The Fire of Jesus That Transforms
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
Release Date: 10/28/2025
What Jesus Really Teaches About Marriage and Divorce
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
In this episode, we take up one of the most painful and frequently asked questions in the church: What about God and divorce? Whether someone is in a miserable marriage, has been left by a spouse, or is carrying the wounds of divorce, this conversation is both challenging and important. We unpack the biblical meaning of covenant, and why divorce is so devastating—not because it ranks highest on some hierarchy of sins, but because it tears apart something God intended to reflect His faithful love. "God hates divorce” is not condemnation, but is a window into the grief of a Father...
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When Feelings Fade: Keeping a Relationship Alive When Romance Wears Off
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
Today Dr. Carol is joined by Lindsey Maestas, a writer and podcast host known for saying the hard things gently, and for telling the truth about love with honesty, depth, and compassion. Together, we talk about what happens when the feeling of being “in love” begins to fade, and why romance alone is never enough to sustain a relationship. Lindsey shares vulnerable stories about her own marriage, including a season when she was ready to call it quits, and the inner shifts that led her to choose staying, growth, and daily faithfulness instead of walking away. We explore common relational...
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How to Love Authentically
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
You've heard of the Five Love Languages. But what's next? In this episode, we’re joined by marriage and family therapist and author Leslie Parrot to explore what it really means to love in ways that are not just well-intended, but deeply felt. Good intentions alone aren’t enough, but empathy and curiosity help bridge the gap between how we express love and how it’s actually received. Drawing from decades of clinical experience and relational wisdom, Leslie offers insight into why a deeper understanding of love languages matters, not as a formula, but as a pathway to deeper connection. ...
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The Story Beneath the Struggle: How a Former Transgender Found Transformation
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
Dr. Linda Seiler decided to follow Jesus in high school, but her sexual and emotional struggles didn’t simply disappear. In this episode, she shares her own story and the insight she’s gained through decades of ministry and trauma-informed care. Now an ordained Assemblies of God minister and Executive Director of ReStory Ministries, Linda helps us explore what was missing in the early years of her faith journey and why sincere belief alone often isn’t enough to bring freedom. We talk candidly about how modern culture frames sexual orientation and gender identity as fixed and...
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Built to Last: Timeless Truths for Your Marriage
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
Need some marriage wisdom? Greg Smalley has spent his entire life immersed in conversations about marriage. As the son of the late Gary Smalley—and now Vice President of Marriage and Family Formation at Focus on the Family—Greg has witnessed up close both the beauty and the messiness of intimate relationships. In this conversation, Greg reflects on why he chose to step into this demanding work, what drew him to a calling so intertwined with his family legacy, and how his own 30+ year marriage to Erin has shaped what he teaches today. We also explore how marriage challenges have...
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Untangling God from the Wound: Healing After Spiritual Abuse
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
Faith is meant to bring life. But what happens when it become harmful? In this episode, Dr. Carol sits down with Jeff and Terra Mattson, a husband-and-wife author team whose work bridges leadership, psychology, and spiritual formation. He brings the perspective of an executive coach; she offers the clinical insight of a licensed professional counselor. Together, we explore the idea of toxic faith: how faith can be distorted through fear, control, shame, or misuse of authority, and how to discern the difference between spiritually abusive systems and the ordinary, imperfect humanness found...
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Who We Think God Is vs. Who He Really Is
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
Have you ever been surprised by who someone turned out to be? Research shows we form impressions of people within seconds, but real life often proves those impressions wrong. In this episode, we explore how that gap between appearance and reality shows up in relationships –with others, and especially with God. These realities reveal a deeper truth; there’s a profound difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them. Many people believe in God, yet carry perhaps unconscious distortions about what He is really like. You may "know" that "God is love," but...
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Top Moments of 2025: Love, Sex, Intimacy, and Following Jesus
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
In this special year-end episode, we revisit the conversations you loved most in 2025: honest, hope-filled moments about intimacy, relationships, sexuality, and the God who designed us for connection. These clips capture the wisdom, clarity, and compassion that resonated deeply with listeners all year long. Whether you’re new to the podcast or want a fresh dose of encouragement, this highlight reel brings together the insights that helped people grow in intimacy with God and with each other. And here are links to the full conversations from which the excerpts were taken for this...
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The Good News of Christmas
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
On the night Jesus was born the angel told the shepherds, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." The Christmas season may not always feel like good news. Busyness, difficult circumstances, emotional struggles, and more can make this time feel like anything but good news. This brief Christmas meditation shares how the angels' declaration of good news applies to everyone, even you, even in the difficulties of real life right now. Merry Christmas from all of us at Dr. Carol Ministries! Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can...
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The God Stories That Happen When Jesus Shows Up
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol
This episode takes you inside the heart of an Intensive at Transformation Place and gives you a glimpse of what this unique experience is like. Here people confront the barriers holding them back, encounter God in deeply personal ways, and experience the kind of change they may have sought for years but struggled to find on their own. You’ll hear five individuals who courageously share their own “God stories.” Each one describes how the Intensive met them right where they were—whether stuck, hurting, confused, or hungry for more—and how God worked in ways they didn’t expect. Their...
info_outlineWe’ll talk about three things that need to be burned up—people-pleasing, idols, and sin—and why this is actually very good news. Along the way, you’ll hear why living for an “audience of One” frees you from false peace, how even good things can become idols that need dethroning, and what real transformation beyond behavior change looks like. Most of all, you’ll see how Jesus is both scandalously safe and scandalously dangerous: welcoming us as we are, yet making it possible for us to become truly transformed and whole.
Check out Dr. Carol's article Ways of Being With Jesus That Bring Transformation
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