Welcome to Job with Julie. I'm Julie Slattery, and this podcast is a production of authentic intimacy,

a ministry dedicated to reclaiming God's design for sexuality. My friend Hannah Nitz is with me today,

and we recorded this conversation in May in the middle of the COVID-19 quarantine, and we're drinking coffee in a

makeshift studio in my basement. We sat down to answer this question. Is sex really necessary in

marriage? And can you have a good Christian marriage without sex? Now, let's be honest, we talk a lot

about sex on job with Julie.

We talk about how important sex is and how it's a physical reminder of the intimacy God wants to have with us and how we should always be working on being better lovers.

And, of course, all of that is true.

But we still hear from men and women who are hurting because sex isn't happening in their marriage.

And that's

really painful. My heart just breaks as I read some of those stories. And many of you are saying

right now, I don't know how much longer I can do this. Don't I have the right to an enjoyable

sexual relationship in my marriage? After all, that's why I got married. And so this is a relevant

question that Christians are wrestling with.

And I don't have a perfect answer, but I hope you'll find some encouragement in this conversation.

So listen in.

All right, Hannah, we're going to talk today about sex and marriage.

We've never talked about that before, have we?

I know.

When you sent me an email about this topic, I was like, wow, authentic intimacy must be running out

of topics here.

Like, can't they look back in our records?

...