The Masterpiece Marriage

A Transformational Picture of Marriage God created marriage as a beautiful work of art that reflects his glory to the world. But our culture has undervalued and misunderstood it, causing it to lose some of its luster. Like recent restoration projects on the Sistine Chapel and the Mona Lisa, it is time to return marriage to its former glory, and the only way to do that is to take a closer look at what the artist had in mind all along. In this newly revised and expanded book, Al Janssen takes a fresh look at the exquisite design God has for marriage and brings to light the reasons this union was intended to last a lifetime. The chapters weave real-life stories with great teaching and biblical narratives in order to paint a complete picture of all that marriage can be. Readers will examine elements such as passion, adventure, and commitment that come together to make up the colors of God's design. They will also discover new ways to reflect God's love within marriage--revealing his plan for men and women from the moment he created us.

Is Your Marriage as Dynamic and Exciting as it Could Be? Remember how you felt on your wedding day? As newlyweds? God wants your life together to become more exciting as time goes on. In The Surprising Marriage, discover the joys of a faith journey together, learn how to pass on to your children the legacy of a Christ-centered marriage, find ways to celebrate your differences--rather than fighting against each other, and realize how a marriage filled with life and love reflects God's glory. This study contains four sessions, each with four main components: Tilling the Ground Planting the Seed Watering the Hope Harvesting the Fruit Your marriage was designed to flourish as it ages. As you seek God's will together, you will find that you can have a relationship . . . filled with life! "We often hear that the institution of marriage is suffering. But there is good news, too! By submitting their relationships to God and seeking out the right resources, married couples can know what it means to truly thrive. That's what Focus on the Family's Marriage Series is all about. Whether you're in a small group, a mentoring relationship, or you just want to study as a couple, this series can transform your marriage for the better."--Jim Daly, President, Focus on the Family "Marriage is an amazing adventure--filled with excitement, joy, and challenges. Focus on the Family's Marriage Series examines God's gift of marriage in all of its wonderful dimensions. I consider it a privilege to be involved with this important set of relationship-strengthening resources."--Dr. Greg Smalley, Vice President, Family Ministries, Focus on the Family

Has the Concept of Marriage Lost its Essence? Was marriage designed for happiness and self-fulfillment? Or did God have a grander plan in mind when He created marriage? In The Masterpiece Marriage, discover God's primary purpose for marriage, find out why a healthy marriage is known as a "divine triangle," learn how to live your married life as a great adventure, and guard against the sin that mars your relationship with God--and with each other. This study contains four sessions, each with four main components: Tilling the Ground Planting the Seed Watering the Hope Harvesting the Fruit With some heartfelt digging, you can discover God's infallible master plan for your marriage. "We often hear that the institution of marriage is suffering. But there is good news, too! By submitting their relationships to God and seeking out the right resources, married couples can know what it means to truly thrive. That's what Focus on the Family's Marriage Series is all about. Whether you're in a small group, a mentoring relationship, or you just want to study as a couple, this series can transform your marriage for the better."--Jim Daly, President, Focus on the Family "Marriage is an amazing adventure--filled with excitement, joy, and challenges. Focus on the Family's Marriage Series examines God's gift of marriage in all of its wonderful dimensions. I consider it a privilege to be involved with this important set of relationship-strengthening resources."--Dr. Greg Smalley, Vice President, Family Ministries, Focus on the Family

Has the Concept of Marriage Lost its Essence? Was marriage designed for happiness and self-fulfillment? Or did God have a grander plan in mind when He created marriage? In The Masterpiece Marriage, discover God's primary purpose for marriage, find out why a healthy marriage is known as a "divine triangle," learn how to live your married life as a great adventure, and guard against the sin that mars your relationship with God--and with each other. This study contains four sessions, each with four main components: Tilling the Ground Planting the Seed Watering the Hope Harvesting the Fruit With some heartfelt digging, you can discover God's infallible master plan for your marriage. "We often hear that the institution of marriage is suffering. But there is good news, too! By submitting their relationships to God and seeking out the right resources, married couples can know what it means to truly thrive. That's what Focus on the Family's Marriage Series is all about. Whether you're in a small group, a mentoring relationship, or you just want to study as a couple, this series can transform your marriage for the better."--Jim Daly, President, Focus on the Family "Marriage is an amazing adventure--filled with excitement, joy, and challenges. Focus on the Family's Marriage Series examines God's gift of marriage in all of its wonderful dimensions. I consider it a privilege to be involved with this important set of relationship-strengthening resources."--Dr. Greg Smalley, Vice President, Family Ministries, Focus on the Family

What does the "tradition of marriage" really look like? In A History of Marriage, Elizabeth Abbott paints an often surprising picture of this most public, yet most intimate, institution. Ritual of romance, or social obligation? Eternal bliss, or cult of domesticity? Abbott reveals a complex tradition that includes same-sex unions, arranged marriages, dowries, self-marriages, and child brides. Marriage—in all its loving, unloving, decadent, and impoverished manifestations—is revealed here through Abbott's infectious curiosity.

As a beautiful masterpiece is created by an artist, so it is with marriage, created and designed by the ultimate artist, God Himself. Your Marriage Masterpiece takes a fresh look at the exquisite design God has for your marriage and brings to light the reasons your union was intended to last a lifetime.

“Ben Jelloun is arguably Morocco’s greatest living author, whose impressive body of work combines intellect and imagination in magical fusion.” —The Guardian In The Happy Marriage, the internationally acclaimed Moroccan author Tahar Ben Jelloun tells the story of one couple—first from the husband’s point of view, then from the wife’s—just as legal reforms are about to change women’s rights forever. The husband, a painter in Casablanca, has been paralyzed by a stroke at the very height of his career and becomes convinced that his marriage is the sole reason for his decline. Walled up within his illness and desperate to break free of a deeply destructive relationship, he finds escape in writing a secret book about his hellish marriage. When his wife finds it, she responds point by point with her own version of the facts, offering her own striking and incisive reinterpretation of their story. Who is right and who is wrong? A thorny issue in a society where marriage remains a sacrosanct institution, but where there’s also a growing awareness of women’s rights. And in their absorbing struggle, both sides of this modern marriage find out they may not be so enlightened after all.