Maximize Your Marriage

In his witty, anecdotal style, Dr. McBath identifies twelve practical steps that will make any marriage better.

God intends for marriage to be one of the most satisfying relationships you will ever experience. Like our relationship with Christ, your relationship with your spouse should be a source of joy, peace, life, and love. But many marriages miss God's plan. The facts are that only about half the couples who go to the altar remain married -- and many of those who do not divorce find themselves in frustrating relationships full of pain and conflict. Maximizing Your Marriage is an interactive mentoring course for couples based on solid biblical principles about God's design for marriage. Ten weekly sessions provide plenty of tools that get couples headed in the right direction to experience and enjoy all God wants for them. And the course concludes with an overnight retreat which offers couples the opportunity to renew their vows. Maximizing Your Marriage is an adventure that will bring refreshment and encouragement to any marriage. It's a great investment for a healthy relationship that reflects Jesus Christ. Sessions include: * Mutual Submission To Christ * The Wonder Of God's Oneness * A Promise To Be Kept * Expectations vs. Godly Assignments * Stop -- Talk -- and Listen, Listen, Listen * In Pursuit Of Understanding * Finding A Firm Financial Foundation * The Reward Of Raising Children * Intimacy In Every Way * Fueling The Flames Of Your Marriage * The Getaway Daryl G. Donovan is currently the senior pastor of Sanibel Community Church in Sanibel, Florida. He has served in pastoral ministry for nearly three decades and been extensively involved in premarital and marriage counseling. Donovan received his D.Min. degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Other books by Donovan include Able To Stand, Men Mentoring Men, Men Mentoring Men Again, The Inheritance, and Mentoring For Marriage.

This is a book intended to assist couples in identifying what the Bible has to say about marriage. It is not intended to represent the opinions of the author, but simply to provide a structured and concise view of what the Bible has to say about marriage. Since God created marriage, He is clearly the one to know how best to live out married life to accomplish the purpose for which God created this institution. Most couples who have been exposed to this teaching have felt that their eyes were opened to Biblical truths that were previously unknown to them, or not discerned as applying to marriage. The purpose of the book is to strengthen current marriages (even mature ones) as well as better prepare young people entering into a committed relationship to help them start off on a strong and solid foundation of truth and understanding of the roles of a man and a woman in this wonderful institution ordered and blessed by God.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Over a million copies sold! “An eminently practical guide to an emotionally intelligent—and long-lasting—marriage.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work has revolutionized the way we understand, repair, and strengthen marriages. John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage. Here is the culmination of that work: the seven principles that guide couples on a path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward yet profound, these principles teach partners new approaches for resolving conflicts, creating new common ground, and achieving greater levels of intimacy. Gottman offers strategies and resources to help couples collaborate more effectively to resolve any problem, whether dealing with issues related to sex, money, religion, work, family, or anything else. Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential.

Compares the transitional cycles of marriage to those of nature, describes the attitudes and emotions of each season, and offers seven strategies that enable couples to enhance and improve their marital relationship.

With straightforward answers, practical suggestions, rich insights, and encouragement this book can help you build a solid marriage relationship.

What your marriage will become is determined by how you pray. This book empowers you to dream big, pray hard, and think long--together. Marriage is your most sacred relationship on this earth, and prayer is the single most powerful way to transform it. It's time to learn the relational truths in the legend of Honi the Circle Maker--a man bold enough to draw a circle in the sand and not leave it until God answered his impossible prayer. The commitment made in the sacred circle of marriage requires the same kind of boldness and resolve as the Circle Maker. Honi's prayer saved a generation, and your prayers can transform your relationship. Praying Circles around Your Marriage draws from the life-changing principles Mark Batterson outlines in his New York Times bestseller The Circle Maker. Joined by Pastor Joel and Nina Schmidgall who serve with Mark at National Community Church, the authors draw from personal stories, Scripture, and practical insight. You'll discover seven key prayer circles for your marriage: Vision Circle, Romance Circle, War Circle, Dance Circle, Support Circle, Storm Circle, and Legacy Circle. Through these circles you will: Discover your shared vision and find a new combined purpose together Turn the tables on conflict and access the gift of being known Be a student of your spouse and ensure a connected and intimate relationship Build a foundation for your marriage that will help you weather the trials that are sure to come Learn to draw a larger circle around your marriage so that your unified purpose can be a blessing to others Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. Praying Circles around Your Marriage will empower you and your spouse to identify your greatest dreams for the most important relationship in your life, and pray the kind of audacious prayers in which God finds delight. After all, your life together has a legacy to leave for future generations. It's time to start circling.

Maximum Marriage will help you increase the level of intimacy, love, and trust in your marriage. The book presents various tools to help you transform your marriage to reflect what God intended in His original plan: a beautiful partnership filled with love and joy and grace. This book is designed to be both instructive and, as well, a practical guidebook with four distinct, yet interconnecting, parts that will help you build intimacy, love, trust, and joy in your marriage.