A Seasoned Marriage: Living the Gospel in the Middle Years and Beyond

by Larry E McCall

A Seasoned Marriage helps couples in the second half of life navigate the unique challenges that arise with growing older together.

Life is different than it was on your wedding day years ago. You are different, your spouse is different, and so is your marriage. In the middle and later decades of life, we all face situations we didn’t think about as young married couples such as maintaining relationships with adult children, planning for retirement, navigating health struggles, preventing marital monotony, and investing time into the lives of our grandchildren.

With warmth and wisdom, pastor Larry McCall encourages readers that these new challenges can be blessings and are all wonderful opportunities to grow in your care for one another as you reflect the love of Christ. In the face of the next season of life, it is possible for your relationship to grow even sweeter.Learn to navigate launching adult children, wrapping up your career, caring for aging parents, and facing new financial challenges.Embrace change as your roles and responsibilities shift and as you look to the future for new opportunities to serve with the hope of the gospel.Includes questions for personal reflection or group discussion.

176 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2025

Reviews

[Dogeared Wanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique book on marriage for couples who are facing the middle years and beyond. The author did a great job encouraging couples to continue strong rather than viewing the empty nest as "me" years and shows how to pursue relationships with adult children and grandchildren, resisting marital monotony with a spouse, making wise financial decisions, and even end-of-life preparation to finish well.

This book covers a wide range of years and primarily focuses on the years between 40-end. Even though my husband and I aren't quite to this stage, we are almost there, and it was helpful to have some tips on the next phase of life.

🐕‍🦺 Though it includes some reference to divorced families and adult children with addictions, I would have liked to see more discussion on some of the brokenness topics that many older couples face, including: dysfunctional and blended families, grandparents raising grandchildren, foster care ministry, financial loss, loving a spouse after much grief/loss, reconciliation after adultery, seeking help for sexual sin, etc.

🐾YES discussion questions. The author designed them for couples to go through together.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated this wise book and will be holding onto it as a reference as my husband and I travel through this season of our marriage. Most marriage books are directed at the earlier stages of married life. We’ve lived, learned, and grown through those stages, and it was so refreshing to have an author that acknowledges the fact that there’s more learning and growing to be done, even in this “beyond the middle” season. Life keeps changing. There are always new decisions to be made, even in a “seasoned marriage”. I’m thankful for the chapters on physical and financial challenges, as well as the chapter on preparing for the end of life. I will be re-reading those more than once. Long, happy marriages glorify God!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

In A Seasoned Marriage, Larry E. McCall shows you how to live the gospel in the middle years and beyond. Written for those in the middle and later decades of life, this book presents theological and practical considerations for older Christian couples. As someone who is approaching middle age, I found it to be wise, realistic, and hopeful.



God’s Love for Each Other

McCall begins the book by stating that marriage is for Christ and for our spouse. The gospel gives husbands and wives God’s love as individuals and enables us to love each other as a couple. McCall also explains how the later years help to reveal idols of identity—and how we can anchor our lives in who we are in Christ.

I most appreciated the topics that McCall details in the book—all through the lens of the gospel. In Chapter 5, he talks about fighting the tendency toward marital monotony, and I resolved to draw closer to my wife instead of naturally letting us drift apart. Confessing sin, forgiving sin, listening well, and learning together are practical steps I want to take.

On Mission Together

I was most inspired in Chapter 9, where McCall tells us to find ways to serve together in our seasoned years. To live on mission together in the unique ways that we can is something I want to work toward, and that includes pursuing different relationships together. To make friends with those older and younger, both inside and outside the church, is something we both want to do.

For those like me who are heading into the second half of life, this book gives you a picture of what to expect, but also what to work toward. For those who are already in their seasoned years, this book will help you walk with Jesus on the journey.



I received a media copy of A Seasoned Marriage and this is my honest review.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful encouragement and guide for those in their “second half of life” about how to have a God-honouring, other-person-focused marriage. Starting with launching kids into adulthood, he also covers caring for aging parents, managing retirement, and the realities of aging and preparing for death. As such, it is applicable for potentially decades of life together. Couples are encouraged to see that the purpose of marriage is to model Christ and love their partner, and to be ready for the changes that will come. The overarching application throughout is: pray, review God’s teaching on the topic, discuss it, and make wise decisions together. See the opportunities God has given you and continue to serve him faithfully as you are able.

For a more detailed review see: A Seasoned Marriage