Few who marry expect their marriage to produce anything less than marital bliss. But that bliss isn’t automatic—in fact, it begins in an unexpected place: personal discipleship. Since June is one of the most popular months to say “I do,” in this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson invite BJ Thompson to discuss the building blocks for strong marriages and how marriage itself is the backdrop for discipleship. Thompson shares from his experience leading Build a Better Us, a marriage discipleship organization that helps couples grow individually for the benefit of marriages and communities. Discussion in this episode is packed, touching on how strong marriages stabilize communities and why marriages are only as healthy as each spouse’s own relationship with God. Pre-marital counseling rarely prepares a couple for the refining they will face as honeymoon joy fades into the challenges of day-to-day life. That’s when the work begins, and perhaps that is the message couples need to hear: Saying “I do” is your commitment to lifelong refining and discipleship.

Listen to Persuasion 101:

Links from the show:

Why You Will Marry the Wrong Person, New York Times

BJ Thompson –
Twitter @bj116
buildabetterus.com

Theme music by Maiden Name.

Avatar for Jonathan Clauson

Jonathan Clauson

Jonathan Clauson (Podcast Producer) started his career with Clear Channel radio in the late 1990s as a producer and on-air talent. He later graduated from Full Sail University with a degree in Film & Video Production. After obtaining one IMDB credit to his name, he went to work for EA Sports Tiburon in Orlando, Florida. He is currently the Podcast Producer for CaPC, Christianity Today, and Love Thy Nerd and the host of #The25 for CaPC.
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1 Comment

  1. As a single person, I love the mention of discipling single people in addition to couples. Personally I’ve been listening to an old sermon series on marriage and have learned so much to apply to my own personal growth and to use in the non-marriage relationships already existing in my life. I also really resonate with the notion that people go into marriage expecting the other person to fix them. Growing up that was always an underlying message that our culture communicated and I fixated on the idea of getting married partially for that reason. Learning how we tend to idolize current or future spouses showed me the need of being fulfilled solely in Christ. While I can’t speak from experience, I imagine going into marriage having already been fulfilled by your relationship with Christ makes for a much healthier marriage.

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