Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk

Theologian Dr. Owen Strachan joins Dr. James Dobson to discuss "Critical Race Theory" (CRT) and how it does not align with Christian beliefs. They discuss Dr. Strachan’s new book, Christianity and Wokeness: How the Social Justice Movement is Hijacking the Gospel, and peel back the layers of this misguided movement, its origins, and how the Bible contradicts it by teaching that we are all one family in God’s Kingdom.

Many people struggle with alcohol and other addictions, but very few actually receive any form of treatment. Bob and Pauline Bartosch, authors of Overcomers Outreach: Bridge to Recovery, reveal to Dr. James Dobson that Bob was dependent on alcohol and Pauline relied on valium. Ultimately, both found hope and healing in the Lord, as well as support communities in Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon. Out of their experience, they founded Overcomers Outreach, a Christ-centered addiction support group.

Paula Faris was at the height of her career as a co-anchor of Good Morning America. But when this high-profile journalist felt called by God to walk away from her job because she was sacrificing her family and her health, she was gripped by fear. She had bought into society's false premise that our worth is related to our work. The author of Called Out, Faris explains that in the span of just a few months, she endured several tragedies and learned that the calling of every Christian is to love our Lord and other people. That’s the true source of our identity, she says, not our vocation.

Day by day, our kids are inundated with the depravity of this world, and it seems to be getting worse. Dr. James Dobson shares from his June newsletter, reflecting on the increasing war against children and the battle for their minds and spirits. He expresses his grave concern for our culture and raises the alarm so that a twisted society does not dictate the lives of future generations. Also featured are excerpts of a sermon from Pastor John MacArthur, illustrating not only culture’s slide into godlessness, but also its ultimate accountability to God.

Twelve years ago, when doctors told Pastor Jack Graham that they might not have removed all of his prostate cancer, he sank into a dark night of depression. Graham, the author of Reignite: Fresh Focus for an Enduring Faith, shares that he felt then as if he’d been hit by a Mack truck and left in a ditch. Citing Moses and Elijah, as well as Lincoln and Churchill, all of whom battled depression, Graham explains that the key to finding your way through darkness is to saturate your mind with the truth of Scripture.

While Dietrich Bonhoeffer is known as the courageous German pastor who spoke out against the evil of Adolf Hitler, he also became a spy who sought to assassinate the dictator. He wrote, "We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself." In this Part 2 edition, Eric Metaxas, author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, describes Bonhoeffer as an obedient disciple of Jesus Christ who understood that the believer is called to die to self and trust God in every circumstance.

During the regime of Adolf Hitler, a brave German pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer declared, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." Eric Metaxas, author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, highlights the moral courage of this man who knowingly risked his life to condemn Germany’s maniacal dictator. God is still calling Christians to speak out against evil going on today.

Are you currently in a season of stagnation? Mark Jobe, author of What Now? How to Move into Your Next Season, is the lead pastor at New Life Community Church in Chicago. He says that when we’re feeling stuck and overwhelmed, seeking a fresh encounter with God will allow us to receive a new perspective. Just as the Lord took Joseph through crisis and pain, molding his character and preparing him for his calling, God is continually shaping and building us too.

Psalm 127:3 says, "Children are a heritage from the Lord." But Dr. Michael Youssef, founder of Leading the Way Ministries, insists that verse 1 provides essential context: "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain." When God is at the center of the family, He will grow, bless, guide, and protect it. Seek always His direction and your children are likely to emulate you into their adult years.

There are 350,000 churches in America. But are there even 40,000 pastors who fear God and are willing to speak the truth? Dr. Jim Garlow, author of This Precarious Moment, does not believe there are. That’s why he asserts that God has raised up laymen such as psychologist, Dr. James Dobson, football coach and founder of Promise Keepers, Bill McCartney, and public servants such as Dr. Ben Carson, to say what pastors should have been saying all along.

Too often, pastors hesitate to preach against abortion and the radical homosexual agenda. The Bible speaks clearly on both issues, so why the hesitation? Dr. Jim Garlow, former pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego, asserts that pastors run into the pitfall of wanting to be loved by everyone in their pews. But as he points out, "If you're going to preach the truth, you cannot be liked by everybody in your congregation."

Many teenage girls and women wish they had a better relationship with their dads. But fathers are often hesitant to talk with their daughters about things that really matter, as if they’d rather do nothing at all than do it wrong. Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield, author of Let’s Talk: Conversation Starters for Dads and Daughters, shares with co-host Dr. Tim Clinton about how dads can begin to have meaningful conversations with their daughters. Girls tend to figure things out and feel valued as they can talk it through. Dr. Watson Canfield provides easy ways for dads to facilitate discussion and dive into their daughters’ struggles, hurts, fears, and hopes.

In this Part 2 edition, Cindi McMenamin, author of When a Woman Inspires Her Husband, along with her husband, Hugh, share how a Christian wife can be the ultimate encourager to her husband in and outside the home. She should help him look good, refrain from criticizing him in public, encourage him privately and elevate him in front of others. When a wife shows her husband that kind of unconditional Christ-like love, their marriage will be transformed!

Christian wives are often misled by contemporary culture’s false expectations of their husbands. Cindi McMenamin, author of When a Woman Inspires Her Husband, shares two pieces of advice with Dr. James Dobson. First, she says a wife needs to look to God to be the primary One to meet her emotional needs. And second, she should become her husband’s biggest cheerleader, giving him the respect he desires. When she follows that biblical model, as Cindi’s husband, Hugh, confirms in this thoughtful roundtable discussion, her husband will become the man she needs him to be.

From flying 45 missions into Iraq as an Air Force pilot and helping the Dallas Cowboys win the Superbowl three times as defensive tackle, Chad Hennings learned one thing: every man needs a wingman. God did not create us to stand alone but to be in transparent fellowship with our Creator and with other men in the body of Christ. That’s why Hennings urges every Christian man to push the reset button by attending the Promise Keepers conference later this month in Arlington, TX.