|
|
Christian Wedding and Marriage Books
A God's Knot recommended reading list
Marriage is much more than a wedding day of celebration. It's a lifelong commitment. In preparation for your life as a married person, we recommend the following resources on the topic. Take some time to prepare yourself for what God has in store for you after the wedding!
 |
| A Marriage After God's Own Heart - David Clarke |
| Isn't sexual - or emotional - intimacy enough? "No," says Christian psychologist Dr. David Clarke. "Spiritual bonding is the process by which a couple cultivates the presence of God in their relationship," he says, "and it's the only 'glue' that sustains relationships long-term." Working with hundreds of couples, Clarke observes that when we take specific steps to keep God at the center of our relationship, every area of intimacy is energized. This book teaches men and women in a committed relationship how to pray together, create "spiritual conversations," read and study Scripture together, hold private worship sessions and allow the Holy Spirit to guide. It's extremely practical counsel all couples need today. |
|
|
 |
| Boundaries in Marriage - Dr. Henry Cloud, Dr. John Townsend |
| They're at the forefront of today's Christian counseling movement, and now Drs. Cloud and Townsend help guide couples. Recommending boundaries even in marriage, they show how respecting a spouse's personal "territory" actually strengthens a relationship, how to safeguard marriage from intruders such as idols, affairs, and well-meaning parents. |
|
|
 |
| Christ Centered Marriage - Niel Anderson |
| The Christ-Centered Marriage goes to the heart of your relationship with your spouse and with God, allowing you to draw upon God's promises to break free from old habits and patterns. This is a step-by-step process to break the enemy's grip and establish Christ at the center of your marriage. |
|
|
 |
| Different by Design: God's Master Plan for Harmony Between Men and Women in Marriage - H. Dale Burke |
| The fact is: men and women are different-by the Creator's ingenious design. These differences involve the way we think, feel, and process information. They involve the way we love and are loved. And they have a direct impact on our closest relationships-our marriages. Burke's counsel, unlike that found on talk shows or radio call-in programs, is based on the owner's manual the Master Designer prepared for us-the Bible. With new discussion questions included in the back, this edition is ideal for couples or study groups who want to delve deeper into the truths inside its pages. Whether you're engaged, newlywed, married with children or passing advice along to your grandkids, this book will help you build healthier, stronger relationships by making the most of the things the sexes hold least in common and applauding those points of greatest difference. |
|
|
 |
| Each for the Other - Bryan Chapell |
| Each for the Other offers hope and invaluable instruction for married and engaged couples and for counselors and pastors who desire to promote healthy, grace-filled families. Bryan Chapell illustrates clearly how offering Christ's unconditional love to a mate can transform an individual and build a spiritual foundations that binds partners together as one. |
|
|
 |
| Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman |
| We all know that the greatest commandment is to love. However, relatively few of us know how to express our love in the heart language of our family and friends. Fortunately, in The Five Love Languages Gary Chapman identifies the five primary love languages and teaches us how to use these languages to express our love. Although this edition of The Five Love Languages was written specifically for couples, the basic principles Chapman explores will apply to all relationships. |
|
|
 |
| Good News About Sex and Marriage - Christopher West |
| The author, a diocesan director of marriage and family life, answers the questions about human sexuality and marriage that he always encounters in the numerous adult audiences he addresses. He provides thoughtful responses that present Catholic Church teaching in a fresh, thoroughly appealing and convincing manner. |
|
|
 |
| Intimate Allies - Dan Allender and Tremper Longman |
| Hailed by J.I. Packer as "something of a landmark," this well crafted book removes the blinders to honestly and senstively probe the state of marriage today. Through case studies and examination of God's Word, the authors seek answers to your questions concerning roles within marriage, intimacy of body and soul, working together and more. |
|
|
 |
| Inviting God to Your Wedding - Martha Williamson |
| Planning a wedding is more than just getting ready for an event. It's preparing for a miracle! Sharing her own experiences as a bride, Touched by an Angel producer Williamson offers commonsense advice on every detail of wedding preparations---from showers to ceremony---and helps couples create a 3-way partnership with God from the start. |
|
|
 |
| Men and Women: Enjoying the Difference - Larry Crabb |
| Marriage isn't difficult because you don't know who you are, says Crabb. It's difficult because you don't know who your partner is---and you don't care. ''Entirely reasonable'' selfcenteredness by both partners must be replaced by repentance that leads to other-centeredness. Underscoring the biblical meanings of masculinity and femininity, Crabb points out crucial differences between male other-centeredness and female other-centeredness. And he emerges with a provocative new understanding of how men and women, married and single, can build satisfying relationships. Softcover from Zondervan. |
|
|
 |
| The Complete Book of Christian Wedding Vows - H. Norman Wright |
| You want your wedding to reflect who you are-your unique hopes, dreams, and beliefs. So why use standard rituals? Wright shows you how to compose your own vows, involve your guests, make sure your ceremoney is a faith testimony and more. Includes sample vows, prayers, Scriptures and practical tips for making your wedding truly meaningful. |
|
|
 |
| The Contraception Guidebook: Options, Risks, and Answers for Christian Couples - William Cutrer, M.D. & Sandra Glahn, Th.M. |
| This thorough, engagingly written guidebook equips Christian couples to make fully informed decisions about the deeply personal questions of contraception. Written in a conversational, first-person style, the book provides couples solid medical information on every option, old and new, with success rates and risk factors. The authors explore the multiple sides of spiritual and ethical considerations surrounding contraception. Using key biblical passages, they reveal how the Bible can guide us by giving solid underlying principles. Written by a male ob-gyn physician/theologian and a female journalist/theologian, The Contraception Guidebook is packed with scenarios and dilemmas of real-life couples, with questions for discussion at the end of each chapter to help Christian couples sort through their options. |
|
|
 |
| The Groom's Guide - Sharon Naylor |
| Not sure how to help your future bride plan the wedding? Learn creative ways to announce your wedding, write your own wedding vows, dressing the part from head to toe and so much more to make this day the perfect one. |
|
|
 |
| The Marriage Builder - Larry Crabb |
| Find out what over 200,000 couples are already know: you can build a better marriage. And now one of the best books on marriage is better than ever. Crabb's classic manual now includes an all new 2-page discussion guide for Bible study groups, Sunday school classes, or couples to use with or without a counselor. Every couple can benefit from Crabb's expert guidance even if one spouse is uncooperative. |
|
|
 |
| The Marriage You've Always Wanted - Gary Chapman |
| Here's the book that inspired Dr. Chapman's bestseller The Five Love Languages. Originally published as Toward a Growing Marriage, this new edition features fresh insights, up-to-date anecdotes, powerful case studies, and compassionate guidance on improving communication, rekindling love, and avoiding financial bondage. End-of-chapter assignments encourage personal growth. An important resource for counselors and pastors. 192 pages, softcover from Moody. |
|
|
 |
| Traits of A Lasting Marriage - Jim Conway, Sally Conway |
| Respected counselors Jim and Sally Conway identify 10 key traits of marriages that survive and thrive. Based on the Conway's more than 35 years of marriage counseling and a survey of 186 couples. The ten traits inclued: lifelong commitment, mutally satisfying communication, spiritual vitality, effective conflict resolution, energy from friends, sexual intimacy, time to laugh and play, realistic expectations, serving each other and continued growth. |
|
|
|