Marriage Ministry

You fell in love with him. But over time you've come to realize he's in love with himself - and you feel trapped. His needs, his problems, and his plans always seem to take precedence over yours. Dr. David Hawkins, director of the Marriage Recovery Center, offers a guide to help you identify signs of narcissism, understand how your loved one's issues are affecting you, and prepare a biblical game plan for freeing yourself to live courageously in light of God's love.

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. 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.

Getting to know that special someone naturally involves learning about family and friends, education and athletics, favorite pastimes, and your hopes and dreams. Ideally, you'll talk about life's best moments and worst, the brightest places in your background and the darkest. But what about God? What is his role in your relationship? What do each of you believe about him, and how do you understand his dream for marriage-for your marriage?

Reflecting on 40 years of matrimony, John Piper exalts the biblical meaning of marriage over its emotion, exhorting couples to keep their covenant for all the best reasons. Even in the days when people commonly stayed married "'til death do us part," there has never been a generation whose view of marriage was high enough, says Pastor John Piper. That is all the more true in our casual times.

This book is based on Proverbs 31:10: "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels." Thousands of women have already discovered the worth of this volume and testify to lives and marriages changed because of a commitment to the principles presented here. If this is a commitment you have made, or want to make, The Excellent Wife answers the difficult questions facing you today.

Whether you have been married two years, 50 years, or anywhere in between, this book offers couples commonsense advice on how to keep romance alive in their relationships. To those who wonder if they can still rekindle that spark, Ziglar says, "Yes, you can!" This how-to guide to happily-ever-after combines convincing statistics, advice from experts, and humorous anecdotes from Ziglar's own experience.

Working from Scripture, well-known speaker and author Elisabeth Elliot shares her observations and experiences in a number of essays on what it means to be a Christian woman, whether single, married, or widowed.

Best-selling author, cultural commentator, and popular theologian Christopher West is one of the world's most recognized teachers of John Paul II's Theology of the Body. He specializes in making this teaching accessible to all Christians, with particular attention to evangelicals. As West explains, from beginning to end the Bible tells a story of marriage. It begins with the marriage of man and woman in an earthly paradise and ends with the marriage of Christ and the church in an eternal paradise.

Marriage is great, but it's not forever. It's until death do us part. Then come eternal rewards or regrets depending on how we spent our lives. In his latest book, Francis Chan joins together with his wife Lisa to address the question many couples wonder at the altar: "How do I have a healthy marriage?" Setting aside typical topics on marriage, Francis and Lisa dive into Scripture to understand what it means to have a relationship that satisfies the deepest parts of our souls.

When you said, “I do”, you entered marriage with high hopes, dreaming it would be supremely happy. You never intended for it to be miserable. Millions of couples are struggling in desperate marriages. But the story doesn’t have to end there. Dr. Gary Chapman writes, “I believe that in every troubled marriage, one or both partners can take positive steps that have the potential for changing the emotional climate in their marriage.”

In Kingdom Woman, Tony Evans and his daughter, Chrystal Evans Hurst, remind women of their calling from God to be free, delivered, healed, and hopeful. The authors bring insight that encourages women to correct distorted perceptions and understand who they really are in Christ - never settling for less when connected with the one who gives them hope. All believers are covered by God's covenant with Abraham.

Many of you grew up assuming that marriage would meet all of your needs and unlock God's purposes for you. But God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. Not Yet Married is not about waiting quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you "the one" but about inspiring you to live and date for more now. If you follow Jesus, the search for a spouse is no longer a pursuit of perfection but a mutually flawed pursuit of Christ.

Have a new husband by Friday? Is that even possible? Dr. Kevin Leman says it is. The New York Times best-selling author and self-help guru shows even the most frustrated wife how she can have a new husband by Friday. Leman reminds any wife that if what she's doing to get better behavior out of her husband isn't working now, it never will. So it's time for a change. That means it's time to change her own patterns of behavior.

There is a secret formula for the best sex of your life, but you won't find the recipe in the pages of a checkout-line magazine. Popular relationship expert Dr. Gary Smalley, best-selling author of The Language of Love and The Blessing, finally tackles the topic that's on everybody's mind: sex. With his pastor and good friend, Ted Cunningham, Smalley nudges past our hang-ups and sacred cows to answer the question, How can I have the best sex of my life? The answer?

Duck Dynasty stars Al and Lisa Robertson were desperate for their love to survive - and with God's help, they realized the only answer to marital and family betrayal is all-consuming, life-altering, desperate forgiveness. In their new book, they share this message with anyone who wants to exchange broken relationships for healing. The Robertsons know what they're talking about: They have lived through the pain of adultery and lack of communication in their marriage. And thanks to the healing they've experienced, they now help other couples find their own path to forgiveness.

Boasting more than one million copies of his works sold, conservative radio personality Dr. James C. Dobson squarely addresses the problem of troubled marriages. He targets infidelity, alcoholism, spousal abuse, and emotional distance as the primary causes of divorce. Dobson also chooses to denounce homosexuality as an abomination. With his groundbreaking theory of "loving toughness", he offers a path toward solving marital problems, building family values, and rekindling lost romance.

A truly fulfilling marriage involves two people focusing on each other's needs rather than their own. Lysa TerKeurst, president of The Proverbs 31 Ministry, has written a practical guide for all spouses that will open their eyes to the needs, desires, and longings of the others. She offers eight essential criteria for capturing the heart of your spouse, with creative tips on how to accomplish them.

You can't put it into words, but something is happening to you. Your stomach churns, your heart aches, and the tension in your marriage is making you feel weary and a little crazy. The constant criticism, disrespect, cruelty, deceit, and gross indifference are eroding your confidence and breaking your spirit. For any woman caught in an emotionally destructive marriage, Leslie Vernick offers a personalized path forward.

Have you ever thought about praying for your future husband? Will it make a difference? There's only one way to find out . . . From when we were small girls, most of us dream of "The One" - our future husband. We think about what it would be like to be a bride. We wonder who that special guy is and when we'll find him. The great news is that what you do now can make a difference in your life and the life of your future husband! Authors and good friends Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer believe God answers women's prayers for husbands.

It isn't easy being a guy today. Maybe it never has been easy, but today the challenges to guys who want to be holy, who want to honor God with their minds and bodies, seem tougher than ever. You live at a time and in a culture that seems given over to sex. Perhaps you have only just begun looking at pornography or perhaps you've been doing so for many years. No matter your situation, this short guide will help you to discover God's plan for sex and sexuality.