God is faithful. He promises a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair… and to repay for the years the locusts have eaten.

The rebirth of Brad and Lisa Valencia’s now 22-year marriage could be described no less vividly.

Twelve years ago, it seemed their relationship was dead. Brad had walked away from life with Lisa, leaving her alone with three small children, one just nine months old. Divorce papers had been prepared. Lisa was about to sign, until a phone call from Brad caused her to pause.

He told her he felt God calling him back in forgiveness to the faith and family he’d left.

Pornography. We don’t talk much about it in Christian circles. It’s that dirty little secret hiding behind closed doors and computer screens quietly destroying marriages. The world’s number one site, Pornhub, estimates sixty-four million people click on its link EVERY DAY. Forty million Americans are regular users, and one in three are women.

Pastor and author Nick Stumbo serves as Executive Director of Pure Desire Ministries, the non-profit that helped him find victory over his decades-long struggle with pornography addiction and helps thousands of couples become sexually healthy.

You’ve seen them – men and women sitting in church week after week by themselves. Or maybe that person is you. You may have found Christ after marriage or returned to the faith in which you were raised, but either way – you are pursuing a relationship with God, while your spouse is… not. 

Coach and speaker Lynn Donovan offers wisdom and support to those in a spiritually mismatched marriage. Her work offers hope and help to a Christian learning to be united with their spouse, even when he or she holds very different beliefs.

If you’ve hit your 40th birthday and you’re married, you’ve probably felt the pull of midlife. Maybe it’s the squeeze of taking care of an aging parent and the kids. Or a corporate restructure has jumpstarted early retirement. Perhaps an empty nest has caused you and your spouse to wonder if you even know each other. Any and all of these situations can cause a midlife couple to pause and take inventory of their lives and the state of their marriage.

Dorothy Greco, award-winning photographer, author and speaker, addresses midlife issues and transparently shares lessons learned as she and her husband, Christopher, have navigated the past 33 years of marriage together … and in so doing drawn closer to God and each other.

Agape Catholic Ministries, founded and led by French-born U.S. citizens Christian and Christine Meert, offers a Pre-Cana program that combines the convenience of online and on-demand access with the ability to build relationship with a role-model couple. Its curriculum is inspired by and closely follows Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

Pastor, speaker, author and consultant Rob Rienow, DMin, has a heart for the Gospel and a passion for marriages and families. He feels called to share the message that God created marriage and the home as the bedrock of culture and civilization. Sadly, these concepts have lost traction in modern western culture.

Do you know what we need more than anything else to address these problems? We need more people who love Jesus Christ and who are willing to lay down their lives for Him.

The Rienows believe God created marriage for two main purposes. 1) To reflect God’s glory as a picture of the love between Christ and the church. 2) To raise godly children who will advance the kingdom of Christ to the next generation.

Most people would agree that raising ten children over 39 years of marriage qualifies someone to be considered an expert in family dynamics. The fact that psychologist Dr. Ray Guarendi and his wife adopted those children, some from very difficult circumstances, lends even more credibility to the advice he offers through his practice and media ministry.

Sometimes it seems like a struggling marriage is just so stuck, there’s no way back to a loving relationship. Is it even possible to overcome long standing habits and hurts? Can a couple battle back after the betrayal of infidelity? Sue and Roy Milam, founders of Cornerstone Marriage & Family Ministries, have seen thousands of marriages healed over their almost three decades working with couples and leading A New Beginning intensive weekends.

Marriage ministry leaders Mary and Dave Gothi couldn’t have come from more disparate backgrounds. Despite their differences, the two shared a passion for helping couples weather the storms of marital distress. They’ve now been married for 27 years, during most of which they have worked to help couples improve their marriages, and, since 2010, live on mission to make a difference in the world.

Many symptoms in our troubled society point to a need for a revival of men and benevolent masculinity. Too many men, young and old, feel isolated. Siloed, stressed, pressured – without connection and direction they wander and detour through life, failing to fulfill their God-given purpose. Former NFL quarterback, author and leader for families Jeff Kemp wants to turn the tide. He inspires men with a simple message: Friendship is the way of Jesus.

You’ve reached a point in your life when you realize something needs to change. Maybe it’s in your finances, your parenting or your relationships. But getting started is overwhelming! How to even begin? Dr. Randy Carlson, counselor, best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio host, believes living a better life is easier than you think.

The subject has been addressed before, but it bears repeating. Divorced and/or remarried people fill our churches. Children from broken or blended homes attend our Sunday school classes. We hope their teens attend our youth programs. In fact, 113 million adults have at least one stepfamily relationship, according to Craig Morgan, who, along with his wife Gina, founded Blended Together Forever, a ministry created to offer hope, encouragement and support to members of blended families. 

When was the last time you heard a sermon or listened to a podcast emphasizing the importance of your marriage? Read a book about relationships? Or attended a marriage enrichment event or date night? Researchers, pastors, authors and speakers emphasize the importance of focusing on family relationships. But what happens when the boost from the event fades or, even worse, uncovers some troubled spots or brokenness? Where do you turn for help? 

“Till death do us part.” Catholics have traditionally taken their marital vows seriously. Considering marriage a sacred, holy sacrament, the Catholic Church is known to discourage divorce. But has the church invested in helping couples strengthen their marriages? Marriage champions Lorrie Gramer and her husband, Don, were early advocates of marriage building since the Marriage Encounter they attended on their second wedding anniversary in 1974 proved transformational.

What happens when the unimaginable happens … in your family? That’s the circumstance in which Cathy and Ron Tijerina found themselves after Ron was sentenced to 14-25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Cathy was left at home with no job, no source of income and two toddlers to care for.

People unhappy in marriage often believe their only option is divorce. Once they file, they find themselves on a “divorce superhighway – with no off-ramps or exit signs,” to quote a respected judge in Minnesota. However, thinking about divorce does not have to mean a death sentence for a marriage. A couple can get help to determine the best path for them before making a life-changing decision. (with Russ Berg)

Have you ever wanted to “Have a New Kid by Friday?” or a New Teenager, a New Husband, a New You? It’s likely you’ve run across one of these or other relationship-related titles written by prolific and beloved Christian psychologist, author and speaker Dr. Kevin Leman over the past several decades. Dr. Leman is recognized and respected worldwide for his practical and humorous approach to doing life.

Click. The sound of a light switch. That small switch has the power to change a room from darkness to one illuminated with warming light. A switch can also describe a change in a person’s emotional and mental state from positive to negative, or vice versa. The ability to identify, then actively move one’s emotional outlook from negative to positive is what Christian life coaches Chuck and Ashley Elliot call “Switch Theory.”

Many have felt helpless watching a friend or family member struggle in their marriage. George Kenworthy, M.Div., D.Min., feels the same heart tug. As he began pastoring churches, he realized the depth of the need of those experiencing marital difficulties and the passion of his conviction to help.

Nobody enters the world alone. Relationships form the foundation of the human experience. But sometimes the ties that bind begin to chafe, especially between those we love most. Helping couples untangle the knots and strengthen marriage has long been the focus of Christian marriage speakers and authors Brad and Heidi Mitchell, founders of Build Your Marriage ministry.