In Remaking the Godly Marriage, John Bartkowski studies evangelical Protestants and their views on marriage and gender relations and how they are lived within individual families. The author compares elite evangelical prescriptions for godly family living with the day-to-day practices in conservative Protestant households. He asks: How serious are the debates over gender and the family that are manifested within contemporary evangelicalism? What are the values that underlie this debate? Have these internecine disputes been altered by the emergence of new evangelical movements such as biblical feminism and the Promise Keepers? And given the fact that leading evangelicals advance competing visions of godly family life, how do conservative religious spouses make sense of their own family relationships and gender identities?

God has blessed Joel and Mary Beeke with a wonderful marriage. God has also given them the opportunity to counsel many people in troubled marriages as well as to provide premarital counseling to scores of engaged couples. In this booklet, the Beekes share ten principles they emphasize in their counseling. Perhaps you and your spouse are due for a checkup in your relationship. If so, carefully consider the important marks of a God-glorifying marriage found in this booklet. Strive to put these things into practice, and your marriage will be better for it! Table of Contents: 1. Building on the Word of God 2. Cultivating Spiritual Fellowship 3. Praying Together 4. Practicing Family Worship 5. Loving Your Spouse 6. Developing Good Communication Skills 7. Complimenting Your Spouse 8. Cultivating Physical Intimacy 9. Developing Friendship and Common Interests 10. Developing Togetherness in Parenting Series Description D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said that what the church needs to do most all is “to begin herself to live the Christian life. If she did that, men and women would be crowding into our buildings. They would say, ‘What is the secret of this?’” As Christians, one of our greatest needs is for the Spirit of God to cultivate biblical godliness in us in order to put the beauty of Christ on display through us, all to the glory of the triune God. With this goal in mind, this series of booklets treats matters vital to Christian experience at a basic level. Each booklet addresses a specific question in order to inform the mind, warm the affections, and transform the whole person by the Spirit’s grace, so that the church may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

The Puritans believed that godly marriages were foundational for the future life of families, churches, and nations. Therefore, they wrote prolifically on the subject of marriage, seeking to bring biblical reformation to this subject in a comprehensive way. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other previous Reformers had begun this task, but the Puritans took it much further, writing a number of detailed treatises on how to live as godly spouses. Out of the wealth of material available to us from the seventeenth century, Joel R. Beeke and James A. La Belle have gathered together insights from the past and summarized them in a contemporary form in order to encourage modern day coupled to glorify God in marriage. Table of Contents: 1.The Institution and Honor of Marriage 2. The Purposes and Benefits of Marriage 3. Securing a Good Entrance into Marriage 4. Preserving the Honor of Marriage 5. The Mutual Duties of Love and Chastity 6. The Mutual Duties of Help and Peace 7. The Wife's Duties in Marriage 8. The Husband's Duty of Love 9. The Husband's Duty of Authority 10.Concluding Counsel Appendix: George Swinnock's Prayers for Husbands and Wives

Around fifty percent of marriages end in divorce and of those who stay married, a large number are unhappy. "Happily ever after" seems to be something only reserved for fairy tales. Even the disciples, when considering the difficulties of marriage, replied, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry" (Matt 19:10). Certainly, this is not what God had in mind when he created marriage (Gen 2:24). How are married couples supposed to experience the abundant life that God originally meant for them? In 1 Peter 3:1-7, Peter speaks to husbands and wives about the characteristics of a godly marriage and God's expectation for each in the union. Through this, we learn God's perfect plan for married couples. Let consider it together with the Bible Teacher's Guide: "Expositional, theological, and candidly practical! I highly recommend The Bible Teacher's Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God's Word." -Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University "I can't imagine any student of Scripture not benefiting by this work." -Steven J. Cole, Pastor, Flagstaff Christian Fellowship, Author of the Riches from the Word series

"For Better or Worse" may not always be your reality. There will be days when you may want to throw in the towel and walk away from it all. You are encouraged NEVER to QUIT! God has a specific plan for the marital union, and it doesn't involve separateness. The enemy of our soul-Satan-has a plan, too: To destroy what God designed. On the pages of this accompanying workbook to Jonathan and Tonya's book, "For Better or Worse," you will find inspiration and thought-provoking questions that can be used individually, as a couple, and in group sessions. You are further persuaded to spend time not only doing self-reflection but also setting aside time to discuss each aspect of the practical tips provided within with your spouse. Enjoy the journey as you work your way through this workbook! Put and keep the enemy underfoot and let him know that YOU know what the Word of God says: "What, therefore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." Mark 10:9, KJV

Through a probing investigation of conservative Christianity and its response to an issue that, according to the statistics of conservative Christian groups, affects only a small number of Americans, Ludger Viefhues-Bailey alights on a profound theological conundrum: in today's conservative Christian movement, both sexes are called upon to be at once assertive and submissive, masculine and feminine, not only within the home but also within the church, society, and the state. Therefore the arguments of conservative Christians against same-sex marriage involve more than literal readings of the Bible or nostalgia for simple gender roles. Focusing primarily on texts produced by Focus on the Family, a leading media and ministry organization informing conservative Christian culture, Viefhues-Bailey identifies two distinct ideas of male homosexuality: gender-disturbed and passive; and oversexed, strongly masculine, and aggressive. These homosexualities enable a complex ideal of Christian masculinity in which men are encouraged to be assertive toward the world while also being submissive toward God and family. This web of sexual contradiction influences the flow of power between the sexes and within the state. It joins notions of sexual equality to claims of "natural" difference, establishing a fraught basis for respectable romantic marriage. Heterosexual union is then treated as emblematic of, if not essential to, the success of American political life--yet far from creating gender stability, these tensions produce an endless striving for balance. Viefhues-Bailey's final, brilliant move is to connect the desire for stability to the conservative Christian movement's strategies of political power.

Whether you are about to get married, been married for years or hope someday to get married, this book can help you build a marriage that is solid and sure. Within these pages are seven simple steps that will help your marriage grow stronger based on the marriage that God wants you to have. Biblically based, 7 Steps to a Godly Marriage provides relevant scripture that will help couples navigate the sometimes joyful, sometimes frustrating, path of the marital relationship. Learn how the enemy wants nothing more than to destroy your union and what God wants from it. Find out how selfishness can sneak in and drive a wedge between you and your partner before either of you realize what it is. Discover the blessings that God bestows upon couples who commit to keep Him at the center of their marriage. This book will help you build a strong, Christian marriage or help repair a broken one. It can be used as a Bible study, great for groups as well as couples. There are "Reflection" sections at the end of each chapter, allowing you to apply the teachings of Christ to your own marriage. A Godly marriage honors God and benefits husband, wife and children. Build your marriage on the Rock, on Jesus Christ. These 7 steps will make your marriage more resilient and enduring. Find out what God has to say about how you can make your marriage last a lifetime.

What if God designed marriage to make you holy instead of happy? What if your relationship isn't as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God? In Sacred Marriage, bestselling author Gary Thomas uncovers the ways that your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God and with each other. Join over one million others who have already uncovered Thomas's tips for fostering a sacred marriage. Within the pages of Sacred Marriage, Thomas invites you to see how God can use your relationship with your spouse as a discipline and a motivation to love God more and reflect more of the character of his Son. In addition to life-changing insights from Scripture, church history, and time-tested wisdom from Christian classics, you'll find practical advice and techniques to make your marriage happier by becoming holier husbands and wives. In Sacred Marriage, Thomas will give you all of the tools you need to: Turn marital struggles into spiritual and personal appreciation Love your spouse with a stronger sense of purpose Confront your weaknesses and sin in order to grow your relationship with God and with your spouse Partner in the spiritual growth and character formation of your spouse Transform a tired marriage into a relationship filled with awe and respect Thomas reveals that sacred marriages teach us to love God and others well by fostering a healthy sex life, a strong prayer life, and a rich spiritual life. God uses our marriages to help us grow in character, in prayer, in worship, and in service--we just have to recognize that the purpose of marriage is holiness, not happiness. Each copy also includes thought-provoking discussion questions designed to spark conversation between couples and small groups, allowing you to dive deeper into the lessons that Thomas shares in Sacred Marriage. Join the one million others who have already started on their journey to transforming their relationship with their spouses and with their Creator.

What do you do when "For Better or Worse" seems like a distant memory? How do you recapture the love you once had when quitting on your marriage appears to be the best option? At some point in every marriage, "happily ever after" will look very different from what you hoped for and expected it to be. The 'for better or worse' vow you made will, at times, be a perplexing experience with curveballs and unexpected challenges. Living through different seasons in the marriage will undoubtedly result in a struggle between faith and feelings, where feelings will always contradict God's plan for the marital union. Jonathan and Tonya know all too well the realities of rainy seasons in the marriage and the temptations that can lure you away from the marital commitment. With over 20 years of marriage to their credit, their union has endured a host of trials and strongholds that Satan presented-all with the purpose to distract them and divert their attention away from having a peaceful marriage. Today, they are VICTORIOUS and transparently share with you keys to sustain a healthy, long-lasting union. "For Better or Worse" provides ten practical tips-supported by Biblical references-and a call-to-action that preserves the sanctity of marriage. The tips provided are sure to evoke a deeper commitment to surviving unpleasant seasons and help to sustain your wedding vows.

How's your marriage?Often, once the honeymoon is over, a marriage slowly becomes lukewarm. Each spouse gradually begins to take the other for granted. Days turn into months, and months turn into years. What began as a close and intimate relationship disintegrates. Often two people are simply living under the same roof-sharing a bed, bathroom, and a closet-physically in the same home, yet miles apart emotionally. Sometimes when our marriage wanes, it feels like at any time it could collapse?or has collapsed. If you find yourself in this place, this study is for you. There is hope. If your marriage is "great," then this study is also for you. We all need encouragement. Our world needs Godly marriages, so join seasoned marriage educators Byron and Carla Weathersbee along with Amy Castellow in a 9-session Bible study designed for small groups to create conversations centered around God's call to selflessness, acceptance, perseverance, and intimacy.This study will help you love like never before as you establish healthy rhythms in your marriage.