All episodes

How to pray for your spouse with sincerity instead of empty words: in part three of our eight-part series on Jesus' teaching about prayer, Aaron and Jennifer Smith unpack Matthew 6:7, where Jesus warns against heaping up empty phrases like those who think they will be heard for their many words. They explain why the length and eloquence of a prayer don't move God (the Lord's Prayer takes about 13 seconds to pray), how persistent petition differs from autopilot repetition, and why God values a sincere heart over polished words. You'll also get a practical list of what to pray...

When should you pray, and where? In part two of our eight-part series on Jesus' teaching about prayer, Aaron and Jennifer Smith look at the call in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing and Jesus' instruction in Matthew 6:6 to go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father in secret. They discuss intentional, distraction-free prayer, why "secret" means praying for God alone rather than to be seen, and two ways to apply "shut the door" in marriage: praying together with your spouse in that shared sacred space, and praying privately for your spouse before confronting...

How to pray for your spouse and marriage, starting with Jesus' own teaching: this opening episode of an eight-part series walks through Matthew 6:5-15, one or two verses at a time, pulling out principles couples can apply to their prayer life. Aaron and Jennifer Smith begin with why Jesus needed to teach prayer at all, concluding that prayer is learned, then focus on Matthew 6:5 and His warning against praying like the hypocrites. They explain the Greek idea behind "hypocrite" as an actor wearing a mask and ask hard questions: What is motivating me to pray? What reward am I...

What can New Testament relationships teach your marriage? In part two of this series, Aaron and Jennifer Smith look at five relationships from the New Testament and what they reveal about love, loyalty, honesty and reconciliation. They start with the cautionary tale of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, a couple who agreed together in deceit, then turn to Priscilla and Aquila, a courageous, hospitable couple who worked and traveled together, hosted a church, and boldly corrected Apollos. They explore Jesus' inner circle of Peter, James and John, Jesus' restoration of Peter after three denials with three questions of "Do...

What can relationships in the Bible teach us about marriage? In part one of this two-part series, Aaron and Jennifer Smith explore five powerful Old Testament relationships and the spiritual and practical insights they offer couples today. Starting with a rubber-band picture of why husband and wife must move together, they look at Isaac and Rebekah's willingness and love (Genesis 24 and 26), the soul-knit loyalty of Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 18), Ruth's clinging faithfulness to Naomi (Ruth 1), Boaz's redemption and compassion toward Ruth (Ruth 2), and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego standing firm together under testing (Daniel...

What should you never forget in marriage? Aaron and Jennifer Smith explore why God gave us the ability to remember and why He repeatedly commanded Israel to remember His works and His salvation. They walk through the science of memory, including how neurons connect and form synapses, the different types of memory, and why we forget, with a nod to the movie Inside Out. Then they share more than 20 things couples should never forget: anniversaries, kissing, affirming each other, that your spouse doesn't exist just to serve you, that you're still dating, your boundaries, walking together spiritually, that you...

Marriage advice for your 20s from Aaron and Jennifer Smith. In this behind-the-scenes episode they reflect on a season of podcast interviews for The Marriage Gift, including The Dad Tired Podcast with Jerred Lopes, His & Her Money, Truth for Your Twenties, and The Christian Parenting Podcast. Those conversations sent them back to their origin story and the first roughly four years of marriage, when intimacy was nearly nonexistent and God used that suffering to refine idols, pride and selfishness out of them. They share advice for their 20-year-old selves, from Aaron addressing pornography sooner to being the spouse you're...

The power of positive affirmation in marriage: Aaron and Jennifer Smith explore how one word of encouragement can turn a day around and how reminding each other of the truth keeps us going when life gets hard. Jennifer shares how seeking her jiu-jitsu coach's approval convicted her to seek God's affirmation first, and they walk through how God affirms us through His Word, from 2 Timothy 1:7 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 to Romans 8. When you're filled by the Lord, you can pour into your spouse without affirmation becoming a needy dependency. They share practical ways to affirm your spouse,...

Is happiness in marriage about feeling good? Aaron and Jennifer Smith explore the pursuit of happiness and the difference between fleshly satisfaction and spiritual blessedness. They explain how chemicals like dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin create fleeting good feelings through food, sex, comfort and approval, discuss a short film about a rat chasing happiness in New York, and look at a study finding marriage to be the best predictor of happiness in America. Drawing on 16+ years of marriage, including hard seasons, they warn against defining your marriage by feelings and turn to Ecclesiastes 1:7-8, Romans 8:13 and Psalm 1:1-3 to...

Mid-year motivation for couples: if you started the year strong but your goals have stalled, Aaron and Jennifer Smith want to remind you it's not too late. They talk about why we set goals in the first place, whether weight loss, finances, learning something new, or spiritual growth, and what happens when we get overwhelmed, distracted, or fall off the wagon. Reframing the real aim as becoming someone rather than attaining a fixed number, they explain why the process matters, why failing in one area shouldn't define the whole effort, and practical steps to get back on track: forgive yourself,...