Topic: Marriage

Why Can’t You Be Normal Like Me?

Why can’t the people in our lives just be more normal, like us? Dr. Mike Ladra is joined by his wife, Susie, for a funny and honest look at marriage and relationships. They share stories on each other: Viagra on the tomatoes, a near-miss on a sailboat, and a grocery-store standoff. Along the way, they show why criticism never changes anyone, why taming our tongue is part of letting Jesus be Lord, and why the best relationships are built by forgivers and good listeners.

If Love is Oil, Would You Be A Quart Low?

Do you have a relationship where, if love were oil, you’d be about a quart low? Maybe it’s a marriage that has settled into “semi-happy,” a grown child who rarely calls, or a friend who isn’t there when you need them. Dr. Mike Ladra looks at Jesus’s question to the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to be healed?” He shows how blaming, criticizing and staying mad block the miracle God wants to do. He calls us to go first in forgiving and to sow love by doing what makes others feel treasured, because love is a verb.

How To improve Your Marriage With 95% Success!

What if talking about your marriage is the wrong solution? Opening a new series on marriage and relationships, Dr. Mike Ladra explains why better communication never fixes a relationship, and what does. Every relationship has a “love bank,” and everything we do is either a deposit or a deduct. He shows how blaming, the “dump truck game,” interfering parents and unrealistic expectations keep relationships stuck. He points to Jesus’s Golden Rule as the approach with a 95% success rate: ask what it’s like to live with you, then do what makes the other person feel loved, because love is a verb.

The Tremendous Power Of Our Words

Words are free, but how you use them can cost you. Dr. Mike Ladra looks at the marriage of David and Michal, one of the Bible’s great love stories, which was ruined when both of them let anger loose through their mouths. He shows how hurtful words can leave wounds that last for years. He explains how to “muzzle your mouth,” taste your words before you speak, and give “word gifts” instead of garbage talk. He also reminds us that our words reveal what’s in our hearts.