Programs And Podcasts

God’s definition of success looks very different from the world’s.

In this powerful message, Dr. Michael Youssef traces the life of Joseph, whose faith was tested through rejection, temptation, injustice, and uncertainty. Joseph could not control his circumstances, but he could remain faithful to the God who ruled over them.

Dr. Youssef calls believers to know God’s will through His inerrant Word and obey without compromise. When temptation comes, flee. When doubt attacks, fill your mind with Scripture. When discouragement rises, trust the sovereign God who is still at work.

This episode calls believers to:

• Reject the world’s definition of success,
• Flee temptation without compromise,
• Saturate the mind with God’s Word,
• Trust God through discouragement and doubt,
• Intercede for those under spiritual attack,
• Call the lost to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

True success is not getting everything you want. It is remaining faithful to Christ and His Gospel mission wherever God has placed you.

Scripture Focus: Genesis 39:2

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God’s Word says that a husband and wife become “one flesh.” But it doesn’t say anything directly about prenuptial agreements.

So does that mean Christians should never have one?

A prenuptial agreement, or prenup, is a legal contract a couple enters into before marriage. It typically establishes how assets, property, and other financial matters would be handled if the marriage ended in divorce.

For some couples, that may seem like practical planning. But Christians should consider more than whether a prenup makes financial sense. We should also ask what it communicates about marriage and whether it supports—or undermines—the unity God intends.

Genesis 2:24 establishes the biblical foundation for marriage: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Marriage is not merely a legal partnership between two individuals who continue living otherwise separate lives. God joins a husband and wife together in a unique covenant relationship. Paul takes that picture even further in Ephesians 5:31–32:

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

Christian marriage is meant to reflect Christ’s covenant love for His people—a relationship characterized by love, sacrifice, grace, faithfulness, and mutual care.

That pursuit of oneness should shape the way a couple thinks about every part of life, including money.

Dr. Art Rainer, Founder of Christian Money Solutions and the Institute for Christian Financial Health, has identified several important concerns Christians should consider when thinking through a prenuptial agreement.

1. It may communicate distrust. If one person feels the need to protect certain possessions from the other before the marriage has even begun, the other spouse may reasonably wonder whether they are truly being trusted.
    
2. A prenup may communicate uncertainty about the marriage itself. Because these agreements typically establish what happens in the event of divorce, they can feel like planning for the marriage to fail before the covenant has even begun.
    
3. It may be harder to pursue the financial unity marriage requires. A couple can begin thinking primarily in terms of “mine” and “yours” when marriage should increasingly move them toward “ours.”

Those concerns should not be dismissed. A legal agreement intended to provide financial protection can unintentionally introduce fear, suspicion, or division into a relationship.

However, that does not necessarily mean every prenuptial agreement represents a lack of biblical commitment.

Consider a couple entering a second marriage when one or both spouses already have children.

Perhaps each person has accumulated assets that they hope eventually to leave to their children. In that situation, a carefully constructed agreement may help clarify expectations and reassure family members that the marriage is not motivated by financial gain.

Rather than creating division, the process could potentially encourage greater transparency by forcing the couple to discuss difficult questions before marriage.

The important issue is not simply whether a legal document exists, but why it exists and what posture of heart stands behind it.

Is the agreement primarily about self-protection?

We all have a bit of an actor inside us—not the Broadway type or a movie star, but the kind who can muster up some enthusiasm when we need to. We might force a courtesy chuckle when someone tells a corny joke. But when it comes to our Christian witness, it’s got to be the real deal. It’s not about putting on a show but about living a life of genuine faith. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie shows us how to purify our character and let our light shine to those around us.

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Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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Your spouse is talking. Your phone lights up. And somehow, the tiny glowing rectangle wins again. How do phones affect marriage when “just checking one thing” becomes a hundred small exits from each other? On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson get painfully practical about phones, distraction, and the quiet marital drift that can happen while you’re both sitting three feet apart.

Show Notes and Resources

• Simon Sinek: Want Better Teams? Put Your Phone Down First. 
• FamilyLife Marriage Help
• Vertical Marriage by Dave and Ann Wilson
• Verses mentioned: Deuteronomy 24:5, Romans 12:2
• Randy Stonehill
• Dan Orlovsky

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
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Jodie Berndt adds to the Praying the Scriptures series by encouraging couples to pray for their marriages! She explains how you are responsible for your own faith, how to pray with different personalities, praying through conflict over finances, and praying the scriptures through a season of difficulty. This is a discussion you won’t want to miss!

Receive a copy of "Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage" and an audio download of " Praying for Your Marriage is Essential" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

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In this program, Chip explains that an argument is a business deal – when conflict starts and relationships break down, usually our significance, our acceptance, or our security feels attacked. And we feel like we have to stand up for our rights. Chip opens Colossians 3 to reveal that as the beloved of God, we can approach potential conflicts from a completely different point of view.

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