Pastor Rick's Daily Hope on Oneplace.com
Pastor Rick's Daily Hope on Oneplace.com

How to Keep Your Marriage Growing—Part Two

September 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Real Enemy of Romance Isn't What You Think

The greatest threat to a strong marriage isn't adultery, anger, or bitterness. According to Rick Warren, it's something far more mundane: busyness. "Your schedule is full, and your spouse has been sidelined by your schedule," he says. "Your two ships passing in the night." This observation anchors a practical message about what actually keeps a marriage growing over the long haul—and the answer is less about dramatic gestures and more about consistent, daily habits.

Time Together Is Non-Negotiable

Warren cites a University of Nebraska study that identified the common denominator in every great marriage: the couples spent a lot of time together. He is blunt about the implication: "I don't care how dedicated you are to Jesus Christ, what a wonderful Christian you are. If you don't spend time together, your marriage is going to drift apart." Nobody else will protect that time for you—not your boss, not your friends, not your extended family. You have to choose it.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:02) **Introduction: The Greatest Enemy of Romance** - Rick Warren opens by identifying the number one threat to romance: busyness, not adultery or anger.
  • 2 (02:31) **Spirituality, Sexuality, and the Puritans** - Rick connects spiritual and sexual intimacy, arguing Christians should have the best sex lives.
  • 3 (07:06) **Fourth Key: Keep on Giving Affirmation** - Warren introduces the fourth practice for a growing marriage: daily affirmation.
  • 4 (09:09) **What to Affirm: Value, Strengths, and Ministry** - Rick provides three specific areas for husbands and wives to affirm in each other.
  • 5 (12:32) **Testimony: Bob and Carrie on Ministry Together** - Bob and Carrie share their personal story of how serving God together strengthened their marriage.
  • 6 (17:38) **The Most Important Thing: Keep Following Jesus** - Warren states that the ultimate key to a growing marriage is keeping Jesus Christ at the center.
  • 7 (18:21) **Practical Steps for Following Jesus Together** - Rick offers four practical suggestions for keeping Christ at the center of a marriage.

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Guests on this episode

Rick Warren

Show Notes

Every marriage is always either growing together or growing apart. Relationships don’t stand still. In this message series, Pastor Rick explains the ways to keep your marriage growing through knowledge, insight, and effort.In every marriage, you must continually make adjustments for the relationship to grow. Listen as Pastor Rick shares how adjusting in life requires unselfishness and how learning to be unselfish may be the number one lesson God wants to teach you.
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Pastor Rick's Daily Hope on Oneplace.com

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