Growing Spiritually Together in Marriage

🌿 Podcast Description: “Growing Spiritually Together in Marriage” | Anchored in Grace with Eric & Sharris
In this heartfelt episode of Anchored in Grace, Eric and Sharris open up about what it truly means to grow spiritually together in marriage. Whether you and your spouse are just starting your faith journey or have walked with God for years, this conversation will encourage, challenge, and inspire you to deepen your connection—with God and with each other.

Discover how small habits like reading Scripture together, praying intentionally, and asking “How’s your heart?” can transform your marriage from surface-level to spiritually rooted. With practical steps, powerful Scripture from the NLT, and real-life reflections, this episode reminds every couple that spiritual growth is a journey—not a destination.

💍 Tune in to learn how to:

Build a rhythm of prayer and devotion together
Rely on God as your ultimate source, not your spouse
Pursue unity in every season of life
Create a shared vision for your marriage grounded in faith
Grab your Bible, your spouse, and your favorite coffee mug—and join Eric and Sharris for an honest, grace-filled conversation on how to stay Anchored in Grace as you grow together in Christ.

Homework:
1. Building a Rhythm of Scripture and Prayer
Practical Tip:
•Pick a time and place to read together.
•Ask, “What stood out to you?”
•Ask, “How does this apply to our marriage?”
•Keep a shared journal for reflections.
2. Recognizing God as Your Source, Not Your Spouse
Homework:
•Ask God this week: “Lord, am I expecting my spouse to fill a need only You can fill?”
3. Growing Together as a Team—No Matter Who Leads 
Homework:
•This week, take turns leading prayer.
•Don’t wait on your spouse—start the spiritual moment yourself.
4. Ask “How’s Your Heart?”—Not Just “How Was Your Day?”
Homework:
•Ask your spouse once this week, “How’s your heart?”
5. Practicing Shared Disciplines—Fasting, Vision, and Service •Listen, don’t fix. Just   pray together afterward. 
Homework:
•Pick one day this month to fast together—maybe skip a meal and pray.
•Create a “Marriage Vision Board” of what you’re praying for and where you see God
6. Spiritual Growth Is a Journey, Not a Destination leading you.
Homework:
•Talk with your spouse about one area where you see growth—and one area you want to grow more.
•Pray for each other’s spiritual journey this week.
7. Start Small and Be Flexible
Homework:
•Choose one small spiritual habit to start this week.
•Keep it simple and consistent. Small seeds grow strong roots.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey family. Welcome back to Anchored in Grace, the podcast where we talk about faith, love, and marriage, keeping Christ at the center of it, of it all. I'm Eric.

SPEAKER_06 0:14

And I'm Chariz. We're so glad you're joining us today. We're diving into something that touches every Christian couple at some point. Spiritual growth in marriage.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Man. That's right, Charles. Spiritual growth isn't automatic, it's intentional. You know, it's something that you have to really work at. You know, it's something that you have to put your time in and work on. Whether you've been married for two months or 20 years, 30 years, 40 years. Right. This episode is about how you and your spouse can grow together in Christ Christ. Not just side by side, but heart to heart. Right? Amen.

SPEAKER_06 1:00

Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_06 1:02

All right. And on that note, let's pray.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Amen.

SPEAKER_06 1:06

So, Heavenly Father, Lord, we just thank you for the gift of marriage and for giving us the opportunity to grow closer to you through it, Lord. We invite your presence into this conversation. Thank you, chief. And to every marriage listening today.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

Yes, Lord.

SPEAKER_06 1:24

Help us to see our spouse the way you do.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Yes, Lord.

SPEAKER_06 1:28

To love with grace.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 1:30

Forgive with humility. Yes. And to walk together in faith.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Amen.

SPEAKER_06 1:35

And in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Amen. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Our first segment: building a rhythm of scripture and prayer. You know, this takes me back when Sharius and I started reading scripture passages when we first got married when we were young. You know, um, and we did this each day, you know. Um, it was something that we began to build in our household together. Um, we would read from the same space, the same place in our reading. And, you know, in that reading, um we shared out what we what we learned, what we um what stood out. And that began to really grow something in us, you know, at a young age. It it changed everything for us um because it built a foundation, it created a rhythm and a spiritual connection, you know, in which I think we both were raised then, but that really helped us in our own home set our own rhythm away from our parents, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_06 2:53

Yeah, I would agree with that. That's good. And um, and you know, and when you read the word together, you're not just reading words, you're sharing God's voice, you know, and that's when you start building on that personal relationship, not just in the relationship with also with your individual self with God. Um, and Jesus said in Matthew 18 and 20 in the NLT version, it says, For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.

SPEAKER_00 3:27

Amen. And I think that's as big because to me that always says, if you do anything involving God, that's right, it's gonna be blessed. It's gonna be blessed. Love it. So include God in everything you do, right?

SPEAKER_05 3:44

Everything.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Amen. And James 1 and 22 reminds us, but don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says, be a doer of the word, right? So when you talk about scripture with your spouse, you're actually helping each other live it, you know, because God tells us to eat it, to learn it, have it on our lips, have it in our heart, right? You know, and to walk in it, you know, and that's what we're practicing. We're not just doing it just to read it, we're doing it for application so we can apply it in our lives, in the difficult moments, in the good moments, you know, period, to share with people.

SPEAKER_06 4:29

And we were kind of talking about that a little bit earlier, too, you know, is you know what you said. You said, but don't just listen to God's word, you must do what it says. And that that to me, what or what I'm saying reminds me of our earlier conversation we were having today was talking about obedience, you know, being obedient to God's word, because when you fall out of the order of God, you're not being obedient, right? And so that can take you out of alignment with what I'm saying, out of God's will. So this is very important. So James 1 and 22, remember that scripture. So I just I wanted to make sure I talked about that because being obedient is definitely important in you know, having a relationship with God because He will tell you to do one thing, but sometimes we want to do something else, and God is instructing us to do what the Word says, is what it says.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

That's right, yeah, that's right, and you know, practical tips. We're gonna talk about practical tips for building a rhythm on scripture and prayer.

SPEAKER_06 5:41

Yes. So the first practical tip is pick a time and place to read together. Number two, ask what stood out to you. Number three, ask how does this apply to our marriage?

SPEAKER_00 6:02

And I and you know, we'll post these things, these simple little tips um in the body um on the posting on YouTube. But you know, just remember these tips, you know, because these are little things that you can do with your spouse that can truly help you guys grow, yeah, can truly help you guys learn to communicate and stay focused in God's word, you know. So it works for me in charge, and we truly appreciate. And, you know, one more that I'll throw out with you guys keep a shared journal for reflection. You know, um, I've in that in my line of work that I work in with young people, um journaling has always been a really big thing. And journaling helps in so many things, so many different treatments, it helps in marriage, marriage coaching, you know, it is helps in every practical situation. So journal, keep a shared journal, and and so you can see your growth.

SPEAKER_06 7:13

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 7:13

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_06 7:14

That's really good. So um our segment two is recognizing God as your source, not your spouse. So this one is big, and sometimes we expect our spouse to fill every emotional or spiritual need, but that's a heavy load. Only God can do that. Man, you know, I think you know, early on in our relationship, I think I used to do that early on because I didn't know, you know, I I was 19 years old, I was just very, I was a babe in Christ, I was young, I was a babe in age, yeah, you know, um, but I put a lot of spiritual load on you because I was like, oh, you know, that's my husband, he's supposed to do these things, you know, but I wasn't fully relying on God, and I had to separate the two.

SPEAKER_08 8:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:16

So, you know, this one is really important. So we need, we, you know, and sometimes like I said, we expect our spouse to fill every emotional or spiritual need, you know, and that's a super, we cannot put that load on our husbands or our wives or vice versa, right? We cannot do that. So make sure that we only we can only go to God to do that.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

That's right. Yeah, yeah, so true. Well said, Charles. And just don't neglect what you need from God.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Because sometimes you don't know what you need from God.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

And it's important that you develop a personal relationship so that you can get from God what you need. Because I need something differently than short Sharius needs sometimes. And we learn that as we grow. I think Shharus and I learned that. Yes, you know, um, there's always been things that I've liked to do, there's things Shards likes to do. Yeah, you know, and you know, however we choose to do it is how we do it, how we connect with God. But it's important that you just take the time to have your own personal connecting with God.

SPEAKER_04 9:30

That's good that's good.

SPEAKER_00 9:32

Really important. Um Psalms 103, 103, uh verse 14 says, For he knows how weak we are, he remembers we are only dust. Our spouse isn't meant to be our savior, they're our partner, you know. Yeah, we only have one savior. That was Jesus Christ, he came to save the world. That is not our spouse's job to save us, they're here to love us, you know, and to honor, respect, all those things, but they're not here to save us, right?

SPEAKER_06 10:19

So Jesus said also in Matthew 6 and 33, seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. When we both seek God first, we come to each other already filled, not empty and demanding.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Man, that that that's true. Yeah, you know, I think we've learned that one too, because I think when we were young, we spent a lot of time wanting things, wanting, you know, and we're learning that, you know, we're we're our our pastor's preaching on blessings, and I think I mentioned this last week, but understanding the difference between blessings and tangible blessings. Like we want things. Do you want things or do you want things like important things like peace and joy and happiness? I'm learning what are the things that truly fulfill me and make me happy, right? Things that make me whole, you know, joy, peace, happiness. Those are the blessings that I am praying for the treasures daily to keep me because when I have those things, it's it's the fruit of the spirit. Chariz mentioned that last week. The fruit of the spirit, those things really just they they keep you grounded, yeah. You know, and I and I think that's so important, you know. So important.

SPEAKER_06 11:49

Yes, all right. So we got some homework too on this this segment, too. Do you want to talk about that, Eric?

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Sure. Ask God this week, Lord. Am I expecting my spouse to fill a need only you can fill? That's a big one. You know, spend one personal quiet time alone with God before you spend time together. Yes, and I think that's a real mature that that's something that helps you mature. Yes, you know, because when you can, as a spouse, understand my spouse needs to go and spend time with God, and you can say, I understand that, and you're for that and you're encouraging that, and that pushes you also to say, I need to spend my time with God.

SPEAKER_06 12:38

You know, and I think too, you know, when you do this, and I know it it's cool because um last week you challenged me. You know what I mean? Um we we do this all the time, we spend time with God, but I know sometimes with work, you know, you have a lot of things going on, I have things going on. Um, and this right now is kind of a busy time for me. Um, and I remember I was like, oh man, I got this to do, this to do, that to do. You know, I had a kind of a long list of things, right? And you know, you try to prioritize things, and sometimes when you come home from work, you want to come home and download, right? Hey babe, this is what happened at work, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. But one thing you challenged me last week was such a blessing to me, and I know to you was you told me before I come into the house, take time with God, and I did that, and oh my gosh, you guys, that time of separation from work to coming into my house, clearing my mind to not talk about work was so peaceful, right? To walk into my house, and my husband and my kids were already making dinner one night. I wasn't stressing about, oh my gosh, what am I making for dinner? What am I doing? You know, because I was in the car praising God, exalting God. That's what you asked me. You said spend time this week or every day this week exalting God before you come into the house. And I was like, Okay, I can do that. I love challenges, you know. So I was like, I got this, and I did that, and it was such a blessing to me, but it wasn't just a blessing to me, it was a blessing to my whole family. It was just a peace that came upon me and my whole household. So when I got home, I was mom, I was wife, I was, you know, I was ready to walk into my role. I wasn't, oh, I'm so stressed out. I gotta do this, I gotta do this. Okay, now what are we doing for dinner? I didn't have to think about those things because the God that I serve and worship every single day, and I exalted, had already provided those things for me. And I I didn't even have to think about it nor ask because I spent time with God, and that was my reward. So I thank you for that challenge because it was such a blessing.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

Amen. Yeah, hey, God is the heavy heavy lifter in our life and the burden fixer, He sure is.

SPEAKER_06 15:21

So I love you for that, my love. So, you guys, so on that one, so spend that personal quiet time alone with God before you spend time with each other. And I guarantee you, if you do that, even if it's intimate time, if it's whatever, I guarantee you it's gonna go to the next level.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

So amen. Yes, amen to that. All right, so next segment growing together as a team, no matter who leads. And we're talking about leading in spiritual situations, you know. So early in our marriage, you know, as the man, you know, you feel the well, you feel like I need to lead every single prayer, you know.

SPEAKER_07 16:13

Right.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

You just feel like I'm the head of this household, I need to do this. But sometimes Chars would ask me, hey, can I pray for us too? And and that gentle invitation helped me step up and kind of step back, I'm gonna say, and not step back now or stepping out of my role, but it helped me say, you know what? Yes, I need to give her as a leader an opportunity to lead as well, because she is a leader. My wife is such a leader, she is a spiritual leader, she is awesome, and she has such a beautiful gift, and it's it's important to let that gift pour out, let that oil pour out, and you know, I just let her go, you know, because she does, she does, she is awesome, she blesses me more than she knows, you know. God always touches her and it touches me, and she feels me. God uses her to fill me. I need that often.

SPEAKER_06 17:21

Oh, I love that, man. You do the same for me. God uses us for not just for us, but for other people as well. So I love that. So, like, you know, just like what I'm talking about, it's teamwork, you know. Marriage isn't his spiritual spirituality or her spirituality, it's ours. Yeah, you know, and then Mark 10 and 8 says, and the two are united into one. Um, that means either of us can initiate prayer for scripture time.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

That's right, right?

SPEAKER_06 17:55

And so that makes it so beautiful because it's not just my time or your time, it's our time, our time with God.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

That's right. So, yeah, that's beautiful. And when we came together, he made us one flesh.

SPEAKER_06 18:07

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

We are one flesh.

SPEAKER_06 18:10

You better say that.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Amen. First Peter 3 and 8 says, All of us should be of one mind, sympathize with each other, love each other as brother and sisters, be tender-hearted, and keep a humble attitude, you know. And you know, I I walk in that humble nature, be humble in everything. Yeah, you know, being humble in everything in our attitude and our nature is is the key. Never think you're bigger, none of us are big, you know. Right, God is the only thing that is important, the only thing, you know. So I focus on Him, give Him the glory.

SPEAKER_06 19:02

Amen. You know, okay, so also this week, so some more homework. So for more notes, write this down. This week, take turns leading prayer. Um, don't wait. Number two, so don't wait on your spouse, start the spiritual moment yourself.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

That's right. That's right. If you have the inclination in your heart to lead in prayer, pray. Yeah, you know, if God has something for you to say, speak it. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Be led by the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_04 19:37

That's intercessory prayer.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Yep, and that is the biggest thing I can say. Be led by the Holy Spirit, because God left that comforter here for us to be that voice, that still voice.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

That speaks to us every day, every day.

SPEAKER_06 19:58

All right, so segment four, you guys. So it says, Ask, how's your heart? Not just how was your day. I think that's so important. I like that. All right. So when life gets busy, kids, work, exhaustion, it's easy to drift away. Um, we used to ask each other all the time, how's your day, honey? How's you know, how's work? But one day we started to shift our conversation and ask each other, how is your heart? That definitely changed the conversation because that really elevated the conversation and to do a heart check, you know, with each other. So yeah, that really changed the conversation. Because if you say how's your day, somebody's just gonna say, Oh, it's fine. But if you say how is your heart, you know, that can hit you at so many different ways, so many different avenues, you know, emotional happiness, you know, you know, fulfillment, whatever that is, excitement, whatever, you know, those emotions that hit the heart, sadness, you know, it changes the conversation. So ask, how is your heart?

SPEAKER_00 21:16

Amen. That's beautiful, Shars. And that question, it invites vulnerability. Psalms 139, 23, and 24. This is one of my very, very favorite scriptures that says, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. Yes. When we ask each other that, we're giving God space to heal and guide our hearts. You know, God is doing that quality assurance check. God is keeping us accountable. That's accountability.

SPEAKER_05 21:56

Yes, you know, it definitely is.

SPEAKER_00 21:58

That's that sanctify. Sanctification that is so important in your growth to be sanctified. You know, we need that. You know, that's good. That's good.

SPEAKER_06 22:11

Search me, oh God. I love that one. And when we mess up or hurt each other in Ephesians 4 and 32, it also reminds us be kind to each other, be tenderhearted, forgiving, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has give forgiven you.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Amen. That's big. I think we forget sometimes that Christ died on the cross. He came with a purpose. This awesome king that God poured himself out in flesh, Jesus, and came and died for our sins.

SPEAKER_04 22:47

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

You know.

SPEAKER_04 22:50

Just for us.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Just for us. He gave us this free gift, you know, so for forgiveness, you know, so that we can say, Lord, forgive us for our sins. You know what I'm saying? It's such an easy gift. It's such a beautiful gift from God.

SPEAKER_05 23:09

It is.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

You know, I'm I'm at awe about it every time I think about it. You know, it humbles me. Humbles me, humbles me.

SPEAKER_06 23:20

Um so the homework on that is ask your spouse once this week, how's your heart? Listen, don't fix, just pray together afterwards.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Amen. You know, and really listen to what she said there.

SPEAKER_06 23:39

Yeah. Listen, don't fix, just pray. Pray together.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

And listen, don't fix means don't give no opinions, don't roll your eyes, right? Don't have no crazy body language.

SPEAKER_03 23:57

Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

Just listen with your heart.

SPEAKER_03 24:00

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

And then pray about it.

SPEAKER_06 24:02

Just pray about it.

SPEAKER_00 24:03

Allow them just to have that opportunity to share.

SPEAKER_06 24:07

Because, like we said, it is vulnerability, right? When we start asking those questions, how is your heart? Because we're we're getting a little bit deeper.

SPEAKER_00 24:15

That's right.

SPEAKER_06 24:16

And that's why we do this podcast. We want to get deeper in relationships because we want these marriages to last, to have longevity, you know, not just to be here to, oh, we're getting married, we love each other, and we ain't together in two years, you know. We want people to have a strong foundation in Christ, and we're we're flipping the switch on this because we want people to have long marriages. It's important, it's important to us.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

Yes, yeah. And I'm also throwing there if if if you get a crazy thought while you're doing this exercise about what they're saying, that's an opportunity for you to say, God forgive me for how I'm thinking about this.

SPEAKER_07 25:05

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 25:06

Help me to better understand my partner, what they're feeling, what they're going through.

SPEAKER_05 25:10

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

Give me an understanding heart, Lord. I know. That's a good heart.

SPEAKER_05 25:15

I like that, man.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

That's important.

SPEAKER_05 25:17

It is. That's a good point.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

So our next uh uh section, practicing shared disciplines, fasting, vision, and service. Um one of the most powerful things that Shara and I did as a couple, you know, and this is something we learned to do together, you know. We saw our parents do it, we saw other Christian folks that we looked to, looked up to as we were growing do this. Um, and those were the disciplines of fasting and and and praying and stuff like that, you know, but fasting, praying over a vision, you know. So we start thinking about what is our next vision for the next five years? What do we want? What do we want in the next five years? And this is something that you can do like every few years, like goal setting is what this is.

SPEAKER_05 26:23

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

And you write this down, this is where the journaling comes in, too, right? So that you can keep tabs on how God is blessing you, how he's showing out in your life, fulfilling the promises, you know, because when you do this, you are putting seed in the ground. And with this, when you are at with the seed, what me and Charizard learned too is that we'll go and sow a seed with what we're asking God for in our vision.

SPEAKER_03 26:56

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 26:57

It doesn't have to be a big seed, right? You can sow that seed in your church, you can sow it in a charity, you can sow it into someone who needs some money or someone who needs your time. It doesn't have to be money, it can be your time, it could be um um whatever. You know, however you want to sow your seeds and give to God, sow your seed, so a seed.

SPEAKER_03 27:22

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

You know, um, and you know, we wrote this down, you know, and and this is things that we just continue to pray over for our future.

SPEAKER_06 27:31

Amen. Yep, you're so good, Eric. I love that. Um, so in Amos 3 and 3, it says, Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? Setting a vision together keeps you walking the same path spiritually and practically. So that's you know what you just said, you know, having that vision together, and that makes it beautiful because I love being able to look at our our vision of in our journal what we wrote back and being able to check it off. Like, look what God has done over the past year, over the past five years. Like, oh my gosh, like wow, you know what I'm saying? Like it's it's so amazing. I love it because God's promises are always fulfilled. Sometimes it's not in our time, but it is always in God's time. So yeah, I just love that.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

Yeah, there's a scripture that says without vision, that we will people will perish. Yeah, you know, that's really important, you know. So vision, having foresight, that's right. You know, and and God always brings that vision. That's why prayer is important.

SPEAKER_03 28:48

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Um and fasting is something Jesus assumed we do. Matthew 6, 17, and 18, uh, chapter 6, verses 17 and 18 says, but when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you're fasting except your father. And you know, I learned this about fasting a long time ago. I would hear people bragging about their fasting, you know. Oh, I'm gonna fast for 30 days, and maybe telling everybody that they're fasting, right? But the word of God tells us that when you do fast, nobody should know you're doing it. Right, it's just kind of like when you give, nobody should know you're doing it. These things have to be done in secret, you know. It's all like all that praying when people be wanting to pray all loud in front of people out loud so everybody can hear you. It's not about that, it's not about attention. No, it's about the heart. Yeah, am I doing this for God? You know what I'm saying? And fasting is a spiritual step to say, God, I trust you, Lord. Yeah, and I am I am and am going to feed myself spiritually and and not eat in this physical body so that I can consume more spiritually, eat spiritually. You know, I'm gonna deny the body. It's a denying the body because our flesh wants everything. We give our flesh so much all the time. That's why we got so many thick people and and and people with you know that this gotta have this, gotta have that, because we don't deny the flesh.

SPEAKER_07 30:39

Right.

SPEAKER_00 30:40

So denying the flesh, learning to deny the flesh of things is what fasting is about.

SPEAKER_06 30:48

That's right. You know, that's good. So, you know, we got some more homework for y'all. So also, so number one, pick one day this month to fast together. Maybe skip a meal and pray. Um, number two, create a marriage vision board of what you're praying for and where you see God leading you in your relationship.

SPEAKER_00 31:13

I like that. That's really good. That's really good.

SPEAKER_06 31:17

All right, so segment six. Spiritual growth is a journey, not a destination. So let's be honest, we haven't always gotten it right, have we?

SPEAKER_00 31:29

Uh-huh. Gotten it wrong many times.

SPEAKER_06 31:31

That is right. So, but spiritual growth is lifelong. Philippi Philippians 3 and 12 says, I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection, but I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Amen. Hallelujah. That's one that makes you want to shout. You know what I'm saying? If you read that, there you go. That's one that makes you want to shout if you understand what it's saying.

SPEAKER_05 32:04

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 32:04

That's why I love me some Paul. There you go.

SPEAKER_05 32:07

Yes, yes. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 32:11

Um, if it's not about perfection, it's about progress. Amen. Galatians 5, 22, and 23 tells us the fruit of the Spirit grows over time. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All those things that we were talking about earlier, all those things, over time, those things will grow, especially if you're seeking these things together.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

You have to seek these things. You know, me and Sharius went through a thing where we broke down one at a time for a week. We we were on one. Love. We talked about love for a week.

SPEAKER_07 32:55

Joy.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

We talked about joy for a week. Yeah, we talked about peace for a week, yeah, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. And I tell you, it really blessed us. It blessed us. It it made us grow together.

SPEAKER_06 33:12

It definitely did.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

You know?

SPEAKER_06 33:14

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 33:14

Amen.

SPEAKER_06 33:17

All right. So another some more little tips here. So talk with your spouse about one area where you see growth and one area area where you want to grow more. So that's always very important because we always talk about, oh, I see us doing this, but also where where are we weak at? Where are we weak, right? So let's we always we have muscles in our body that need more strengthening. So let's talk about those things as well, you guys. Number two, pray for each other's spiritual journey this week. So don't just pray for yourself, don't just pray for your kids, pray for your spouse's spiritual journey as well.

SPEAKER_05 33:59

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 33:59

And that's something I do. Eric does. He prays for me daily. I pray for him daily, and we cover each other, you know, because it's so important. If I don't, I feel like on a day that I feel like I miss praying for him, I feel like it's a day he's like, Man, I had a bad day. And I said, Oh Lord, I did not pray for you this morning, you know. And I'm like, Oh, I gotta pray right now. So I it catches me and it reminds me of the accountability if I slip up or if I feel like I'm doing too much, you know what I mean? So I I I put that on my calendar.

SPEAKER_01 34:32

Amen.

SPEAKER_06 34:33

Every day I get a reminder as soon as I wake up after I get done praying and spending time with God, it's like, boom, pray for your husband.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Amen. Amen. That's right.

SPEAKER_06 34:43

And it's blessed me to do that because if it's not on my calendar, I'm not gonna do it. Because I'm a very task-oriented person, so that helps me spending time with God, boom, it's on the calendar. You know what I mean? It's like before you get your day going, do what you gotta do. That's right. Put your priorities together for your day, set set the precedence of your day, speak on it, you know. So it is important. So, um, we're gonna start. So segment seven says start small and be flexible. So if spiritual growth feels intimidating, just start small. So maybe pray together for one minute before bed, read one verse. God honors small beginnings, and believe me, when you start small every single day, if you do this every single day, I promise you it's gonna grow. You're you know, your spouse can be like, okay, this is a long pray, brand, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, but I'm saying your muscles are your prayer muscles are getting stronger, and your relationship is getting stronger, and that's the Holy Spirit in you. So that dwelling within you. So amen. That that's a beautiful thing. So you you want that. So start small. It's okay. You don't have to don't like we talked about in our last podcast, don't don't get yourself in the comparison trap. I don't pray like Shars or I don't pray like Eric. Who cares? God don't care about that. God just wants you to have a connection with him, and that's all he wants. And he wants your marriage to last or your new relationship to last. So that's all he's asking is for small beginnings.

SPEAKER_00 36:35

Amen. It's kind of like starting that workout for the first time. Oh, and it hurt, and you start small.

SPEAKER_05 36:43

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 36:43

Because if you go in and try to do the real hard one first, you're gonna be broke down and you are not gonna be able to continue no more. That's right. So you start small, that's right.

SPEAKER_03 36:54

You know, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 36:55

You don't want to start off your spiritual journey with a 30-day fast.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

Oh no.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

No, you don't. So you start, you start small, you know, prayer, connecting to God, talking to God.

SPEAKER_07 37:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:08

This having repetitious time where you talk to God and you get to know God, and just let God know the intentions of your heart and that you love Him. And that's what it's all about.

SPEAKER_04 37:22

Yes, right.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

You know, amen. Zechariah 4.12 says, Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. He rejoices. Do you hear that? He rejoices to see the word begin. It's not about doing it perfectly, it's about inviting God in. It's about just just just getting it going, starting, letting God know that you're serious about him. And you and you're choosing him. God wants to be chosen.

SPEAKER_05 37:55

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 37:55

He wants you to choose him.

SPEAKER_05 37:57

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 37:59

That's really good.

SPEAKER_06 38:00

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 38:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 38:03

That's so good. So the homework on this is choose one small spiritual habit to start this week, no matter what it is. Like Eric said, start small. Keep it simple and consistent. Small seeds grow strong roots.

SPEAKER_00 38:21

Amen. Them seeds, man. You know, me and Shara start looking at rain a whole lot differently.

SPEAKER_04 38:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Because seeds need rain.

SPEAKER_04 38:30

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

You know, not a big fan of this time of the year, but I love the symbolization of the rain.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 38:38

Because rain brings growth.

SPEAKER_03 38:40

Rain brings growth.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

Yes. And the day that we got married, and I said I do to this beautiful lady, it was raining like God, like the Lord. For real. But you know what? That was the beginning of our marriage. Amen. And it was so beautiful.

SPEAKER_03 38:57

It was.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

You know?

SPEAKER_03 38:58

It was.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

I thank God for that because He was pouring out on us.

SPEAKER_03 39:03

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

You know, all the seeds of prayer that have been prayed into us.

SPEAKER_05 39:09

Yes. The overflow.

SPEAKER_00 39:10

The overflow. God was watering it.

SPEAKER_05 39:12

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 39:13

You know, man, it was beautiful. So today we've talked about building rhythms of prayer. You know, putting God first, growing as a team, checking in on each other's hearts, practicing shared spiritual disciplines, embracing the journey, and starting small. That's a small summary of what we talked about today.

SPEAKER_06 39:41

That's right. And spiritual growth in marriage isn't about doing more, it's about being more like Christ together.

SPEAKER_00 39:49

Amen. Amen. So let us close in prayer today because we've really enjoyed this one with you guys today. Thank you so much for being here today.

SPEAKER_05 40:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 40:01

Let us pray. Father, thank you for every couple listening right now. Strengthen their faith, deepen their love, and keep them to grow together in you, God. Where there's distance, bring unity. Where there's confusion, bring clarity. Thank you, God. And where there's weariness, bring your peace. Teach us to build our marriages on you. A solid rock.

SPEAKER_05 40:35

Yes, God.

SPEAKER_00 40:36

In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_06 40:42

And if this episode has blessed you, please share it with another couple who could use encouragement today.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

Yeah. Share and like. Leave comments.

SPEAKER_07 40:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 40:56

Let us know how we're doing. And, you know, we just want to do God's work and continue to honor what He's calling us to do.

SPEAKER_06 41:05

That's right. And also in the comments, you know, if there's any other type of topics you want to hear from us in the future, drop them down in the comments. Or if you, you know, loved what you heard, or if you want to see anything, you know, coming your way, let us know so we can help you guys out. Anything we can do, we are just doing God's work.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

Amen. And keep us in prayer. That's right. Pray that God continues to bless our marriage and bless our ministry so that we can continue to do what He's called us to do.

SPEAKER_06 41:38

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

And remember, the one who anchors you in grace is also building you in his love and his peace.

SPEAKER_06 41:48

And also, we just wanted to say, see you next time on Anchored in Grace podcast with Eric and Charis.

SPEAKER_00 41:55

See you next time. Thank you very much.