The Gospel Coalition

No matter what church you attend, you've probably heard that about half of Christian marriages end in divorce. The pastor citing this statistic probably had a good motive---namely, that we take seriously the covenant of marriage. But as Glenn Stanton recently clarified for TGC in his most recent FactChecker column, the statistic isn't true. Christians divorce significantly less often than their unbelieving neighbors if they observe their faith by attending church, studying the Bible, and praying.

Stanton, director for family formation studies at Focus on the Family, joined Mark Mellinger and me for our second Going Deeper with TGC podcast to answer several of your lingering questions about divorce and bad statistics. Many of you who read his article wondered how researchers identify non-practicing or nominal conservative Protestants, who do in fact divorce at distressingly high rates. I also ask him why evangelicals in particular so eagerly quote statistics that put us in a bad light and reflect poorly on the God who saved us. Other topics of discussion with Stanton include marriage as a gospel icon, practical steps to protect your marriage, and warning signs that a marriage will end even before it begins.

Stay turned to Going Deeper with TGC to hear Trevin Wax, managing editor of The Gospel Project, interview Jared Wilson about special revelation. The podcast closes with the first preview of next Friday's live broadcast of Tim Keller on doing balanced, gospel-centered ministry in your city. He'll be joined at The Gospel Coalition New England Regional Conference in Boston discussing theological vision and contextualization with David Wells, Stephen Um, and Richard Lints. Visit thegospelcoalition.org on Friday, October 19, from 3 to 5 p.m. EDT and join in by asking questions via #TGCNE12 and #CenterChurch.

You can stream the podcast below, download the mp3, or subscribe to Going Deeper with TGC on iTunes.

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Going Deeper with TGC, 10-11, with Glenn Stanton

Collin Hansen serves as editorial director for The Gospel Coalition. He is the co-author of A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories That Stretch and Stir. He and his wife belong to Redeemer Community Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and he serves on the advisory board of Beeson Divinity School. You can follow him on Twitter.