Carl and Heather Present

Book Launch Week: Why We Wrote Together On Purpose This week, we're celebrating the release of our new book, Together On Purpose! After years of traveling, speaking, and sharing the hope of Jesus with couples across the country, we kept asking ourselves one question: How can we help couples continue building their marriages long after the event is over? That question eventually led to a book....

Does Your Spouse Really Know You? | The Power of Vulnerability in Marriage You can share a home, a bed, a bank account, and decades of memories with someone—and still keep parts of yourself hidden. So here's a question worth asking: Does your spouse really know you? Most of us want to be deeply loved, but being deeply known? That's a little more frightening. We hide our fears, our insecu...

How do you know the difference between a hard marriage…and an unhealthy one? This week, we sit down with Christian counselor and author Dr. Dave Ralston for a candid conversation about narcissistic patterns in marriage, emotional immaturity, manipulation, boundaries, biblical submission, and what happens when one spouse refuses to take responsibility for the harm they’re causing. Dr. Dave has coun...

Have we become so concerned about “over-spiritualizing” our problems that we’ve actually started over-naturalizing them? The Bible describes a very real spiritual world. Paul tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, that the devil has schemes, and that followers of Jesus should put on the whole armor of God. So what does that mean for marriage? In this episode, Carl and Heather t...

What does it actually take to write a marriage book…with your spouse? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, Carl and Heather take you inside the story of their new book, Together On Purpose: Why God Brought You Together—and What to Do Next. Recorded on location in Tampa, Florida, while speaking at a Weekend to Remember marriage getaway, Carl and Heather interview each other about the process...

Technology isn’t just changing how we communicate. It’s shaping our marriages, our parenting, our attention—and even the way our kids are being discipled. In this episode of *Carl and Heather Present*, we sit down with Jesse and Sarah Siegand of **Preserve the Church** to talk about what technology is doing to Christian families and how parents can respond with wisdom, courage, and intention. This...

In this episode, Carl and Heather talk about five red flags that may be telling you it’s time to pay attention to your marriage: negative words, disappearing sexual intimacy, unforgiveness, spiritual apathy, and isolation from community. But this isn’t an episode about declaring your marriage broken. It’s about noticing the warning lights before unhealthy patterns simply become “normal.” What does...

Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the best-selling book "The Five Love Languages," sits down with us to share what he has learned from a lifetime of working with couples and helping people express and experience love. If you're stuck and you need something to help you better touch the heart of your spouse, this is the episode for you. If this episode encouraged you, don’t just move on—joi...

Can you have genuine faith and still experience genuine doubt? When Christian leaders fail, prayers seem unanswered, life doesn’t make sense, or something you’ve always believed suddenly feels uncertain, questions can begin creeping in: Is God really who I thought He was? Can I actually trust Him? What if I’m wrong about all of this? In this episode, Carl and Heather have an honest conversation ab...

Love or Respect? Does a woman need love more than respect? Does a man need respect more than love? And what does that actually look like in a real marriage? After our recent conversation with Shaunti Feldhahn, we wanted to circle back to one idea that really resonated with people: many women have a deep need to feel loved and cherished, while many men have a deep need to feel respected, capable, a...

For Women Only with Dr. Shaunti Feldhahn Do you ever wish you could get inside your husband’s head and understand what he’s really thinking? This week, we’re joined by bestselling author and social researcher Dr. Shaunti Feldhahn for a fascinating conversation about her book, For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men. Shaunti’s research has helped millions of women better...

What happens when the marriage you have isn’t the marriage you thought you were getting? Most of us entered marriage carrying expectations—about communication, sex, money, parenting, faith, family, and even who we thought our spouse would become. But eventually, there’s a moment when we realize: this isn’t exactly what I ordered. So what do you do with the disappointment? In this episode, Carl and...

Replay Episode: Creating Margin (Our Very First Episode) As we approach our 100th episode, we're revisiting the conversation that started it all. Many of you have discovered the podcast over the past couple of years, so we wanted to re-release Episode 1 because its message feels more timely now than ever. Life has a way of filling every open space. Between work, kids, sports, church, and endl...

Back to School: Become a Student of Your Spouse Every August, students head back to the classroom—but what if this season became an opportunity to go back to school in your marriage? In this episode, Carl and Heather challenge couples to become lifelong students of one another. Instead of assuming you've already figured your spouse out, learn how curiosity, intentional questions, and healthy...

What if the greatest purpose of your marriage is to tell the story of the Gospel? In the final episode of our study through Ephesians, Carl and Heather explore one of the most discussed passages in Scripture and discover that Paul's ultimate focus isn't marriage itself—it's Christ and His Church. Together you'll unpack what sacrificial love, mutual honor, and covenant commitmen...

Why is following Jesus still such a struggle sometimes? If you've ever wondered why old habits, old arguments, or old ways of thinking continue to surface—even after placing your faith in Christ—you're not alone. In Episode 4 of our study through Ephesians, Carl and Heather explore Paul's invitation to put off the old self, walk in love, and live wisely through the power of the Holy...

Does God have a purpose for your life... or just for pastors and missionaries? In Episode 3 of our study through Ephesians, Carl and Heather explore one of the most encouraging truths in Scripture: every follower of Jesus has received a calling. As Paul prays for believers to be rooted and grounded in God's love, he reminds us that the Christian life isn't about earning God's approv...

Do you ever feel like you're never quite enough? Enough for God. Enough for your spouse. Enough as a parent. Enough in your faith. Ephesians 2 answers that question with one of the clearest pictures of the Gospel in all of Scripture. In this episode, Carl and Heather explore what it means to be saved by grace—not by performance—and why understanding that truth changes everything about how we...

Who are you... really? Most of us build our identity around things that can disappear—our career, relationships, accomplishments, ministry, or even our role in the family. But what if your truest identity was something no circumstance could ever take away? In the first episode of our five-part study through Ephesians , Carl and Heather explore one of the richest chapters in the New Testament and d...

Can trust be rebuilt after it's been broken? Trust is one of the most valuable—and fragile—parts of any marriage. It can take years to build and only moments to damage. In this episode, Carl and Heather explore what happens when trust is broken, why forgiveness matters, and how couples can rebuild trust one small step at a time. Through personal stories, biblical wisdom, and practical encoura...

It's Pride Month, and for many Christian couples that raises difficult but important questions. How should followers of Jesus think about marriage, sexuality, sin, truth, and love in a rapidly changing culture? Is it possible to love people well without affirming every belief or behavior? And why does it matter for a husband and wife to agree on what sin is in the first place? In this episode...

A young couple made a tragic, public decision — and the whole internet had an opinion. This week, Carl and Heather step into the headlines with honesty and tenderness, asking three questions: What actually happened? What can a crisis like this reveal in a marriage? And what does God say about the value of a human life — no matter what? This is a conversation about holding conviction and compassion...

Have you ever felt stuck in your faith? Like you're doing all the right things, but God feels distant and spiritual growth seems nowhere to be found? In this episode, Carl and Heather sit down with Jeffrey and Shannon Scott to talk about the often-overlooked seasons of the Christian life when faith feels flat, progress feels slow, and nothing seems to be happening. Together, they explore how...

Can small spiritual habits actually change your marriage? This week we’re joined by author and Bible teacher Hanna Seymour and her husband Tyler to talk about Hanna’s new book, Everyday Spiritual Habits. Hanna’s message is simple but powerful: spiritual growth doesn’t happen through perfection or pressure — it happens through small, faithful rhythms practiced over time. In this conversation, we un...

If you’re engaged—or know someone who is—this might be one of the most important conversations you hear before marriage. Because most marriages don’t fall apart in a moment…  they drift slowly through poor communication and unresolved conflict.  In this episode, Carl and Heather walk through five essential conversations every couple needs to have before saying “I do.” This isn’t about planning a w...