The Grace Marriage Podcast

Brad & Marilyn Rhoads
  • 5.0 (19)
  • Relationships
  • Updated Weekly

The Grace Marriage Podcast is a weekly conversation designed to encourage and equip couples to cultivate a marriage built on grace and intentionality, and that thrives through life’s ups and downs. Hosted by Brad and Marilyn Rhoads, along with Rick Dayton, the podcast offers practical wisdom and inspiring stories to help couples build a marriage that reflects God's love and grace.

  1. 2d ago

    The Marriage Mistake That Pushes Your Spouse Away

    What if the conversations you think are helping your marriage are actually pushing your spouse further away? In this episode, Brad Rhoads sits down with marriage coach Belah Rose, founder of Delight Your Marriage, to discuss why connection often grows through encouragement rather than criticism. Together they explore emotional safety, attraction, communication, intimacy, and how spiritual maturity transforms marriage from the inside out. Whether your marriage feels healthy or strained, this conversation offers practical wisdom for building a relationship where both spouses feel known, valued, and desired. In this episode: - Why direct communication isn't always the best communication - The hidden cost of constant criticism - How encouragement creates attraction - Why date nights shouldn't create pressure - Helping your spouse feel safe instead of managed - How spiritual maturity affects intimacy - Practical ways to strengthen emotional and physical connection - Why gratitude changes the culture of a marriage 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: - Marriages naturally drift apart when couples stop intentionally investing in one another. - Encouragement produces more growth than criticism. - Low-health marriages often need less confrontation and more appreciation. - Healthy communication depends on the overall health of the relationship. - Emotional safety fuels physical intimacy. - Date nights should invest in romance, not create sexual pressure. - Spiritual maturity allows spouses to respond with self-control rather than entitlement. - Gratitude changes the atmosphere of a marriage. - Intimacy flourishes when both spouses feel accepted rather than evaluated. - Consistent connection matters more than perfect moments. 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

  2. Sep 22

    Why Healthy Marriages Are the Future of the Church

    If we want stronger families and stronger faith in the next generation, where should we start? According to Devin Tharp, it starts with healthy marriages. In Part 2 of this conversation, Brad Rhoads and Devin discuss why churches often invest heavily in children's and student ministries while overlooking the foundation that supports them both: marriage. They explore how intentional marriage discipleship creates healthier families, why beautiful marriages are one of the greatest evangelistic tools available, and how even small investments can dramatically change the trajectory of couples and churches. In this episode: - Why healthy marriages produce healthy families - The connection between marriage and generational faith - Why the church has often prioritized the wrong ministries - How beautiful marriages become compelling to unbelievers - Why prevention beats crisis management - How phones quietly damage connection - One Grace Marriage lesson that changed Devin's weekly rhythm - Why undivided attention is one of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: - The primary disciplers of children are parents, not the church. - Healthy marriages strengthen the faith of the next generation. - Marriage ministry isn't simply divorce prevention—it's creating marriages people want to imitate. - Young adults often reject marriage because they've rarely seen beautiful marriages modeled. - Churches should invest in marriages before problems become crises. - Many marriages live in the "5 or 6 out of 10" range where intentional discipleship makes a huge difference. - Beauty attracts people more than obligation ever will. - Phones often steal emotional presence long before couples realize it. - Putting away distractions and offering undivided attention strengthens intimacy. - Small, consistent investments produce lasting change. 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

  3. Sep 15

    Why Every Church Needs an Ongoing Marriage Ministry

    Healthy churches are built on healthy marriages, but most churches only engage marriage at the beginning or the end. In this episode, Brad Rhoads talks with Devin Tharp, Family Pastor at Good Shepherd Church and President of Charlotte Marriage, about building a church culture that proactively disciples marriages instead of simply responding to marital crises. Devin shares how his church moved from occasional date nights to a complete marriage discipleship pathway, why healthy marriages transform families, and why investing in marriage may be one of the greatest opportunities churches have to shape the next generation. In this episode: - Why marriage ministry shouldn't begin and end with premarital counseling - The difference between crisis management and crisis prevention - How healthy marriages disciple children naturally - The weekly rhythms that have strengthened Devin's 27-year marriage - Why churches need an ongoing pathway for marriage discipleship - How Good Shepherd Church built a comprehensive marriage ministry - Why Grace Marriage became the missing piece after Re|Engage - The importance of creating a church culture where marriage investment is normal 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: - Healthy marriages create healthy families, and healthy families disciple the next generation. - Couples don't naturally stay connected—they need intentional rhythms. - Devin's weekly rhythm includes Scripture individually, praying together daily, a protected Friday date day, and Grace Marriage workbook discussions. - Couples often believe love alone will sustain a marriage, but healthy marriages require ongoing investment. - Many churches invest heavily in premarital counseling and crisis counseling but neglect everything in between. - Churches should move from crisis management toward crisis prevention. - Marriage ministry is fundamentally discipleship. - Re|Engage provides intensive marriage discipleship, while Grace - ---- -- Marriage provides the ongoing rhythm needed afterward. - Churches don't need to create all their own curriculum—they can leverage excellent existing resources. - Marriage ministry should become part of the normal discipleship culture of the church. 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

  4. Sep 8

    Your Marriage Needs Margin, Not More Busyness

    Busy couples rarely drift apart because they stopped loving each other. More often, life simply crowds out the time and attention their marriage needs. In Part 2 with Frontline Marriage Founders Matt and Angel Rigsby, Brad Rhoads explores how couples can stay connected in demanding seasons without waiting for life to slow down. Matt and Angel share their simple GROW framework for meaningful daily connection, how they intentionally create margin in their family schedule, and why sometimes loving your marriage means saying no...to activities, invitations, even good opportunities. They also unpack what actually makes a date a date, why gratitude changes how you see your spouse, and how learning to see your husband or wife through God’s eyes can reshape how you treat them. In this episode: - How to stay connected when life is genuinely busy - The GROW framework: Gratitude, Report, Own It, Worship - Why couples need margin instead of filling every available hour - How to say no to good things so you can say yes to your marriage - Why your kids do not need unlimited activities - The difference between spending time near each other and actually connecting - Whether movies and double dates really count as date nights - Why gratitude is one of the simplest ways to strengthen a marriage - How seeing your spouse through God’s eyes changes how you value them Matt and Angel have been married for 27 years and have spent approximately 15 years helping couples strengthen and restore their marriages. Learn more at FrontlineMarriage.com. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: - Couples do not have to wait for life to slow down before reconnecting. They need to become intentional with the moments they already have. - GROW gives couples a simple rhythm for daily connection:   - G — Gratitude: Share something you appreciate about your spouse.   - R — Report: Keep each other updated on schedules, responsibilities, and life.   - O — Own It: Take responsibility, apologize, and clear unresolved tension.   - W — Worship: Ask how you can pray for one another and pray together. - Ten or fifteen intentional minutes can be more relationally valuable than hours spent distracted in the same room. - A life without margin eventually makes connection nearly impossible. - Saying yes to every opportunity inevitably means saying no to something else—often your spouse or family. - Parents have permission to limit activities. Children do not need every opportunity available to them. - Being together is not automatically the same as connecting. - Double dates can be great, but they should not necessarily replace one-on-one time with your spouse. - A movie can be part of a meaningful date, but couples should ask whether they actually connected. - Gratitude shifts attention away from frustrations and toward what is good and praiseworthy in your spouse. - The way you value something determines the way you treat it. - God—not you—is ultimately the “appraiser” of your spouse. Your spouse bears God’s image and should be treated accordingly. 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

  5. Sep 1

    Your Spouse Was Never Meant to Meet All Your Needs

    What happens when you expect your spouse to provide the security, identity, love, and fulfillment that only God can give? Frontline Marriage Founders Matt and Angel Rigsby join Brad Rhoads to talk about one of the most common dynamics they see in struggling marriages: spouses looking to each other as their ultimate source. When those expectations inevitably go unmet, disappointment can turn your spouse from your partner into the person you blame. Matt and Angel share lessons from 27 years of marriage and 15 years of marriage ministry, including how couples drift onto autopilot, why communication problems often have deeper roots, and how putting Jesus back at the center changes the way husbands and wives love one another. In this episode: - Why your spouse was never designed to meet every emotional need - How unmet expectations turn into resentment and conflict - The difference between your source, partner, and enemy - Why two emotionally empty people cannot fill each other - How your relationship with Jesus changes your marriage - Why healthy change requires addressing the root, not just the fruit - How spouses can support each other during difficult seasons without becoming responsible for each other’s wholeness Matt and Angel have been married for 27 years and have spent approximately 15 years helping couples strengthen and restore their marriages. Learn more about their work at FrontlineMarriage.com. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: - Jesus is your source; your spouse is your partner. Expecting a spouse to provide what only God can provide places impossible pressure on marriage. - Unmet expectations can slowly cause husbands and wives to begin viewing each other as the problem—or even the enemy. - Many couples don’t intentionally choose disconnection; they gradually move onto autopilot. - Two people looking to each other for identity, security, purpose, and worth will eventually exhaust one another. - A healthy vertical relationship with Christ produces healthier horizontal relationships. - When a person is being filled by Christ, they have something healthy to pour into their spouse rather than continually demanding to be filled by them. - Good counseling cannot merely address outward behavior. Lasting transformation requires addressing the roots producing the behavior. - Marriage still involves mutual care and sacrifice. Saying your spouse is not your “source” does not mean spouses stop meeting one another’s needs. - Difficult seasons are opportunities for spouses to function as partners: supporting, serving, and carrying one another when one is struggling. - A spouse walking in the fruit of the Spirit naturally creates an environment where the other spouse feels more valued, safe, and loved. 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

  6. Aug 25

    Is Your Marriage Taking a Back Seat to Your Kids?

    Children are one of God's greatest gifts...but they were never meant to replace your marriage. In this episode, Brad and Marilyn Rhoads unpack the subtle drift toward a child-centered home and why so many couples lose each other while trying to be great parents. You'll discover why putting your spouse first isn't selfish...it's one of the greatest gifts you can give your children. Discover: - Why 2/3 of marriages experience a drop in satisfaction when kids enter the picture - How travel sports and over-parenting can hurt your marriage - The danger of the empty nest crisis—and how to avoid it - How to raise independent kids without losing your marriage in the process - Why prioritizing your marriage is one of the best things you can do for your kids Take Action:  ✅ Evaluate Priorities – Are you giving all your energy to your kids at the expense of your marriage? ✅ Set Boundaries – Avoid overcommitting to activities that pull you and your spouse apart. ✅ Make Date Night Non-Negotiable – Even if it means missing a kid’s event. ✅ Give Each Other Breaks – Swap responsibilities so both spouses get time to rest. ✅ Teach Kids Independence – Let them solve problems instead of catering to every need. ✅ Communicate as a Couple – Check in regularly to keep your marriage strong. ✅ Don’t Worship Your Kids – Keep your marriage first; it’s what gives kids security. 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

  7. Aug 18

    Why Men Miss the Signs of a Struggling Marriage 🤦‍♂️ (and How to Fix It)

    Many men think their marriage is fine—until it’s not. In this episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, Brad and Rick dive into the common mistakes men make, from ignoring their wife’s requests to underestimating her emotional needs. Discover how small cracks in communication and responsiveness can lead to major marital struggles—and what you can do to fix it before it’s too late. Discover: - Why men often feel their marriage is fine while their wife feels disconnected. - The danger of non-responsiveness and how small neglects build resentment. - The key warning signs that your wife is feeling unheard, unimportant, or hopeless. - Practical strategies to listen better, prioritize your marriage, and strengthen your connection. Key Scriptures: - Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” - 1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” - Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” 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 LUL2TZHDN6O5BOHL

  8. Aug 11

    Grace Changes Everything! Building Your Marriage on a Firm Foundation

    In this episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, hosts Brad and Marilyn Rhoads explore the concept of grace in relationships, emphasizing its importance in building strong, healthy marriages. They discuss the transition from performance-based to grace-based relationships, the significance of intentionality, and how to navigate difficult situations while maintaining grace and accountability. The conversation highlights the transformative power of understanding and extending grace, both in marriage and in one's relationship with God. 🎙️ Subscribe for weekly conversations to inspire and equip your marriage with grace and intentionality. #MarriageGoals #GraceMarriage

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About

The Grace Marriage Podcast is a weekly conversation designed to encourage and equip couples to cultivate a marriage built on grace and intentionality, and that thrives through life’s ups and downs. Hosted by Brad and Marilyn Rhoads, along with Rick Dayton, the podcast offers practical wisdom and inspiring stories to help couples build a marriage that reflects God's love and grace.

Information

  • Creator
    Brad & Marilyn Rhoads
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Grace Marriage
  • Show Website
    The Grace Marriage Podcast

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