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. 1d ago

    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

  2. Aug 11

    Grace Changes Everything! Building Your Marriage on a Firm Foundation

    In this episode of the Grace Marriage Podcast, hosts Brad and Marilyn Rhodes 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

  3. Aug 4

    Stop Trying to Fix Your Spouse

    What if your attempts to improve your spouse are actually making your marriage worse? Brad Rhoads continues his conversation with worship leader and longtime friend Brandon Swanner about criticism, correction, and the freedom that comes when grace becomes the defining atmosphere of a marriage. Brandon shares how a temporary “rebuke fast” exposed how frequently he and his wife corrected one another (and how quickly their home became more peaceful when they learned to overlook minor offenses). Together, Brad and Brandon discuss the difference between addressing serious issues and constantly policing preferences, why struggling spouses need compassion rather than criticism, and how delighting in God’s grace changes the way we see the person we married. In This Episode: Why Brandon once believed correcting his wife was part of spiritual leadershipWhat happened when Brandon and Tara stopped rebuking each otherHow to distinguish serious issues from ordinary annoyancesWhy many of your spouse’s quirks probably will not changeHow constant criticism creates distance and defensivenessWhy a struggling spouse needs support—not another lectureThe importance of genuine affirmation rather than compliments used to soften criticismHow your identity in God’s grace shapes the way you treat your spouseWhy a healthy marriage gives credibility to the advice you offer othersHow delight, patience, prayer, and self-control create a more peaceful home 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: Marriage thrives when we stop trying to remake our spouse into our image and start loving them as the person God created them to be.Your spouse does not need you to constantly correct them; they need to experience your grace, love, and pursuit.There is a difference between lovingly addressing sin and constantly criticizing preferences.A home becomes healthier when correction becomes the exception rather than the atmosphere.Overlooking minor offenses is not ignoring problems—it is choosing love over unnecessary conflict.Many frustrations in marriage come from trying to make your spouse more like you instead of appreciating how God created them.Your spouse’s weaknesses are opportunities to practice humility, patience, and Christlike love.When your spouse is struggling, ask how you can help them thrive before asking how they need to change.Genuine affirmation cannot be a strategy to soften criticism; it must come from genuine delight in your spouse.How you see yourself under God’s grace impacts how you see and treat your spouse.A spouse who feels loved, known, and accepted is more likely to grow than a spouse who feels constantly evaluated.The best correction comes from someone who has already established a foundation of love and trust.Healthy marriages are built through intentional pursuit, self-control, forgiveness, and a willingness to lay down personal preferences. 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. Jul 28

    Don’t Sacrifice Your Marriage for Ministry

    Ministry can reward the very habits that quietly damage a marriage. In this episode, Brad Rhoads talks with Brandon Swanner, a longtime pastor and worship leader, about the pressures that pull church leaders away from their spouses. They discuss how long hours, people-pleasing, public affirmation, and the constant needs of ministry can make neglect look like faithfulness. They also explore the importance of trusted friends who lovingly intervene, why character and family health matter more than talent, and how a beautiful, authentic marriage can become one of a church leader’s most powerful forms of ministry. In This Episode - How ministry pressure can unintentionally harm a healthy marriage - Why church leaders receive more praise for working than for going home -The friends who challenged them to become better husbands - Why loving correction can alter the course of a family - How talent can disguise problems in a leader’s home - Why spiritual authority is connected to character and family life - How healthy marriages become models for younger couples -What church members can do to support their pastors’ marriages 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: - Ministry success should never come at the expense of a leader’s spouse. - Churches often celebrate visible work while overlooking faithfulness at home. - Trusted friends should be willing to challenge one another to love their spouses well. - Advice about marriage carries greater weight when it comes from someone living it authentically. - Talent and charisma cannot permanently compensate for weak character or an unhealthy home. - A beautiful marriage gives credibility and authority to a leader’s public ministry. - Couples often learn more by observing healthy homes than by receiving instruction alone. - Church leaders must visibly prioritize their marriages if they expect their congregation to do the same. 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. Jul 21

    Stop Letting One Problem Define Your Marriage

    Marriage isn’t defined by its biggest problem...it’s defined by the whole relationship. In this episode, Brad Rhoads and Jeremy Bennett discuss why couples often allow one unresolved issue to overshadow everything that’s healthy in their marriage. They explore how unrealistic expectations, differences in personality, and life’s daily frustrations can distort our perspective and make a normal struggle feel like a failing marriage. You’ll learn how to put problems in their proper place, extend grace to your spouse, respond with humility, and pursue growth without letting one issue become the lens through which you see your entire relationship. In This Episode: * Why one issue can consume your view of your marriage * How to tell the difference between a problem and a crisis * Why the traits you loved while dating often frustrate you after marriage * The danger of expecting your spouse to meet every need * How grace and repentance keep marriages healthy * Why Christ—not your spouse—is your ultimate source of satisfaction * How ongoing marriage investment prevents small issues from becoming major ones 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: * Don’t let one weakness define an otherwise healthy marriage. * Keep problems in perspective instead of allowing them to consume your thinking. * Differences are invitations for growth, not proof you’ve married the wrong person. * Healthy marriages are built on grace, repentance, and realistic expectations. * Your spouse was never meant to carry the weight that only Christ can bear. * Address small issues early before they grow into crises. 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. Jul 14

    Quit SAYING Marriage Is Important and TREAT IT That Way

    Most couples do not arrive at crisis overnight. They drift there. In this episode, Brad Rhoads and Jeremy Bennett talk about how busyness, fatigue, kids, stress, grief, and everyday life can slowly push marriage to the margins. They discuss why couples must intentionally pursue each other even when they do not feel like it, and why churches must boldly shepherd people toward a marriage-first culture. In This Episode: * Why couples drift into crisis over time * How hard seasons can quietly disconnect spouses * Why dating your spouse needs consistency * Why marriage investment cannot depend on feelings * How churches can challenge a child-centered culture * Why pastors must model and teach marriage priority * How couples can shift the drift starting today 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: * Most couples drift into crisis; they do not suddenly arrive there * Marriage needs consistent investment, not occasional attention * Dating becomes easier when it becomes non-negotiable * Life will always offer reasons to postpone marriage * Churches should challenge cultural patterns that marginalize marriage * Pastors cannot cast a vision they are unwilling to live * Couples should stop saying marriage matters and start treating it that way 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. Jul 7

    Marriage Ministry Is Bigger Than a Program

    Marriage ministry is about more than helping couples fight less. In this episode, Brad Rhoads and Jeremy Bennett talk about why churches need a bigger vision for marriage and marriage ministry. They explain the difference between running a marriage program and building a lasting ministry that disciples couples over time. Brad and Jeremy discuss the theological richness of marriage, why healthy marriages strengthen the entire church, and why churches should treat marriage ministry as an ongoing discipleship pathway, not a one-time event. In This Episode * Why marriage ministry needs a bigger vision * The difference between a program and a ministry * Why marriage is theologically central, not secondary * How healthy marriages strengthen kids, youth, finances, and church life * Why ongoing marriage discipleship matters * Why older couples should not be overlooked * How churches can build a culture that honors 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: * Marriage is bigger than helping couples get along better * A program creates moments, but a ministry creates formation * Churches need ongoing rhythms for marriage discipleship * Healthy marriages make every other ministry stronger * Marriage is a living picture of the gospel * Older couples still need investment and have wisdom to offer * Big vision drives budget, staffing, strategy, and culture 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

  8. Jun 30

    Are you TOO BUSY for your marriage??

    There will always be a reason not to invest in your marriage. In this episode, Brad Rhoads and Jeremy Bennett talk about why couples often drift away from intentional marriage investment, especially during busy seasons. They discuss how work, kids, sports, chores, church activities, and general exhaustion can slowly squeeze out the most important human relationship in the home. Brad and Jeremy challenge couples and church leaders to stop treating marriage as something that will work on autopilot and start making consistent, intentional investment a non-negotiable rhythm. In This Episode: * Why busy seasons are not a reason to neglect marriage * How couples unintentionally schedule over their marriage * Why marriage needs protected time, not leftovers * How church leaders can shepherd couples toward consistency * Why kids’ activities often get priority over marriage * How consistent investment changes marriage over time * Why couples need to decide whether they are part of the problem or the answer 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more couples discover the hope of a grace-filled marriage. 🔑 KEY IDEAS: * There will always be a good excuse not to invest in marriage * Marriage does not thrive on autopilot * Consistent investment matters more than occasional intensity * Church culture can push couples toward or away from marriage priority * Prioritizing marriage creates a healthier home for children * Missing one rhythm makes it easier to miss the next * Couples can change the culture of their home immediately 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

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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
    88
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Grace Marriage
  • Show Website
    The Grace Marriage Podcast