Podcast appearances and mentions of juli slattery

If you're a wife who loves God and loves your husband, but you're wondering… Why don't I want sex? Why does my husband want it more than I do? Am I broken for not desiring intimacy? …you're in the right place. We want to remind you that you are not broken. You're not alone. And God isn't disappointed in you. In this conversation, we sit down with the incredible Dr. Juli Slattery—clinical psychologist, author of 14 books, and founder of Authentic Intimacy—to talk about real struggles Christian wives face around intimacy, low desire, and how to walk toward healing with God's help. What Causes Low Sex Drive in Christian Wives? This is one of the most common issues I hear from women: “My husband wants it more. I feel bad. I don't know why I don't want it. Help.” Dr. Slattery shares that many wives don't have a lower drive—just a different kind. Men typically have what's called an initiating drive, while women often have a responsive drive. That means she doesn't feel desire until after closeness begins. That's normal! But sometimes, low desire is more complex. Some deeper causes may include: Past sexual trauma (even from within marriage) Body image issues and insecurity Pain during sex or hormonal changes (like menopause) A lack of emotional safety or unresolved conflict Shame from upbringing or purity culture Misunderstandings about what sex is really for Often, it's not one thing—it's several. That's why this isn't a quick fix. It's a journey of healing and understanding. And most importantly—it's not your fault. What Does God Say About Sex in Marriage? We often assume a great sex life just means “compatibility.” But as Juli beautifully shared: “Great sex isn't about compatibility. It's about growing in unselfish love.” And that's biblical. God designed marriage and sexual intimacy to reflect His covenant love: faithful, intimate, sacrificial, and joy-filled. When we chase after that picture—His heart for sex—it brings healing, safety, and even delight. Here are the 4 pillars of covenant sex that Juli teaches: Faithfulness – Can your spouse trust you emotionally and physically? Intimate Fellowship – Are you open with each other in heart and spirit? Sacrificial Love – Are you serving each other instead of demanding? Passionate Celebration – Is sex a space for joy and rejoicing? “I Want to Want Sex… But I Don't.” What Should I Do? If that's your heart cry, there's hope. Juli and I walked through several gentle, practical steps to help you move forward: 1. Pray—Every Day Invite God into this part of your life. Juli prayed for months before even telling her husband. God cares. He will meet you here. 2. Start with What You Do Want Maybe you don't want intercourse—but you'd like to cuddle. Or feel safe naked. Or be able to enjoy touch again. That's a great start. 3. Change the Inner Narrative Rather than thinking, “I have to,” begin gently rehearsing, “I want to enjoy closeness. I want to connect with the man I love.” 4. Use Physical Support Tools like organic lubricants, non-intercourse intimacy, or vibrators (with agreement) can be helpful. Give yourself permission to explore. 5. Communicate with Your Husband If he's safe, loving, and kind—invite him into this healing journey with you. Let him support your heart, not just seek pleasure. But Isn't It Selfish to Focus So Much on Sex? That's a valid concern—especially for Christians. But here's what Juli shared that really struck me: “God designed sex to bless both husband and wife. This isn't just about serving him—it's about your healing, too.” Sex is not just physical. It's emotional. Spiritual. It touches the most tender parts of our story. If you're avoiding it completely, it might be time to gently ask: What wounds need healing? What lies am I believing? This is not about becoming a sex expert—it's about becoming whole. A Christian Wife's Invitation to Intimacy Whether you've been married 3 years or 30, God's not done with this part of your journey. Even if sex has been painful, shame-filled, or complicated… He can redeem it. Even if you feel distant, numb, or uninterested… He can awaken new joy. You're not “less than.” You're not “too late.” You're not “too much.” You're beloved. And intimacy can become a gift again. Resources to Help You Begin If today's blog stirred something in you, we'd like to encourage you to take one step forward. God meets us there. Listen in: Full Episode with Juli Slattery available here and on your favorite podcast streaming service Explore: Juli's Ministry – Authentic Intimacy New Book (July 1): Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes Everything For more information on our Coaching Programs: DelightYourMarriage.com Final Thoughts You're not alone. God is in this with you. Let Him lead. And let Him love you in this part of your story.   With love, The DYM Team   PS - If you haven't checked out Dr. Juli's book yet, you can check it out here: God, Sex & Your Marriage  PPS - For more information on our Coaching Programs, please visit our website. We would love to connect with you!

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Gabrielle & Scott talk with Dr. Juli Slattery from Authentic Intimacy about how past sexual abuse impacts individuals and their marriages. With biblical truth, personal insight, and expert care, Dr. Slattery shares how healing can happen in safe relationships marked by trust, patience, and grace. We hope this episode provides hope and healing for those affected by sexual abuse. Scriptures Referenced (in context):Rom 12:15John 10:10PS 34:18Rom 8:28 Resources:Juli's Ministry – Authentic IntimacyJuli's Podcast – Java with JuliBooks: Surprised by the Healer, by Linda Dillow and Juli Slattery; God, Sex, and Your Marriage, by Juli Slattery Questions to Discuss:1. What stood out to you most from this conversation with Dr. Juli Slattery?2. What does it look like to be a “safe place” for your spouse?3. How can we invite—not demand—intimacy in our marriage?4. Are there past wounds (sexual or otherwise) we need to process personally or as a couple?5. Who are safe people or resources we could pursue if we need help?

Dr. Juli Slattery has spent years dealing with the sexual wounds, questions and longings of people who want abundant life. She'll join us to talk about "surrendered sexuality." With all the confusion about identity and same-sex attraction and the inability of the church to deal with some hard questions, where can Christians find answers? Don't miss Chris Fabry Live. Featured resources:Surrendered Sexuality (available July 1, 2025)Called Conference - April 12, 2025 For more information about the work of Care Net, click here. Chris Fabry Live is listener-supported. To support the program, click here.Become a Back Fence Partner: https://moodyradio.org/donateto/chrisfabrylive/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've talked about the fact that many women struggle to ‘flip the switch' and enjoy married sex, and we've talked about what might contribute to that. But we haven't talked about what husbands can do to help their wives enjoy sex. Juli shares a conversation from Gary Thomas' Podcast where she was a panelist alongside Debra Fileta and Belah Rose.   Host: Gary Thomas   Featured Speakers: Dr. Juli Slattery, Debra Fileta, MA, LPC and Belah Rose   Gary's Website: garythomas.com Gary's Newsletter: garythomasbooks.substack.com   Book: Married Sex by Gary Thomas and Debra Fileta, MA, LPC Book: Rethinking Sexuality by Dr. Juli Slattery Book: God, Sex and Your Marriage by Dr. Juli Slattery   Juli's Website: authenticintimacy.com Debra's Website: debrafileta.com Belah's Website: delightyourmarriage.com   Please support Joy and Zack Skarka on GoFundMe   Java with Juli with Dr. Juli Slattery – Christian Discussions on Marriage, Sex and Singleness.

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott talk about the importance of good investments. There are many ways we can invest our time, money, and energy, and in this episode we discuss the importance of regularly investing in your marriage. Resources:Book - Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes... Everything, by Juli Slattery (release July 1, 2025)MTR Episode 62 – Your Marriage and the Unhurried Life (feat. Chris Schultz)MTR Episode 64 – Questions to Ask Your Spouse Every WeekMTR Episode 90 – Our Favorite Marriage ResourcesIntentionality In Your Marriage – John & Pam McGee, Uncommon Marriage Conference 2022 Scriptures:Ephesians 5:25Matthew 6:21 Questions to Discuss:What are some areas of your life where you invest your time, money, and energy?How can you invest more time and energy in your marriage?How can you invest more money in your marriage?

Special Patreon Re-Release: God, Sex, and Your Marriage: Interview with Dr. Juli Slattery    *DISCLAIMER* This interview includes some adult themes and is not intended for young ears.   **Transcription Below**   Matthew 9:37 (NIV) "Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."   Questions we discuss: For many couples, sex can be a difficult area of marriage and you encourage people that is normal, but you also warn us not to confuse normal with healthy. What is normal for married couples and what is healthy, as it relates to sexual intimacy in marriage? What is God's genius chemical cocktail that we experience during sex? Will you give a brief overview of your four pillars of intimacy?   Dr. Juli Slattery is a clinical psychologist, author, speaker and broadcast media professional with over twenty-five years of experience counseling, and teaching women. She's the president and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy, a unique ministry devoted to teaching God's design for intimacy and sexuality. In 2020, Juli launched SexualDiscipleship.com, a platform designed to help Christian leaders navigate sexual issues and questions with gospel-centered truth. She hosts a weekly podcast, Java with Juli, where she answers tough questions about relationships, marriage, and spiritual, emotional and sexual intimacy.  www.authenticintimacy.com    Other Episodes with Dr. Juli Slattery on The Savvy Sauce:   Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery   Patreon 26 Holy Sex with Dr. Juli Slattery   Life-Giving Marriage with Dr. Juli Slattery   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and The Savvy Sauce Charities (and donate online here)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   **Transcription**   [00:00:00]   Laura Dugger: Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.    [00:00:18]   Laura Dugger: Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.   I'm grateful for today's sponsor, Chick-fil-A East Peoria. Check them out online to place your order for dining or catering, or to fill out an application to join their friendly team. Visit cfaeastpeoria.com.   Hey friends, I wanted to share some exciting news with you. Savvy Sauce Charities has officially received our confirmation from the IRS that all donations are tax deductible. I know that we have super generous listeners, so we wanted to let you know you can now mail your check to Savvy Sauce Charities, P.O. Box 101, Roanoke, Illinois, 61561. Thanks in advance for supporting Savvy Sauce Charities. [00:01:24]    And now I'm pleased to share this episode with you that used to only be available to paying patrons. Dr. Juli Slattery is my returning guest today. She has written another fantastic book entitled God, Sex, and Your Marriage. And now she's going to give us a healthy vision for sexual intimacy in marriage and share actionable ways that we can grow in maturity and delight and health in our relationship with our spouse.    Here's our chat.   Welcome back to The Savvy Sauce, Dr. Juli.   Dr Juli Slattery: Oh, thanks so much for having me.   Laura Dugger: Well, even from the get-go on the dedication page of your book, you dedicate it to your brothers and sisters in Christ, some who have labored before you, and some who now work alongside you in reclaiming God's design for sex. You quote the last part of Matthew 9:37, when you say, "The field is ripe for the harvest, but the laborers are few." [00:02:28] Will you elaborate on what you mean by this?   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah. I think within the field of Christian sexuality, there are things that we can disagree on. Some of those conversations can be characterized by looking back at what people have written before and being critical of that or looking at the ways that we disagree today on different topics and how we apply the scriptures.    So as I was wrapping up this book, I just have such a heart for unity in the body of Christ and recognize that there are so few people that really want to see God reclaim biblical sexuality, that I just want us to link arms and to work together, to learn from each other, to give honor to each other, and just to be in the trenches, like encouraging one another, instead of focusing on maybe where we differ. [00:03:25]    So that's kind of the heart of it, as well as just a gratitude for the people that have gone before us, the people that were speaking and writing on this topic over the last few decades. Again, I think we're looking back and saying purity culture was horrible and, you know, like just be with more of a critical eye, which we need to learn from the past. But I think, you know, I just really want to have a spirit of graciousness and unity as we say, Hey, we're kind of working off of the shoulders of the people who have been really pioneers in this field.   Laura Dugger: I think that goal of unity is such a worthy one. For so many couples, sex can be a difficult area of marriage. And you write that this is very normal, but you also warn us not to confuse normal with healthy. You go on to write, and I'll just quote it here, "Just consider that the normal American is overweight, overstimulated, exhausted, and lonely." [00:04:29] So, Juli, from your perspective, what is normal for married couples and what is healthy as it relates to sexual intimacy in marriage?   Dr. Juli Slattery: I would say normal is a lot of conflict around sex, frustration, unfulfilled desires, lack of communication. They don't know how to talk about sex or navigate conflict around just differences. I think it's normal for there to be some level of pornography in a marriage. One or both of the individuals bringing in a history of pornography and a struggle with pornography. I think it's normal to have a lot of confusion and shame just around being a sexual person.    So those are all sort of the normal barometer of what I see as I talk to married Christian couples. Again, I think there's peace in knowing, okay, we have good company around us. We're not the only couple struggling with these things, but I also don't want that to be a message that things should just stay the way they are. [00:05:35]    Laura Dugger: I love that. Can you elaborate then on what is healthy?   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah. So healthy is sort of the opposite of what I've mentioned. Healthy is that there's healthy, regular communication around sex. So a couple can talk about not just how often they want to have sex, but the deeper issues of what does sex represent for me as an individual? What does it represent for us as a couple? Being able to talk through things from the past, past wounds and shame, and being able to seek the Lord together. It's healthy to honor each other in their sexual relationship, honor the differences that they might be bringing of sexual desire and what they're hoping for in their sexual relationship, navigating together the challenges that they face, but navigating as a team.   So the challenges of we have no energy because we're exhausted with little kids or the challenges of one of us might be working through some trauma from the past, the challenges of how do we address the pornography in our marriage and how do we learn to enjoy each other within our own covenant? [00:06:46]    So those are kind of the markers of a healthy sex life. I don't think there are many couples who would just say automatically, we were there when we first got married. But unfortunately, I think there are also not a lot of couples who would say we're actually working towards those goals. Instead, we have a tendency to just kind of stay stuck where we are.   Laura Dugger: I think an obvious answer would be that communication is going to help us move in that direction of health. But if this healthy vision sounds wonderful, how do people actually engage in this? What are a few of the first steps they can take?   Dr. Juli Slattery: I think one of the first steps is just really broadening your horizon of what God created sex to be. And really, it's taking a step back and asking yourself the question, what do you think a good sex life is actually supposed to look like from a Christian standpoint? [00:07:45]    I think it's fascinating for couples to have that conversation and, first of all, to see where they differ in their understanding of what a good sex life is meant to be, but also where they struggle to flesh it out because there just hasn't been a lot of great teaching on, how do we as a couple even have the same goals related to our sex life.   That was the main reason why I wrote God, Sex, and Your Marriage was to give Christian married couples a vision for what God created sex to be and to have them together agree on, here's what our mature sex life is meant to look like and we want to start working toward that. But if you don't know what you're working toward, then you're just going to stay stuck.   Laura Dugger: I appreciate resources like this. If anybody's listened to any of our other topics on sexual intimacy on The Savvy Sauce, you know that we recommend reading a book, ideally with each other. But even if it's just you reading it yourself, there's so much to glean. [00:08:49] And like you said, Juli, you're casting this vision.   But then even as you read this aloud to one another or you each read a chapter and then come together and discuss, it gets you comfortable talking about this language and it brings up even more questions like you just mentioned that can be natural conversation starters.   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah, that's a great suggestion for every married couple, including myself and my husband. I guess something that we've tried to do throughout our marriage is to be reading a book on sex together, preferably, as you mentioned, out loud, because it really does get you comfortable in terms of just what language to use and what it's like to have a conversation around sex.   Laura Dugger: Absolutely. So just really, I've thought this so many times, but thank you for the labor and the work you put into putting this resource together so that we have an option that we can trust.    Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah, well, I think we tend to write the books that we would want to read. So, yeah, a lot of it has just come out of our own journey. [00:09:49]    Laura Dugger: Well, and I agree with another point that you make in the book when you talk about sex being so important to God and so we can expect it to constantly be under spiritual attack. So will you just tell us more about that idea?   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah. I think the average Christian, as you look at the cultural landscape, there's no question that sex is under attack and that we see it distorted and we see it being such a confusing topic for our kids, for just our culture. We can recognize that and we can look at different ways that sex is being used against us in our world today, but we're less likely to see how that's happening within our own marriages.   But I think just being aware of the fact that Satan hates everything God made as beautiful, and sex is such a powerful picture of God's covenant love, of the fact that he created us for intimate unity. That Satan really wants to twist that. And he'll do it any way he can. [00:10:56] He'll do it through shame. He'll do it through us even having a very limited perspective of what sex should be. He'll do it through dividing you and having sex be the main source of conflict in your marriage. He'll do it through pornography and marital affairs and betrayal.    I think we have to be on the lookout and say, hey, this really is a spiritual terrain, not just in the world at large, but it's a spiritual terrain within my own heart and within our marriage.   Laura Dugger: But then you don't leave us there with that message of attack because in that same chapter you conclude with this quote: "God's power to redeem is greater than Satan's power to destroy." So, Juli, how have you seen that practically played out in couples' lives?   Dr. Juli Slattery: Boy, I've just been so blessed to see that played out over and over again. In the ministry that I run, Authentic Intimacy, we've been doing this for a decade now. [00:11:56] I can't explain it, but all I can tell you is that when an individual or a couple begins to really get God's perspective of sexuality, when they alone or together begin to surrender this area of their life to God, you just see change, you see healing, you see redemption, you see freedom where there once was shame and lies.   It's commonplace in our ministry to see that, which is amazing because every life that's redeemed really is a work of God. But the scripture says that His word doesn't return void, but it accomplishes what it's sent out to do. And I get to see that. I get to see that as couples are healing and recovering from betrayal, as people are looking to get set free from pornography, as people are trying to navigate the impact of past trauma and what that's done to their sex life, as couples are confronting some of the anger or bitterness or selfishness that have developed over the years because of their differences and sexual desire. [00:13:03] I've just gotten to see all those sort of things redeemed by God's power, and sex starts to become something that really does unify a husband and wife together.   Laura Dugger: Well, that makes so much sense because I've been convicted so many times and had to be reminded when God will gently call me back to Himself where I've shared a struggle with my husband, or if I'm questioning something in parenting and I'm just thinking on it and ruminating on it, God will gently remind me, come to Me with this, share with Me. And in the same way, with the topic of sex, you're encouraging us in this book to invite God to fight for us, and it's really His strength and power that can heal us in this sacred space.   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah. It makes so much sense, Laura. But in reality, I think most of us kind of bar God from our sex lives. We don't realize we do it, but we never praise a married couple about our sex lives.[00:14:07] We never invite God into our shame. We never even think or want to think about the fact that He's present with us in the bedroom because that sort of creeps us out.    But if you're trying to fight a spiritual battle with your own strength and you're barring God's presence from that place, then you're not going to win it. I had to confront this in my own life in marriage many years ago. I didn't realize how much I was doing that, but I think because the church has been so silent on sex over the years, we just naturally have this sort of separate category of sexuality where God doesn't enter. So, boy, what a powerful thing to begin surrendering this to the Lord and asking for His wisdom and His help.   Laura Dugger: Powerful indeed. I remember one wife shared with me they don't pray together about sex out loud, but she has prayed before, even when they're in the act, and just shared real-time, Okay, Lord, I'm having a really hard time experiencing orgasm, and I would love to experience that today, so can you help me get there?" [00:15:16] And she said the results have been incredible. And I just think He cares so much about every detail of our lives that I love that story and what she shared because I think it shows His heart that He wants to share delight with us, and He's created this.   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah, it brings God honor and pleasure when a married couple enjoys sex to the fullest because that's what He created it for. I think somehow we've bought this lie that God's embarrassed of our sexuality or it's a necessary evil, instead of it being something that we clearly see in the Song of Solomon and Proverbs chapter 5 and other places in Scripture that God delights in this. He created sex for this purpose.   And part of fighting the spiritual battle that we face in our world is reclaiming the ground of what sex looks like in our marriage. And so there are a lot of people who are frustrated at what's happening to their kids or what's happening to our culture, but at the same time they don't fight for godly sexuality within the space of their own bedroom. [00:16:22] And that really is where the battle begins, is in our own hearts and our own lives.   Laura Dugger: Well, let's now discuss the four pillars of intimacy, and hopefully you can just give a brief overview of each. Beginning with faithfulness and specifically, why do you write that holy jealousy is good?   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah. If I can back up just for a minute, the whole premise of this book is that God created sex within marriage to be a form of revelation. Like through marriage and sexuality, the Scripture says God is revealing to us what his covenant love is like. And we see that in the Old Testament in God's covenant relationship with Israel and how often He used language of marriage and sexuality as a metaphor to explain His love for Israel.    Then in the New Testament we see the same thing happen with Jesus' relationship with the church. We see all this bridal language, intimacy language, sexual language to express what covenant looks like between Christ and His bride. [00:17:35] And I know for a lot of people that's sort of a mind shift, but if you can think about it this way, God creates the physical world in order to reveal Himself to us. So God has created marriage and sexuality as a form of revelation to reveal for us this special relationship of covenant.   So what I did with these four pillars of covenant love is say, OK, if God's love, if His covenant love is like this, then this is what defines a healthy sex life. So I broke down these four aspects of God's love for His covenant people and then applied it to sexuality.    So the first pillar that I talk about there is faithfulness. That faithfulness is the very foundation of any covenant. That a covenant isn't a relationship that's based on what feels good or what I feel like doing in the moment. It's a relationship based on your character, on your promise.    Part of that is that within covenant you have a sacred sense of belonging to each other. And so there is a holy jealousy within covenant. [00:18:43] And we see this in God's relationship with Israel where God actually says, My name is jealous. I am jealous for you. I'm a jealous God. And when you worship other gods, I'm angry.    That seems to be true within the covenant of marriage, that sexually we belong to each other exclusively, and there should be a healthy anger, protectiveness, and even jealousy if that exclusivity isn't honored. So, Laura, for example, I was talking to a woman who her marriage was in bad shape. There had been conflict over many years, there had been pornography addiction, and her husband cheated on her. And she said, "I was so dead that I wasn't even angry. My love for him was so dead that I didn't even get mad." [00:19:43] You'd be like, "Why would she not get mad? Is that a sign of health to not get mad when your husband cheats?" No. That's a sign of a very dysfunctional relationship, of a covenant that's dead.    So a healthy marriage means that we fight for each other and we protect our sexual relationship and that if there is a violation, then there is reason to be upset,there is reason to be angry. I think this is so key that we talk about you really can't build anything else in your sex life if you don't have faithfulness. That's the bare minimum foundation.   Laura Dugger: And now a brief message from our sponsors.    [00:20:25]   Sponsor: I want to say thank you to our longtime sponsor, Chick-fil-A East Peoria. I hope that you've already downloaded the Chick-fil-A app. Because did you know that with the app you can skip the line and have food ready for you when you arrive? This is one of my favorite options when I'm taking my four daughters to Chick-fil-A East Peoria. Download the Chick-fil-A app today and start earning points toward free rewards that are fully customized to your preferences and tastes.   Chick-fil-A was named as one of Glassdoor's best places to work in the nation. That's a huge honor. And one team member even wrote, "No comparison. This is a great job for a first job, extra money, or for career advancement. Such a loving environment, great management, and fair pay." Chick-fil-A believes that the local and involved ownership ensures fostering an environment where you are known, challenged, and cared for.   So if you're looking for a wonderful place to work, visit Chick-fil-A East Peoria or fill out an application online today at cfaeastpeoria.com.    [00:21:31]   Laura Dugger: We are so excited to celebrate with you that The Savvy Sauce Charities received our IRS confirmation that all donations are officially tax deductible. We hope that you're going to take action to partner with us.   There are details laid out on our website, which is thesavvysauce.com, and they're going to walk you through the process to donate, and it's also going to share our tax ID number. The donation process is as easy as just filling out a check for Savvy Sauce Charities and mailing it to P.O. Box 101, Roanoke, Illinois, 61561.    If we've contributed to your life in any way by resourcing you to grow closer in intimacy with God and others, would you now contribute to us financially? In this way, we are so excited to partner together and hopefully meet each other's needs. Our team wants to continue producing these podcasts, and we're expectant that if you're listening right now, you value The Savvy Sauce Charities enough to make a donation.    We view this work as ministry, so we happily spend thousands of dollars each year to record and produce these episodes. And our ultimate prayer is that your experience with Savvy Sauce Charities will make an impact for eternity. So if that is true for you, if you've ever received a blessing in any way from this nonprofit, would you prayerfully consider donating to Savvy Sauce Charities? Any amount is greatly appreciated.   And in fact, you've heard me say before, if every listener gave only $1 per month, it would completely offset all our costs. Again, we have all the details listed on our website, thesavvysauce.com, if you are interested in making a donation. We look forward to partnering with you.   [00:23:32]   Laura Dugger: Can you elaborate about the chemical cocktail and why God is so genius in this creation?   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah, sure. You know, I think one of the reasons that we really struggle with faithfulness is because we believe at a heart level that marriage is more about attractiveness and getting our sexual needs met than believing that marriage is about covenant. And one of the ways that I explain that is just to show, you know, God has designed new sex and a new relationship to elicit different kinds of chemicals in our brain than a long-term relationship and long-term sexual interaction.   So the new relationship is going to have adrenaline and a neurotransmitter called PEA. And together, adrenaline and PEA make you feel like there's this huge output of dopamine, which is the pleasure hormone of the brain. [00:24:34] And so it makes you feel intoxicated. It makes you feel like you're on a drug.    This is why pornography is so addictive. But God has given that cocktail in the beginning of a relationship, in the beginning of seeing each other naked for the first time, so that it would be a cementing kind of experience for a husband and wife. Unfortunately, our world has really hijacked that with pornography and other sexual offerings. But God's design is that you shouldn't be able to forget your honeymoon. Like it should be like a cementing experience for you.   But then as you're married for a while and you have sex regularly, you don't get that same adrenaline and PEA unless you're doing something kind of fun or new or exciting. But in general, you'll get just kind of output of oxytocin, which is a bonding hormone. It connects you to your spouse. And you also get endorphins, which is sort of a feel-good, all-is-well-with-the-world kind of neurotransmitter. [00:25:39]    And so God has designed a married sex life to have elements of both of these, of new and exciting things, say, for example, on your anniversary or you go away for a vacation and you're really focusing on your sex life, but also to have these bonding and feel-good chemicals to take place just in the normal course of life.    But, Laura, what happens is we get addicted to that new and exciting, and so we kind of begin to neglect the sexual relationship and instead are tempted by what's going to make us immediately feel good in the moment. So that's kind of just understanding how God wired our sexuality and, again, why He's a genius, but also understanding how, if we're not wise, that wiring can be worked against us.   Laura Dugger: That's so helpful to be wise in all of that. Just the incredible amounts that He gives us. You had cited another source that says men can have their oxytocin levels raised more than 500% after orgasm. [00:26:49] That may be why they're able to open up more emotionally after they've connected sexually. You also talk about the bonding agent of vasopressin. Would you like to share anything about that?   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah. So the two hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, kind of go together. Vasopressin is kind of more, from what I understand, like the male form of oxytocin. But these hormones have been shown, as you mentioned, to bond people together, to make a man feel more connected and more likely to be vulnerable.    And interestingly, there's even some studies that show that a man whose body is rich with this oxytocin and vasopressin is less likely to be attracted to another woman. So some people will call it the fidelity hormone.   But when you begin to understand this as a wife, that regular sex with my husband is helping him feel emotionally closer to me, is fostering vulnerability and connection, is helping him to focus on me and me to focus on him, it helps with temptation that comes from the outside. [00:28:02]    And that's not at all to put pressure on a wife to say it's your job to keep your husband faithful. But it is to recognize that God has created sex to be a very powerful experience that is meant to bond you together. And you want to use that for the advantage of your marriage instead of allowing the enemy to use it as something that could tear you apart.   Laura Dugger: That's so good. There's so much there in that first pillar of faithfulness. But for the second pillar of intimate knowing, what separates that intimate knowing from what you call a sanctified hookup?   Dr. Juli Slattery: I think, again, we have to go back to God's covenant love to understand what we're working towards. And if you have been in a covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ for any amount of time, hopefully you've learned that one of the goals of your relationship with God is to know Him more intimately, to say, Hey, I know God and Jesus more intimately today than I did five years ago. [00:29:07] And through the struggles of life, through the highs and the lows, I've developed intimacy with the Lord.   Jesus talks about this when he talks about, you know, being so intimately connected to Him, it's like a vine in a branch. Like we're in communion all the time. So when we apply that to our sexual relationship, the goal of sex is not just to have our bodies exchange fluids, but it's to be on a journey together of deep knowing of sharing with each other.   Just like in our relationship with God, the valleys, the difficulties, actually are when intimacy can be forged even greater than when things are going well. And I think this is really important because for most married couples, they're going to experience some real challenges in their sex life.   Dr. Juli Slattery: challenges in their sex life and instead of just saying, well, we can't enjoy each other or we have different desires, looking at that as an opportunity of, how do I know my spouse more intimately because of the challenge that we're experiencing? [00:30:12]    When I work with couples who are going through difficulties like infertility or somebody's struggle with pornography or somebody's struggle with healing, what those couples will say is now we're beginning to talk at a deeper level than do you want to have sex or not. Now, we're talking about my shame underneath my sexuality or my frustration that I walked into marriage with these expectations and now I feel like they're not being met. So you're beginning to communicate about your heart, you're beginning to share the sexual journey.   Unfortunately I think there are a lot of married couples who don't see this. All they think of is sex. It's just what our bodies are doing instead of really looking at it as an opportunity to forge intimacy at a much deeper level.   Laura Dugger: The third pillar is sacrificial giving. I'd love for you to share your personal story about God calling you to sacrificial giving. [00:31:15]    Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah. One of the things that I've shared in my own life is that I'd say for the first 10 or 15 years of marriage, sex was one of those things that I wasn't very interested in, my husband was more interested in and particularly when we had three little boys running around the house, you know, I really avoided sex. I really didn't want to engage with it. I would always look for sort of the opportunity in the evening to say, “Hey, I need to do my devotions. This is my time.”    I remember going through that period of marriage where I would spend time with God usually in the evening and there would be times where it was like the Lord was really asking me, like if you really want to love Me and serve Me, why haven't you surrendered this area of your life to me?   And He began to just really prompt me to look at what it is to say, how do I love my husband sexually? How do I look at the conflict that I have within my own heart around sexuality and really begin to ask the Lord to heal that and to help me to enjoy what He has given me in marriage? [00:32:27] But during that season it was a lot of, how do I lay aside my own agenda and really understand my husband's sexual drive? How do I understand what would please him?    And Laura I just think a lot of us go into marriage and we think the sexual aspect of marriage will be something that won't require anything from us, that we just get to get, we get to receive. And for sure God has designed us to receive sexually, but He's also designed us so that we have to give sexually.   Why would he do that? Like people are like, why is God so cruel to make sex so difficult to navigate? But what God began to show me is He wants me to learn to love as Christ loves. Christ's love for us has always been sacrificial. And our love for Him in covenant is called to be sacrificial. We're called to lay down our own lives and take up the cross and follow Him. [00:33:30]    So I think there's something beautiful when we begin to understand that part of a healthy sex life is both the husband and wife approaching this with the attitude of, how do I serve you? How do I love you well? And when a husband and wife both have that attitude, the level of intimacy and even the level of pleasure has such a greater capacity than when we approach sexuality with just the mindset of what can I get from it.   Laura Dugger: Will you go even a little bit more specific with one of those quiet times with the Lord? What were you praying about? And what did he lead you to do?   Dr. Juli Slattery: So I was praying, you know, Lord, I just really want to know how to love You more and serve You. Like it was a time in my life where the Lord really was calling me deeper. What I just felt the Lord prompting me to do is to initiate sex with my husband.    I remember just kind of arguing with God in that moment, like, this is my time with You. You know, I think sometimes when we spend time with the Lord and we're studying the scripture, He wants us to actually put the Bible down and walk out what He's called us to do in his scripture. [00:34:45] And it was during that season of life again where God was just prompting me.   That night, that evening was the first time just prompting me like, hey, if you want to love Me more, if you want to know what My love is like, then go up and engage with your husband, because he's the one I've given you to love and he's the one I've given to love you. That really started us on a journey that didn't happen immediately, but over years of really surrendering this to God, we've learned what it is to serve each other and love each other well sexually.   Laura Dugger: And I'll just paraphrase from page 108 when that evening you sheepishly shared with your husband, when you came up and kind of surprised him and just said, "I was praying and it was like, God told me to come up here and initiate sex with you." And I love his response. He said, "No way! I was praying, asking God to tell you to do that." [00:35:44]    Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah, that's a true story. That really happened. So yeah, it's amazing how God works.   Laura Dugger: I love that so much. I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website. You can visit TheSavvySauce.com and see all of the latest updates. You may remember Francie Hinrichsen from Episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God-given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand new website for SavvySauce Charities, and we are thrilled with the final product.So I hope you check it out.    There you're going to find all of our podcasts, now with show notes and transcriptions listed, a scrapbook of various previous guests, and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones, so that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living. [00:36:45]    You will also be able to access our donation button or our mailing address for sending checks that are tax deductible, so that you can support the work of SavvySauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ. So make sure you visit TheSavvySauce.com.    I just appreciate those personal stories, even how when you were meeting with the Lord, having your quiet time, how He called you to go and seek your husband. There's a part of Matthew 5:23-24, that illustrates this as well. It just says, "Therefore, if you're offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them. Then come and offer your gift."   I just appreciate how the Lord even values that horizontal relationship first and the restoration there, and then you come back and reconnect vertically as well. [00:37:49]    Dr. Juli Slattery: Boy, it's true. Like that's the living out of our love for a God, for sure. There's also scripture that talks about like, if you say that you love Me, but you're not loving your brother, then your love for me isn't genuine. So I'm paraphrasing there. But you know, the scripture that I think has really gotten me over the years that I don't think many people apply to sexuality, is when Jesus is teaching at the Sermon on the Mount, and He says, even pagans know how to be kind to those who are kind to them. Like even pagans know how to greet those who greet them. But I say to you, love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you.    Not that my husband is my enemy, or was persecuting me, but the attitude of even a pagan wife knows how to love her husband well, when he's doing everything she wants, when he's attractive to her, when he's bringing her flowers, when he's attentive. But it requires the supernatural love of God for us to reach inside of ourselves and love in a way that is sacrificial. [00:39:01]    God wants us to become great lovers. He wants us to learn to love like He loves. And that's not a natural love that the average husband or wife can accomplish on their own strength. It's something that comes through intimacy with God and through saying, Lord, I want to become more like you in every area of my life. And again, our sexual relationship is not excluded from that. It perhaps can be the most challenging and vulnerable aspect of showing us how to love like God loves us.   Laura Dugger: Just one more thing to draw out of your chapter. I appreciated your balance between encouraging us to ask ourselves, are we being a cheerful giver? Then you also quote our mutual friend, Michael Sytsma, who is a pastor and also a certified sex therapist and author and speaker, that he says, the Bible does talk about fasting, but speaks far more about the feasting. [00:40:06]    Dr. Juli Slattery: Dr. Sytsma is just a wealth of wisdom on this topic. I've learned a lot from him. And that really sort of ushers in that fourth pillar of covenant love. So we've covered faithfulness, intimate knowing, sacrificial giving, but the fourth pillar is passionate celebration.    God has designed sex to be a passionate celebration of our covenant with each other. It is the way in our bodies that we remember, and we rejoice together that we've covenanted our lives to one another. God created sex to be pleasurable. He created the climax, He created the dopamine centers in our brain that go off with great delight when we experience sex with each other.    This is an important pillar. If you're looking at your sex life, and you say, okay, we're faithful to each other, and we're building intimate knowing, and I have a servant attitude, but I experienced no pleasure, then something's wrong with your sex life. [00:41:10] That's something that you need to work toward as an individual and as a married couple. There are a lot of Christian women who would identify with that, who would say, yeah, I do this primarily for my husband. I don't really love it. I don't really know how to enjoy it.    I would say to that woman that that's not the fullness of what God has designed for your sex life to look like in a marriage. He may be challenging you as he's challenged me over the years to really work on what does it look like for me to enjoy this gift, not just to be a giver of it, but also to be a receiver of it.   Laura Dugger: If anybody has their book, I'm thinking specifically, there is this part on page 133, where you draw out some fascinating discoveries about passionate celebration even in our relationship with the Lord, what that looks like, but how that transfers to the marriage as well. [00:42:10] Just things that we wouldn't think of: prayer and singing releasing certain bonding hormones.   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah. Yeah. So when you think about like our gatherings as a church body on Sundays or whenever you gather, what you're doing is you're gathering as part of the Bride of Christ. Usually we think of our Sunday services about the message. Yeah, the message is an important part, but it's not the most important part of our gathering. Our gathering is to express our love to our Savior and to our husband, to our heavenly Father, to all of it. We're rejoicing in Him. We're worshiping him as a collective group.    And what the research has shown is that when people gather together and they sing together out loud and when they dance, the same kind of chemicals are released in their brain as are released during sex. So they're getting the dopamine, they're getting the endorphins, they're getting the oxytocin. [00:43:15]    So when God's people get together and sing together and worship the Lord together, they're actually getting that same bonding hormone that unites you as the family of God, as a husband and wife would get together as they celebrate their covenant. So it's been really cool for me to study and to see these parallels of what God designed His relationship with us to be like, and then also what He designed marriage to be like. And to see that in many ways, even our bodily and neurological response will mirror each other.   Laura Dugger: It's just incredible to learn more about those relationships. Juli, as we seek to apply this conversation now to our own lives, what's an example of a possible next step forward?   Dr. Juli Slattery: Yeah, I think, Laura, a lot of us as married Christians, we think about biblical sexuality in terms of morality. In other words, let's keep the rules, let's obey God. And as we talked about in the faithfulness pillar, that certainly is a very critical part of how we honor God and each other within our sexual relationship. [00:44:30]    But the other pillars are all about maturity. I think you can be married for 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 30 years or more as a married couple and never considered, what does it look like for us to mature in our sexual love? How can we say five years from now that we love each other more deeply sexually than we than we do right now? What do we need to work on? Which of these four pillars requires our immediate attention?    The book God, Sex, and Your Marriage can be helpful. We also are releasing a video curriculum and workbook for couples to go through this material that can be really helpful that you could do as couples or do in a small group. But things don't change unless we become intentional about changing them.    And so, you know, I think for all of us, we need that challenge to not just settle for the way things are, but to really ask the Lord to begin redeeming sex within our marriage, again, as part of that larger spiritual battle of reclaiming God's design for sex within our world. [00:45:42]    Laura Dugger: If part of this plan of ours for intentionality includes learning more from you, where can we go to do that?   Dr. Juli Slattery: You can find everything that we do at AuthenticIntimacy.com. So there's a podcast, blog, this book and other books and workbooks and small group opportunities. So you can find all of that at our website, Authentic Intimacy dot com.   Laura Dugger: Wonderful. We will link to that, as always, in the show notes for today's episode. Juli, you have been on multiple times, so you know we are called The Savvy Sauce because "savvy" is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so is my final question for you today. What is your savvy sauce? [00:46:26]    Dr. Juli Slattery: Well, I would have to go back and listen to the episodes I've been on before to see if I say the same one all the time. But my savvy sauce is just really spending time with the Lord and really trying to make sure I reserve that first hour of the day for connection with Him, for surrendering to Him, learning from Him, just wanting to do what he calls me to do. So that's my savvy sauce right there.   Laura Dugger: Well, you are always a calm and steady and helpful guest. As we opened this discussion, we talked about that passage from Matthew 9:37, where Jesus is saying the field is ripe for the harvest, but the laborers are few. So I just want to say thank you for being a willing and skilled helper. I'm so grateful to get to have you as my returning guest.   Dr. Juli Slattery: Oh, Laura, thank you. Thanks for giving me a chance to share. It's always a joy to talk to you. [00:47:31]    Laura Dugger: Likewise.    One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term "gospel" before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves.   This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a Savior.   But God loved us so much, He made a way for His only Son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with Him. That is good news.   Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. [00:48:31] This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us.   Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.    So would you pray with me now? Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to You. Will You clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare You as Lord of their life? We trust You to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.    If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring Him for me, so me for Him. You get the opportunity to live your life for Him. [00:49:31] And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So you ready to get started?    First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the Book of John.    Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.    We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read Scripture that describes this process.    Finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." [00:50:36] The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.    If you've already received this good news, I pray that you have someone else to share it with today. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

I recently had the incredible opportunity to be a guest on Gary Thomas' podcast. If you've been around Delight Your Marriage for a while, you know what a dear friend Gary has been to this ministry. Not only is he a best-selling author and speaker, but he's also been so generous in inviting us to share on his platform in the past. And this time? I got to be part of a panel alongside two truly amazing women: Juli Slattery—President and Co-Founder of Authentic Intimacy and author of several life-changing books, including God, Sex, & Your Marriage and Rethinking Sexuality. Debra Fileta—Creator of the #1 faith-based relationship advice blog TrueLoveDates.com and author of True Love Dates: Your Indispensable Guide to Finding the Love of Your Life and Married Sex: A Christian Couple's Guide to Reimagining Your Love (among many others). We came together for a powerful discussion about helping wives awaken to intimate pleasure—such an essential and often overlooked topic. The wisdom and insights from these women were just incredible, and I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation. Here were some key takeaways from our panel discussion: The Challenge of Awakening Sexual Fulfillment For so many women, the journey toward enjoying sex in marriage isn't a simple switch—it's a process. If you've spent years saying "no"—whether because of purity culture, past wounds, or just never learning that sex is a gift—it makes sense that "yes" doesn't come easily. And you are not alone in this! How Husbands Can Help Their Wives Awaken to Pleasure Men, you've likely never been discipled in how to help your wife step into her own sexual enjoyment. Many husbands enter marriage assuming their wife will naturally embrace sex, but the reality is, she may feel lost, hesitant, or even afraid. This is where your role as her safe place matters deeply. Here are some questions that Debra suggested as conversation starters on sex: What's something you're looking forward to in our sex life? What's something that makes you nervous or unsure? What beliefs about sex do you want to hold onto, and what do you want to let go of? Overcoming the Weight of Purity Culture Many women who "did everything right" and waited for marriage still find themselves struggling. Why? Because purity culture often framed sex as something to avoid, not as a gift to embrace. As Juli Slattery puts it, "Just because I waited, doesn't mean I know how to start." That's the truth. And if this is you, grace upon grace, my friend. Sexual wholeness isn't about following a list of dos and don'ts. It's about stepping into the fullness of what God has given and allowing Him to reframe any distorted views we carry. The Power of Emotional & Spiritual Connection Debra Fileta says, "What you do above the sheets paves the way for what happens under the sheets." I could not agree more. Emotional and spiritual safety fuels physical intimacy. Husbands, if your wife doesn't feel safe, known, and whole-heartedly cherished, her body won't naturally respond to you with desire. So, before you think about sex, think about: Playfulness in everyday life (it builds intimacy!) How you affirm and admire her body How well she feels known and cherished by you It's Not About You, It's About Her A massive shift for many husbands is realizing that sex in marriage isn't just about "getting my needs met." If your wife doesn't feel safe, it's no wonder intimacy feels like a duty rather than a desire. You have an opportunity to disciple your heart in a new way. Instead of seeing your wife as the "acceptable outlet" for your sexual needs, ask: "How can I be the safest place for her to enjoy intimacy?" When she feels safe, she will want to engage. Not out of obligation, but because she feels free to. How to Move Toward More Desire in Marriage Wives, rather than wondering and praying, "Why am I broken?" for not wanting intimacy, instead ask, "How can I cultivate a desire for intimacy?" Some ideas: Non-sexual sensual touch with no pressure Playfulness in your daily life (This is huge!) Embracing a "turning a dial" rather than "flipping a switch" approach to intimacy    Addressing Past Trauma & Emotional Wounds Even in strong marriages, past sexual trauma or unhealthy conditioning can affect intimacy. And let's be real: just having a great marriage doesn't mean sex will be effortless. For some, the body's response to past wounds will still show up. That's okay. It's part of the journey. Healing takes time, patience, and sometimes outside help. If this is part of your story, give yourself permission to process what's needed. The Role of Faith & Hope in Sexual Fulfillment God is a God of hope. If your marriage has felt disconnected, there is hope. If you've never truly enjoyed sexual pleasure, there is hope. Your story isn't over. Pursue wholeness—emotionally, spiritually, and physically—and trust that intimacy can be more fulfilling than you ever imagined. Final Thoughts Husbands: Emotional and spiritual intimacy first, pleasure follows. Wives: You are not broken. Your pleasure matters. Both: Intimacy is a journey, not a destination. Keep taking steps, and trust that God is working in it all. Friend, you are not alone. Your marriage can grow, your desire can awaken, and your intimacy can thrive. Keep leaning in, keep growing, and keep trusting that God has more for you than you even realize. Be blessed! Love,   Belah & Team  

Does your body image affect your marriage and relationships? Yes. A lot. Today, Heather revisits an interview with Dr. Juli Slattery--clinical psychologist, author, podcast host, and all-around expert on this topic. Heather explores the most common questions on the topic and gives you Dr. Slattery's brilliant, rooted-in-Bible truth answers. If you've ever wondered: How do I compete with all these beautiful women around me and keep my husband? What do I do if he doesn't initiate sex? Wouldn't our sex lives be better if I just got some surgical improvements? What do I do if my husband doesn't appreciate my body, or worse, says negative things about it? This episode is for you. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Noah Filipiak is a pastor and author of Beyond the Battle: A Man's Guide to His Identity in Christ in an Oversexualized World. He and Brian talk about the prevalence of sexual sin, namely pornography, in our society and even in the church. Noah shares how community is essential for recovery and how we can have hope through accountability and faith. Links & Episode Notes Noah Filipiak Mosaic Church Beyond the Battle: A Man's Guide to His Identity in Christ in an Oversexualized World Needed Navigation: A Teen's Guide to His or Her Identity in Christ in a Sex & Porn-Filled World The Flip Side podcast SheRecovery.com Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids by Kristen A. Jenson Sex Ed Reclaimed Covenant Eyes Accountable2You Atomic Habits by James Clear Beyond the Battle accountability groups Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy by Juli Slattery and Joy Skarka Authentic Intimacy Husband Material Pure Desire Ministries Samson Society Offers Get a free month of Covenant Eyes using promo code BEYOND Get a free month of Accountable2You keyword accountability at a2u.app/beyond Made to Advance is a production of Engedi Church and is hosted by Brian Aulick.

Dr. Juli Slattery recognizes that many couples possess a poor foundation for understanding God’s design for intimacy — that our sexual relationship is a metaphor for the intimacy God longs to have with each one of us. Therefore, God is very interested in our sexuality and, in fact, designed sex for our pleasure. She encourages married couples to have “covenant love” rather than contractual love. (Part 2 of 2) Receive the book God, Sex and Your Marriage plus a free audio download of the broadcast "Rethinking Godly Sexuality in Your Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive. Get More Episode Resources If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

[ATTENTION: This program's material may not be suitable for young children.] How would you describe your marriage as a contract or a covenant? Dr. Juli Slattery shares how intimacy with your spouse requires faithfulness, sacrificial love, and passionate celebration. Some great encouragement for your marriage! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/776/29

Dr. Juli Slattery recognizes that many couples possess a poor foundation for understanding God’s design for intimacy — that our sexual relationship is a metaphor for the intimacy God longs to have with each one of us. Therefore, God is very interested in our sexuality and, in fact, designed sex for our pleasure. She encourages married couples to have “covenant love” rather than contractual love. (Part 1 of 2) Receive the book God, Sex and Your Marriage plus a free audio download of the broadcast "Rethinking Godly Sexuality in Your Marriage" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive. Get More Episode Resources If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

[ATTENTION: This program's material may not be suitable for young children.] Tragically, too many married couples experience intimacy as a sanctified hookup! But God's design for sex is much better! Dr. Juli Slattery reminds husbands and wives that sex is symbolic for our intimacy with the Lord! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/776/29

They're rowdy, rambunctious and might be living under your roof! Jim Daly and Dr. Juli Slattery talk with author Jean Blackmer about the wild adventures of raising boys—and how God might be using your son to shape you! Find out how to temper all that testosterone.

If you grew up in the church, you may have experienced purity culture, which often misrepresented God's view of sex. In this episode, Dr. Juli Slattery, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy, discusses sexual wholeness and the difference between sexual purity and sexual integrity. She provides practical tools for having these important conversations with your children. This insightful discussion comes from the 2024 Unapologetic Women's Conference and is too valuable not to share.Discover more and connect with Dr. Juli Slattery: https://www.authenticintimacy.com/

Sex and sexuality within your marriage can be hard to address, even with your spouse. Psychologist and author Dr. Juli Slattery will guide us toward a richer more biblical view of sexual intimacy as she helps us view this vital aspect of marriage as an avenue to understand and reflect God’s covenant love!  Featured resource:  God, Sex and Your Marriage Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible by your support.  To donate now, click hereTo learn more about Equipped with Chris Brooks click here EQUIPPERS - Our next EQUIPPER WEBINAR is this TODAY!  REGISTRATION DETAILS ARE IN YOUR E-MAIL INBOX.  

Dr. Juli Slattery a clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and the president/co-founder of Authentic Intimacy, joins the podcast for part three of our series looking at the new data on pornography use, its impact on relationships, mental health, and the Church. Together, Nick, Ashley, and Juli explore how this research can guide the Church in addressing sexual brokenness and provide real hope for healing.Resources:Order 'Beyond The Porn Phenomenon' Java With Juli PodcastAuthentic Intimacy WebsiteBarna Website  GET STARTEDFree eBook: 7 Keys To Understanding Betrayal TraumaFree eBook: 5 Steps to Freedom From PornSchedule Your Free 15-Minute Counseling ConsultationJoin A Pure Desire Online Group SOCIALSFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on X (Twitter)

When you think of pornography and its effects on the culture, many immediately think of men and their struggles. Dr. Juli Slattery says women also face the fear and shame from the cycle of erotica, promiscuity, and porn sites. How can a woman begin to break the lure of sexual sin? Don't miss the hope and freedom available on this Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman. Featured resource: HER FREEDOM JOURNEY: A GUIDE OUT OF PORN AND SHAME TO AUTHENTIC INTIMACYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I have back on the program our delightful friend and colleague Dr. Joy Skarka to talk about her new book, "Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy," co-authored with Dr. Juli Slattery. Joy shares her personal journey and the mission of Authentic Intimacy, a ministry dedicated to helping individuals reclaim God's design for sexuality. We discuss the unique challenges women face with pornography, the importance of understanding God's unconditional love, and the journey toward sexual integrity – which emphasizes the power of truth, engaging community, and sharing one's story to overcome shame and find lifelong healing.For more info about Joy, the book, and the ministry, visit AuthenticIntimacy.com. Topics Covered in this Episode: Discussion of the book "Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy."Exploration of the challenges women face regarding pornography.The role of the Authentic Intimacy ministry in addressing issues of sexuality and intimacy.Personal stories of healing from shame, addiction, and abuse.The importance of understanding God's love and sexual integrity.The concept of sexual integrity and its integration with spiritual identity.The journey of healing as a continuous process rather than a destination.The impact of shame and identity on women's struggles with pornography.Practical tools for combating lies and embracing truth through scripture.Encouragement to share personal stories as a means of healing and breaking free from shame.More Resources:Her Freedom Journey* by Dr. Joy Skarka and Dr. Juli SlatteryHer Freedom Journey online book studySheRecovery.comRelated Podcasts:Freedom and Healing from Shame, Addiction, and AbuseNew Research on Why Women View PornGod's Grace for Women Struggling with Porn and Sexual Shame*This is an affiliate link. Be Broken may earn a commission on qualifying purchases.----------Please rate and review our podcast: Apple PodcastsSubscribe to our YouTube channel.

In this episode of More Than Roommates, Derek, Gabrielle, and Scott discuss the books, podcasts, and resources that have most deeply affected their marriages. With a lot of great resources out there, we want to help you to be thoughtful about the resources that impact your marriage.  Scriptures:Proverbs 11:2Job 12:12Proverbs 13:20Resources Mentioned:The Glorious Pursuit, by Gary ThomasThe Meaning of Marriage, by Tim and Kathy KellerCherish, by Gary ThomasMarried Sex, by Gary Thomas and Debra FiletaThe Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, by John GottmanReady or Knot?, by Scott KedershaThe Ready or Knot Prayer Guide, by Scott KedershaOutdated, by Jonathan PokludaFriends, Partner, and Lovers, by Kevin ThompsonMarried Into the Family, by Dave & Ashley WillisHold Me Tight, and Created For Connection by Sue JohnsonA Lasting Promise, by Scott StanleyUs In Mind, by Ted LoweGreater Joy Twogether, by Ted CunninghamMore Than Roommates, Episode 35 – How to Identify the Four Negative Horsemen of Communication and ConflictMore Than Roommates, Episodes 53 – Friends, Partners, and Lovers in Marriage feat. Kevin ThompsonMore Than Roommates, Episode 58 – How to Thrive in a Blended Family feat. Ron DealMore Than Roommates, Episode 43 – The Not-So-Secret Guide to In-Law Relationships, feat. Dave WillisMore Than Roommates, Episode 12 – Identifying Negative Communication PatternsWebsite & Podcast - Authentic Intimacy, Juli SlatteryWebsite & Podcast - Fierce MarriageWebsite & Podcast – Family Life TodayQuestions to Discuss:1. If you were on a deserted, and could only bring 1-2 books (besides the Bible), what book(s) would you bring with you?2. What marriage book has been most helpful for you and your spouse?3. Out of all the resources mentioned, which one will you and your spouse read and/or listen to?

In this special weekend edition of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, AHG Founder & Executive Director Patti Garibay sits down with Dr. Juli Slattery, clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and president/co-founder of Authentic Intimacy. Dr. Slattery is an expert on navigating the challenging terrain of discussing sexuality from a Christian perspective, and she shares invaluable insights on how to have an effective and God-honoring sex talk with your daughter.  Join Patti and Dr. Juli as they delve into the often-dreaded "sex talk," emphasizing the importance of being proactive rather than reactive. Dr. Juli highlights the shocking statistic that the average age of a child's first exposure to pornography is just 10 years old, underscoring the urgency of addressing this topic early and thoughtfully.  Listeners will gain an understanding of the founding story and mission of Authentic Intimacy, a ministry devoted to reclaiming God's design for sexuality. Dr. Juli explains why parents often dread talking about sex and the baggage they bring to the table. She reveals the secret to productive, ongoing, and God-honoring conversations about sex with your daughter, offering practical tips for transforming difficult conversations into effective and meaningful ones. Additionally, she discusses why sexuality is a common battleground for spiritual warfare and why this topic is crucial to God.  Dr. Juli provides actionable advice on having mini and many conversations about sexuality, ensuring that the dialogue is continuous, open, and guided by wisdom and inquisitiveness. This episode is a must-listen for parents seeking to navigate this sensitive topic with grace and confidence.  Don't miss this enlightening and empowering episode designed to help you raise Godly girls in a complex world. Tune in and be inspired to foster honest and God-centered discussions with your daughter.  Learn more about Dr. Juli's work with Authentic Intimacy at authenticintimacy.com   Find an American Heritage Girls Troop near you, visit americanheritagegirls.org     Add even more Biblical wisdom to your parenting quiver, visit raisinggodlygirls.com 

Consuming pornography is not exclusive to men. Dr. Juli Slattery and Dr. Joy Skarka believe that God created sexual desire for a purpose and that pornography misuses and mispresents the gift of sex. In their new book, Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy, Juli and Joy offer counsel to women who want to break free from sin, shame, and bondage. Learn more at moodybooks.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you find yourself wondering how you balance dependence & independence in your marriage? Join Greg & Erin as they sit down with Dr. Juli Slattery and her husband Michael, to talk about how they've maintained an intimate connection supported through successful, time consuming, independent careers. Later, we debunk the popular marriage "prepare for sex to become boring." Then, we answer a question from a listener who wants to know how to fix her marriage if her spouse is unwilling to go to counseling.   Finding the Hero in Your Husband   Take the free Marriage Assessment!   Interested in our marriage intensive program? Click here to learn more about Hope Restored.   Donate Now!   We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

Women struggle too, and we are all sexually broken. We are all invited to participate in the love, forgiveness, and healing of Jesus. You may think you're alone and feel like hiding. But you're not alone—and there is hope and healing. Friday on Mornings with Eric and Brigitte, Dr. Joy Skarka, co-author of the new book, Her Freedom Journey, joins us to call all women to God's gracious power of redemption. Both Joy and co-author Juli Slattery believe women will discover freedom from pornography by experiencing the love of God as they address underlying wounds and connect through authentic community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Julie Slattery, a clinical psychologist and founder of Authentic Intimacy, discusses the topic of sex and intimacy from a biblical perspective. She explains that healthy sexuality within a marriage is built on four pillars: faithfulness, intimate knowing, sacrificial giving, and passionate celebration. Dr. Slattery emphasizes the importance of understanding the neurochemical differences between men and women and the need for vulnerability and open communication in a marriage. She also addresses the issue of pornography and the importance of seeking help and accountability. Overall, Dr. Slattery encourages couples to embrace God's design for sex and intimacy in order to experience deep connection and fulfillment in their relationships. In this conversation, Juli Slattery and Jerrad Lopes discuss the importance of addressing sexual intimacy in marriage. They cover topics such as the impact of pornography on relationships, the need for vulnerability and support from other men, the importance of sacrificial giving, and the misconception of sex as a need. They also provide practical advice for couples to improve their sexual relationship and emphasize the importance of communication and understanding each other's needs.

Juli Slattery & Joy Skarka join us today for a candid conversation about women and their struggle with porn. If you struggle, this episode will help. But if you don't, listen anyway so that you can be there to support fellow women trying to break free. And be sure to check out the new resource, Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out Of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy, cowritten by Dr. Juli Slattery and Dr. Joy Skarka Sponsor Thanks to Share the Soap, your go-to site for natural, quality bath and skin care products! And check out their special deal just for our listeners: free aloe gel with any order using coupon code FCWALOE. (Put gel in your cart, use the code, and the price for that will go to zero.) From the Bible It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 11:19–20 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,     because the Lord has anointed me     to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,     to proclaim freedom for the captives     and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor     and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,     and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty     instead of ashes, the oil of joy     instead of mourning, and a garment of praise     instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,     a planting of the Lord     for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:1–3 Resources Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy by Dr. Juli Slattery & Dr. Joy Skarka Joy Skarka – Creating Spaces to Set Christian Women Free from Porn and Sexual Shame Authentic Intimacy - Juli Slattery Fight the New Drug The First Time I Saw Porn - Hot, Holy & Humorous Episode 3: 50 Shades of Here-We-Go-Again Episode 154: Why We're Against Porn and Erotica Pulling Back the Shades: Erotica, Intimacy, and the Longings of a Woman's Heart by Dannah Gresh & Dr. Juli Slattery Why Do Women Pose for Porn? - Hot, Holy & Humorous What Are the Real Purposes of Sex? - Hot, Holy & Humorous Supernatural Sex: Spiritual Dimension of Libido for Low-Drive Wives • Bonny's Oysterbed7 (about yada') Episode 183: What Does God Have to Do with Our Sex Life Sex and the Single Girl by Dr. Juli Slattery, Abby Ludvigson & Chelsea Nugteren Talking to Your Kids about Sex: No More One & Done - Hot, Holy & Humorous Start Talking to Your Kids about Sex by Julia Sandusky Who I Am in Christ by Neil T. Anderson Thanks for joining us at the virtual kitchen table for another great chat! If you could, we'd appreciate you leaving a rating and/or review so that others can find the show. Please be sure to check out our website and webinars at forchristianwives.com. And visit our individual ministry pages for more resources as well: Strong Wives - Bonny Burns Honeycomb & Spice - Chris Taylor Hot, Holy & Humorous - J. Parker 

Noah has a conversation with Dr. Joy Skarka about her journey of overcoming pornography, as well as the stigma and shame that it came with. Joy is on staff at Authentic Intimacy, which provides a multitude of resources to help men, women, and couples overcome unwanted sexual behavior and find healing. She and Dr. Juli Slattery's new book Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy is available on July 2nd, 2024. Be sure to pick up your copy today.    Dr. Joy Skarka is the Authentic Intimacy Program Manager and is on the front lines of serving the Authentic Intimacy member community. Joy joined the Authentic Intimacy team in 2020 and has built a transformational ministry for women who struggle with sexual shame and pornography. (Read Joy's blogs here.)    Joy is passionate about creating spaces to free women from sexual shame and leads online small groups for women with unwanted sexual behavior. She coaches and teaches Christian leaders how to help women find freedom from sexual shame and pornography. Joy is an Adjunct Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary teaching the course “Sexuality and Ethics”.   You can also watch the podcast episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z_lgJb6fGmo Flip Side Notes: Join an upcoming Beyond the Battle online group at www.beyondthebattle.net   Support Flip Side sponsor Angry Brew by using promo code FLIP at angrybrew.com or fivelakes.com to pick up some Angry Brew or Chris' Blend coffee at 10% off.   Get a free month of Covenant Eyes at www.covenanteyes.com using promo code BEYOND   Get a free month of Accountable2You keyword accountability: a2u.app/beyond (do not use “www”)   Support the show and get some sweet swag by becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/noahfilipiak – includes exclusive access to email the show and request topics.   Purchase Beyond the Battle and Needed Navigation by Noah Filipiak.

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 7 SHOW NOTES: We invite you to subscribe to our new ministry website – Discover God's Truth. In the opening verses of Proverbs 7, the author addresses “My son” and exhorts each of us to "treasure my commandments. Keep my commandments and live!” Keep the Word of God close to your fingertips. Wisdom is precious and is to be guarded and held in high regard. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your intimate friend. Proverbs 7:4 Proverbs 7:15-21 calls attention to the current trend in pornography. Not only are more men being drawn into this addictive trap but increasingly, the percentage of women struggling with pornography is growing. Our friend, Dr. Juli Slattery teaches about God and His design for our sexuality. We invite you to visit https://www.authenticintimacy.com and check out their valuable resources. SONG: "Take My Life" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA9zA7O6bH0

If you or someone you know is struggling with confusion about gender and sexuality, you're not alone. There is hope! Juli Slattery, Mary Kassian, and Dannah Gresh point you to clarity in the midst of confusionon Revive Our Hearts Weekend. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/453/29

Tune into the final part of this three part series with Dr. Juli Slattery as we discuss all things LGBTQ+. What it means for our children growing up in a community where one in five adolescents consider themselves LGBTQ and how we navigate the ups and downs that come with questioning gender and sexuality. 

If you've ever felt like you were lostwandering in a barren place, you understand what it's like to hurt and be in need of God's healing touch. Erin Davis and Dr. Juli Slattery show you how to be an agent of healing in the lives of others, on Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/453/29

Counselor and author Dr. Juli Slattery joins Erin Davis to give us pointers on ways we can help those God brings across our paths.

Are you good at weeping with those who weep? How about helping bear someone's burden? I think we all have room for growth in this area. Counselor and author Dr. Juli Slattery joins Erin Davis to give us pointers on ways we can help those God brings across our path, on Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/453/29

Today on Parenting with the Everyday, we continue with our second part of this three-part series with Dr. Juli Slattery. In this captivating episode Dr. Slattery walks us through the phenomena of biological sex, what it means to be created by God, and what the Bible tells us about gender awareness. 

On todays episode of Parenting for the Everyday we sit down with Dr. Juli Slattery, clinical psychologist, author and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy, a ministry dedicated to helping Christians navigate their sexuality. Today we ask Dr. Juli Slattery, what does the bible say about sexuality? Tune into today's episode as we dive into purity culture, when to talk to your kids about sex, and how to explore your own sexuality. 

Picture this. The journey of building an intimate marriage is much like a road trip through winding paths and scenic routes. Sometimes there's traffic jams. Sometimes there are stretches of long, boring highways or lonely, dark nighttime drives. Sometimes there are flat tires and detours. And then there are beautiful vistas, new destinations at thrilling speeds, and awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping scenes that move you in a profound way, leaving you forever changed. My guest today is Dr. Julie Slattery of Authentic Intimacy. She's a psychotherapist that helps Christian women embrace their sexuality. You'll get to hear Dr. Slattery open up about her own adventures and misadventures in marriage. Everything from those awkward honeymoon moments to the deeper challenges of connecting on all levels. She reminds me that while these bumps in the road are common, they're also prime opportunities for growth, not just individually, but together with our spouses.   If you find the important and meaningful work of building an intimate marriage isn't as easy as you think it would have been, don't fret. You're not alone in this. In fact, every couple, even us, faces their own set of challenges behind closed doors. And that's okay. These hurdles don't have to define your relationship. It's about how we overcome these challenges that matters. As I think about my own moments of growth and building an intimate marriage with my wife, Emily, many of these moments were born out of my stumbling blocks that have turned into stepping stones for me.   You'll love hearing about Dr. Julie Slattery's four pillars for a rock solid intimate relationship and stay to the end to hear her black belt sex tip too. *** We just launched our new signature Get Your Marriage On Program! The program not only offers extensive instruction, but it's coupled with lifetime coaching and community! Learn more about it on our website! We have two retreat options coming up: Virtual Retreat: July 12-14. Enjoy from the comfort of your home or hotel. More details coming. In person Retreat: October 10-13 in St. George, UT. Get all the details on our website and register now! As always, make sure you're enjoying our free app, Intimately Us. And join us over on Instagram or Facebook @getyourmarriageon. 

Our bodies are changing...and well...that means our bodies are changing ;). Our trusted, go-to OBGYN, Dr. Carol Tanksle,y is back on the show to remind us that as our bodies change our need for intimacy does not. In fact, midlife can be a time of great emotional upheaval, or at least of emotional awareness, which can then impact how we experience sex. The combination of physical changes with all of the other external life circumstance changes, it's no surprise our bodies don't respond like they did twenty or even ten years ago. After decades of working as a physician and speaking with thousands of women, Dr. Carol gives incredible advice to both married and single women about the need for intimacy and self-care during midlife. As whole people, we must address all areas of ourselves in order to be fully healthy. No topic is off limits and we know this is one you want to talk about, so here we are. Sex in midlife. It's a thing. Let's make it a very good thing as God intended. Connect with Dr. Carol On her website A few things mentioned on the shoe Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships Good Clean Love personal lubricant Geneev.com Dr. Carol's Guide to Women's Health Dr. Carol's episode with us on menopause Dr. Juli Slattery's episode on Difficult Conversations: Talking About Sexuality Questions to Help You Rise How is midlife impacting your body?   How are you feeling about sex these days?   If you are married, how can you talk to your spouse about sex and what you would like?   What is one thing you can do today to "deal with your stuff" as Dr. Carol mentions at the end of the episode?

What does the bible say about sex in marriage? Dr. Juli Slattery joins Greg and Erin to discuss the importance of sex in marriage. Plus, we have an extra long Q&A with some voicemails with some of our listeners!   Get the Juli's book for a gift of any amount!   Check out these conversation starters to use on date night!   We'd love to hear from you! Visit our Homepage to leave us a voicemail.

What's it look like to keep the romance alive when it things are flaming out? Well, Ron and Nan Deal, Juli Slattery, and Michael R. Sytsma, PhD are here to help. They're talking about bringing back that love, having meaningful chats and noticing when things feel off. Show Notes and Resources Want to hear more episodes by Ron Deal? Listen here! Catch more of his thoughts at rondeal.org, and on X @RonLDeal Want to hear more episodes by Dr. Juli Slattery? Listen here! Catch more of her thoughts at authenticintimacy.com, and on Instagram and Facebook @authenticintimacy Want to hear more episodes by Michael Sytsma? Listen here! Catch more of their thoughts on Facebook @drsytsma Set sail on the ultimate romantic getaway! Book now for the 2025 Love Like You Mean It Marriage Cruise, sailing from Miami, FL on February 8 - 15, 2025. Don't miss our LLYMI Cruise Madness Sale! Secure your spot at lovelikeyoumeanitcruise.com. Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

The Great Sex Rescue turns 3 this week! And it's been a super eventful three years. So much has changed. So let's talk about the feedback we've had, what we've done since, what people are saying--and where we're going from here.To Support Us:Join our Patreon for as little as $5 a month to support our workOr, for tax deductible donations in the U.S., support our Good Fruit Faith Initiative through the Bosko FoundationAnd check out our Merch at our store, or any of our courses!Things Mentioned in the Podcast:The Great Sex Rescue!  Learn more, or get it right from Amazon.Our Healthy Sexuality Rubric where we scored the books we looked at for The Great Sex Rescue.Our podcast where we discussed how the authors we critiqued had responded to The Great Sex Rescue.The article on Julie Roys' site about Focus on the Family deleting comments on the Reel where Juli Slattery used our talking points. Juli Slattery's reel on Focus on the Family's Instagram pageThe Bodies Behind the Bus podcast where Joy tells her story about The Great Sex Rescue (we're near the end) (and here's part 2!)Future Speaking Events:Grand Rapids, MI: Sheila and Rebecca will be at Calvin University on March 13 and 14 . March 13 at 4:30; March 13 at 7 pm for a panel discussion; and March 14 at 7 pm. More details here.Belleville, ON: St. Thomas Anglican Church in Belleville, Ontario is throwing a party for us to celebrate The Great Sex Rescue and She Deserves Better! We'll have blackout poetry crafts and other paper crafts to do with toxic books (bring them along!), a silent auction, a Q&A, and more. March 23, 2:30 - 5:00 pm. All welcome.Join Sheila at Bare Marriage.com!Check out her books: The Great Sex Rescue She Deserves Better The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex and The Good Guy's Guide to Great Sex And she has an Orgasm Course and a Libido course too!Check out all her courses, FREE resources, books, and so much more at Sheila's LinkTree.

Special Patreon Release: Holy Sex: An Interview with Dr. Juli Slattery   *DISCLAIMER* This interview includes some adult themes and is not intended for young ears.   Philippians 2:4 (AMP) “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."   Dr. Juli Slattery is a clinical psychologist, author, speaker and the president/co-founder of Authentic Intimacy, ministry dedicated to reclaiming God's design for sexuality.  Every Monday she hosts the podcast Java with Juli, where she and a guest sit down for coffee and honest conversation about relationships, sex, intimacy, pornography, singleness, and God's design for our sexuality.   Juli is the author of ten books, including Finding the Hero in Your Husband, Passion Pursuit, and Rethinking Sexuality.  She and her husband Mike are the parents of 3 sons; they live in Akron, Ohio.   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.   Dr. Juli Slattery's Website, Authentic Intimacy   Java with Juli Podcast   Books by Dr. Juli Slattery: Passion Pursuit Rethinking Sexuality Pulling Back the Shades Sex and the Single Girl 25 Questions You're Afraid to Ask About Love, Sex, and Intimacy Surprised by the Healer   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and Savvy Sauce Charities   Connect with The Savvy Sauce through Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Pastor Luke Simmons shares what one of the earliest chapters of the Bible has to say about sexuality and marital intimacy. 00:00 - Introduction02:56 - Initial Considerations09:38 - God's Boundaries13:26 - Key Ingredients for Intimacy15:37 - 1. Shared mission19:55 - 2. Mutual respect24:58 - 3. Gratitude to God28:34 - 4. Leaving previous loyalties32:25 - 5. Healing shameOTHER RESOURCES MENTIONED:SermonsCountercultural Convictions: Sex — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgAh6rkhkIMWhy the Christian Sexual Ethic is Beautiful by Sam Allberry — https://vimeo.com/260695778ResourcesDr. Juli Slattery — https://www.authenticintimacy.com/Dr. Cliff & Joyce Penner — https://passionatecommitment.com/**HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Dr. Juli Slattery returns to the podcast to debunk the unhealthy assumptions about marriage, sex, and relationships that many Christians have adopted from modern, secular culture. Rather than embracing these cultural views, we can humbly embrace what God has to say about things like sex, marriage, singleness, and the Church community. As we embrace God's design for these things, we are better equipped to bring truth and love to those who are broken, hurting, and confused.    Are you prepared to make the case for life? Scott Klusendorf's newly updated edition of The Case for Life provides the tools we need to protect preborn lives from the ideologies and arguments that deny their value—including the arguments that have overtaken the world in just the last few years. Request your copy this month with a gift of any amount at colsoncenter.org/swcaseforlife.  Read A Man Born to be King...Together! Lent begins February 14th, and you're invited to participate with the Strong Women community! We'll be reading Dorothy Sayers' The Man Born to be King, a series of 12 dynamic radio plays re-telling the life and ministry of Jesus. Our free reading guide, “The Kingdom of God is at Hand,” includes reflection questions for each play, as well as prayers to help you embrace the gift of repentance and “make straight the way of the Lord” in your heart this Lenten season. We start on Ash Wednesday—February 14. Come join us and read in community. Download your free reading guide here.  Authentic Intimacy  Java with Juli Podcast or on Apple Podcasts  Strong Women Podcast Episode 9. Sexual Discipleship with Dr. Juli Slattery  Strong Women Podcast Episode 84. What is the Purpose of Sex? with Dr. Juli Slattery - Part One  Strong Women Podcast Episode 85. What is the Purpose of Sex? with Dr. Juli Slattery - Part Two  Finding the Hero in Your Husband: Embracing Your Power in Marriage by Dr. Juli Slattery  God, Sex and Your Marriage by Dr. Juli Slattery  Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy by Juli Slattery and Joy Skarka To be released July 2024  Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution by Carl Trueman  Our Bodies Tell God's Story: Discovering the Divine Plan for Love, Sex, and Gender by Christopher West  Upon Waking: 60 Daily Reflections to Discover Ourselves and the God We Were Made For by Jackie Hill Perry   Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield   No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision of Friendship by Rebecca McLaughlin  Being Elisabeth Elliot: the Authorized Biography: Elisabeth's Later Years by Ellen Vaughn      The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

In this conversation, Keith Simon interviews Julie Slattery, the president of Authentic Intimacy, about navigating issues of sexuality and faith. They discuss the silence and polarity around sexuality in both culture and the church, the spiritual aspect of sex, the differences between sex inside and outside of marriage, and the misconceptions surrounding women and men's sexuality. They also address the impact of purity culture and the need for a more holistic biblical narrative of sexuality. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of understanding and stewarding our sexuality in a way that aligns with God's design. Takeaways - Sexuality is a challenging and rewarding field to navigate, as it involves addressing issues of confusion, brokenness, and trauma. - Sex is more than a physical act; it is a spiritual experience that requires vulnerability, acceptance, and commitment. - Cohabitation often leads to less stability in relationships compared to marriage, as it lacks the commitment and covenantal aspect of marriage. - Sexuality is not limited to married individuals; single people also have sexual desires and need to steward their sexuality in a healthy way. - Intimacy is built on safety, acceptance, and commitment, and it is essential for healthy relationships. - There are differences between men and women in how they approach and experience sexuality, but it is important to avoid generalizations and recognize individual variations. - Purity culture can have negative effects, such as blaming women for men's lust and creating shame around female sexuality. - A more holistic biblical narrative of sexuality emphasizes personal responsibility, healthy boundaries, and understanding the goodness of our sexuality. Have you benefitted personally from Truth Over Tribe or seen it have a positive effect on someone you know? have you used the podcast, book, or blog as a catalyst for conversation on polarizing topics? We want to hear about it! Share your story at choosetruthovertribe.com/story. Ok, truth time... Did you like this episode? Tell us by leaving a rating or review!

It's a new year…whether you listen to this now or later, this episode is a foundational conversation I want to share with you. There's a longing in my heart to share what God is doing and how He is growing hearts in this community. In this episode you'll hear more of the vision for vital needs we need as women on a path for growth. Tune in and hear more about this vision for five things we really need, including: Mentorship Honesty Integrated living as a flourishing woman Thriving masculinity and femininity in marriage    You're Invited: Keep learning with Francie! Join the Discipleship Circle group mentorship. This is a SWEET community of women, connected with the purpose of seeking God's heart for their reclaiming a redeemed view of sex and sexuality. Inside the circle, we will explore and discover the good news about God's heart for sex. Learn more here: Discipleship Circle   Related Episodes: Wife Coaching: Finding the Hero in Your Husband w/ Juli Slattery, here Pleasure & Orgasm with Bonny Burns, here Female Anatomy, Orgasm 101 and Guiding Your Husband to Your Pleasure with with Dr. Jennifer Degler, here Female Sexuality & Growth with Nancy Houston, here Sexual Celebration with Alexa PenaVega, here Overcoming Vaginismus & Painful Sex with Jess Seitz, here Hope After Pornography with Kristin Richardson, here Discovering (and Owning) Your Feminine Beauty with Molly Rhodes, here   Donate to the Heaven in Your Home Ministry: Your one time donation will allow us to continue to produce and distribute teaching and resources. Thank you for partnering with us! Donate here. Listen to Heaven in Your Home Family Music: Spotify Apple Music YouTube Connect with Francie: Receive Francie's weekly newsletter  Website Instagram  

Do you see sex in your marriage as a gift? John and the Smalley's explain some of the benefits of physical intimacy in marriage, and why it's a gift from God. Plus, Jim Daly and Dr. Juli Slattery discuss why sex is designed by God for passionate celebration.   Receive the book God, Sex, and Your Marriage for your donation of any amount!   Focus on Marriage Assessment   Listen Anytime   Contact our Counseling Department   How Important is Sex in a Relationship?   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

God calls us to minister to our spouse, even when it comes to sex. Dr. Juli Slattery and Jim Daly discuss what it means to practice sacrificial love in your sex life. Plus, John talks with the Smalley's about why couples need to have a selfless approach to sex in marriage.   Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/marriagepodcast or call 1-800-A-FAMILY   Receive the book God, Sex, and Your Marriage for your donation of any amount!   Focus on Marriage Assessment   Listen Anytime   Rekindling Intimacy   How Important is Sex in a Relationship?   If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

Could knowing God's whole picture for intimacy rev up your sex life? Dr. Juli and Mike Slattery explore how understanding God's character in married sex transforms your bedroom. Faithfulness is this idea of character and trust. It's not just sexual fidelity, but it's trusting each other's character that, “Hey, I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together, even if I'm having a bad day, or we're going through a season of marriage where we're not communicating, we're not giving up." It's that foundation of, “I can trust you”. Show Notes and Resources Connect with Dr. Juli Slattery at www.authenticintimacy.com and learn more about her ministry at sexualdiscipleship.com and get a copy of her book, God, Sex, and Your Marriage Check out more episodes from Juli Slattery Go to familylife.com/comingsoon to sign up for the Art of Marriage live event and to be notified of when pre-orders are live! Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

What if God gave us married sex as a picture of Himself? And how could your understanding of this picture revolutionize your sex life? Dr. Juli Slattery and her husband Mike explore mind-boggling truths of how, in an over-sexualized world, God's ideas about sex are far more than we imagined. Covenant is a unique relationship that's based on a promise. It's not based on how you feel. It's not based on if you're attracted to someone. It's not based on if you're meeting each other's needs. That's a contract. A covenant is, “I am promising to love you. I am promising to not leave you or forsake you.” Show Notes and Resources Connect with Dr. Juli Slattery at www.authenticintimacy.com and learn more about her ministry at sexualdiscipleship.com and get a copy of her book, God, Sex, and Your Marriage Check out more episodes from Juli Slattery Go to familylife.com/comingsoon to sign up for the Art of Marriage live event and to be notified of when pre-orders are live! Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. See resources from our past podcasts. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the FamilyLife podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network