When Cassie noticed Craig had left his phone on the kitchen table before going outside to mow the grass, she checked it to see which tabs were open. Over the last few months, Craig had seemed emotionally distant, and this worried Cassie. She braced herself as she scrolled through his history, assuming their recent lack of connection meant Craig’s problem with pornography had flared up yet again. Cassie had known for a long time that she needed to speak up about Craig’s porn use, but she hadn’t been able to muster the courage. This time, Craig’s search history surprised her. He’d been researching ways to get a divorce. Often, people wait too long before seeking help for their faltering marriages, but several factors may indicate your marriage needs care. Below, we’ve outlined specific questions that can help you be more aware of potential trouble. If you notice any of these warning signs, don’t wait around expecting your difficulties to resolve without effort. Be proactive. If one spouse thinks there’s a problem in one or more of these areas, there is a problem. Reach out for help from your pastor, small-group leader, or another person in leadership in your local church. 1. Poor Communication Communication is the necessary foundation of any relationship; it’s impossible to build a solid marriage without it. Healthy communication helps couples address challenges and concerns, solve problems, make decisions, and face trials together. Spouses sometimes confuse little to no communication with peace. But silence may be a way of avoiding conflict. Don’t let the quiet lull you into a false sense of security. It may be an indicator that your relationship has gotten worse. The absence of conflict isn’t true peace; it’s often evidence one partner in the marriage feels defeated or that both have given up. The absence of conflict isn’t true peace; it’s often evidence one partner in the marriage feels defeated or that both have given up. Every couple experiences some miscommunication, but seeking pastoral help and biblical counsel is a good idea if you and your spouse have regular misunderstandings in day-to-day conversations, fight frequently, or consistently bury and avoid conflict. If communication is your primary problem, be encouraged. Healthy, God-honoring communication habits are relatively easy to learn, and once you do, you’ll be able to address many other marital challenges you may face together. How do you handle conflict with your spouse? Do you tend to go silent? Do you get angry and argumentative? How does your spouse respond to conflict? On average, how much of your communication with your spouse builds one another up versus tearing each other down? How often are you and your spouse alone together? Of that time, how much is spent talking versus being on your phone or doing something else in silence? 2. Lack of Intimacy Marriage should be one of the closest relationships two people can have. The Bible describes marriage as two people becoming one (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5–6; Eph. 5:31). Most couples begin marriage with an intense desire to be close. When we conduct premarital counseling, we ask, “What are you most looking forward to about marriage?” Almost every couple says their greatest desire is to be together all the time. They want to go on dates and not have to part ways at night’s end. They want to share every part of life with each other. Yet as time goes on, the excitement of the honeymoon tends to fade. That’s normal. The goal is for the novelty to be replaced by a maturing intimacy. Unfortunately, spiritual, emotional, and sexual intimacy don’t deepen for many couples. The desire to be close fades. Acts of intimacy such as deep conversation, shared experiences, and lovemaking dwindle or even disappear. This drift can occur during any season of marriage, but when either spouse recognizes it, the couple should seek counseling. In some marriages, one spouse may deny there’s an intimacy problem while the other insists on it. This situation is a good indicator that you should reach out for help. If you can’t agree that a problem exists, you need a third party to help you see reality clearly. When was the last time you and your spouse had a deep, heartfelt conversation? Has your communication been reduced to talking primarily about life’s daily logistics? Has your sexual relationship become more duty than delight? Is it a source of regular conflict? Has it disappeared altogether? Does the idea of having an evening alone with your spouse excite, bore, or disgust you? 3. Wandering Eyes and Hearts The phrase “forsaking all others” is common in marriage vows. Keeping this vow requires focused devotion, directing our romantic love entirely toward our spouse. Romantic love involves our whole person; it’s heartfelt commitment, tenderness, and unique physical affection that includes but isn’t limited to sex. Sexual lust is a weed that grows quickly and leads to enslavement. It involves your heart, not just your eyes, and it may be stimulated by traditional pornography or by reading romance novels that awaken sexual desire. If either spouse is fantasizing about someone outside the marriage, trouble is brewing. Pursue care and counseling from your church at the earliest sign you or your spouse has been ensnared by lust. And if either spouse is involved with pornography, the couple should pursue marriage counseling immediately. Husband and wife should meet with a counselor (or multiple counselors) separately. Sometimes there will be joint sessions, but individual counseling is necessary to address each spouse’s specific needs. Are there other people you’d rather spend time with instead of your spouse? Is there anyone other than your spouse at the center of your sexual fantasies? Are either of you using any form of pornography? 4. Lack of Mutual Support Marriage vows also include the call to love and cherish one another in good times and bad. Through life’s ups and downs, spouses should be each other’s greatest advocates, cheerleaders, and supporters. We should be teammates, not opponents; for one another, not against each other. This means you should respect your spouse as one with equal shares invested in the relationship. Always value your spouse’s input as you work together toward agreed-on goals. This doesn’t mean you can’t disagree. Nor does it mean you never address sin or foolishness in your spouse’s life. Being for your spouse means you want what’s best for him or her, even if it means having difficult conversations. We don’t marry people we despise or want to be against. Yet over time, we can become increasingly selfish, unsupportive, and prideful. We may allow our frustrations with our spouse to turn him or her into a rival. Generally, this starts slowly and accelerates if we continue down this path without addressing our sin. Do your words typically build up or tear down your spouse? What are the predominant emotions you feel when you think of your spouse? Are you willing to let your spouse dream big? Do you dismiss or crush your spouse’s ideas? Have you rushed into a major life decision without taking time to get on the same page with your spouse? 5. Lack of Spiritual Unity God must be central in your marriage. He’s the tie that binds, the cornerstone, and the sure foundation. A marriage without Christ at the center can’t flourish. We should be teammates, not opponents; for one another, not against each other. A Christian’s first love must always be Jesus. We were created by God and for him (Rom. 11:36). When you love someone, you want to share that person with the other people you love most. In the same way, if you love Christ, you should want to share your love for him with your spouse. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (CSB) says, “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” This verse addresses more relationships than marriage, but the principle taught here certainly applies to husbands and wives. When God joins with two people in close fellowship, he makes their connection stronger. How often do you have conversations with your spouse about God? Are there times when pleasing your spouse is more important to you than pleasing the Lord? Is pursuing growth in spiritual wisdom together on your radar? Is it a guiding principle in your life? No marriage will experience perfection in any of these areas, let alone all of them. It’s normal to have occasional challenges, and each is an opportunity to grow. But if you notice a negative pattern developing, or an increase in the frequency and intensity of your trouble, reach out to your local church for help.

Every summer for the last eight years, I’ve released a list of quality Christian artists who I think should be on your radar (and playlists), if they aren’t already (see my lists from 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). I aim to select artists who are unapologetically Christian, making music that’s sincerely faith-driven but also musically interesting and excellent. I try to make these lists eclectic in genre and geography and vetted for real musical quality and lyrical substance. Hopefully, the result is a collection of recommended artists only a human curator (not an LLM) could produce. The 15 artists on this list come from three continents and represent genres like rock, folk, pop, lo-fi, hip hop, and EDM. Some have been making music for a while; others are just starting out. Each is making a distinctive contribution to the beautifully diverse—and globally surging—world of Christian music. You won’t like all the artists on this list. That’s OK. Everyone’s tastes are different. But I hope as you listen to the sampler song playlist (available on Spotify and Apple Music), you’ll find a few new artists whose songs resonate and enrich your faith. Austin Koukal Austin Koukal, from Olympia, Washington, is probably the closest thing we have to a “Christian Bon Iver.” The indie singer-songwriter makes musically refreshing, ambient Christian songs, and also curates other quality indie Christian music in a popular playlist. Songs to sample: “I Want You,” “Water,” “Keep Me Burning,” “Fine” Claire Leslie What would Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter sound like with Jesus-honoring lyrics? It might sound a bit like Claire Leslie, the San Antonio–based artist who got her start leading worship at Oak Hills Church. Leslie’s 2025 EP, Twenty Something, is fresh, fun, and faith-building. Songs to sample: “24/7,” “Passenger Seat,” “Light Up,” “Scared” Franni Cash Formerly one of the lead singers for We the Kingdom, Nashville-based Franni Cash is going solo with her debut album, Here I Am, releasing September 17. An opener for Brandon Lake on his recent tour, Cash is already making a splash. Her first singles—engaging topics like church hurt (“Raised by Wolves”) and the saving power of Jesus (“Jesus All Along”)—have been stellar. Songs to sample: “Jesus All Along,” “Menace,” “Raised by Wolves,” “Church Clothes” Hollyn As has happened more than once with Christian artists, Hollyn’s music career kicked off with a stint on American Idol. But that was 2013, and the R&B artist has come a long way since then. Today, Hollyn (Holly Wilson) feels like the freshest emerging artist in Christian music. Her Theology of Beauty album cycle—a collaboration with producer collective Weathrman—has been lyrically rich and musically fearless: a rare combo in Christian music. Songs to sample: “Where Would I Be,” “Devoted,” “Take the Blame,” “Steady Me” Ivan Theva I came across Ivan Theva when the Spotify algorithm delivered his cover of Young Oceans’s “It’s Your Love,” which stopped me in my tracks. Theva—from New York—has a unique voice that evokes a woodsy, brooding aesthetic, but applied to songs about the journey of faith. Songs to sample: “Ain’t It Beautiful,” “Gardens,” “i can see you in everything,” “i just want to beliiieve..” Joel Figueroa Affiliated with UPPERROOM Church in Dallas, Joel Figueroa released his debut album, Groanings, last year. The title track caught my attention. The song, inspired by Romans 8:26, features the phrase “Death to my flesh / Life in your Spirit” set to a techno beat. Songs to sample: “GROANINGS,” “The Gospel,” “Genesis,” “know me” Jon Keith San Diego native Jon Keith is a rising star in Christian hip hop, both because his sound feels genuinely new and because his lyrics reflect a level of vulnerability still rare in mainstream Christian music. Keith’s songs are also really catchy. My kids request them often when they have a vote for car-ride music. Songs to sample: “EYES ON US,” “NEW ME,” “START AGAIN,” “GODS HAND” Joshua Luke Smith Raised in Pakistan as a missionary kid, but now based in London, Joshua Luke Smith is a multihyphenate artist: poet, pastor, author, TEDx speaker, and founder of poetic collective The Psalmists. He’s an artist’s artist, and I found his 2024 album, Liberated, thrilling. Songs to sample: “Dead Man,” “Hold Me Back,” “Flowers,” “Serenity” Lani Rose St. Louis–based Myles Anderson, who performs as Lani Rose, makes beautifully raw devotional music that evokes Sondae or Dell Mac. These are songs about the struggles of life as they meet the hope of Christ. Check out his new album, To: Hope Again, when it releases on July 24. Songs to sample: “100%,” “Sing Ugly,” “Beautiful Whirlwind,” “Living a Lie” MUCH MORE SoCal native Isaiah Vargas, who goes by the musical moniker MUCH MORE, describes his sound as “worshipful minimalism.” It’s an apt descriptor of his brand of bedroom rock, which feels experimental but accessible, lo-fi but totally earnest. Think desperate prayers for God’s help, set to the breezy sounds of a beach bonfire. Songs to sample: “Withstand,” “Stuck in Damascus,” “Faithful (To the End),” “Never Will” Rave Jesus After reaching the highest levels of the global EDM scene, Topher Jones (Rave Jesus) became a Christian in 2018 and turned his DJ skills toward worship. Like Forrest Frank and others currently riding the vibe shift to viral success, Rave Jesus is sincerely fun, worshipful, highly danceable music powered by joy in the Lord. Songs to sample: “Joy Is Coming,” “That’s Who I Praise (feat. Brandon Lake),” “Praise the Lord (feat. Zahriya Zachary),” “I Met God on the Dancefloor” Rothbury Girl band Rothbury is made up of friends Kate Gurren, Grace Coleman, and Tiff Willmott. Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Rothbury has a “living room folk” sound that at times evokes First Aid Kit or The Wailin’ Jennys. The melodies are rich and the devotional spirit even richer. Check out their most recent EP, Little Big Dreaming. Songs to sample: “Faith Like a Child,” “Goodbye Yesterday,” “In the Garden,” “Breathe In Slow” Stillcreek A band “unapologetically rooted and grounded in the Word of God,” Stillcreek makes singable, biblically rooted music that resembles CityAlight, The Gettys, or Sovereign Grace Music. Whether songs about Psalm 119, Christian mission, or God’s mercy, Stillcreek’s music is beautifully edifying. Songs to sample: “He Is Making All Things Right,” “Christ to Every Nation,” “The Mercy of God,” “Daily Bread (Waw)” Tyler Corbin One of my favorite new artists who came on my radar last year, West Virginia native Tyler Corbin, makes folksy music rich in biblical theology and advocacy for the local church. His first album, Help Me Try, is one of the better debuts I’ve heard in Christian music the last few years. Songs to sample: “Our Bread,” “Lone Ranger,” “Feelings & Faith,” “Solid Ground” The Wood Drake Sessions A project of a pastor (Paul Ranheim) and a worship leader (Kirk Sauers), The Wood Drake Sessions takes its name from the Wendell Berry poem “The Peace of Wild Things.” This is church-friendly, theologically rich music that roots weary and anxious souls in ancient, steadying truths. Songs to sample: “Grace Will Prevail,” “Oh How Good to Be Together,” “Never Shakes Never Will,” “Rock of Ages to the End” Artists Highlighted in My Previous ‘Quality Christian Music’ Lists 2025 Nick Chambers Cross Gray DC3 Dell Mac Free As a Bird Gio. Constanza Herrero Austin Joyce Graham Jones Calah Mikal Delaney Young Weston Skaggs Nick Smith Sondae Strings and Heart 2024 Luke Bower Jimmy Clifton Aaron Cole Coquí Benjamin Daniel Forrest Frank From the Ground Up Dwan Hill iAmSon Praise Lubangu Marizu Joseph O’Brien Josiah Queen Saint Augustine’s Music Domas Žeromskas 2023 Anchor Hymns Joel Ansett Victory Boyd Bridge Music CalledOut Music Kyle Church Candace Coker Fyr Fytr Hey Barnabas! Sam McCabe Ethan Nathaniel Anna Palfreeman Skye Peterson The Soil and the Seed Project sxxnt. Madison Ryann Ward 2022 Kelsey Breedlove Will Carlisle Colorvault Cortes Elias Dummer Davy Flowers Garden Friend Land of Color Joshua Leventhal Limoblaze Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Soucy James Paek PEABOD Leslie Perez Pyramid Park Tekoa TEMITOPE 2021 Darla Baltazar Former Ruins Gable Price and Friends Ellie Holcomb Hulvey IMRSQD Judah. Eliza King Taylor Leonhardt Lovkn Maverick City Music Phil J. Bear Rinehart Sharyn Andy Squyres Yaz Williams 2020 Montell Fish Jon Guerra Claudia Isaki Loud Harp Cole McSween Medical Morning Sajan Nauriyal Tenielle Neda Jonathan Ogden John Mark Pantana The Pharaoh Sisters Chris Renzema Sarah Sparks Trulah John Van Deusen 2019 Antoine Bradford CityAlight The Corner Room Greg LaFollette Hallowell Isla Vista Worship Jess Ray Josh Gauton Latifah Makuyi Parallel Stereo Psallos Russ Mohr South of Royal Zambroa

Reflects on Elijah’s encounter with God and how believers can recognize His quiet guidance.

Jesus experienced abandonment in our place so that we don’t have to endure it.

Anxiety has a way of reaching into every part of life: our finances, our future, our relationships, our safety, and even our view of God. When fear feels loud, we need more than quick reassurance. We need the steady truth of Scripture to remind us who God is, what He has promised, and how deeply He cares for us.This 7-day Bible study was created to help you bring your fears honestly before the Lord. Each day focuses on a specific fear, including lack, the unknown, people, spiritual darkness, wars and disasters, death, and the fear of God. Through Scripture, prayer, reflection questions, and verses to remember, you’ll be invited to surrender worry and grow in trust one day at a time.Download the full study and set aside a few quiet minutes each day to meet God in His Word. You don’t have to conquer fear all at once. Begin with today’s reading, pray honestly, and let the Lord teach your heart to rest in Him.