Focus on Marriage Podcast

By Focus on the Family

Society & Culture

What's Focus on Marriage Podcast about?

If you’re married — or soon to be — you’ve got questions. What makes this relationship work? How do I fix it when it breaks? Where do I go when I need help? Host John Fuller and marriage experts Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley help answer those questions with practical, down-to-earth insights based on God’s design for marriage. Find answers and inspiration in every short episode of this Christian marriage podcast.

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Practicing Dialogue, Not a ...

11.28.2023

You thought you were making such a good point to your spouse, but instead, your mate got annoyed by how much you talked! Sound familiar? Jim Daly speaks with Counselor, Dr. Randy Schroeder about the need for couples to practice ...

Focus on Marriage Podcast episodes:

11.28.2023 Practicing Dialogue, Not a Monologue You thought you were making such a good point to your spouse, but instead, your mate got annoyed by how much you talked! Sound familiar? Jim Daly speaks with Counselor, Dr. Randy Schroeder about the need for couples to practice ...
11.27.2023 How Affairs Get Started Many affairs get started with something that seems innocent - a nice text, a friendly conversation, etc. John, Greg and Erin will encourage you to notice the warning signs, so you can prevent an affair from happening. You'll also hear ...
11.21.2023 Warning Signs That Can Lead to an Affair Small things left unchecked in your marriage might make your relationship more vulnerable to an affair. John, Erin and Greg discuss how you can guard your marriage from an affair. Plus, Jim Daly talks to Pastor Rick Bulman and his ...
11.16.2023 A Wedding for Blended Couples For couples facing remarriage, what's the way to do a wedding right? John and the Smalley's share how they've seen God restore people, even after an unwanted divorce. Also, Jim Daly and Dr. Ron Deal talk about ways kids can ...
11.14.2023 Blended Couples and Kids We all need God's grace for our past mistakes. But what does that look like if you've gotten remarried? John, Greg, and Erin provide hope to those in a blended marriage. Then, Jim Daly and Dr. Ron Deal explain the ...
11.09.2023 Designed for Passionate Pleasure Do you see sex in your marriage as a gift? John and the Smalley's explain some of the benefits of physical intimacy in marriage, and why it's a gift from God. Plus, Jim Daly and Dr. Juli Slattery discuss why ...
11.07.2023 Sex and Sacrificial Love God calls us to minister to our spouse, even when it comes to sex. Dr. Juli Slattery and Jim Daly discuss what it means to practice sacrificial love in your sex life. Plus, John talks with the Smalley's about why ...
11.02.2023 It’s How You Approach Conflict One of the toughest challenges with conflict in marriage is focusing on what's best for your spouse instead of trying to win an argument. Jim Daly and Dr. Randy Schroeder offer some guidelines for how to make tough discussions with ...
10.31.2023 When Conflict is Actually a Good Thing Conflict is an inevitable part of a good marriage. The key is in how you work through it. John and the Smalley's give some hope to couples who seem to be fighting a lot. Plus, Jim Daly and Dr. Randy ...
10.26.2023 Before an Affair Takes Place Infidelity does tremendous damage to a marriage, but it doesn't have to be the end of your story. John and the Smalley's address how many couples have faced this crisis. Then, Jim Daly chats with Pastor Rick Bulman and his ...
10.24.2023 For the Couple Who’s Lost a Child Many of us know a couple who's lost a child, and the pain is devastating. John and the Smalley's share how they've seen couples walk through this. Then, Jim Daly and Gary Thomas discuss the need for community that couples ...
10.19.2023 If You’ve Come from a Blended Family Even if you come from a broken home, there is still hope for you. Jim Daly talks with Ron Deal about his own personal background of coming from a blended family. Then, John Fuller talks with the Smalley's about the ...
10.17.2023 What Blended Families Face The statistics indicate many couples today are part of a blended family. If that's you or someone you know, John and the Smalley's will provide some hope on learning to move forward. You'll also hear Jim Daly and Ron Deal ...
10.12.2023 Sex and Intimacy Aren’t the Same Thing What is the difference between sex and intimacy? Jim Daly speaks with Dr. Juli Slattery, who helps people understand God's design for sex. Plus, John talks with Greg Smalley about questions we can ask our spouse to discern if we're ...
10.10.2023 Godly Character and Your Sex Life The world tells you that good sex is about what feels right to you. However, that's not the biblical approach. John and the Smalley's address misconceptions many couples have about sex. You'll also hear Jim Daly and Dr. Juli Slattery ...
10.05.2023 Responding to Hurtful Comments from Your Spouse It hurts when your spouse has said mean things to you. If you're feeling resentment because of rude comments from your mate, Jim Daly and Dr. Randy Schroeder share a 4-step formula to help you move on productively in your ...
10.03.2023 Listening Before Criticizing Being a good listener doesn't happen by accident. It takes intentionality. Greg Smalley shares with Erin Smalley and John Fuller about how he's learning to get better at listening. Plus, Jim Daly speaks with counselor, Dr. Randy Schroeder, about why ...
09.28.2023 My Life is Busy! Please Help! When your schedule is full, it's hard to make time for your spouse. John Fuller talks with Erin Smalley about ways each of them has struggled with overcrowding their schedules in their marriages. Then, Jim Daly and Gary Thomas discuss ...
09.26.2023 When Financial Problems Turn to Anger Financial struggles can lead to bitterness in your marriage, if you aren't careful. Jim Daly and marriage expert Gary Thomas share how your marriage can survive a financial hardship. Also, John Fuller and Erin Smalley discuss how to handle any ...
09.21.2023 Leaving a Legacy that Matters Your marriage is building a legacy that will one day be remembered. To encourage you to leave a godly legacy, Jim Daly chats with Kimberly and Danny Ray Thompson about living for what truly matters. You'll also hear John Fuller ...
09.19.2023 When God Stepped in Your Marriage Can you look back to a moment in your marriage and say, "only God could've done that?" Greg, Erin and share with John about a time that happened in their relationship. Also, Jim Daly speaks with Danny Ray and Kimberly ...
09.14.2023 Sex is Meant to Reflect God’s Love What if your sex life was meant to be a reflection of God's love for His people? Jim Daly talks with psychologist Dr. Juli Slattery about how to honor God in our sexuality. John Fuller also speaks with Greg and ...
09.12.2023 Sex and Covenant Love What comes to your mind when you heard the word "covenant?" Dr. Juli Slattery and Jim Daly explain how something called "covenant love," can greatly impact your sex life. Plus, John and the Smalley's explain why it's good for married ...
09.07.2023 You Can’t Read Your Spouse’s Mind! Time for an honest question, have you tried to read your spouse's mind? Jim Daly and Counselor Randy Schroeder explain why that's not a good thing for your marriage. You'll also hear John Fuller and Erin Smalley talk about ways ...
09.05.2023 No Tech Secrets Between Us Have you ever been enjoying a nice dinner with your spouse, only to look up and see he or she was glued to a phone screen? John and Erin share how they are working on getting better about not overusing ...
08.31.2023 Good Kinds of Storms Having a baby or getting a new job are wonderful blessings. Yet, those same things can add a lot of stress to your marriage. If you're in a stressful season, you'll be encouraged by what John, Greg and Erin have ...
08.29.2023 3 Building Blocks for Emotional Connection How do you maintain a strong connection with your spouse when you are going through a storm? Jim Daly and Gary Thomas will offer you three ways you can do that. You'll also hear John Fuller and the Smalley's share ...
08.24.2023 Can We Start Over? When you're in the middle of an argument with your spouse, there's tremendous value in learning to pause and start over. John and the Smalley's discuss how taking a moment to stop can help resolve an argument in your marriage. ...
08.22.2023 Doing Whatever it Takes At some point in your marriage, you'll make a mistake or handle a situation poorly. Danny Ray and Kimberly Thompson share a funny story with Jim Daly about a time something went awry in their marriage. Erin Smalley and John ...
08.17.2023 How God Can Redeem Your Sexual Brokenness Sex is meant to be a gift from God', but how can you see it as a blessing when you've made many mistakes? Jim Daly and Dr. Juli Slattery share how the gospel can redeem you from sexual brokenness. You'll ...
08.15.2023 Two Wrong Perspectives About Sex Many of us enter marriage with a distorted view of God's design for sex. To give you some hope, Jim Daly talks with Dr. Juli Slattery about two wrong perspectives about sex, and how God can redeem them. You'll also ...
08.10.2023 Sarcasm: Helpful or Harmful to Your Marriage? Have you ever said something sarcastic to your spouse, only to have him or her be offended? The Smalley's share with John Fuller about how sarcasm has been a struggle in their relationship. Plus, Jim Daly speaks with Dr. Randy ...
08.08.2023 Making Appreciation a Habit Telling your mate how much you appreciate him or her is very life-giving to your relationship. John talks with Greg and Erin Smalley about reasons they appreicate each other. Also, Focus President Jim Daly and Dr. Randy Shroeder address why ...
08.03.2023 Don’t Isolate Your Marriage It's easy for many people to feel isolated in their marriages today. John and the Smalley's discuss factors that can lead to feeling disconnected in your relationship. You'll also hear Jim Daly and Gary Thomas address why isolation is so ...
08.01.2023 Overcoming Anger and Financial Hardships as a Couple Tension in your marriage can be caused by a number of factors. But what if the real reason you're upset is not what you think it is? Gary Thomas speaks with Jim Daly about a couple who's worked through challenges ...
07.27.2023 God Works in the Messiness of Marriage It's freeing when you can learn to love your spouse even when things are not perfect. But what do you do in the seasons of life deal you a bad hand? John and the Smalley's will share about a couple ...
07.25.2023 Having a "Team Us" Mentality Having a team mentality is one of the keys to making your marriage work. John talks with Greg and Erin about how they've learned to adopt a team mindset. Plus, Jim Daly speaks with Danny Ray and Kimberly Thompson on ...
07.20.2023 Reclaiming Sex as a Gift Most couples find it challenging to talk about sex. If you're facing some discouragement in this area, John, Greg and Erin will discuss things that will help you. You'll also hear Jim Daly and Dr. Juli Slattery share about the ...
07.18.2023 Giving Things Over to God When facing a struggle in your marriage, one of the best things you can do is give it to the Lord. But what exactly does that look like? John, Erin and Greg will encourage on how to give a marriage ...
07.13.2023 Four Daily Essentials What is an essential part of your daily routine? Just like in life, your marriage needs good daily habits. John talks with Greg and Erin about habits that have helped them over the years. You'll also hear from Dr. Randy ...
07.11.2023 Habits that Lead to Happiness A good marriage is partly built on the foundation of healthy habits. Dr. Randy Schroeder and Jim Daly discuss the impact of your daily choices. You'll also hear John Fuller talk with the Smalley's about some of the good habits ...
07.06.2023 Focused Communication & Childhood Wounds Having a successful marriage requires being focused in your communication and also honest about past wounds. But what about the wounds are as serious as trauma from your childhood? Jim Daly talks with Gary Thomas about a couple who faced ...
07.04.2023 Overcoming Fears & Long-Distance Struggles Two things that can create tension in your marriage are fears and long-distance. If you're trying to work through one of those things, you'll be encouraged by what John and the Smalley's have to say about navigating both of them. ...
06.29.2023 Step into the Painting In your marriage, it really is the simple moments that can make the most beautiful memories. John, Greg and Erin offer some tips for how to not miss the beauty of the simple times in your marriage. Plus, Jim Daly ...
06.27.2023 Being There for Your Spouse in Hobbies and Moving Regardless of the season your marriage is in, it's important to communicate to your spouse, "I'm here for you." John talks with Greg about some of the ways Erin has communicated support for him. And, John speaks with Erin about ...
06.22.2023 Focus on the Positive Having a great relationship requires focusing on the best aspects of your spouse. John and the Smalley's discuss what can happen if you focus on the positive or negative things about your mate. Also, Jim Daly speaks with Dr. Juli ...
06.20.2023 How Playing Offense Can Lead to Intimacy Physical intimacy is a great gift for your marriage, and needs to be seen as one. Jim Daly speaks with Dr. Juli Slattery on some of the barriers that keep couples from enjoying sex in marriage. You'll also hear John ...
06.15.2023 Making Big Decisions in Faith Together When facing a big decision, it's critical for you and your spouse to work out an agreement. But how do you get there? Greg and Erin Smalley chat with John Fuller about a time they've had to make a big ...
06.13.2023 I Have You on My Heart Having a great marriage is about more than doing what's right. It also involves communicating to your mate, "I'm thinking about you!" John Fuller chats with Erin Smalley on the topic of not making your communication all about business items. ...
06.08.2023 Giving 100% of What You Have Left Even if a couple faces a trying season, it's amazing to see spouses who are committed to each other. John Fuller talks with Greg and Erin Smalley about the power of commitment during hard seasons, and Jim Daly speaks with ...

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