FamilyLife Today®

Abuse. Addiction. Gangs. A suicide attempt. Pastor and author Noe Garcia knows what it’s like to carry a past you’d rather erase. But can God use a life that’s been through that much? On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson explore Garcia’s raw story of turning pain into purpose—and what happens when your worst chapters threaten to define the rest of your life. Show...

Your grown kid's coming home for Christmas. You're already rehearsing what not to say. What happens when their choices clash with your convictions under your own roof? Author Jim Burns and family expert Ron Deal get practical about parenting adult children—navigating house rules, holiday landmines, and the fear that one wrong move could push your kid further away. Join Dave and Ann Wilson on...

One wrong comment at dinner, and your grown kid shuts down. Again. Now you're rehearsing every word, wondering if you'll ever be close. Authors Jim Burns and Ron Deal tackle reconnecting with adult child relationships strained by disagreements, broken trust, and old wounds. On FamilyLife Today with Dave and Ann Wilson, discover why trying harder to fix your kid might actually push them further awa...

You raised them, prayed for them, and tried to get it right. So when your grown child walks away from your values—or your faith—why does it feel like your failure? Author Jim Burns tackles parent guilt, the endless “if onlys,” and the urge to fix what you can't control. Join Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today for a conversation about loving adult kids when their choice...

You moved. Your old friends are three states away. Your calendar's full, but your phone's pretty quiet. How to meet new people as an adult—and actually build friendships that last? FamilyLife president Luke Middendorf and his wife Kristina join Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to get real about starting over, awkward invitations, and the difference between having acquaintances and hav...

You found your person. So why do you still feel so alone? Loneliness in marriage can turn your spouse into your therapist, best friend, and entire support system. That's a heavy load for two people. FamilyLife president Luke Middendorf and his wife Kristina join Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to share how isolation, resentment, and one painfully honest conversation exposed what their marr...

When life caves in, easy answers don’t cut it. How do you trust a God you can’t always understand? Pastor and author Dane Ortlund joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack how to trust God in hard times—when pain feels pointless, prayers seem unanswered, and you’re deciding whether suffering will pull you toward God or push you away. Show Notes and Resources D...

You’re sorry, again, for the same thing. So what does actual repentance look like? If you’re wondering how to repent without getting trapped in shame or hiding, pastor and author Dane Ortlund joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to share his insight. He gets real about owning what’s actually inside us—and why bringing sin into the light is part of becoming who we&r...

You read your Bible. You pray. You try harder. So why do you still feel spiritually stuck? If you’re wondering how to grow spiritually, pastor and author Dane Ortlund joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to challenge our instinct to pile on more effort. What if real change isn’t about doing more—but going deeper into what you already have in Christ? Show Notes and Resour...

She loves Jesus. She has good friends. And there’s still one part of her life she hopes nobody ever asks about. Christian women and their private sexual struggles rarely make it into the same conversation. Dr. Juli Slattery and educator Dr. Joy Skarka join Dave and Ann Wilson to talk candidly about secrecy, shame, sexual habits, and what it means to be fully known without running for cover....

Porn is a guy problem--right? That’s what Joy Skarka thought, while quietly struggling herself. Porn addiction in women is more common than we talk about. And simply trying harder to stop may miss the deeper cause. Educator Dr. Joy Skarka and clinical psychologist Dr. Juli Slattery join Dave and Ann Wilson to get painfully honest about secrecy, shame, trauma, and the struggles women rarely s...

The photo. The place. The date on the calendar. Grief has a way of turning ordinary things into places you’d rather not go. So how do you deal with grief without spending your life dodging the roar? Pastor and author Levi Lusko and his wife, Jennie, join Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to talk about facing what hurts—and why sometimes the way forward runs straight toward it. Sh...

One day, their five-year-old was part of Christmas plans. The next day ... she was gone. How do you trust God after unspeakable loss—when you're grieving the only thing you begged Him not to take? Pastor and author Levi Lusko and his wife, Jennie, join Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to tell the story of losing their daughter Lenya—and wrestling with God when faith and heartbre...

You prayed for direction. (A five-year plan would be nice, too.) But how do you follow God's will when the next step feels risky and the route definitely isn't marked? Pastor and author Levi Lusko and his wife, Jennie join Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to talk calling, big decisions, and learning to move together when God gives enough light for the next step—not the next ten. Show...

You gave in last time. And the time before that. When marriage starts feeling lopsided, keeping score can feel less like selfishness and more like simple fairness. Counselor Debra Fileta joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack selfishness in marriage—and finding your way back to “we.” Show Notes and Resources Choosing Marriage: Why It Has to Start With We > Me...

You picked your person. So why are the dishes, in-laws, money, and one badly timed comment enough to make you wonder what happened? Why is marriage so hard? Counselor Debra Fileta joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack the expectations and baggage we drag to the altar—and why hard doesn’t necessarily mean you married wrong. Show Notes and Resources Choosing Marriage: W...

Your teen says AI is helping with homework. But what happens when it starts answering the questions they’re afraid to ask you? Tech-policy expert and author Clare Morell joins Dave and Ann Wilson to expose AI dangers for kids—from chatbots that feel unnervingly human to technology moving faster than parents can keep up with. Show Notes and Resources The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to...

You know the screens are too much. But homework is online. Their friends have phones. And taking the thing away triggers a meltdown. So how can you get kids off screens without losing your mind? Tech-policy expert and author Clare Morell joins Dave and Ann Wilson with a radical experiment for families ready to find out what life beyond the screen could look like. Show Notes and Resources The Tech...

Your kid needs a phone for the team. Their friends all have one. And they’ve asked approximately 4,000 times. So should kids have smartphones? Are parental controls enough to keep them safe? Tech-policy expert and author Clare Morell joins Dave and Ann Wilson to challenge what parents assume is inevitable—and unpacks what that glowing rectangle may be doing to a developing brain. Show...

It's on mental replay—the way your own brokenness leaked into your parenting. Wondering how to forgive yourself as a parent when a redo isn't an option? FamilyLife Blended director Ron Deal joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today for a painfully personal conversation about the parenting regrets we can’t simply undo. Show Notes and Resources The Mindful Marriage . No Perfect Paren...

You pray alone. No problem. But praying out loud with the person who knows you best? Suddenly, checking your phone sounds productive. If you’re wondering how to pray with your spouse without feeling awkward, Dave and Ann Wilson get candid about vulnerability, conflict, and why two people who love God can still find those first few words surprisingly hard. Show Notes and Resources 5 Prayers f...

You followed God. Took the risk. Then you’re discussing which car to sell and wondering, “Seriously, God? This is what I get?” When you’re disappointed with God, old doubts can suddenly get teeth. Deconversion expert John Marriott joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack how suffering, unmet expectations, and feeling betrayed by God can shake what you thought...

They said they don’t believe anymore. And now your brain wants to draft a sermon while your stomach drops through the floor. When someone you love walks away from God, what actually helps—and what pushes them farther away? Deconversion expert John Marriott joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today with a wiser way to handle the questions, fear, and conversations you desperately don...

They still know the worship songs. Their Bible’s still on the shelf. But somewhere along the way, “I believe” became “I’m not sure anymore.” What’s actually happening in Christian deconstruction? Deconversion expert John Marriott joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack why faith can unravel—and what someone questioning Christianity ma...

There are shoes by the door, dishes in the sink, and absolutely nowhere for company to sit. Invite people over anyway? Don Everts’ research suggests faith at home may grow in a surprisingly crowded house. He joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to explore what happens when we quit treating home as our family’s bunker—and make room for people who aren’t already insi...