We live in a fallen world and the air we breathe in our culture is completely messed up.

And the portrayals of sex and intimacy that you get, even in movies and things that don't show anything, they're not explicit.

But the implications that are there in a rom-com or something are pernicious.

They're just evil and they're simply not true because the implication

is it's easy and wonderful and great and everything else. And the truth is it's, at its best,

it's wonderful, at its worst, it can be deeply disappointing. And most marriages have a bit of both.

Welcome to the Crossway podcast, a show where we sit down with authors each week for thoughtful

interviews about the Bible, theology, church history, and the Christian life. I'm Matt Tully, and today I'm

talking with Christopher Ash. Christopher is a writer in residence at Tyndale House in Cambridge, England,

and a full-time preacher, speaker, and writer. He previously served as the director of the

Proclamation Trust's Horn Hill Training

Course and as a minister and church planner. He's also the author of a number of books,

including Married for God, Making Your Marriage the Best It Can Be with Crossway. Today, Christopher

and I discuss how to navigate conflict in marriage. He reflects on some of the struggles

that he and his wife had wrestled with over their three decades of marriage, shares biblical wisdom for working through disagreements related to money,

sex, and kids, and offers practical advice for couples who feel like conflict has become the norm

in their marriage. Let's get started. Christopher Ash, thank you so much for being here on the

Crossway podcast today.

It's really good to be with you.

So how long have you been married to your wife, Carolyn?

Carolyn and I were married in 1982, so 37 years and a bit.

Wow.

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