Fierce Marriage

There are three types of selective hearing, all of which have the same result: poor communication. Today we talked through the common ways couples fall into selective hearing habits and cover tangible ways to break the habits in their relationship. We hope this episode helps you! Our new marriage learning project ~~Gospel Centered Marriage~~ is now open for enrollment! It's a great way to build a...

Every healthy married couple should not only prioritize sex but also communicating on the topic of sex. None would likely disagree (at least, not in most modern contexts), because what can a couple lose by talking about their sex life together? This a peculiar topic because it’s one area where we’ll heartily agree with the culture’s message: it’s right, good, and healthy to talk about sex in marri...

Healthy communication is like breathing: you take it for granted until you can't do it. This week we're starting a series on communication by laying some groundwork and dissecting the Bible's most common verse about communication (hint, it's not actually about communication). Finally, we cover 5 basic habits every couple needs to talk and listen with greater skill and intentionality. We hope it bl...

What if someone told you that you needed to repent for a lack of romance in your marriage? You'd probably respond like us: bewildered, defensive, and with nervous laughter. In today's podcast episode we'll dig beneath the surface understanding of romance and talk about how how it's connected—in more ways than one—to the states of our hearts. It was a fun, challenging talk but our pain is your gain...

Chris and Stephanie lived the ideal romantic story. They were highschool sweethearts, they loved each other, and they shared a love and devotion for God. Everything changed when Chris lost his faith, left Stephanie, and filed for divorce. They thought they had reached the end of their story, but God had other plans. To learn more about Chris and Stephanie and Out of the Dust, visit outofthedustmus...

It’s impossible to define everything everyone should or shouldn’t say in every situation. However, there are some phrases that are usually unhelpful for marriage. Join us as we explore each one! Our brand new marriage learning project, Gospel Centered Marriage is now LIVE. It's a great way to get a solid marriage foundation and finally get on the same page. Visit GospelCenteredMarriage.com to lear...

We're finding that even though couples are spending more time together than ever, they're still drifting apart. Physical closeness doesn't automatically beget emotional intimacy. In this special episode, we discussed the 5 most common reasons husbands and wives fail to be fully known by each other. This recording is from a special online event hosted by Impactus Ministries (Promise Keepers Canada)...

Attachment styles are all about the way you interact the way you do, particularly around need, affection, and conflict. In this episode we talked through the four common attachment styles for relationships and, as usual, looked at Scripture to see how the gospel informs this area of marriage. We hope it blesses you! Our brand new marriage learning project, Gospel Centered Marriage is now LIVE. It'...

If we're not careful, the word "gospel" can become cliche and ineffectual in our hearts, but as the people of God, we must never move beyond the miracle and outworkings of it! In this week's episode, we took a deep dive into what it means to be a truly gospel centered couple. And, as usual, we had some fun along the way! We hope the content we covered blesses and convicts you as it did us. As we m...

Like a virus, discontentment infects and sickens every healthy aspect life and marriage. It infects our affections, our views of each other, and our very trust in God. Author Nancy Wilson wrote, "Contentment is the result of spiritual strength that comes directly from Christ. Contentment is the ability to stay satisfied with God’s will in all circumstances, whether easy or difficult. Though it is...

Rhythms are on of God's graces in this life. Days, seasons, years—all have reliable, consistent, and predictable rhythms. How can we reflect God's faithfulness through our own? And how could our mundane rhythms be more powerful and productive than grand resolutions? In today's episode we discussed our misgivings and excitements around goal setting, and offered some biblical thoughts that (you gues...

Divorce affects the majority of married couples today—some 75% of couples have one or both spouses who come from a divorced or blended family. This week we discussed a few of the unspoken but very common ways that divorce affects individuals and the marriages they occupy. Selena shared some of her personal experience and reflected on recent reading she's done on the subject. ALSO... we made a pret...

Matt Hammitt had performed his hit song, “Lead Me,” almost a thousand times. And every time he sang, the lyrics echoed the voices of his own family. His marriage was strained. His kids were growing up without him. Matt’s good intentions could no longer sustain his family; he needed to be a man of action. Yet even as he told his Sanctus Real bandmates that he was leaving the band to invest in his f...

Many find themselves in one of two camps on this topic: "avoid opposite-sex friends like the plague" or "don't be a prude". We think there's a third way—one that's biblical and wise. In this episode, Ryan and Selena will discuss this controversial topic while sharing their own experiences and biblical understanding of how we “can have the wisdom to know and enjoy the blessing of friendship in a wa...

Not going to lie, we've been going through it. So this week, we've opted to give our amazing listeners a Frederick family update and point you to some tangible resources to help your marriage. We hope it all makes sense, and we thank you for your patience, prayers, and support. Stay fierce! Here are the links to the episodes we mentioned: An Ethic of Protecting Your Family, Marriage, and Home (The...

One of the first pieces of advice we as newlyweds was to never use sex as a weapon. What we've come to realize, however, is that sometimes it should be... just not how you might think. Listen in as we discuss Paul's words on the topic. Thanks for listening! If you'd like to support this ministry, please visit Patreon.com/FierceMarriage. Our monthly patrons get plenty of perks, including early epis...

Everyone knows marriage has incredible highs and very frustrating (and difficult) lows. In today's episode, we shared how we've been in a prolonged "funk" lately but have found a path forward through prayer. Listen in as we discuss the miracle of prayer for believers and practical ways you can make praying a part of your ongoing battle strategy in your fight for a God-honoring, flourishing marriag...

Let's get practical. In this episode we discussed five phrases you can say to each other every day that will ensure the "structural trends" in your marriage are for the better. While each of these phrases will sound common, as we discovered, each one represents a profound underlying belief you hold (or don't hold) about God, yourselves, and your marriage. We hope this episode blesses you! Thanks f...

Striving to enter rest sounds counterintuitive. Funny enough, that language comes directly from Scripture (Hebrews 4). In today's episode, we discussed the biblical idea of Sabbath and what it means for Christian homes today—and how you, as a married couple, can "strive to enter rest" the way the bible commands. Thanks for listening! If you'd like to support this ministry, please visit Patreon.com...

You've probably heard pastors warn against physical lust a time or two. But have you considered "emotional lust"? What about emotional lust (and physical lust for that matter) as an unhealthy avenue for escapism? In this week's podcast episode, we discussed emotional lust at length while also examining what we're calling the "Pretend Cycle", or the cycles of escapism. We enjoyed this conversation...

There is nothing in this life that will transform your heart (and marriage) like thoroughly reading and obeying God's Word (the Bible). In today's episode we discussed our recent journey into a new type of "bulk" scripture reading and shared ways it's already transformed our hearts. Of course, we don't have it all figured out, but we hope that by sharing our journey you might be spurred along in y...

What if we told you that marriage matters more than we realized? What if we told you that whenever you fight for your marriage, you're engaging in cosmic warfare. In this episode, we looked at the magnitude of marriage and looked at three specific battlefronts where we wage the warfare of marriage. We hope this episode blesses and emboldens you! Thanks for listening to the Fierce Marriage Podcast!...

There are times in every marriage where you reach a full stop in your communication. Things ice over and you can't find a way forward. Before too long, your marriage drops to sub-zero temperatures and you're fighting for your survival. In this week's episode, we talked about the nature of communication (what it accomplishes and how) and discussed tangible ways to fight through arctic tundras of ve...

Are you in a codependent relationship? How would you know if you were? In today's episode, we asked questions to help couples identify signs of codependency in their marriage. We then looked at the forms and functions of codependent relationships before contrasting them with the healthier alternative: biblical interdependence. We learned a ton and we trust you will too! This four part series has b...

Anxiety is one of the most pervasive and persistent issues in mental health within the church. How does the Bible speak to anxiety? What hope can we have when dealing with an anxiety disorder? Also, how can God use biblical counseling to help couples work through issues of anxiety, stress and worry? In this episode we discuss our own experiences and seek to shed light on how we, as Christians, can...