What do you do when intimacy and connection in your marriage start to fade? How can you rekindle the spark, or better yet, keep it burning strong? In this episode, we talk about practical and biblical ways to nurture intimacy in all its forms. When you intentionally protect and prioritize closeness with your spouse, you not only build a marriage you truly enjoy, but you also guard your relationship against the dangers of emotional affairs.

Episode Highlights:

Identify the different types of intimacy shared within marriage.

The wholeness of your marriage matters.

All forms of intimacy must be invested in.

Boundaries keep your marriage protected.

Quotes from this episode:

Your sex life is a thermometer, not a thermostat—it reflects the health of your relationship, but it can't set it.

When couples neglect emotional and spiritual intimacy, their physical relationship becomes hollow—a beautiful house with no foundation. Sooner or later, the cracks will show.

Without emotional intimacy, sex loses its power to truly bond you together. Without spiritual intimacy, you miss God's vision for marriage—a reflection of Christ and the Church.

If you wouldn't say, do, or share it with your spouse present, don't do it. That's your boundary—protect it fiercely.

If you have nothing to hide, living transparently should be easy—openness is the glue of trust in marriage.

Couple’s Conversation Guide:

1. When you think about intimacy in your marriage, which type (physical, emotional, spiritual, or relational closeness) feels the strongest right now? Which could use more attention?
   
   
2. How do you personally feel most connected to me—through words, actions, time together, or something else?
   
3. What boundaries do we need to set (personally and as a couple) to guard our marriage against the threat of emotional affairs?
   
   
4. What’s one thing you’d love for us to do together that would bring more joy, fun, or connection into our marriage?

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Awesome Marriage is on Instagram!

• This month’s resource targets all the major pain points of communication: Fix Communication Breakdowns Bundle

• Want an opportunity to dig into God’s Word with your spouse? Find Awesome Marriage on YouVersion. Fight the chaos of culture and keep your marriage grounded in Biblical truth. Check out 4 Days to Growing Gratitude in Marriage

• If you haven’t browsed our site, you’ve GOT to check out the marriage resources we have over at AwesomeMarriage.com, and browse our online courses at AwesomeMarriageUniversity.com !

• Sign up for Dr. Kim’s Marriage Multiplier email for practical weekly marriage tips!

• Now is the perfect time to join our Marriage Changers program. Enjoy every resource of the month plus bonus content from Dr. Kim and Mrs. Nancy. Join now, just in time to receive our Fix Communication Breakdowns Bundle

This is such an incredible conversation to wrap up our Fridays in the Fall, Wider Lens series. Jerry Flowers is bringing encouragement about the patterns of your life and posture of your heart as we talk through his new book Heart Rehab: Finding the You God Created You to Be. Lean into the discomfort, create disciplines for preparedness, and surrender your need for control in order to step into your true calling as a son or daughter of the Lord Almighty. He loves you, he is for you, and we can trust him with our hearts!

Episode Highlights:

Stop blaming everyone else. Take time for self reflection.

If we invite God in, He can use all seasons for our good and growth.

Intimacy with the Lord allows us to grow into the people God created us to be.

Discipline and preparation go hand in hand. The more disciplined you are, the more prepared you are for what God has next.

Culture influences us to mislabel our fears, thoughts and anxieties. Make sure you are labeling them correctly.

Strong core beliefs help us combat the lies of society and satan.

Quotes from Today’s Episode:

I recognize many times, our placement in life isn't just because of problems, it's because of patterns. -Jerry Flowers

Patterns reveal character. -Jerry Flowers

Patterns are one of the ushers to certain seasons. -Jerry Flowers

We want to blame the enemy, but we have to look at ourselves too. -Jerry Flowers

Be aware of the enemy, for sure. But I think sometimes that keeps us from taking responsibility for our part. -Jerry Flowers

It may not make sense right then, but later it’ll make sense. -Jerry Flowers

I see things that God put me through, before we got married, that helped me when I got married. -Dr. Kim

We want to be whole enough where the Lord can pour into us and we can pour back out.- Jerry Flowers

If you want results, you lean into discomfort.- Jerry Flowers

What changed for me is realizing that my mind can lie to me. -Jerry Flowers

A Wider Lens: Questions for Self Reflection

1. Look at your daily life and identify one unhealthy pattern you’ve grown comfortable with.
   
   
2. What one discipline could you start practicing to combat this pattern and prepare for what God has next?
   
   
3. Identify an area of your life you haven’t fully surrendered to the Lord. Choose a Scripture verse to meditate on as you commit to trusting Him completely.
   

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Website: Jerryflowersministries.com ; redefinedtv.net

• Facebook: facebook.com/JerryFlowersMinistries ; facebook.com/@redefinedtv

• Instagram: instagram.com/jerryflowers.jr ; instagram.com/redefinedtv

• YouTube: youtube.com/@Beredefined

• TikTok: tiktok.com/@jerryflowers.jr

• Heart Rehab: Finding the You God Created You to Be