On the Drive Up-
October 1, 2026
The marriage retreat is here, and this episode is made for the drive up to Tahoe. Pastor Josh talks with Patrick and Janelle Jacobs and Keith and Susan Ritchie, the two couples who lead Family Ministries at Bridgeway. They've been planning this weekend for almost a year. Between them they have 15 and nearly 31 years of marriage, and they talk honestly (and with plenty of laughs) about what makes marriage hard and what makes it good.
In this episode:
- What the retreat is for: making room in busy lives for real connection with your spouse, so you come home rooted in Jesus and renewed in each other
- Ground rules for the weekend: limit screens, "draw the circle around yourself," lean into curiosity and humility, and expect the Holy Spirit to bring breakthrough
- Are we ever really ready for marriage? Stories from premarital counseling, including the "100% each" advice the Ritchies never forgot
- Should marriage be hard? Should it fulfill you? Why putting your spouse in a place only God can fill is a burden they were never meant to carry
- Why so many marriages fail, and why there's still hope and help available
- What makes a marriage good in God's eyes: helping each other look more like Jesus, celebrating your differences, and talking your spouse up
- The magic-wand question: a challenge flag, instant replay, and a volume dial for the kids
- The secret ingredient the hosts have seen in marriages that thrive, not just survive
The episode ends with a challenge for the rest of your drive: talk with your spouse about what a successful retreat would look like for the two of you. Then the group closes in prayer over the weekend ahead.