Podcast Summary: Focus on the Family with Jim Daly

Episode: Inviting Strangers into God's Family

Air Date: November 24, 2025

Host(s): Jim Daly & John Fuller

Guest: Annie McCune, Author of Practicing the Joy and Grace of Loving Strangers

Episode Overview

This episode centers on reclaiming the forgotten biblical practice of hospitality and how opening our homes (and hearts) to strangers is a vital expression of God’s love. Jim Daly and John Fuller welcome Annie McCune, who draws from Scripture and real-life stories to encourage believers to “love strangers as family,” illustrating how simple acts of hospitality can have profound spiritual impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Biblical Call to Hospitality

• Jim Daly frames the conversation with the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25), emphasizing that true faith is demonstrated by caring for “the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned.”
  • “How do you land on the side of the sheep? Well, read the word and do the word. And today we're going to talk about hospitality, which is a lost art of the church.” (01:27)
• Annie McCune clarifies that hospitality is not merely a “gift” for a few, but a “fruit of the Spirit” – a reflection of God’s inclusive heart.
  • “It's something God has asked all of us to do because it is a reflection of his heart...to love strangers as family.” (03:41)

Hospitality in the Early Church vs. Today

• The early church’s distinctive hallmark was practicing hospitality – so much so, travelers would seek out Christian homes for food and shelter.
  • “People knew when they came into a city...the households that were Christian...That was a hallmark of the church.” (04:25)
• Modern individualism and busyness have led to a breakdown of these practices:
  • “We hit the garage door button and we go in, we close it. We don't even know our neighbors that well.” (04:56)

Personal Encounters & Stories

• Annie recounts a pivotal experience as a student in France: desperate, alone, and hungry, she was embraced and fed by a peasant woman in a park, despite language barriers.
  • “She pulled out a loaf of bread and she broke it in half. And I sat there just stunned—again, hospitality loving a stranger as family across the culture, across the language.” (07:22)
• She shares how her family built a “recovery room” at home to serve and host not only relatives but also missionaries and friends recovering from surgery—over time, a ministry of welcome emerged for all kinds of guests, including strangers.
  • “We had parents signing up...We had missionaries coming from all over, and it was just, people would come in and it was just so fun to have this place where they felt safe.” (09:23)

The Meaning of “Phyloxenia”

• The episode introduces the Greek term “phyloxenia”—literally, “love of strangers”—as the biblical vision of hospitality, contrasted with xenia (reciprocal hospitality) and xenophobia (fear of strangers).
  • “Loving strangers as family, not just in a reciprocal, like the hospitality industry...But it's really loving strangers as family, which again we need to recover as God's people.” (11:02)

What Holds Us Back?

• Annie argues it’s not just modern conveniences or individualism—at its core, it’s a lack of daily reliance on the Holy Spirit for courage and willingness to be used by God.
  • “We forget every morning to welcome that Holy Spirit into our hearts, to give us that courage...use my smile, use my eyes, use my words of encouragement, use my stuff to bless others...” (13:00)
• Making excuses (“but you don’t know my neighbors!”) betrays a lack of vision for why God places us in particular relationships and communities.
  • “That's why he puts you in that neighborhood—because he needed someone to show them that he loves them.” (13:51)

Hospitality in the Local Church

• Annie describes joining an Atlanta church where hospitality wasn’t just a team but part of the culture. Still, even in open communities, opening one's own home can be daunting for many.
  • “Even within that context...when it came to actually opening your threshold, everyone was like, yeah, no, I've got a really good excuse...But it takes a pastor, it takes someone...to remind everyone, it's okay. God supplies this need.” (14:48)
• The discipline of “passing the peace” is highlighted as an intentional way of breaking isolation and forging church community every week.
  • “This is as important as our communion with God, our communion with each other in this space...This is sacred time to become a church family.” (15:40)

Everyday & “Extreme” Hospitality

• Annie tells stories of “busloads” of unexpected guests (college students, stranded ballet troupe) and emphasizes God’s provision when we are willing to welcome others.
  • “We ended up with, I think, 16, 18 people overnight that night. And so much fun.” (18:39)
  • “If you read Scripture, God always provides...the widow fed Elijah on stuff she didn't have, and the 5000 Fed with stuff we didn't. We don't have to have the stuff.” (19:13)

Personality & Hospitality: For Everyone

• Hospitality is not just for extroverts or the “gifted”—introverts often create deeper, more meaningful connections.
  • “Introverts are really good at creating connection and space with people in a much deeper way than extroverts are...We're talking about loving the person there to make them feel loved and felt.” (20:10)
• The focus should be on authentic relationships, not entertainment or impressive hosting.
  • “We're not talking about entertainment...It's that spirit, that God's spirit of being willing to love strangers as family.” (22:35)

The Transformative Power of Being Welcomed

• Hospitality melts hardened hearts and builds bridges across cultures, backgrounds, and religions.
  • “It melts...that it makes you want to be in the room. It's again, why the church grew then, and it's why we can make our churches grow again...It doesn't need the buildings. It needs the connection.” (23:05)
• Anne notes, “We have just Muslims and Hindus and, you know, just people in our neighborhoods that just love us and because we've loved them.” (23:32)
• The urgent need for hospitality is reinforced by U.S. Surgeon General data: “One in two Americans are suffering physically or mentally from isolation and loneliness. Somebody's got to get it started...what better people to breach that than the people who know God.” (23:48, 01:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the heart of hospitality:
  • “Hospitality is not the gift of a few, it’s a command and a capability for all who are in Christ.” – Annie McCune (03:41)
• On practical application:
  • “Just open the door a little bit.” – Jim Daly, prompting listeners to start small (24:28)
• On the transformative effect:
  • “Hospitality...makes you want to be in the room. That's why the church grew then, and it’s why we can make our churches grow again.” – Annie McCune (23:05)
• On loneliness and God’s design:
  • “One in two of all Americans are suffering physically or mentally from isolation and loneliness, which means somebody's got to get it started. What better people to breach that than the people who know God.” – Annie McCune (01:00, repeated at 23:48)
• A challenge for the church:
  • “When I became a Christian, I was shocked that there wasn't something equivalent [to the lesbian community’s hospitality]...It’s like that was what Christianity was about and we have lost it.” – Jim Daly, recounting Rosaria Butterfield’s story (22:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–01:00: Setting the scene—Testimony and urgent need for community in an age of loneliness
• 01:27–03:40: Biblical roots—Parable of the sheep and the goats; defining hospitality as a biblical practice
• 06:25–08:07: Personal story—Annie’s encounter with hospitality abroad
• 09:23–10:53: Creating space—The “recovery room” and unexpected guests
• 11:02–12:24: The meaning and history of “phyloxenia”
• 13:00–14:03: What holds us back—Lack of Holy Spirit awareness and excuses
• 14:19–16:11: Hospitality in the local church—From intention to practice
• 16:30–19:13: “Extreme hospitality”—Stories of welcoming busloads, God’s provision
• 20:10–21:02: Temperament & hospitality—Introverts’ unique contributions
• 22:07–23:32: The challenge from Rosaria Butterfield and what the church has lost
• 23:48–24:28: The call—The epidemic of loneliness, just open the door
• 24:28–End: Closing encouragements and resources

Final Takeaways

• Hospitality is central to the Christian faith—a practical, everyday reflection of God’s heart for all people.
• It doesn’t require perfection, a big house, or a bold personality. It requires willing hearts, everyday spaces, and a reliance on the Holy Spirit.
• Even modest acts—“just opening the door a little”—have kingdom impact in a lonely world.
• Let’s rediscover and reclaim this lost art, starting in our neighborhoods, our churches, and our everyday lives.

Resources Mentioned:

• Annie McCune's book: Practicing the Joy and Grace of Loving Strangers
• Rosaria Butterfield’s testimony (linked in show notes)
• Truth Rising documentary

[For more details or to access these resources, see Focus on the Family’s website or the episode show notes.]