Description
Most people say they have a communication problem. What they usually mean is that conversations are tense, arguments repeat, or words feel unproductive. Communication: Redeeming Talk Trouble presses beneath those surface frustrations to reveal a deeper truth: communication problems are not primarily about words—they are about worship, trust, and community.
This book begins where all true communication must begin: with God. Scripture presents the Trinity as the original communicating community, a perfect fellowship of Father, Son, and Spirit. Because humans are made in God’s image, we are wired for relational connection—what the Bible calls koinonia. When communication breaks down, the problem is not merely technique but a rupture in how people image God in relationship.
Rick Thomas reframes communication as shared participation in life with God. Real communication is not exchanging information; it is sharing one’s lived experience with the Lord—both victories and struggles—with another person in a way that builds trust, humility, and love. Without this depth, conversations remain shallow, guarded, or defensive.
The book walks readers through three expanding relational spheres. First, it addresses personal communion with God, where honest, uncondemned communication begins. Next, it moves into marriage—particularly a husband’s responsibility to lead his wife into safe, gospel-centered vulnerability. Thomas speaks candidly about how harshness, defensiveness, and unrepented sin destroy trust, while humility and ownership rebuild it. Finally, the book broadens outward to show how redemptive communication fuels healthy Christian community.
Throughout the book, readers are challenged to rethink common assumptions. Communication is not about winning arguments, extracting confessions, or managing behavior. It is about creating environments where truth can be spoken without fear. Trust, not clever wording, determines how deeply people will open their hearts.
A recurring theme is that biblical communication requires courage and patience. People will not share deeply if they fear condemnation, manipulation, or future punishment. The gospel removes condemnation, making it possible to speak honestly about sin, weakness, fear, and failure. Where grace is real, communication becomes redemptive.
Practical “call to action” sections help readers move from insight to obedience. Rather than offering scripts or formulas, the book trains readers to practice humility, self-disclosure, careful listening, and gospel-anchored leadership in everyday relationships. These practices transform marriages, friendships, and small groups over time.
Communication: Redeeming Talk Trouble is ideal for couples, counselors, church leaders, disciplers, and anyone frustrated by repeated relational breakdowns. It is not a quick-fix guide, but a discipleship resource that reshapes how believers think about words, relationships, and community.
When communication is redeemed, relationships deepen. When relationships deepen, the gospel becomes visible. This book helps readers pursue both.
Life Over Coffee Publishers