How can we keep our marriage strong in the middle of a very full holiday season? In this episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott discuss practical ways you can strengthen your marriage and family to make this the best holiday season yet!

Scriptures:

Mark 10:45

Romans 12:1-2

Questions to Discuss:

What are some holiday traditions we can start or continue to do in our marriage?

What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Song? TV show?

Take a few minutes to pray together for the upcoming holiday season.

Resources:

Paul Tripp Advent Devotional – Come, Let Us Adore Him

She Reads Truth & He Reads Truth – Advent Studies

Annie F Downs – Advent Study

Blog Post - 8 Ways to Make This Your Best Christmas Yet

Many of us tend to be quick to blame our spouse and slow to own our part. In this episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott discuss how we can do a better job of owning our part instead of blaming. Draw the circle around yourself and work on the person inside the circle.

Scriptures:

Matthew 7:3-5

1 Timothy 1:15

Psalm 139:23-24

Proverbs 28:13

Shownotes:

How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told, by Harrison Scott Key

How to Stay Married, TED talk by Harrison Scott Key

When Sinners Say I Do, by Dave Harvey

Save the Date: The More Than Roommates Marriage Conference, Feb 2-3, 2024, Harris Creek Baptist Church (More details coming soon)

Questions to Discuss:

1. How do you do in owning your part? Do you tend to own your part or point the finger and blame your spouse?

2. What would owning your part allow to happen in your marriage?

3. Do you own your part too slowly? Too quickly? Or just right? Ask your community if you need some input.

In this episode of More Than Roommates, we interview Justin Whitmel Earley, author of Made For People. We discuss loneliness and how to fight for a life of friendship, both inside and outside of marriage. We also talked about vulnerability, technology, forgiveness, social media, and so much more!

Shownotes:

Justin’s website – Justin Whitmel Earley (check out his email list!)

Made For People: Why We Drift Into Loneliness and How to Fight for a Life of Friendship

The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction

Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhyhtms

Questions to Discuss:

1. How’s your friendship with your spouse? How can you grow in your friendship with your spouse?

2. How can you grow in your friendship with others outside of your marriage?

3. Do you have friends who know you fully and love you anyway?

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott discuss how to keep your marriage strong when you have kids. It’s easy to make your kids your number one priority, so we discuss practical wisdom on how to keep your relationship with Jesus and your spouse strong while still raising your kids.

Scriptures:

Ephesians 6:10-20, Genesis 2:24, Eph 4:1-3, Romans 12:18, PR 13:20, 22:6, Mark 10:45, MT 20:28, 1 Cor 7:3-5, 1 Peter 5:8, Phil 2:3-4

Questions to Discuss:

How do you and your spouse view children? Are they a blessing or a burden?

What do you think God is trying to teach you in this season of marriage and parenting?

How are we doing at keeping Jesus our number one priority? How are we making our kids a priority?

Resources:

Episode 42 – More Than Roommates – When’s the Right Time to Grow Your Family?

For Better or For Kids, by Ruth and Patrick Schwenk

What if there was one habit you and your spouse can do in your marriage that would dramatically increase your likelihood of marital success and satisfaction? In this episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott talk about the importance of prayer in marriage and share about Scott’s new book, The Ready or Knot Prayer Guide. 

Scripture:

James 5:16, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Matthew 18:20

Scott’s New Book! The Ready or Knot Prayer Guide – 100 Prayers for Dating and Engaged Couples

Book Website and Pre-Order Bonus Information

Pre-order Bonus form

Scott’s first book – Ready or Knot?: 12 Conversations Every Couple Needs to Have before Marriage

Questions to Discuss:

1. What are the biggest obstacles to why you and your spouse don’t pray together?

2. What keeps you and your spouse from praying together? Do you and your spouse believe in the power of prayer?

3. What’s one tangible step you and your spouse can take to more intentionally pray together on a consistent basis?

Save the Date! The More Than Roommates Marriage Conference at Harris Creek – February 2-3, 2024

Coming this Fall on More Than Roommates - technology, keeping your marriage strong when you have kids, commitment, holidays, and much more. We also have some great guests joining us this fall. As always, if we can answer any questions, email us at [email protected]. Please make sure to rate and review More Than Roommates, and please share with your friends.

BONUS EPISODE! In this episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott share some of their takeaways from their interview with Professor Nancy Pearcey about her book The Toxic War on Masculinity. They discuss what surprised and encouraged them and also discuss what healthy spiritual leadership in the home looks like.

Scriptures:

Galatians 3:28, Genesis 1:26-27, Proverbs 22:6

Shownotes:

Book by Nancy Pearcey – The Toxic War on Masculinity

Episode #45 of More Than Roommates - Interview with Professor Pearcey

Blog Post – What Does Spiritual Leadership in the Home Look Like?

Blog Post – How Can A Husband Best Lead His Wife

Blog Post - How Can A Dad Best Lead His Children and Home

Questions to Discuss:

1. What surprised you or encouraged you the most from this episode?

2. What’s one area of your life where you are nominal in your faith?

3. Have you and your spouse discussed what healthy spiritual leadership looks like in the home?

What if much of what you hear about marital satisfaction and divorce rates inside and outside the church is actually incorrect? In this week’s episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott interview Professor Nancy Pearcey about her latest book, The Toxic War on Masculinity. Stay tuned for a bonus follow-up episode later this week!

Nancy Pearcey is the author of The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes, as well as Love Thy Body, The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and Total Truth. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She has been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual."

Nancy’s website - https://www.nancypearcey.com/

Scriptures:

Ephesians 5:25-27

Questions to Discuss:

1) What can you do in your relationship with Christ to help prevent you from being nominal in your faith?

2) What surprised you most from this interview with Professor Pearcey?

3) Men - Are you willing to ‘pay the daddy penalty’ at work?

It’s inevitable for every married couple that you will walk through times when your spouse annoys you. What do you do in these situations – overlook it, pray about it, talk to them about it, talk to others about it? In this episode of More Than Roommates, Scott, Derek, and I Gabrielle discuss what to do when your spouse annoys you.

Scriptures:

James 4:1

Matthew 7:3-5

Proverbs 19:11

1 Corinthians 13:5

Shownotes:

Episode 25 of More Than Roommates - How to Have Hard Conversations and How to Do Them Well

Questions to Discuss:

What do you do that annoys your spouse? What does your spouse do that annoys you?

Keep track of your spouse’s rights today, not their wrongs. Tell your spouse something you appreciate and value about them.

Pray that God would help you overlook any small offenses and that He would help you love your spouse as the Lord loves you.

In-Laws and family of origin often get a bad reputation, and our relationship with our families is often a major stressor in marriage. In this week’s episode, Derek and Scott interview podcaster, speaker, and author Dave Willis. Dave and his wife Ashley host the very popular podcast, The Naked Marriage with Dave & Ashley Willis. We’re confident this episode will both help and entertain you as we discuss how to have healthy relationships with your in-laws.

Scriptures:

Romans 12:18

Genesis 2:25

Ruth 1:16-17

Shownotes:

Dave & Ashley’s new book - Married into the Family: The Not-So-Secret Guide to In-Law Relationships

XO Marriage

Podcast - The Naked Marriage with Dave & Ashley Willis

Dave & Ashley on Instagram

Questions to Discuss:

How is your relationship with your parents/family of origin? In-laws? What can you do today to improve these relationships?

When you have issues/challenges in your marriage, who do you first turn to—friends, the Lord, your parents?