Every marriage will face disaster. Illness or cancer. Job loss or financial burdens. Addiction. Anxiety. Infidelity. Loss of faith. It's not a question of if your marriage will face trials. It's a question of when. 

Whether you've been married for five years or fifty, your marriage will either become part of the problem or part of the solution, and it's within your power to ensure your marriage is prepared for those seasons, is a place of refuge and safety throughout those seasons, and can recover well after those seasons. 

In today's episode of the Dad Tired podcast, host Jerrad Lopes sits down with best-selling author Gary Thomas (Sacred Marriage) to talk through how to build a marriage that can withstand life's many storms.

Podcast Discussion Questions for your Meet Up Group:

1. Do you look at your marriage as something that draws you closer to God?
2. What if you looked at and leaned into your marriage as a place where God is challenging you and showing you weaknesses in your character?
3. Is there some characteristic/attitude that you have in your life outside of the home that you need to check to connect with your family at home.
4. What are you chasing after to make you happy? Is it the kingdom of God? (Matt. 6:33)
5. Are you trying to turn your wife into a “love me how I want to be loved machine?” Or do you want to treat your wife like Christ who came not to be served but to serve.
6. Are you spiritually healthy enough to handle life when the storm hits? Will your marriage be a refuge or part of the problem.
7. Are you training your brain to escape the pain and pressure in your life today, that may only get worse when the storm comes?

Questions from Jerrad and Gary

1. What is Gods agenda for my marriage? 
2. What if your wife needs joy today in what she is doing? 
3. Do I expect my wife/kids to exist for me? Or am I here to serve them and love them and help them grow?
4. How can you cherish your wife if you are living in terror of her finding you out? 
5. What does your spiritual life look like outside of you wife? Are you relying on your wife’s relationship with Jesus?

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