In Season 5 Episode 11 of the Forever Marriage Podcast, we talk about certain responsibilities that we pick up in the context of covenant marriage. Here's what they are: 

• Love unconditionally. Covenant, unconditional love says, "I choose to love you, regardless of what I get in return from you."
• Honor respectfully. Covenant marriage is literally a descent into greatness. It's a race to see who will be the first to be last. The question becomes, "Can I outdo you in showing honor?"
• Submit mutually. Biblical submission says, "I come under you to lift you up. I want to help you experience God's fullness in your life. I want for you what God wants for you." Mutual submission is a demonstration of humility and surrender; it's not something we demand, but something we give. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Scripture: Romans 5:8, Luke 6:32, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 5:33, Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:6
• Emerson Eggerich's Love & Respect 

In Season 5 Episode 10 of the Forever Marriage Podcast, we talk about how one of the ways to Rekindle ROMANCE in marriage is to "Commit to a Covenant Relationship." In this episode we discuss the rights that you give up in a covenant relationship - the right to priority, the right to ownership, and the right to privacy. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Shout out to the Smith's honeymoon spot - Helen, GA! 
• Scripture: Phil. 2:3-4, 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 1 Cor. 4:7, Mark 4:22
• Poll on how to pronounce Cozumel - let us know on instagram!

In Season 5 Episode 9 of the Forever Marriage Podcast, we talk about how one of the ways to Rekindle ROMANCE in marriage is to "Commit to a Covenant Relationship." In life we have three types of relationships - convenient, contractual or covenant. Marriage, by God's design, is neither a relationship of convenience or a contractual agreement, it is a covenant.

Fun mentions in this episode: 

• A quick debate on when to decorate for Christmas - before or after Thanksgiving? 
• Check out this cute pic of Scott & Dawn rockin' it in the blue Honda hatchback (orange streamers and all).
• Shout out to Neil Anderson & Chris Hodges for their helpful insight into this topic of covenant relationships. 

In Season 5 Episode 8 of the Forever Marriage Podcast, we move on to the 'N' in our acrostic - Rekindle R.O.M.A.N.C.E. By way of recap, here's what we've covered so far:

R - Remember What's Good About Your Mate
O - Observe Your Partner
M - Mind the Little Things
A - Advocate for a Healthy Marital Sexuality
N - Notice Your Interactions
C - Commit to a Covenant Relationship - Stay tuned...
E - Embrace the Seasons of Marriage - Stay tuned...

To Rekindle ROMANCE in marriage, you must Notice Your Interactions. If you and your spouse went out to your front yard, turned around and looked at your house, how would you describe what it's like to live in your house with one another? Do you interact with your spouse as you would with someone at work? As a roommate? Or as a business partner? 

For discussion with your spouse after you listen:

1. What is it like to live in the house with me?
2. Do you treat your spouse more like an employee, a business partner or a roommate than a lover, companion and ally? If so, what needs to change?
3. Take a look at the list of the One Another's of Scripture together. How might these relational imperatives inform our interactions as husband and wife?

In Season 5 Episode 7 of the FM Podcast, we continue the conversation of how to advocate for healthy marital sexuality. Last episode we addressed the first two biblical purposes of marital sex: Procreation and Partnership. In this episode we touch on the biblical purposes of:

Pleasure - God purposely created sex for pleasure and not just progeny through procreation.

Praise - Sexual intimacy in marriage, when rightly understood, becomes an act of worship - not of one another - but of the gracious goodness of God.

Picture - Sexual intimacy, between one man and one women in marriage, is designed to be a picture of the union of Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Scripture: Proverbs 5:18-19, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 5:32
• FM Podcast Season 2 - Six Keys to Better Sex in Marriage (check this out for a deeper dive into this conversation of healthy biblical sexuality)
• Visit www.lakewoodlife.org/local-missions/ and scroll down to Disaster Relief to inquire of ways to help with Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

One of the ways to rekindle romance in marriage is to advocate for healthy marital sexuality. What is your present view of sex in your marriage? As a result of the way our culture and society portrays sex, we may bring into marriage a lot of false and distorted views of sexuality. In this episode we will lay down a rudimentary biblical purpose for sexuality and how it ties into the romantic side of rekindling romance. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Season 2 of the podcast - Six Keys to Better Sex in Marriage 
• Scripture: Genesis 1:28, Genesis 2:24-25, 1 Corinthians 6:15-20

In Season 5 Episode 5 of the Forever Marriage Podcast, we talk about how, if you want to rekindle romance, you must mind the little things.

Proverbs 3:3 says, "Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Before we know it, kindness and truth get replaced with complacency and exaggeration. So, what simple daily or weekly acts of kindness can you take to show honor to your spouse? 

Could you make their coffee in the morning? 
Take the kids to school? 
Unload the dishwasher? 
Take out the trash?

These seemingly "little" and mundane things can add up to help rekindle romance in marriage. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Scripture: Proverbs 3:3, 1 John 3:18, Ephesians 4:32

In Season 5 Episode 4 of the Forever Marriage Podcast, we talk about how, if you want to rekindle romance, you must observe your parter.

1 Peter 3:7, Peter says, “You husbands, likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way.” To understand someone you have to know them.  To know them, you must spend time with them. Would your spouse say the two of you spend adequate time together? Why is time together an important part of not only observing one another but also understanding one another? 

It's important to become a student of your spouse. Study them to learn…

• What are their likes?
• What are their dislikes?
• When are they most fulfilled?
• What discourages them?
• When are they at their best?
• When are they at their worst?
• What do they most enjoy doing with you? 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Scripture: 1 Peter 3:7, Philippians 4:9
• 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

In Season 5 Episode 3 of the Forever Marriage Podcast, we continue our talk about how, if we want to rekindle romance, the first thing we have to do is to "remember what’s good about our mate."

After the newness of marriage has worn off, it's easy to let our differences become barriers to our intimacy in marriage. These differences can be frustrating sources of contention and bitterness. But it's important that we, instead, let our differences serve as bridges. How do we do this?

We must accept one another (Rom. 15:7). Our acceptance of one another must be in the same way that Christ accepted us. How did he accept us? Romans 5:8 says, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

In this episode Scott and Dawn also mention a helpful tool to utilize when faced with a frustrating difference you see in your spouse - a series of questions to ask yourself regarding your spouse's actions. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Pre-episode fun commentary: PSLs, Farm House Coffee, Phil Mickelson's The Good Stuff, and if it's possible to run a sub 20:00 5K at 41 years old... stay tuned to find out!!
• Scripture: Romans 15:7, Romans 5:8, Colossians 3, Proverbs 11:27

In Season 5 Episode 2 of the Forever Marriage Podcast, we talk about how if we want to rekindle romance, the first thing we have to do is to "remember what’s good about our mate."

We can’t experience romance with a hard heart and so we must consider how to have a soft heart toward one another. We must work on how we see each other, how we think about each other, and how we speak to each other. 
 
Our way of seeing each other matters. Dawn says, "I have to have a filter for how I see my husband… and that comes from a biblical worldview that I have adopted. We relate to each other through the lens of these three unchanging truths - as an image bearer of a holy God, as a child of God, and as an heir with Jesus. These are identity statements that do no change. We then are privileged to fulfill the roles of husband or wife."

How we view each other and how we understand our own identity empowers us to fulfill those roles as husband or wife in a way that honors the Lord and keeps our marriage growing and thriving.

Thoughts to ponder:

1. What attributes have you been focusing on lately with your partner? 
2. Are they identity or role based? 
3. In what ways has that driven your affections for them (for good or for bad)?

If we want to rekindle romance, the first thing we have to do is remember what’s good about our mate.

Scripture References: 

• Proverbs 18:22, Proverbs 17:22, Proverbs 11:27, Genesis 1:26-27, John 1:12-13, Romans 8:16-17