Seacoast Church (Audio) - Weekly Service

God Help Me With My Marriage

·36 min·3 clips

Lead pastors Josh and Lisa confess they didn't know if their marriage would survive a three-year crisis.

Josh and Lisa, lead pastors of Seacoast Church, introduce a new series titled 'God Help Me With My Blank,' starting with marriage as the congregation's top-requested topic. They open with personal reflections on returning from sabbatical and celebrating student summer camp. The hosts immediately ground the talk in their own vulnerability, sharing that they endured a three-year marital stretch where they weren't sure they would make it. They frame marriage as challenging for everyone, noting no perfect marriages exist in the Bible or their church. The sermon is structured around three key choices. First, choose covenant over contract, explaining covenant as a lifetime agreement involving God and prioritizing the spouse above all other human relationships. They delve into Genesis 2:21-25, defining the Hebrew word 'debak' (to cling or pursue) as the active work of becoming one flesh. Second, choose an investment mindset over an expense mindset, illustrated by a personal story of a $500 investment that grew significantly over 23 years. They introduce the 'Four Ds' for marital investment: dialogue daily, date weekly, depart quarterly, and detach yearly. Third, choose to be God-dependent rather than co-dependent, independent, or interdependent, using the analogy of being conduits rather than sources for each other's needs. They reference the book 'At the Crossroads' by Peter Kuyper and the story of the Samaritan woman at the well to emphasize finding fulfillment in God. The episode includes practical advice for singles, encouragement to seek counseling, and a call to action to 'resign' from or 'fire' spouses from meeting unmet needs. It concludes with a prayer for marital healing and a pointer to online resources.

As heard by us

A covenant-centered marriage episode that treats commitment as patient, repeated investment.

Marriage is framed as a covenant lived through difficult seasons, with Josh and Lisa reflecting on a time when commitment was strong but unresolved issues still needed care.

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Why you'd press play

You want a church message that takes strained marriages seriously and gives commitment a biblical, covenant-shaped center.

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