In this episode of More Than Roommates, Gabrielle, Derek, and Scott discuss the common habit of going to friends or a spouse before going to God for wisdom. While community is important, the best place to start is with the Lord.

Scriptures:

Matthew 6:33

James 1:5

Proverbs 3:5-6

PR 19:11

Questions to Discuss:

1. Who and what do you turn to when you’re looking for counsel and advice?

2. Are you more of an internal or external processor? How about your spouse?

3. What’s one decision you’re facing right now—and have you gone to God first?

Resources:

Sermon – Questions to Ask When Making Decisions, by Jonathan “JP” Pokluda

Podcast – More Than Roommates Episode 22 - Episode 22 - What Questions Can Help You Make Decisions in Marriage?

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Gabrielle, Derek, and Scott talk about how to keep your marriage healthy while walking through hard and difficult seasons in life (i.e., loss, illness, infertility, emotional strain). Through biblical truth and personal stories, they discuss how couples can remain unified, cultivate gratitude, and grow spiritually even in life’s darkest valleys and seasons.

Scriptures:

1 Cor 7:28

John 16:33

Luke 6:47-49

PS 34:18

Phil 4:4-7

Lamentations

James 1:2-4

Rom 8:28

Gal 6:1-5

Questions to Discuss:

1. What is one hard season we've already walked through together? How did it impact our relationship?

2. Are we prepared for future trials? What could we be doing now to strengthen our marriage foundation?

3. How do each of us typically respond to hardship—and how can we better support one another in those seasons?

4. What role does gratitude or spiritual perspective play for us when life gets tough?

5. Who is a couple we look up to who has walked through suffering well? What have we learned from them?

Resources:

Marriage Ministry – reengage (find a location near you)

Drew and Paige Greenway return for part two of their story on infertility, this time focusing on the spiritual lessons, marriage dynamics, and ministry they’ve embraced through their journey. Using the acrostic TRUST, they unpack teachability in trials, reliance on the Lord, unwavering unity, surrender to His will, and resting in God’s timing—all of which shaped their marriage and deepened their faith.

Scriptures:

Romans 5:2-5

PS 34:18

2 Cor 12:7-10

John 15:5

Rom 12:10

PR 3:5-6

Ecc 3:11

Resources:

Podcast - More Than Roommates Part 1 with Drew & Paige – Holding On Through the Heartache: A Story of Infertility & Hope – Apple, Spotify

Website & Resources – Julie Fowler Ministries

Bible Study for Women - Treasures in the Waiting: Finding God’s Comfort, Counsel, and Companionship Amid Infertility and Repeat Loss

Bible Study for Men - Navigating Infertility and Loss with Strength and Hope

Book - When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden: Encouragement for Couples Facing Infertility

Questions to Discuss:

1. Which part of the TRUST acronym resonated most with your current season of life or marriage?

2. In what ways do you tend to take control instead of trusting God?

3. How can you be more emotionally present for your spouse during a season of suffering?

4. How can you better support friends who are walking through infertility or loss?

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Gabrielle and Scott interview Drew & Paige Greenway about their story of infertility and the challenges they’ve faced along the way Drew and Paige reflect on how these trials affected their faith, marriage, and understanding of God, while offering hope, empathy, and wisdom for others walking a similar path. Part 1 of 2.

Scriptures:

Gen 2:24

Rom 12:15

Resources:

Website & Resources – Julie Fowler Ministries

Bible Study for Women - Treasures in the Waiting: Finding God’s Comfort, Counsel, and Companionship Amid Infertility and Repeat Loss

Bible Study for Men - Navigating Infertility and Loss with Strength and Hope

Book - When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden: Encouragement for Couples Facing Infertility

 Questions to Discuss:

1. What stood out to you most from Drew and Paige’s story?

2. How do we typically respond to suffering—in our relationship with God and each other?

3. What role does empathy play when one spouse is grieving more visibly than the other?

4. How can we better support couples in our community who are walking through infertility or loss?

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Gabrielle & Scott interview Derek & Kellie Davidson about foster care and adoption. May is National Foster Care Month and in this episode, the Davidsons offer a glimpse into how their marriage has been shaped through saying “yes” to God’s call. While sharing their story, full of joy and challenges, they reflect on how families and the church can step in and reflect Christ’s love for vulnerable children.

Scriptures

James 1:27

2 Cor 5:18

Isaiah 1:17

Jn 13:34-35

Psalm 127:3

Resources:

Isaiah 117 House

Together For Good

Foster Village Waco

Safe Families for Children

Christian Alliance For Orphans

Jason Johnson

Questions to Discuss:

1. What is one thing that stood out to you from Derek and Kellie’s story?

2. How do you currently view foster care and adoption? Has this episode challenged or inspired your perspective?

3. In what ways can we as a couple support vulnerable children or families in our church or city?

4. How do we typically respond when God calls us to something difficult or inconvenient?

5. What would it look like to faithfully ask God, “What would You have us do right now?”

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Gabrielle & Scott talk with Dr. Juli Slattery from Authentic Intimacy about how past sexual abuse impacts individuals and their marriages. With biblical truth, personal insight, and expert care, Dr. Slattery shares how healing can happen in safe relationships marked by trust, patience, and grace. We hope this episode provides hope and healing for those affected by sexual abuse.

Scriptures Referenced (in context):

Rom 12:15

John 10:10

PS 34:18

Rom 8:28

Resources:

Juli’s Ministry – Authentic Intimacy

Juli’s Podcast – Java with Juli

Books: Surprised by the Healer, by Linda Dillow and Juli Slattery; God, Sex, and Your Marriage, by Juli Slattery

Questions to Discuss:

1. What stood out to you most from this conversation with Dr. Juli Slattery?

2. What does it look like to be a “safe place” for your spouse?

3. How can we invite—not demand—intimacy in our marriage?

4. Are there past wounds (sexual or otherwise) we need to process personally or as a couple?

5. Who are safe people or resources we could pursue if we need help?

In this episode, the More Than Roommates team tackles the tension between work and marriage, offering practical and biblical wisdom on balancing career, family, and faith. They unpack how motives, identity, communication, and expectations shape how couples navigate work's impact on their marriage and family.

Scriptures:

Gen 2:7-9

Eph 2:10

Col 3:23

1 Cor 10:31

1 Peter 3:7

Resources:

Podcast - More Than Roommates, Episode 82 - How Does Work Affect Your Marriage? (feat. Jordan Raynor)

Book – When Work and Family Collide, by Andy Stanley

Book - The Sacredness of Secular Work: 4 Ways Your Job Matters for Eternity (Even When You're Not Sharing the Gospel), by Jordan Raynor

Questions to Discuss:

1. What was your first job growing up and as an adult?

2. What’s your motive in how hard or how much you work?

3. How would you describe your attitude toward work right now—grateful, resentful, anxious, driven?

4. Do you view each other's work—whether inside or outside the home—as equally valuable? How can you better honor one another’s contributions?

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Scott, Derek, and Gabrielle explore what it looks like for married couples to value, support, and engage their single friends in meaningful ways. They reflect on how Scripture elevates singleness, how the church sometimes unintentionally devalues it, and how we can better reflect the love of Jesus—whether single or married.

Scriptures:

1 Cor 7:7-8

MT 19:12

PS 16:11

MT 19:6

Luke 8:21

Resources:

Book – Single, Dating, Engaged, Married, by Ben Stuart

Book – Single Today, by Ryan Wekenman

Book – Table for One, by Ben Pukas

Questions to Discuss:

1. How do we talk about marriage around our single friends? Are we encouraging or accidentally discouraging?

2. What can we do to make single people feel more included in our family life?

3. In what ways might we be placing too much pressure on our kids (or others) to get married? 

In the episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott discuss our tendency and desire to win and be right in marriage, when the goal is to “lose”, become more like Jesus, pursue oneness, and walk in humility.

Scriptures:

Gen 2:18-25

John 10:10

Phil 2:3-4

1 Tim 1:15

1 Cor 13:6

Resources:

Removed Series from Harris Creek

Watermark Marriage Conference – Lance Sisco - Keeping Score in Your Marriage

Book – The Meaning of Marriage, by Timothy & Kathy Keller

More Than Roommates Episode 94 – How to Be a Better Listener in Marriage

Questions to Discuss:

1. Who has the harder time saying “You’re right” in your relationship?

2. Why is hard to say to your spouse, “You are right”?

3. How can you pursue a team mentality instead of fighting to be right?

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Jonathan “JP’ Pokluda shares about the necessity of tension (dissonance) in marriage and 5 ways we need to S.H.I.F.T. in our marriages. This talk was recorded live at the 2025 More Than Roommates Marriage Conference at Harris Creek Baptist Church.

Scriptures:

PR 15:18, 17:14, 17:19, 20:3

PR 18:2, PR 18:13, James 1:19-20

PR 10:2, 19:11, 28:13

PR 19:11, 12:1, 19:20, 25:28

Resources:

This is an edited version of the talk. If you want to watch the video of the Dissonance talk, you can watch it through this link – Dissonance Video.

To hear more about WENI, check out MTR Episode 12 – Identifying Negative Communication Patterns

Questions to Discuss:

1. What’s the benefit of dissonance/conflict/tension in marriage?

2. How can you make hearing and understanding the goal in your marriage (and not winning)?

3. What are some practical ways you need to S.H.I.F.T. in your marriage?