Marriage After God

By Aaron Smith & Jennifer SmithSociety & Culture Religion & Spirituality Christianity Relationships

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Marriage After God episodes

July 07 Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Marriage with Richard & Kelly Kannwischer
Why the fruit of the Spirit is one fruit, not nine, and the Psalms habit that trains real joy into a marriage
About This Episode
You're always being cultivated by something: the algorithm, the news cycle, your workplace, your phone. The real question is who's holding the shovel. In this episode Aaron sits down with Richard and Kelly Kannwischer, married 27 years and in ministry together the whole time, to talk about the fruit of the Spirit and what it looks like when it actually grows in a marriage. Richard, author of Cultivate, explains why Galatians 5 describes one fruit rather than nine to pick and choose from, why so many Christians know tricks but aren't trained, and how the question "what if marriage was designed to make us holy instead of happy?" reframes every hard season. Kelly shares how empty nesting forced them to find love again and why patience begins with surrender to God's timing. You'll also hear the simple Dallas Willard practice for training joy, why gentleness is the fruit Richard feels most convicted about in an age of outrage, and a closing challenge to pray the nine every day.
About Richard & Kelly Kannwischer
Richard Kannwischer is the senior pastor of Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta and the author of Cultivate: How God Grows the Fruit of the Spirit Within Us, with a second book on the way. He studied systematic theology and ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he met Kelly, and later had the privilege of studying with Dallas Willard. Kelly Kannwischer helps lead Wonderfully Made Ministry, Peachtree's day program that creates community and vocational opportunity for adults with intellectual disabilities, including the Wonderfully Made Cookie baked in the church's commercial kitchen. Married for 27 years and now empty nesters with daughters in college, Richard and Kelly have served in Presbyterian churches for nearly 30 years. Connect with Richard and get a free study guide PDF at richardkannwischer.com.
In This Episode
00:00 — Intro — Aaron asks who's holding the shovel and introduces Richard and Kelly Kannwischer.
00:55 — How Richard and Kelly Met — Running shoes, a guitar, and a month of running together before Richard finally asked her out.
03:23 — 27 Years of Marriage and Ministry — Serving at Peachtree Presbyterian in Atlanta and nearly 30 years in Presbyterian churches.
04:57 — Wonderfully Made Ministry — Kelly describes the day program and cookie business that gives adults with disabilities community and dignity.
06:28 — A Model Any Church Can Copy — Why unused church rooms and a kitchen are all it takes to reach families who feel unseen.
09:08 — Why Richard Wrote Cultivate — Rescuing the fruit of the Spirit from VBS curriculum and the woman who learned what she was saved for.
11:48 — Richard's Upbringing and Return to Christ — Praying parents, a church scandal that drove him away, and a dorm-room prayer that brought him back.
14:44 — Faith Must Be Tested — Aaron on preparing his kids for doubts and questions instead of fearing them.
16:04 — A Grandfather Who Fled East Germany — The legacy of faith that came through Ellis Island and Union Seminary.
18:06 — Joy Above All Circumstance — The sermon Richard found in his grandfather's study the day of the funeral.
19:56 — Kelly's Grandmother and Meals on Wheels — Where Kelly's heart for the unseen and lonely began.
22:01 — Three Generations of Chosen Family — The Tampa families who became cousins in Christ and still text as adults.
24:47 — Rebuilding Christian Community Today — Aaron on why siloed families need the fellowship Scripture calls us to.
27:36 — One Fruit, Not Nine — Why the fruit of the Spirit isn't a personality test you can opt out of.
28:47 — Tricks vs. Training — The dog trainer who told Richard his dog knew tricks but wasn't trained.
31:01 — Holy Instead of Happy — Dallas Willard on getting heaven into us and the question that reframes marriage.
32:37 — Finding Love Again as Empty Nesters — Kelly on getting married all over again when the family calendar disappears.
35:39 — Faithfulness as Fierce Loyalty — Why faithfulness is a positive quality, not just avoiding bad behavior.
36:39 — Patience Starts with Surrender — How a parents' study on patience quickly became a conversation about surrender.
40:44 — Grace-Based Growth — Paul's threefold pattern in Galatians 5 and why control is not a fruit of the Spirit.
42:26 — Keeping in Step with a Person — Walking in the flesh or the Spirit, and Aaron's six-year-old learning to sit still.
44:27 — Training in Righteousness — Why surrender is the start but habits and patterns must be shaped too.
45:36 — How to Train Joy — Dallas Willard's challenge to read Psalms 145-150 daily for a month.
49:26 — God's Patience Comes First — Kelly on waiting in the Lord because He has waited on us.
51:59 — The Functional Atheist — Matthew 18 and why impatience means forgetting God's patience with you.
54:38 — Gentleness in the Age of Outrage — Why gentleness is the fruit Richard feels most convicted about right now.
57:31 — What a Fully Formed Disciple Looks Like — Kelly on the fruit as a clear picture of what obedience produces.
59:21 — Pray the Nine — Richard's parting challenge and the question of who you are becoming.
60:26 — The Fruit Is for Others — Aaron's closing picture and where to find the book and free study guide.
Scripture Referenced
Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 139, Philippians 4:11-13, Psalms 145-150, Matthew 18:21-35, John 10:28-29, John 15:16, Genesis 1:28, Numbers 13:23, Matthew 7:17-18, Nehemiah 8:10, Exodus 34:6
Resources from This Episode
Cultivate: How God Grows the Fruit of the Spirit Within Us by Richard Kannwischer
Free study guide PDF and more from Richard at richardkannwischer.com
Wonderfully Made Ministry — wonderfullymadecommunity.org
Marriage After God devotionals, prayer books, and more — shop.marriageaftergod.com
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
1 hr 4 min
June 30 Forgiveness Doesn't Wait for an Apology — with Leann Murphy
How a covenant with God carried Leann Murphy through infidelity at year 15 to 38 years married
About This Episode
Leann Murphy and her husband Mike have been married almost 38 years, but around year fifteen infidelity nearly ended their marriage, and most of the counsel they received pointed toward walking away. In this conversation with Aaron Smith, Leann explains why their marriage was a covenant with God rather than a contract with each other, and why that covenant is the reason they are still married. She describes the night she sat sobbing in a closet and heard Jesus ask, "Would you betray me with a kiss?", and how that moment settled her decision to forgive before she knew whether Mike would stay. Aaron and Leann walk through why forgiveness comes before repentance and reconciliation, what the parable of the unforgiving servant says about withholding it, and how her forgiveness helped Mike get past his shame. They close with the 21 letters Leann wrote her son before his wedding, which became Becoming a Husband and Becoming a Wife.
About Leann Murphy
Karen Leann Murphy is the author of Becoming a Husband: 21 Days of Preparation for a Son of God and Becoming a Wife: 21 Days of Preparation for a Daughter of God, companion devotional journals published through Focus on the Family. The books grew out of the letters she wrote her sons before their weddings and include her own story of surviving infidelity and finding forgiveness. Married to Mike for almost 38 years, Leann is the mother of two married sons and grandmother to three grandsons. She and Mike live in central Louisiana on an oxbow of the Red River, property they believe God gave them in the same season Mike was healed of cancer. Connect with Leann and read more of her writing at karenleannmurphy.com.
In This Episode
00:00 — Intro — Aaron opens with the closet moment that reframed Leann's understanding of forgiveness.
00:44 — Meet Leann Murphy — Married to Mike almost 38 years, two married sons, three grandsons, and a home on the Red River.
02:13 — Cancer, a property, and a prayer — The house on the lake came in the same season Mike was diagnosed with cancer and then healed.
02:44 — Learning from long marriages — Aaron on why couples who have gone the distance are worth listening to.
04:13 — A covenant with God, not a contract — Why Leann says their commitment to God, not to each other, is the reason they are still married.
05:13 — The year they almost ended it — Around year fifteen, infidelity nearly ended the marriage and counselors pointed toward separating.
06:36 — Marriage as a picture of Christ and the church — Sacrifice, forgiveness, and sanctification belong in every marriage because that is what Jesus did for His bride.
07:52 — Happiness is not the goal — Every marriage has unhappy seasons; if happiness drives it, the marriage is doomed from the outset.
09:21 — Hope that exists outside of us — God's covenants were not contingent on His people, and healing and restoration reflect the gospel.
11:34 — "Would you betray me with a kiss?" — Sobbing in a closet, Leann heard Jesus tell her He had been exactly where she was.
13:13 — Aaron's own testimony — Gethsemane, the joy set before Him, and how Jesus knows what betrayal feels like.
14:12 — Forgiveness takes one, reconciliation takes two — Christ forgave before anyone repented; forgiveness is the start, reconciliation the goal.
15:24 — Forgiveness happens before — The syllable "for" in forgiveness: it is given, not earned, before you know the outcome.
17:10 — How forgiveness broke Mike's shame — Because Leann's decision was already made, Mike could get his feet back under him.
18:44 — Forgiveness is a command — We have all betrayed Jesus, and the parable of the unforgiving servant makes the stakes clear.
20:00 — Withholding forgiveness puts us above Christ — The debt owed to the servant was the king's too; the sin against us was already forgiven on the cross.
22:35 — 21 letters for a son about to marry — How a panic about her son's engagement turned into letters bound at Staples and then two books.
24:29 — Becoming a Husband and Becoming a Wife — Companion devotional journals designed to be read together, a gift for engaged couples and premarital counseling.
25:27 — Keep Jesus first — The first and last letter: marriage is a triangular relationship with Jesus at the center.
27:01 — Cut the apron strings — Realigning allegiance from parents to spouse, and being intentional with treasure and time.
28:36 — Fight for her, not with her — Mike's admission about conflict and why fighting is natural but must be done well.
29:53 — From parental authority to mentorship — Genesis 2:24 and the difference between cutting the authority structure and cutting the relationship.
36:16 — Earning your kids' trust, not assuming it — Aaron on raising children who want their parents' wisdom after they leave home.
38:46 — Passing down generational faith — Avoiding the potholes your parents hit and building on what they learned.
39:45 — Putting their story in the book — Focus on the Family asked for the story, so Leann and Mike told their sons first.
41:09 — Boundaries, David, and sex in marriage — Why no one is above temptation and what the books say about boundaries and God's design for sex.
43:19 — God uses our stories — Romans 8:28, the comfort we have been comforted with, and Psalm 18's warrior God who rescues.
46:22 — Where to find the books — Becoming a Husband and Becoming a Wife by Karen Leann Murphy, available at Focus on the Family and Amazon.
Scripture Referenced
Genesis 2:24, Genesis 2:25, 2 Samuel 11, Psalm 18, Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 18:21-35, Luke 22:48, Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Ephesians 5:25-27, Hebrews 12:2, Proverbs 22:6, Titus 2:3-5
Resources from This Episode
Becoming a Husband: 21 Days of Preparation for a Son of God by Karen Leann Murphy — Focus on the Family | Amazon
Becoming a Wife: 21 Days of Preparation for a Daughter of God by Karen Leann Murphy — Focus on the Family | Amazon
More from Leann at karenleannmurphy.com
Marriage After God devotionals, prayer books, and more — shop.marriageaftergod.com
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
49 min
June 23 Breaking Generational Patterns and Phone Idols at Home with Mark Moore
Pastor Mark Moore on generational patterns, phones as idols, and the pride that quietly kills marriages
About This Episode
What if there is only one thing in your entire life you could actually be the greatest at, and you are neglecting it? Pastor Mark Moore has been married 40 years, teaches at an 18-campus church in Phoenix, and has spent decades studying Scripture. His answer is one of the most freeing things you will hear. Mark tells Aaron about the Father's Day card that brought him to tears, the abuse and brokenness he discovered in his family line, and why breaking that generational pattern is the greatest achievement of his life. From Wisdom 52, his catalog of Solomon's proverbs, he gets practical about phones as modern idols, the household rules his family kept, why Solomon's son became a fool, and why gratitude and anxiety cannot occupy the same space. The conversation closes with the sin Proverbs warns about most, pride, and why it quietly kills great marriages.
About Mark Moore
Mark Moore is Teaching Pastor at Christ's Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, an 18-campus church that baptized more than 10,000 people last year. Before moving to Phoenix in 2012 he spent 22 years as a Bible college professor at Ozark Christian College. He is the author of Core 52, Quest 52, and Wisdom 52, a catalog of every proverb of Solomon organized into 52 topics with a short teaching video for each chapter. Mark and his wife Barbara have been married since 1984 and have two children and grandchildren. Connect with Mark and find his teaching videos at markmoore.org, and find him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube under his name.
In This Episode
00:00 — Intro — Aaron poses the question: what is the one thing you can actually be the greatest at?
00:47 — Welcome, Pastor Mark — Why healed marriages are what keep people coming back to Mark's church.
02:23 — Who is Mark Moore? — Married since 1984, 22 years teaching Bible college, and an 18-campus church in Phoenix.
04:36 — Architecting fellowship — Removing barriers and building over a thousand groups instead of programming it.
08:19 — Mark's family story — A grandfather who planted churches, a divorce at 12, and a hidden aunt.
10:59 — Discovering generational brokenness — Abuse in the family line and parenting out of sheer commitment with no model.
13:03 — Breaking the pattern — Why the greatest achievement of Mark's life has nothing to do with books or churches.
14:29 — The Father's Day card — The only thing you will ever be the greatest at is husband and father.
16:12 — The crucible years — First child, first mortgage, and first full-time ministry inside 15 months.
17:57 — Performer meets loyalist — How Mark's drive for recognition pulled him away when Barbara needed him closer.
18:54 — Commitment to be Christ-like — Doing to others what you would have them do to you, and failing to study her needs.
20:09 — When stuffed things resurface — A season of loss, counseling, and owning blind spots as the leader of the home.
21:39 — What Barbara taught him — Just because you do not feel it does not mean others do not; a trait, not a flaw.
23:38 — Seeing your blind spots — You cannot smell your own breath, so ask the right questions and give permission.
24:10 — Core 52, Quest 52, Wisdom 52 — The Word of God, the life of Jesus, and the wisdom of the Spirit.
25:15 — A catalog of Solomon's proverbs — Every proverb sorted into 52 topics, with envy and social media as a case study.
27:22 — How social media manipulates us — Aaron on doom scrolling and why it changes how he feels instantly.
28:52 — How we spell IDOL — AI, devices, outrage, luxury, and sexploitation as the idols we made with our own hands.
29:37 — Algorithms built like slot machines — Outrage in the feed and the link between screen hours and teen mental health.
31:05 — Phone rules for couples and teens — No charging in the bedroom, none an hour before bed, none in a teenager's room.
33:52 — No phones at the table — Food is sacred communal space, and a phone there is a hard pass.
34:52 — Switch the helmet — Memorize a proverb a week, limit devices inside, and never more screen time than conversation.
38:35 — Solomon and Rehoboam — Sons do what you do, not what you say, and you can be wise at work and a fool at home.
40:12 — More information, less wisdom — If we do not purposely chase wisdom, we will not find it accidentally.
41:58 — A word to dads — Your children will believe about themselves whatever you tell them.
42:52 — Gratitude and anxiety — Why it is physiologically impossible to feel both at once, and Philippians 4.
44:08 — Truth in a postmodern age — The three umpires and a fourth: truth is not a proposition but a Person.
49:13 — Pride, the silent killer — Arrogance as insecurity and why pride destroys marriages and disciples alike.
50:36 — Where to find Wisdom 52 — Amazon, wisdom52.org, and markmoore.org with a teaching video for every chapter.
Scripture Referenced
Matthew 7:12, Luke 12:52-53, Proverbs 16:18, Philippians 4:6-8, John 14:6, John 18:38, Ezekiel 3:1-3, Jeremiah 15:16, Genesis 3:5, 1 Kings 3:9, 1 Kings 12
Resources from This Episode
Wisdom 52 by Mark Moore, also available on Amazon
Quest 52 and Core 52 by Mark Moore
Teaching videos for every chapter at markmoore.org
Marriage After God devotionals, prayer books, and more at shop.marriageaftergod.com
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
53 min
June 10 What Intimacy in Marriage Really Means | Marriage Devotional Week 28
Physical, emotional, and spiritual intimacy, why it starts with God, and how both spouses can initiate it.
About This Episode
Intimacy in marriage is more than sex, but it definitely includes it. In week 28 of their 30-week devotional series, Aaron and Jennifer Smith look at the three essential kinds of intimacy God designed for husbands and wives: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Starting in Genesis with a relational, triune God, they explain why marriage is the only relationship meant to experience every level of closeness, why intimacy begins with God rather than your spouse, and why vulnerability is the prerequisite for being truly known. Aaron speaks honestly about his struggle with emotional connection and what changed when he learned to hold Jennifer instead of fixing her problems. Jennifer recalls the first time they really opened up to each other on a boat dock in Malawi. They close with a practical list of ways to initiate intimacy and a challenge to choose one this week.
About Aaron & Jennifer Smith
Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.
In This Episode
00:27 — Welcome to Week 28 — Aaron and Jennifer open the devotional series and point listeners to Husband After God and Wife After God.
01:51 — Made in the Image of a Relational God — The Trinity's perfect unity shows why humans were designed for deep relationship.
04:13 — Marriage Was Designed for Intimacy — Genesis 2:24 and why marriage is the one relationship meant for every level of closeness.
05:11 — Being Known Is Hard — Adam and Eve's nakedness and why exposing our weaknesses in marriage feels risky.
06:27 — The Gospel Picture of Intimacy — God pursues us through Jesus, and Ephesians 5 calls marriage a profound mystery.
08:19 — More Than Sex, But It Includes It — Why the word intimacy points to far more than the physical.
10:17 — Intimacy Starts with God, Not Your Spouse — You can't give what you haven't received; abiding in Christ draws couples closer.
13:41 — Intimacy Requires Vulnerability — Feeling safe to share, and how Christ modeled vulnerability even to death.
16:34 — Physical Intimacy — Why the physical is fundamental to marriage and how it shaped the Smiths' early years.
19:02 — Why Physical Intimacy Matters — Consummation, childbearing, knowing each other, and becoming one flesh.
21:49 — Non-Sexual Touch — Holding hands, kissing, cuddling, and the closeness they build.
23:06 — 1 Corinthians 7:3–5 — Mutual ownership of each other's bodies and why communication matters when there are gaps.
24:55 — Don't Withhold or Control Intimacy — Bitterness, imbalance, and why both spouses should initiate.
26:23 — Emotional Intimacy — Sharing thoughts, feelings, and fears; Aaron's honest struggle to connect.
29:14 — Hold Her, Don't Fix It — Validation, attentive listening, and asking whether your spouse wants advice or a listening ear.
31:36 — What Blocks Emotional Connection — Coming with the wrong heart, defensiveness, and long gaps without deep conversation.
34:02 — A Memory from Malawi — The first time Aaron and Jennifer truly opened up to each other in year one of marriage.
35:55 — Your Spouse Can't Be Your Everything — Expecting all emotional support from a spouse puts weight on them that belongs to God.
37:25 — Spiritual Intimacy — Praying, worshiping, and sharing what God is teaching you.
39:16 — Ministering to Each Other — Communion, serving together, and 1 John 4:7–8: God is love.
40:42 — Ephesians 5:25–26 — Christ cleanses His bride with the Word; reading Scripture and confessing together.
43:26 — Barriers to Intimacy — Little things becoming big things, phones, schedules, exhaustion, and the enemy.
45:18 — Both Spouses Should Initiate — Obedience isn't contingent on your spouse; one act of obedience can change a marriage.
47:46 — Practical Ways to Initiate Intimacy — Honest conversation, sex, confession, prayer, date nights, letters, hobbies, dreams, and service.
51:19 — Marriage After God Quote — A marriage after God is a single unit moving in the same direction.
51:43 — Discussion Questions — How intimacy builds over time, what keeps you from initiating, and why daily pursuit matters.
55:01 — Call to Action and Closing Prayer — Choose one way to initiate intimacy with your spouse this week.
Scripture Referenced
Genesis 1–2, Genesis 2:24, 1 Corinthians 7:3–5, 1 John 4:7–8, Ephesians 5:25–26
Resources from This Episode
Husband After God by Aaron Smith (also in our shop)
Wife After God by Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Marriage After God by Aaron & Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Shop Marriage After God
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
58 min
May 20 5 Ways to Abide in Christ Together | Marriage Devotional Week 27
Five daily habits that keep a couple connected to the true vine, and why nothing bears fruit without them.
About This Episode
Week 27 of the Marriage After God devotional series is about the opposite of hiding from God: abiding in Him. Aaron and Jennifer open with John 15, where Jesus calls Himself the true vine and tells His disciples that apart from Him they can do nothing. From there they ask an uncomfortable question every couple should sit with: when you are sad, hurt, bored or angry, where do you run? To your spouse, a screen, food, work, or to Christ? Then they walk through five practical ways to abide: be in God's Word daily, seek communion with God through prayer, live as a living sacrifice, rely on the Holy Spirit, and obey Jesus' command to love one another. Along the way they talk about family Bible time, repentance as a gift, God's pruning, and why the fruit of abiding shows up first in your marriage and your children.
About Aaron & Jennifer Smith
Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.
In This Episode
00:00 — Intro — Opening and series introduction
00:27 — Welcome to week 27 — Aaron and Jennifer open the devotional series and point to the Husband After God and Wife After God books.
01:24 — From hiding to abiding — After last week's episode on hiding from God, today turns toward running to intimacy with Him.
02:21 — What abide means — To abide is to stay and remain, and it fuels both our marriages and our walks with Christ.
02:48 — John 15: the true vine — Jesus' words on the vine, the branches, pruning and why apart from Him we can do nothing.
05:21 — A responsive love — A reading from Husband After God on what abiding in God looks like day to day.
06:17 — Where do you get your strength? — A hard question: are we drawing life from our spouse, work or hobbies instead of Christ?
07:45 — Celery in water — Jennifer's propagation analogy for growth that looks real but can't last without real soil.
08:43 — Where do you run when you're hurting? — An honest test of what we reach for when we're sad, bored, tired or angry.
11:42 — Way 1: Be in the Word daily — Psalm 119:1–8 and why the longest chapter in the Bible is all about God's Word.
14:02 — Treasure God's Word — Matthew 6:19–21 and Luke 6:43–45 on how what fills the heart overflows from the mouth.
15:28 — Family Bible time — Proverbs 22:6 and a warning to parents not to leave their children's discipleship to the world.
17:50 — Way 2: Communion through prayer — Unveiling your heart to God, the prayer roots of this ministry and The Marriage Gift.
19:49 — Ask, seek, knock — Matthew 7:7–8 and Hebrews 11:6: God rewards those who seek Him.
21:30 — Way 3: Be a living sacrifice — Putting the flesh to death, firstborns dedicated to God and living as a portrait of Jesus.
23:32 — Run with endurance — Hebrews 12:1–2 and why repentance is a gift that helps us put sin away.
25:29 — Practicing repentance — Abiding doesn't mean never sinning; it means staying sensitive to conviction and returning.
26:25 — Pruning and washing — Sanctification as Christ washing His bride, and choosing to stay rather than run.
27:24 — Way 4: Rely on the Holy Spirit — Acts 1:8 and why we were never meant to love our spouse or lead our home alone.
29:18 — Flesh versus Spirit — Galatians 5:16–18, 2 Peter 1:3 and Romans 8:10–17 on the power at work in us.
31:42 — Way 5: Obey the command to love — John 15:10–12 and what Jesus' one commandment actually is.
33:09 — Jesus learned to love — How Christ chose love under insult and suffering, and calls us to love the same way.
34:37 — Can you love without abiding? — Worldly love versus love rooted in God, and why you can't abide and hate your brother.
37:03 — Loving by the Spirit — Putting self aside, serving real needs and how all five ways weave together.
38:29 — Relentlessly pursuing intimacy — The Marriage After God quote and the picture of drawing closer to the light.
39:23 — Discussion questions — How your family benefits from your abiding and how intimacy with God shapes marriage.
41:48 — Call to action and prayer — This week's challenge to thank God, seek communion and obey, then a closing prayer.
Scripture Referenced
John 15:1–12, Psalm 119:1–8, Matthew 6:19–21, Luke 6:43–45, Proverbs 22:6, Matthew 7:7–8, Hebrews 11:6, Hebrews 12:1–2, Acts 1:8, Galatians 5:16–18, 2 Peter 1:3, Romans 8:10–17, Ephesians 5:25–27, Galatians 2:20, 1 John 4:20
Resources from This Episode
Husband After God by Aaron Smith (also in our shop)
Wife After God by Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Marriage After God by Aaron & Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
The Marriage Gift: 365 Prayers for Our Marriage by Aaron & Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Shop Marriage After God
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
44 min
May 13 Why We Hide from God After We Sin | Marriage Devotional Week 26
Adam hid in the garden and so do we. How confession and repentance restore intimacy with God and your spouse.
About This Episode
We all sin, and when we do, our first instinct is usually the same one Adam and Eve had in the garden: hide. In week 26 of the Marriage After God devotional series, Aaron and Jennifer Smith read through Genesis 3 and name the fear, shame, guilt, and pride that keep us covering ourselves with fig leaves instead of running to the God who is already calling out, "Where are you?" Aaron shares openly about the years he hid his pornography addiction from Jennifer and what finally gave him the courage to confess, and together they describe how confession broke sin's power and restored intimacy in their marriage. With Romans 12, Proverbs 28:13, and Psalm 139 as anchors, they offer three encouragements: stop hiding from God, make confession a practice in your marriage, and receive your spouse's confession with grace instead of using it against them. It ends with discussion questions, a call to action, and prayer.
About Aaron & Jennifer Smith
Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.
In This Episode
00:27 — Welcome back to week 26 — Aaron and Jennifer return after a month away and set up the final four episodes of the devotional series.
01:56 — The ugly truth: we all sin — Why honestly admitting our sin nature is the starting point for this whole conversation.
02:25 — What is sin? — James 4:17 and Romans 14:23 define sin, and a Wife After God quote calls it an offense against God.
04:19 — Responding to conviction, not practicing sin — The difference between excusing sin and letting the Holy Spirit lead us to repentance and reconciliation.
06:17 — Genesis 3: Adam and Eve hide — Jennifer reads Genesis 3:6-11 and the couple unpacks humanity's first response to sin.
07:45 — Why we run and hide — Fear of judgment, shame, and being seen drive us into the bushes just like Adam.
09:41 — God still came to restore — The sound of God walking went from joy to fear, yet He pursued them anyway.
10:37 — The enemy's second lure — After tempting us to sin, the enemy tempts us to hide and keep intimacy severed.
13:28 — Sin severs intimacy — How unrepentant sin creates tension in marriage and distance from God, and why the two are intertwined.
15:22 — God covers us with Christ — Blame shifting, God's covering in the garden, and how confession breaks sin's power instantly.
16:52 — Fig leaves vs. God's covering — Why "I'll figure it out on my own" never works and how submitting to God transforms us.
18:17 — Romans 12:1-2: living sacrifice, renewed mind — Repentance as spiritual worship and replacing the lies we believe with God's truth.
21:09 — Why do people hide? — Fear of consequences, guilt, disappointment, and being seen differently by the people we love.
21:39 — Aaron's story of hiding — Aaron shares how fear of shame kept him from confessing his pornography addiction to Jennifer for years.
24:32 — The root is pride — Pride as self-protection, and Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:8 on our universal sin nature.
26:21 — Sin, fear, and pride: a deadly force — A Wife After God quote on justification and the picture of a wound left infected by hiding.
29:09 — Cleaning the wound — The band-aid analogy, Leviticus and leprosy, and Christ as the High Priest who declares us clean.
31:03 — Proverbs 28:13: the whole message — Whoever conceals transgressions will not prosper; Luke 8:17 and Psalm 139:12 remind us nothing is hidden and it is safe with God.
32:29 — Feeling the distance — How unrepentant sin drains your prayer life, your ministry, and your closeness as a couple.
33:29 — Raw transparency and true freedom — The best moments of their marriage came through confession, forgiveness, and being fully known.
35:27 — Three encouragements — Stop hiding from God, make confession a practice in your marriage, and receive your spouse's confession with grace.
37:33 — He convicts because He loves you — Fig leaves can't cover us, Jesus can, and why fear and pride must not win.
38:30 — Confess quickly, often, and boldly — The longer you hide the graver the effects, and a Marriage After God quote on transparency as a flashlight.
39:57 — Discussion questions — Have you hidden from God, how has sin affected intimacy, and why does hiding seem easier than the truth?
41:26 — Call to action — Drag your sin into the light, go to God and repent, then go to your spouse and invite accountability.
42:23 — Closing prayer — Aaron prays for healing, restored intimacy, and courage to confess in marriages everywhere.
Scripture Referenced
James 4:17, Romans 14:23, Genesis 3:6–11, Ephesians 5, Romans 12:1–2, John 4:24, Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Proverbs 28:13, Luke 8:17, Psalm 139:12, James 1:15, 1 John 1:9
Resources from This Episode
Husband After God by Aaron Smith (also in our shop)
Wife After God by Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Marriage After God by Aaron & Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Shop Marriage After God
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
45 min
April 08 Embracing God's Order in Marriage | Marriage Devotional Week 25
Why God's order in marriage is about purpose, not power, and how abiding in Christ produces real fruit
About This Episode
Week 25 of our 30-week marriage devotional series is all about God's order in marriage and the fruitfulness that flows from it. We start with the big picture: God is a God of order, and you can see it everywhere, from the way the parts of a single cell depend on each other to the day-by-day structure of creation. Then we get specific. 1 Corinthians 11:3 lays out Christ over the husband, the husband over the wife, and God over Christ, and Paul roots that order in creation itself. Aaron unpacks what headship really means for husbands: submitting to Christ the same way we ask our wives to submit to us, following the example of Jesus, who did nothing on His own authority. Jennifer shares the wife's calling as a perfectly fit helper and the peace that comes from walking in God's design. We finish with John 15 and Galatians 5, because the fruit we all want only grows when we abide in Christ.
About Aaron & Jennifer Smith
Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.
In This Episode
00:00 — Intro — Opening card
00:27 — Welcome to Week 25 — Aaron opens week 25 of the 30-week series on God's order in marriage and invites listeners to share the show.
01:51 — Why Order Matters — Without order life is chaos, and the design in everything is one of the strongest evidences for a Creator.
02:50 — The Cell as Proof of Design — Every part of a cell depends on the others, and the odds against them evolving at once point to God.
05:40 — Chaos Comes From Wanting Our Own Way — Disorder and a lack of peace at home usually trace back to a "my way is better" mindset.
06:39 — Order in the Church — 1 Corinthians 14:40 calls for all things to be done decently and in order, with different gifts serving one purpose.
07:39 — Order Out of Chaos in Creation — Genesis 1–2 and Colossians 1:16–17 show God bringing order from formlessness and calling it good.
09:37 — God's Ways Are Higher — Isaiah 55:8–11 and how we disagree with God through our actions, like walking in anger.
12:59 — God's Order for Marriage — 1 Corinthians 11:3: Christ over the husband, the husband over the wife, and God over Christ.
14:59 — The Created Order — 1 Corinthians 11:8–12: woman made from man, man born of woman, and all things from God.
18:50 — Order Comes From God, Not Society — Headship was given on day six, and husbands hold it as a responsibility for God's will, not a privilege.
20:49 — Leading Without Christ — A husband who demands submission but won't submit to Christ brings pain and brokenness into his home.
22:15 — Submit as You Ask to Be Submitted To — Husbands are to submit to Christ in the same way wives are called to submit to their husbands.
23:41 — Jesus' Submission to the Father — John 6:38, Luke 22:42, John 5:19–30 and John 12:49–50 show that Christ never acted on His own authority.
25:34 — Derived Authority — How we lead is tied to how we are led, and our roles are not contingent on our spouse's obedience.
27:31 — Questions for Husbands — Are we seeking God's wisdom, protecting our families, and letting His Word be our foundation?
28:29 — How Christ's Example Changed Aaron — The Gethsemane prayer God used to save their marriage, and a husband's mission to lead his family to Christ.
30:35 — The Wife's Calling — Submitting to and respecting her husband is an active ministry, not a passive role.
31:57 — A Perfectly Fit Helper — Genesis 2:18, the Holy Spirit as helper, and the garden ministry God gave the first couple to cultivate together.
36:07 — The Unique Gifts of a Wife — Compassion, a gentle spirit, resolve, persistent prayer, and building a house into a home.
37:34 — When Roles Get Swapped — Chaos comes quickly when order is abandoned, and a personal relationship with Christ is the fuel that holds it together.
38:30 — Abide in Christ — John 15:4–5 and a reading from Wife After God on fruitfulness through abiding.
40:24 — The Fruit of the Spirit — Galatians 5:22–25 and why real fruit comes from the Spirit, not from trying harder.
42:22 — Impact Despite Failures — Romans 8:1, the seeds inside the fruit, and leaving a legacy of God's order for your children.
44:49 — Marriage After God Quote — A marriage after God understands derived authority and lives by the order God has placed in marriage.
45:19 — Discussion Question — Will an increase in fruit affect your relationships? Plus the counterfeit-money analogy.
48:02 — Challenge of the Week — Eat your favorite fruit and pray together for an increase in fruitfulness.
48:59 — Closing Prayer — Jennifer prays for couples to embrace God's order and abide in Christ.
Scripture Referenced
1 Corinthians 14:40, Genesis 1–2, Colossians 1:16–17, Isaiah 55:8–11, James 1:20, 1 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Corinthians 11:8–12, John 6:38, Luke 22:42, John 5:19, John 5:30, John 12:49–50, Genesis 2:18, John 15:4–5, Galatians 5:22–25, Romans 8:1
Resources from This Episode
Husband After God by Aaron Smith (also in our shop)
Wife After God by Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Marriage After God by Aaron & Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Shop Marriage After God
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
51 min
April 02 Minimalism with Purpose: Owning Less to Live More with Joshua Becker
Joshua Becker on the garage moment that changed everything and why owning less frees your marriage
About This Episode
What if the stuff in your garage is quietly costing you the things you say matter most? Aaron sits down with Joshua Becker, founder of Becoming Minimalist and author of Uncluttered Faith, for an honest conversation about biblical minimalism and marriage. Joshua shares the Saturday morning that changed everything: a garage full of dusty possessions, a five-year-old swinging alone in the backyard, and a neighbor's offhand comment about her minimalist daughter. From there they dig into why the average American home holds 300,000 items, what John the Baptist told the crowds to do to get ready for Jesus, and why the parable of the four soils should make the American church uncomfortable. Aaron asks the questions many husbands feel: Is this just another burden? How do couples compromise when one wants to purge 80% and the other 50%? And how do we own less without becoming proud about it? The answer is not deprivation but freedom: owning less so you can live more for God, your spouse, and your kids.
About Joshua Becker
Joshua Becker is the founder of Becoming Minimalist, one of the most-read websites on intentional living, and the author of Uncluttered Faith along with several bestselling books on owning less. After 15 years as a pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, a conversation with his neighbor during a spring garage clean-out introduced him to minimalism; he started the blog that same weekend and has written and spoken full time for more than a decade. His passion is to inspire people to own less so they can live more. Joshua and his wife have been married 26 years, have two adult children, and live in Peoria, Arizona.
In This Episode
00:00 — Intro — Joshua on the moment he realized his possessions were pulling him away from what actually brings joy, and Aaron sets up the conversation
01:53 — Welcome Joshua Becker — Aaron welcomes Joshua and explains why he loves interviews and is excited about Uncluttered Faith
02:39 — From pastor to minimalist — Married 26 years, two adult kids, 15 years pastoring, and the blog that grew into a full-time calling
04:56 — Is your wife on board? — Joshua wanted to get rid of 80 percent, his wife 50 percent, and why the specifics of marriage take humility
06:08 — Conditioned to consume — Aaron on planned obsolescence, devices in our pockets, and a generation quietly wanting less
07:56 — Peak consumerism — Homes three times bigger, 300,000 items per house, the phone as a Mary Poppins handbag, and 1.1 trillion dollars in credit card debt
10:36 — Why is it so hard to let go? — Aaron confesses his three-car garage full of junk and asks what makes decluttering so difficult
11:42 — John the Baptist's surprising answer — In Luke 3 the crowds ask how to get ready for the Messiah, and John tells them to give away the extra tunic
13:37 — Three van loads to Goodwill — Owning less exposed selfishness, greed, worry, and a search for happiness in things
16:01 — The garage, the swing set, and June — The Memorial Day weekend in Vermont when a neighbor's comment and a lonely five-year-old changed everything
19:12 — Streams of discontent — Three pay raises with nothing to show for it, tithing but not generous, and a life's energy poured into stuff
24:05 — Is this just another burden for men? — Aaron asks honestly how minimalism avoids becoming one more expectation on husbands
25:28 — Unloading the backpack — Owning less is subtraction, not addition, and it means redefining what success looks like
28:26 — Where has this been my whole life? — The rich young ruler, the disciples' nets, and why Jesus' commands about possessions are for our good
32:33 — 1 Timothy 6 and God's economy — Godliness with contentment, the love of money, and relating to possessions as stewards
34:29 — Where do we start? — No one says they love money but everyone wants more, and the trap of desiring to be rich
36:07 — The parable of the four soils — Worries, riches, and pleasures choke the Word, and why the American church may be the third soil
38:06 — Just start with what you don't need — Begin in the closet and the car, notice what changes, and remember God calls people to different things
40:57 — Capacity and focus — Aaron on Musk, Jobs, and how simplicity protects limited energy and attention
41:56 — Guarding against pride — Staying humble when God is working on you and not yet on your spouse in the same area
45:02 — Blessings in marriage and family — Intentionality that spread to schedule, habits, and relationships, and teaching his son to ride a bike instead of cleaning the garage
48:24 — Will the kids carry it on? — You don't really know until the first big paycheck arrives
49:11 — Christmas, experiences, and stewardship — Working to support stuff versus supporting your family, and remembering we own nothing
51:05 — Uncluttered Faith and where to find it — Joshua shares where to get the book, and Aaron thanks him and prays listeners were encouraged
Scripture Referenced
Luke 3:10-14, Matthew 6:33, Philippians 4:13, 1 Timothy 6:6-11, Mark 4:1-20 (the parable of the four soils), Mark 10:17-22 (the rich young ruler), Luke 12:15, Mark 5:18-19, Proverbs 19:17, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 5:16
Resources from This Episode
Uncluttered Faith by Joshua Becker
Becoming Minimalist (Joshua's website)
Joshua Becker on YouTube
Shop Marriage After God (devotionals, prayer books, and resources)
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
53 min
April 01 Husband and Wife Roles in a Godly Marriage | Marriage Devotional Week 24
Why a husband's presence and a wife's nurture are two parts of one body, backed by Scripture and science.
About This Episode
What makes up a godly marriage? In week 24 of our 30-week devotional series, Aaron and Jennifer Smith open 1 Corinthians 12 and Paul's picture of the body, where many parts form one whole, and apply it to the one-flesh union of husband and wife. Individual but never independent, each spouse brings a part the other cannot. Aaron unpacks the husband's role as leader, protector, and foundation of the home, sharing research on how a father's presence gives children security and how a husband holding his wife's hand measurably calms her. Jennifer highlights the wife's part: a body designed to bond and nurture, and the power of a mother to set the temperature of the home. Together they challenge husbands tempted to check out, warn against jealousy between spouses, and encourage couples to play to each other's strengths so that when one suffers, all suffer, and when one is honored, all rejoice.
About Aaron & Jennifer Smith
Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.
In This Episode
00:00 — Intro — Series intro card.
00:26 — Welcome to Week 24 — Aaron and Jennifer introduce the parts of marriage and invite you to share the series with another couple.
01:25 — Husband After God and Wife After God — Why the companion devotionals add prayers, journaling space, and discussion questions.
02:18 — From the Body of Christ to the Body of Marriage — Last week's unity theme narrows to the husband and wife as distinct parts of one marriage.
03:16 — Christ, the Church, and the Human Body — A Wife After God reading on how Scripture's illustrations mirror marriage.
04:12 — 1 Corinthians 12: Many Parts, One Body — Reading the passage and celebrating the diversity God builds into unity.
06:08 — One Flesh, One Marriage — Husband and wife are responsible to care for each other as one body.
07:31 — Individual but Not Independent — The Trinity as a picture of distinct persons choosing sacrificial oneness.
08:30 — Ephesians 5 and the Husband's Role — Loving your wife as your own body; the husband as head and foundation of the home.
10:25 — The Power of a Father's Presence — Security, identity, and research on how engaged fathers shape their children.
13:37 — Roughhousing, Risk, and Regulation — What fathers uniquely teach kids about independence and self-control.
14:32 — A Challenge to Husbands Thinking of Leaving — Fatherlessness statistics and a plea to run to Christ instead of exiting or checking out.
16:58 — How a Husband's Presence Calms His Wife — Hand-holding studies show a wife's stress and pain drop with a loving husband nearby.
19:50 — Designed Differently on Purpose — Physical strength, testosterone, and why men and women are built for different parts.
22:13 — Equal Parts, Not Superiority — Two complementary people making one unit, and why community matters for single parents.
23:11 — The Wife's Part: Built to Nurture — Oxytocin, estrogen, and how a woman's design amplifies bonding.
25:38 — Oxytocin, Birth, and God's Design — One hormone that delivers, feeds, and bonds mother to child.
27:00 — Mothers and a Child's Well-being — Why the mother-child bond is key and how a wife helps her husband see his kids.
28:27 — Differences as Superpowers — Communicating respectfully instead of resenting how your spouse does things.
29:25 — Play to Each Other's Strengths — Letting each spouse operate in their gifts for the most optimal oneness.
30:22 — Mothers Are the Home's Thermostat — How a mother's calm, kindness, and satisfaction set the temperature for the family.
31:49 — Husbands, Don't Cause Your Wife to Stumble — Unresolved conflict creates turbulence that flows into your children.
32:46 — Bring All of Yourself to the Marriage — Evaluating your part without deleting your individuality.
34:13 — When One Part Hurts, the Whole Body Feels It — Having eyes for your spouse's pain and supporting each other.
35:36 — Chaos at Home Is a Symptom — Husbands, look upstream at how you are leading before blaming circumstances.
36:05 — 1 Corinthians 12:26: Suffer and Rejoice Together — Transparency about sin, doubts, and fears, and how staying in the Word changes the home.
38:01 — A Thriving Marriage and the Trap of Jealousy — Humility, selflessness, and rejoicing when your spouse is blessed.
39:57 — Marriage After God: Let the Word Transform You — The closing quote and the discussion question on 1 Corinthians 12:26.
42:26 — This Week's Challenge — Find one way to bless your marriage and one way to bless the body of Christ.
42:55 — Closing Prayer — Aaron prays for husbands and wives to rejoice in each other's uniqueness.
Scripture Referenced
1 Corinthians 12:12-20, 1 Corinthians 12:26, Ephesians 5:28
Resources from This Episode
Husband After God by Aaron Smith (also in our shop)
Wife After God by Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Marriage After God by Aaron & Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
Fathered by God by John Eldredge
Shop Marriage After God for the devotional bundle
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
45 min
March 25 Unity in Marriage and the Body of Christ | Marriage Devotional Week 23
Isolation is the enemy's hunting ground. Here's how unity with your spouse and the church protects you.
About This Episode
Week 23 of the Marriage After God devotional series is about unity, both in your marriage and in the body of Christ. Aaron and Jennifer start with the flip side: isolation. Proverbs 18:1 and 1 Peter 5:8 show that the person who pulls away from the herd is the one the enemy stalks, and they share honestly how shame and embarrassment drove them into hiding during the hardest years of their marriage until a church marriage group brought them back into connection. They walk through the common reasons couples isolate, why your spouse should be the first to notice when you're distant, and how marriage is a small picture of Christ and His church. From John 17, Ephesians 2, Romans 12, and Acts 2, they show that Jesus prayed for our oneness, died for it, and sent the Holy Spirit with gifts meant to build up the whole body. The episode ends with practical steps and a challenge to pursue other believers together this week.
About Aaron & Jennifer Smith
Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.
In This Episode
00:00 — Intro — Opening card.
00:27 — Welcome to Week 23 — Aaron and Jennifer introduce unity in marriage and in the body of Christ, and how it fuels the gifts of the Spirit.
02:17 — The danger of isolation — Why isolation is the default for many couples and why it is not how God designed us.
03:15 — A lion stalking the gazelle — A Husband After God quote and Proverbs 18:1 on how isolation breeds sin and death.
04:41 — 1 Peter 5:8 and our story — The devil prowls like a lion; how shame pulled Aaron into isolation early in marriage.
07:31 — The marriage group that changed things — Plugging into a church group started the process of reconnecting with each other and the body.
08:54 — Why people isolate — Sin and shame, overwhelm, no motivation, fear, past hurts, and spiritual dryness.
12:12 — Your spouse should notice first — Accountability in marriage and how spouses help each other re-engage.
13:08 — Marriage as a microcosm of the church — Unity in marriage flows into unity in the body of Christ.
14:03 — Fellowship goes both ways — Giving and receiving in the body; 1 Corinthians 12:26 and Hebrews 10:24-25.
17:55 — Jesus prays for our unity — John 17:23 and why oneness is our witness to the world.
20:46 — He died for our unity — Ephesians 2:14-16 and the gift of reconciliation.
22:12 — How unity benefits your marriage — Not being alone, support in hard times, belonging, and iron sharpening iron.
24:05 — Secret and private lives — The most connected generation is also the most isolated; hidden sin behind the facade.
26:04 — Lies that keep us hiding — "No one will understand" and the fear of being judged.
27:58 — Pursue fellowship and be known — A light under a basket; Romans 15:1-7 on bearing with the weak.
31:20 — Devoted to fellowship — Acts 2:42-47 and doing life together, not just showing up.
32:18 — Not by your own strength — The Holy Spirit empowers unity and comes bearing gifts; John 14:25-27.
35:07 — Gifts are for the body — Good fruit benefits others; marriage as a tool for God's work.
37:26 — Romans 12:3-13 — The gifts, how to use them, and practicing them first in marriage.
40:45 — Love is the greatest gift — 1 Corinthians 13 and why love must be the motivation behind every gift.
42:07 — Practical next steps — Stop avoiding and start inviting; pray for God-fearing couples; maybe you are the initiator.
45:04 — Standing side by side — Philippians 1:27 and remembering eternity with the whole body of Christ.
46:26 — Closing quote and discussion questions — Marriage After God on unity's greater purpose; fears and benefits of community.
48:25 — Call to action and prayer — Pursue other believers together this week; Aaron prays for those who are hiding.
50:50 — Wrap-up — Thanks for joining week 23; get Husband After God and Wife After God.
Scripture Referenced
Genesis 2:18, Proverbs 18:1, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 Corinthians 12:26, Hebrews 10:24-25, John 17:20-23, Ephesians 2:14-16, Ecclesiastes 4:12, Proverbs 27:17, Matthew 5:15, Romans 15:1-7, Acts 2:42-47, John 14:25-27, 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:3-13, 1 Corinthians 13, Philippians 1:27
Resources from This Episode
Husband After God by Aaron Smith (also in our shop)
Wife After God by Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Marriage After God by Aaron & Jennifer Smith (also in our shop)
Shop Marriage After God
Full show notes and blog post
Connect with Marriage After God
Website: marriageaftergod.com
Shop books, devotionals, and prayer journals: shop.marriageaftergod.com
Follow Marriage After God: Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · TikTok
Follow Aaron and Jennifer: Husband Revolution · Unveiled Wife
Want to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.
If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.
As an Amazon Associate, Marriage After God earns from qualifying purchases.
Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026
52 min