Is your marriage thriving, or are you just coexisting?

Marriage isn’t just about sharing a home, managing finances, or raising kids—it’s about growing together as true life partners. But too often, couples drift into a rut, treating their relationship like a business arrangement rather than a sacred partnership built on faith, trust, and mutual support.

In this episode of Beyond the Rut, we’re exploring how to create a thriving, faith-filled marriage that goes beyond the daily grind.

You’ll learn:

If you want to build a marriage that thrives—not just survives—this episode is for you.

In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to let family time slip through the cracks. Work deadlines, endless errands, and distractions like social media often push the people who matter most to the margins of our schedules. But here’s the truth: Family time matters, and your relationships at home deserve the best of your time, not what’s left over.

In this episode of Beyond the Rut, we’re tackling how to prioritize family without losing momentum in your career or personal goals. You’ll learn practical strategies for aligning your schedule with your values, creating meaningful family traditions, and being fully present with your loved ones.

Discover how to overcome common time drains—like work emails, social media scrolling, and saying yes to too many outside commitments—and start focusing on what truly matters. From setting boundaries to planning intentional family moments, this episode is packed with tips to help you balance your family life and work life.

We’ll also explore how small, consistent actions can create stronger relationships at home, and how to lead your family spiritually through prayer, Scripture, and shared traditions.

If you’re ready to stop feeling torn between work and family and start living with purpose, this episode is for you. Whether it’s a family dinner, a walk around the block, or simply turning off distractions to be present, it’s time to make family a priority again.

🎙️ Tune in now to learn how to balance your time, strengthen your family relationships, and live the life God has planned for you.

Welcome back to Beyond the Rut, the podcast about helping married Christian men create a life worth living in your faith, family, and career. I’m your host, Jerry Dugan, and author of the book titled, Beyond the Rut: Create a Life Worth Living in Your Faith, Family, and Career. Join me as we dive into Week 2 of the Beyond the Rut Journey with a focus on Faith Beyond Sunday. Grab a notebook and a pen and let’s get started!

For so many of us, faith gets boxed into Sunday mornings—worship, sermons, and community prayer. But what happens when the week starts, and you’re back at work, managing deadlines, dealing with coworkers, or trying to balance the demands of family life?

In this episode, we’re diving into what it means to take your faith beyond Sunday and live it out in every area of your life. Because here’s the truth: God’s plan for your faith doesn’t end when you leave the church parking lot. It’s meant to shape your decisions, relationships, and even how you handle challenges in your career.

This episode tackles a fundamental question: What does success truly mean? It will challenge you to re-evaluate your current definitions of success, often shaped by worldly standards like wealth, status, and possessions, and to consider a God-centered perspective.

The world's definition of success often leads to emptiness, even when external achievements are attained. It emphasizes that a high salary or a picture-perfect social media presence doesn't guarantee fulfillment. Instead, we will point toward aligning our paths with God, guiding our steps. True success is not about individual achievements but rather about aligning our lives with God's will.

If you want to embrace a countercultural, often uncomfortable, yet ultimately rewarding journey of redefining success on God's terms, leading to deeper peace, joy, and purpose, then check out this episode and start your journey to create a life worth living in your faith, family, and career.

Have you ever felt like life is just one endless treadmill? You’re running hard, keeping up with the demands of work, family, and faith—but no matter how fast you go, you still feel stuck. You’re successful by the world’s standards—a steady job, a comfortable home, maybe even a promotion here or there—but deep down, you wonder, Is this really it?

If you’ve ever felt like you’re missing out on something bigger, this episode is for you.

In this very first episode of our 26-week journey, we’ll lay the foundation for breaking free from the rut and stepping into a life worth living—a life defined not by the world’s expectations, but by God’s purpose for you. You’ll learn why success is so much more than the size of your paycheck or the title on your business card. It’s about alignment—bringing your faith, family, and career together in harmony.

But how do you even begin to redefine success, especially when you’re not sure what God’s plan is for your life? That’s what we’re unpacking today. I’ll share practical steps to help you start thinking about what truly matters, plus an action step you can take right away to set the stage for transformation.

So grab a journal, take a deep breath, and get ready. It’s time to stop running in circles and start moving forward—toward a life that reflects God’s vision for you. Press play now and let’s begin this journey together.

Are you tired of spending your days putting out fires instead of leading your team to lasting success? In this episode of Beyond the Rut, USMC veteran and leadership consultant, Ben Killoy, shares how to shift from firefighting crises to becoming a transformational leader who builds a thriving, resilient organizational culture.

Discover how moving beyond daily crisis management can prevent burnout and create a work environment where your team doesn’t just survive but flourishes.

Ben shares insights into leadership development, servant leadership, and the keys to a work-life balance that integrates faith, family, and career.

If you’ve been searching for ways to empower your team, drive career growth, and cultivate a leadership culture grounded in purpose and holistic success, this conversation will inspire and challenge you to take action.

Whether you’re looking to elevate your leadership style, achieve organizational excellence, or integrate your faith into your professional life, this episode provides the motivation you need to start that journey.

Ready to transform your leadership and impact your life positively? Tune in and learn how to lead a life worth living both at work and at home.

Are you a new Christian man seeking a solid foundation to grow your faith? In this episode, I’m sharing three incredible books that profoundly impacted my journey as a husband, father, and follower of Christ.

These books helped me discover my true identity in Christ and gave me practical insights for leading my family with love, strength, and faith.

Whether you’re starting your walk with Jesus or seeking deeper spiritual growth, this episode will point you toward the resources that can inspire and transform your life.

You’ll have to tune in to discover the titles that shaped my spiritual journey. Plus, I’ll share a personal story about an unexpected tool I used to better understand the Bible—one that helped me see every story as part of God’s greater plan of forgiveness and restoration.

Don’t miss this episode—it’s filled with actionable takeaways and encouragement for anyone who wants to build a Christ-centered life!

In this episode of Beyond the Rut, we sit down with Jim Ramos, host of Men in the Arena podcast, pastor, and author, to discuss how biblical masculinity and living with integrity can transform your marriage and family life. Jim shares his personal journey of leading with faith, serving his wife and family, and building strong, lasting Christian relationships.

Discover how embracing biblical masculinity—being a servant-leader rooted in faith and love—can help you live out your purpose in your faith, family, and career. Jim offers practical advice on maintaining integrity, being transparent in your relationships, and out-serving your spouse to build a thriving Christian marriage. If you want to strengthen your marriage and lead with integrity, this episode is for you.

Listen now and start your journey toward building a strong Christian marriage today!

This episode includes the following highlights:

[00:02:10] – Jim Ramos introduces the concept of biblical masculinity and why it’s essential in Christian men’s lives.

[00:05:30] – The importance of integrity and how it shapes a man’s leadership in the home.

[00:08:45] – How Jim’s personal marriage experience shaped his views on building a strong Christian marriage.

[00:12:30] – Jim explains how biblical masculinity can guide men in being better husbands and fathers.

[00:15:00] – The role of faith in maintaining integrity at home and work.

[00:19:25] – Why Christian men’s leadership starts with serving and loving your spouse.

[00:23:15] – Jim’s thoughts on how living a blameless life supports building Christian marriages.

[00:27:40] – Practical tips on balancing faith, family, and career as a Christian husband.

[00:31:20] – The connection between spiritual growth and building strong Christian marriages.

[00:35:50] – Encouragement for men striving to live out biblical masculinity in all aspects of life.

In this heartfelt episode of Beyond the Rut, Jerry Dugan returns from a brief hiatus to share personal insights and a powerful piece of marriage advice that he recently gave at his son's wedding. Reflecting on his journey from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, Jerry opens up about the challenges and breakthroughs he experienced while finding his true calling in voiceover work and creative projects.

Listeners will hear about Jerry's emotional experience officiating his son's wedding and the meaningful advice he imparted to the newlyweds. This simple yet profound message is at the heart of building a strong, supportive, and enduring marriage.

Jerry also discusses the future of Beyond the Rut, including a shift toward more solo episodes focused on helping Christian married men navigate faith, family, and career. He shares updates on his voiceover career, which is steadily growing to replace his rideshare income, and talks about his work on various creative projects.

Tune in to this episode to learn how one sentence can transform your marriage and to get a glimpse into Jerry's personal and professional life as he continues to inspire others to live a fulfilling life beyond the rut.

In this special episode, I open up about the whirlwind of 2023 and why my podcast has seen fewer episodes this year. Life has been a series of unexpected turns, and I want to share the importance of taking a break to reorganize and find clarity. Sometimes, stepping back is the most valuable move we can make to propel forward.

Join me as I recap my entrepreneurial journey over the past year. It's been a rollercoaster, filled with highs and lows, successes and setbacks. I delve into the adventures—and misadventures—of becoming a rideshare driver, a path that taught me more than I could have imagined about resilience, adaptability, and the stark realities of the gig economy.

A significant wake-up call came with the realization of the dangers associated with rideshare driving. It’s a world that demands caution and constant vigilance. These experiences have not only shaped my perspective but also fueled my passion for my next big adventure: becoming a voiceover artist and audiobook narrator.

In this episode, I aim to encourage you, my listeners, to embrace the unpredictability of life and the value of reinvention. Each challenge is an opportunity for growth, and every detour can lead to new, exciting paths.

I also invite you to explore my past podcast episodes, where I've shared insights and stories to inspire you to create a life worth living. And don't forget to check out my book, Beyond the Rut: Create a Life Worth Living in Your Faith, Family, and Career, available now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble in both eBook and paperback formats. Your support means the world to me, and I look forward to embarking on this new chapter together.

Tune in, stay inspired, and let's continue this journey of growth and discovery!