Dear Newlyweds: I Don’t Wish You Happiness—But I Do Pray for This
If I have learned one thing on my brief marriage journey, it’s that the pursuit of happiness swallows more marriages than we realize. It can chew you up and spit you out an unrecognizable, bitter mess. Pursuing personal happiness and fulfillment in your wedded relationship is only fueled by selfish desires, for our quest to be happy is always rooted in the search for soul-satisfaction rather than the offer of self-sacrifice and service.
Hope + Help for Hurting Marriages with Dr. Jim Newheiser
In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews Dr. Jim Newheiser to talk about his book, "Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage: Critical Questions and Answers." The conversation focuses specifically on discovering gospel hope and help for the hurting marriage, using wisdom from the Scriptures to address some of the common challenges that couples face. Jim lays a foundation for God's good design for marriage and explains why divorce is such a hotly debated issue in the church. He also helps us think biblically about working through marital issues such as bitterness, communication breakdowns, indifference, and offers listeners considerations for deciding when to seek marriage counseling.
Hope + Help for Valuing Singleness with Sam Allberry
In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author/speaker Sam Allberry. They’re talking about his book, "7 Myths About Singleness," in order to help Christians—married and unmarried alike—value singleness as a gift from God. Sam explains frequently misunderstood aspects of singleness, why celibacy and intimacy are not mutually exclusive, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ helps singles take hold of the unique opportunities their singleness affords. He also encourages singles in the various ways they can contribute to the creation mandate without having kids themselves, highlights ways marrieds and singles can strive to better support one another in friendship, and exposes some of the tender feelings singles experience when they feel like they're missing out in life and love.
Hope + Help for Abusive Men with Chris Moles
In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell and Reverend Chris Moles unpack the heart of domestic abuse. Chris shares why he believes there has been some push-back from the Christian community about pursuing violent men with the hope of the gospel, the problem with treating domestic abuse as an anger issue, reasons why focusing on abuse as spiritual rebellion is so important, realistic ways of measuring intervention "success," and words of admonishment (as well as hope) for the man who senses he is abusing his power and wonders what true change will require. He also shares a variety of reliable resources that the audience can explore to further educate themselves on the issue of domestic violence, or find guidance for next steps if they are in a abusive relationship.
For the Man Who Loves a Broken Mind
We weren’t prepared for this. Certainly “for better or worse” sounded so romantically bittersweet. I’m not sure many of those entering into a lifetime of marriage say those words and think of being worse in a way they cannot see. “In sickness and in health“—a deathbed, an epic medical failure, a withered body with a hand to […]
3 Ways the Gospel Motivates Marital Peacemaking
My husband and I hit a brick wall every-so-often—a place in our hearts where our pride has consumed us and neither wants to make the first attempt to apologize. If you’ve been married for any length of time, I’m certain you can relate to the difficulty couples have in pursuing humble reconciliation after a fight. […]
Tiny Hands, Wedding Bands, and the Fight to Focus on Marriage
It happened again, as it tends to every month or so. Somehow in the shuffle of the day, I had carelessly taken off my wedding ring—and in an instant, it was gone. Just when I think I’ve trained myself to carefully watch where I place it, and just when I think I finally will heed […]
When Sinners Say “I Do” by Dave Harvey | #bookschristineread
At first, I recognized the title. Then, I recognized the cover. Finally, I realized Brett and I had purchased this book on our Kindle a few years ago, and there it has remained, held hostage by the loss of the Kindle’s power cord. Personally, I don’t enjoy reading eBooks—power cord or no, I wouldn’t have read it. […]
The Olive Branch | 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
In this episode, Christine discusses the issue of pride when it comes to reconciling relationships, and a recent conviction that helped her realize the ultimate motivation for being a peacemaker. This week’s featured scripture is 2 Corinthians 5:17-19: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new […]
Dear Year-Ago Me, It’s Worse, Yet So Much Better
Dear Year-Ago Me, I know you are dealing with a lot and things feel so chaotic right now. Dealing with these circumstances was not part of your plan, but it’s the hand you’ve been given to play. True, you’ve struggled with this hopelessness many times before, but I know this round is different altogether. It’s […]