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Drew and Kelsea talk about healthy ways to communicate in marriage. We ought to continue to have new goals of successful communication as time goes on and they model a number of ways this could play out.  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=qr Donate to Abide & Thrive:  http://theabideandthrivepodcast.com Support the show

The first half of the Ontiveros story took us into addiction, loss, betrayal, grief, and the years of brokenness that seemed impossible to escape. But this is where the story turns. In this episode, Gerianne and Keisto share what happened when they stopped trying to simply survive and began intentionally pursuing Jesus—and how encounter after encounter with the Lord began changing everything. From Keisto’s journey toward freedom from addiction to their baptism in the Holy Spirit, Z Experience, Pursued, and the radically different ways God met each of them, this is the story of what happens when broken people encounter a God who is deeply personal, present, and relentless in His pursuit of them. But redemption doesn't mean pretending the ashes weren't real. They talk honestly about confession, forgiveness, rebuilding trust, processing grief, learning to receive the Father's love, and allowing the Lord to reshape their marriage into what He designed it to be. Through it all, they began to see something they couldn't have understood in the middle of their darkest years: God was bringing beauty from places that once only looked like destruction. As Gerianne says, “roses come up from the embers.” This is a story of freedom, healing, and a marriage being transformed—not by willpower or perfection, but by encountering Jesus and learning to walk with Him. https://www.illuminate-ministries.com/z-experience-info-1 https://www.illuminate-ministries.com/pursued-info Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=qr Donate to Abide & Thrive:  http://theabideandthrivepodcast.com Support the show

Gerianne and Keisto Ontiveros are the kind of couple who make you grateful to know them. Their marriage is beautiful, their family is thriving, and their lives are marked by deep faith, intentional parenting, friendship, and a genuine love for Jesus. But it hasn’t always been that way. In this deeply honest conversation, they take us behind the curtain of the years that shaped them—family conflict, addiction and relapse, the fight for sobriety, shame, spiritual battles, and the devastating loss of their daughter, Ember. They don’t tell these stories from a safe distance or pretend the hard things weren’t really hard. They talk about what it cost, how differently they each experienced the same seasons, and how brokenness affected their marriage, faith, family, and identity. And yet, this is not a story about brokenness. It is a story about what God does in the middle of it. Throughout the conversation, we look at their story through a redemptive Kingdom lens—asking where God was when they couldn’t see Him, how He was pursuing and protecting them before they even recognized Him, and what it looks like to trust His goodness when circumstances make no sense. There are no tidy answers here, but there is hope: hope that God can redeem generations, restore what has been fractured, bring beauty out of grief, and write a story that looks radically different from where it began. This is the first half of the Ontiveros story—and it is a testimony that Jesus doesn’t avoid the hard places. Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=qr Donate to Abide & Thrive:  http://theabideandthrivepodcast.com Support the show

When swimming in content, even positive spiritual content, it's easy for subtle illusions to form: “I know this,” when I’ve really only heard it. In this conversation, Drew and Kelsea name that “false sense of wisdom,” where borrowed insight starts to feel like spiritual maturity, even though we haven’t had to steward it, suffer through it, or live it out when it costs something. When we mistake information for transformation.  This isn’t a call-out—it’s a call-up. A gentle invitation to slow down, meditate, and let truth become formation, not just consumption. Because real fruit doesn’t come from fast-food Christianity; it comes from abiding—rooted, resilient, and grown with Jesus over time. Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=qr Donate to Abide & Thrive:  http://theabideandthrivepodcast.com Support the show

How do you set healthy physical boundaries in dating or engagement without falling into shame or just making a list of rules? In this episode, we explore what Scripture teaches about physical boundaries and why they're meant to flow from a loving covenant with Jesus—not fear, guilt, or religious obligation.  Through 1 Thessalonians 4, we unpack how pursuing holiness is less about avoiding a line and more about becoming disciples who honor God with every part of our lives. We also share practical examples of healthy boundaries, discuss how they can strengthen future marriages, and explain how every couple is to seek the Lord for wisdom in their unique relationship.  Whether you're dating, engaged, or discipling others, this conversation will encourage you to pursue purity through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, breaking shame, and embracing the freedom found in Christ. Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=qr Donate to Abide & Thrive:  http://theabideandthrivepodcast.com Support the show

Drew and Kelsea have a deep conversation about true humility of the Kingdom verses lesser forms. They discuss how often times false humility leads to two different extremes: superiority or insecurity. If you are a disciple trying to keep in step with the Spirit and walk in accurate humility, this episode is for you! Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=qr Donate to Abide & Thrive:  http://theabideandthrivepodcast.com Support the show

In this episode, we revisit the wedding vows we spoke 12 years ago—reading them out loud and letting them measure the life we’ve actually lived. We talk candidly about the difficulties and trials we’ve faced, and what it’s taken to endure with tenderness, honesty, and grit. More than anything, we reflect on what it means to keep our word: to keep choosing each other and to keep giving one another our best, even when it’s costly. Along the way, we ask each other vow-shaped questions that open up meaningful conversation about love, trust, sacrifice, and growth. We also unpack the difference between a contract and a covenant—and why we believe “we meant what we said and said what we mean” still matters today. If you’re married, engaged, or simply curious about lasting love, this is an invitation to remember, recommit, and lean into the beauty of faithful promises. Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=qr Donate to Abide & Thrive:  http://theabideandthrivepodcast.com Support the show

Everything in creation has seasons, including humans. We discuss the ins and outs of the seasons - pruning and dormancy as well as bloom and harvest. We hope this episode equips you as you navigate your current season. A throwback to season 2! Drew and Kelsea originally released this episode on 10/16/24 and it's too good to not share again.  Donate to Abide & Thrive:  http://theabideandthrivepodcast.com Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=qr Support the show

This encore episode returns to the April 2025 release where Drew and Kelsea taught from Proverbs 2 to help listeners walk in wisdom and move with discernment.  Want to partner with Abide & Thrive?   abide-and-thrive.org/donate Support the show

3 episodes re-released all in one place. The first is Kelsea asking Drew questions about his experience with lust from his single years. The second is both Drew and Kelsea discussing navigating lust within marriage, and how walking in step with the Spirit changes everything. The third is a conversation about how unprocessed or un-submitted emotions can be open doors for the enemy to attack with lustful temptation. All three together offer practical defensive strategies, biblical wisdom, how to partner with the Spirit, and cultivating emotional and spiritual intelligence when tempted. Porn research and resource websites: https://www.covenanteyes.com https://fightthenewdrug.org https://exoduscry.com To support this podcast, give to: https://abide-and-thrive.org/donate Support the show

This encore episode is a throwback from March 2024 when Drew and Kelsea reflected on Psalm 1. They share the impact the scripture has had on their faith and aim to encourage others with the conversation. Become an Abide and Thrive supporter today! abide-and-thrive.org/donate Support the show

Encore Episodes are opportunities to re-listen to notable episodes previously released. Pages of Personal Growth is an episode where Drew and Kelsea share books that have shaped their faith. This listen isn't just for readers; it's for anyone looking for comfort, wisdom, or an opportunity to deepen relationship with God. Fervent by Priscilla Shirer Awaken A Better You by BJ Thompson Who Are You Following by Sadie Robinson Huff He Knows Your Name by Paige Allen Mostly What God Does - Savannah Guthrie The Men We Need by Brant Hansen Outdated by Jonathan Pokluda Boundaries by Henry Cloud Single, Dating, Engaged, Married by Ben Stuart Un-offendable by Brant Hansen Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer The Knowledge of Holy by A. W. Tozer Fighting Shadows by Jefferson Bethke & Jon Tyson Donate to Abide & Thrive here: https://abide-and-thrive.org/donate https://www.instagram.com/theabideandthrivepodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Support the show

Drew and Kelsea talk about how they have grown in faith and marriage over the past 11 years. They share what started out lacking and has become strong, and what began strong and only has grown stronger with time. Donate to Abide and Thrive here: abide-and-thrive.org/donate Support the show

Drew and Kelsea ask each other a variety of questions, some fun and lighthearted, and others deep and serious. This is a great way to get to know them better! It's also a model for others to emulate in their relationships, romantic or not. If you would like to donate to the Abide and Thrive podcast, you have the opportunity to give here: abide-and-thrive.org/donate Support the show

Drew and Kelsea reflect on the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 20. They talk about Kingdom principles and how the Lord is continually growing their hearts through this scripture. Support for this episode comes from https://wagnersportschiropractic.com Donate to Abide & Thrive abide-and-thrive.org/donate Support the show