In this important episode, David Smith sits down with David Curtin to discuss House Bill 4966– legislation aimed to expand DCFS services and limit counseling options for gender confused youths.

David Curtin is a veteran pro-life advocate, political consultant, and a lobbyist for the Illinois Family Institute among other organizations.

In the second half of this episode, Illinois Senator Chris Balkema (R-Pontiac) discusses the behind the scenes realities of the political battles in Springfield from the effort to defund abortion to the fight against physician-assisted suicide.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, Pastor Caesar LeFlore sits down with Bishop Arthur Geis to discuss a bold prayer movement, Project 2026.

Bishop Arthur Geis is a renowned Bible teacher, pastor, prayer advocate, and the visionary behind Project 2026.

Project 2026 is a bold initiative to mobilize one million intercessors to prayer for one million souls to come to know Jesus Christ as Savior from Passover to Pentecost (April 5- May 24).… Continue Reading

In this special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, IFI’s Jenna Smith sits down with Aynaz “Anni” Cyrus.

Aynaz “Anni” Cyrus is an Iranian-American investigative author and national security voice focused on the ideological and psychological strategies of Islamism and political Islam in the West.

Her latest work, The Architecture of Jihad, examines how movements, institutions, and state actors deploy religious doctrine, narrative warfare, and moral inversion to influence Western policy, culture, and security.… Continue Reading

We live in a divided nation. The unity we built 250 years ago is now fractured, and our disagreements have become so intense and sometimes so violent that they threaten the very fabric of our civil society.

One of the most volatile flashpoints today is the disagreement over how we enforce our national immigration laws.

Today, across the nation, hundreds of local “sanctuary” jurisdictions openly defy federal authority. We have seen this before.… Continue Reading

In this special edition of Illinois Family Spotlight, IFI’s Dave Smith and Alyssa Sonnenburg sit down with Katy Faust to discuss her newly launched child-advocacy campaign, “Greater Than.”

Katy Faust is founder of Them Before Us, a foundation with one goal in mind: to protect the right of a child to their mother and father.

In her new “Greater Than” campaign, organizations, including Illinois Family Institute, are joining the movement to overturn the devastating Obergefell decision, a landmark Supreme Court decision which guaranteed the “right” of two men or two women to enter into a legal “marriage.”… Continue Reading

On March 19, 2026, Loyola University Chicago freshman, Sheridan Gorman, was fatally shot by gunman, Jose Medina.

While walking with her friends near Tobey Prinz Beach in Chicago, all hoping to see the Northern Lights, a masked gunman, dressed in all black, started opening fire in a seemingly random attack, according to police.

What the media doesn’t want you to know is that this horrific crime was completely preventable.

Jose Medina, a Venezuelan national, was in the United States illegally.… Continue Reading

In this week’s episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, IFI’s Dave Smith sits down with Elaine Demoulos and Angela from Alliance Family Services.

Serving the large area of Elgin and Schaumburg, Alliance Family Services is dedicated to protecting the preborn and proclaiming the Gospel to every woman that walks through their door.

“The majority of our clients have never heard the true Gospel. Alliance Women’s Clinics are front-line mission fields, partnering with the local church to reach women vulnerable to abortion with truth, compassion, and hope.

In this special Spotlight episode, IFI’s Dave Smith sits down with Monte Larrick.

Monte Larrick served as Spotlight’s host and IFI’s Media Director who dedicated the 11 years he was at IFI to inform Illinois constituents on important issues with conciseness and clarity.

In this episode, Monte shares untold stories and experiences in his longtime career covering politics for Moody Radio.

This is a nostalgic episode you do not want to miss.… Continue Reading

In this special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, IFI’s Jenna Smith and Alyssa Sonnenburg sit down with special guest, Dr. Greg Gifford.

Dr. Gifford is a biblical counselor, Chair of Biblical Studies at the Master’s University, Fellow of Fortis Institute, and host of Transformed, a podcast where everyday issues meet the truth of the Bible.

Recently, Senate Bill 4832 was introduced in the Illinois General Assembly, a bill which would define “transgenderism” as a mental illness under the Illinois Health Code.… Continue Reading

On Feb. 23, Candace Owens released the trailer for her upcoming “investigative series,” called “The Bride of Charlie,” whereby she removes all doubt (if any remained) that she is either an unhinged, delusional moonbat or just plain evil.

Here is just a smattering of the loony nonsense Ms. Owens continues to peddle as she proves more and more every day that she is completely deranged.

Despite zero evidence to support her claims, Candace Owens persists in suggesting that Erika Kirk and/or other Turning Point USA insiders have been complicit in a broader plot and subsequent cover-up of Charlie Kirk’s murder.… Continue Reading

It is an established fact that the Social Security Trust Fund will be depleted sometime in 2032. What this means is that going forward from that point recipients will receive only what is available from the current withholdings from America’s workers. Social Security administrators are estimating that there will be an approximate 25% reduction in the payouts to America’s retirees.

To most Americans this may appear to be of little consequence, but the ramifications are far more serious than one might think.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, IFI’s David Smith sits down with two Illinois General Assembly members on new pieces of legislation they have introduced to protect children from the destructive nature of transgender ideology.

State Representative Bill Hauter, M.D., the only medical doctor serving in the Illinois General Assembly — has introduced HB 4482 to prohibit gender-transition medical procedures on children. Read more here.

SB 3842, introduced by State Senator Andrew Chesney, would expand the definition of “mental illness” to include transgenderism, giving Illinois residents who struggle with gender dysmorphia the mental help and assistance many need.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features a conversation between IFI’s David Smith, Pastor Michael Johnson and Pastor Ceasar LeFlore.

Recently, Illinois Senator Neil Anderson introduced Senate Bill 3572, a bill with the express goal of abolishing abortion in the state of Illinois.

“Women are currently being told by the law that it is okay to kill their babies. That is unjust. We want to inform peoples’ conscience with a just law.

In this week’s episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, IFI’s Dave Smith sits down with Pastor Brandon Myers and Pastor Calvin Lindstrom to discuss SB 3572, a bill with the express goal of abolishing abortion in Illinois.

Because of its serious language, this bill has many pro-lifers standing against it. It is vital that we, as believers, are not controlled by our emotions but are instead controlled by the Word of God.… Continue Reading

Illinois State Senator Neil Anderson recently announced that he will be introducing legislation in Springfield to abolish abortion in the state of Illinois.

In this episode, IFI’s David Smith, Jenna Smith, and Alyssa Sonnenburg discuss this legislation and unpack the reality of the abortion practice in Illinois.

Did you know that in the state of Illinois,

• abortion businesses do not need to undergo inspections,
• when a woman dies during an abortion, the coroner is not required to be notified,
• a medical professional cannot be disciplined for performing an abortion on a non-pregnant woman, and
• medical professionals with a revoked medical license from another state will be allowed to perform abortions in Illinois.

The Illinois gubernatorial primary and general elections are coming up in March and November of this year, respectively.

For the past eight years, Illinoisans have had first-hand experience of the radical nature of the Democratic Party in Illinois.

• Shocking abortion statistics: 38,472 abortions in Illinois in 2014; 89,770 in 2024.
• The highest combined state and local tax burden in the nation.
• Heightened violence.
• Radical school curriculum: sex ed in kindergarten, proficiency testing of LGBTQ history in 8^th grade in order to graduate, tampons in boys school bathrooms, and much more.

Riley Gaines Barker is a 12-time all-American collegiate swimmer who gained national notoriety for her common sense stand that men and women are different.

In her collegiate swimming career, Riley faced firsthand the harm that “gender-affirming care” brings to women when she and her teammates were forced to share a locker room with a biological male during NCAA competitions.

In her speech from the 2025 Faith, Family & Freedom Banquet, Riley affirms the biblical realities of gender, sexuality, and life in the womb.… Continue Reading

The University of Chicago Institute of Politics, WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and International House recently covered the three frontrunner Democratic candidates running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Illinois for the upcoming Primary on March 17^th.

The debate featured candidates Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL, District 2), Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL, District 8), and Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.

I watched the debate so that you wouldn’t have to and these are the big takeaways.… Continue Reading

What happens when the state becomes God?

Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor emeritus of the Moody Church in Chicago, answers this exact question in today’s episode of Illinois Family Spotlight.

“It is the role of the pastor to speak about the controlling realities of the culture.”

If you are interested in reading more about this topic, consider purchasing Dr. Lutzer’s book, The Church in Babylon.

Listen to this episode anywhere you find podcasts or click the link!… Continue Reading

Illinois has been known as a “sanctuary state” since August of 2017 when Governor Pritzker signed the TRUST Act (SB 31) into law.

This legislation restricts both local and state law enforcement from cooperating in any way with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

As we have seen in recent months, the reality of Illinois being a “sanctuary state” for illegal immigrants has continued to build to a boiling point.

If you thought the TRUST Act was radical legislation, this past week revealed the dangerous reality for citizens living in a “sanctuary state” with a governor who has little concern for his constituents – those he is obligated to protect.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features two special guests.

In the first segment, we hear from JennyBeth Martin from the Only Citizens Vote Coalition on why only Americans should participate in American elections.

In the second segment, we hear from Larry Elder on the importance of the film Uncle Tom II.

“87% of Americans agree [in proof of citizenship for license to vote].”

This is an important episode you do not want to miss.… Continue Reading

This week’s episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features Dr. Frank Turek’s speech at Illinois Family Institute’s 2017 Worldview Conference.

Dr. Turek is the President of Cross Examined, a ministry dedicated to apologetics of the Christian faith. He is the author of the book, “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist” and is the host of the podcast, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.

In his speech, Dr.… Continue Reading

Last week, Republican Senator Josh Hawley, along with his wife Erin Hawley, a constitutional attorney affiliated with the Alliance Defending Freedom National Law Center, announced the launch of a new political action committee (PAC) – the Love Life Initiative.

According to its mission, the Love Life Initiative embodies:

“ [the] desire to restore a conviction that life is sacred, life is good, and life is worth protecting.”

Sounds like a message that every Republican can get behind, right?… Continue Reading

Public schools have long failed our children. Academic scores continue to drop and moral decay continues to creep in through the forms of critical race theory, gender theory, the usurpation of parental authority, and more.

Scott Phelps, head of the Abstinence and Marriage Partnership organization, reveals another way that public education is failing our children:

Sex education.

“Planned Parenthood is not only the largest provider of abortions in America, they are also the largest provider of sex education programs in America.

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Reverend Caesar LeFlore discusses the word of Good Soil, Good Seed, the reality of mental health screenings in Illinois government schools, and more.

The school systems aren’t failing, they are performing exactly as they were designed to perform and they were never intended to produce not only Christian children [with] Biblical worldviews, but they also aren’t there to teach them how to be logical or how to be learners.

Join Spotlight for a special, hope-filled episode where we feature Walt Heyer’s testimony of how Christ saved him out of his lifestyle in sexual sin.

Walt Heyer underwent gender reassignment surgery at age 42 and lived for 8 years as a woman. In his testimony, Walt shares how Christ saved him from gender dysphoria, homelessness, and drunkenness.

“It is so important that when you hear that people can’t come back out of this lifestyle that you actually see a witness that says you can.

November 7, 2025 featured Illinois Family Institute’s annual Faith, Family & Freedom banquet.

In his address to over 700 attendees, Executive Director, David Smith, outlined IFI’s mission to standing firm against the spiritual battles that Illinois is facing.

“Illinois is now poised to become the 12th jurisdiction and the first midwest state to normalize suicide…

We must pray… that Governor Pritzker would veto this legislation.”

This is an episode that you do not want to miss.… Continue Reading

On November 17th at around 9 pm on Chicago’s L Train, Bethany Magee, a 26 year old woman, was doused in gasoline and set on fire by Lawrence Reed.

The infuriating part of this horrific crime is not only the crime itself, but the looming fact that this atrocity was completely preventable.

Why? Because Lawrence Reed is another “career criminal” with 72 prior arrests. A very long rap sheet.

To understand the nature of just how preventable this incident was, Reed’s criminal context is important.… Continue Reading

Our culture is in desperate need of a biblical perspective on marriage and family.

In this episode of Spotlight, Scott Phelps, head of the Abstinence and Marriage Partnership organization, discusses how to restore a biblical perspective of marriage and family in Generation Z and the future generations.

“The purpose of abstinence isn’t to avoid problems… it is to prepare you for the marriage relationship.”

This is an episode you do not want to miss.… Continue Reading

This week’s Spotlight episode features a conversation about Christian education between Pastor Caesar LeFlore and Pastor Courtney Lewis of Cornerstone Baptist Church located in Chicago.

Five years ago, pastor Courtney Lewis was involved in starting a school out of his church– Cornerstone Baptist Academy.

“[Chicago public schools] have failed our youth…

People nationwide were exiting public schools to the tune of about a million people over the past ten years.

We had no money, no facilities, and no staff… In the course of three months, we watched the Lord bring in all of those resources to allow us to open our doors.”

How should we view immigration from a biblical perspective?

Dr. Shando Valdez, a political consultant, clergy organizer, and senior pastor at New Jerusalem Baptist church in Chicago, answers this very question in this week’s Spotlight episode.

“[Jesus] understood that countries have laws, that countries have borders.”

This is an episode you will not want to miss.

Listen to “A Biblical Perspective on Immigration” anywhere you find podcasts or click the link!… Continue Reading

In this episode, Rev. Caesar LeFlore is joined by Cynthia Morales from Pro-Life Champions.

Cynthia, and her husband John, started their pro-life advocacy with the “40” film, a powerful documentary featuring Abby Johnson and others on the reality of the aftermath of abortion.

This project led them to start “Shout My Story,” a campaign started to combat Shout My Abortion:

“The Shout My Story campaign was created in response to websites like ShoutYourAbortion.com

In this important episode of Spotlight, Illinois State Representative Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) shares about the upcoming Lame Duck session in the Illinois Legislature and troubling concerns that he sees with the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS).

Rep. Davis has a civil engineering degree, and served as board president for Yorkville’s Parkview Christian Academy.

“The state is running around investigating families and the people leading these investigations are interns who lack the experience.”

Under federal law, Election Day in the United States is not two days, two weeks or two months. It is a single day. That anyone might insist otherwise is difficult to imagine.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections, a case challenging Illinois’ decision to count mail-in-ballots that arrive up to 14 days after Election Day. For 80 years, Election Day has been held on the same day in November.… Continue Reading

The Fall Veto Session in the Illinois State Legislature is coming up.

IFI Springfield Lobbyist, David Curtin, gives insight into what we can expect regarding the response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination and more.

“In Illinois, the Democrats have really not found the opportunity to turn down the rhetoric because they are in power no matter what they say. They can say anything and the media will back them up…

The media is afraid of the Governor, quite frankly.”

In memory of Dr. Voddie Baucham, this week’s episode of Spotlight features IFI’s interview with Voddie Baucham at the 2023 Black Conservative Summit.

Dr. Baucham was a husband, father, pastor, author, was the dean of the school of divinity at African Christian University in Zambia for 9 years, and he also served as the first president of Founders Seminary in Cape Corral, Florida. He and his bold ministry will be greatly missed by the staff at Illinois Family Institute.… Continue Reading

Today’s episode of Spotlight features Dr. Frank Turek and his 2017 IFI Worldview presentation on Sex in America. Dr. Turek is an author of 7 books, the host of the podcast “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist,” & Founder & President of CrossExamined, an Apologetics-based ministry.

Dr. Turek was a close friend and mentor of Charlie Kirk, and his wisdom and insight into our culture is undeniable.… Continue Reading

Did you know that one of Islam’s goal is to take over the top 18 cities in America, one of which is Chicago?

This episode features Anni Cyrus and her presentation on Islam in American today.

Anni Cyrus is a human rights activist who fled from Iran when she was only 15 years old. Her platform, Live Up to Freedom, is dedicated to revealing the truth about Islam.

“Chicago is being conquered… because we are not paying attention…

There are schools that are actually teaching children about Muhammad…”

This is a vitally important episode that you do not want to miss.… Continue Reading

Why should voting be relegated to citizens only? Darren Bailey answers this very question in today’s episode of Spotlight.

Darren Bailey is a former state representative, senator, and gubernatorial candidate. Bailey, a long-time farmer from Southern Illinois, recently participated in an Only Citizens Vote protest in Orland Park– a protest demanding that only U.S. citizens be allowed to vote in state and national elections.

“What if instead offering free college education to people who are here illegally that we actually look at how we can prop up our own children to be the greatest and brightest for the future that we have before us?”

The The Middle East Media Research Institute report states in part:

Imam Mazhar Mahmood of the Islamic Foundation of Peoria, IL, said in his August 8, 2025 Friday sermon that “alleged” Muslims suggest building “political situations” with the Zionists for the sake of stability, and he asked whether Muslims have “stooped so low.”… Continue Reading

An urgent matter requires our attention and action (BY 5:00 P.M., THIS FRIDAY)!

We oppose the appointment of Terra Costa Howard who has become an applicant to fill a vacancy which will occur on October 15^th due to the retirement of Circuit Judge Paul Fullerton (18^th Judicial Circuit, covering 7 counties: Kane, DuPage, Will, Kendall, Grundy, cities: Princeton, Ottawa, Morris, Shorewood, Kankakee, Watseka, and Wheaton).

Judge Fullerton currently serves at-large in the 18^th Circuit, District 3, at the DuPage County Courthouse.… Continue Reading

Recorded live from the 2025 Illinois Christian Homeschool Convention (ICHE), Monte Larrick converses with Abraham Hamilton III. Hamilton is a husband, Bible teacher, a national radio host & TV host, a lawyer & homeschool father who was a keynote speaker for ICHE’s 2025 Conference, themed “This We Believe.”

Hamilton encourages listeners to prioritize homeschooling, because:

“For far too long, people have failed to recognize that mind cultivation is essential to disciple making.

When we abandon the most basic of truths–man & woman–what do we have to stand on?

Today we’re featuring a Spotlight interview conducted in 2023 with conservative icon and activist, Riley Gaines Barker. Riley is a 12x all-American collegiate swimmer, praised by President Trump for leading the fight for fairness, safetey & the protection of women in women’s sports.

Riley will be our keyenote speaker at our annual Faith, Family & Freedom banquet on November 7th of this year. … Continue Reading

“If Americans are going to reject abortion, they need to know what happens in an abortion. Who are the victims of abortion? What impact does it have on those mothers and fathers who choose abortion and on society as a whole.” – Anne Scheidler

Standing on the side of a busy highway, Monte Larrick talks with Anne Scheidler, vice president of the pro-life action league during the organization’s Face the Truth tour.… Continue Reading

Illinois is the abortion capitol of the Midwest. Women from states that have safegaurds to protect babies are choosing the land of Lincoln for surgical abortions or, increasingly, aboriton drugs. Donna Williams is trying to counter that. As the executive director for PASS network for Life, she leads the pregnancy based care center in Tinley Park to protect and promote life.

Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs offer services designed to address the needs of both mothers in crisis pregnancy situations and the father.… Continue Reading

Recording from the annual Illinois Christian Home Educator’s (ICHE) Convention at Olivet Nazarine University in Bourbonais, Monte Larrick conducts his annual interview with ICHE’s executive director, Kirk Smith.

The Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) is a not-for-profit Christian organization dedicated to supporting families who choose to home educate their children throughout Illinois. Founded in December 1983 by four Christian families, its core mission is to encourage and equip parents to glorify Jesus Christ by discipling their children through home-based education.… Continue Reading

This episode of Spotlight features Steve Karlen who serves as the campaign director for 40 Days for Life, where he trains and assists campaign leaders, co-hosts 40 Days for Life podcast and is the author of the book, “This is When we Begin to Fight.”

For those who may be unfamiliar, 40 Days for Life is a local pro-life ministry whose aim is to end abortion through prayer, fasting, and community outreach.… Continue Reading

“The End of Life Options Act” was introduced in the Illinois Senate on January 13, 2025 by State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) and in the Illinois House on January 14, 2025 by State Representative Robyn Gabel (D-Chicago).

If this bill is passed into law, doctors will be legally allowed to prescribe death-inducing drugs to patients who are suffering from terminal illnesses.

This push to legalize physician-assisted suicide (PAS) was added to a shell bill during the last week of regular session and then passed in the Illinois House by a vote of 63 to 42, with two members voting “present.”… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features Dan Marquardt of We Love Police, an organization that dedicates itself to highlighting the untold good of police officers.

“We Love Police… spotlights the untold GOOD of our police officers… Through various resources, we uplift our police and their families holistically. Story by story, we will elevate the way Americans view our police…”

It has been well-documented that police officers have increasingly become demonized in our culture– especially since the George Floyd incident and BLM riots in 2020:

“A growing body of research has found that, after protests draw public attention to officer-involved killings, police officers become less proactive, pulling back from enforcing the law or other practices aimed at ensuring public safety due to fear of criticism, lawsuits, or low morale.”

It is unfortunately unsurprising that yet another school district in Illinois has defied the clear privacy and safety protections that Title IX puts in place.

Illinois School District 203, located in Naperville, is currently in the spotlight for allowing a biological male to participate in the female’s track meet.

Not only was the biological male allowed to participate in this athletic event, but he (surprise, surprise) won the track meet.

This should, of course, come as no surprise to those of us who acknowledge a basic biological fact which states that biological males have distinct physical advantages over biological females.… Continue Reading

This episode of Spotlight features Shannon Adcock, founder of Awake Illinois, an organization dedicated to erasing DEI initiatives and protecting children from mental health screenings, graphic sex education and Title IX violations within Illinois public schools.

“Parents don’t know that they have the right to opt out of radical sexual education, and they should.”

This is an important conversation that you do not want to miss.

Listen to “What is Going on In The Illinois School Districts?”… Continue Reading

Back in 2021, Governor Pritzker signed HB121, SB667, SB1596, and SB2665 into law. All four of these pieces of legislation enshrined into law Illinois’ stance on immigration as being one of the most welcoming in the entire nation.

The new laws strengthen the TRUST Act and make Illinois the second state in the nation to require local officials to end partnerships with ICE, address hate crimes against immigrant communities, expand workplace protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and create the Illinois Immigration Impact Task Force to ensure state programs and policies best serve immigrant residents.

On April 3^rd, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 19 state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over an executive order President Trump signed in March, which they claim is an unconstitutional attempt to impose sweeping voting restrictions across the country.

The lawsuit refers to Executive Order No. 14248, which is a lawful and necessary measure to protect election integrity, especially in federal elections.… Continue Reading

If America’s elite universities want to racially discriminate, they shouldn’t receive taxpayer money.

On Tuesday, Harvard University’s Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias released its final report. The 300-plus-page document reveals the depth of the university’s systemic bias against Jewish students.

Many students “described experiences of being bullied or shunned by fellow students, singled out for negative attention by instructors, and feeling ignored by administrators,” the report said. It continued,

“Fear of encountering hostility has led some Jewish students to conceal their Jewish identity from classmates.”

Today’s episode on Illinois Family Spotlight features Dr. Mark Zumhagen’s presentation at Illinois Family Institute’s Assisted Suicide Forum.

Dr. Mark Zumhagen is a family medicine physician with over four decades of practice and experience. In 2009, he co-founded Fearfully & Wonderfully Made, a holistic medicine center based in Orland Park, where he currently practices.

In this segment, he discusses how pro-suicide legislation has its roots in Darwinism and that life is a precious gift from God.… Continue Reading

It’s “May Madness” in the Illinois General Assembly and this special episode of Spotlight features IFI’s lobbyist, David Curtin, with an update on what exactly is going on in Springfield.

“May Madness” is a term coined by David Curtin to describe the legislative chaos that ensues in Springfield before the May 31st adjournment. In essence, during this time, anything could happen with legislation.

“Anything could happen, and usually does in May…

May is usually the month where things come out of the nooks and crannies of the capital– you have never seen this legislation before, you’ve never seen these budget numbers before.

As previously noted, the IHSA (Illinois High School Association) is in hot water due to their dedication to allowing biological men to occupy girls’ spaces and compete in girls’ sports.

While the IHSA currently remains unmoved, U. S. Representative Mary Miller (IL-15) is doubling down on her calls for investigations into the IHSA to take place.

She recently told Fox News Digital,

“The Illinois High School Association has crossed a dangerous line.

In this special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight podcast, Dave Smith sits down with IFI’s Senior Counsel, James Odom, to discuss the legal implications of the Homeschool Registration Act (HB 2827).

Their conversation focuses on Illinois State Rep. Terra Costa Howard’s claim that HB 2827 is intended to protect children through forcing homeschooling families register with their local regional office of education.

Smith notes that homeschooling families are thriving socially, academically, and spiritually far above their peers in the public school system.… Continue Reading

The IHSA (Illinois High School Association) has doubled down on its dedication to allow biological males to compete in girls’  sports.

Not only is IHSA’s decision a violation of President Trump’s February 5 Executive Order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” but it is also a clear indication of one thing:

The IHSA will gladly sacrifice the privacy and safety of your daughters on the altar of radical gender ideology.

Because of the IHSA’s egregious violation of morality and biology, U.S.… Continue Reading

Pro-life organizers are starting their preparations for the Fall 40 Days for Life Prayer Campaign.

This episode features a conversation between Catherine Walker, a prayer organizer with the Aurora 40 Days for Life, and Steve Carlin, the National Campaign Director with 40 Days for Life.

In this conversation, both Catherine Walker and Steve Carlin share encouragement for pro-life prayer warriors in Illinois.

“More than 25,000 lives have been saved because someone showed up to pray at an abortion facility.”

Did you know that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) includes coverage for the cost of abortions and abortion-related services?

The PWFA, which went into effect on June 27, 2023, was originally intended to provide pregnant workers with reasonable accommodations due to their pregnancy.

“Generally, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) requires a covered employer to provide a ‘reasonable accommodation’ to a qualified employee’s or applicant’s known limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an ‘undue hardship.’”

Illinois is currently trying to legalize assisted suicide through the passage of the End of Life Options Act.

This Act, if passed, would give doctors the legal ability to prescribe death-inducing drugs to patients who have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses.

In this episode, Dr. Kevin Garner sits down with Monte Larrick to discuss the dangers this Act pose– not only to the terminally ill but the possible expansion of the bill to include non-terminal conditions and children.… Continue Reading

Did you know that legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Illinois would target people with disabilities?

In this Spotlight episode, Monte Larrick sits down with Riley Spreadbury to discuss this very topic.

Riley Spreadbury is a leader in the disability community and works with the Disability Resource Center in Joliet, Illinois. She is outspoken in her opposition against physician-assisted suicide and even testified before the Illinois State Senate committee.

“My concerns are that of course not every disabled person is terminally ill, but every terminally ill person, in my opinion, is disabled.

Transgender ideology has wreaked havoc across America.

Biological men, claiming to be women, have insisted on infiltrating women’s restrooms, locker rooms, and sports.

Because of the radical policies allowing this infiltration, women’s privacy was revoked, championships were lost, and opportunities were ripped away.

However, consequences of this ideology have been even more severe than this. The infiltration of men into women’s spaces has led to egregious violent acts.

In January of 2024, NBC New York reported on an incident where a biological male, claiming to be a woman, sexually violated a female prisoner on Riker’s Island.… Continue Reading

In this episode of the Illinois Family Spotlight podcast, Monte Larrick is joined by Attorney Will Estrada who highlights the dangers associated with HB 2827, the ominous “The Homeschool Act.”

Will Estrada works as Senior Council to HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) and is himself a homeschool graduate along with his wife.

“One of the arguments that we’ve seen from the sponsors of HB2827 is that homeschooling is unregulated, and that is not true…

There are educational neglect laws on the books in Illinois, so there really is no problem that HB2827 is needed to fix.”

The assault on America’s children from the Democratic Left is unprecedented on our history.  Considering our long and storied history of favoring and protecting children, it is shocking and disgusting; and it must not be ignored!

Until I had children of my own, I did not fully understand how they would change my life and the joy they would bring.  I was always fond of children, but it is not the same as having little ones of your own.… Continue Reading

Shepard Middle School, located in Illinois School District 109 in Deerfield, is under heavy fire for forcing middle school girls to undress in front of a biological male.… Continue Reading

The Homeschool Act, also known as HB 2827, poses a grave danger to all homeschooling families across Illinois.

If passed, this bill would stifle the freedoms of homeschooling families through heavy regulations. If these regulations are not followed, families would face hefty fines and possible jail time.

Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) is an organization that is passionately leading the charge against this dangerous legislation, and Kirk Smith, executive director of ICHE, sits down to discuss the consequences of the bill and how to oppose it.… Continue Reading

With all of today’s hubbub about separation of church and state, it’s refreshing to hear someone invoke Scripture on the floor of a state legislature. … Continue Reading

Are there repercussions for legal suicide in the state of Illinois?

Robert Gilligan answers this very question on this edition of Illinois Family Spotlight.

Robert Gilligan is the executive director of Catholic Conference in Illinois and, in this episode, he dives into the very real dangers posed to Illinois if physician-assisted suicide is legalized.

“In states where this has been legalized, this leads to more suicide overall. There were 49,000 suicides in the country last year.

In this special episode of Spotlight, Pastor Ceasar LeFlore sits down with Latasha Fields to discuss education and the exciting upcoming event, Chicago Home Educators’ Summit.

Latasha Fields has been a home educator for over 18 years and her passion for parental rights and quality education is evident. She is a former candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, is a critic of the public school system, and has even testified before the U.S.… Continue Reading

In this episode, Spotlight brings a Legislative Update from David E. Curtin, IFI’s Lobbyist in Springfield.

We are only five weeks into the new session of the Illinois General Assembly, and already, more than 6,000 bills have been filed.

“It’s a record and they are proud of it. The super-majority is proud of it, but it is not good for the state of Illinois.”

IFA’s David E. Smith hosts this episode to highlight three very concerning bills that are pending debate at the Capitol.… Continue Reading

On February 18, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order that expands access to In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

According to the White House,

“The Order recognizes the importance of family formation and that our Nation’s public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children.”

The executive order goes on to cite the dangerously low fertility rate America is currently facing, as well as the difficulty many families are having as they try to have children.… Continue Reading

In this episode, Spotlight highlights Dr. Mark Zumhagen’s remarks at IFI’s 2024 COVID Con Forum.

Dr. Zumhagen is a family medicine physician, with nearly 4 decades in practice in the medical field. In 2009, he cofounded Fearfully & Wonderfully Made,a wholisitic and nutritionally based center in Orland Park.

You will hear Dr. Zumhagen address vaccine mandates, the medical risks of treating healthy people, and the power that the pharmaceutical industries wield in America.… Continue Reading

In this special episode, Illinois Family Spotlight highlights interviews with Nancy Valko and Scott Klusendorf regarding the state of Illinois and the End of Life Options Act.

Nancy Valko has served for more than fifty years as a registered nurse, and is the spokeswoman for the National Association of Pro Life Nurses.

Scott Klusendorf is a pro-life advocate– regularly traveling throughout the United States and Canada training pro-life advocates to persuasively defend their views in the public square.… Continue Reading

Illinois has long been held as a blue state and a powerful one for the far-left liberal cause.

But things are changing. You can feel it in the air and see it in the way people are acting and talking.

Not long ago, conservatives in Illinois often felt and acted as though we needed to hide in the corners. We were grateful when people stood up, but for the most part, we kept quiet.… Continue Reading

The Trump Administration recently announced a freeze in funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and ordered all its employees to pause their work. USAID’s website states,

“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.”

Unsurprisingly, this action has sparked outrage amongst a variety of groups.… Continue Reading

This special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight highlights Pastor Douglas Wilson’s remarks given at the 2015 Illinois Family Banquet.

Pastor Douglas Wilson preaches at Christ Church in Moscow, ID, and is senior fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is a prolific author of many books and his blog, dougwils.com, is home to his witty and rapier thoughts on culture, the church at large, and politics.

In his speech, Pastor Wilson challenges Christians to fight for biblical sanity and morality.… Continue Reading

In this special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Pastor Ceasar LeFlore sits down with Latasha Fields to discuss education, parental rights, and community empowerment.

Latasha Fields has been a home educator for over 18 years and her passion for parental rights and quality education is evident. She is a former candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, is a critic of the public school system, and has even testified before the U.S. Congress on “Poverty in America: Economic Realities of Struggling Families.”… Continue Reading

Policies have the power to influence the culture towards marriage and family.

In this episode of Self Evident, Jenna and Alyssa sit down with Scott Phelps for a discussion on what government policies the Trump Administration can implement to encourage marriage and family.

Scott Phelps is the executive director of The National Marriage Campaign, formerly known as Abstinence and Marriage Partnership. The National Marriage Campaign was founded in 2004, and their mission is to let every teenager in the country hear a clearly reasoned, positive presentation on the blessings of abstinence until marriage and instruction on preparing for a healthy, future marriage.… Continue Reading

In this fun episode, Spotlight highlights remarks from multiple different podcasts and events over the years including Dr. Karl Benzio, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, and more!

Dr. Benzio struggled with anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, gambling, and spent time in jail for aggravated assault. Yet God intervened in his heart and completely transformed his life.

Now, Dr. Benzio is a board-certified psychiatrist. He is the co-founder and medical director of HoneyLake Clinic, which provides Christ-centered mental health treatment programs in a supportive, healing environment.… Continue Reading

January 20, 2025, marked the 60^th Inauguration Ceremony of an American President.

At this Inauguration, President Trump made history by becoming the second President in American history to serve two non-consecutive terms. The other President was Grover Cleveland, who served as America’s twenty-second and twenty-fourth Presidents near the end of the nineteenth century.

Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, of 180 Church in Detroit, Michigan, delivered the concluding benediction at this historic inauguration.… Continue Reading

Would you be surprised to learn that all 14 Illinois Congressional Democrats voted against the protection of women and girls in sports?… Continue Reading

Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s choice for Border Czar, says that he will make it a priority to locate more than 300,000 missing migrant children who arrived in the United States illegally.

In this important episode, Monte Larrick sits down with Thomas Hampson to give an update on these missing children and discuss legislation that aids sex-offenders and pedophiles.

Thomas Hampson is a contributing writer for IFI serving as an intelligence analyst, U.S.… Continue Reading

During a recent exchange, Representative McCombie declared her unwillingness to accommodate or collaborate with this influential conservative wing and has even refused to give the Illinois Freedom Caucus a voice in the decision-making process.

The Illinois Freedom Caucus, which represents a substantial contingent of principled conservatives across the state, champions fiscal responsibility, personal freedom, and accountability in government.… Continue Reading

On January 14, 2025, Thomas More Society attorneys submitted to the incoming Trump administration formal requests for presidential pardons on behalf of 21 pro-life advocates who have been unjustly prosecuted, convicted, and in several cases, imprisoned, by the Biden Department of Justice.

In their letter submitted to President Donald J. Trump, Thomas More Society attorneys

“urge that these pro-life Americans are deserving of full and unconditional pardons.”

Governor J.B. Pritzker is pledging to “Trump proof” Illinois through keeping Illinois open to transgender surgeries and drugs for minors, which is one of the issues that took center stage during the Presidential campaign.

In this episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick sits down with Thomas Hampson to discuss Governor Pritzker’s plan and the harmful effects it will have on children.

Thomas Hampson is a contributing writer for IFI serving as an intelligence analyst, U.S.… Continue Reading

Is legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Illinois really that dangerous?

In this edition of Spotlight, Dr. Stephen Smart will answer that exact question. Dr. Stephen Smart is a clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Illinois college of medicine, and is in private practice at the Springfield clinic in Peoria.

Illinois Family Institute and other pro-life organizations are actively watching the Illinois state legislature for the inevitability of physician-assisted suicide legislation coming to the state of Illinois.… Continue Reading

Recently, the 40 Days for Life pro-life activist, Catherine Walker, spoke outside of Illinois’ Flossmoor Planned Parenthood.

Catherine Walker is a post-abortive, pro-life warrior and she has dedicated her life to helping women through the ministry of sidewalk counseling. In this episode of Spotlight, Catherine shares how she is seeing a positive impact in her community as a result of sidewalk counseling.

“My job is to be faithful and be a warrior in the army and go and try to save one life at a time.

Did you know that the abortion industry is trying to shut down SouthSide Pregnancy Center and other crisis pregnancy care facilities?

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, we feature remarks by Frank Pavone given at SouthSide Pregnancy Center’s 2024 Banquet. Reverend Frank Pavone serves as the national director of Priests For Life and president of the National Pro-Life Religious Counsel and pastoral director of Rachel’s Vineyard.

“There is nothing that takes more life than abortion.

Should Illinois legalize assisted suicide?

To answer this question, this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight will feature Dr. Benjamin German and the remarks he gave in a special forum on assisted suicide to answer this important question.

Dr. German is a primary caregiver in the Lawndale Christian Health Center on Chicago’s West side. He is also an Illinois Representative in the Academy of Medical Ethics, the biomedical arm of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.… Continue Reading

Governor JB Pritzker has been forthcoming and direct in articulating his desires to make Illinois the “abortion capital” of the United States.

In July of this year, Pritzker signed the Birth Equity Act (HB 5142) into law, which mandates insurance companies in Illinois cover the cost of abortion without any deductibles, extra costs, or copays.

In the state of Illinois, you can kill your baby at any point, for any reason, and with no added impact to your wallet.… Continue Reading

“Every Home a School. Every Church an Academy.”

Reverend Ceasar LeFlore is the pastor of Spirit of Liberty Church of God, is an IFI Board Member, is the field director for Public School Exit in Illinois, and is the executive director of the Good Soil Good Seed Christian Education Foundation.

Good Soil, Good Seed is an education foundation that is dedicated to enabling families to take their children out of the public school system, and they accomplish this through generous grants and scholarships.… Continue Reading

In this special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick sits down with Reverend Elmer Harris.

Elmer Harris is the pastor emeritus of Second Baptist Church in Joliet and serves as a chaplain for the Bolingbrook Police Department. He also ministers to hundreds of people in the community through the ministry, Blessing Table. Blessing Table is a food pantry that was started in June of 2020 to help feed needy people across many communities.… Continue Reading

Does sex outside of marriage have any consequences?

Pam Stenzel answers this vital question during her keynote remarks at Illiana Right To Life’s 2024 Fall Banquet. Pam Stenzel has been a pro-life advocate since the 1980s and currently helps to operate four pregnancy resource centers in the state of Florida.

She is the author of “Sex Has a Price Tag” and co-author of the book, “Nobody Told Me: What You Need to Know About the Physical and Emotional Consequences of Sex Outside of Marriage”.… Continue Reading

This special episode of Spotlight features IFI’s David Smith and Monte Larrick as they break down the results of the 2024 election.

Specifically, they will focus on Trump’s policy changes and the state of Illinois– Governor Pritzker’s promise to make Illinois “Trump proof” and how Christians can stay encouraged while living in a very blue state.

“The fact is… the Democratic Party left its base and abandoned middle class workers in America and have embraced and have become the party of college educated elite.”

In case you missed it, the week of September 22nd was announced as Banned Books Week according to the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA wants the public to believe that raising concerns about obscene material in children’s books is the same as Nazi book banning.

Thomas Hampson sits down with Monte Larrick to combat this false narrative. Thomas Hampson is a contributing writer for IFI serving as an intelligence analyst, U.S.… Continue Reading

We’re in the final days of the election season now.

Maybe you’ve already voted. Maybe you’re still trying to decide. Regardless of anything I or anyone else writes to sway you one way or another, I pray God gives you the wisdom to honor Him in good conscience with your ballot. Walk before Him in righteousness.

Yet, I do think that He often uses other human voices to help guide us into wisdom, and I hope I’m able to contribute a little truth here and there to that end.… Continue Reading

Though some foolish, uniformed, and lazy voices would claim otherwise, there is little to no moral equivalency between the platforms and positions of the left and the right.

The Democrats and the Republicans are at odds with one another on a number of vital issues.

The Democrats are a proud, death-cult political party that celebrates what God hates.

As Dr. Andrew Walker notes, the Democratic platform, written by their key leaders, is the most radical platform in U.S.… Continue Reading

A Christian brother recently told me that he was originally planning not to vote in this presidential election. He obviously wasn’t going to vote for Kamala, and given Trump’s support for abortion pill access, he couldn’t bring himself to vote for Trump either.

Abortion is so morally repugnant that he couldn’t see himself supporting a candidate who supported access to even the pills. For him, abortion was a reason to not vote in this election.… Continue Reading

As I mentioned in a recent article, Kamala’s appeal comes from portraying herself as a more normal, mainstream, and civil choice than Trump. As she remarked to one audience,

“a lot of what I think is happening . . . is that people are exhausted about the division and the attempts to kind of divide us as Americans.”

And, when running against someone as idiosyncratic as Trump, it’s an obvious—and pretty smart—marketing choice.… Continue Reading

Praise God that Jesus is still on the throne! But let us not lose sight of the mission He has given us to be salt and light in a darkening and decaying nation!

According to a recent study as many as 41 million (!) born-again Christians may not vote in this upcoming election. A leading reason for their decision to sit out and not exercising their God-given and blessed right of voting: apathy.… Continue Reading

Is it a Christian’s duty to vote?

According to research conducted by Barna, 41 million professing Christians and 32 million mainline Christians are not planning on voting in the upcoming general election.

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick sits down with David Smith, Executive Director of Illinois Family Institute and Illinois Family Action, to discuss the results of this research study.

“Romans 13 tells us that all authority is ordained by God… Who is the authority in America?

Women’s rights are the central theme of the Harris/Walz campaign and central to Eric Sorensen’s campaign for reelection to Illinois’ 17^th Congressional District.… Continue Reading

“Operation Swing State” is in full gear for the upcoming general election on November 5^th.

The goal of this operation? To convert as many people as possible to the pro-child sacrifice side not only in Illinois but also in key swing states like Wisconsin.

NPR Illinois recently covered the work of this operation:

“On a hot sunny day in September, Elizabeth Posner and Mark Steen, two volunteers from Illinois, drove around the politically purplish city of Racine, Wis.,

It appears that many people are voting for Kamala Harris as a reaction against Donald Trump. Is that you? Some people don’t care for politics and pay little attention to the issues until the election is upon them. Maybe you are one of them.

You simply follow the lead of your friends. You trust them. Whoever they support you support, or you trust whatever media voices you have tuned in to.… Continue Reading

In this exciting episode of Spotlight, we are featuring Allie Beth Stuckey’s keynote speech that she delivered at the annual Faith, Family & Freedom Banquet! Allie is a dedicated wife, mom, cultural commentator, and is the beloved host of her podcast, Relatable.

In her speech, Allie breaks down her popular catchphrase: politics matter because policies matter because people matter. Politics affects policy, policy affects people, and people matter.

“While it is absolutely true– yes and amen– that Jesus is coming back one day, He is not here yet.

IFI recently produced a document comparing the stances of the Democrat and Republican party platforms on eight major political issues.… Continue Reading

Dr. Erwin Lutzer is the pastor emeritus of Moody Church in Chicago and is the author of the highly acclaimed books including The Church in Babylon, When a Nation Forgets God, and The Eclipse of God.

In this special episode of Spotlight, Dr. Lutzer sits down with Monte Larrick to discuss what inspired his newest book, The Eclipse of God.

“If the baboon is our grandfather– if we are only animals on a continuum with animals… we have no argument against abortion, euthanasia.

323,000 children are missing?

In this important episode, Monte Larrick sits down with Thomas Hampson to discuss the multi-faceted problem of illegal immigration and how it has specifically affected helpless children.

Thomas Hampson is a contributing writer for IFI serving as an intelligence analyst, U.S. Air Force Veteran, and a former chief investigator for the Illinois Legislative Investigating Commission. He also served on the Chicago Crime Commission as a board member and is the founder of the Truth Alliance Foundation, which is dedicated to the protection of children.… Continue Reading

When Illinois voters make their candidate selections on the November 5, 2024, election ballot, they will also be asked their opinions on three advisory questions:

• Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?

• Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?

“We are here to pray for sure. We are a peaceful prayer movement, and we always have been.”

In this special episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Catherine Walker, one of the leaders of 40 Days for Life Aurora. Catherine emphasizes the importance of getting involved in the prayer vigil– a time to pray for “image bearers that are at risk.”

Unfortunately, the fall of Roe v. Wade has been the pro-life work more difficult for pro-life centers in the state of Illinois.… Continue Reading

It’s election season, and that usually means that three kinds of people start getting really loud right about now.

First, the candidates themselves start campaigning harder than ever. Second, those who are especially civics-minded begin to non-partisanly clamor at everyone else to “Do your patriotic duty and vote!” And third? We all have that one Uncle Bob (or equivalent figure in your life) who just can’t stand either of the two main parties and is proudly and purely casting his ballot for some third-party candidate you never heard of before.… Continue Reading

A Newsweek article from August chronicles the many Republicans who have openly pledged their support for Kamala Harris.

Their list includes former Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Representatives Liz Cheney (Wyoming), Adam Kinzinger (Illinois), former Trump White House official Stephanie Grisham, and a group of over 200 staffers for previous presidential Republican candidates.

Enough Republicans are feeling likewise that Newsweek reports a program started by the Harris campaign—”Republicans for Harris”—which is intentionally catering to Republicans who are rejecting Trump.… Continue Reading

As a young girl, Anni Cyrus was sold as a child bride in Islamic Iran. Because of the courage of her grandmother, Anni was able to escape the horrors that she faced at the hands of Islam and make her way to America– to freedom.

As a legal American citizen, Anni Cyrus is now a human rights activist that speaks out against the horrors and oppression that Islam brings.

In this special episode, Anni specifically addresses Christians in America and how they can embrace their God-given freedoms.… Continue Reading

Is praying outside of an abortion clinic terrorism?

In this episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick sits down with Constitutional attorney David Shestokas to discuss how pro-life activists in Illinois have been targeted by Eileen O’Neill Burke, a candidate for the Cook County State’s Attorney position, as it regards their Constitutional rights.

“She’s going after free speech… Possibly potentially freedom of religion… She’s intending to prosecute people not necessarily based on their conduct, but based on the content of their message.”

Fox News reported that presidential candidate Kamala Harris affirmed her support of a federal wealth tax.

It’s meant to hit only the “super wealthy”:

“The proposal would impose a minimum tax of 25% on total income, generally inclusive of unrealized capital gains, for all taxpayers with wealth (that is, the difference obtained by subtracting liabilities from assets) greater than $100 million,” the Treasury Department stated in its FY25 revenue proposals. The same proposal was also put forth by the Biden-Harris administration in fiscal year 2024 and in fiscal year 2023, but the minimum taxable amount was 20%.

What is a worldview and how do you know you have the correct one?

In this special episode of Spotlight, Ken Ham answers these pivotal questions.

Ken Ham is the founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis and it’s two popular attractions: The Ark Encounter and The Creation Museum. He’s an author and the #1 expert on the topic of Biblical creation.

“There are only two religions. There are only two foundations that build your worldview.

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks from the Go Public for Pro Life rally, organized by Vision 2020.

Julie Garofalo, executive director of the women’s crisis pregnancy center, Waterleaf; Matt Yonke of the Pro Life Action League; and Veronica Janiszewski with Students for Life, all speak on the vital importance of speaking truth and hope into the lives of women facing unexpected pregnancies.

“Our voices are a gift from God, and we must use them for good.

With an upcoming General Election, election integrity is more important than ever.

In order to clean up the voter-rolls in the state of Illinois, Illinois Family Action joined Judicial Watch in their lawsuit

“against the Illinois State Board of Elections and its Executive Director, Bernadette Matthews, over their failure to clean Illinois’ voter rolls and to produce election-related records as required by federal law, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA)…  The lawsuit requests the court to require Illinois to ‘develop and implement a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the registrations of ineligible registrants from the voter rolls.’

The Democrat Party of 2024 bears no resemblance to the Democrat Party of the 1960s. To be fair, neither does the Republican Party. The important difference is that the Republicans have maintained a commitment to and love for our original principles, while the Democrats have become the party that is ashamed of our founding.

In an August 15^th post on X, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. wrote that the Party today “would be unrecognizable to my father and my uncle .… Continue Reading

Recently, one of my former students sent me a link to a video. It comes from a TikTok account, canceledchristian, which contains content from a young woman raised in a Christian fundamentalist family who attended Pensacola Christian College.

The purpose of her account is ”Exposing Christian Fundamentalism.”

In the video linked above, this young woman asks two main questions of Christians who support Donald Trump.

1] Why do Christians believe Donald Trump is a Christian?… Continue Reading

What if you could leave Illinois, but never have to move?

Illinois Family Spotlight’s special guest, G.H. Merritt, says that it is possible.

G.H. Merritt is the founder of New Illinois, a non-partisan, non-profit organization with the mission of educating the people of Illinois about their rights under the U.S. Constitution to pursue separation and formation of a new state.

“… outside of Cook County, people do not have true representative government…

… you have a county with 40% of the population dominating the rest of the state with 60% of the population, and that absorption of power allowed… them to gerrymander and just take power completely.

The alarms were sounded throughout every village and upon every non-existent city hill—the Democrats are coming to Chicago! And indeed it’s true! The Democratic National Convention chose Chicago as their host city in 2024.

The dates are Monday, August 19th through Thursday, August 22nd.

They could hardly have picked a more like-minded community in which to gather. A cursory look back at the city’s history would inform us that William Lane Thompson was the last of his kind to be Mayor of Chicago.… Continue Reading

Illinois Family Institute is calling for Christians throughout the state to a penitential period of prayer this fall, starting with a corporate prayer event, and followed by 40 days of individual prayer and fasting.

Sadly, Illinois has become the child sacrifice (abortion) epicenter of the Midwest while Chicago is, once again, experiencing shocking levels of street violence.

Government schools are not just failing students academically, but the focus of school time is now on social engineering, humanistic training, sexual immorality, teaching racism, revisionist history and other godless subject matters.… Continue Reading

All Americans should be in favor of term limits for the U.S. Supreme Court.

“How long is the term of a Supreme Court Justice?

The Constitution [Article III, Section 1] states that Justices “shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour.” This means that the Justices hold office as long as they choose and can only be removed from office by impeachment.”

The term of a Supreme Court Justice is life, and one life term is enough!… Continue Reading

How can Christians faithfully live in a culture that is actively opposed to God?

Martyn Iles, Attorney and Chief Ministry Officer at Answers in Genesis, answers this question at the 2024 ICHE Convention.

They [Daniel and his three friends] were now living in a pagan culture, in a pagan society. And the question they had to face is: How then shall we live? What should we do? How do we live fruitfully and faithfully for God in a culture that is completely different– that is actually God-opposing?

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke before the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) last Thursday. This was her first speech as a presidential candidate, since President Biden ended his campaign and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.

Rather than hiding the fact that the AFT has had a tremendous amount of power and influence on the Biden administration and the country, Harris proudly announced it, thanking AFT president, Randi Weingarten, in particular saying that she has been a “great force” and “an incredible friend and adviser” to the president and her.… Continue Reading

“We want a landslide that is TOO BIG TO RIG.” – President Donald Trump

As many recall, the 2020 election results came as a shock. Logically, the results did not make sense.

Sure enough, only days after the election was called, fraud allegations were circulating on social media and conservative networks.

The burning question was this: Was the election stolen?

In response to this question, The Heartland Institute, a free-market platform, sponsored a Rasmussen Poll that surveyed 1,085 voters from Nov 30^th through December 6^th of 2023, releasing the results on December 13^th.… Continue Reading

In this edition of Illinois Family Spotlight, we are highlighting a special news conference from the 2023 Black Conservative Summit featuring Dr. Eric Wallace, Robert Woodsen, Ken Blackwell, Larry Elder and Lt. Col. Allen West.

All five guests will focus on how to build a better America.

“The number one problem facing the black community was not systemic racism, not police brutality, but the large number of kids who enter the world without a father in the home married to the mother.”

In this week’s episode of Spotlight podcast, Dr. Benjamin German discusses physician-assisted suicide from his perspective as a medical-care provider.

Dr. German is a primary caregiver in the Lawndale Christian Health Center and serves as an Illinois Representative in the Academy of Medical Ethics, which is the biomedical arm of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.

Dr. German’s speech will discuss how medically-assisted suicide works and the ethics surrounding medically-assisted suicide.… Continue Reading

This special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features an interview with Ken Ham at the 2024 Illinois Christian Home Educators conference.

Ken Ham is the CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis, a Christian organization aimed at giving Christians real answers to deep questions about the world. He is the author of over thirty books and is also the founder of the two popular attractions: The Creation Museum and The Ark Encounter.… Continue Reading

There have been a lot of laughs at President Joseph R. Biden’s expense since his disastrous debate with former President Trump on Thursday, June 28.

Democrats have been in a state of panic since then.

USA Today on June 30 reported the shocking results of a CBS/You Gov National Survey in which 72% of voters –  as well as nearly half of his party – said they do not believe Biden has the mental or cognitive capacity to serve as president.… Continue Reading

This special episode of Spotlight features Nancy Pearcey’s presentation at the 2023 Worldview Conference based on her bestselling, critically acclaimed book, Love Thy Body.

Nancy Pearcey is an Apologetics Professor and scholar at Houston Christian University. She is dedicated to bringing a biblical worldview to cultural issues such as gender, transgenderism, abortion, masculinity, agnosticism, and more.

“If there is no God…, there is no meaning to life.”

This is an incredible presentation you don’t want to miss.… Continue Reading

Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, the pro-life issue has become more important than ever before.

With the Republican National Convention coming up on July 15^th in Milwaukee, Students for Life Action (SFLAction) understands this crucial moment and is demanding that the Republican Party (Grand Old Party, GOP) maintain its pro-life stance.

While the GOP has been dedicated to the pro-life cause for decades, there are some Republicans (Republicans In Name Only, RINOs) that stand as a hindrance to the pro-life mission.… Continue Reading

How did our Founders view freedom?

In this episode of Spotlight, former Illinois state representative, Peter Breen, tackles this question.

Peter Breen is the executive Vice President and Head of Litigation for the Thomas More Society, a non-profit national public interest law firm that is dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity.

In his speech, Breen proves that the Founders not only tolerated Christianity, but they also directly promoted it.… Continue Reading

The threat of non-citizens voting is real. It’s time to restore confidence in U.S. elections. Congress must pass the ‘SAVE’ Act which stands for the “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility’ Act.

If 6.4 percent of all noncitizens were to vote in the 2024 general election (which is the same rate as noncitizen voting found in the 2014 study) more than two million noncitizens (2,028,800) would end up casting a ballot.

If that same percent of the 5.1 million noncitizens who arrived in the U.S.… Continue Reading

This episode of Spotlight focuses on the topic of homeschooling.

Kirk Smith, ICHE’s (Illinois Christian Home Educator) executive director, gives encouragement to parents who don’t know how to homeschool, gives direction on how to choose good curriculum, and much more.

Parents, especially moms, feel like they’re unworthy- that they are not capable of homeschooling… if it’s [homeschooling] is a principle of God, it works– regardless of how good or how unprepared we feel as parents.

There is good reason for Americans to be concerned about individuals from Afghanistan coming across our southern border.

When Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, testified in the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on March 7 he issued a warning about ISIS-K, a terrorist group based in Afghanistan.

“[V]arious groups in the Central Region retain the capability and will to target U.S. interests abroad in under six months with little to no warning,” Kurilla said in a written statement to the committee.

This week’s Spotlight episode features Dr. Scott Lively and his speech, “Recovering Biblical Manhood” from IFI’s 2024 Worldview Conference.

Dr. Scott Lively is an author, attorney, commentator, activist, and the founder and leader of Scott Lively Ministries.

In his speech, Dr. Lively starts with giving his personal testimony and relates his personal experiences to the importance of recovering biblical manhood.

Listen to “Recovering Biblical Manhood” anywhere you find podcasts or click the link!… Continue Reading

The government spent decades trying to make fathers unnecessary. The failure of that experiment put society on the long-term path to collapse.

Sunday was Father’s Day. It’s much less popular than Mother’s Day for a sad reason.

Fewer fathers are involved in their children’s lives. That’s caused by two main factors.

The first is children born to single moms. In 2022, almost 40% of births were to unmarried women, according to the CDC.… Continue Reading

Forever earnest Brian Stelter tweeted out his late-night appearance on CNN with Abby Phillip.

“MSNBC’s Maddow is right to be thinking aloud about the possible repercussions of a second Trump term,” he typed. “Other media types and political veterans are doing the same thing. What might “retribution” look like? What are the pressure points that Trump could target?”

In a softball email interview with Maddow, CNN’s Oliver Darcy warned about the MAGA crowd:

“… Some of his extremist allies even talking about jailing their fellow Americans.

Government-run schools keep failing. It shouldn’t surprise us. Monopolies rarely serve customers well.

People call them “public schools,” but “government-run” is more accurate. After all, charter schools are available to the public. Privately run supermarkets are open to the public for more hours than “public” schools are.

International tests show American kids don’t learn as much as kids in other countries. During the pandemic, they did even worse because our teachers unions kept schools closed.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, David Smith and Richard Hartian continue their discussion on fatherhood with Kent Evans.

Kent Evans is the co-founder of the ministry, Manhood Journey and is the author of Bring Your Hammer, a book that gives fathers tools on how to biblically disciple their children. Kent notes, “The only way we know about Jesus Christ is through discipleship.”

When asked why discipleship is so important, Kent notes,

I disciple my boys because God told me to, and if I am going to be faithful like Jesus was faithful, then I am going to do what God said… If I have children in this world, I am their primary disciple-maker.

When the elected Democrat district attorney of Manhattan and his 12 (likely Democrat) Manhattan jurors convicted Donald Trump on artificially inflated felony counts of business accounting, you could count on leftist journalists to try to make it the Most Historic Event Ever.

We’re not even sure it won’t all be reversed on appeal. But “historic” is their word of choice … when they like the result.

In 1999, when Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath about sex with an intern named Monica Lewinsky, Geraldo Rivera was furious on the “Today” show:

“It was a spiteful action, an action that they performed absolutely in violation of the framers’ intent.

This edition of Illinois Family Spotlight features a conversation with Kent Evans surrounding biblical fatherhood.

Kent Evans is the executive director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that aids fathers in intentionally discipling their children.

Fatherlessness is on the rise in homes across the nation, and the effects of fatherlessness are very real.

A definition for a godly father is: Am I exhibiting to my children the image of God the Father as close as I can represent it?

As many of you know the issue of direct election of the Illinois State Central Committee people has been around for a long time predominantly promoted by a single individual. Though I am always open to new and better ideas, it is unfortunate this ill conceived idea is once again being revisited.

It is a bad, poorly thought through idea.

I called the primary promoter of this concept to give him a fair hearing on something he was clearly passionate about.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Pastor Myles Holmes of Revive Church.

In this interview, Pastor Holmes tackles the issue of the 2024 election.

Making America great again actually means making America godly again. We need to get back to the Constitution, but even before that, back to the Bible and what has made America great, which is faith in God.

Listen to “What to Expect in the 2024 Election” anywhere you find podcasts or click the link below:

… Continue Reading

In this week’s Spotlight episode, David Curtin, IFI’s Springfield Lobbyist, gives an update on the Illinois General Assembly.

As it relates to Assisted Suicide in Illinois, David Curtin has a hopeful update:

Assisted Suicide is dead for now. We don’t expect it to come up before the end of May. If it comes up during veto session in the Fall, maybe? If it comes up next year, maybe?

But, we are just ecstatic that IFI listeners registered their opinion on so many bills down here.

This episode of Spotlight features Pastor Myles Holmes and his speech at the annual IFI Worldview Conference.

Pastor Holmes is the pastor of Revive Church located in Collinsville, Illinois.

In his speech, Pastor Holmes highlights the vital importance of manhood and the need for good, godly, and strong men.

We’re talking today about recovering biblical manhood. Not just recovering manhood– recovering manhood biblically.

Listen to “Why Manhood Matters” anywhere you find podcasts or click the link!… Continue Reading

This Spotlight episode features Nancy Pearcey’s Worldview Conference speech, “The Toxic War on Masculinity.”

Nancy Pearcey is the director of the Francis Schaeffer Center for Worldview and Culture at Houston Baptist University. She is also the author of several, critically-acclaimed books including Total Truth, Love They Body, and The Toxic War on Masculinity.

We are failing to nurture boys and then we blame them for their toxic behavior… researchers now tell us that male unemployment is at Great Depression era levels… and male life expectancy has gone down.

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Tom Brejcha discusses President Biden and his State of the Union address.

Tom Brejcha is the Founder, President, and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society. He is a legal expert with over 50 years of experience in the federal and state courts.

Abortion is a top issue for the 2024 election, and Brejcha comments on states who are codifying abortion into their state laws and gives insight on how Christians and conservatives can counter this.… Continue Reading

On Sunday, April 21^st, Governor J.B. Pritzker appeared on CNN to discuss the 2024 Biden Presidential Campaign.

During his segment, Pritzker relayed a series of factually incorrect statements. For the sake of time, only three of these statements will be briefly discussed here.

Pritzker’s first claim was that adding Robert F. Kennedy to the presidential ballot would not affect Biden’s campaign. But a recent New York Times article noted,

Fears among Democrats are particularly acute this year, with polls suggesting that Mr.

According to Politico,

“In the weeks after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Rep. Jamaal Bowman not only publicly cast doubt on reports that Israeli women were raped, but also called those accusations ‘propaganda.’”

Jim Marter, Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Illinois’ 14th District, called on Democrat opponent, Lauren Underwood to let her constituents know where she stands.… Continue Reading

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a bipartisan, pro-Israel political action lobbying committee, has been endorsing members of Congress for years in a bid to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with Israel, America’s biggest ally and the only democracy in the Middle East.

AIPAC essentially raises millions of dollars by Jewish and Christian people and groups across the country, who want to see Israel protected.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick sits down with IFI Springfield Lobbyist, David Curtin, in order to get his perspective on the upcoming Illinois legislative sessions.

A bill that has a lot of conservatives in Illinois concerned is SB 3499 (Physician-Assisted Suicide). David Curtin comments,

The assisted suicide legislation is a very coordinated national effort and they’ve already done it in a few other blue states, and Illinois is the next state they usually stop at to try to pass something like this… [Physician Assisted Suicide] would allow physicians to dispense some pills to a person who is diagnose with a terminal illness to kill themselves at home.

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features Reverend Ceasar LeFlore.

Reverend LeFlore is the director of Public School Exit , an IFI-affiliated organization dedicated to facilitating the exit of children from government schools. He is also the director of Good Soil Good Seed (GS2), a scholarship foundation designed to help children afford to attend Christian schools.

Reverend LeFlore has an event on April 18th, called “Saving Our Children for God.”  Attendance is free and the discussion will focus on the danger of Illinois government schools.… Continue Reading

This edition of Illinois Family Spotlight features Mark Houck, a devout Catholic and peaceful pro-life protestor who was falsely accused of violating the FACE Act.

Houck was arrested and handcuffed in front of his wife and children by the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice.

With legal representation from the Thomas More Society and a unanimous jury verdict, Mark Houck was declared to be innocent.

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.… Continue Reading

In this episode, Spotlight is featuring remarks made by former state representative Peter Breen at the 2024 Speakout Illinois Pro-Life Conference.

Peter Breen is the executive vice-president and is the head of litigation for the Thomas More Society, which is a non-profit, public-interest law firm that champions the causes of life, family, and freedom.

In his speech, Peter Breen remarks on the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision, which overturned Roe v.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Scott Lively, author and founder of Biblical Worldview Resource Center.

Scott Lively emphasizes the importance of pushing against the status quo of the culture. He also has a strong message to send to parents who continue to keep their kids in the public school system:

If you are intentionally keeping your kids in public schools, you know the children are being indoctrinated in secular humanist presuppositions in every field.

In this episode of Spotlight, Pastor Charles Moodie recounts the ministry of City Life Center, located in Englewood, Illinois.

Recently, City Life Center Church opened a pregnancy resource center for the community of Englewood.

The Pregnancy Resource Center is a space for expectant mothers to receive prenatal care and support. The resource center, located in our church office, offers free pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, and other maternity resources.

Adjacent to our initiative to support families in the Southside Chicago community, the Pregnancy Resource Center aims to show love to mothers who need it most, providing childcare options for children ages 3 and under as well as basic infant necessities like strollers, diapers, and clothing.

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, we are featuring a speech given by Alex Schadenberg which was given at the 2023 Speakout Illinois conference.

Alex Schadenberg is the Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition based in Canada.

Illinois recently introduced HB3499 (currently SB3499) which “Authorizes a qualified patient with a terminal disease to request that a physician prescribe aid-in-dying medication that will allow the patient to end the patient’s life in a peaceful manner.”… Continue Reading

Non profit organizations Illinois Family Action and Breakthrough Ideas; along with lawfully registered Illinois voter Carol J. Davis; join with Judicial Watch in announcing that a federal lawsuit has been filed against the Illinois State Board of Elections and its Executive Director, Bernadette Matthews.

At issue is failure to comply with federal law regarding voter roll maintenance (the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, NVRA).… Continue Reading

This episode of Spotlight features a conversation between IFI’s David Smith, IFI board member Richard Hartian, and Scott Phelps.

Scott Phelps is the executive director of A&M Partnership (Abstinence and Marriage Partnership). A&M Partnership was founded in 2004, and exists to ensure that every teenager in the country has the opportunity to hear a clearly reasoned, positive presentation on the benefits of abstinence until marriage and instruction on preparing for a healthy, future marriage.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features Dr. Karl Benzio, a Christian Psychiatrist who serves with the AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors). He is s the co-founder of Honey Lake Clinic, a board certified Christian mental health treatment facility located in Greenville, Florida.

In this interview, Dr. Benzio focuses on how God designed the mind to work and how we can properly steward our mind in our decision-making process.

This is an amazing interview you don’t want to miss.… Continue Reading

At first blush, one may think that “reparations” are entirely something that has arisen with the context of 21^st century American politics, but this is incorrect. The legal concept has been around for quite some time going back centuries here in America and even further in other countries.

Yet to simplify our current discussion, we will focus on the American examples of it, and future demands for it. Equally, we will define it to get our terms correct:

Reparations:

A : a repairing or keeping in repair

B reparations plural : REPAIRS

2 a : the act of making amends, offering expiation, or giving satisfaction for a wrong or injury

b: something done or given as amends or satisfaction[i]

Historically, the first example of “reparations” in America was in the year 1773 and involved a kidnapping case of one man (white) and another man (molatto).… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, IFI’s Executive Director, David Smith, sits down with Darren Bailey.

Darren Bailey is a former state representative for the 109th district in Southern Illinois, and is now running for U.S. Congress for the purpose of fighting for Southern families, defending the Second Amendment, Protecting the Sanctity of Life, Demanding Border Security, and much more.

In this conversation, David Smith focuses on the issue of border security and asks Bailey what he would do to ensure the safety of the southern border.… Continue Reading

Illinois Republican candidate Adam Niemerg was removed from the ballot for the upcoming March primary due to failure to “properly notarize his statement of candidacy.”

This was ruled a failure on Niemerg’s part to fulfill his obligation under the Illinois Notary Act.

Recently, two citizens asked the Illinois State Board of Elections to follow these same statutes for Joe Biden for President. It appears that like Niemerg, Biden is also in violation of the Illinois Notary Act for failure to “properly notarize his statement of candidacy.”… Continue Reading

This episode of Spotlight features the legacy of Joe Schiedler, who passed away at the age of 93.

Joe Schiedler leaves a 50 year legacy of peaceful, pro-life activism that took him around the nation and the world. Schiedler and his wife, Anne, co-founded the Chicago based Pro-Life Action League, and he authored Closed: 99 Ways to Stop Abortion and Racketeer for Life.

Back in 2017, IFI hosted a Pro-Life Forum where Joe Schiedler reflected on his work and his calling in the pro-life movement.… Continue Reading

Upon reading a recent article in The Diplomat, written by Illinois Democrat Congressman, Raja Krishnamoorthi, I wanted to present some analysis and context to what he shared.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi was considering whether competing with the Chinese Communist Party meant “kicking it when it’s down.” His answer was, “No,” and he instead offered up his 4 Ps of “people, production, partnerships, and protection” and advocated for American “self-examination.”

Let’s unpack this.… Continue Reading

This episode of Spotlight the IFI Forum for pastors & leaders, hosted by the Spirit of Liberty Church of God in Markham, IL.

In the first segment of this episode, IFI’s Executive Director, David Smith, explains why Christians should be active in politics, public policies, and the 40 Days for Life campaigns that operate outside of abortion facilities. In his speech, David Smith emphasizes the first three words of the Constitution: “We the people…”

We have lots of opportunities as American citizens.

If you read the article from a few months ago about how to remove yourself or a family member from the voter rolls, you learned that there is a form that makes self-removal pretty easy here in Illinois.

After reading that article you may have asked some obvious questions like these:

• Is my deceased neighbor, grandparent, or friend still registered to vote?
• Is my neighbor’s son who moved out of state 15 years ago still registered at his former Illinois address?

This episode of Spotlight features Pastor Charles Moodie’s speech given at the Foundations of Faith and Family Conference.

Charles Moodie is the pastor of Chicago City Life Center church, and congregation is deeply involved in outreach ministries within Englewood. Currently, Pastor Moodie is building a Crisis Pregnancy Care Center in Englewood. The purpose of this Pregnancy Center is to provide pregnancy support for women dealing with unexpected pregnancies, family support through counseling, and transitional support through offering classes.… Continue Reading

In this edition of Spotlight, David Curtin, IFI’s Illinois General Assembly Lobbyist, gives insight into the coming legislative session.

One piece of legislation that is likely coming to Illinois is Assisted Suicide. Medical Aid in Dying, or Assisted Suicide, is authorized in states such as Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Hawaii, New Jersey, Main, and New Mexico.

According to the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,

Excellent medical care, including state-of-the art palliative care, can address and help alleviate many sources of suffering.

According to a recent report from WBEZ Chicago, there were unprecedented record numbers of illegals apprehended at the southwest border in the last week of December 2023. In fact, it was reported in the last five days of December alone that over 50,000 illegals crossed our southwest border.

One might ask: when did we decide it would be good for the U.S. to become the number one WELFARE COUNTRY in the world?… Continue Reading

This Episode of Spotlight features an address given by Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho.

Not only is Pastor Wilson the Pastor of Christ Church, but he is also a senior fellow of theology at New St. Andrews College in Moscow and is the author of several books including Rules for Reformers, Mere Christendom, and Future Men. He is also the Proprietor of Blog & Mablog, a website that is dedicated to satirical cultural commentary.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight is highlighting remarks made in August 2023, by Riley Gaines during a Will County Republican organization banquet, where she recounts her personal experience of having to compete against a biological male and the dismantlement of Title IX.

Riley Gaines made headlines when, in 2022, during an NCAA competition for the University of Kentucky, she was forced to share a swimming pool and locker room with male competitor, Will Thomas, who self-identifies as a female – Lia Thomas.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features Peter Breen’s speech at the Will County Republican Banquet in the first half and a Q&A session with Scott Klusendorf, President of the Life Training Institute, in the second half.

Peter Breen is a former state representative and currently is the executive vice president & head of litigation for the Chicago based Thomas More Society.

Breen speaks on the unconstitutional nature of Senate Bill 1909, which causes pro-life pregnancy centers to undergo litigation and fines.… Continue Reading

This Spotlight episode features Shannon Adcock’s speech that she presented at Foundations of Faith and Family Conference.

Shannon Adcock is the founder of Awake Illinois, a grassroots organization that was founded to expose the public schools’ sexualization of children.

In her speech Shannon highlights the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, which protects the “fundamental right of parents to direct the care, upbringing, and education to their children.” She comments,

This [parental right] is fundamental.

The first segment of this episode of Spotlight features remarks made by IFI’s Executive Director David Smith at the annual banquet. The second segment features a Q & A time with Eric Metaxas. You will love how he answers some pressing questions from notable Illinois pastors.

Though our present situation in Illinois celebrates radical abortion policies, an “untenable” immigration crisis, foolish gender confusion and sex-education in our government schools, Dave has encouraging words for his audience:

“Be encouraged.

This episode of Spotlight features a conversation between Monte Larrick and Eric Metaxas on how Christians should live in present-day America.

Eric Metaxas is a broadcaster and a New York Times Bestselling author of prominent books with his recent being “Letter to the American Church.”

In this book, Metaxas calls on the American church to wake up and be the church. This is an interview you won’t want to miss.… Continue Reading

This week’s episode of the Illinois Family Spotlight podcast features a message from Reverend Stephen Broden that he gave at the Foundations of Faith and Family conference.

Stephen Broden is the senior pastor of Fair Park Bible Fellowship in Texas and is the chairman of the Gone Too Far movement.

In his message, Pastor Broden speaks on the spiritual conflict that is in America and how to heal a nation in decline.… Continue Reading

This Spotlight episode features Scott Phelps, executive director of Abstinence and Marriage Partnership, and his speech on The Success Sequence– the three steps to a successful life.

The first step to a successful life is to complete a high school level of education. The second step is to get a stable job.

Finally, the biggest indication for a successful life is to keep sex and children in the context of marriage alone.… Continue Reading

16 years ago, Planned Parenthood opened an abortion facility in Aurora, Illinois. On the anniversary of this opening, pro-life activists held a prayer vigil outside of the building featuring Pastor Randy Schoof of Warehouse Church and Eric Scheidler, Executive Director of Pro-Life Action League.

In his speech, Pastor Schoof encouraged those in attendance to continue to pray for the end of abortion, to plead for God’s mercy, and to continue the work of sidewalk counseling outside of abortion sites.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Phil Price and Catharine Walker outside the Aurora Planned Parenthood clinic, where more than 400 surgical abortions are performed every single month.

Price and Walker are two of the leaders of 40 Days For Life Aurora. 40 Days For Life is a powerful Christian prayer campaign that brings 24-hour prayer vigils outside abortion centers in Illinois, across the nation, and around the world.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, we are featuring Part 2 of David Smith and Monte Larrick’s conversation with Dr. Mark Zumhagen, MD.

As noted last week, Dr. Zumhagen has been practicing family medicine since 1986. In 2009, he opened his private, holistic practice in Orland Park called Fearfully and Wonderfully Made with the mission of re-activating “the body’s own healing ability that God put in there.”

In this segment, Dr. Zumhagen goes back to the basics– the foundation of science.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Spotlight, Monte Larrick and David Smith sit down with Dr. Mark Zumhagen, MD, to discuss the resurgence of COVID-19.

Dr. Zumhagen has been practicing family medicine since 1986. In 2009, he opened his private, holistic practice in Orland Park called Fearfully and Wonderfully Made with the mission of re-activating “the body’s own healing ability that God put in there.”

In this episode, Dr. Zumhagen discusses the banning of Ivermectin, the outlawed use of Hydroxychloroquine, the emergency use of the vaccine, and the side effects of this experimental vaccine.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Dave Smith and Monte Larrick sit down with Evelyn Stenzel.

Evelyn works with the Southside Pregnancy Center and travels throughout the greater Chicago area for the purpose of equipping Christians with the pro-life message.

Part of Evelyn’s ministry, “Equipped!”, includes informing pro-life advocates of abortion procedures and the impact abortion has on both the unborn baby and the mother. In the interview, she comments,

Many people that are pro-life honestly are unfamiliar with abortion procedures, the impact of abortion– of course on the unborn but also on the mother…

Mentioned in the podcast is Evelyn’s Equipped!… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, we are featuring the second part of Scott Klusendorf’s speech at the 2023 Worldview Conference.

Scott Klusendorf is the founder and president of the Life Training Institute, which is an organization that is dedicated to equipping pro-life advocates to effectively defend Life in the public square. He is the author of The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture.

In this portion, Klusendorf tackles the topic of how one’s church can effectively engage the culture with pro-life apologetics.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features Scott Klusendorf at the IFI 2023 Worldview Conference.

Scott Klusendorf is the founder and president of the Life Training Institute, which is dedicated to equipping pro-life advocates to effectively defend their view of life in the public square. He has taught pro-life apologetics at over 80 colleges and universities, and he is the author of The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture.… Continue Reading

If we fear God, we fear nothing else. If we don’t fear God, we fear everything, and everyone else.

~Pastor Stephen Lee

This special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features an interview with Attorney David Shestokas and the charges that have been brought against his client, Pastor Stephen Lee.

Pastor Lee is the interim pastor of the Living Word Church in Orland Park, is a former police officer, and a former police chaplain.… Continue Reading

Associated Press reporters were blunt about their latest poll:

“Americans actually agree on something in this time of raw discord: Joe Biden is too old to be an effective president in a second term.”

In the poll, fully 77% said Biden is too old to be effective for four more years, as he would turn 86 in the White House. Naturally, 89% of Republicans agreed — but so did 69% of Democrats and, most importantly for the general election, 74% of independents.… Continue Reading

In this special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick sits down with award-winning swimmer and speaker, Riley Gaines.

Riley Gaines was a member of the University of Kentucky’s NCAA swim team and the 2022 Southeastern Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar of the Year.

In March of 2022, Riley Gaines, along with her teammates, was forced to share a locker room and swim alongside a biological male, Will Thomas.… Continue Reading

Republicans’ new idea for winning the upcoming 2024 election is a nationwide campaign they’re calling “Bank Your Vote,” a Republican National Committee (RNC) strategy that is trickling back to the GOP in the states, including in Illinois.

The gist of it is, that local GOP officials are encouraging Republicans to vote early in 2024. The campaign is meant to maximize pre-Election Day voting through in-person voting, absentee voting, and ballot harvesting where legal.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks from Ariella Del Turco on the topic of religious liberty in the first half, along with a question and answer segment with Ambassador Sam Brownback during the second half.

Arielle Del Turco is the director of Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council (FRC) and is the co-author of FRC’s “Hostility Against Churches” report.

Sam Brownback is the former governor of Kansas, formerly representing Kansas in the U.S.… Continue Reading

In this episode, Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks and insights made by the honorable Sam Brownback that took place during an IFI Forum on religious liberty.

Sam Brownback served as governor of Kansas, represented the people of Kansas in the U.S. House & Senate during President Trump’s administration, served as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, and is currently the chairman for the National Committee for Religious Freedom.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks made by Kevin Sorbo during IFI’s 2022 Faith, Family & Freedom Banquet.

Kevin Sorbo is an actor, director, author, and is best known for his role in Hercules: The Legendary Journey, Andromeda, and God’s Not Dead, to name a few. He has also become an outspoken and witty conservative pundit with 1.7 million Twitter followers. We recommend that you follow him @ksorbs.… Continue Reading

This episode of Illinois Family Spotlight features remarks given by Sam Sorbo at Illinois Family Institute’s 2022 Faith, Family, and Freedom Banquet.

Sam Sorbo is an actress, filmmaker, radio host, and a staunch advocate for educational freedom. Her book, They’re Your Kids: An Inspirational Journey from Self-Doubter to Home School Advocate, chronicles her family’s experience with homeschooling.

In her speech, Sam insightfully notes the lies of the educational framework in America, what true education is, and how parents can fight for their child’s education.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Horace Cooper. Cooper is a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, chairman of the Project 21 National Advisory Board and a legal commentator.

In response to the attack that Christianity and the Church is facing, Cooper notes,

As Christians, one of things we need to understand… American Christians are one of the most powerful forces on the planet.

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews attorney David Shestokas, a former 2022 candidate for Illinois Attorney General. Mr. Shestokas is involved in the battle for election integrity, and is the author of two must-read books: Creating the Declaration of Independence and Constitutional Soundbites.

In this episode, Shestokas emphasizes the important role that the Declaration of Independence currently plays in preserving American freedoms. He notes,

“What the Constitution is intended to do is to execute the ideals that are found in the Declaration of Independence… the Constitution itself is a pretty mechanical document, but the Declaration of Independence defines really what it means to be an American.”

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, we are featuring remarks made by Dr. Jonathan Diggs during Illinois Family Institute’s 2023 Worldview Conference.

Dr. Jonathan Diggs has been practicing medicine for over thirty-five years, is an American Board of Internal Medicine diplomat, is a motivational speaker, and is a guest on national television and radio programs.

In his speaking segment, Dr. Diggs outlines three consequences of sexual immortality, which include the following:

1) unwanted pregnancies,
2) sexually transmitted diseases (STIs),
3) and the disruption of social cohesion.… Continue Reading

At a recent Three Headed Eagle Alliance event called “Pints and Politics,” Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur), a member of the Illinois Freedom Caucus stated: “No non-citizen American should ever be in a position to arrest an American citizen in America.”

This seems like an obvious statement, but Caulkins was responding to the recent passing of HB 3751, which amends the Illinois Municipal Code by adding the following:

An individual who is not a citizen but is legally authorized to work in the U.S.

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick discusses the pro-life movement with Eric Scheidler, who is the executive director of Chicago’s Pro-Life Action League. During their annual “Face the Truth” tour, dozens of volunteers line sidewalks adjacent to streets near busy intersections in Chicago and the suburbs, silently and often prayerfully holding photographs of aborted babies.

When asked about the public reaction to these photographs, Scheidler notes,

We expected to see more hostility and anger and we’ve had some incidents… But, what I’ve found more notable is kind of a lack of curiosity… it seems more difficult to get people to take a piece of literature from you… That’s troubling.

In this episode of Spotlight, we are featuring remarks from Dr. Michelle Cretella given at IFI’s 2019 Worldview Conference. During her presentation, she points out the differences between true, biological science, which supports pro-life and pro-family propositions, and the anti-science cult of gender ideology, which is preached by mainstream medicine, psychiatry, public and private education systems, and social and mass media.

Dr. Cretella also addresses the serious implications of the transgender movement: erasure of parents’ rights, women’s rights, and religious freedom; establishment of gender identity as a protected class; as well as potential legal action that awaits anyone who persists in using “discriminatory” language, i.e.… Continue Reading

With June 1^st marking the start of Pride month, numerous woke corporations and government institutions wasted no time in raising pride flags and rolling out social media profile pictures to match the occasion.

However, many companies are beginning to think twice before pledging their allegiance to the LGBTQ lobby.

After Bud Light and Target suffered significant losses from boycotts for pushing gender ideology nonsense, many companies seem to be a bit more cautious and hesitant, and rightly so.… Continue Reading

In this podcast episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Dr. Voddie Baucham regarding the issues of education, worldview, and critical race theory. The latter threatening to divide the Church and nation. There is an agenda to push a “false divide” between black and white people. In an interview with Christianity Daily, Dr. Baucham points out:

“So the Jew-Gentile divide that Paul talks about in the latter half of Ephesians 2, that is a real divide that God established.… Continue Reading

In this edition of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick has an interesting conversation with Kirk Smith, executive director of the Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE). Over the weekend of May 20th, ICHE hosted their annual homeschool conference at Olivet Nazarene University where families were not only encouraged to educate their children academically, but educate them spiritually.

When asked about the difference between public school and home school, Smith points out that children in government systems are often being taught anti-Christian morals and deceptive worldly philosophies.… Continue Reading

Recently, the Illinois House and Senate unanimously passed a bill to help victims of carjacking. HB 2245, if signed by Governor Pritzker, will require all car manufacturers that sell in Illinois to have their own 24/7 hotline. This hotline, which will be run by the manufacturers themselves, will be used primarily by law enforcement to find stolen vehicles’ locations. If the vehicle is found, the bill will force car manufacturers to provide the location to law enforcement.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews former state representative, Peter Breen, who now serves as the Executive Vice President of the Thomas More Society, which is a non-profit national public interest law firm that is dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity. They discuss at length the tyrannical Senate Bill 1909, which is designed to shut down pro-life pregnancy care centers through litigation, fines, and more.… Continue Reading

Can the incompetence of the Biden Administration be any clearer than the alarming humanitarian situation we have on the southern border with Mexico?

Some estimates show thousands upon thousands of immigrants steaming across the border every day. Recent reports claim that those numbers are even higher than that.

A robust, well-regulated immigration policy is not only a benefit to our nation but a legacy we ought to continue into the future.… Continue Reading

In this special episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, Monte Larrick interviews Lt. Colonel Allen West at the 2023 Black Conservative Summit. Allen West is the executive director of the American Constitutional Rights Union, is a constitutional conservative, former member of Congress, and combat veteran.

In this interview, Colonel West speaks on the issues of military competence, international security, border control, and a plethora of domestic issues. West capitalizes on the issue of corruption in the federal government and states,

We have to get back to constitutional governance, which means that laws are made by a legislative branch.

Larry Elder, in this interview, capitalizes on the importance of black fathers being present in the home, as this is the greatest threat that is facing black America.… Continue Reading

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, David Smith and Pastor Ceasar LeFlore interview Pastor Charles Moodie, who is the head of the Chicago City Life Center. This center is located in the middle of one of Chicago’s darkest neighborhoods– Englewood.

Chicago City Life Center’s mission is to change the city of Chicago, one life at a time. They implement this mission through “offering discipleship and life skills training, spiritual treatment, job training, pre-school, and several programs for children, youth and young adults.”… Continue Reading

In this special episode of Spotlight, Illinois Family features remarks from Ann O’Connor, Vice President of legal affairs for the National Institute for Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA). This lecture, presented at Speakout Illinois 2023, highlights legislation that is targeting pregnancy care centers for the sole purpose of shutting them down. She states the core of what NIFLA is about in her lecture when she says,

While Dobbs did change abortion not to be the law of our land federally, it didn’t change hearts and that’s our job.

In this Spotlight episode, David E. Smith and Self Evident‘s Jenna Smith continue the conversation with Eric Hovind, President and Founder of Creation Today, and Helmut Welke, President of Quad City Creation Science Association. This conversation includes discussion on faux fossils, the importance of training your children to ask the right questions, and why a young earth perspective is crucial to a Biblical worldview. Eric Hovind capitalizes on the importance of sharing one’s faith in order to strengthen one’s faith.… Continue Reading

Self Evident’s Jenna Smith co-hosts this week’s episode of Spotlight with David Smith to converse with two special guests about the importance of Scripture and the necessity of knowing the Creator.

One of these special guests is Eric Hovind, the President and Founder of Creation Today, an organization based in Pensacola, Florida. Eric has a deep passion to reach people with the life-changing message of the Gospel and this has driven him to speak in five foreign countries and all fifty states.… Continue Reading

History tends to repeat itself. This is certainly true of “Ranked Choice Voting” in Illinois.

You may remember a junior state senator in Illinois by the name of Barack Obama. In 2001, then-Senator Obama introduced a bill that would have put on the ballot a Constitutional Amendment to elect the Illinois House of Representatives by “fair voting” in 3-seat districts elected by voters given cumulative voting rights.

Then, in 2002, Obama introduced a bill that would have required that partisan primaries for congressional office be conducted by “instant runoff voting” or IRV, also known as ranked-choice voting.… Continue Reading

In a recent interview on “The Daily Show” President Joe Biden said that the legislature in Florida was both “cruel” and “close to sinful” for not allowing people to indoctrinate and groom young children in sexual perversion. The proposed Senate Bill 254 in Florida protects children from gender mutilation, and prohibits the use of public funds for such procedures. The President is adamantly against this Bill.

Biden said, “It’s not like a kid wakes up one morning and says, ‘You know, I decided I wanted to become a man or want to become a woman or I want to change.’… Continue Reading

Stephanie Trussell is a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, board member for the Illinois Family Institute & Good Soil Good Seed Foundation, and former candidate for Illinois Lieutenant Governor. In this special episode of Spotlight, Monte, David and Stephanie revisit the 2022 campaign and the events that led up to it.

They discussed how Illinois Republican voter turnout can be improved. Startlingly, only 45 percent of Republicans turned out to vote. Stephanie implores that conservatives must unite, not tear each other up for small differences in beliefs, and overcome a defeatist attitude when it comes to Illinois elections.… Continue Reading

40 Days for Life is a essential and vital part of the pro-life movement. The constant intercession they make to God on behalf of those contemplating abortion has saved 22,855 lives since 2007, closed 136 abortion centers, and has caused 247 abortion workers to quit. Their silent witness to passersby and the love they show by their presence outside of an abortion clinic can literally be the difference between life and death.… Continue Reading

“Every Republican who lives in Illinois
who really wants to see the strength of the party grow
needs to be at the Black Conservative Summit. . .”
~Rev. Ceasar LeFlore (aka “Bishop of Truth”)

Dr. Eric Wallace, the founder and executive director of the Freedom Journal Institute, is hosting a very important event this month that every conservative should endeavor to attend. He is hosting The Black Conservative Summit on the weekend of March 24th & 25th at the Tinley Park Convention Center in the southwest suburbs.… Continue Reading

Earlier this month, Monte Larrick attended the Pro-Life Action League’s protest against Walgreens and CVS pharmacies because they have started to offer the sale of the abortion drug, Mifepriston, also known as RU 486. It works by blocking the activity of progesterone, a substance your body makes to help continue pregnancy.

This “medication” is used in combination with misoprostol to cause a pregnant mother to miscarry her baby as late as 12 weeks along.… Continue Reading

Among many Americans, there is a “crisis of confidence” in our nation’s election processes and procedures. The myriad of problems that have been exposed in recent election cycles have only added to that crisis. How can we encourage Americans to continue to cast their ballots if they think their votes don’t count? As someone who has been both on the frontlines and behind the scenes in America’s elections for over a decade, I’m grateful to say I’m more encouraged now than ever.… Continue Reading