Rick Thomas | Life Over Coffee

This devotion is in a three-part sequential order. The second step builds on the first, and the third relies upon the second. If you want to enjoy your marriage to the fullest, you must live out all three phases in the order presented. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-18-three-steps-to-be-an-excellent-spouse/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Warning: This devotion is not for a spouse in an abusive marriage. If your marriage is abusive, find help immediately to stop the abuse. It is important to accurately recognize how God is working in you during times of suffering. Many times, individuals see their trials as something that is happening to them rather than something that God is doing in them. Acknowledging that God is doing something in you is more than a courtesy nod. It is sobering. For God to take an interest to help any of us is both humbling and frightening. (See Job 23:15) Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-26-crucible-of-suffering-when-your-marriage-does-not-change/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Biff sinned against Mable, and Mable was hurt. Biff asked Mable to forgive him. Mable forgave Biff. They reconciled—but not really. Though Mable forgave Biff, she neglected to tell him that she was sinning against him because of what he had done to her. Though she understood that it is never right to sin in response to being sinned against, she did sin against Biff as a response to his sin. Read More: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-25-double-confession-how-to-respond-when-sinned-against/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Shows Main Idea – Elias Ghazal was born in Qutar. His parents are Lebanese and Palestinian. He has developed theological courses in Arabic and is completing his Ph.D. in International Relations. I wanted to interview him about his perspective on Israeli and Palestinian tensions, differences, and solutions. It is fantastic to hear from someone from that part of the world without the worldview and shaping influences of being Americanized. Show Notes: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-513-elias-ghazal-a-christians-perspective-on-palestine-and-israel/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Physical intimacy with your spouse requires more from each spouse. Physical intimacy demands more from the couple. You can do many things as a married couple and even pretend to get along, but sex is the litmus test that tells the truth about the marriage. It is not unusual for a couple to attend church together for 30 years and be miserable in their marriage. Though they can pretend in the public domain, they cannot be fake in the privacy of their bedroom. Intimacy is either right, and your marriage is good, or it is not, and your marriage is in trouble. If your sexual life is struggling, it is because of sin. Sin separates, and the bedroom is the most prominent place where you will perceive this division. If you do not deal with sin biblically, the tectonic plates of your sex life will shift, and your marriage will be off-kilter. No matter what you do, you will be out of harmony with each other. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-7-sex-and-marriage/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Mable knocked on my counseling door. She was in tears. She had just finished her weekly women’s Bible study. The deep dive into God’s Word was exhilarating, and the fellowship with her friends was refreshing, but Mable was in tears. Quizzically, I could not connect her tears with her time with God and friends. It did not make sense to me. Then she asked, “Would you talk to my husband?” Seven syllables. It spoke volumes. Mable spent a few hours each Tuesday at their church building watching a video from a famous woman speaker on random Bible topics. At some point during these Bible studies, Mable started thinking that something was missing in her life. What she perceived as good—her Bible study—was becoming an unpleasant reminder of something unsatisfying about her marriage. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-20-dont-let-your-bible-study-hurt-your-marriage/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

It is impossible to live in a fallen world and not argue or disagree with another person. From birth to the grave, disagreements are part of life. The odds are so stacked against you that you will not be able to get through life without conflict, which is why it would be good to learn how to argue well, especially with your spouse. Here are five tips for your marriage communication. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-22-five-tips-for-arguing-well/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

There are at least two parts to every crisis: what is happening to you in real-time and space and what is spiritually happening inside of you as the Lord matures you through the trial. The first part is usually discernible to anyone associated with the crisis. The second part is not as perceptible to the person in the crisis or those observing the crisis. Typically, when I am experiencing a crisis, I can articulate what I am going through and the strategies I hope to implement to overcome it. From a practical perspective, it is important to let others know what I’m going through and my plans to bring the crisis to a desirable conclusion. My friends care about me; they want to know what is going on in my life, what my crisis management plans are, and what they can do to help. Caring for others is normal and expected Christian deportment. Thus, articulating, as appropriate with your close companions, is a humble thing to do so your friends can pray and assist as you go through the crisis. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-23-what-you-communicate-in-crisis-communicates-a-lot-about-you/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Shows Main Idea – A phobia is an intense and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity that poses little to no actual danger. This fear can be so overwhelming that it provokes severe anxiety and interferes with normal life functions. Phobias are a type of anxiety and can be categorized into specific phobias. In this episode, I’m answering someone’s question about how to overcome a phobia. Show Notes: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-511-how-to-deal-with-phobias-from-a-biblical-perspective/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

There are several ways to motivate your spouse to change. Here are six awful examples. As you go through this list, examine your heart to see which ones you tend to employ the most often when your spouse is not changing and maturing according to your expectations. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-21-the-best-way-to-help-your-spouse-change/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Biff and Mable married 13 years ago. Most of those years were difficult. Mable struggles with insecurity, which has played out in their marriage by her keeping tabs on Biff. He calls her a nag. Her deeper insecurity is born out of something that Biff did not cause, which is why he sees her interrogations and accusations as a burden. Rather than discerning Mable as an opportunity to shepherd her, he responds by drifting farther from her, which puts their marriage in an unresolvable, circular trap. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-19-the-blessing-of-the-reciprocal-marriage/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Shows Main Idea – Overcoming the challenges of introversion involves embracing how God uniquely designed you while also seeking ways to engage with others in meaningful, God-honoring ways. It's not about changing who you are but rather using your natural tendencies for the glory of God and the good of others. Show Notes: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-509-a-gospel-message-for-all-the-introverts-out-there/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

The most significant problem hindering humble discipleship in a marriage is self-centeredness. Too many spouses demand and manipulate what they want while relegating their role of discipling their spouse to a tertiary consideration. Nothing will blow up a marriage quicker than a lack of other-centeredness, a mindset that is contrary to the gospel. Jesus set aside His desires to help broken people. Discipleship is every spouse’s responsibility. Christ took on the form of a servant to transform damaged individuals (Philippians 2:5-10). Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-24-setting-aside-your-desires-to-disciple-your-spouse/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

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Find all our courses here: lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

Find all our courses here: lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

Find all our courses here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

Find all our courses here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

How do you positively or negatively contribute to your marriage? In broad categories, you can help in one of two ways, though you may contribute in both, depending on what is going on during any particular season of your marriage: You can motivate your spouse by grace. You can demotivate your spouse by sinful attitudes, words, or behaviors. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-15-does-your-behavior-your-spouse-to-christ/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

A few years ago I was counseling a couple who were angry with each other. During our counseling, I asked the wife what was wrong with the marriage. Without hesitation or skipping a beat, she gave me a long, clear, and detailed list of all the things that were wrong with her husband. There was was no question about it: he was a failure. Because I like to play fair, I turned to the lady’s husband and asked him about the state of their marriage. Without flinching or taking a breath, the husband gave me a list of all the things his wife had done wrong in their marriage. There was no question about it: she was a failure. Two people looking at the same thing had two completely different perspectives on how their marriage became such a dysfunctional mess. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-14-radical-conflict-resolution-tip/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.