All episodes

How do you strengthen and maintain your marriage over the long haul? Aaron and Jennifer Smith use the picture of an abandoned, decaying building versus a renovated one to show that anything not maintained, including our faith and our marriages, slowly breaks down. The grass is greener where you water it. Drawing seven qualities from 2 Peter 1, they walk through virtue and purity, knowledge of God and of your spouse, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. They also look at Hebrews 3:12-14 and the call to exhort one another every day, and clarify that this is about walking...

Self-discrepancy is the gap between who we are and who we want to be, and if we are honest, we all feel it. Kicking off the new year and a return to weekly episodes, Aaron and Jennifer Smith share candidly about a hard stretch in their own marriage and how God used it to reveal areas that need to change. Jennifer explains why discrepancy became her word for the year, drawing on self-discrepancy theory and the idea of absolute error when God's word is the true measure. They talk through Romans 7 and 8, Matthew 7, James 3, and Proverbs...

The best marriage advice we have learned from 16 years of marriage, shared as Aaron and Jennifer Smith approach their 16th wedding anniversary on January 6, 2023. These marriage tips have revolutionized their relationship, and some played a large part in saving their marriage from divorce: pray a lot, most likely you are the one who is wrong, remember we are finite and limited, take the next right step, you are on the same team, your spouse is your type, we are both sinners who need Jesus, the gospel heals all, never talk badly about your spouse to others, protect...

How do you affirm your wife, and why do daily affirmations matter so much? In this episode Aaron surprises Jennifer by reading her seven written affirmations on the air, calling her thoughtful and caring, an incredible mother, his best friend, a godly woman, and one of the bravest and strongest women he knows, and Jennifer shares her honest, often self-critical first reactions to each one. Aaron and Jennifer use the exercise to show how quickly we default to our own inner accusations and the enemy's lies, and why couples should intentionally speak affirming, true words to each other and to...

How do you forgive your spouse when you don't feel like it? In this episode of the Marriage After God podcast, Aaron and Jennifer Smith describe forgiveness as the relief of tension, like finally letting go of a band you have been stretching across your chest. They wrestle with honest questions: why forgive when they are wrong, what if they have not repented, and what if it happens again? Walking through Matthew 6:12-15 and Peter's question in Matthew 18, they show why forgiveness is so unnatural, why it can only be done in the power of the Holy Spirit, and...

What does a chicken coop have to do with marriage? In this episode of the Marriage After God podcast, Aaron and Jennifer Smith share the story of building a 400-square-foot chicken coop from recycled pole-barn lumber after taking in 23 chickens, and what it taught them about doing hard things together. Whether it is a DIY project, a job, a ministry opportunity, or raising kids, every couple faces hard things. They talk about counting the cost before you commit, listening to your spouse's wise insight, not starting new projects mid-stream, and encouraging each other when you want to quit. Grounded...

Does your past baggage affect your present marriage? In this episode of the Marriage After God podcast, Aaron and Jennifer Smith talk about the hurts, addictions, fears, and lies we believe about ourselves that we keep carrying into marriage, and how they cause us to react instead of respond. Aaron shares his own baggage of a harsh, argumentative communication style and the insecurity behind some of the things he held onto. Together they walk through four practical steps to let God clean out what we carry: humble yourself to hear the truth, confess it without minimizing, pray for transformation, and...

Looking for conversation starters for couples? In this episode of the Marriage After God podcast, Aaron and Jennifer Smith take turns asking each other questions and giving unscripted, candid answers about childhood memories, favorite foods, irrational fears, parenting, careers, and what they would relive if they could. They even talk about whether to have a sixth child. Along the way they show how light, candid conversations build closeness and quality time in marriage, reflect on the flexibility that makes their partnership unique, and land on the one purpose that shapes their marriage, parenting, and work: following Christ. It is a...

What do you do when God's plan doesn't match yours? In this episode of the Marriage After God podcast, Aaron and Jennifer Smith share how missionary work, having five kids, homeschooling, and even their business turned out differently than they planned, including a season when Hobby Lobby orders surged and then shrank and Aaron had to surrender his sense of security. Aaron pushes back on oversimplified open-door, closed-door thinking about God's will and explains why God is often more interested in our obedience and how we respond than in showing us which path to take. With Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 3:5-6,...

How do you cultivate deep and meaningful friendships as a married couple? In this episode of the Marriage After God podcast, Aaron and Jennifer Smith reflect on the friendships God has given them in many places over the years and why deep friendship within the body of Christ is a necessity, not an option, since believers are not meant to be floating islands. They talk honestly about conflict as the hardest part of friendship and the urge to run away, and they challenge comfort-only friendships by pointing to Jesus inviting all twelve disciples, including Judas. Practical encouragement includes asking deeper...