128: Dave & Ann Wilson on How to Build a Vertical Marriage

Many of you listening right now may be thinking, my relationship needs hope, my marriage needs hope; real, lasting hope. Well that’s what today is all about. You see, you can read every relationship book on the shelf, attend every marriage conference in the country, and even do all the right things, but you might get the wrong result and find your relationship on the brink of collapse. That was the case for our guests today.

Dave and Ann Wilson are co-founders of Kensington Church, a national, multi-campus church that hosts more than 14,000 attendees every single weekend. For the past twenty-five years, they have been featured speakers at Family Life’s Weekend to Remember®, and have also hosted their own marriage conferences across the country. Their mission is to share a secret with people that will completely revolutionize both their personal life and their marriage in a way no amount of human wit or wisdom can even begin to offer. Currently, they live in the Detroit area, where Dave served as the Detroit Lions Chaplain for thirty-three years.

But their present-day story of a successful marriage was birthed on one night that was anything but successful: the night of their 10th wedding anniversary. With one short statement from Ann, the tables seemed to have turned. Divorce seemed inevitable. But starting that night, God began to reveal to Dave and Ann the most overlooked secret of experiencing the quality of marriage we all are looking for. And that’s exactly what you’re going to learn right now.

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He never saw it coming. It was the night of Dave and Ann’s tenth wedding anniversary and if asked how their marriage was doing, Dave would have said a 9.8 out of 10 and he even guaranteed Ann would say the same. But instead of giving a celebratory kiss, Ann whispered, “I’ve lost my feelings for you.” Divorce seemed inevitable. But starting that night, God began to reveal to Dave and Ann the most overlooked secret of getting the marriage we are looking for: the horizontal marriage relationship just doesn’t work until the vertical relationship with Christ is first. As founders of a multi-campus church and marriage coaches with 30 years of experience, Dave and Ann share the hard-earned but easy-to-apply biblical principles that ensure a strong marriage. Written in a funny and highly relatable dialogue between both husband and wife, Vertical Marriage will guide you toward building a vibrant relationship at every level including communication, conflict, intimacy, and romance—though Dave is still figuring that last one out. Through their unique perspectives, they share an intimate, sometimes hilarious and at times deeply poignant narrative of one couple’s journey to reconnecting with God and discovering the joy and power of a vertical marriage. For anyone who is married, preparing for marriage, or desperate to save a relationship teetering on the edge of disaster, Dave and Ann offer hope and strategies that really work. Vertical Marriage will give you the insight, applications, and inspiration to reconnect with God together and to transform your marriage to everything you hoped it would be. Buy Vertical Marriage: The One Secret That Will Change Your Marriage now.

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“So great to find a podcast that is both encouraging and challenging! It is professionally produced, yet still has an informal feel like I’m hanging out with Chris… And frankly, I’d love to hang out with him! I really appreciate his heart and have been able to apply many of his topics in my life to help me grow professionally, physically, and relationally. A+!”