Customer Reviews

Going All the Way: Preparing for a Marriage That Goes the Distance

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I'm from an older generation, so the title really caught my attention. A book about what? Actually the book is not just about sex, although Craig Groeschel says a lot about it, all of it good. It's about finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. He presents a lot of excellent advice without being preachy or stuffy, like taking it slow, getting acquainted, taking time to really know each other He has a fresh engaging way of addressing a topic that will have the reader laughing while getting the message. This is his third book, and let me tell you, the man can write. Should be mandatory reading for every teenager. Highly recommended.

This past month, Going All The Way: preparing for a marriage that goes the distance, finally made it off the shelf and into the "read me" pile. Stefani and I got this book as a gift and agreed to blog about it - then life went a little crazy. But, it made it off and was worth the read.If you are looking to date, are dating, are thinking about marriage, or are in the midst of making wedding plans - I recommend you read this book. Also, if you work in pre-marital counseling or with young married couples - read this book.

Craig Groeschel, founder and pastor of LifeChurch.tv, doesn't share research data or psychological principles for building strong marriages. Instead, his approach for fostering committed, long-lasting marriages come through his real life experiences - full of messy relationships, and a journey that led him to meet his "One" - entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Through self study he learned the importance of developing a relationship with his "One" first, then working to find his "Two".

This August, Stefani and I will be married 13 years. Some of you are probably thinking, "this isn't exactly the time to be reading a book preparing you for marriage." Truthfully, it was refreshing to read this book - seeing in print many of the "habits" (chp.14), we have put into practice throughout our relationship. It was also a great reminder that passion and pursuit doesn't stop once you get married - passion and pursuit are a vital part of the marriage covenant that "goes all the way."

Thanks to Craig Groeschel for writing this book from his life story - challenging us to live differently than what society calls "normal"

Fantastic book! Read it in 2 days, couldn't put it down! Craig does an amazing job of guiding anyone (single, dating, engaged, or married) down the path to a God-centered relationship that goes "all the way" in every way. It's down-to-earth, honest, funny, challenging and founded in Biblical truths. If you've read books like 'Boy Meets Girl' you'll be delighted by what Craig has to share. A must read!

This book is a must buy for any single or dating couple. Going all the Way addresses so many topics in relationships with a foundation of Christ. Craig is able to deliver insight on how to prepare yourself for a marriage that lasts and enjoy your single life with Christ as the center. I am thrilled to be able to hand out a book with such great Godly tools, my gift for all my single and dating friends.

At our last youth event on of my 8th graders broke his nose while we were playing in a youth touch football tournament away from home. After a few minutes the bleeding stopped and he seemed a bit confused so we called the parimedics just in case there was a concussion and to make sure his nose wasn't broken to badly. We'll the ambulance arrived and I hopped in (leaving the rest of our football team in the care of our great volunteers) and was asked to sit up front. I got in the driver asked if I wanted to put on the head set so we could talk and he asked the usual questions. What happened? What were you guys doing? Who are you with? As I explained who we are, what we were doing and what happened he told me his youth group never did anything like that but just went to summer camp. Now just a few days before I had sat in on a workshop about conversational evangelism and I decided to ask the question, "so do you attend church now?" and he said yes then said that we were on the main channel and everyone could hear our conversation. So thinking it was over and not wanted to push it I dropped the conversation and waited for a minute to see what we could talk about next when he brought it back up again. He began to tell me about the way the church he grew up in treated his mom after she divorced his father and how they continued to attend on and off for a while. Eventually his mom started attending a big church in the area and he and his wife started to go but but for awhile they were sporadic in attendance. And right after that he said the most profound statement a non committed Christian can say about God and marriage. He told me that for a while his marriage had been on the rocks and how since they have been attending regularly his marriage has been getting better and I could tell that meant a lot to him.

All of us want better marriages and stronger marriages but most people have a hard time figuring out what it takes to get there. Craig Groechels's book brings the answer back into focus by realigning our number 1 and our number 2 and then pieces begin to fall into place behind them. With the business of life we allow all kinds of things to become our number 1, sometimes its our spouse, or our jobs, a lot of people put that focus on the children and a good number of us put it in places it totally doesn't belong (ie. hobbies, friends, affairs) never realizing that for the relationship of marriage to work our number 1 has to be God, completely focused on Him and making sure that our relationship with Him is strong (by daily connecting with Him prayer and listening to Him through His word, commitment to His church and living our life every minute relying on Him to direct us) and then rightfully place our spouse as number 2 and make sure that we are strong in that relationship as well (taking time to talk, dating your spouse, praying together) and these practices build a strong marriage and it cannot happen any other way.

Going All The Way is great book that is easy to read, full of life stories that make it real, and Craig is funny and honest never ducking from tell us how he has messed up and how he has worked to make his marriage strong. I've already given a copy as a wedding gift (to my sister) and know of at least two more friends that I want to send it to as well. As a guy who has made mistakes in his marriage and at times placed the focus of my number 1 on other things than God and my wife I have been really encouraged and after reading this book we are working to realign our focus as a couple on God first and then each other.

As I we kept driving to the hospital that afternoon and the Fireman/ EMT told me that, I responded by saying that I wish more couple realized that God is the answer to our marriage problems. Focusing on God is the only way to have and maintain a health marriage.

Craig speaks in this book just as he speaks every weekend; from the heart with sincerity, love and lots of laughter. Believe me, you CAN take Craig seriously in spite of his Napoleon Dynamite references!
I highly recommend this book for those dating, engaged and even those married 50+ years. There is plenty of scriptural reference to use this as a couples study guide. Definately a must have for your library.

This book is absolutely amazing for anyone - not just people that are about to get married. Craig Groeschel gives practical, basic advice on how to prepare for and maintain a marriage that will be the most rewarding relationship in your life. This book is a must-read for anyone that wants a marriage that "goes all the way!"

Don't think this book is just for those fixing to be married! Every marriage could and should feed off this book. So many couples spend so much time and money on their wedding, yet tend to neglect their marriage. Marriages are harder than ever these days and this book gives information that can clearly be used to keep a Godly marriage healthy. Craig is a 21st century Prophet for God in today's world and he continues to inspire everyday people to turn to God for all their needs. His strait up tell it like it is attitude leaves little for interpretation. If you think this book is great, you really should sit down in front of your computer and plug in for his message!

I gave this book to my best friend at his wedding. I can't think of a better gift for someone you care about on the advent of their wedding than a book that helps them remember to make Christ a member of the family. A marriage is a lifelong experience that can only be made better with the recognition of the proper influence of God during the day to day decision making processes of a marriage. At least that is my opinion.

In Keeping with my read one book at a time. I finished the Shack and then Promptly finished up Going All The Way, by Craig Groeschel (Lead Pastor of LifeChurch.tv).

I've had this book for some time, and I had started it before the new year, and so that's why I was able to finish it so Closely to The Shack.

Going All The Way is a well written look at relationships and priorities. And I liked the title so much that I am going to Use it for a series that we are launching this week. (Full Disclosure is a good thing.) It starts at looking at what truly is important as people prepare for marriage, and then progresses to finding the right person, setting the right priorites, commited to each other, true intimacy with your spouse, and a lifelong covenant.

Great book. Having heard Craig's sermons before he writes just like he preaches, so the book goes quickly, and really gets to the point. I never felt like he was drawing out the point for no good reason. There are a lot of things that are applicable to Middle School and High School students.

Having been a 12 year old boy before, I wish I would have had a resource like this to help me set my priorities better. Growing up I was told that sex is bad, girls are danger and don't do anything stupid. But somehow I missed, or it wasn't really presented, that our relationship with God should be our top Priority. It wasn't until my Senior Year in High School that I was convinced of this point.

So Youth Pastors, College Pastors, Singles Pastors, Pastors Pastors, I would recommend you pick up this book.