A Vision for the Future: Continuing Dr. Dobson’s Legacy

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You’re listening to Family Talk, the radio broadcasting division of the James Dobson Family Institute. I am that James Dobson, and I’m so pleased that you’ve joined us today.

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Well, welcome to Family Talk. I’m Roger Marsh. Following Dr. James Dobson’s recent passing, many have wondered what comes next for this ministry. How will we carry on Dr. Dobson’s dynamic legacy and continue to defend faith, family, and freedom in an ever-changing world? Well, our guest today here on Family Talk is going to answer those questions for you. A powerful presentation from Pastor Jack Hibbs, senior and founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Southern California. Pastor Jack recently shared this message to a gathering of special friends and partners of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute here in Colorado Springs. In his message, he offers a compelling vision for the future, reminding us that God’s work doesn’t end with one person, but continues through those called to carry the torch. Here now is Pastor Jack Hibbs on this special edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.

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Now’s the time for a vision. And I’m gonna ask you to indulge me for the moments that we have together right now. In Isaiah chapter six, verse one, the scripture says, in the year that King Uzziah died, I, that is Isaiah speaking, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, high and lifted up in this train of his robe or the train of his glory filled the temple. And above it stood the seraphim, and each one had six wings. With two they covered their face, with two they covered their feet, and with two they did fly. And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the whole house was filled with smoke. So I said, this is Isaiah speaking, woe is me for I am undone. I’m gonna pause at this portion right now to introduce this. Isaiah had witnessed the greatest king of Israel at that time and Isaiah loved him. The people loved Uzziah. He had done things right. The scripture says that he had done that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. And shockingly, the nation was rocked because all of a sudden Uzziah was gone. And Isaiah himself confesses that in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. Dr. James Dobson went home at the exact hour that the eternal God had always planned for. Not a minute early, not a minute late. It was perfect in the Lord’s doing. But you’re still here. We’re here. And I want to encourage you tonight to think about vision. Vision is gonna be the key to the going forth of this work that Dr. Dobson has laid the foundation. You have been with him along that route to lay the foundation. And the vision is everything that is needed right now. And it needs to be fresh. It needs to be clear. And it needs to be from the Lord himself, not from any singular individual. We know from scripture, I assume all of us are believers here right now. We know that God’s marching orders come from his throne room. The temptation for us is, especially men, I think women do it better. Sorry, guys. But we have a tendency to control things and we will control things to death because we think we’re doing the right thing. But we’ve got to back up and we’ve got to experience what Isaiah experienced. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. Great scholars will tell you that Isaiah knew Uzziah very well. He had access to the king. They were friends. But they’ll tell you that in the life of Isaiah, there was probably somewhat of an obstacle in his relationship with God Almighty. And that was the King Uzziah. Because the scripture says, as he admits, the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. And with the graduation of Dr. Dobson, I believe that it is incumbent upon this board and you, the supporters, that it’s time to see the Lord’s nearness better and more clearly than ever before. I believe that. And I believe it for these reasons. Our God is a God of vision. The Bible tells us that without vision, the people perish. The vision comes from God. It’s going to challenge us. The vision is most often received like this. We can’t do that. That’s what we’ve never thought like that before. That’s why he’s God and we’re not. That’s why he leads and we follow. This is his ministry. Dr. Dobson was his man. And, you know, I was putting thoughts together and wondering. I bounced a few thoughts off of Lisa. I said, you know, he was like a prophet to the American family and beyond. And someone shared with me tonight. In fact, it was a conversation Lisa and I had today. So I’m going to say it again. Billy Graham reached the nation and the world to bring people to Christ. But after people came to Christ, they had Dr. James Dobson to disciple them on how to be a family. Why? Because he had a vision, God anointed it, and the fruit of it is overwhelming. And the next generation of this work, I want to tell you right now, the generation that is trying to figure out should they get married or not or have a baby or not, They are gonna need this ministry more than any other time in American history. How do we know? Because the families that are and the families that might come out of this from this time forward are more challenged with issues. My goodness, Lisa and I watched, an old post of his a long time ago, and he was making comments. He was saying something like this, boys are being attacked, they’re being marginalized, they’re being confused, and their masculinity is being taken away from them. He said, listen, as this feminine uprising takes place and boys are not gonna find a place to grow that masculine character and men are gonna need to stand up and lead their boys, that had to be something like 22, 23 years ago. And so that’s why I say he was a prophet to the family. But my concern is this. It’s my concern, but it’s my prayer for you. That you take that vision that God has given this group, you’re fasting, you’re praying, that what God leads you to do, here’s what we want. Here’s what you want. Here’s what the nation wants. As God speaks to you and leads you, There’s going to be opposition. Take a stand, you’re going to get hit. Hey, how about this, everybody? Let’s just agree on this. Let’s take a stand and let’s expect to get hit. Okay, don’t be surprised by that. Jesus said, don’t be upset if they hate you. They hated me before they’ll hate you. The world is going to hate us. But we are out to rescue the family because if we don’t rescue the family, there will be no America. Look, thank God for our military. Thank God for our government. Thank God for our constitution. But listen, what is going to endure longer than any elected party is how our families turn out. What is going to happen to our families without the instruction that Dr. Dobson has given? This is what’s fun about the age in which we live in. We can take, you can take, his incredible ministry. And the technologies that are available to you today can so release his work in a way that is wrapped new, wrapped in a way that the young generation that needs your input more than ever will take it in. And if you guys handle it rightly, there are future generations of families and children that are going to rise up someday and say, thank you. This has to happen. So when the scripture tells us That without vision, people perish. I think that the word of the Lord would be to you tonight. that he has given you all that is needed. He’s given you the resources. He’s given you the people. He’s given you the message. And to not think that somehow with the passing of Dr. Dobson, that, well, you know, maybe this just rides off gently over the horizon. That cannot be. Here’s the reason why. You can turn on Dr. Dobson and listen to him, a message he gave 35 years ago. And it’s relevant to this moment. You can’t, listen, you cannot explain that apart from the work of God. This is God’s hand. The vision doesn’t end with him. The vision is like a baton that is handed to the next group of runners. And you are those runners. My kids, my grandkids need this ministry to flourish. It must be handled rightly. It must be done in such a way that the Lord gets all the glory and that what God has given is advanced and you get to be happy stewards over things that have been put into your trust. But we can all agree, our nation, We’re having a political revival right now. We might have a economic revival. But you know what we’re missing right now, folks? It’s the thing that should have actually happened first. And I hope it does. And that is a revival of holiness among God’s people. A revival among holiness of God’s people results in awakening among the lost. And our nation is in that area. It’s in that balance. I’ll give you an example. A lot of young people are searching and they’re thinking that communism is the answer. Of course, we think that’s insane, but they’re searching. Don’t get too upset with them. They’re searching. I put it like this. They’re actually kids that are talking about communism because our republic has not been clearly articulated to them. They don’t even know what they have. They don’t understand the Constitution. Maybe if they understood it, that they would rise up and defend it. And so they’re flirting with these dumb ideas that have never worked. What’s wrong with America today? Instead of accepting the biblical base of our salvation in Christ, why is much of America today flirting with Islam? What’s going on with that? Could it be that the actual gospel of Jesus Christ has not been clearly articulated to the young people today? And Bob mentioned that there’s an awakening taking place where people are flocking to churches. Here’s my concern. This is all of our concern, is it not? What churches? Where? What’s being taught in those churches? And so it is so incumbent upon all of us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that we would take up the mantle that Dr. Dobson has left behind. And if I could say anything to you as a pastor, I would say, please do not speak in the past tense. Vision is forward. The amazing thing about vision with God, God will say, I’m gonna give you a vision. Though it tarries, wait for it, I’m gonna give it. But here’s what it’s gonna do. Do you remember the days of old and all of the glory? And he’ll talk about the kings or when God moved in this particular battle or the nation of Israel came to repentance and gathered together and the word of the law was opened up and God was honored. God will always say, listen and look at the past, right? Because the vision is for the future. You build on the foundation of what’s next. And this is what I need. This is what we need as America from all of you. And there’s not going to be another James Dobson. Well, who do we get to replace him? You don’t. You don’t. You manage what has been given. You don’t have to find some rock star individual to take his place. Don’t fall for that trap. He has given, by God’s grace, such a legacy, such instruction that is enduring. If it went into the vaults and were tucked away forever, that would be a crime. It’s gotta be put out there. You guys, so during COVID, even before COVID, we were getting canceled all the time. Our sermons were getting canceled. We did a patriotic service on the 4th of July and prior to COVID even, and we got canceled in Germany. We got canceled in Canada. They canceled us in the UK and I wasn’t even talking about them. I was talking about America and they didn’t like it. So YouTube cut us off. And so that kind of upset me. And so the whole thought began going, how do we become cancel-free? What happened during COVID? The ministry so expanded more than anything of footprint. We were able to start a cancel-free platform called the Real Life Network. And it’s, listen, it’s free. And I told Michelle, I said, Michelle, get everything you guys have. Do whatever you want to do with it, but listen, here’s the deal. If you just bring it our way, you can take it anywhere you want, but you can bring it our way, and it’s free for you to broadcast. We have over 500,000 subscribers. We just hit two years of age. It is exploding. Barry McGuire is on there, among others, and it has just taken off, and here’s the thing. Why not use us with other platforms that you choose, but we’re free? We are free. We’re free for the broadcaster and we’re free for the subscriber. Go do the math. God supplied a legacy engine that pays for all of this. Check this out. Why not utilize our platform to get Dr. Dobson to the ends of the earth like never before? I want to make that commitment to you. Absolutely free. Let’s get it out because the world must hear what he has to say. And that’s going to take vision. And if you don’t have any vision regarding technology, go find a nine-year-old. They’ll get you going. But I’m telling you right now, why don’t we just double down on the effort? Catch fire with the vision that the Lord has provided. God has assembled you in your brilliance and in your passion to take what you have in your hand. To the ends of the earth. Why not? I would rather get an A for failing at something than an F for never trying. Don’t sit it out. What if the vision of God is this? Everything I’ve given you regarding Dr. Dobson. Everything I’ve taught. Lisa and I come from two completely different backgrounds. She came from a home of believers. I came from non-believers. But I got to tell you, Dr. Dobson welded us together in our home. In my opinion, I had the greatest pastor. Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa was amazing. Outside of Pastor Chuck Smith, it’s Dr. Dobson. Pastor Chuck taught us the word. Dr. Dobson taught us how to change a diaper, how to discipline a child. Lisa thought it was, you know, not at all in her home. She’s the baby of nine. And I thought that fatherly communication was a belt. Dr. Dobson healed us. Marriage, communication. I want to say he’s healed us. He’s still healing me. Lisa’s fine. But how many times in our lives, his simple words, someone mentioned tonight, just how simple his communication was. And so don’t get caught up in the trap of thinking, how are we going to replace him? I think the word of the Lord to you tonight is, you don’t replace that which is not broken just because he’s not here in body. The spirit of the ministry is up to you. And I’m glad I’m not on the board because the world needs you so badly. My grandkids, my children, they need what comes from you next. The baton has been passed. God set the date for that to happen. And I just want to pray, and we will be praying for you, that there’ll be unity among your ranks, that the vision, when God gives a vision, Amos 3.3, God says, how can two walk together unless they’re in agreement? Strive to maintain that agreement. When you don’t agree on something, You don’t have to have an answer that night. Oh, we’ve got our board meeting. We all flew in to do it. Wait a minute. What if God is testing all of your strength in him? You may not have to have an answer before the board meeting’s over. You might want to table it for a month and pray and fast and see what God does in hearts. Because it’s God’s will that this ministry be united and empowered to shake the forces of hell because Satan has had too much leeway in messing up the American family. And it’s time, frankly, that his grip be broken. We are the children of the almighty God. We are washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and ministry is what he’s given us. By the power of his Holy Spirit, he will execute this through you and with you. And Lisa and I will be delighted and excited to see what comes. But we are committed to supporting your vision and to see what you do and what you accomplish next. The limitations would only be us. And let’s not let that happen. As I end with this, I want to remind you that with all that God gives, listen to this. He says in Habakkuk chapter 3 verse 2, O Lord, Habakkuk cries out, I have heard your speech and I was afraid. O Lord, revive your work in the midst of its years. In the midst of its years, make it known. Number one, the prophet is crying out to God. He’s consulting God. And just his dialogue with God caused him to be in awe of God. Please be in awe of God at all times. Number two, notice this. He cries out and says, revive the work in the midst of its years. It’s exactly where you’re at. And then he goes on to say, in the midst of the years, make it known. And so I pray that you understand and see yourself taking a baton from God and running with this ministry without distraction, maintaining unity, expecting God to do things that you don’t understand because if it’s not by faith, it’s not from God. It’s going to be terrifying. You’re not going to get all the answers. He’s going to require for you to step out, not knowing if your foot’s going to land on terra firma before you. God will get all the glory. You’ll see all the benefits. And when you get into your board meetings together, you’re going to have to just absolutely talk by saying, isn’t it amazing what God has done? We never would have thought this would happen. When you start experiencing what Dr. Warren Wiersbe said, if you can explain what’s going on in your ministry, God is not the one doing it. That hurts an American to hear, right? But is that not true? The things that God wants to do. And so I don’t want to sound like some pastor that’s given some cliche statement. But regarding spiritual matters, which you are custodians of, remember, we deal in eternity. I truly believe, though it’s a great campaign slogan, that the best is yet to come. As much as I love Trump and what’s going on, That’s not going to be true in any political group. The best is yet to come. I’ll tell you what, the best is yet to come in the kingdom of God. What you do and the effort that you put forward in doing this has eternal dividends. It’s forever stuff. And I end with the conclusion of Isaiah. He says, This has touched your lips. Your iniquity has been taken away. Your sins have been purged. And also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and whom will go for us? Then I said, here I am, send me. And Isaiah 6, 9 says, and Isaiah responded and said, here I am. And God says, go. That’s the word. What is God saying to you tonight? Go. I provided everything, go. Take the vision, go. Wait upon me, I’ll show you what’s next, go. Everything about what’s before you is go. NASA, Wright, Houston, it’s a go. But the revival’s got to happen in the church. And you’re part of that great revival. And we’re honored to be with you tonight. Father, we pray this evening. Lord God, more than ever, our nation is in need. We just have to look around and see the families that live on our streets. See the families that live in our towns or our cities. The families at our church. Lord God, we know when we look at the inner city and when we look at the palatial dwellings, Lord of Bel-Air and Brentwood and wherever that might be, the American family’s in great peril. That doesn’t mean we roll up the carpet of this great ministry and walk away. It is an invitation to take advantage of this tremendously challenging moment. You are the God that runs into the battle, not away from it. And you always do the most with the few. So Father, we look at our great country that we love that you’ve given us. She’s in peril, she’s hurting. And it’s overwhelmingly evident that this ministry must soar to heights that it’s never yet seen. It must be the epicenter of shaping the culture of the family And Father God, we pray right now that you would raise up more and more people to tune in to get their marching orders from the ministry that’s in the hands of these here tonight. And Lord God, that all of us would benefit greatly from the remarkable, beautiful harvest that you have put in the hands of these now your future sowers to plant the seed of again and again and again until Christ comes. In Jesus’ name and all God’s people said, amen. God bless you guys. We appreciate all of you.

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Well, what an honor it was to be in the audience for the special presentation when Pastor Jack Hibbs delivered the message that you just heard. This was just a few weeks ago in Colorado Springs. You’re listening to Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, featuring a special message from Pastor Jack Hibbs. We’ve titled this message, Fulfilling Dr. Dobson’s Vision for the Family and the Church. If you missed any portion of today’s broadcast, we encourage you to visit drjamesdobson.org forward slash family talk. And by the way, when you’re online with us, be sure you also look for the link for Pastor Jack Hibbs’ brand new book. It’s titled Called to Take a Bold Stand, Resilient and Effective Faith for a Godless Age. You know, during the past half hour, Pastor Jack Hibbs has challenged us with a powerful truth. Passing of Dr. James Dobson is not the end of the vision. It’s merely a passing of the baton. The next generation of families will face unprecedented challenges, and they’re going to need this ministry here at JDFI now more than ever before. That’s precisely why the work of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute has never been more critical. Dr. Dobson’s biblical insights have guided millions of families, and as Pastor Jack Hibbs said, that mission doesn’t end, it just accelerates. Right now, you can be part of carrying that baton forward. Thanks to the historic Dr. James Dobson Memorial Matching Grant, every gift made to the JDFI between now and December 31st, 2025 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $6 million. You know, Dr. James Dobson’s words have shaped families and inspired faith for generations. Pastor Jack Hibbs shared that with us on our last edition of Family Talk, how Dr.’s words helped Jack and Lisa Hibbs, when they were newly married and newly became parents, to be the kind of parents that their children needed. Through this historic Dr. James Dobson Memorial Matching Grant, and this is incredible, a remarkable $6 million matching gift challenge, every dollar you donate will be doubled, placing practical biblical wisdom into the hands and homes of countless families for years to come. Now, to make a contribution over the phone, call a member of our constituent care team today at 877-732-6825. Keep in mind, if you’d also like to make your donation online, you can do that very easily. Our secure website is drjamesdobson.org. Well, I’m Roger Marsh, inviting you to join us again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, the voice you can still trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.