A quiet fear haunts many parents: what if our kids walk away from church—and from God—when they leave home? We tackle that fear head-on with hard data, honest stories, and a roadmap for raising disciples who see church as a covenant community, not a spiritual marketplace. From a heartbreaking turn in a close friend’s family to a sweeping look at declining membership and rising “no preference” identities, we unpack the cultural forces shaping the next generation’s choices and the personal habits that either anchor them or set them adrift.

We get practical about the shift from consumer faith to committed belonging. You’ll hear why attendance alone won’t make church feel relevant, and how serving, using spiritual gifts, and seeking real accountability transform Sunday into a life-giving rhythm. We talk openly about church hurt, resentment that hardens, and the courage to pursue reconciliation using Matthew 18. We also demystify leadership—pastors are called, not flawless—and explore how humility, accountability, and grace rebuild trust after hypocrisy or failure fracture it.

Throughout, we link marriage and church with the biblical picture of covenant: staying, serving, forgiving, and showing up even when convenience says “skip.” Parents will find clear steps to model consistent worship, shepherd heart issues beyond quick labels, and invite kids into real ministry—praying with the lonely, asking deeper questions, and meeting needs beyond the walls. The aim isn’t control; it’s formation, so our children choose Jesus freely and recognize the church as a family on mission.

If this resonates, share it with a parent who needs hope, subscribe for future episodes, and leave a review to help more families find gospel-centered help for marriage and parenting.

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What if the real win of parenting isn’t quieter dinners or tidy rooms, but shaping a heart that keeps God at the center when life gets loud? We sit down with our kids to unpack how grace and discipline actually work together, why some rules are scaffolding and not forever, and how discerning real needs from felt needs can spare a family from debt, disappointment, and drift. The stories are simple and honest—lost retainers, toothpaste races, and a car that turned into an idol—but they point to a bigger truth: formation beats behavior management every time.

We anchor the conversation in scripture, especially Hebrews 12 and Proverbs, exploring how loving discipline trains children for righteousness and peace. That lens helps us ask better questions: Are we disciplining from anger or love? Are we teaching our kids to obey us or to honor God? How do we build boundaries that hold in split homes where one set of rules feels easier but emptier? We talk openly about modeling reconciliation after conflict, letting kids see how we put God first, marriage second, and children third, not to diminish them, but to give them a stable, joyful home that overflows with love.

Practical takeaways weave through every segment: choose consequences that target the heart, replace arbitrary rules with clear principles as kids mature, and speak love in the language each child understands—time, touch, words, or service. We also share tools for training financial wisdom early, helping teens feel the weight of choices without crushing them. By keeping Christ on the throne, our homes become training grounds for adulthood—places where kids learn to shoulder responsibility, prefer others, and read discipline as love.

If this conversation encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s in the thick of parenting, and leave a review with one lesson you’re putting into practice this week. Your story might be the nudge another family needs.

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For episode transcripts, click HERE.

For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FB

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What if the coldest seasons of marriage could become the soil where joy, prayer, and gratitude take root? We explore a simple, Scripture-shaped framework—promise, purpose, path, perseverance, and praise—that helps couples move from numbness to renewed connection. Drawing on personal stories of burnout and a misfired sabbatical, plus our daughter’s relentless grind through demanding courses, we get honest about distraction, isolation, and the after-holiday blues—and then we show how God’s promises cut through the fog.

We start with promise because God’s promises are more than verses on a page; they reveal His character. From 2 Corinthians 1:20 to James 1 and Philippians 4, we unpack how promises clarify identity and reshape expectations for hard days. That clarity awakens purpose that begins today, not when emotions improve or circumstances change. Purpose then forms a path: staying near to Jesus so we can give away the love we receive from Him through small, daily acts—gentle words under stress, courageous honesty when weary, and simple prayers when words won’t come.

On that path, perseverance stops being a grim duty and becomes the gym where steadfast love grows. We talk about practical tools to resist boredom and bitterness: naming specific provisions from God, replacing spiraling thoughts with gratitude, and seeking godly influence instead of isolation. As perseverance matures, praise follows—sometimes as a sacrifice, often as a spontaneous response to seeing God provide what we lacked. By the end, you’ll have a clear way to navigate winter-hearted days and a handful of Scriptures to keep your steps steady.

Ready to warm cold spaces with hope and action? Listen now, subscribe for future episodes, and share this with someone who needs a fresh start today. If it helped you, leave a quick review so more couples can find their way from winter to worship.

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For episode transcripts, click HERE.

For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FB

Apple Podcast listener? Would you consider leaving us a review, as this helps more couple's to find our resources?! Leave your review HERE.

Support the show

For episode transcripts, click HERE.

For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FB

Apple Podcast listener? Would you consider leaving us a review, as this helps more couple's to find our resources?! Leave your review HERE.

We reveal two essential secrets that can help any marriage go the distance – remembering God's faithfulness and forgetting through forgiveness. These seemingly contradictory practices create the foundation needed for couples to overcome challenges and renew their commitment to each other.

• The natural tendency to easily remember negative experiences while forgetting positive ones
• How life challenges like health issues, work demands, and family changes test marriage relationships
• The importance of choosing to forgive past hurts to move forward in faith
• Learning from the Israelites crossing the Jordan River on dry ground
• Creating tangible "stones of remembrance" to document God's faithfulness
• The three reasons for sharing stories of God's faithfulness with others
• Practical steps for implementing remembering and forgetting in your marriage

Tonight with your spouse, have some "remember when" conversations about what God has done in your marriage, document it, and initiate a prayer of praise to God who is worthy. Forget what you need to and remember what you're called to.

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For episode transcripts, click HERE.

For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FB

Apple Podcast listener? Would you consider leaving us a review, as this helps more couple's to find our resources?! Leave your review HERE.

David and Tracy Sellers explore the critical difference between having a war in your marriage versus waging war for your marriage, illuminating how couples can transition from self-focused conflicts to becoming allies against sin.

• The smallest disagreements like toothpaste squeezing and thermostat settings reveal our tendency to war in marriage through selfishness
• True repentance goes beyond feeling convicted or sorry—it requires complete transformation of mind, heart, and actions
• Marriage is a divine "mystery" designed to display Christ's relationship with the church to the watching world
• Forgiveness starts with belief and decision, not emotion—emotions follow as the result of the forgiveness process
• Our spouse's enemy is Satan, not us—we are their God-appointed ally in the spiritual battle
• Fighting for your marriage requires speaking truth with love, even when it causes temporary discomfort
• The purpose of marriage transcends personal happiness to showcase God's redemptive love

Email us at resources@vowstokeep.com and mention this broadcast for additional resources to strengthen your marriage.

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For episode transcripts, click HERE.

For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FB

Apple Podcast listener? Would you consider leaving us a review, as this helps more couple's to find our resources?! Leave your review HERE.

Dreaming of a marriage miracle? That magical moment when everything just clicks and your relationship problems vanish into thin air? We've all been there. But as we unpack in this illuminating episode, lasting change rarely happens through wishing alone.

Drawing from the powerful story of a man who prayed for a better job but never submitted a single application, we explore how faith without action leaves our marriages spiritually and relationally starving. God isn't holding back from blessing your relationship—He's inviting you to participate in its restoration through what we call "the cycle of change."

This revolutionary eight-step framework begins with remembering God's love for you and cycles through responding to His call, understanding love through personal experience, drawing closer to understand Him deeply, obeying naturally as you abide in Him, loving others as expression of obedience, and finally experiencing true joy. The beauty of this cycle? It can restart as many times as needed when we get derailed by lies, fear, sin, faltering faith, or frustration.

The transformation you seek isn't about waking up tomorrow with a perfect spouse or marriage. It's about becoming moldable in the Master's hands right in the middle of your mess. God's rescue mission for your marriage begins with your heart. Are you ready to restart the cycle today?

We challenge you to read Psalm 18 and John 14-17 this week to gain clarity on abiding in Christ and how your relationship with Him directly impacts your ability to love your spouse. Remember—you're not alone in this journey. The Father speaks to Jesus, who speaks to the Holy Spirit, who speaks to you. Will you share that divine wisdom with your spouse?

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For episode transcripts, click HERE.

For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FB

Apple Podcast listener? Would you consider leaving us a review, as this helps more couple's to find our resources?! Leave your review HERE.

Every marriage carries a history—a tapestry of memories, experiences, and unfortunately, hurts. What happens when that shared history becomes overwhelming evidence against trust? Can two become one, drift apart, and find their way back to oneness again?

This powerful exploration of marital reconciliation tackles the painful reality of relationships coming undone. From minor misunderstandings that escalate into frustrations, pain, hardness, and eventually silence, we examine how sin left unaddressed becomes like a rock in your shoe, causing you to limp and eventually fall. Romans 6:23 reminds us that "the wages of sin is death"—a spiritual death that separates us from each other and puts an end to all that is good in our marriages.

Drawing wisdom from the biblical book of Micah, we discover that just as Israel violated their covenant with God, we often violate our marriage covenant through small acts of disobedience that compound over time. But there's hope: the same God who promised restoration to Israel offers restoration to broken marriages. Through the three essential steps of confession, repentance, and forgiveness, couples can undo their painful history and rebuild trust.

Reconciliation begins at the heart level—with you, not your spouse. While you cannot change their heart, you can model Christ's love and pray for God's transforming work. The gospel that saved us provides the pattern for saving our marriages: Jesus didn't come for us because we were perfect; He came for us at our worst. This grace enables us to extend the same forgiveness to our spouses.

Whether you're struggling with communication breakdown, feeling disconnected, or facing seemingly insurmountable hurt, remember this truth: there's never a situation so horrible that blocks us from being made right again. Your marriage covenant, like God's covenant with His people, is meant to be maintained—and with His help, you can turn around and find your way back to the oneness He intended.

Support the show

For episode transcripts, click HERE.

For more marriage encouragement, visit: www.VowsToKeep.com | V2K Blog | Marriage Counseling | Insta | FB

Apple Podcast listener? Would you consider leaving us a review, as this helps more couple's to find our resources?! Leave your review HERE.