Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married


Gary Chapman - 2010
    So he put together this practical little book, packed with wisdom and tips that will help many develop the loving, supportive, and mutually beneficial marriage they envision, such as:What the adequate foundation for a successful marriage truly isWhat to expect about the roles and influence of extended familyHow to solve disagreements without arguingHow to talk through issues like money, sex, chores, and moreWhy couples must learn how to apologize and forgiveIdeal for newly married couples and those considering marriage, the material lends itself to heart-felt, revealing, and critical conversations for relational success.Read this bookand you’ll be prepared for—not surprised by—the challenges of marriage.- Bonus features include:Book suggestions and an interactive websites to enhance the couples’ experience“Talking it Over” questions and suggestions to jumpstart conversations over each chapterAppendix on healthy dating relationships and an accompanying learning exercise

Capture His Heart: Becoming the Godly Wife Your Husband Desires


Lysa TerKeurst - 2002
    Lysa TerKeurst, president of The Proverbs 31 Ministry, has written a practical guide for each spouse that will open their eyes to the needs, desires, and longings of the other. She offers eight essential criteria for capturing the heart of your spouse, with creative tips on how to accomplish them. Having a great marriage takes time, creativity, and willingness. Capture His Heart and Capture Her Heart are excellent tools to help spouses run this very worthwhile race.Author Biography: Lysa TerKeurst is vice president of The Proverbs 31 Ministry and co-host of the ministry's radio program. A feature writer for the ministry's newsletter, Lysa speaks at women's conferences and retreats. She is the author of Living Life on Purpose, The Sweetest Story Ever Told, and co-author of Seven Life Principles for Every Woman. She and her husband, Art, live just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, with their three daughters Hope, Ashley, and Brooke.

Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ's Control


Elisabeth Elliot - 1984
    Its much-needed message remains strong and hopeful in an age when doing whatever "feels right" is common practice. Using her own life as an example, Elisabeth Elliot guides singles of both genders and of any age on how to put their love lives under the authority of Jesus Christ. Passion and Purity covers dating issues such as: -how to know which person is the right one to marry-loving passionately while remaining sexually pure-the man's and woman's role in relationships-putting God's desires ahead of personal desires-how far is too far, physically This best-selling book now has a new cover, an updated interior design, and a foreword from popular author Joshua Harris. Quest for Love will be redesigned in a similar manner to help readers identify the books as a pair. While Passion and Purity shares the love story of Elisabeth and Jim, Quest for Love is a compilation of stories on how other men and women discovered love through God's direction. Together, these two remarkable books accentuate our need to commit daily to Christ all matters of the heart and to wait on his timing.

The Love Dare


Stephen Kendrick - 2008
    As a result, romantic hopes are often replaced with disappointment in the home. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.The Love Dare, as featured in the popular new movie Fireproof (from the makers of Facing the Giants), is a 40-day challenge for husbands and wives to understand and practice unconditional love. Whether your marriage is hanging by a thread or healthy and strong, The Love Dare is a journey you need to take. It’s time to learn the keys to finding true intimacy and developing a dynamic marriage. Take the dare!

His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage


Willard F. Harley Jr. - 1986
    In His Needs, Her Needs, Willard Harley identifies the ten most vital needs of men and women and shows husbands and wives how to satisfy those needs in their spouses. He provides guidance for becoming irresistible to your spouse and for loving more creatively and sensitively, thereby eliminating the problems that often lead to extramarital affairs. The revised anniversary edition of His Needs, Her Needs is a celebration of how the book has helped thousands of couples revitalize their marriages during the last fifteen years. This best-seller identifies the causes of marital difficulties and instructs couples on how to prevent them, guiding them to build a relationship that sustains romance and increases intimacy. With today's soaring divorce rate and prevalence of affairs, Harley's insights are needed more than ever before.An unabridged recording of His Needs, Her Needs, the 15th anniversary edition, is now available as an audio book.

Happily Ever After: Finding Grace in the Messes of Marriage


John PiperAdrien Segal - 2016
    // Marriage between sinners has its inevitable messes. If you've been married longer than a week or two, you know how the hard realities of life in a fallen age can come crashing in. Perhaps you had a season of "once upon a time," but soon enough you realized that this marriage, in this world, is not yet your "happily ever after." // We want to help. We believe that God designed marriage not as a trial to be endured, but as a pointer to and catalyst for your greatest joy. God didn't design marriage to be your storybook ending, but a fresh beginning, to help get you ready for the true "happily ever after" when together we see our great Bridegroom face to face. The thirty devotional readings in Happily Ever After have been assembled to to shape, challenge, and inspire you and your spouse's (or fiancé's) vision of marriage.

Getting Ready for Marriage: A Practical Road Map for Your Journey Together


Jim Burns - 2014
    What they are here for is your marriage. Jim and Doug have seen it all. They have worked with many couples and have studied extensively to uncover the essential elements for making marriages thrive. This book is their early wedding gift to you: a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate road map for beginning your union. Filled with premium fuel for the journey—including meaningful exercises, hard truths, and conversations starters—this book will nourish and guide your relationship for the long haul.Jim Burns is president of HomeWord and the executive director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University. Jim speaks to thousands of people around the world each year. He has over 1.5 million resources in print and a radio broadcast heard on over 800 stations daily. He, his wife, and three daughters live in Southern California.Doug Fields is the senior director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University. Doug has been a youth and teaching pastor at Mariners Church and Saddleback Church, and has authored over 50 books. He is a passionate speaker and blogger reaching thousands of leaders, teenagers, and parents every year. Doug resides with his wife and three children in Southern California.

For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women


Shaunti Feldhahn - 2006
    Through hundreds of interviews and the results of a scientific national survey of women, this book demonstrates that women are actually not random and that they really can be systematized and "mapped." In fact, much to men's delight, this book shows that women are actually quite easy to understand and please--as long as you know what it is they need. This simple map will guide you to loving your wife or girlfriend in the way she needs to be loved. The bestselling author of "For Women Only"teams with her husband to offer men the key to unlocking the mysterious ways of women. Through Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn 's national scientific survey and hundreds of interviews, "For Men Only" reveals what you can do today to improve your relationship. And believe it or not, as Jeff assures men, "It's not splitting the atom." And for every guy who rarely reads a manual: Quick-Start Guide Included! "When we featured Shaunti's book "For Women Only" on "FamilyLife Today," ""the phone rang off the hook! When Shaunti and Jeff come back on our broadcast, I'm buying some more phones. This is fresh and relevant--good stuff for every marriage. Read it!" "-Dennis Rainey, President, FamilyLife "Story Behind the Book "As I was writing "For Women Only "to help women understand the inner lives of men, over and over I heard that men wished there was a way to understand their wives, but they felt it was probably impossible. I heard from them, 'You are writing this little slim volume about men, but if it was about understanding women, it would have to be the size of an encyclopedia! Women are random and complicated!' These men were surprised and encouraged when I assured them that women are neither random nor complicated, and we can be understood. Men just want to love their wives well, and "For Men Only "will help them do that." "--Shaunti Feldhahn"

Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts: Seven Questions to Ask Before (and After) You Marry


Les Parrott III - 1995
    And it's the first program for couples developed by a couple. And Les Leslie Parrott are no ordinary couple. As marriage counselors and teachers, they're on the cutting edge of marriage research and education. Each year they teach a blockbuster relationships course to hundred of college students They see the struggles and dreams of couples up close. And they reveal the flaws and foibles of their own relationship in order to show how challenging--and rewarding -- marriage can be. Most importantly, however, Les and Leslie Parrott share a dream: to equip couples in their twenties and thirties to prepare for lifelong marriage before it even starts. They know from experience that many couples spend more time preparing for their wedding than they do for marriage. Having tasted firsthand the difficulties of 'wedding bell blues, ' they show young couples the skills they need to make the transition from 'single' to 'married' smooth and enjoyable. Whether you're contemplating marriage, engaged, or newly married, Les and Leslie will lead you through the thorniest spot in establishing a relationship. You'll learn how to uncover and deal with problems before they emerge. You'll discover how to communicate, not just talk. And you'll learn the importance of becoming 'soul mates' -- a couple committed to growing together spiritually. Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts is more than a book -- it's practically a premarital counseling session! Questions at the end of every chapter help you explore each topic personally. Companion men's and women's workbooks full of self-tests and exercises will help you apply what you learn. And the Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts video curriculum will help you to learn and grow with other couples who are dealing with the same struggles and questions. So start today, while your love is fresh. Save your marriage -- before it starts

The Mystery of Marriage: Meditations on the Miracle


Mike Mason - 1985
    In highly readable, first-person style, Mason’s writing stimulates readers’ thoughts and prayers and propels couples to deeper intimacy. “A marriage is not a joining of two worlds,” says the author, “but an abandoning of two worlds in order that one new one might be formed.” Rich chapters on “Otherness,” “Vows,” “Intimacy,” “Sex,” “Submission,” and an all-new chapter on “Oneness” lift readers to view the eternal, spiritual nature of this faith-filled, “impossible,” wild—yet wonderful—frontier. Story Behind the Book"Over the twenty years since its publication, many couples have told me that they’ve read my book aloud to each other. This always amazes me and gives me great joy. I’m also amazed that many single people have read it. Either way, my goal is for hearts to be warmed by the mystery of divine love. I want couples to enter into deeper intimacy by thinking together about the mystery of marriage—about how their love, besides being a gift of God, reflects the very love He has for Himself in the Trinity. For God is not a bachelor, and throughout the Bible marriage is a supreme picture of the nature of God’s love and of His kingdom. I want people who read my book to feel so soaked in these wonderful, divine mysteries that it deepens their reverence for marriage and inspires them to greater love."   -Mike Mason

The Hole in Our Holiness: Filling the Gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness


Kevin DeYoung - 2012
    Looking to right the balances, Kevin DeYoung presents a popular-level treatment of sanctification and union with Christ, helping readers to see what matters most—being like Jesus. He shows how one can be like Christ in being joined to Christ. The market is ready for DeYoung’s timely book, ready to avoid legalism and ambivalence, and they are ready for someone to articulate the inextricable relationship between grace and holiness.

God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation


Andreas J. Köstenberger - 2004
    Ideal for personal and group study or as a textbook for Christian marriage and family courses.

Fun Loving You: Enjoying Your Marriage in the Midst of the Grind


Ted Cunningham - 2013
    In fact, God created marriage to be a blast—even when it feels like the rest of life is going to explode. This refreshing book will help you: Laugh together again (it’s easier than you think)Make sex even more exciting than on your honeymoonDiscover how to make doing dishes together a partyFight as teammates, not opponentsFigure out how to break the routine without breaking the bankRemember why your spouse is the most likeable person you know Fun Loving You puts laughter, fun, and even spin-the-bottle back into marriage. After all, life is hard. Marriage doesn’t have to be.

Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk With God


Voddie T. Baucham Jr. - 2007
    This bold book is an urgent call to parents--and the church--to return to biblical discipleship in and through the home.

Created to be His Help Meet


Debi Pearl - 2004
    Somewhere over the passing years and changing culture, women have lost their way.  This book is written to lead them back home.  Regardless of how you began your marriage or how dark and lonely the path that has brought you to where you are now, I want you to know that it is possible today to have a marriage so good and so fulfilling that it can only be explained as a miracle.Follow Debi Pearl as she takes the wisdom and experience of her own marriage and confirms it with the wisdom of scripture and learn how to be the “help meet” that God created you to be.   You will learn to appreciate God’s gift of a husband with a thankful heart that produces joy and wisdom in you and your home.  Gain a better understanding of who your husband is and how your response to him can make or break your marriage.  See the Bible’s perspective of obedience and authority and understand how you are joint heirs to the promises of God.The miracle of a wonderful marriage is like the miracle of birth, God allows you to be an essential contributor to the miracle.  Read, enjoy and be blessed as over 330,000 other women already have.