Is Your Marriage a Contract or a Covenant?
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
Release Date: 04/03/2025
Gaslighting in Marriage: Are You Being Manipulated—or Hurting Your Spouse Without Knowing It?
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
In this eye-opening episode of A Purpose Driven Marriage, we explore the emotionally charged and often misunderstood topic of gaslighting. Is it happening in your marriage? Could you be unintentionally gaslighting your spouse? Or are you the one being gaslit? Join us as we break down what gaslighting really is, how to recognize it, and most importantly, how to respond in a way that builds trust and restores emotional safety. What You’ll Learn: What gaslighting is (and what it isn’t) Common phrases that may indicate gaslighting How to know if you’re being gaslit How to recognize...
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Feeling Distant? How a Vacation Together Can Rekindle Intimacy in Your Marriage
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
Feeling disconnected from your spouse? You're not alone. Life’s busy seasons — raising kids, careers, and constant responsibilities — can slowly erode intimacy and connection. But what if one of the most effective ways to reignite your relationship was simpler than you thought? In this episode of , we explore how taking intentional time away together — whether a weekend staycation or a full-blown getaway — can deeply impact your marriage. It may be surprising, but intentional time together has been shown to help: Rekindle intimacy Improve communication Increase relationship...
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How to Build, Rebuild, and Maintain Trust in Your Marriage
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
In this episode of A Purpose Driven Marriage, we’re tackling one of the most crucial issues couples face—trust. Whether you’re working to rebuild trust after betrayal or simply want to maintain a strong, healthy foundation, this conversation is for you. Join Duane and Nadine as they explore: What causes trust to break down in a marriage How to rebuild trust one brick at a time The power of consistency and overcommunication How transparency, follow-through, and grace build long-term security Why impatience can sabotage the healing process Faith-based encouragement for couples...
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How to Stop Fighting About Money and Start Building Together - with special guests Dan & Kay Ockey of Centsei Financial
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
Do money conversations in your marriage feel more like battlegrounds than building blocks? You're not alone—and today’s guests are here to help. In this episode of A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast, we’re joined by Dan and Kay Ockey, financial coaches and founders of Centsei Financial, who open up about their journey from debt, secrecy, and daily arguments… to building a thriving financial coaching practice—and a stronger marriage—together. You’ll learn: Why most financial fights are not really about money The weekly habit that can radically improve your relationship and your...
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"The Invisible Weight Women Carry: How to Rebalance the Mental Load in Marriage – with Dr. Morgan Cutlip"
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
If you've ever found yourself overwhelmed by the countless invisible tasks of running a home and family, you're not alone. This week on , we’re joined by author and relationship expert Dr. Morgan Cutlip for an eye-opening conversation about the mental load—what it is, why it disproportionately affects women, and how it silently strains marriages. Dr. Morgan unpacks the emotional toll of carrying the mental load and offers compassionate, research-based tools for couples who want to create a better balance at home. From understanding why women often absorb more of the household...
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Is Your Marriage a Contract or a Covenant?
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
Is your marriage built to last—or to be left when it no longer meets your expectations? This week on A Purpose Driven Marriage, we’re unpacking a foundational question: 👉 Are you living out your marriage as a contract… or a covenant? In a culture that glorifies self-fulfillment and exits at the first sign of discomfort, we’re diving into the difference between the world’s view of marriage and God’s design. Through candid conversation, biblical truth, coaching insights, and real-life reflection, Duane and Nadine walk you through: What it means to have a contractual mindset vs....
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26 Real Marriage Tips I’d Give Any Wife—From 26 Years of Experience
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
After 26 years of marriage, I’ve learned a lot—about love, family, communication, intimacy, faith, and what it really means to grow through every season together. In this heartfelt episode, I’m sharing 26 real, honest, and practical tips I’d give to any wife who wants a stronger, more connected, and purpose-driven marriage. Some are serious. Some are funny. All of them are real-life tested and come from lessons I’ve learned as a wife, a mother, and a woman determined to keep building a marriage that thrives. Whether you’ve been married two years or twenty, there’s something here...
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26 Years, 26 Lessons: What Marriage Has Taught Me as a Husband
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
🎉 We’re celebrating 26 years of marriage! 🎉 In this special anniversary episode, Duane shares 26 powerful lessons he’s learned as a husband over the past 26 years of marriage. From leadership and communication to the importance of date nights, conflict resolution, and even why sharing food is an act of love (apparently!), this episode is packed with wisdom, laughter, and real-life marriage truths. If you're a husband, this is your must-listen playbook for growing in marriage. And wives—feel free to share this with your spouse! Who knows? He might just pick up a few gems. 😉 🔥...
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Too Busy for Love? 5 Time-Saving Hacks to Strengthen Your Marriage
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
Do you ever feel like you and your spouse are two ships passing in the night? Between work, kids, responsibilities, and life’s never-ending demands, finding quality time together can feel impossible. But it doesn’t have to be that way! In this episode, we’re sharing five powerful, time-management hacks to help busy couples stay connected and keep their marriage thriving—even when life gets hectic. From weekly marriage meetings to no-tech family time, these strategies will help you prioritize your relationship without sacrificing your responsibilities. Whether you’re juggling careers,...
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Why Your Marriage Arguments Keep Going in Circles (And How to Fix It)
A Purpose Driven Marriage Podcast
Hey friends! 👋 It’s just me today—Duane is out of town—but I’m excited to spend this time with you because we’re talking about something that comes up all the time in my coaching sessions: those frustrating, never-ending arguments that go absolutely nowhere. You know the ones—where you and your spouse keep going in circles, saying the same things, but somehow you’re both still frustrated and nothing actually gets resolved? 😩 Yeah, we’re getting to the bottom of that today! After working with hundreds of couples, I’ve seen the same patterns keep people stuck in these...
info_outlineIs your marriage built to last—or to be left when it no longer meets your expectations?
This week on A Purpose Driven Marriage, we’re unpacking a foundational question:
👉 Are you living out your marriage as a contract… or a covenant?
In a culture that glorifies self-fulfillment and exits at the first sign of discomfort, we’re diving into the difference between the world’s view of marriage and God’s design. Through candid conversation, biblical truth, coaching insights, and real-life reflection, Duane and Nadine walk you through:
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What it means to have a contractual mindset vs. a covenantal mindset
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How contract-thinking leads to insecurity, conditional love, and emotional distance
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What the Bible teaches about covenant love (Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5, Malachi 2:14)
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Why covenant love is about giving, not receiving
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How even secular studies—including those from Dr. John Gottman—support the benefits of covenant-style commitment
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How your view of marriage shapes your communication, intimacy, and long-term resilience
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Why covenant marriages don’t just bless the couple—they shape generations
🔑 Key Takeaways
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Contract marriages say: “If you do this, I’ll do that.”
Covenant marriages say: “Even if you don’t, I’m still here.” -
God's model for marriage is sacrificial, not transactional.
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The covenant mindset provides security, purpose, and spiritual alignment.
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You can shift from self-protection to selfless love—and your marriage will thrive for it.
🕰️ Timestamps (for YouTube or show description)
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0:00 – Intro: Marriage by God’s Design
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2:45 – Culture’s Contractual View of Marriage
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6:15 – “I’ll stay as long as I’m happy” – The Danger of Conditions
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9:00 – How a contract mindset creates emotional insecurity
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12:40 – What is a covenant marriage, really?
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14:00 – God’s blueprint: Ephesians 5 & sacrificial love
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17:30 – When one spouse is struggling—what covenant commitment looks like
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20:50 – Even if you’re not a Christian, covenant principles still apply
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21:45 – Research: Commitment = Relationship Success (Gottman, UVA, JFP)
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24:00 – “Interested” vs. “Committed” mindsets
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30:00 – Choosing love rooted in God, not performance
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32:00 – A marriage that builds legacy for generations
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34:00 – Listener challenge + closing encouragement
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