The Clean Face of a Dirty Business

Written by Thomas Hampson

John Adams’s test of character, the Pritzker story J.B. tells, and the history the polished biographies leave out

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” — John Adams, October 11, 1798 _[1]

John Adams was not advocating a religious test for office. He was arguing that in self-government, our constitution—our laws—cannot replace character. In the same letter, Adams warned that avarice, ambition, revenge, and other passions, if unrestrained by morality and religion, could break even the strongest constitutional restraints.… Continue Reading

Books for Fueling Your Soul: Interviews With Illinois Authors

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In this special edition of Illinois Family Spotlight, you will hear from author interviews captured at the 2026 Illinois Christian Home Educators Conference (ICHE), a conference designed to disciple homeschooling families mentally and spiritually.

In the first half, you will hear from Rhonda Robinson, a mother of nine and and grandmother of 39! An award-winning author with over 25 years of writing experience, she currently serves as manager and content producer for the Parenting and Marriage web content at Focus on the Family.… Continue Reading

The Better Boy Scouts & Apologetics Made Simple

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In this special episode of Spotlight, you will hear from two special speakers. Held at Olivet Nazarene University, the 2026 Illinois Christian Educator’s Conference featured a host of keynote speakers that inspired faithfulness and excellence in the younger generation.

Carl Kerby, one of the event’s keynotes, represented Reasons for Hope, a non-profit apologetics ministry designed to equip Christians with real answers to hard questions.

Kelly Love, another featured keynote speaker, works as the National Sales Director with Trail Life USA, a Christian alternative to the compromised Boy Scouts.… Continue Reading

House Republicans: Kids’ Shows Need Warning Labels

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

On July 13^th, 47 U.S. House members wrote a letter to Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In this letter, House members strongly supported the FCC’s review of parental guidelines for TV shows meant for children:

“American children and families are under attack. Parents deserve full transparency from television and streaming services regarding unwanted sexual content in programming rated for children, and it is our intention to provide them with the tools and information they need to make informed choices for their families.”

Is Biology That Hard?

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

On July 14^th, the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing that was titled, “Training Activists, Not Physicians: The Impact of DEI on Medical Schools.”

United States Representative Mary Miller (R-IL) pressed two medical school deans, Dr. Sam Hawgood and Dr. Steve Dubinett, on whether or not men can get pregnant. You would think that the question would be extremely easy to answer.

No, men cannot get pregnant.… Continue Reading

The Program Preparing Young Adults to Lead with Faith and the Conference You Don’t Want to Miss

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Pastor Ceasar LeFlore dissects the broken government education system. Getting children out of Illinois public schools is no longer optional– it is necessary for their spiritual, academic, and emotional well-being.

You will also learn about an upcoming banquet that is being hosted by Pastor LeFlore, Pulling the Fire Alarm on America’s Burning Schools. To register, click here.

Later on, you will hear from Dr.… Continue Reading

Judge Denies Tyler Robinson’s Plea to Remove Death Penalty

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

On Monday, July 6, 2026, preliminary hearings started taking place in regard to Charlie Kirk’s assassination case.

Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin, and his defense team, requested that the death penalty be removed from consideration in his trial. The defense’s request was in response to prosecutor Christopher Ballard’s comment to the media about having “ample evidence” to prove Robinson’s guilt, in what the defense claimed was a violation of a gag order.… Continue Reading

From Bible Study to Global Politics: The Crucial Role of Christians in Defending Israel

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

In this edition of Illinois Family Spotlight, IFI’s David Smith has a timely discussion with Pastor Jim Scudder Jr., who was in Jerusalem at the time of the interview. They discuss Pastor Scudder’s new book, The Spiritual War Against Israel.

Pastor Scudder is Senior Pastor of Quentin Road Baptist Church, President of Dayspring Bible College and Seminary, and is host of In Grace– a television, radio, and podcast ministry that emphasizes apologetics.… Continue Reading

Note-Worthy 2026 SCOTUS Wins and Losses

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

June is the notorious month for U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

We all remember June 24, 2022, when the horrific Roe v. Wade decision, making abortion the law of the land, was overturned and given back to the states.

This past June, a number of decisions were handed down— some very good and some very bad.

We’ll highlight a few of the significant ones:

1.) Birthright Citizenship (Loss)

On June 30th, the U.S.… Continue Reading

The Black Robed Regiment: The Pastors Who Won The Revolutionary War

Written by Alyssa Sonnenburg

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, IFI’s Dave Smith sits down with Pastor Dan Fisher to explore the remarkable—and often forgotten—role that pastors played in securing the religious and civil liberties Americans enjoy today.

Pastor Fisher, founder of the Black Robe Regiment ministry and a former Oklahoma state representative, explains how colonial ministers boldly preached biblical principles of liberty, influenced the Founding Fathers, and, in many cases, led soldiers into the War for Independence.… Continue Reading