Why should every Christian use a prenuptial agreement? What changes legally when you marry? What's the difference between a Christian and a secular prenuptial agreement? Throw out all your preconceived notions about prenups and consider what God wants for your marriage. This book is packed with practical information and exercises that you will not find in any other premarital book. This book raises the bar for marriage to help launch a marriage that will count for eternity.
Christianity Today "Beautiful Orthodoxy" Book of the Year in 2016. Keep Christianity Strange. As the culture changes all around us, it is no longer possible to pretend that we are a Moral Majority. That may be bad news for America, but it can be good news for the church. What's needed now, in shifting times, is neither a doubling-down on the status quo nor a pullback into isolation. Instead, we need a church that speaks to social and political issues with a bigger vision in mind: that of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Christianity seems increasingly strange, and even subversive, to our culture, we have the opportunity to reclaim the freakishness of the gospel, which is what gives it its power in the first place. We seek the kingdom of God, before everything else. We connect that kingdom agenda to the culture around us, both by speaking it to the world and by showing it in our churches. As we do so, we remember our mission to oppose demons, not to demonize opponents. As we advocate for human dignity, for religious liberty, for family stability, let's do so as those with a prophetic word that turns everything upside down. The signs of the times tell us we are in for days our parents and grandparents never knew. But that's no call for panic or surrender or outrage. Jesus is alive. Let's act like it. Let's follow him, onward to the future.
"Ethics as Worship examines the foundations and application of Christian ethics, offering an ethical system that emphasizes the worship of God as motivation, method, and goal of the ethical endeavor"--
“If I had my entire life to live over, I’d choose to be a preacher again. It’s been extremely rewarding and gratifying. But I could do ministry a lot better if given a second try. As I look back on my forty years at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, I wish I had a mulligan. This book lists seven things I’d do differently and seven I’d do about the same. They are written in hopes they’ll be a source of encouragement for those growing weary and losing heart. I pray my observations will inspire others to conclude, ‘If he can do it, I can, too.’ In this book I share both the joys and sorrows of my ministry, both the successes and failures. I’m going to be as transparent as possible in hopes that it will encourage ministers to stand firm in the faith and be faithful unto death. If just one minister is motivated to pick up the sword of the Spirit and re-enter the battle, it will be well worth the effort.” — Bob Russell
An indispensable guide to how marriage acquired the status of a sacrament. This book analyzes in detail how medieval theologians explained the place of matrimony in the church and her law, and how the bitter debates of the sixteenth century elevated the doctrine to a dogma of the Catholic faith.
Historically, Christians have been divided on the issue of divorce and remarriage; many institutions and theologies coming down on the side that it is adultery to remarry while one's former spouse is still alive. This is consistent with the words of Jesus in Matthew and the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans. Others stand by the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians where he clearly declares that it is not a sin to marry again if you were "put away" (abandoned or divorced) by an unbelieving spouse. There seems to be a conflict in Scripture regarding divorce and remarriage. You do not have to pick a side to the exclusion of the other. There is a marvelous harmony in the Word of God. In this book you will see Scripture in all of its glorious consistency, and you will appreciate the divine logic. The subjects of divorce, remarriage and adultery have confused both Christians and their pastors alike. In this thorough exegesis of all the Bible texts concerning divorce and remarriage, Michael Pearl answers these issues with the Word of God, revealing the perfect harmony in Scripture and God's divine plan for marriage. This is not a lecture or a diatribe against those who are divorced. If you are a pastor or counselor you will find this book to be a great tool to instruct those who are troubled by this subject.
God has a plan for your marriage and your money. It starts with a challenge. Will you accept? For many couples, the collision of marriage and money is the beginning of relational havoc. But does it have to be this way? What if the collision of marriage and money no longer tore couples apart but brought them together? What if money was no longer a topic to argue about but a topic around which couples rallied? What if the collision of marriage and money actually helped couples find contentment and purpose? In The Marriage Challenge: A Finance Guide for Married Couples, financial expert and author of The Money Challenge Art Rainer takes you on a journey to a financially healthy marriage. Get started on the right foot, or get back on the right track, by accepting the challenge and realizing God's design for money and marriage.
Clergy today are faced with a profound shift in American attitudes about marriage that affects the role they play with each couple. Our society at large today has strikingly different attitudes from those of just fifty years ago. Couples today are more likely to have cohabited before marriage, more likely to have children born out of wedlock, more likely to be married outside of the church, and more likely to be previously divorced than were their counterparts of the mid-20th century. This new pastoral resource, grounded in real-life examples, will be an important new pastoral tool for clergy and seminarians in the Episcopal Church and other mainline Protestant churches. It is organized chronologically, beginning with how to engage the couple making a first-time contact with a member of the clergy. It next unpacks the marriage rite itself, within contemporary and traditional viewpoints. Finally, the book addresses the critically important application of long-term support for the couple throughout their married lives.
This ring-to-altar guide is a valentine to anyone who’s dating, contemplating marriage, living with someone, or engaged. In Prenups for Lovers, family-law attorney Arlene G. Dubin describes how prenuptial agreements stimulate communication and compromise, enhancing the prospects for a happy marriage. In addition to defending the much-maligned prenup, Ms. Dubin offers a wise and witty handbook for negotiating an agreement, including: how to pop the “P” word, and how to respond if it’s popped to you; checklists to make sure there will be no court after the courtship; real-life profiles and celebrity tidbits special sections for young people, women, entrepreneurs, and cohabitants; tips for married couples (because it’s never too late). Every bride and groom will say “I do” to prenups after reading this book.
The cake has been chosen, the reception hall reserved, and all the attire ordered. Creating a marriage contract is probably the last thing on your mind. However, by working with your spouse-to-be to design your particular marriage contract, you control the relationship and direct your future. What to Do Before "I Do" takes the potentially unromantic idea of a prenuptial agreement and makes you see its importance to your relationship. Proper planning will answer questions such as- Will your child continue to be cared for in the manner you wish if you pass away? Is your fiancé's debt your responsibility? Can your wife claim your premarital property in a divorce? People often enter marriage with only a vague understanding of their partner's financial status. Even if you decide against a prenuptial agreement, after reading this book, you will realize how important it is to go into a marriage with your eyes wide open.
