Conflict is inevitable when two sinful people share a life, a home, and a very full playroom. In this episode, we unpack a real conflict from our Sabbath (yes, we handled it poorly at first) and use it as a springboard to talk through five components of healthy, Christ-centered conflict: soft start-ups, ditching "always/never" language, having a conflict resolution plan, regularly debriefing in a weekly marriage meeting, and humbly apologizing and asking how to better serve each other.

If you've ever thought, "We just keep fighting about the same things," this one's for you.

Resources Mentioned:

• Free Weekly Marriage Meeting Guide
• Episode Mentioned: No. 119: Our Favorite Way to Fight

Sex is meant to be a gift, but what happens when it feels confusing, painful, or even like a burden?

In this honest conversation, we open up about the first few years of our marriage when sex was really difficult. We share what we learned through trial, tears, and prayer: how to handle mismatched drives, pain, pressure, and the impact of purity culture.

You'll hear five practical steps we wish we'd known sooner, and why patient, sacrificial love (and some gentle honesty) changes everything.

🎧 Plus, paid Substack subscribers get this week's bonus: The Honest Intimacy Conversation Guide — a step-by-step tool to start gentle, Christ-centered conversations about sex.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

📚 Books:

• The Mingling of Souls — Matt Chandler • The Meaning of Marriage — Tim & Kathy Keller (referenced for context) • Intended for Pleasure — Ed & Gaye Wheat (older book; contains some outdated views) • A Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex — Sheila Wray Gregoire (the "good girl's" title they were recalling)

Other:

• @christiansexeducator — education on biblical, healthy sexuality
• Mentionables Lingerie— model-free, beautiful lingerie (10% off with ONEDEGREE)
• Intimately Us app— clean, marriage-focused intimacy app for couples

👉 Download the free Weekly Marriage Meeting Template 👉 Become a paid Substack subscriber for the bonus guide

What do you do when your spouse isn't leading, isn't helping with the kids, and is far from Christ? In this conversation, we share six anchors: pray daily for your spouse, pursue personal holiness, "win without a word" through conduct, lead your children spiritually, seek wise care and counsel, and know your biblical freedom without trivializing covenant.

Scripture referenced:

• Ezekiel 36:26; James 1:5

• John 15:1–5; Galatians 5:22–23

• 1 Peter 3:1–2

• 2 Timothy 1:5; Acts 16:1–3

• 1 Corinthians 7 (esp. v.15)

• ACTS prayer model guide (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication)

• 7-Day Spouse Prayer Challenge (this week's bonus resource for paid Substack Subscribers)

• Related episode: "When You Feel Like You're the Only One Trying"

Ever feel like you're swimming upstream in your marriage? You're trying to grow spiritually and build healthy rhythms while your spouse just… isn't there? You're not alone. In this episode, we're breaking down how to stay faithful, hopeful, and steadfast when it feels one-sided.

Bonus Resource:

Subscribers on Substack get access to our new 7-Day Pray-for-Your-Spouse Challenge — a short daily guide to help you pray intentionally and stay hopeful in this season.

👉 SUBSCRIBE AND GET ACCESS TO ALL PODCAST BONUS RESOURCES

When it comes to spiritual intimacy, many couples want it, but few know where to start. Between busy schedules, young kids, and never-ending to-do lists, it's easy to relegate your faith as individuals instead of something shared.

In this episode, we unpack how to actually grow in spiritual intimacy with your spouse without making it overwhelming or forced. We share three practical ways to build that connection—starting with short, simple prayer, adding a daily Scripture rhythm, and ending with a weekly family devotional that brings it all together.

If you've ever wondered what it looks like to invite God into your everyday marriage rhythms, this episode is for you.

🎧 Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, or share this episode with another couple who wants to grow closer to God together.

Many couples know the Bible mentions marriage, but few stop to consider what those passages actually mean for everyday life. In this episode, we unpack five core biblical truths, from reflecting Christ and the church to living on mission together, and explain how they can reshape your relationship. Grab a notebook and join us on the comfy, cozy, virtual couch for a practical, Christ‑centered conversation.

👉 Download our free Weekly Marriage Meeting Template

👉 Step-by-Step Writing Your Marriage Mission Statement

👉 Follow us on Instagram for daily encouragement + practical tips: @onedegreemarriage

👉 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more couples find this show!

Life can get crowded with work, kids, church and errands, and sometimes the fun in your marriage gets squeezed out. In this episode, we share why date nights and vacations aren't the only solution and offer three practical steps to cultivate fun right where you are. Join us as we chat candidly about seasons of busyness, weekly marriage meetings and simple habits that restore light‑heartedness.

👉 Download our free Weekly Marriage Meeting Template

👉 Follow us on Instagram for daily encouragement + practical tips: @onedegreemarriage

👉 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more couples find this show!

Want to prepare for marriage in a way that sets you up for connection, honesty, and a Christ-centered foundation? In this episode, we share three powerful steps every engaged or seriously dating couple should take before saying "I do": pursuing the Lord individually and together, getting comfortable with uncomfortable conversations, and pursuing premarital counseling with wise, trusted mentors. Whether you're a few months from the altar or prayerfully discerning the future, these habits will help you step into marriage ready for unity, intimacy, and mission.

👉 Download our free Weekly Marriage Meeting Template

👉 Follow us on Instagram for daily encouragement + practical tips: @onedegreemarriage

👉 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more couples find this show!

Feel like you're just co-managing calendars and carpool schedules? You're not alone.

In this episode, we dive into what it means to live "on mission" as a married couple. We'll chat about how cultural norms can distract us from God's design for marriage.

We chat:

• Why a shared mission statement matters
• How praying together shifts your heart
• Why weekly marriage meetings are so transformative

Looking at examples like Priscilla and Aquila and passages from Genesis and Ephesians, we're reminded that marriage is a picture of Christ and His Church... so why not aim for deeper purpose and eternal impact?

If you're ready to move from cohabiting roommates to mission-minded partners, this episode is for you.

Get our bonus resource, a worksheet guiding you step-by-step through writing your family's mission statement (and our library of bonus resources), by becoming a paid Substack subscriber for $5/month!

Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

👉 Download our free Weekly Marriage Meeting Template

👉 Follow us on Instagram for daily encouragement + practical tips: @onedegreemarriage

👉 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more couples find this show!

Want a thriving marriage that feels more connected, intentional, and Christ-centered? In this episode, we share five simple (but powerful!) ways to invest in your marriage this week—from praying together and having deeper conversations to starting a weekly marriage meeting that transforms your relationship. Whether you've been married one year or ten, these habits will help you move from "ships in the night" to a marriage rooted in faith, intimacy, and joy.

👉 Download our free Weekly Marriage Meeting Template

👉 Follow us on Instagram for daily encouragement + practical tips: @onedegreemarriage

👉 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more couples find this show!