Bringing Hope Home

Schaffer Ministries

Welcome to Bringing Hope Home with Bryce and Colette Schaffer! We're pastors, authors, and a couple who've been married for nearly 30 years, and we're here to help you build a peaceful, Christ-centered home. Each week, we dive into real talk about marriage, parenting, and family life from a biblical perspective. Whether you're newlyweds finding your way, parents in the thick of it, or a couple working to reconnect, we're bringing practical wisdom, honest conversations, and hope-filled encouragement straight to your earbuds. We believe your home can be your peaceful sanctuary - and we're here to help you create it, one episode at a time. Bring hope home to your life today!

  1. 1d ago

    True Freedom vs. False Freedom: The Lie That's Wrecking Christian Marriages

    Send a question or topic you want to hear What if the "freedom" you're chasing is actually a trap — and the boundaries you're resisting are actually your protection? In this episode of Bringing Hope Home, pastors Bryce and Colette Schaffer unpack the difference between true freedom in Christ and the false freedom the world (and the enemy) keeps selling us — and how that lie quietly shows up in marriage, parenting, and everyday life. Tracing the pattern from the Garden of Eden to the prodigal son, Bryce and Colette show how false freedom always promises more but delivers less. They dig into Romans 6 (slave to sin or slave to righteousness), Galatians 5 (standing fast in liberty), and John 10:10 — and offer practical ways to identify the "yokes" quietly stealing your peace, your joy, and your marriage. In this episode: Why the enemy's oldest trick is convincing us God's boundaries are a cageThe prodigal son and the real cost of freedom apart from GodWhy boundaries are protection, not punishmentThree freedoms found in Christ — and what they mean for your marriageHow to recognize what you're "yoked" to and reclaim true libertyWhether you're newly married, raising a family, or fighting to save a marriage on the brink, this conversation will challenge what you believe about freedom — and point you back to the peace, joy, and liberty God intended for your home all along. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if this episode encourages you, please rate, review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Resources: Schafferministries.com How Healthy Is Your Marriage? Take the Quiz Follow us on Instagram Join our monthly newsletter Check out our books and products

  2. Aug 24

    Is There a Right Time to Get Married or Have Kids? Biblical Timing for Marriage & Family

    Send a question or topic you want to hear What's the "right" age to get married? To have kids? Research says 27, with three-plus years of dating — but pastors Bryce and Colette Schaffer aren't so sure a number tells the whole story. In this episode of Bringing Hope Home, Bryce and Colette (married 31 years, pastors for 20) tackle one of the most common questions couples bring to them: when is the right time for marriage, kids, or a major life step? They walk through six practical questions — emotional readiness, capacity for change, desire for growth, shifting responsibilities, and counting the cost — plus the one factor that matters more than any of them: God's timing. Pulling from their own story of marrying young and weathering plenty of critics along the way, Bryce and Colette share how leaning on Colossians 3:15 — being led by peace, not feelings or circumstances — has carried their marriage for three decades. Whether you're dating, engaged, newly married, or wondering if it's time to grow your family, this episode will help you trade the pressure of a timeline for the peace of God's plan. If this episode speaks to you, subscribe to Bringing Hope Home, share it with a friend, and take our free "How Healthy Is Your Marriage?" quiz to see where your marriage stands today. Ready to go deeper? Check out our Marriage Builders course, built to help you build your marriage on a firm foundation from the ground up. Bring hope home to your life today. Resources: Schafferministries.com How Healthy Is Your Marriage? Take the Quiz Follow us on Instagram Join our monthly newsletter Check out our books and products

  3. Aug 10

    Deepening Your Roots as a Couple: What Research Says About Connected Marriages

    Send a question or topic you want to hear Marriages don't drift apart overnight — they drift one disconnected day at a time. In this episode, Bryce and Colette Schaffer explore a 2024 Wheatley Institute study comparing high-connecting couples to low-connecting couples, revealing the specific habits and virtues that make the biggest difference in a marriage. Discover the four relationship habits — time together, acts of kindness, forgiveness, and relationship maintenance — along with the three marital virtues of commitment, other-centeredness, and compassion that set thriving marriages apart. Bryce and Colette get personal, sharing real stories from over 30 years of marriage, including lessons learned about sarcasm and communication, navigating seasons of low intimacy, sharing the load as a team, and why serving together in ministry deepened their own connection. If you're ready to deepen your roots as a couple — whether you're newly married or feeling distant after years together — this episode offers practical, Scripture-centered steps to help your marriage flourish through every season of life. Bryce and Colette Schaffer are pastors of New Hope Church in Timber Lake, SD, with over 20 years in ministry together. They are the creators of the Marriage Builders course and authors of several books on marriage and navigating life's hardest seasons through faith. Bring hope home to your life today. Resources: Schafferministries.com How Healthy Is Your Marriage? Take the Quiz Follow us on Instagram Join our monthly newsletter Check out our books and products

  4. Aug 3

    Biblical Masculinity & Femininity: God's Design for Men and Women in Marriage

    Send a question or topic you want to hear What does the Bible really say about being a godly man or a godly woman? In this episode, Pastors Bryce and Colette Schaffer take on one of the most talked-about topics in marriage and culture today: biblical masculinity and femininity. Using Galatians 3:28 as their starting point, they show why God's design for men and women was never about a hierarchy of worth, but about complementary roles rooted in love and purpose. They explore the Proverbs 31 woman and Lydia from Acts 16 as examples of biblical femininity — women who were wise, capable, business-minded, and deeply devoted to bringing Christ into their homes. Then Bryce shares what biblical masculinity looks like in light of Ephesians 5 and 1 Peter: sacrificial love, servant leadership, covering, and being a watchman for the family. Bryce and Colette also dig into what "submission" really means (hint: it's not what you think), and close with a powerful reminder of everything Jesus wasn't — weak, prideful, passive, emotionless, or isolated — as the model for how both men and women are called to live. If you've ever felt confused, frustrated, or even a little defensive about "gender roles" in marriage, this episode offers clarity, grace, and hope for your home. 🏠 Bring hope home to your life today. Resources: Schafferministries.com How Healthy Is Your Marriage? Take the Quiz Follow us on Instagram Join our monthly newsletter Check out our books and products

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About

Welcome to Bringing Hope Home with Bryce and Colette Schaffer! We're pastors, authors, and a couple who've been married for nearly 30 years, and we're here to help you build a peaceful, Christ-centered home. Each week, we dive into real talk about marriage, parenting, and family life from a biblical perspective. Whether you're newlyweds finding your way, parents in the thick of it, or a couple working to reconnect, we're bringing practical wisdom, honest conversations, and hope-filled encouragement straight to your earbuds. We believe your home can be your peaceful sanctuary - and we're here to help you create it, one episode at a time. Bring hope home to your life today!

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