Healthy marriages do not simply happen, though our culture's marriage landscape suggests otherwise. Married couples need a strong foundation that the majority of people cannot build on their own. How can ministers best prepare engaged couples for the altar? And how can ministers help provide the needed material for healthy growth among married couples in their cultures? Marriage Ministry: A Guidebook by noted pastors, authors, and seminar leaders Bo Prosser and Charles Qualls provides a ready help for ministers who provide premarital counseling, perform wedding ceremonies, and generally care for married couples and their families. Full of information and ideas that encourage conversation, communication, and interaction, this book will help ministers respond to the many needs of couples in the church. Whether your ministerial needs are with the newly married, the successfully married, or the struggling married, Marriage Ministry will surely help you help them.
Does the Bible prescribe gender roles for men and women? Are men uniquely called to exercise authority in marriage and church ministry? Is submission a one-way street, for women only? Or, has God created us—and called us—to live together in a partnership of yielding in love to each other? Partners in Marriage and Ministry addresses these frequently asked questions.
Ryan and Selena Frederick were newlyweds when they landed in Switzerland to pursue Selena's dream of training horses. Neither of them knew at the time that Ryan was living out a death sentence brought on by a worsening genetic heart defect. Soon it became clear he needed major surgery that could either save his life--or result in his death on the operating table. The young couple prepared for the worst. When Ryan survived, they both realized that they still had a future together. But the near loss changed the way they saw all that would lie ahead. They would live and love fiercely, fighting for each other and for a Christ-centered marriage, every step of the way. Fierce Marriage is their story, but more than that, it is a call for married couples to put God first in their relationship, to measure everything they do and say to each other against what Christ did for them, and to see marriage not just as a relationship they should try to keep healthy but also as one worth fighting for in every situation. With the gospel as their foundation, Ryan and Selena offer hope and practical help for common struggles in marriage, including communication problems, sexual frustration, financial stress, family tension, screen-time disconnection, and unrealistic expectations.
John Wesley, George Whitefield & Jonathan Edwards, left an enduring and fruitful legacy through their labours, and they were also married. This book gives us contemporary lessons, offering Biblical guidelines and counsel from modern day Christian leaders.
“Most people today view marriage as a means of looking for love, happiness, and fulfillment. Make no mistake about it, those things are important. Those things are critical. They are just not the most critical.” —Tony Evans Marriage Matters paints a picture of what it means to have a happy marriage—as God defines happiness. By examining the nature of the covenant and the purpose of marriage, Tony Evans gives steps to developing and maintaining a healthy relationship. In his approachable style, Dr. Evans explains the origins, order, and operation of marriage in its relation to Scripture. If the profound fruits of your marriage have turned into something mundane, or the validity of the covenant of marriage eludes you, then join Tony Evans in figuring out why Marriage Matters.
Clayton and Ashlee Hurst share the principles and Scripture they have learned to lean on and preach at Lakewood Church. Foreword by Joel Osteen. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to have the marriage you dreamed of? Interestingly, this is the question Clayton and Ashlee ask young couples before they get married and married couples in crisis. If they answer yes, then there is hope for the couple. If they are willing to commit to the hard work ahead, they have a very good shot. Hope for Your Marriage is a book designed for couples who desire to have the best marriage possible. Every marriage has the potential to be incredible when God is at the center. In Hope for Your Marriage, Clayton and Ashlee share personal stories on overcoming fairy-tale pitfalls; keeping Jesus at the center of your marriage; practicing healthy communication on sex, conflict, and forgiveness; declaring life over your marriage; and leaving a God-honoring legacy. Praise for Hope for Your Marriage: “Clayton and Ashlee Hurst are on the forefront of marriage ministry. This book is full of practical wisdom that’s a must-read for anyone looking to grow in their marriage.” —Jimmy Evans, founder and CEO, MarriageToday, Southlake, Texas “This book, layered with scriptures and personal stories of overcoming obstacles, will bless every couple ready to have a healthy and happy marriage with God at the center!” —DeVon Franklin, CEO, Franklin Entertainment; bestselling author “Whether you are a newlywed or married for decades, this encouraging book will give you new and practical insight into how to make your marriage the best relationship in your life.” —Shaunti Feldhahn, social researcher, bestselling author “A hope-filled book for all those who desire a loving, supportive relationship.” —Gary Chapman, PhD, bestselling author “Ashlee and Clayton transparently tell their story of honestly misunderstanding each other. Yet, God revealed insights that enabled them to love and respect each other in meaningful and friendly ways. We are blessed by their lives and testimony.” —Dr. Emerson and Sarah Eggerichs, Love and Respect Ministries
Updated with Discussion Questions and Two Bonus Chapters When you say "I do," you begin the journey of a lifetime— and you have dreams of that journey being perfect. But it won't take long for expectations of the perfect marriage to fade away in the struggles of everyday life. A long-term, vibrant marriage needs to be grounded in something sturdier than romance—it needs the life-changing power of the gospel. In this rebranded edition of What Did You Expect?, popular author and pastor Paul David Tripp encourages couples to make six biblical commitments to the Lord and to one another. These commitments, which include a lifestyle of confession and forgiveness, building trust, and appreciating differences, will equip couples to cultivate thriving, joy-filled marriages built on Christ.
This resource is much more than a mere leader's guide for the Focus on the Family Marriage Series; it is a manual for developing and sustaining a ministry to marriages in your church and community. With marriages in our culture-and even the Church- in dire straits, there is a desperate need for the Church and it's leaders to stand in the gap for families and marriages. Gleaned from ministries around the nation, this manual contains information on how and where to begin, types of ministry settings, staffing and organization of the ministry. It also includes basic information on learning styles and how to teach adults, develop lessons and encourage discussion. It will also include reproducible forms, publicity aids and clip art, as well as a listing of additional resources.
God intends marriages to be filled with love. Why are so many faltering with distrust, anger, and contempt? The authors of Love After Marriage believe that the Holy Spirit is ready to pour out healing and anointing on couples who seek God for themselves and their family. Using the book's proven strategies, based on the successful Love After Marriage workshops, couples can bring an atmosphere of loving transparency and vulnerability into their relationship and develop a beautiful God-designed intimacy that can last throughout their life together. Couples will find clear teaching on God's perspective of marriage, as well as methods for listening to the Holy Spirit and tools to develop the breakthroughs the Spirit brings to their marriage. They will be refreshed by the knowledge marriage can be deeply enjoyable even if it is a little hard work.
