In this episode of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast we answer another listener question. In this episode Deanna asked how to deal with the dreaded roommate phase. She says she feels more a roommate than a wife. This is a difficult but common experience for couples especially after 3 - 5 years of marriage. It’s uncomfortable in the moment, b…

In Episode 69 of Operation: Thriving Marriage, we focus on how friendships impact the financial health of a marriage. Jen shares personal stories about how her friends influence her relationship and finances, reflecting Jimmy Evans' insight from XO Marriage that our friends shape our future. We delve into Biblical teachings that highlight the impor…

In this enlightening episode of the Operation: Thriving Marriage podcast, we turn the spotlight on our first guests - our kids! Join us as we dive into the world of marriage from a child's perspective, exploring their candid thoughts, heartfelt observations, and innocent wisdom about what it takes to build a thriving marriage. Our kids share their …

In this episode of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, we answer a listener question. Megen asked “How to spice things up in marriage without cheating.” Marriages all go through phase in sex and intimacy. There are times when sex is less frequent than one or both of you desire. There are also times when the sex is not as fulfilling as one or …

Welcome to Operation: Thriving Marriage. In today's episode, we address a common marital issue—anger. Often, we blame our spouse for making us angry, creating a cycle of blame and frustration. But here's the truth: it's not our spouse who controls our emotions; it's us. We dive into how to break this harmful cycle by taking responsibility for our f…

Welcome to Episode 64 of Operation: Thriving Marriage! In this episode, we delve into the topic of Trad Wives, exploring what it means to be a Trad Wife, its roots in nostalgia versus scripture, and its impact on modern marriages. Hosts Bryon and Jen kick off the discussion by questioning the allure of the Trad Wife movement and its representation …

Welcome to Episode 63 of Operation: Thriving Marriage! In this episode, we delve into the delicate balance between criticism and growth within marriage. We explore the concept that holiness, not just happiness, is a key goal. First, we address the challenge posed by criticism, often a significant source of conflict in marriages. How can we navigate…

Welcome to Operation: Thriving Marriage, where we dive deep into the intricacies of relationships and provide actionable insights to help your marriage flourish. In this episode, we explore the concept of "Relationship Jet Lag."Host Bryon kicks off the conversation with his recent frequent travels, highlighting the stark differences in how couples …

Discover why compromise isn't always the answer in marriage, as we delve into the pitfalls of elevating compromise too high in marital discussions. Join us as we explore real-life examples, biblical perspectives, and practical solutions for resolving conflicts when compromise is not an option. Learn how to identify underlying values, seek guidance,…

Episode 62 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast – exploring the dynamics of Healthy Competition in relationships. Discover the underlying problem as we explore how competition can lead to conflict in marriages. We discuss how competitive individuals often attach personal value to winning, revealing insecurities that breed negative feelings. …

Welcome to Episode 59 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage podcast - "Chemistry Isn’t Real." No, we're not diving into conspiracy theories, but rather debunking the myth of instant chemistry in relationships. In this episode, we explore how our notions of love have been shaped by fairy tales and romantic comedies, highlighting that love at first sig…

Welcome to Episode 58 of Operation: Thriving Marriage, challenging the negativity surrounding marriages. In this episode, we delve into the abundance of negative articles on marriage, discussing what not to do and how to make things better. Break free from the cycle of negativity. Thriving marriages highlight the positive aspects, such as building …

Welcome to Episode 57 of Operation: Thriving Marriage! In this episode, we explore the crucial distinction between intimacy and sex within a marriage. Join us as we delve into the challenges faced by couples who share deep connections but find passion missing in their relationship. Discover the biblical perspective on the importance of sexual expre…

Welcome to Episode 56 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast - "Listening During Tough Conversations." Join us as we explore the intricate dance of communication in marriage, focusing on the challenging yet crucial skill of effective listening. In our discussion, we address the common notion that listening is often more challenging than expres…

Welcome to Episode 55 of Operation Thriving Marriage! In this episode, we delve into the transformative power of validation in building a thriving marriage. From the importance of validating our spouses in various aspects of life to recognizing and overcoming the pitfalls of invalidation, we explore how positive reinforcement fosters oneness and sp…

Welcome to Episode 54 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast. In this episode, Bryon and Jen delve into the heart of Christian prayer challenges. Many Christians grapple with guilt surrounding their prayer life, openly admitting to falling short. Bryon and Jen tackle this issue, emphasizing the transformative nature of prayer that extends beyo…

This is our 2 year anniversary episode! In this episode Bryon and Jennifer take listener questions. When is it ok to seek advice outside of the marriage? How do you raise kids when you have different backgrounds, opinions, and traditions? What is the best way to build trust after repeated infidelity? We seem to hear about husbands wanting sex more …

Welcome to Episode 52 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, "Happy!" While we often say marriage isn't about happiness, we delve into why it's crucial to prioritize happiness correctly. Unhappiness can lead to dissatisfaction, conflicts, and decreased problem-solving abilities in a marriage. We discuss the problem of declining happiness in t…

In episode 51 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, Bryon and Jennifer shares thoughts on the tricky subject of prenuptial agreements. Prenuptial agreements have gotten a very bad wrap in the evangelical church. It’s often said that couples should not get them because they should not be planning for their divorce. Marriage is sacred to be en…

In this milestone 50th episode, airing on October 9, 2023, of "Communication Breakdowns," we dive deep into the critical topic of communication breakdowns within marriages. Host Jen starts by sharing a personal example of a case where communication faltered, highlighting the importance of effective communication in relationships. Discover the root …

Welcome to the Operation: Thriving Marriage podcast. In this episode we dive deep into the importance of maintaining balanced and healthy friendships within your marriage. In today's fast-paced world, many of us fall into the trap of believing that our spouse should fulfill all our friendship needs. But is that realistic? This podcast explores the …

In this episode of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, we dive deep into the essential element of any thriving relationship - mutual respect. We'll start by asking a fundamental question: Who do you respect, and why? Join us as we explore how respect plays a pivotal role in maintaining strong and healthy connections. When we talk to couples i…

Debunking Unrealistic Marriage Expectations Join us for a thought-provoking episode as we dissect the common motivations behind marriage decisions and evaluate whether these expectations hold up in reality. Delve into the realm of marriage misconceptions and uncover its deeper purpose. **The Issue - Challenging Unrealistic Marriage Beliefs:** Embar…

A lot of podcasts talk about why marriage is important and insight into how to stay marriage. We often forget to talk about how much fun it is to be married. In this episode, Bryon and Jen celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary with the audience telling stories about their wedding day and sharing some of the things they enjoy about being married.…

Welcome to episode 45 of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Podcast, airing on July 31, 2023. In this thought-provoking podcast, we address the pervasive issue of pornography within Christian culture. We examine conflicting data on pornography usage among Christians and its detrimental effects on relationships and marriages. Throughout the episode, w…

In this episode hosts Bryon and Jen delve into the significance of apologies in fostering healthy relationships. Despite lawyers often discouraging apologies due to potential legal implications, Bryon and Jen explore how apologies are essential for healing the rifts caused by our actions. They confront prevalent misconceptions about apologies, such…

Join us in this episode as we delve into the challenges couples face in maintaining self-determination while becoming a cohesive unit in marriage. Though the ideal is unity, it's natural for both partners to desire independence and resist control. Tracing the roots of the struggle for control, we find it originates from the fall and the introductio…

In this episode, we delve into the often difficult and taboo subject of money within marriages. We explore the challenges of discussing finances and provide strategies to strengthen relationships through open and honest conversations. Research shows that while money may not be the main cause of divorce, it is a significant contributor to marital st…

In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the concept of "mission" and its different meanings. One host, with a military background, associates mission with combat and military objectives. However, the other host highlights the common Christian perspective of mission, which is often focused on evangelism and spreading the gospel. They emphasize th…

In this episode of the Operation Thriving Marriage podcast, the hosts delve into the topic of happiness and its connection to thriving marriages. They begin by sharing quotes from ancient philosophers, one suggesting that true happiness is only attainable after death and the other emphasizing the impossibility of achieving happiness in our present …

In this episode of the Operation Thriving Marriage Podcast, Bryon and Jennifer discuss the concept of love languages and how they can differ between individuals in a relationship. They highlight the importance of understanding and accepting these differences to avoid conflict and misunderstandings. The hosts also delve into the challenges that aris…

In culture today there are a lot of competing messages about masculinity. It gets even trickier when you start listening to different people try to define biblical masculinity. In this episode we focus on what the Bible does say about masculinity and highlight areas that are often presented as biblical but where the Bible is actually silent. We the…

By bryondharvey

Lust is a common experience. Contemporary culture treats lust as normal and not a problem. “You can look but you can’t touch.” That is not how Jesus treats lust. He says lusting is the same as adultery. Lust is a problem that must be addressed. It objectifies the object of lust and damages the intimacy in marriage. Link to the article mentioned at …

When we get married we become one but we don’t lose who we are. Our personalities are part of who we are as individuals. These differences are important and can sometimes lead to conflict. Couples will often mishandle these differences by ignoring or exaggerating them. In this episode we hope to help you learn how to manage your differences in a he…

Divorce is not desirable. It is definitely not what we want for your marriage, but the reality is that divorce is an option. When pretending that divorce is not an option it prevents us from dealing with the issues that lead to divorce. We can’t prevent divorce by saying it’s not an option. We can only prevent divorce by dealing with the issues tha…

A thriving marriage is not something you arrive at but rather a journey you’re on. This episode discusses some of the signs you will see when a marriage is thriving.By bryondharvey

Becoming parents is not the purpose of marriage. Parenting, however, can lead to conflicts in marriage when you, as a couple, don’t agree on how to handle things. It’s important to manage the Unexpectations around parenting. If you don’t it will keep your marriage from thriving.By bryondharvey

Does your spouse complete you? Is that the biblical vision for marriage? Well, the answer is no. The one who completes us is God not our spouse. A thriving marriage is not a couple completing each other. A thriving marriage is two people complete in Christ growing in holiness together. Your marriage will thrive when you look to God to complete you …

According to an article in the Washington Post by Terrence Real there is a normal amount of marital hatred. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/09/23/marriage-relationships-conflict/ Is that true? Is there a normal amount of hatred in marriage? Well, Jesus calls us to love our enemies. If that’s true then even more so then we should love o…

Marriage exists to help to people become more fit to fulfill the purpose that God has for them. One of the ways we do that is by supporting each other. To be effective at this we need to match the right support to the need. Support can be emotional, tangible, or informational. Each one is necessary at different times to make a marriage thrive. You …

Marriages go through natural phases of development. In this episode, Bryon and Jen apply Bruce Tuckman’s theory of group development to our marriages and use his observations to help us navigate the storms we all face in marriage.By bryondharvey

Holidays can be very stressful for a marriage. The Unexpectations (unmet expectations that are unvoiced, unshared, or unreasonable) that crop up during the holidays can create significant conflicts in a marriage. In this episode, Bryon and Jen talk about navigating the conflicts that often occur during the stressful holiday season.…

In this episode Bryon and Jen discuss the theology of gender and what the Bible says about gender roles in marriage.By bryondharvey

What do you do if you find someone other than your spouse attractive? Is it okay to find someone other than your spouse attractive? There are attractive people out there. Seeing attractive people is unavoidable. You can control what you think about and how you look at attractive people. Three things can help you deal with feelings of attraction: Ch…

You need to talk about sex! Sex is an important part of marriage. Healthy marriages have healthy sex lives. To have a thriving marriage you need to be able to talk about sex in your marriage.By bryondharvey

Communication is one of the most important aspects of a marriage. Good communication will solve problems when they arise. Even better though, good communication will prevent problems from arising in the first place. The trick to healthy communication in marriage is to listen in a way your spouse wants to speak to you and speak in a way your spouse …

One of the core principles of Operation: Thriving Marriage is the idea of Team Marriage. Having a thriving marriage requires you as a couple working together as a team. In this session we unpack the theology and practical aspects of building a team in your marriage.By bryondharvey

This is the third installment of our live event at New Life Church in Ann Arbor, MI. Here we talk about a concept we call “Unexpectations.” Every argument you’ve ever had or ever will have in your marriage stems from an Unexpectations. These are expectations that are unvoiced, unshared, or unreasonable. Knowing the Unexpectations and why it is an U…

This is a continuation of the Operation: Thriving Marriage Experience that we did at New Life Church in Ann Arbor in May of 2022. In this session we continue to talk about the biblical purpose of marriage. What you believe about marriage affects what you think about marriage which affects how you behave in your marriage. Do you believe what God say…