Brave Marriage Podcast

Hey Brave Marriage Podcast listeners! Dropping in an episode with friend of the show and former podcast guest, Sheila Wray Gregoire. Sheila and her team at Bare Marriage have written a new book for millennial mothers and daughters called She Deserves Better. Their latest book builds upon a lot of the research outcomes they published in The Great Sex Rescue, and answers the question that many are asking the evangelical church which is: “Where do we go from here?” If you’re not familiar with her work, Sheila Wray Gregoire is the face behind the largest single-blogger marriage blog, which was rebranded a few years ago to Bare Marriage. With her witty, no-nonsense approach, Sheila and her team are passionate about changing the evangelical conversation about sex and marriage to line up with kingdom principles. Sheila is based in Ontario, Canada, where she lives with her husband and has two adult daughters and two grandchildren. Resource Links: Ep. 142 - A Couple’s Guide to Great Sex She Deserves Better The Great Sex Rescue Bare Marriage Blog Self of the Therapist (Kensi’s Substack) Podcast Editing by: Kensi & Evan Duszynski Music by: John Tibbs

Dr. Keith and Sheila Wray Gregoire join us for a healthy conversation about married sex that combines Scripture AND research. If you want to resolve to have better sex this spring, go pre-order their new books (releasing March 15th)! RESOURCE LINKS: The Good Guy’s Guide to Great Sex The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex The Great Sex Rescue Orgasm & Libido Online Courses Bare Marriage Podcast Sheila’s Sex and Marriage Blog Podcast Editing by: Evan Duszynski Music by: John Tibbs

Carolyn Custis James talks to us about The Blessed Alliance; the real purpose of the marriage between men and women in light of the mission of God; and the Bible as a foreign text set in the context of patriarchy. It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss! RESOURCE LINKS: carolyncustisjames.com Malestrom: Manhood Swept into the Currents of a Changing World Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women When Life and Beliefs Collide: How Knowing God Makes a Difference The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules Podcast Editing by: Evan Duszynski Music by: John Tibbs RESOURCE LINKS: carolyncustisjames.com Malestrom: Manhood Swept into the Currents of a Changing World Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women When Life and Beliefs Collide: How Knowing God Makes a Difference The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules Podcast Editing by: Evan Duszynski Music by: John Tibbs

Reverend Erin Moniz and Blake Dean talk to us about why mutuality matters for Christian couples, for the church at large, and how it’s impacted their marriages in different stages. If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to tune in to the Mutuality Matters Podcast, part of the CBE International media network! RESOURCE LINKS: CBE International Mutuality Matters Podcast Podcast Editing by: Evan Duszynski, MA Music by: John Tibbs

When read in light of Aristotle’s household codes, Ephesians 5 means something completely different than what we’ve made it mean today. If Christ is the head and collectively, we are the body and bride of Christ, what does this mean for the way we live out our faith, our family relationships, and our fellowship with the family of God? If you’ve learned something new here and are enjoying this series on “Marriage, Mutuality, and Gender Roles,” please leave a rating & review! Podcasting by: Kensi Duszynski, MA, LMFT, CPC Editing by: Evan Duszynski, MA Music by: John Tibbs

Brandon and Haley Weaver talk with us about growing up egalitarian, being introduced to complementarianism in college, and what equality in marriage and ministry look like from their perspective! If you enjoy this episode, please take a quick second to tap the stars below to leave a rating and review! Podcast Editing by: Evan Duszynski, MA Music by: John Tibbs

In the beginning, God was good. He created us for intimacy, co-dominion, and co-stewardship of His creation. Male-female relationships and marriage may have gotten distorted after the Fall, but in the beginning, it was not so. Listen in to hear what Genesis 1-3 has to say about God Himself; God’s original design for humanity; and God’s plan for salvation following the consequences of sin. You might be surprised to learn what’s actually in the creation narratives…and what’s not. If you’ve learned something new here and are enjoying this series on “Marriage, Mutuality, and Gender Roles,” please leave a rating & review! Podcasting by: Kensi Duszynski, MA, LMFT, CPC Editing by: Evan Duszynski, MA Music by: John Tibbs FULL TRANSCRIPT: Welcome back to the Brave Marriage Podcast! Thank you so much for your earnest desire to grow as individuals, do marriage with intention, and live a mutually empowered, purposeful life in Christ. I’m really glad to be working my way through this series with you and really encouraged by some of the conversations I’ve been having lately. In upcoming weeks, we will get into a few interviews where we’ll dive more deeply into marriage and mutuality, but today, we’re covering marriage in the Creation account and after the Fall. I believe last episode, I said I’d cover Ephesians 5 as well, but that was a little ambitious, I found, and so that episode will drop on Monday, November 29th. And the reason I wanted to include these biblical teachings in a series on marriage, mutuality, and gender roles, is because I think for many of us, we’ve heard these passages so much that we often don’t even hear them for what they actually say, or we hear these verses so piece-milled to prove a point, that we don’t even understand their context. So what I’m hoping is that the questions posed in the last episode encouraged you toward your own reading of Scripture, because today, we’ll be diving into it together with fresh eyes and ears. Let’s start by taking a look at the Creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2: Genesis 1:26-31 says: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ [So notice, when God says, ‘let us make man in our image, and after our likeness,’ He’s referring to the relationality between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—whom we know as the Triune God. The word man used there is adam in Hebrew, and the them is ha’adam in Hebrew. It’s plural for humanity or mankind. And Scripture says that God made humans to have dominion over the earth and other created creatures—not dominion over each other.] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [In other words, from the Hebrew, God created mankind, in the image of God he created mankind; male and female he created mankind.] And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” So in the first creation narrative, here in chapter 1, we have the Creator God, who in the Hebrew in chapter one, is referred to as Elohim. Elohim, God, we’re told, created the earth and humanity in His image. And compared to other creation accounts at the time, this God was described quite differently. For one, He was...

What is egalitarianism? How is it different from complementarianism? On this episode, we explore what true equality in Christ means for us all, and how it should lead us to mutuality—in the home, in the church, and in the world. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the podcast! To work with Kensi Duszynski, MA, LMFT, CPC, visit bravemarriage.com.

What is complementarianism? Where did it begin? What are the practical effects of its teachings on real life couples and Christian communities? And how do we, as Christian couples and communities, do the most good and the least harm when it comes to how and what we teach? Tune in and stay tuned to engage in this conversation.

What have some of the most popular authors and speakers on Christian marriage had to say over the past 5 decades? We’ll talk what’s good, what’s bad, and what we’ve believed to be true—before questioning our assumptions about what we’ve been taught God wants for our marriage relationships.

Join me in conversation with Steve and Twyla Lee as we talk about their 47 years of marriage experience, plus 30 years of professional experience as Christians who work in the social sciences. As my first marriage and family studies professors, I had the privilege of learning from them personally and professionally as well. Today, they work with premarital couples all over the US at intentionalrelationships.org. 0 Likes

Did you know that the concept of marrying for love is only 200-300 years old? In this episode, we trace the love-based marriage back to its roots in the Enlightenment. Here, we’ll discover the emergence of complementarity as a way for society to promote social order and marriage cohesion in this brave new world, which rocked the five millennia -long foundation of the patriarchal structuring of marriage, family, and society. We’ll also explore the idea that while secular culture abandoned complementarity within gender hierarchy after the 1950s, certain parts of the evangelical church locked it in instead of envisioning a better way forward for Christian couples and families in the 20th-21st centuries. Book list and resource links can be found in the full transcript at bravemarriage.com/podcast.

We’re starting this conversation with a little understanding of history, how the 1950s defined marriage and split-sphere gender roles as we know them today. Together, we’ll consider this question: If Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 not to conform to the patterns of this world, then why does so much of what we’re taught today in the church reflect the culture of marriage in 1950s America rather than mirroring Christ? Book list and resource links can be found in the full transcript at bravemarriage.com/podcast.

Join Kensi Duszynski this fall as she facilitates a conversation around marital health, relational dynamics, and the proper place of gender roles in Christian marriage. Conversations will take place biweekly. To learn more, visit bravemarriage.com.

That’s right, folks. I’m pressing pause on the podcast for the moment. Thank you for sharing a small part of your week with me, and thanks for your understanding after listening to this episode! I’d love to leave you with a gift though…because if last year taught us anything, it’s that life is precious, people are not to be taken for granted, and despite the circumstances that are out of our control, there’s still so much we desire out of life. As such, I’ve created a “Reflection & Life Inventory” guide to help you take stock of last year, the one the lies ahead, and the life you intend to live and look back on with peace, love, and joy. To access that free guide, visit bravemarriage.com/2021 To stay in touch while the podcast is on pause, visit bravemarriage.com/quiz

New! Stress Management Series to help you (and me) through the end of the year. Based on a talk given earlier this year, Kensi gives practical tools to practice presence and connect with God and others in the process. To work with Kensi, visit bravemarriage.com. Thanks to John Tibbs for the amazing music each week, Evan Duszynski for podcast editing, & you listener, for tuning each week to make your marriage even better. May God be glorified in you and through your marriage.

New! Stress Management Series to help you (and me) through the end of the year. Based on a talk given earlier this year, Kensi gives practical tools and breathing techniques to manage stress and connect with God in the process. To work with Kensi, visit bravemarriage.com. Thanks to John Tibbs for the amazing music each week, Evan Duszynski for podcast editing, & you listener, for tuning each week to make your marriage even better. May God be glorified in you and through your marriage.

New! Stress Management Series to help all of us through the end of the year. Based on a talk given earlier this year, Kensi gives practical tools to manage stress and connect with God in the process. Sabbath Resources: Breathe, Priscilla Shirer Sacred Rhythms, Haley Ruth Barton Garden City, Jon Mark Comer Sabbath as Resistance, Walter Bruegemann To work with Kensi, visit bravemarriage.com. Thanks to John Tibbs for the amazing music each week, Evan Duszynski for podcast editing, & you listener, for tuning each week to make your marriage even better. May God be glorified in you and through your marriage.

If your spouse is disrespectful, and/or you find yourself treating your spouse the same way, then it’s time to set some real relational boundaries for the protection of your mental and emotional health. Below are some questions to ask and next steps to take as you think through setting unilateral boundaries: Identity: Am I relying on others’ praise to fill me up or give me a sense of self? Am I caving in any way to the criticism of others and believing what they say over what God says of me? In what ways do I need to place more of my worth and value in who God says I am? With whom do I need to set a boundary? Disrespect: Where do you need to set a boundary for yourself around defensiveness, criticism, contempt, or stonewalling? Which ones do you engage in and how can you catch yourself earlier on when you start to feel flooded, to stay in control of your reactions? Likewise, where do you need to set a boundary with your spouse? In what ways have you found yourself undermining your spouse? In what ways have you experienced your spouse undermining you? Move forward with setting your boundaries. Example: “I understand that you’re upset, but I can’t hear what you’re saying when you phrase it like that. The way you’re saying it is too hurtful to sink in. Now, I’d like to better understand where you’re coming from, but for me, we need to put this conversation on hold until both of us are calm, things are expressed differently, and I can better hear what you’re trying to say.” And then, follow through on your boundary! If your spouse won’t let it alone, reinforce your earlier statement. “I told you, I am not capable of having a conversation like this, so I’m walking away or taking some time until we can come back together and talk productively.” Bad Behavior: Here are a few linked resources with phone numbers to help: Domestic Violence Hotline + Support: 1-800-799-7233 Substance Abuse Hotline + Support: 1-800-662-4357 Mental Health Helpline + Resources: 1-800-950-6264 To work with Kensi, visit bravemarriage.com. Thanks to John Tibbs for the amazing music each week, Evan Duszynski for podcast editing, & you listener, for tuning each week to make your marriage even better. May God be glorified in you and through your marriage.

Have you ever created or expressed boundaries in your marriage? If not, learning how to create and set boundaries within your relationship may be the key to keeping it healthy. On today’s episode, we discuss setting boundaries around time, space, and decision-making. Here are the questions posed throughout the episode to discuss within your relationship: Time: How do you each prefer to spend your time? Are you and your spouse making it a priority to get the time and space you need to recharge and refuel so that you can be your best for those around you? If not, how can you work together to create some boundaries around your time that lead to mutual happiness in your marriage? Space: How much space do you desire to have in the morning? After work? After a full day with the kids? During conflict? What’s a reasonable boundary you two could set in each of these areas, given your current stage and season of life? Decision-Making: To what degree do you listen to and consider your spouse in the decision-making process? To what degree do you assert your needs, wants, and desires in the decision-making process? What is your partner’s perspective? How can you each set a boundary that better includes the both of you in the decision-making process? To work with Kensi, visit bravemarriage.com. Thanks to John Tibbs for the amazing music each week, Evan Duszynski for podcast editing, & you listener, for tuning each week to make your marriage even better. May God be glorified in you and through your marriage.