New Life LIVE

Caller Questions & Discussion: According to blended family expert Ron Deal, despite good intentions, most couples who bring children from previous relationships into marriage are not prepared to deal with them. The smarter you are, the better your family will be. I discovered my husband has been making a lot of phone calls to a female classmate from high school. To what extent should I insist on full disclosure? I’m a single mom to two teens and have been divorced for 2 years; how do I help them adjust to me dating again? I’m remarried, my husband’s adult son is in a wheelchair, and my husband and I don’t get to spend much time together. What is my role? What should I do?

Caller Questions & Discussion: I’ve been married for 53 years and we are both from alcoholic families. There’s no spiritual and emotional intimacy, and it has been hard for me to let him be physically intimate. My husband admitted to me that he’s taken a woman out twice and thinks that polygamy is in the Bible and he can have multiple wives. What can I do? Dr. John Townsend discusses the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling that he helps to lead at Concordia University. My adult son and I share a car; how do I approach him about paying for his fender bender damage? How did I get a phobia of getting sick, which is called hypochondriasis? How do I get over it? My 80-year-old husband fell and broke his hip; how do I place him into a board and care? My daughter and her husband are worried about their inheritance because I’m paying for it. My daughter is divorced because she found the person she wants to be with. She’s now living with him away from her five children in another state and says it’s God’s will. We’ve stepped in to help her ex-husband and children; how do I talk to my daughter?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Our good friend Dr. John Townsend talks about his band with his sons, and the Institute he founded, Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling, at Concordia University. How do I continue to flourish in my job with a bipolar coworker who is aligned with our boss? It’s not a safe environment. I’m retired and do all the things around the house for my wife, but I love spending time alone. Am I on the autism spectrum if I don’t need people outside of my relationship with Christ? I’m a 65-year-old divorce attorney. How do I refresh myself if my work is going great but my daughter is going through a contentious divorce and my grandson wrote a suicide note? I’ve been in foster care, institutionalized, and in jail. I just found out that the pastor I’ve been following will be leaving my church, and I’m hurt. I’m recently retired and doing everything right, but I’m sad, lonely, and depressed since I started a confusing romantic relationship a year ago.

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Sheri shares insights from her chapter in the book The Healing Church, where she explores the impact of sex addiction on the betrayed partner. Can Jesus lie? I feel like Jesus is speaking to me about things like not wearing earrings. I’m in recovery and have been a substance abuse counselor for a decade, but I still feel shame. How can I find balance when I feel like I’m an imposter? Did I do the right thing by protecting my mother from a will that was ill-conceived? My father was very sick when he gave his sister and me everything in his will, but it says he wasn’t married when he was. Last Wednesday, we had a blow-up with our 15-year-old foster daughter. Then she made false accusations against us. What do I do?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Chris shares how he has been working on his identity in Christ and journaling about how strong roots produce spiritual fruits. Even though it’s easy to get caught up in the outcome, Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:18-19 reminds us to focus on deepening our roots in Christ. Are there any Christian spiritual resources my friend can use after her home was in a house fire? She’s going to have to live in a hotel for months. I was in a car accident 20 years ago when I was drinking, and the friend who was with me died. I’m struggling with survivor’s guilt, why God kept me alive, and whether I should stay in the relationship with the woman I’m dating. My husband was unfaithful for the first 25 years of our marriage. I recently confronted him about going to a birthday party for a family member connected to one of the women he had an affair with, and I feel triggered and violated again. I get anxious when I’m around my adult kids, and I had similar feelings around my mother. What can I do about this family-related anxiety?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Alice shares an experience with her son over the weekend that reminded her that boundaries don’t change the perpetrator, but they empower the person setting them. The way to establish healthy boundaries is to identify what you will not tolerate. My best friend’s son remarried, and his new wife has influenced him to leave Christianity and become a Jehovah’s Witness. What can I do to help her? I struggle with anxiety and feelings of not being good enough, especially when I start a new job, because my father’s critical voice is still in my head. How do I move beyond this? My wife of over 40 years has given me notice of legal separation and refuses to talk to me because I become angry at her, which reminds her of her father. How can I reverse this?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Jill discusses character development using habit stacking: identifying a habit you already do and adding another habit to it. I’m 32 and feel very insecure because I’m single, have no kids, and everyone around me is married with children. How do I stop being addicted to creativity? I have bipolar I, have been to the psych ward four times, and feel withdrawal when I don’t do art. How do I set boundaries with my husband of 10 years? He uses alcohol, watches porn, and won’t talk through conflicts with me. I’ve been divorced for 5 years and have been dating a woman exclusively for 2 months, but her actions don’t match her words. What should I do?

Caller Questions & Discussion: JJ shares how to break free from old habits, behaviors, and identity patterns that keep you stuck. It has been hard for me to find housing because of incorrect items reported on my credit report. I’ve gone through my savings and am now living in a shelter. If God can do all things, what will it take for me to move forward? If someone is viewing and downloading child pornography online, how could that person receive counseling? Would telling a therapist automatically be reported to authorities and likely result in arrest? Brian asks the hosts if Philippians 2:12 says to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, what is needed to work out a marriage?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Special guest and clinical psychologist Dr. John Townsend discusses the Townsend Institute at Concordia University Irvine. My ex-husband was emotionally abusive. Now my son is getting a master’s in counseling and tells me I need healing and I need to comfort him. How can I respond in love? How do I cope with vulnerability, loneliness, and feeling inferior after being bullied as a child and now being single? I recently fell victim to a scammer on a dating site. I’ve been married for more than 40 years, and my husband micromanages me. When he triggers me, how should I respond? Our 15-year-old grandson is transitioning to a girl. We were told not to discuss it and to use female pronouns. After I shared my concerns with my stepdaughter, the whole family cut me off.

Caller Questions & Discussion: Chris explains that our tendency to block, defend, and deny the truth about our brokenness keeps us from fully experiencing God’s goodness. What, if anything, should I do to intervene in my 81-year-old mother’s shopping addiction? She likely has borderline personality disorder and has spent tens of thousands of dollars. I’m 37 and live in India. I’ve struggled with years of sleeplessness and significant trauma. What should I do next? My friend is a Christian with a newborn and is living with her boyfriend. She recently discovered he has a sex addiction—what is the best way to advise her? I wanted to share what helps me fall back asleep: a therapist once told me to say the Lord’s Prayer ten times. Start at a normal pace, then gradually slow down.

Caller Questions & Discussion: Marc discusses the three essential steps a partner who has betrayed trust must take to begin restoring it in a marriage or relationship. I went to Every Man’s Battle and Intimacy in Marriage, but I have a big problem with lying, and my wife can’t believe a word that I say. Our 51-year-old son lives with us, and he drinks twice a week to the point that he blacks out. I can’t seem to handle the demons that come out when he drinks; how do I respond? After I discovered that my husband has inappropriate pictures of women on his phone, he said I invaded his privacy, and he doesn’t seem remorseful; are there any books you’d recommend?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Jim discusses the principle of leading with love, especially with parents whose children have strayed from their faith. My son is married to a woman he met in foster care, and the relationship is very toxic. What are some ways to help him? I’ve been married for 40 years to a man who has narcissistic personality disorder and is a sex addict. If I go to Restore, how do I tell my husband that I will be away for three days?

Caller Questions & Discussion: JJ discusses why we must do self-examination and pay attention to what’s happening inside of our hearts to discover our leaks, emotional pain, and points of vulnerability. I can’t confront someone in person but can put it down in writing; how do I approach it effectively? I’m in my mid-70s and dream a lot about my husband who abandoned our marriage 30 years ago; why is this still happening and how can I find healing? Last week I overheard my mom saying mean things about me and my children behind my back; is it okay for me to move on? How do I deal with my 24-year-old daughter who struggles with addiction and refuses to get help?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Sheri shares insights from reaching out to thousands of women about the impact of pornography in their lives and how their churches responded when they sought help. I called you last week, and you helped me find a counselor. Without your guidance, I wouldn’t have been able to take that step! My 19-year-old daughter is in art school and started taking testosterone; how do I approach this as a parent? What is a clinical therapist? I’m seeing a counselor, but I’m looking for the “magic bullet” to fix my marriage. My husband has Asperger’s, is obsessed with the End Times, and even hands out cards; how can I navigate this?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Jacqui discusses depression and changes to look for; ask the person how they’re doing and even if they have had thoughts of suicide. My wife says she doesn’t trust me anymore after she discovered I was messaging an 18-year-old woman; my wife and I haven’t kissed for years. Is it biblical for leaders in the church to call themselves apostles? I’m church shopping; is this a red flag? I’ve gone no contact with my parents, and my dad is in the hospital. Do I just go see him? My 27-year-old son lives with me and is having a hard time on his job as a substitute teacher; should I give him my opinion or let him figure it out? He has mental health struggles.

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Jill discusses the Olympics and how her stepfather nearly made the track team. In our lives and relationships, we shouldn’t settle; we should keep working on them. My grandson in the first grade is really struggling and plays a lot of video games; do I say anything? I was diagnosed with PTSD and tried going to the VA, but secular isn’t helping me. Are there any spiritual resources? I just turned 63 and have been battling compulsive behaviors like turning to porn, massage parlors, and masturbation to self-soothe. My dad gave me the green light on these behaviors as a kid.

Caller Questions & Discussion: Marc discusses how emotionally secure people face past experiences and commit to growth. My people-pleasing son has been married for over 20 years to a wife who dominates, he puts everyone else first, and texted us about being stressed. Do I text him back? It’s very painful for me to be estranged from my children, and talking to my sister has triggered me. My husband and I haven’t had sex in 15 years and I’m resentful; how do I deal with it? I want to stay connected to my sister more than she does; will I be emotionally okay to be detached after cutting her off?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Jacqui shares how understanding your past brings clarity to your present. Any thoughts on how to combat deep trauma so I can be a healthy grandparent? I am challenged with a lot of past trauma, but worldly therapists do not seem to help. Is self-therapy okay? For example, some people are influencers who use social media to vent their emotions in videos. As an associate pastor, how do I handle feelings of disappointment and the sense of apathy within the church community? I was in an emotionally abusive marriage and have been divorced for ten years. My two teen kids don’t want to date or get married; how can I change their perspective?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Alice asks two thought-provoking questions: Have you built the kind of life that you don’t want to escape from? If not, what is keeping you from building that life? I struggle with masturbating every day and feel embarrassed about it; do you have any advice? I’m dating a man who says he was addicted to porn a year ago and has stopped; can someone fully recover from porn addiction without counseling or accountability? My daughter stayed with us and shared that her husband drinks until he passes out every time he comes home; how do I approach my son-in-law when he loves our daughter and their newborn? I’m almost 69, single, and want to share what I’ve learned that has helped me embrace singleness and replace self-pleasuring.

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Alice discusses how excessive screen time and doomscrolling can lead to “brain rot,” and how parents can set a healthy example for their kids. I’m pregnant. Do I invite my mother-in-law to my baby shower even though she didn’t attend our wedding? I went to a rehab center that felt like a horror show and experienced serious health struggles. How do I regain my hope, as it says in Jeremiah 29:11? I’m not able to attend your Intimacy in Marriage Weekend; how else can we get help? There’s a lot of emotional and physical disconnection in our marriage of more than 20 years.