A Biblical Playbook for Marriage: Simple Strategies That Change Everything

What if marriage wasn't about winning arguments, but about learning how to play on the same team?

In today's episode, we sit down with Al & Autumn from MarriageTeam to talk about what it really means to have a biblical playbook for marriage. With decades of marriage and ministry experience, they share how God used their own story, messy beginnings, hard lessons, and real growth to shape their passion for helping couples build strong, lasting marriages.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Al & Autumn's marriage story and the early lessons God used to shape their ministry

• What a "marriage playbook" really means and why couples need one

• How seeing your spouse as a teammate changes everything

• The vision behind the Rick & Jane Learn to Be Married book series

• Why communication is the first step toward intimacy

• Marriage coaching vs. counseling—and why coaching can be so effective

• Common misconceptions about anger and healthier, God-honoring ways to handle it

• Simple, practical strategies couples can begin using this week

Resources & Next Steps

•Check out the Rick & Jane Learn to Be Married series https://rickandjane.com

Learn more about marriage coaching or get support through MarriageTeam at: https://marriageteam.org

For inquiries or to connect with the Rays directly: alray@rickandjane.com

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a couple who could use some hope today.

Have you ever felt fear, heaviness, or sadness long before anything "bad" actually happened? There's nothing wrong with and you're not dramatic. But you may be experiencing anticipatory grief, and it impacts marriages far more than couples realize.

In this episode, Chris & Jamie unpack why your heart sometimes grieves before life changes… and how this hidden emotional process can affect connection, communication, and even conflict inside the marriage.

This is one of the most tender, eye-opening conversations you'll hear. Whether you're caring for aging parents, walking through health concerns, navigating infertility, or simply sensing that something in your life or marriage is shifting.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

1. What Anticipatory Grief Actually Is and how it shows up

2. Expected Causes of Anticipatory Grief in Marriage

3. Unexpected Causes Couples Don't Realize Are Grief

4. How Anticipatory Grief Shows Up Between Spouses

Many couples think they have a marriage problem —
when really, they have a grief problem.

Signs include:

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Emotional shutdown
• Clinging or control
• Avoidance
• Misreading each other's responses

We share how this creates friction, especially when men & women process anticipatory grief differently.

5. The Transformational Question: "What am I anticipating?"

A grounding tool to help couples move from fear to clarity and compassion.

This question helps you uncover:

• The loss you're imagining
• What part of your heart feels threatened
• How your love is showing up as fear

Grief becomes a doorway to deeper connection when it's named.

6. Reframing Grief as a Couple: Turning Toward Instead of Away

We teach couples how to ask:

• "Are we fighting because of grief, not each other?"
• "Are we withdrawing because something scares us?"

And how to say:

• "I'm scared of losing ___."
• "I'm grieving how things are changing."
• "I need you with me in this."

7. What Couples Can Actually Do with Anticipatory Grief

Practical tools you can use today:

8. A Biblical Perspective on Anticipatory Grief

We explore comfort and grounding through Scripture:

• Psalm 34:18
• Matthew 6:34
• Romans 8:38–39
• 1 Peter 5:7

God meets us not only in the losses we face but also in the ones we fear.

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In today's episode, we're talking about something a little unexpected coming from two marriage counselors: why you shouldn't always take our advice, or anyone else's, without checking with the Lord first.

We live in a world overflowing with sermons, reels, podcasts, coaching, challenges, and self-help. So much of it is helpful… but not all of it is helpful for you, and not all of it is helpful right now.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and learn how to discern the difference between good advice and God's direction for your particular season.

⭐ Inside the Episode

Jamie's Story: When "Do It Afraid" Went Too Far

Jamie shares a pivotal moment in her journey with anxiety and how a sermon quote ("Do it afraid") became her life mantra for a season… until it began overworking her nervous system and pushing her into hypervigilance.

It wasn't bad advice; it was just no longer the right advice.
That's when God spoke a new word:
"My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

Only the Lord knows what we truly need and exactly when we need it.

⭐ What Happens When We Treat Advice Like Scripture

We unpack why great advice can become harmful when we elevate it above God's timing:

⭐ Examples of "Good" Marriage Advice That Can Be Bad in the Wrong Season

We explore six common marriage principles that are wonderful but not universally timed:

⭐ What Scripture Says About Being Led by God

We walk through passages that remind us God leads personally and seasonally:

⭐ A Nervous System Perspective

Not every push is holy.
Not every challenge is healthy.
Sometimes "growth" advice puts your body into survival mode.

⭐ The SIFT Method: How to Discern What's Actually for You

A simple 4-step framework to help couples filter advice through prayer and peace:

⭐ Marriage Application: What This Means for Couples

Practical questions to ask one another.

⭐ Final Encouragement

Not all good advice is God's advice for you —
but God always has the right word for the right time.

✨ Stay Connected + Encouraged Every Week

If this episode encouraged you, we'd love to keep walking with you.
Sign up for our weekly marriage newsletter for devotionals, tools, and Christ-centered encouragement straight to your inbox:

👉 expeditionmarriage.org/newsletter

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