FamilyLife Today®

You gave in last time. And the time before that. When marriage starts feeling lopsided, keeping score can feel less like selfishness and more like simple fairness. Counselor Debra Fileta joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack selfishness in marriage—and finding your way back to “we.”

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You picked your person. So why are the dishes, in-laws, money, and one badly timed comment enough to make you wonder what happened? Why is marriage so hard? Counselor Debra Fileta joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack the expectations and baggage we drag to the altar—and why hard doesn’t necessarily mean you married wrong.

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Your teen says AI is helping with homework. But what happens when it starts answering the questions they’re afraid to ask you? Tech-policy expert and author Clare Morell joins Dave and Ann Wilson to expose AI dangers for kids—from chatbots that feel unnervingly human to technology moving faster than parents can keep up with.

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You know the screens are too much. But homework is online. Their friends have phones. And taking the thing away triggers a meltdown. So how can you get kids off screens without losing your mind? Tech-policy expert and author Clare Morell joins Dave and Ann Wilson with a radical experiment for families ready to find out what life beyond the screen could look like.

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Your kid needs a phone for the team. Their friends all have one. And they’ve asked approximately 4,000 times. So should kids have smartphones? Are parental controls enough to keep them safe? Tech-policy expert and author Clare Morell joins Dave and Ann Wilson to challenge what parents assume is inevitable—and unpacks what that glowing rectangle may be doing to a developing brain.

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It's on mental replay—the way your own brokenness leaked into your parenting. Wondering how to forgive yourself as a parent when a redo isn't an option? FamilyLife Blended director Ron Deal joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today for a painfully personal conversation about the parenting regrets we can’t simply undo.

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You pray alone. No problem. But praying out loud with the person who knows you best? Suddenly, checking your phone sounds productive. If you’re wondering how to pray with your spouse without feeling awkward, Dave and Ann Wilson get candid about vulnerability, conflict, and why two people who love God can still find those first few words surprisingly hard.

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You followed God. Took the risk. Then you’re discussing which car to sell and wondering, “Seriously, God? This is what I get?” When you’re disappointed with God, old doubts can suddenly get teeth. Deconversion expert John Marriott joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack how suffering, unmet expectations, and feeling betrayed by God can shake what you thought you believed.

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They said they don’t believe anymore. And now your brain wants to draft a sermon while your stomach drops through the floor. When someone you love walks away from God, what actually helps—and what pushes them farther away? Deconversion expert John Marriott joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today with a wiser way to handle the questions, fear, and conversations you desperately don’t want to blow.

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They still know the worship songs. Their Bible’s still on the shelf. But somewhere along the way, “I believe” became “I’m not sure anymore.” What’s actually happening in Christian deconstruction? Deconversion expert John Marriott joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack why faith can unravel—and what someone questioning Christianity may really be wrestling with.

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There are shoes by the door, dishes in the sink, and absolutely nowhere for company to sit. Invite people over anyway? Don Everts’ research suggests faith at home may grow in a surprisingly crowded house. He joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to explore what happens when we quit treating home as our family’s bunker—and make room for people who aren’t already inside it.

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They know the Bible stories. They’ve been to youth group. They can probably find Philippians faster than you can. But will they actually want God when you’re not standing over their shoulder? Author and researcher Don Everts joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to talk about how to raise kids who love God—and what parents can and can’t manufacture.

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The Bible’s somewhere under the mail. Nobody prayed before dinner. And your attempt at family devotions lasted roughly three Tuesdays. So how do you build faith at home when your family feels decidedly un-spiritual? Author and researcher Don Everts joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today with surprising research on what makes faith grow—and some good news for imperfect families.

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Ever wonder how to communicate with your teenager when the stakes feel high—and their mood changes like the weather? Pastor Jim Davis and counselor Angela Davis join Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to talk about awkward conversations, parental panic, and what your teen may need from you more than another lecture.

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Someone starts talking, or says something you don't agree with. Three sentences into their spiel, you’ve got the solution. Pastor Jim Davis and counselor Angela Davis join Dave and Ann Wilson to rethink what happens while someone else is talking. Find ideas on how to be a better listener when your brain would rather fix, defend, or win.

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Do I have to forgive them if they’re not sorry? What if letting them back in isn’t safe? Writer and Bible teacher Yana Conner joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to untangle forgiveness from reconciliation—and the idea that forgiveness means pretending it never happened. She gets practical about confrontation, boundaries, broken trust, and what forgiveness can look like when the other person won’t change.

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Their name lights up your phone, and your mood tanks before you even answer. So how do you let go of resentment when the hurt underneath it is real? Author Yanna Connor joins Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack her 11-year journey toward forgiving her dad—and why stuffing the pain, performing forgiveness, or pretending you’re “all good” doesn’t actually get you free.

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Smart kid. Athlete. Trouble-maker. Pastor’s kid. The funny one. The disappointment. Kids collect labels fast—and sometimes we’re the ones handing them out. Dr. Collin Outerbridge explores how to help kids find their identity in Christ when achievement, approval, and culture are eager to name them first. Because even “I just want you to succeed” can quietly become a heavier message than we intended.

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Your kid is being shaped by something. Friends. Teachers. Coaches. Screens. Algorithms. And everybody’s got an opinion about what matters. Dr. Collin Outerbridge gets practical about raising Christian kids in today’s culture when you can’t—and shouldn’t—control every influence. How do you help your kids build a faith that’s actually theirs, without wrapping them in spiritual bubble wrap?

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You carted them to church. Youth group. Maybe even the mission trip. So why are so many kids leaving the faith once they start thinking for themselves? Dr. Collin Outerbridge has studied unchurched and de-churched Gen Z—and he’s a dad in the thick of it. He joins Dave and Ann Wilson to unpack what’s competing for your kid’s heart and how parents can respond before, “I don’t believe this anymore.”

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Your spouse is talking. Your phone lights up. And somehow, the tiny glowing rectangle wins again. How do phones affect marriage when “just checking one thing” becomes a hundred small exits from each other? On FamilyLife Today, Dave and Ann Wilson get painfully practical about phones, distraction, and the quiet marital drift that can happen while you’re both sitting three feet apart.

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You share a bed, a calendar, maybe a Costco membership. But lately, your deepest conversation is, “Who’s picking up the kids?” Feeling disconnected from your spouse doesn’t always mean your marriage is in crisis. Jennifer Abbott joins Cheryl Shumake on FamilyLife Today to talk about the quieter kind of marital drift—where nothing's on fire, but while you're getting everything done, something's missing from your marriage.

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No plane ticket. No ministry degree. Maybe just a grocery line, a neighbor who needs dinner, and enough margin to actually notice. What does living on mission in everyday life look like when your calendar is already gasping for air? Trevor and Tanya Kravick join Cheryl Shumake on FamilyLife Today to talk about finding purpose right where you are—and bringing your kids along for the ride.

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Your Marriage Has a Mission couple study: Get your copy at familylifetoday.com

You prayed. You said yes. You took the scary step. Shouldn’t something be happening by now? How do you trust God’s timing when your plans are packed and God apparently isn't going to hurry. Trevor and Tanya Kravick join FamilyLife Today guest host Cheryl Shumake to discuss six years of waiting, a lost job, open-heart surgery, and a calling that refused to follow their calendar.

Show Notes and Resources

Your Marriage Has a Mission couple study: Get your copy at familylifetoday.com

Mortgage. Meetings. Four kids in Pull-Ups. Where exactly does “mission” fit in? Trevor and Tanya Kravick say marriage on mission doesn’t require an extraordinary life. They join FamilyLife Today guest host Cheryl Shumake to explore what God might already be doing in the middle of your ordinary chaos—and why your marriage may be about something much bigger than the two of you.

Show Notes and Resources

Your Marriage Has a Mission couple study: Get your copy at familylifetoday.com

This was not the plan. Not the diagnosis, not the heartbreak, not the prayer apparently sitting in God’s inbox. So what does trusting God in suffering actually look like? Grammy-winning artist Laura Story, author of Stand in Awe, joins FamilyLife Today guest host Cheryl Shumake to talk honestly about unwanted stories, unanswered prayers, and believing God is good when you’d really prefer some supporting evidence.

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Laura Story’s book, Stand in Awe: How Reverence Transforms Our Worship and Our Lives.

Your Bible’s under yesterday’s mail. Your coffee’s cold. Your thumb somehow opened Instagram again. How do you grow closer to God when your attention is being mugged by notifications, deadlines, kids, and plain old exhaustion? Grammy-winning artist Laura Story, author of Stand in Awe, joins FamilyLife Today guest host Cheryl Shumake to chat about moving beyond a shallow faith—and building one sturdy enough for ordinary Tuesdays when life hits hard and tries to elbow God out of the way.

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Laura Story’s book, Stand in Awe: How Reverence...

Three songs. Maybe raised hands. Done worshiping for the week? Not so fast. How do you worship God when Monday hits—and life looks nothing like you ordered? Grammy-winning artist Laura Story, author of Stand in Awe, joins FamilyLife Today guest host Cheryl Shumake to talk about worship when God doesn’t follow our script, faith gets a little too me-focused, and “reverence” sounds suspiciously like a word your grandmother used.

Show Notes and Resources

Laura Story’s book, Stand in Awe: How Reverence Transforms Our Worship and Our Lives.

Dirty diapers. Full trash cans. That argument neither of you is quite over. Turns out you said “I do,” not “I’ll never get on your nerves again.” So how do you love your spouse when it’s hard—when you’re hurt, misunderstood, halfway into your emotional turtle shell—and neither of you feels all that lovable? Quina Aragon, author of Love Has a Story, and her husband Jon unpack what God’s enduring love has to do with ordinary marriage when the warm fuzzies have left the building.

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Quina Aragon’s book, Love...

Yeah, the Bible says God loves you. But maybe you wonder, Does God love me—here, in the plot twist I definitely didn't order? Jon and Quina Aragon, authors of Love Has a Story, get candid about suffering, doubt, old wounds, and learning to trust God’s love when life makes a credible argument otherwise. When you're tired of easy answers to hard questions, listen in here.

Show Notes and Resources

Quina Aragon’s book, Love Has a Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God.

You joined a family hoping to love your stepkids well. But what if they don’t exactly love you back? Cheryl Shumake, author of Waiting to Be Wanted, gets painfully practical about how to be a good stepparent without auditioning for acceptance—and maybe when those kids don't love you back. How do you stop competing for your place, love without keeping score, and know what’s actually yours to do when the blended-family dream gets decidedly less dreamy?

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Weekend to Remember marriage getaway.

Your marriage ended. But your anger, betrayal, and hurt didn’t get the memo. Cheryl Shumake joins Dave and Ann Wilson to talk honestly about forgiveness after divorce—what it means, what it doesn’t, and why refusing to release the debt can keep old wounds alive. Is forgiveness possible when what happened was genuinely wrong? And how do you move forward without pretending the wreckage never happened?

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Weekend to Remember marriage getaway.

Got questions about Christianity you’re almost afraid to say out loud? Doubting your faith can feel especially lonely when everyone at church seems so stinkin' certain. Brant Hansen, author of Blessed Are the Misfits, joins Dave and Ann Wilson for an unpolished conversation about skepticism, introverts, uncomfortable questions, and belonging when you don’t fit the Christian mold. Because stuffing your doubts isn’t exactly making them disappear.

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Connect with Brant on Instagram.

You pray. Read your Bible. Show up at church. And God still seems … crickets. When God feels far away, does that mean your faith is broken—or that you are? Brant Hansen, author of Blessed Are the Misfits, gets candid about skepticism, emotional wiring, and our all-too-human pressure to manufacture spiritual experiences. What holds your faith together when your feelings have approximately nothing useful to report?

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Connect with Brant on Instagram.

Everyone else seems to feel God. Worship moves them. Prayer lights them up. Meanwhile, your faith feels flatter than a three-day-old Coke. If you're wondering, “Why don’t I feel close to God?” Brant Hansen, author of Blessed Are the Misfits, gets refreshingly honest about faith for people who don’t fit the emotional Christian mold. Are you spiritually defective—or have we confused certain personalities and feelings with what genuine faith is supposed to look like?

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Connect with Brant on Instagram.

Grades. Sports. Friends. Faith. Future. It’s ridiculously easy to turn your teenager’s life into your personal report card. Melissa Kruger, author of Parenting with Hope, gets honest about Christian parenting of teens when, perhaps despite the evidence, you want desperately to get it right. What if our good intentions are quietly piling pressure on our kids? And how do we stay close when their choices—and their future—aren’t ours to control?

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Learn more about Melissa Kruger on her website.

Your sweet kid turned into a teenager—and apparently you’re embarrassing now. How do you stay close without clinging, set limits without making every conversation a lecture, and keep fear from running the show? Melissa Kruger, author of Parenting with Hope, gets real about how to parent a teenager when the stakes feel higher, the eye rolls get stronger, and you desperately want to get this right.

Show Notes and Resources

Learn more about Melissa Kruger on her website.

You’ve got a dream. You’ve also got bills, responsibilities, loved ones eager to offer opinions, and that nagging question: Is this big idea for my future actually from God … or am I nuts? Saxophonist Emmanuel Garilus and his wife, Loreen, get real about finding your God-given purpose when the sensible path doesn’t feel like the faithful one. How do you weigh calling, risk, hard work, and marriage—and know when a dream is worth chasing?

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Emmanuel Garilus’s Apollo Theater performance. Find the video on Emmanuel Garilus’s Instagram.

You love each other. You love Jesus. So why is communication already this hard? Newlyweds Loreen and Emmanuel Garilus get refreshingly real about communication for newlyweds—mismatched expectations, conflict, family backgrounds, and those “Couldn’t you just text me?” moments. How do you learn to understand your spouse without making your way the right way—or letting little frustrations quietly become big ones?

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You know you should listen. Instead, you get louder. Or colder. Or suddenly walking away sounds very reasonable. So how do you control your emotions when your brain and body have already hit DEFCON 1? Ron and Nan Deal, authors of The Mindful Marriage, join Dave and Ann Wilson on FamilyLife Today to unpack what’s beneath those knee-jerk reactions—and how real change manages when your spouse says that thing again and your better judgment has fled the building.

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Find The Mindful Marriage by Ron and Nan Deal on our shop.