Just Friends: Episode 932
The Boundless Show
Focus on the Family
4.7 • 772 Ratings
🗓️ 11 December 2025
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Friendships with the opposite sex, plus what we can learn from the elderly, and the difference between the Holy Spirit and your conscience.
Featured musical artist: Phil Wickham
Roundtable: Platonic Guy-Girl Friendships
Is it possible for men and women to be “just friends”? There’s an ongoing debate on the topic, with some arguing it’s possible while others maintain that it inevitably leads to something awkward (or worse, inappropriate). Our guests break down the pros and cons and give tips for doing friendship with the opposite sex in a God-honoring way.
Culture: Practical Love for the Elderly
Whether it’s your parents, grandparents, neighbor or fellow church member, God’s call to love our elders is clear. But it isn’t always easy. Senior citizens may be slower than us, have different perspectives, and can even be critical or aloof. But if you have the patience and intention to dig deep, there’s potential for rich relationship and even the opportunity to learn. Isabel Tom lived her entire childhood and young adult years with her aging grandparents. She now works with the elderly and shares her thoughts on what you stand to gain by prioritizing time with the seniors around you.
The Value of Wrinkles: A Young Perspective on How Loving the Old Will Change Your Life
Inbox: Conscience or the Holy Spirit?
Venturing into a dangerous situation. Asking someone out. Knowing God’s will on a job offer. We all look for direction in various circumstances, but how do you know whether that prompting is your conscience or the Holy Spirit? Pastor Mark Bates weighs in.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, this is Jim Daly. A Merry Christmas to you and your family. I'm so grateful you've joined us today, |
| 0:07.4 | and it's my hope you will listen every day because we're here to offer you Bible-based practical help for your marriage, |
| 0:14.7 | your parenting, and your daily walk with Christ. Today, I'm inviting it to join us in ministry. |
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| 0:22.9 | programs or resources, can you help pay it forward by donating to focus on the family now before |
| 0:29.4 | the end of the year? Right now, your giving will have the most impact because some generous friends |
| 0:35.4 | are willing to match your giving dollar for dollar up to $8 million. |
| 0:40.9 | Isn't that amazing? |
| 0:42.3 | God is so good. |
| 0:44.2 | Just imagine the ministry impact we can have, working together to strengthen and save families in the days ahead. |
| 0:51.5 | Help us meet this match. |
| 0:53.2 | Give today by calling 800 a family or go to |
| 0:56.6 | Focus on the Family.com slash family. |
| 1:00.1 | Boundless Show. |
| 1:16.9 | Hey friends. Welcome to this week's episode of The Boundless Show, Lisa Anderson, here with you. What are we talking about on this show? |
| 1:19.1 | Let me tell you. |
| 1:20.3 | Later on for our inbox, how do you discern the difference between your conscience and an impression from the Holy Spirit? |
| 1:29.6 | Well, fortunately, we have a pastor here to answer that question. Pastor Mark Bates, we'll do a very great job shedding some light on that. |
| 1:35.3 | And then for our culture segment, about five years ago, we interviewed our friend Isabel Tom. |
| 1:41.2 | She has worked in professional, well, a number of different levels of professional caregiving for years. |
| 1:46.7 | And she is super passionate about what it looks like for us to have older individuals in our lives. |
| 1:53.2 | In her case, what she talks about is specifically the elderly. |
... |
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