Book picks similar to
Ready to Wed: 12 Ways to Start a Marriage You'll Love by Greg Smalley
marriage
christian
non-fiction
relationships
The Purity Principle
Randy Alcorn - 2003
Too often we settle for a compromised Christianity that's just a baptized version of the world's sad existence, rather than the abundant life to which God calls us. This book deals with - raising children to embrace sexual purity - providing an example of purity in the home - protecting purity in dating (at any age) - and maintaining purity in marriage. Biblical, practical, and concise, The Purity Principle is a one-stop handbook for individuals, families and churches.Some people have given up on purity. Some have never tried. Bestselling author Randy Alcorn shows us why, in this culture of impurity, the stakes are so high--and what we can do to experience the freedom of purity. Impurity will always destroy us; purity always leads to higher pleasures! Choose wisely. Let the insights of this amazing book--written for old and young, married and single--help you gain your footing on the path to truly lasting joy.
Lies at the Altar: The Truth About Great Marriages
Robin L. Smith - 2006
Robin Smith reveals how to turn vows made at the altar into realistic plans for a long and happy marriage. Dr. Robin Smith advises couples on how to take the wedding vows that were made in earnest and in innocence, to a level where they can be used to build a happy, healthy, satisfying and long-lasting marriage. Lies at the Altar is for couples who are planning marriage, are newly married, or who have been married for years. In Lies at the Altar: The Truth About Great Marriages, Dr. Robin Smith addresses the unspoken needs, unasked questions, outrageous expectations, and hidden agendas that often linger beneath the surface of the wedding vows and appear later to cause power struggles, suffering, and feelings of hopelessness in marriages. Dr. Smith discusses why it's important to have one's "eyes wide open" in a marriage; how to write true vows to live by; and why it's never too late to rewrite your vows. She illustrates her advice with detailed stories from her own life, as well as from couples that she has counseled. And in her inspiring conclusion, she invites couples to light up their lives by acknowledging each other as individuals, each of whom lights a candle, and who lights a third candle which represents "us". Calling "truth" the secret ingredient of great marriages, Dr. Smith teaches individuals and couples how to find the truth within themselves and their partners, whether they are heading to the altar, suffering in an unhappy marriage, divorced, or simply want to bring more satisfaction and intimacy into their relationship.
Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church and What You Can Do to Stop It
Ken Ham - 2009
And it's not just happening on the nominal fringe; it's happening at the core of the Faith. What are the factors that could cause the next generation to be lost from the local church? Ken Ham from Answers in Genesis commissioned Britt Beamer from America's Research Group to find out. In the first scientific study of its kind, Beamer surveyed a thousand 20-30 year olds who used to go to Evangelical churches on a regular basis but have since left it behind. The results are not just surprising, they are shocking: Those who faithfully attended Sunday school are more likely to leave the church than those who do not! Those who regularly attended Sunday school are more likely to believe that the Bible is less true! Over half of those who faithfully attended church feel that the church is not relevant to real life today. Statistic by statistic, Ham and Beamer blow the lid off basic assumptions and implications regarding faith, the age of the earth, the inerrancy of the Bible and the great disconnect that is taking place between our children and their church experience. The trends are frightening, but Already Gone shows how to fight back in our families, our churches and our world. We can make a difference today that will affect the statistics of tomorrow!"
Fit to Be Tied: Making Marriage Last a Lifetime
Bill Hybels - 1991
This easy-to-follow guide for enjoying a happy, healthy, and lifelong relationship includes: creative ways to court your spouse; checklists for singles to use in selecting a mate; steps to resolve conflict and not drive it underground; and practical ways to determine relational fit. Whether you are already married or planning to marry in the future, the authors' sound, wholesome advice can show you how to make wise decisions about whom to marry and how to stay married for a long time.
Walking with Frodo: A Devotional Journey Through the Lord of the Rings
Sarah Arthur - 2003
And now, Walking with Frodo looks at the biblical themes found in the classic Lord of the Rings trilogy. The 18 devotions pair vices and virtues (deception vs. honesty, light vs. darkness, good vs. evil) displayed by characters in The Lord of the Rings and bring to light what the Bible has to say. A must-have for longtime and new series fans.
Vertical Marriage: The One Secret That Will Change Your Marriage
Dave Wilson - 2019
Vertical Marriage will give you the insight, applications, and inspiration to transform your marriage into everything you hoped it would be.Honest to the core and laugh-out-loud funny, Dave and Ann Wilson share the one secret that brought them from the brink of divorce to a healthy and vibrant relationship.If you had asked Dave how their marriage was doing on the night of their tenth wedding anniversary, Dave would have rated it a 9.8 out of 10, and he would have even guaranteed that Ann would say the same. But instead of giving him a celebratory kiss, Ann whispered, "I've lost my feelings for you."Divorce seemed inevitable for the Wilsons, but starting that night, God began to reveal to Dave and Ann the most overlooked secret of getting the marriage we are looking for: a horizontal marriage relationship just doesn't work until your vertical relationship with Christ is first.As founders of a multi-campus church and marriage coaches with 30 years of experience, Dave and Ann share the hard-earned but easy-to-apply biblical principles that ensure a strong marriage. Written in a highly relatable dialogue between both husband and wife, Vertical Marriage will guide you toward building a vibrant relationship at every level, giving you the tools you need to embrace:Effective communicationFair conflictTrue romanceA deeper connectionThrough their unique perspectives, Dave and Ann share an intimate, sometimes hilarious, and at times deeply poignant narrative of one couple's journey to reconnecting with God and discovering the joy and power of a vertical marriage.
The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling to Men
Richard D. Phillips - 2010
But competing visions for what a man is to be--some growing out of popular culture and others arising from flawed teaching in the church--are exacerbating the problem. Richard Phillips believes it is possible to cut through all of this confusion by consulting the Bible. Only in the pages of Scripture, he asserts, can men find a clear explanation of their God-given roles as leaders, husbands, fathers, and churchmen. Beginning in Genesis, Phillips shows that God commissioned Adam to work and tend the Garden of Eden. In these twin tasks, he perceives a template for manhood, one that, when carried out with diligence, provides dignity to men, service to mankind, and glory to God. He then goes on to show that men are called to lead, to love their wives, to discipline their children, and to serve the church of Jesus Christ. Here is biblical exposition of the most practical sort teaching that reveals not only what men are to think but what they are to be.
Kind Is the New Classy: The Power of Living Graciously
Candace Cameron Bure - 2018
How can you stay true to who God has uniquely created you to be in the face of the script you've been given? What's more, how can you stand your ground with grace?The classy confidence you know and love--whether it's on set at Full House or Fuller House, Dancing with the Stars, The View, or Candace's Hallmark movies--is no act. But it hasn't come easy. The secret, she has learned, is kindness: it's classy, unexpected, even countercultural, and ultimately wins the day.In Kind Is the New Classy, Candace reveals the thought patterns and practices that have empowered her to stay centered in who she is while practicing radical graciousness toward others. Whether you're navigating major life choices, questions of calling and career, relationships, or personal goals, this book will show you how to:Keep your cool under pressureRespond to criticism with graceStay grounded yet go places in lifeStay true to who you are despite the expectations of othersStay centered in what ultimately matters the most
Fit to Burst: Abundance, Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood
Rachel Jankovic - 2013
Fit to Burst is chock full of humorous examples and fresh advice covering issues familiar to every mom such as guilt cycles, temptations to be ungrateful or bitter, and learning how to honor Jesus in the mundane things. But this book also addresses less familiar topics, including the impact that moms have on the relationships between dads and kids, the importance of knowing when to laugh at kid-sized sin, and more.Fit to Burst will help us be moms who parent with the story in mind rather than the snapshot, who know how to both give and require much from their children in the everyday mayhem, and who understand the importance of biscuits.
Overcoming Emotions That Destroy: Practical Help for Those Angry Feelings That Ruin Relationships
Chip Ingram - 2009
The broken and stressed relationships that result from these feelings can overwhelm us. But now there's help. Well-known teacher and speaker Chip Ingram teams up with psychologist and author Dr. Becca Johnson in this encouraging and practical book, showing how many emotions lead to anger, and many emotions follow from it. Their message is clear: as we deal with our anger, we deal with the primary cause for all emotions that destroy. Ingram and Johnson help readers identify whether they are spewers, leakers, or stuffers. Readers also learn the difference between good and bad anger, how to gain control of their anger, and how to direct it toward constructive ends. The authors cover solid biblical principles as well as the psychological aspects of our emotions, showing readers how they can actually be a constructive tool used by God to transform lives and relationships. Counselors, pastors, and individual Christians will find this book a no-nonsense tool for handling destructive emotions in a healthy way.
The Mother-in-Law Dance: Can Two Women Love the Same Man and Still Get Along?
Annie Chapman - 2004
However, this connectedness often takes years to develop. Now that journey can be a joyful one! Offering practical advice and biblical wisdom, this book helps mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law nurture their relationships. Readers will learn how to dance together on topics that include—dealing with traditions and activitiesmanaging differences in handling moneyhandling intrusive comments and actionsaccepting and rejecting child-rearing advicecoping with differences in faithThrough thoughtful ideas, real-life insights, and humor, The Mother-in-Law Dance helps mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law experience a dynamic, loving relationship.
No More Christian Nice Girl: When Just Being Nice--Instead of Good--Hurts You, Your Family, and Your Friends
Paul Coughlin - 2010
Paul Coughlin and Jennifer Degler give women the empowering message that they have options far beyond simply acting nice or being mean--if they will emulate the real Jesus Christ and face their fears of conflict, rejection, and criticism. Brimming with enlightening information, thought-provoking questionnaires, real-life stories, and biblically based teaching from both the male author of the pioneering No More Christian Nice Guy and a female clinical psychologist, this book will motivate women to allow God to transform them into authentic, powerful women of loving faith.
From Lost to Found: Giving Up What You Think You Want for What Will Set You Free
Nicole Zasowski - 2020
What she couldn’t see for many years is that she was living her own life outside of that freedom, clinging to behaviors like shame, performance, and control in order to feel valued and safe.It was only when she was confronted with her own devastating pain and loss that Nicole realized her current way of life was failing her. She then discovered that sometimes God’s rescue looks like prying our fingers off what we think we want so that we can receive what we truly need. And often, on the far side of pain we don’t prefer, we find transformation we would not trade. In From Lost to Found, Nicole shares her story as she helps us
name what we fear losing most,
identify how our reactive behaviors are failing us,
discover what joy we can find in letting go, and
move forward in the freedom God has for us.
God is writing a story of redemption in your life too. Find out for yourself that sometimes the greatest joy is found when we are drained of all misplaced hope and shallow identities. In the midst of pain or transition, discover a surprising path to healing as you lose your grip on comfort and control—and fall right into God’s transformative grace.
Includes discussion questions for individual reflection or small group study
Created To Need A Help Meet: A Marriage Guide for Men
Michael Pearl - 2011
Men hate mixed messages. Just tell us like it is (or should be) without all of the extra verbiage. That’s exactly what Mike Pearl does in eliminating the conflicting messages and getting to the meat of the matter. Discover God’s design for a man and how you can find joy doing what you were designed to do. Learn how love your wife “even as Christ also loved the church.” As always, Mike’s presentation is direct with no holds barred and he is not afraid to hurt your feelings. With his more than fifty years of Bible study he presents God’s perspective on the subject, and his more than years of marriage bears witness to its effectiveness. His wife, Debi Pearl, weighs in to add grace to Mike’s to the point writing style.