Life Over Coffee With Rick Thomas

Shows Main Idea – Overcoming the challenges of introversion involves embracing how God uniquely designed you while also seeking ways to engage with others in meaningful, God-honoring ways. It's not about changing who you are but rather using your natural tendencies for the glory of God and the good of others. Show Notes: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-509-a-gospel-message-for-all-the-introverts-out-there/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

The most significant problem hindering humble discipleship in a marriage is self-centeredness. Too many spouses demand and manipulate what they want while relegating their role of discipling their spouse to a tertiary consideration. Nothing will blow up a marriage quicker than a lack of other-centeredness, a mindset that is contrary to the gospel. Jesus set aside His desires to help broken people. Discipleship is every spouse’s responsibility. Christ took on the form of a servant to transform damaged individuals (Philippians 2:5-10). Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-24-setting-aside-your-desires-to-disciple-your-spouse/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Find all our courses here: lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

Find all our courses here: lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

Find all our courses here: lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

Find all our courses here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

Find all our courses here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/all-courses/

How do you positively or negatively contribute to your marriage? In broad categories, you can help in one of two ways, though you may contribute in both, depending on what is going on during any particular season of your marriage: You can motivate your spouse by grace. You can demotivate your spouse by sinful attitudes, words, or behaviors. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-15-does-your-behavior-your-spouse-to-christ/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

A few years ago I was counseling a couple who were angry with each other. During our counseling, I asked the wife what was wrong with the marriage. Without hesitation or skipping a beat, she gave me a long, clear, and detailed list of all the things that were wrong with her husband. There was was no question about it: he was a failure. Because I like to play fair, I turned to the lady’s husband and asked him about the state of their marriage. Without flinching or taking a breath, the husband gave me a list of all the things his wife had done wrong in their marriage. There was no question about it: she was a failure. Two people looking at the same thing had two completely different perspectives on how their marriage became such a dysfunctional mess. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-14-radical-conflict-resolution-tip/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donat

What were the practical things you did when you first won your spouse’s affections? Are you still doing them, or has the pace of life diverted your attention from your early marriage priorities? Reflect upon the giddy time in your relationship. Do you remember those carefree and silly days when it was just you two? Those days do not have to remain in your past. It was important to Lucia and me that we fight to keep the dating experience in our marriage experience. Because of God’s grace, we still enjoy giddy, silly, carefree, and fun times in our relationship; we are still buddies, always working not to let anything come between us, including our children, our work, our church, or our sin. But it was not always this way. We did lose focus in our marriage. The moorings of a stable marriage broke loose, and we drifted from the God-centered practicalities of our covenant. We needed a severe marital realignment. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-11-change-one-thing/ Will you help us to continue providin

The modeling of Christ and practicing repentance in your home are at the top of the list of what you both should be doing in your family relationships. Suppose you are not imitating Christ or repenting of sins. In that case, your marriage can only limp along, with a Band-Aid approach while accelerating the accumulative frustration that leftover, hungover sinning does until death disrupts your one-flesh union. There is no way to circumvent the hard and humble way of going to your spouse, confessing your sin, asking for forgiveness, and encouraging your spouse to have a similar kind of humility that forgiveness granting exemplifies to the offender. You will know if you have authentically buried the hatchet if you can talk about what happened in non-punitive ways. There is no biblical reason for a Christian couple not to repentant and reconciling. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-8-the-most-effective-thing-you-can-do/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a s

One of the most powerful ways to imitate Jesus in our marriages is by having an other-worldly lack of self-interest (Philippians 2:5-11). A profound statement that connects so well with the gospel is that if the gospel truly anchors us, we have nothing to fear, nothing to defend, nothing to lose, and nothing to hide. Isn’t Jesus like that with you? He is so secure in His relationship with you that any angry frustration from you or the other ways in which you express your disappointments to Him do not manage Him. He is not a manipulatable person, no matter how anyone responds to Him. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-5-strengths-weaknesses-marriage/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Finally, after several attempts to convince them of the futility of their positions, I conceded any further hope of a ceasefire. There would be no redemptive-relational progress that day. They were too mad, too self-justified, too hurt, too unforgiving, and too stubborn to change. At that point, I gave up and recommended that the combatants continue fighting. Yes, I told them to pursue their anger toward each other. “Keep on keeping on. Duke it out.” Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-10-something-must-come-between-you-two/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

When your spouse sins, who pays for it? Do you make them pay for what they did wrong, or do you take your spouse to Jesus and show them how His death is enough punishment to remove the transgression? Christians understand the point of the gospel: Christ paid for our sins. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-2-who-pays-for-your-spouses-sins/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Shows Main Idea – The struggle with pornography is a significant issue that affects both men and women, though it might manifest differently and need somewhat nuanced approaches to overcome it. In the context of biblical teaching, the use of pornography is a misdirection of the God-given desire for love and intimate connection, which becomes corrupted by sin, making our normal desires self-centered. Women may struggle with pornography for several reasons, including a longing for relational connection, past trauma, curiosity, or habitual sin patterns that develop over time. This issue often thrives in secrecy and shame, making it challenging for many to seek help. Show Notes: https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-505-why-women-struggle-with-porn-and-how-to-overcome/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

If you are going to imitate the Lord in your marriage (Ephesians 5:1), being for your spouse must be a logical and loving objective and practice. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-3-are-you-for-your-spouse/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

God never condemns, mocks, criticizes, or puts you down when you share your heart with Him (Ephesians 4:29). He is always ready to listen and willing to help. The Father knows your frame and understands your weaknesses. He encourages you by speaking into your various situations with love (Psalm 103:12-14). Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-4-no-more-condemnation/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

A husband and wife are not just two people within the marriage. Yes, they have independent relationships with the Lord and with other people, but they are also one flesh. Like our blessed Trinity, there is perfect oneness that unites the Persons. This kind of union is both a mystery and a practical reality. Though you cannot fully understand what a one-flesh union means, you can functionally and faithfully participate in a one-flesh marriage while enjoying its benefits. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-16-does-your-marriage-look-like-this/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

If you put two sinners in a room (home) for an extended period with no plan for escape, you can expect problems. There may be a lot of love along the way, but there will also be problems. It's unavoidable. The dating couple can break up and go on to the next relationship. Vocational workmates are similar. If you don't like your boss or the environment in which you work, you can move on to the next thing. Marriage is different. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-9-dating-to-divorce-and-how-we-got-there/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

What Adam lacked was not someone to fill his empty love cup but someone who would allow him to display God in the world in a more complete way. Read Here: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-13-the-main-reason-you-need-someone/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.