMILY,

TAKEN FROM CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED MARRIAGE


MARRIAGE / HOPE RESTORED

A Marriage

Miracle

How God used Focus on

the Family Canada’s Hope

Restored program

to reconcile one

couple’s marriage

BY CAMRYN MUNDAY

WHEN CHER FIRST HEARD

that Focus on the Family Canada

was opening a retreat center in

Manitoba, she remembers thinking

that it would be an incredible blessing

to her community. She never

expected that one day, it would be

the place where God used Hope

Restored to give her a marriagesaving

miracle.

“I got married at 32. We both come

from ministry families—parents

with healthy marriages—but could

not be more different,” Cher says,

reflecting on her journey with her

husband, James. “I just went into

marriage thinking Jesus is the center,

and so if we’re both on the same page,

it’s going to be easy. There shouldn’t

be any problems.”

Unhealthy habits

Several years in, Cher and James’

marriage was not on a healthy trajectory.

Both of them struggled

to initiate difficult conversations

and felt a lack of emotional safety

in their relationship—but neither

were equipped with the tools to

work out their issues.

Cher also had an unhelpful tendency

to take her marriage for

granted. “Cher would say, ‘You’re

married to me, so we’ll be married

forever,’ ” James recalls. “There wasn’t

really a sense of safety, nor did I really

want to talk to her about personal

stuff in my life,” James reflects.

“I would just blow up and then

think that ‘I’m sorry, please forgive

me,’ would fix it,” Cher remembers.

“But I was wounding him.”

At last, Cher and James’ unhealthy

habits reached a crisis point—James,

intent on ending his marriage,

chose to move out. “I was processing

through a lot of grief in my own

life . . . just not really knowing how

to communicate or share about that,”

he says. “In my mind, I thought

leaving was the safest option. And

so, I left Cher.”

Eventually, James left Manitoba

for a different province. He avoided

contacting Cher and only communicated

about matters concerning

their children. “We went on a journey

for three and a half years of

living like this,” Cher remembers.

“There was no hope. There was no

hope from a human perspective.

Every time I would talk to him, he

would say he didn’t want to be married

anymore.”

The separation was desperately

painful for Cher, yet she experienced

the Holy Spirit’s gracious

conviction during those hard years

of being apart. “When [James] had

first left,” she explains, “the Holy

Spirit started to teach me and did a

real work in my life. I had this anger

in me. He put His finger on pride in

my life, and insecurity, and selfishness

and defensiveness.” Prompted

22

OCT / NOV 2025

HOPE RESTORED / MARRIAGE

“For three and a half years, when I looked

at the other side of the bed, I had said,

‘Lord, I believe that one day, James

will be back in his bed.’” —CHER

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHER AND JAMES / ADOBE STOCK - EKATERINA

by the Spirit, Cher reached out to

James—while they were separated—

to apologize for mistreating him.

The moment of a miracle

Although Cher and James’ marriage

seemed like it was over, God

was planning a miracle. “I felt like

the Holy Spirit wanted me to stand

in faith for my marriage,” Cher

says. “To just be the one who would

show James unconditional love

and unconditional forgiveness—

not that it was easy.” For the entire

duration of the separation, Cher

wrestled with God as she waited on

Him to soften James’ heart toward

their marriage. “For three and a half

years, when I looked at the other

side of the bed, I had said, ‘Lord, I

believe that one day, James will be

back in his bed.’ ”

Months passed, and James

showed no signs of desiring restoration.

Cher remembers one

especially discouraging day: “James

had come home to visit the kids

and there was just no sense of anything

happening.” She realized

that her faith needed to become

less about the outcome and more

about obedience to God. “I just fell

on my face before the Lord,” Cher

remembers. “I said, ‘Lord, even if

this is until heaven, I will do this. I

will stand in faith for my marriage,

even till heaven, even if he doesn’t

respond at all.’ ”

While Cher was interceding for

her marriage, God got James’ attention

in a way that no one expected:

a car accident. “I got in a serious car

accident that I walked away from. It

completely totaled my car,” James

recalls. “I just remember God saying,

‘Hey, James. This is not the life I

have for you. Call your wife.’ So, the

next day, I texted my wife and I said,

‘Hey, Cher, are you still praying for

the restoration of our marriage?’ She

said yes, and I said, ‘How can I come

home?’ ”

Coming home

“As soon as he said ‘How can I come

home?’ I knew the answer was

Hope Restored,” Cher says. “God

had already done the miracle, but

to figure out what it was going to

look like forever—that was where

we needed Hope Restored.”

James was willing to give Hope

Restored a try. “I was seeing that

line of hope and thinking that

maybe God can do something here,”

James says, yet he knew they had

some serious hurdles to overcome.

“We were basically strangers,”

James admits.

Cher also had concerns of her

own. “We were still living separately.

I was pretty leery—this was

three and a half years of huge hurt,”

she says. “There was stuff we had to

work through.”


MARRIAGE / HOPE RESTORED

The Hope Restored marriage therapists

equipped Cher and James

with tools for communication and

building safety in their relationship.

Hope Restored’s unique, holistic

counseling approach helped them

learn to table conversations, to give

each other space, and to trust one

another again. “It was crazy to me

that in three days, you could build

such trust,” Cher says. “[The marriage

therapists] were so good at listening

to us—not pitting us against one

another, not taking any sides.”

“Learning what I’m responsible for

and what Cher’s responsible for in

our marriage has been key,” James

says. “I’m not responsible to change

for her, and she’s not responsible to

change for me. It’s more about communicating

the things that we are

finding conflict in.”

By the end of their time at Hope

Restored, Cher and James had experienced

a total change of heart

toward each other. They were prepared

to walk into a season of

restored relationship, equipped with

what they’d learned and empowered

by the faithfulness that God had

shown them. Cher can pinpoint the

exact moment that God restored her

marriage with James at the Manitoba

retreat center: “I remember we were

holding hands, and there was just

such hope. I remember he looked at

me, and he’s like, ‘Well, what now?’

And I’m like, ‘I guess we go home and

live the rest of our lives.’ So we went

home and told the kids that dad was

moving back in.”

“I’m not afraid to

talk—to share about

the hard stuff—

because I know that

she is not going

to think the worst

but work with me

through it.” —JAMES

“I remember that first night home,”

Cher says. “I saw him on the other

side of the bed, and realized in that

moment that God had performed a

huge miracle. April 2, 2022. I’ll never

forget it.”

Living restored

Cher and James have been living in

a restored marriage longer than they

were separated. Both have seen a

miraculous change in their relationship.

James, once reluctant to bring

up hard topics, can now talk to Cher

about anything without fear. “I’m

not afraid to talk—to share about

the hard stuff—because I know that

she is not going to think the worst

but work with me through it,” he

explains. “After Hope Restored, I can

talk to Cher about anything.”

Cher has also sensed this change.

“I’m able to be a safe place for James

to share with me what he needs

to.” Cher found that Hope Restored

taught them how to work through

conflict. “If things make us angry

with each other, we take time to chill

and relax, and we come back to the

conversation when we’re both in a

good headspace to talk. It’s been a

world of difference,” she says.

“We love that place,” Cher says

of Focus on the Family Canada’s

Hope Restored program. Cher and

James, just like many other couples

who have gone through the Hope

Restored program, had a transformation

so profound that there is no

doubt it was the work of God: “It’s

the place where our marriage miracle

happened.”

Camryn Munday is an associate editor at

Focus on the Family Canada.

© 2025 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association.

All rights reserved.

Learn about Focus on the

Family Canada’s Hope

Restored program.

HopeRestoredCanada.ca

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHER AND JAMES

24

OCT / NOV 2025

PODCAST / MARRIAGE

Highly Sensitive Spouses:

What You Need to Know

In this episode, we discuss what it means to be in a

relationship with a highly sensitive person. By fi rst

understanding the characteristics and needs of your

spouse, you can then identify how that’s affecting your

relationship—especially when it comes to navigating

confl ict—so you can create a safe, thriving marriage.

Highly Sensitive Spouses: What You

Need to Know

EPISIODE 25

CREDIT TK

THIS UNIQUE temperament

has been deeply misunderstood

for years. Highly sensitive people

(HSPs) have been mislabeled with

terms such as “shy,” “fearful,” “introverted”

or “timid.” In reality, being

a highly sensitive person allows you

to experience the world around you

more acutely and engage in close









podcasts!


relationships on a deeper level.

Our culture’s value of more dominant

and aggressive temperaments,

however, has led many HSPs to

believe they are abnormal, weird,

or that there is something inherently

wrong with them.

For many HSPs, the combination

of being easily overwhelmed and

being judged for something that’s

unchangeably who they are has

been the cause of a lot of wounding

for both men and women.

Therefore, being an HSP in a close

relationship such as marriage

can lead to unique problems—

whether there are two HSPs in

one relationship or an HSP with a

non-HSP—but understanding how

this temperament affects you and

your spouse can also lead to a rich,

deeply fulfilling marriage.

While there are many problems

(and solutions) that you may be facing

whether one or both of you are

highly sensitive, we’ll look at these

dynamics in detail.

Listen to this full episode

of Focus on the Family

Canada’s new podcast,

The Thriving Family.


Podcast



MARRIAGE / FAMILY DYNAMICS

CAIN performing on

their headline tour Live

and In Color in 2023

ON THE

ROAD WITH

CAIN

Siblings Taylor, Madison and Logan

discuss their music, marriages

and young families

BY SUZANNE GOSSELIN

PHOTO CREDIT BY TK

MADDOX FOWLER / ADOBE STOCK - DINA DANKER DESIGN

26

OCT / NOV 2025

FAMILY DYNAMICS / MARRIAGE

left: The Cain kids pose

for a sibling photo in 1995.

below: The Cain family in 2000

PHOTOS CREDIT TK

COURTESY OF CAIN / ADOBE STOCK - DINA DANKER DESIGN

BEFORE THEY WERE LIGHTING UP ARENAS with their joyfilled

music, siblings Taylor, Madison and Logan were just pastor’s kids from

Alabama who won a singing contest in college. From those modest beginnings,

CAIN, the music group, was born. At first, this trio tried breaking into

the industry as a country band. But Taylor Cain Matz, Madison Cain Johnson

and Logan Cain ultimately found success in Contemporary Christian Music,

releasing their debut single “Rise Up (Lazarus)” in 2020.

Known for their signature harmonies, quirky outfits and sibling synergy,

CAIN has released uplifting songs such as “I’m So Blessed,” “Yes He Can” and

“The Commission.” These days, when the CAIN siblings leave their Nashville,

Tennessee, homes to tour, it’s a family affair. I sat down with Taylor, Madison

and Logan to ask them about their unique sibling relationship, how they keep

their marriages strong and their approaches to parenting away from home.

CAIN on the

red carpet

of the 2024

GMA Dove

Awards



Madison and

husband, Jared,

on their wedding

day in 2016

It’s rare for siblings to

work so closely together

in their careers. How

does that work for you?

Logan and

wife, Emily, on

their wedding

day in 2019

TAYLOR: Few people get to do life

with their siblings into their 30s.

While it’s my dream—and I love

it—living this way can be a challenge,

particularly for our spouses

and families. I don’t believe they

planned on living with extended

family in a tour bus all the time.

MADISON: [laughs] Yes, when every

adult and kid in our tour family is

crammed into the front lounge of

our bus, it’s hard not to feel claustrophobic.

My husband, sons and I try

to get off the bus shortly after waking

each morning. We go outside, take

a family walk and get some space to

ourselves. I’m grateful for the bond

I share with my siblings. They are my

best friends. And now I get to watch

them love my kids like their own.

MADISON: The benefits of our situation

far outweigh the challenges. We’re

quite literally helping raise each other’s

kids, which is a blessing because

of our shared values. We’ve grown

to deeply trust one another, work

through conflict and forgive.

How do you build connection with your spouse?

MADISON: My husband and I find little ways to connect when we’re out on

the road. Days can feel like a blur when you’re trying to take care of the

kids, handle band-related situations, perform onstage and rush back to

the bus to put the kids to bed. You can get in the habit of “getting through”

the day and totally miss your spouse. Jared and I focus on our connection

by joking around, laughing, holding hands walking into the venue

together. It’s the little things that can mean the most on hectic days.

TAYLOR: Intentionality is key. My husband,

Steven, and I recently decided

the small window of time between

the kids’ bedtime and our bedtime

can’t just be filled with us falling

asleep watching TV. We’ve started

using this time to play a game

together, ask each other questions

or look back through childhood

photos we’ve never shown each

other. The shared smiles and laughs

unite us and help us get through

hard moments.

Taylor and

husband, Steven,

on their wedding

day in 2017

LOGAN: Emily and I have

made it a point to join

in on each other’s interests.

We work out together

every day, even when we’re

on tour. I’m also an avid

golfer. Emily has loaded up

her clubs—and our young

daughters—and has joined

me on the course. It means

the world to me for her to

jump in on something I’m

passionate about.

PHOTOS BY BETH FLEISCHMAN, COURTESY OF CAIN / ADOBE STOCK - DINA DANKER DESIGN

28

OCT / NOV 2025

AD

Strengthen

your marriage with

What is it like to all be

on the road together

with young children?

⅓

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAIN, DAVID NIACARIS / ADOBE STOCK - DINA DANKER DESIGN

LOGAN: Have you ever tried potty

training a 2-and-a-half-year-old?

Well, try potty training her on a

moving bus [laughs]. That has been

one of the tougher things about

touring with young children. Trying

to work through the challenging

milestone activities that require

consistency in the most inconsistent,

ever-changing environment

imaginable.

MADISON: That has been challenging.

But it’s gotten better as the kids

have gained some experience with

touring. At home, my son Calloway

will ask when we can get back on

the “too bus.” He loves going into

catering each morning for breakfast

and running around with his cousins.

And he absolutely loves our

concerts. Even at 2, he’s memorized

our entire music set, and he sings

and dances along to the music from

side stage.

TAYLOR: Many challenges arise simply

from not having your own things—

your own bathtub, your usual toys

and the confined spaces of home.

Most music venues aren’t designed

for small children, so we watch our

kids like hawks to make sure they’re

safely navigating backstage areas

that might have moving forklifts and

heavy rolling cases.

There’s also so much good in

exploring new places with our kids.

We’ve seen some of the coolest

playgrounds and children’s museums

across the country. And, she’ll

never remember it, but yesterday my

daughter got to give a fist bump to

“Mr. TobyMac”—I mean, what a life.

LOGAN: Adding to that, my daughter

River got a boo-boo on her chin the

other day and immediately asked

if she could send a video about it

to our friend and touring partner,

Crowder. I filmed it and sent him

the text. She has no idea how wild it

is for her to be able to send a video

about her boo-boo to Crowder.

This gives me

renewed hope to

breathe new life

into our marriage.

left: Logan shares a

moment backstage

with his youngest

daughter, Rosie.

Ad Title

Start your

29

journey

right: Madison

and her family

while on tour

with TobyMac

in 2025

JourneyToUs.ca


How have you been

intentional to set

boundaries and balance

your careers, marriages

and family relationships?

The Cain family while

filming their reality

series, "Chasing CAIN, "

in 2023

MADISON: It’s a work in progress,

which became even more difficult

when my husband, Jared, recently

joined our artist management team.

Now the things I’m working on,

he’s working on too. When we’re

together, we have to be careful not

to just talk about work. It could easily

become all CAIN all the time.

We both love what we do, but we

intentionally set work aside sometimes

and just enjoy being together.

TAYLOR: My husband is a professional

baseball player, so we both

travel for work. We protect our

time together as much as possible.

Typically, CAIN tours run with

four shows per week—Thursday

through Sunday—and we’re home

by Monday morning to recharge

and do laundry. Instead of going

home, I sometimes hop on a plane

to fly wherever Steven is. It’s tough,

but I try to do my music-related

work while I’m on the road, so that

when I’m with Steven, I’m truly

present with him.

You grew up with an awesome example of family

togetherness. How does your parents’ example

inspire and influence you today?

LOGAN: Mom and Dad, who had a part

in training us musically, were pastors

when we were growing up. They poured

themselves out daily, counseling and

helping others, but we never got the

“poured out” version of them. They

always had enough energy to gather us

around the table and make us feel like

the most important people in the world.

MADISON: Yes, I felt that our parents preferred

us. I struggled with sleep as a

kid, and many nights I would be up late

talking with Mom and Dad. I’m sure

they were tired and wanted time to

themselves, but I never got that feeling

from them. I want my boys to feel the

same way—that I never grow tired of

spending time with them.

TAYLOR: I have so many memories

of eating dinner together

at the dining room table. We

would debrief the day and talk

about the “deep stuff” that

came with being preteens and

teenagers. I walked in the security

of knowing I was wanted,

loved and protected.

MADISON: Very rarely have all

three of us broken down at

the same time. There’s always

somebody there to pick up the

others. That’s something we

learned from our parents.

Suzanne Gosselin grew up in a homeschooling

family and won $50 at a talent

show performing with her musical sibling.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAIN / ADOBE STOCK - DINA DANKER DESIGN

30

OCT / NOV 2025

Faith

“OH GIVE THANKS TO THE

LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD;

FOR HIS STEADFAST LOVE

ENDURES FOREVER!”

—1 CHRONICLES 16:34

ADOBE STOCK - OLENA


FAITH / MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT

Made In God’s Image

Behind the scenes of the video series

created by Focus on the Family Canada

and The Union Movement

BY FOCUS ON THE FAMILY CANADA

Behind the scenes

where Bonnie

Pue (pictured

left) filmed at a

greenhouse in

Langley, British

Columbia

WE ALL WANT TO BE SEEN, known

and loved for who we are. Unfortunately, in

this search for belonging, we sometimes may

feel unsure of our identity or we become overwhelmed

when we look for affirmation from

unhealthy sources.

In a culture that tells us to follow our hearts

to whatever feels right, where do we look when

we want to know what is true? How do we find

freedom in community when our instinct is to

hide the deepest parts of ourselves and our most

painful experiences?

It can feel overwhelming to share our story.

This free video series is your invitation to an honest

conversation.

In God’s Image: A Journey Towards Wholeness

in Sexuality, Identity and Relationships is a video

series from Focus on the Family Canada and The

PHOTOS BY FOTF CANADA

32

OCT / NOV 2025

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT / FAITH

The co-hosts of In

God’s Image, Bryan

and Bonnie Pue

MEET THE HOSTS

BRYAN AND BONNIE PUE

Founders of The Union Movement

The Union Movement exists to help people

find wholeness by presenting a Gospelcentered,

holistic approach to the topics of

identity, sexuality and relationships. They

develop resources, speak at events, and

support local churches and leaders who

desire to cultivate healthy cultures.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYAN AND BONNIE PUE / ADOBE STOCK - VITALY

Director of Photography testing and

preparing the equipment before

arriving on location to film

Union Movement. Over the course

of six videos, you will be pointed

to the Word of God for truth on

matters of identity, gender and sexuality,

marriage and community,

temptation, shame and restoration.

Created and filmed entirely in

British Columbia, this free series

provides you with an opportunity

to explore the good news of

Jesus and how He impacts the core

of our identity, and for you to discover

what it truly means to be

made in God’s image. After each

video, you’ll find Scripture verses,

questions for further reflection and

prayers to help you dive deeper into

each topic.

BRYAN: At 5 years old, I was exposed to pornography, and this

shaped the way that I saw women. This dehumanized women

in my eyes, and I saw them as objects to be consumed and used

for my own selfish gain. As a teen, I was finding a lot of identity

in playing sports and being the life of the party—drinking, drugs

and broken relationships with girls. It was in that place that the

Lord found me and really started to heal my life. You don’t get all

of your stuff figured out and then come to Jesus; you just come

to Jesus with everything, and He begins to heal and restore those

areas of our lives. It was in that place that the Lord began to do a

real work on what an authentic man looks like and what it means

to be a follower of Jesus.

BONNIE: When I was 15 years old, I was shocked to learn about

the sexual sin of a leader in my local church; he had betrayed his

family, secretly cultivating a relationship with a young woman

in our congregation. I remembering thinking to myself, Sex must

be a cruel force and How can I trust men? How can I trust leaders?

It really broke my heart, and I saw the devastation within our

church community. After graduation I went away to a discipleship

school, and there was a guest speaker who talked about the

scheme of darkness against the people of the world, and how the

enemy specifically targets areas of sexuality and identity. I had

seen the brokenness firsthand in the lives of my friends and community,

but now I was hearing about the hope of restoration for

humanity’s broken sexuality. Jesus wanted to heal all these broken

places—in our churches and in the nations of the earth. So at the

age of 19, I thought, This is the answer for the pain I witnessed.


FAITH / MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT

SESSION PREVIEWS

VIDEO 1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?

Imago Dei—meaning “image of God”—differentiates

humans from all other aspects of creation. As an

image bearer, nothing about you is an accident.

VIDEO 2: THE CONTEXT FOR SEX

For those of us who have experienced deep pain,

confusion or regret in the realm of sexuality, we often

keep things private, which can produce shame around

something God designed to be anything but shameful.

Here’s the good news: Nothing we do or experience

can separate us from God’s perfect love.

VIDEO 3: CREATED IN HIS IMAGE: MALE AND FEMALE

The masculine and the feminine each demonstrate a

unique aspect of the nature of our Creator, and God

blessed His creation as good.

VIDEO 4: MADE FOR EACH OTHER: SINGLENESS,

MARRIAGE AND COMMUNITY

Scripture does not treat marriage or singleness as more

holy than the other. Many wrongly believe that feelings

of loneliness are a defect, when it’s actually an indication

that you were designed for authentic community.

VIDEO 5: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TEMPTED?

When we follow the pattern of how Jesus overcame

temptation, we can experience the same power in

our lives.

VIDEO 6: THE PATH TOWARDS HEALING

Whether from decisions we made or things done to us,

we all have experiences in our lives that caused some

level of guilt and shame, but God never intended us to

live under the suffocating weight of shame. He desires

us to experience freedom through Him.

WHAT CHURCHES

ARE SAYING

“There is a lot of grace and an invitation to

seek healing throughout the series.”

“I’m so thankful for the fantastic job Bryan

and Bonnie did in this episode in dealing with

loneliness, stressing that marriage will not

fulfill all a person’s needs, and that marriage

is not superior to singleness.”

“It’s obvious that Bryan and Bonnie know

their stuff. I’m so impressed with it; I’m hoping

I may be granted permission to use it for some

potential training material as I try to equip

our church to help the sexually broken.

Great job all the way around!”

“A topic like this can sometimes leave people

feeling awkward or even unclean. This series

did not do that. Also, the emphasis on repentance

and forgiveness was appreciated.”

In our world today, there are many differing

opinions and perspectives on the

areas of sexuality, identity and relationships.

This video series provides a solid

Gospel-centered foundation for you as a

parent, as a church leader, or just as an

individual to explore what God says in His

Word and how He has called us to live out

our identity in Christ to show a broken

world His redeeming love.

© 2025 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association.

All rights reserved.

Behind the monitor checking the footage

as Bryan Pue films on location

Set Designer (left) getting

the scene decorated before

Bonnie Pue (right) films

WATCH NOW!

Watch this free video series and find

additional resources and support.


InGodsImage

PHOTOS BY FOTF CANADA - ANDREW / ADOBE TSIAO / STOCK ADOBE - STOCK VITALY - NAURNO

34

OCT / NOV 2025

7 Ways

to Celebrate

Your Pastor

Since 1994, Focus on the Family

has promoted clergy appreciation

WHETHER YOU CELEBRATE your pastors the second

Sunday in October, all month long or all year long, here are

several ways to show your gratitude:

AD

for ministry leaders

⅓

come

away

and

be

still

1

Write a note of thanks for

the things you appreciate

about the way they serve

the church.

Volunteer your professional

expertise or

all-around know-how to

meet the needs of your

pastoral staff.

Look for ways to bless

their families. Whether

it’s simple, like taking

them out for coffee, or

elaborate like buying a

needed appliance, find

opportunities for relationship

or fill a need.

Work with the church to

give your pastors time

away each year. Everyone

needs rest.

Set a regular reminder

to pray for your pastors.

They’re in a spiritual battle.

Tell your pastor (and their

spouse if they’re married)

about Focus on the Family

Canada’s Kerith Ministry

Leader Retreats in Alberta,

Manitoba and Ontario. Have

them visit KerithRetreats.ca

—or gift them a retreat!

These seven-day retreats in

Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario

offer ministry couples and

singles a quiet sanctuary

to care for their spiritual life

and vocational calling.

Register today!

Ad Title

CREDIT TK

Offer to watch their kids

so they can have a date

night, and surprise them

with a gift card to their

favorite restaurant.

For more ways to honor

the leaders in your church,

download our free guide.


PastorAppreciation

35

KerithRetreats.ca

1.800.550.5655

FAITH / TRUTH RISING

STORIES OF

Help

STORIES OF

&Hope

Help & Hope

Everyday people choosing

to see, believe and act

COMPILED BY SHEILA SEIFERT

Flooded

road to

Ridgecrest

Conference

Center

Tryone

speaking

to Basehor-

Linwood

High School

Barry, age 10, with

his father at the pool

THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD can

ground us even during turbulent times.

This grounding then allows us to see, grow

deeper and act from the tenets of a biblical

worldview to reach and help a lost world.

One way this can be done is through loving

our neighbor as Jesus commanded. Instead

of explaining what neighborly love means

theologically, take a peek into the lives of individuals

who have joined an army of believers

who go wherever God has called them to be the

hands and feet of Jesus.

COURTESY OF SALLY BURKE, TYRONE FLOWERS AND BARRY COREY

36

OCT / NOV 2025

TRUTH RISING / FAITH

MY FATHER WAS MURDERED when I was

10, but I’d only seen him maybe five times prior to

him dying. My mother was a teenager, and even

though she was around, she made it clear she didn’t

want to be a mother. I was raised by my grandmother,

along with her 12 children, and she worked two jobs

to provide for us.

So I was basically raised by teen aunts and uncles.

I was exposed to drugs, sex and alcohol at a young

age, but I had food, a place to live and felt loved and

accepted. Though I had love, I didn’t have structure

in my life. I became defensive when protecting my

family, and I was labeled as an aggressor.

After living in three different foster homes, I was

sent to reformatory schools. In one, I was going

through the meal line, and this beautiful African

American lady, Ms. Collins, looked at me and smiled.

She said, “You remind me of my son.” I instantly felt

she could be my mother, since my own mother was

more like an aunt.

I only saw Ms. Collins when I went through the

meal line, but I listened as she made comments

about how she cared for her son. Her attitude toward

him changed me. Just before I left that school, I made

her a jewelry box to thank her for truly seeing me.

Once I was released from the largest youth facility

in the state of Missouri, I was told to go home and

play basketball. I was 6 feet, 4 inches and weighed

220 pounds. I ended up living with a relative who

loved me but didn’t have the means to support me,

and suddenly basketball made me popular.

Two weeks before graduating from high school, a

teammate and I got into an argument on a public bus,

and I thought we were going to get into a fight. He

pulled out a .357 Magnum and shot me three times—

in my hand, leg, and shoulder-neck area, nicking my

spinal cord, which paralyzed me.

Confined to a wheelchair, I became a magnet for

prayers at church. One time when I came forward,

my pastor asked if I’d forgiven the shooter. When I

said no, he sent me back to my seat.

That’s when I realized I needed to forgive to grow

deeper in my relationship with God. At 18, I chose to

forgive my teammate. From there, I ended up earning

a high school diploma, a B.A. degree and finally a

Juris Doctor from law school.

While writing a paper on juvenile justice as an

undergraduate, I found my purpose and created

Higher M-Pact Inc., a community-based nonprofit

organization. My passion for helping high-risk urban

youth in the Kansas City, Missouri, area stemmed

from my experiences and the kids I met who just

needed someone to see them. I want them to see

how I live out the Gospel so they’ll know that God

loves them and they can succeed.

Tyrone J. Flowers is a speaker, storyteller, mentor and the founder

and president of Higher M-Pact.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TYRONE FLOWERS

LISTEN NOW!

Tyrone Flowers talks with Jim Daly about

why he works with high-risk urban youth.


At Ms. Collins' birthday party, age 77, she

brought out the jewelry box Tyrone had

made for her in reform school.


Displaying God

to Others

BY DR. BARRY H. COREY

WHEN I WAS A CHILD, my father—

whose love for Jesus ran deep—lived with an

unfiltered kindness that didn’t depend on

how others responded to him. He didn’t love

people because they accepted him; he loved

them because that’s who he was. And sometimes,

that made life awkward.

I remember him hugging the Arab gas station

attendant, holding hands with a cobbler

as they prayed and—perhaps most mortifying

of all—cupping the face of a Jewish

furniture merchant and saying, “Reuben,

I love you.” That day, I wanted to crawl under

the furniture store desk in embarrassment.

But years later, I was living in Bangladesh

as a ponytailed researcher when my father

came to visit. One morning, we took a walk

through the crowded, pungent streets of

Dhaka, weaving through rickshaws and

poverty.

As we walked, he shared a verse from

Matthew 10 that he couldn’t stop thinking

about. It came just after Jesus’ command

to take up the cross: “Whoever receives

you receives me, and whoever receives me

receives him who sent me” (40).

He said, “I don’t fully understand what

Jesus meant, but I know this: Unless I make

LISTEN NOW!

Barry Corey talks with Jim Daly

about how to live out the

Gospel by being kind to those

God has placed around you.


left: Barry and his father at

Barry’s college graduation

below: Dr. Corey at Biola

University commencement

My father hadn’t

been acting

strangely. He had

been making himself

receivable.

myself receivable to the people God places in

my path, how will they ever receive the grace

of God? How will they ever receive the love

of Christ?”

And in that moment, it all clicked.

My father hadn’t been acting strangely.

He had been making himself receivable. He

was living out the Gospel with a kindness

that wasn’t performative or convenient, but

holy. There’s something undeniably powerful

about that kind of kindness.

Barry H. Corey, Ph.D., is the president of Biola University

and the author of Love Kindness: Discover the power of

a forgotten Christian virtue.

COURTESY OF BARRY COREY / COOPER DOWD

38

OCT / NOV 2025

TRUTH RISING / FAITH

Being the Hands

and Feet of Jesus

BY SALLY BURKE

COURTESY OF RIDGECREST CONFERENCE CENTER

FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS,

we’d prayed for and planned the 40th anniversary

of Moms in Prayer International (MIPI).

The celebration was to be held last year at the

Ridgecrest Conference Center in beautiful

Western North Carolina. Our prayer was that

we would impact this part of the state long after

the conference was over.

Only days before, Hurricane Helene struck

the area, so we had to cancel the event that

would host women from around the world.

Then we did what we knew how to do: We

prayed. And God used our preparation and

prayers. In their own words, here are two stories

about how people lived out the Gospel

to help those suffering devastation and loss

during this time:

A Mom's in Prayer International volunteer

helping Samaritan's Purse give supplies

to those in need.

Ridgecrest Conference Center,

Black Mountain, North Carolina

Friday, Sept. 27, 2024

For six weeks, including October, our second busiest

month of the year, Hurricane Helene’s impact

compelled us to prioritize supporting relief efforts

over hosting scheduled events. While Helene led us

to change our ministry activities for a time, it didn’t

change our mission. We were given new, unexpected

opportunities to impact lives for God’s glory through

purposeful hospitality. We were able to:

• feed people stranded by I-40’s closure.

• walk the roads in the Ridgecrest community,

giving out food and water.

• provide water to a nursing home for drinking

and to flush toilets.

And, the day after Helene hit, we began hosting

emergency responders at our conference center. This

included law enforcement and fire departments

from around the state, and emergency teams from

across the country—almost 1,700 individuals during

October alone. Our hospitality extended far beyond

providing meals and a place to rest. Though these first

responders didn’t come to Ridgecrest for spiritual and

emotional nourishment, we found ways to bless their

lives and work in the name of Jesus.

We partnered with Christian counselors to provide

services for these public servants who were working

in horrible conditions, encountering human suffering

and death. We hosted campfires with worship, a

Gospel message and fellowship. We met physical,

emotional, mental and spiritual needs.

Repair work on our campus continues, and many

of our guests, camper families, event groups and supporters

are helping make this possible. And we are

thankful that God chose to use us.



Ridgecrest team

members delivered

water and prepared

food for the community

the day after the storm.

Sara Calloway from Fairview, North Carolina

An area coordinator for MIPI (pictured with a Samaritan’s Purse chaplain)

Two women

assess the

damage and

pray for the

community.

THERE WERE MORE THAN 30 landslides from

the end of the road to my driveway, and 13 or more lives

were lost only 2 miles from my home. My husband heard

the landslide that blocked us in and said it sounded like

a freight train. Our neighbors said the one behind us

sounded like a tornado and shook their house. They stayed

with us until the rain stopped.

People arrived to help us clear our driveway of debris, hearing

by word of mouth that we were unable to leave our home.

Two days later, Samaritan’s Purse brought supplies to the

community center. My daughter and I began working there,

and I wore a Moms in Prayer shirt to let others know I’d pray

for and with those seeking help.

For days I didn’t know how much of North Carolina was

impacted. We had no power, no internet and no news, except

for the amazing WWNC radio station. The radio told people to

find a church if they needed help or supplies.

At one point, a lady drove up who had a generator but

needed assistance to install it in her home. Her husband

couldn’t because he was going through chemotherapy.

I couldn’t lend a hand but was able to pray with her.

Within five minutes, a man pulled up. He had the knowledge

to install her generator but couldn’t lift it by himself.

About three minutes later, the Western Carolina University

(WCU) rowing team arrived and asked if anyone needed

help. Between the man and this team, the woman’s generator

was installed.

I looked at this woman and said, “God sent help that fast!”

There are so many stories of God’s provision. The WCU

rowing team stayed for several days to cut and move downed

trees so people could get in and out. And the community

pulled together to deliver supplies, build barns and even supply

can openers for those who had no way of opening their

canned goods.


40

OCT / NOV 2025

AD

PRESENTS

⅓

Main roads were damaged or

collapsed by the hurricane.

Then a few weeks later, the weather started getting cold, and

most of Fairview still had no power. We had one sleeping bag

left to give out, and a man needed it, but he didn’t want to take

our last one.

“Please take it,” I told him. “God will provide more.” Within 10

minutes, a lady came in with several sleeping bags.

God knew exactly what we needed and used ordinary people

to provide. Supplies came from relatives in Tennessee, friends

in other parts of North Carolina and churches from all over the

country. A huge truck from Pennsylvania even stopped at our

community center to provide gas, since most of our gas stations

hadn’t yet opened.

God’s faithfulness through others was so beautiful in the rubble

of the storm.

Formerly an engineer working on the space shuttle, Sally Burke is now the president

of Moms in Prayer International, a speaker and the author of many books,

including Raise Them Up.

Totes of supplies from

Memphis, Tennessee, were

transported to the affected

area to help aid the effort.

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above: More damage of homes and

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41

FAITH / PODCAST

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podcasts!


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take action and see how I can

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Podcast


CREDIT TK

BIBLICAL EVANGELISM / FAITH

PAUL AT

ATHENS

A biblical model

for engaging a

secular world

BY SUBBY SZTERSZKY

THE BOOK OF ACTS contains

at least 10 substantial addresses

delivered by Peter, Stephen and Paul

to a variety of audiences in diverse

settings. This was by no means a

random selection. Led by the Holy

Spirit, Luke recorded these speeches,

some at considerable length, to

paint a detailed picture of what

Gospel witness looked like during

the formative years of the church.

The core of these messages

remained consistent throughout:

the death and resurrection of Jesus,

and the call to repentance and forgiveness

of sins through faith in

Him. However, the approach of each

message was tailored to the specific

audience, delivered in a way the

audience could understand and to

which their members might respond.

Of all these messages, Paul’s

address to the Areopagus in Athens

is especially instructive for Christian

witness in the 21st century. It offers

a model for engaging people with

the Gospel in our highly educated

and secular Western culture.

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Know and respect

your audience

Rome may have been the political

center of the Roman Empire, but

Athens was its cultural and intellectual

center.

At the grassroots level, people

still worshiped the ancient gods of


FAITH / BIBLICAL EVANGELISM

mythology or practiced various private

unknown religions. Cultural

elites, on the other hand, considered

such beliefs symbolic or superstitious,

and were devoted instead to

various philosophical schools that

understood the world in terms of

naturalistic or secular categories.

When Paul arrived in Athens, he

was taken aback by the plethora of

public monuments dedicated to the

worship of pagan gods. At the same

time, recognizing the Athenians’

commitment to reason and public

discourse, he engaged in debate

with people in the marketplace as

well as with Stoic and Epicurean

philosophers, representing the two

predominant schools of thought at

the time.

At first, these thinkers ridiculed

Paul for promoting a strange foreign

religion and called him a “seed

picker”—a derogatory term for

a pseudo-intellectual who gathers

bits of information in order to

sound clever. Nevertheless, they

were intrigued enough by Paul to

bring him before the Areopagus so

that he might explain his views in

greater detail.

The Areopagus was in essence a

cultural court made up of scholars

and thought leaders who would listen

to new ideas and pass judgment

on their validity. It was something

like a TED Talk, except that failure

to impress might land the speaker

in trouble. Undeterred, Paul took

the opportunity to share Jesus with

this group in a way that recognized

and respected where they were

coming from.

Speak in a way

they’ll understand

Even among the diverse contexts of

the messages recorded in Acts, Paul’s

address before the Areopagus stands

out. The various audiences for Paul’s

other messages included Hellenistic

Jews, proselytes, Gentile Godfearers,

and combinations of those. In each

case, there was at least a bare minimum

of familiarity with the Jewish

religion and Scriptures.

At the Areopagus in Athens, there

was none of that. The Areopagites

were socially elite, highly educated

pagans, essentially secularists

by modern standards. They knew

and cared next to nothing about

the Jewish faith or its sacred writings.

Citing chapter and verse about

the fulfillment of ancient messianic

prophecies would have been fruitless,

as they had no context for that.

Consequently, Paul took a radically

different approach in Athens.

Rather than quoting directly from

the Scriptures, which would have

meant nothing to his audience, Paul

instead built a framework for theological

truth using concepts that

they would understand. In place of

mythical gods or a universe with no

beginning, Paul declared that there

was one God who created the world

and everything in it, and who was

sovereign over all of it. Because He

is infinite and free, this God doesn’t

need anything from humans but is

the source of our entire existence.

He has determined the boundaries

and duration of every human

life and civilization so that we might

seek and find Him.

Connect with

cultural references

At the beginning of his address, Paul

used an Athenian cultural reference

to connect with his audience.

Referring to a pagan altar in the city

that was dedicated “to an unknown

god,” Paul called the Athenians very

religious and told them he’d explain

this “unknown god” to them. This

statement would have fascinated

them and perhaps even ruffled

their feathers a bit, but it got their

attention.

Paul didn’t stop there with his cultural

references. To demonstrate that

God is both far beyond His cosmos

yet present and intimately involved

with it, Paul quoted a pair of pagan

philosophers: “In him we live and

move and have our being” comes

from Epimenides of Crete, and “We

are also his offspring” is a quote

from a poem called “Phaenomena”

by Aratus, a Stoic philosopher from

Paul’s home region of Cilicia. In their

original contexts, these quotes both

refer to Zeus, the chief deity of the

Olympian Greek pantheon.

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44

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BIBLICAL EVANGELISM / FAITH

ADOBE STOCK - DMITRY RUKHLENKO

It may seem strange and even

shocking to modern readers that

Paul would appropriate these

quotes about Zeus and apply them

to the God of the Bible. In that culture,

however, this was an accepted

rhetorical practice for making a

point during a public debate or presentation.

The Areopagites knew

precisely what Paul was doing and

had no issue with it. They understood

Paul’s argument; since

humans are God’s offspring made in

His image, it’s wrong to reduce God

to a statue of gold or marble, made

by humans in their own image.

Leave the results with God

The Areopagites had tracked with

Paul’s argument up to this point.

But then, Paul drove home the

central message of his rhetorical

presentation: God had overlooked

the folly of pagan worship in the

ancient world, but was now calling

everyone to repent, because He

would judge the world in righteousness

through a man He’d raised

from the dead.

This was the core of the Gospel

message presented throughout the

book of Acts, yet Paul had delivered

it to a group of highly educated

pagans without a single direct

quote from the Law, the Prophets

or the Psalms. Instead, he used the

language and the categories that

his audience could recognize,

and the implications of his

address were not lost

on them.

The moment Paul mentioned the

Resurrection, members of his audience

reacted in one of three ways.

The first group dismissed him with

ridicule, and the second, intrigued

but not persuaded, wanted to hear

more out of mere curiosity. The

third, however, came to faith and

joined Paul, leaving the Areopagus

behind.

Luke saw fit to single out two of

the individuals from this final group,

suggesting they had both become

well-known throughout the early

Christian community. Dionysius

the Areopagite, given his epithet,

was likely one of the leaders of this

cultural court of ideas. Damaris was

possibly a visiting foreign dignitary,

but she was more likely a hetaera,

an educated courtesan who

moved in the circles of prominent

men, offering them intellectual and

social companionship.

The world of these pagan cultural

elites was as far removed from provincial

Judaism as today’s secular

Western culture is from its Christian

roots. In fact, historians have noted

that Greco-Roman society from New

Testament times has more in common

with the contemporary West

than with any other culture between

then and now.

Even so, the Gospel remains

the power of God for salvation to

everyone, regardless of their cultural

context. Paul recognized this

when he wrote that he’d become all

things to all people, so that by any

means, he might win some of them

to Christ (1 Corinthians 8:19-23).

For followers of Jesus in the 21st

century, Paul’s approach in Athens

offers the ideal model for engaging

with secular, highly educated

people who know nothing of the

Bible. While keeping the core truth

of the Gospel the same, we need to

be sensitive to our audience and

speak their language, drawing them

in with cultural references they can

relate to. Some will laugh, others

will deflect, others still will come to

faith in the Lord.

Like Paul at the Areopagus, our

creative task is to present Jesus as

persuasively as we can and leave the

results with God.

Subby Szterszky is the managing editor of

Focus on Faith and Culture, an e-newsletter

produced by Focus on the Family Canada.

© 2025 Focus on the Family (Canada)

Association. All rights reserved.

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