Kids are a blessing—but they can also pull marriages apart if couples aren’t intentional.

In this episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, Brad is joined by Rob Pierce, Caleb Potter, and Trey Pippen to talk about how children, with their sports schedules, constant demands, and daily chaos, can quietly take center stage in a marriage. The group shares practical ways to avoid child-centered marriages, from weekly coffee traditions and consistent date nights to learning how to say “no” to overpacked youth sports schedules.

Whether you’re raising toddlers, teens, or somewhere in between, you’ll find both conviction and encouragement in this real conversation about keeping your spouse first...for your good, AND for your kids’ good.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and learn more about Grace Marriage at gracemarriage.com.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• Why two-thirds of marriages lose satisfaction after kids—and how to be in the one-third that thrives
• Signs of a child-centered marriage (and how to shift back)
• Simple traditions that protect your marriage when kids demand everything
• How youth sports can quietly harm marriages and families
• Why prioritizing your spouse is the best gift you can give your children
• The freedom of saying “no” to cultural pressure and “yes” to your marriage

KEY VERSES:
📖  Romans 12:2  – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
📖 Hebrews 13:4  – “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”


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✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

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Is your marriage stuck in the “same old, same old”? If dinner, dishes, and diapers have crowded out laughter, spontaneity, and adventure, you're gonna want to hear this one!

Brad Rhoads sits down with Rob Pierce, Caleb Potter, and Trey Pippen for a raw (and often hilarious) conversation about why so many marriages drift into boredom, and how you can break the cycle. From kitchen fires to hurricanes at Disney (with a newborn), these four husbands share real stories and strategies that keep things fun, fresh, and meaningful.

Whether you’re feeling stuck or just want to turn the volume back up in your marriage, this one will give you hope (and hopefully a few createive ideas).

👉 Subscribe, leave a review, and learn more at gracemarriage.com

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• How to avoid boredom in marriage
• Why spontaneity, curiosity, and creativity keep relationships alive
• How a $23 kitchen gadget (or a $500 account) can change everything
• Why younger generations avoid marriage
• The surprising connection between routine and relational drift
• Simple ways to make communication, sex, and date nights less boring

KEY VERSES:
📖 1 Timothy 6:17 (ESV) – “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”
📖 Proverbs 18:15 (ESV) – “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
📖 James 1:19 (NIV) – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”


LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
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What happens when four husbands get real about the mess, the missteps, and the moments that changed their marriages?

In this all-guys edition of the Grace Marriage Podcast, Brad Rhoads is joined by longtime friends Rob Pierce, Caleb Potter, and Trey Pippen. Together, they unpack what they’ve learned (often the hard way) about communication breakdowns, mismatched parenting styles, emotional connection, and even whether watching Netflix without the other counts as cheating.

Expect laughs, honest confessions, and wisdom forged in the fire of everyday married life.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and learn more at gracemarriage.com.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• Why communication is the biggest issue in most marriages, and how you can fix it
• How mismatched parenting styles can actually strengthen your relationship
• The real reason your wife might feel disconnected
• Why emotional safety—not control—builds lasting intimacy
• When “watching ahead” on Netflix becomes a problem
• The connection between talking more and touching more

KEY VERSES:
📖 James 1:19 (NIV) – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
📖 Luke 6:45 (ESV) – “Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage
📌 Instagram: instagram.com/gracemarriage
📌 YouTube: youtube.com/@grace_marriage

Most couples don’t break up—they just slowly drift apart.

In this episode, Brad Rhoads sits down with marriage leader John McGee (creator of re|engage and longtime voice in the marriage space) to talk about a subtle but universal reality: even loving couples can end up distant. No blow-up. No betrayal. Just years of emotional drift.

John unpacks why that happens, what it looks like, and how to course-correct before the damage sets in. If your marriage feels “fine” but not connected—or if you’ve been living like roommates—this conversation is the wake-up call you didn’t know you needed.

You’ll learn:
• The most common signs a marriage is drifting
• Why even good spouses get stuck in “parallel lives”
• The habits that rebuild emotional connection
• How empathy outperforms solutions
• What to do when you feel unseen or disconnected

👉 Subscribe to the Grace Marriage Podcast and share this episode with a couple who might not even realize they’re drifting.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• Why married couples grow apart slowly
• How to reconnect in a drifting marriage
• Marriage insights from John McGee (re|engage)
• What to do when your spouse feels distant
• Habits that strengthen emotional connection
• How to stop feeling like roommates in marriage

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

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Melissa was DONE. Separated, exhausted, and ready to walk away from her marriage for good, she agreed to marriage counseling, not to save her marriage, but to check a box and feel justified leaving.

But what happened in that room changed everything.

In this powerful, emotional episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, Melissa Hagan shares her raw and redemptive story—from total disconnection to genuine restoration. Joined by hosts Brad Rhoads and Rick Dayton, she walks through the years of slow separation, the moment of unexpected vulnerability from her husband, and the supernatural shift that brought them back together in a single conversation.

You’ll hear:
• What happens when a heart softens in real time
• Why emotional disconnection is often more dangerous than conflict
• How vulnerability can transform a marriage
• The danger of “doing marriage” for appearances
• Why grace (not perfection) is the glue of lasting love

This story is unforgettable. Whether your marriage feels solid, shaky, or done, Melissa’s story will remind you that no one is too far gone—and one moment of honesty can change everything.

👉 Subscribe to the Grace Marriage Podcast and share this episode with someone who’s quietly ready to give up.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• How one counseling session saved a broken marriage
• Marriage restoration after separation
• When your spouse checks out emotionally—what to do
• Signs your marriage is emotionally disconnected
• Real story of reconciliation after giving up on marriage
• What vulnerability can do in a struggling marriage
• Grace-based marriage recovery after walking away
• Marriage help for couples who feel “done”

KEY VERSES:
📖  Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV) – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
📖 Romans 5:8 (NIV) – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
📖 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV) – “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage
📌 Instagram: instagram.com/gracemarriage
📌 YouTube: youtube.com/@grace_marriage

What happens when you invite a therapist into the middle of your life's mess—live, on-mic?

In this candid and emotional episode, Brad and Marilyn sit down with friend and therapist Lauren Early to unpack a rough few weeks filled with health scares, parenting stress, and emotional distance. Together, they model what it looks like to repair relational damage in real time—offering apologies, naming needs, and practicing grace through the chaos.

You’ll hear about:
• How stress impacts connection
• The power of apology and vulnerability
• Real strategies for repairing trust
• Why making emotional “deposits” matters
• The importance of intentional communication when life gets heavy

Whether your marriage feels rocky or resilient, this episode reminds you: grace makes the difference.

👉 Subscribe to the Grace Marriage Podcast for more conversations that inspire hope, healing, and deeper connection. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• What real-time marriage counseling looks like
• How to reconnect when life throws curveballs
• Why emotional “bank deposits” matter in relationships
• Apology, vulnerability, and rebuilding trust
• Communicating needs during high-stress seasons
• The role of grace when connection feels hard

KEY VERSES:
📖 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV) – “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage
📌 Instagram: instagram.com/gracemarriage
📌 YouTube: youtube.com/@grace_marriage

What if most of the frustrations in your marriage were never going to go away—and that was completely normal?

In this episode, Brad sits down with best-selling author Gary Thomas (Sacred Marriage) to unpack a truth few couples hear but every couple needs: around two-thirds of marital issues are ongoing—and that doesn’t mean your marriage is broken. It means you’re normal.

They dive deep into why lasting frustrations don’t have to lead to constant disappointment—and how grace, spiritual growth, and the pursuit of holiness can turn a hard marriage into a sacred one. With personal stories, biblical insight, and laugh-out-loud moments, this episode reframes marriage as a powerful tool for discipleship—not just a source of happiness.

You’ll learn:
• Why most marriage problems aren’t meant to be “solved”
• How opposites can thrive without changing each other
• What grace looks like in the middle of long-term differences
• Why your character—not your compatibility—matters most
• How God uses your marriage to shape you, not just satisfy you

👉 Subscribe to the Grace Marriage Podcast and share this episode with couples who need encouragement in the middle of the mess.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• Why you married your opposite—and how to make it work
• How unmet expectations affect modern marriages
• The connection between spiritual growth and marriage health
• Why most marriage conflicts are never fully resolved
• Grace vs. pressure in long-term relationships
• How worship and holiness strengthen your marriage

KEY VERSES:
📖  1 John 4:19 (NIV) – “We love because he first loved us.”
📖 James 3:2 (NIV) – “We all stumble in many ways.”
📖 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV) – “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
📖 2 Peter 1:5–7 (NIV) – “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control… and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”
📖 Colossians 3:5–14 (NIV) – “Put to death… sexual immorality, impurity, lust… rid yourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander… clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… And over all these virtues put on love.”
📖 Matthew 6:33 (NIV) – “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
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Is there a “right” number of times couples should be having sex—and what if your sex life looks different than you expected?

In this honest and thoughtful conversation, Brad and Marilyn sit down with renowned author and speaker Dr. Juli Slattery (Authentic Intimacy) to tackle some of the most asked (and misunderstood) questions around sex and marriage. From frequency to frustration, porn to pressure, and “needs” to discipleship, this episode reframes sex as something far deeper than a duty.

Dr. Slattery brings wisdom, clarity, and grace to topics most couples struggle to talk about, and offers practical next steps and powerful spiritual insight that will leave you encouraged.

You’ll learn:
• What “normal” sexual frequency actually means
• Why intimacy matters more than quantity
• How to talk about sex in a way that builds connection
• How porn distorts desire—and how to heal from it
• Why sexual discipleship is the missing piece for most couples

This is a must-listen episode for anyone who wants a stronger, more grace-filled marriage...especially in the bedroom.

👉 Subscribe to the Grace Marriage Podcast and share this episode with someone who needs real, biblical wisdom for their relationship.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• How often should married couples have sex?
• What to do when spouses have mismatched sex drives
• Why sexual “needs” are often misunderstood in marriage
• The role of emotional connection in physical intimacy
• How porn affects marital sex—and how to heal from it
• What sexual discipleship is and why Christian couples need it

KEY VERSES:
📖 1 Corinthians 7
📖 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5

• Authentic Intimacy (Dr. Julie Slattery’s Ministry) – https://www.authenticintimacy.com
• God, Sex, and Your Marriage (Book) – https://www.authenticintimacy.com/resources/god-sex-and-your-marriage
• Java with Julie Podcast – https://www.authenticintimacy.com/podcast
• Surrendered Sexuality (New Book - July Release) – https://www.authenticintimacy.com/surrendered-sexuality
• Be Broken Ministries – https://www.bebroken.com
• Pure Desire Ministries – https://www.puredesire.org
• Celebrate Sex Book Series (Doug Rosenau) 
• Enjoy (Cliff & Joyce Penner) 

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
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Tired of saying the same old prayer every night? In this episode, Brad sits down with Dr. Don Whitney—professor, author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and Praying the Bible—to unpack how a simple shift in your prayer life can radically deepen your connection to God, your spouse, and yourself.

You’ll learn how praying Scripture brings clarity, freshness, and depth to your marriage—and why discipline isn’t just about doing more, but about becoming more like Jesus. With wisdom, honesty, and even a bit of humor (yes, we’re talking about socks and trash cans), this episode will leave you rethinking your habits and reinvesting in the things that matter most.

Subscribe, review, and share this episode—and explore more resources at GraceMarriage.com.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• How praying Scripture can transform your marriage and personal life
• Why most people say the same old prayers—and how to fix it
• The difference between legalism and godly discipline
• How spiritual disciplines build fruit, not just structure
• What to do when you “don’t feel like it” spiritually
• Why godliness should be the goal—not checking off spiritual boxes

KEY VERSES:
📖 1 Timothy 4:7 (NASB) – “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”
📖 Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV) – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
📖 Colossians 1:29 (NIV) – “To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”
📖 Isaiah 58:4 (NIV) – “Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists…”
📖 John 6:63 (NIV) – “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”

• Dr. Don Whitney’s Resources & Books – https://biblicalspirituality.org
• Praying the Bible by Don Whitney – https://biblicalspirituality.org/praying-the-bible
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life – https://biblicalspirituality.org/spiritual-disciplines
• Family Worship by Don Whitney – https://biblicalspirituality.org/family-worship
• Grace Marriage – https://gracemarriage.com

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
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What if your breakthrough wasn’t in doing more—but in learning from someone who’s already been there? In this episode, Brad shares his personal journey of transformation through mentorship—how wise counsel reshaped his marriage, his mindset, and even his ministry.

You’ll hear raw stories of being called out, being loved anyway, and being changed by people who walked a little further down the road. Whether you’re desperate for direction or simply feeling stuck, this conversation will challenge your view of growth, humility, and the quiet power of having (and becoming) a mentor.

Like, subscribe, and pass this along to someone who needs it. Want to grow in your marriage? Start by surrounding yourself with the right people.

🔑 KEY IDEAS:
• Why every married couple needs a mentor—even if they don’t think they do
• The difference between spiritual performance and living in grace
• How mentorship transformed Brad’s home, marriage, and mindset
• Why wise counsel is often the key to long-term growth
• The ripple effect of mentorship on your marriage, faith, and leadership
• How to structure a mentorship rhythm that actually works

KEY VERSES:
📖 Proverbs 27:17 (ESV) – “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
📖 Matthew 11:29–30 (NIV) – “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
📖 Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV) – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

• Grace Marriage Book (Foreword/Dedication to Doug) – https://gracemarriage.com/book
• Grace Marriage Podcast Home – https://gracemarriage.com/podcast
• Grace Marriage Coaching & Resources – https://gracemarriage.com

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING?? 
✅ Subscribe & Share – Help us spread the message of grace-based marriage by subscribing to the Grace Marriage Podcast and sharing this episode with friends or family.
✅ Join Grace Marriage – Ready to invest in your marriage? Visit GraceMarriage.com to learn how proactive marriage care can transform your relationship.
✅ Leave a Review – Your feedback helps us reach more couples who need encouragement.

FOLLOW US:
📌 Facebook: facebook.com/gracemarriage
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📌 YouTube: youtube.com/@grace_marriage