Marriage starts with hope—but for many couples, years 7–21 bring unexpected challenges.

In this episode, John talks with Pastor Rodney Wilkinson, pastor at Gospel Fellowship Church and host of Married in the Middle, about the realities of navigating marriage during its most demanding season. These are the years filled with pressure from work, parenting, emotional distance, and unresolved pain—especially for men who often feel unseen or unheard.

You’ll discover:

• Why the middle years of marriage are often the hardest

• How past trauma affects present-day connection

• The emotional struggles men face in marriage

• Practical ways to stay connected through active listening

• Why staying committed through the middle leads to lasting reward

This conversation offers biblical perspective, honest insight, and hope for anyone committed to building a healthy, enduring marriage.

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#ChristianMarriage #MarriagePodcast #MarriageHelp #MenInMarriage #HealthyRelationships

Resources:

Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson

The Deep-Rooted Marriage by Dr. Allender

Rodney’s Podcast — Married in the Middle

Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything: Adam Young, Dr. Allender

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:05 Marriage in the Middle: Why married people struggle in years 7 to 21.

05:35Opportunities and Dangers within these years

09:19 Pain and trauma from our past and today 14:12- 25:20 The struggles of men in marriages

25:21 How “active listening” and staying connected is important 31:58-37:41 Takeaways

How do we raise sons who grow into men of integrity, perseverance, loyalty, and faith—in a culture that often pushes the opposite? Where does character formation really begin, and how do parents lead with both love and accountability?

In this episode of Rooted by the River, a family ministries podcast from Spanish River Church, host John sits down with Coach Brian Braddock, Head Football Coach at St. Augustine High School, to explore how character is shaped in young men—on the football field and at home.

Coach Braddock shares timeless insights on building trust, setting high standards, and holding boys accountable without crushing their spirit. Drawing from years of coaching and mentoring teenage boys, he helps parents translate leadership lessons from the sidelines straight to the dinner table.

You’ll learn:

• How to cultivate biblical character in boys and young men

• Why trust and warmth are essential for real accountability

• How fathers and parents can model integrity—even while wrestling with their own flaws

• Practical ways to create a home culture that draws out the best in boys

• Why acceptance and discipline must always go hand in hand

“I’ve come to learn that the building of trust is paramount to everything when we want to drive people to high standards and to have the right to hold them accountable to those standards.” — Coach Brian Braddock

Whether you’re a parent of sons, a youth leader, a coach, or someone passionate about forming godly men, this conversation will challenge and encourage you with wisdom that lasts a lifetime.

Resources:

Stand Firm and Act Like Men: Becoming the Man You Were Created to Be Instead of Who the World Says You Are, by Joby Martin

John’s Interview with Nancy Pearcy: Forming Godly Men

On Spotify

On Apple

Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:06 Character development, maintaining trust and warmth

06:30 Setting bar high for success and requiring accountability

15:22 Wrestling with our own character while molding theirs

31:51 Takeaways

In this bonus episode, John and Virginia Houmes talk on "Spiritual Habits: Creating Rhythms of Faith in Your Family". You'll hear how seizing opportunities and practicing intentionality can shape your family's faith. The talk was given by the Houmes' at SRC's Mom Talks in November of 2025. Rooted by the River on:

Youtube Instagram

Resources:

Book Resources

The Bible Project on Youtube

Give Me An Answer (Cliff & Stuart Knechtle on Youtube)

The New City Catechism App

Habits of the Household Class (Winter 2026)

When do you say "yes" to your children? How do you say "no"? Alyssa is a mother of three children under five years old and a counselor who specializes in working with teenagers. Alyssa Hanna talks with John about setting boundaries with your children based on a class he has been teaching on Wednesdays at Spanish River Church. Resources: Spanish River Counseling Center Boundaries curriculum by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

When kids come, the marital relationship changes significantly. It can easily slip into the roommate phase, or center the relationship around the kids. In all that, it can be hard to get back to each other so that the covenant of marriage is the bedrock of the home.

John interviews pre-marital counselor, Dan Meyers, about some best practices to implement to help your marriage grow after kids.

Resources:

Learn more about Dan Myers

The Meaning of Marriage, by Tim & Kathy Keller

Couples Counseling Groups at Spanish River Counseling Center

Marriage, Family and Parenting services at Spanish River Counseling Center

Ep 4: Modeling Curiosity

Curiosity is powerful. But we live in a culture of assumption. Who needs to be curious when we get sound bytes on cable news or social media about what other people think. Our culture often trains us to assume we know it all. This includes our children. Even though they’re in our home, we often don’t know what they think. John talks with business coach about parents asking questions, be genuinely curious, and modeling that curiosity to our children.

Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Resources:

Ask Powerful Questions, by Will Wise

Laine Schmidt Coaching

S1 Ep 3: Kids These Days

Move over Gen Z and Millennials. Gen Alpha is here! Rising 6th graders are considered a brand new generation. John Houmes interviews Lara Jensen, director of SRC’s Middle School student ministry. Lara and John discuss generational differences and the deeper questions today’s students are asking.

Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Resources:

Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents - And What They Mean For America’s Future, by Jean Twenge

TikTok Therapy comedy bit, by Jen Fulwiler

Music is powerful. We can all remember a moment when the music just hit us and made us feel like we were part of something much bigger. But music can also form us by shaping our thoughts, feelings, and even actions. John talks with Spanish River Church's worship director, Eric Blythe, about using music to disciple kids in your home. Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Resources:

Slugs and Bugs

Westminster Shorter Catechism songs, by Bruce Benedict

Ask Me Whoo Children’s Catechism, by Diana Beach Batarseh

Indelible Grace (old hymns to new music)

You can listen to Eric Blythe's music with The River Collective at spanishriver.com/rivco