Customer Reviews

Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage To Make Us Holy More Than To Make Us Happy?

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Sacred Marriage was awesome to say the least. The thing I liked the most is the constant reminder that we are not in our marriage to focus on self and that the tough things we deal with serve to make us a better person. I've talked to many people who have seen several marraige series and I'm in another one with my wife right now. Most others teach things to do to help your marriage as if you are both already on board and know why you should be following a certain set of steps. What Sacred Marriage does is give you more of the foundation of why you should be doing these things. It deals much more with foundation of marriage and the attitude you should have in a marriage. I can honestly say that Sacred Marriage helped me change a lot of my thoughts about my wife and my marriage. This isn't just for those torn apart but for those who want to keep on the right track as well. I gave this set as part of a wedding gift to a friend not long after my wife and I watched it. Great stuff.

Gary is easy to watch & engages even the viewer who isn't sure they want to delve into marriage issues. He balances the point of view between women & men beautifully so that neither spouse feels beat up by the content or overwhelmed with information. We did the book along with the video & used study guide too in a small group setting. I have to say the video or video plus guide are all that is needed. The book was not nearly as well done as the video--it was more like reading a presentation. The book was too wordy and did not correlate well with the video. We liked the video so much we've purchased it as a gift for others. This is a great way to energize your marriage *plus* you don't have to get babysitting to go to an all day seminar!!

I'm a biblical counselor and I'm always on the hunt for marriage materials. This is one of the two most biblically sound books I've come across in many years - the other being Reforming Marriage by Doug Wilson. Gary Thomas points couples in the direction they should be looking - at their own personal relationship with God and then how to view their marriage in the context of their walk towards increasing sanctification. Excellent, very readable, very balanced. This is not a condemning book, but it's a very convicting book. The DVD series is excellent as well - approx 25-minute sessions makes it perfect for counseling, Sunday School or a small-group. Accompanying participant's guide has excellent practical "homework" for couples and discussion topics.

We viewed this as an adult Christian Sunday School study, and did the participant guide questions during the week. Everyone in the class was married and after the 6 weeks most agreed that this would be terrific to use for premarital counseling, for mentoring engaged couples, or to study at almost any stage of marriage.

I think it's refreshing to look at the marriage you are building together, not just "WHAT ABOUT ME????" or each person as solely an individual. When you consider/reconsider what God has in mind for your marriage you see other dimensions and possibilities for your life, your spouse, and your marriage.

Very refreshing series and highly recommended!

I've read The 5 Love Languages, Love and Respect, and participated in a couple of marriage seminars, and this book is simply the best book I've ever read on readying a couple for what lies ahead in marriage and what will be required of each of us. It should be required reading in pre-marriage counseling! 5 STARS PLUS!

Truly an earth shattering book for me. I would recomend everyone read this book. My kids will read it before they get married.

Gary Thomas gets it right every time. God didn't intend marriage to make us happy, but rather to refine us to look more and more like his son, Jesus. I definitely recommend all of his Sacred .... books.

Gary Thomas approaches the matter of marriage from the right perspective. Before we can talk about marriage skills, we must first talk about the foundational issue of marriage's purpose. Gary's guiding question, "What if God designed marriage not so much to make you happy, but to make you holy?" sets the tone for the entire series. I am a pastor of a church that used this resource in a weekly marriage class attended by 100 adults and the overwhelming response was enthusiastic. I recommend it highly.

Gary Thomas delves right into foundational premises that marriage reflects a paralell with our relationship with Jesus. In addition he outlines somewhat unspoken issues spouses sometime leave unspoken. With a candid no non-sense wisdom, Gary explores and stimulates communication for an enhanced relationship with each other as well as a closer relation with our Lord. Read this book, pass it on and encourage members in your church to guide small groups to building better relationships.

This book is great. It has helped me and others to see that marriage is not just about being happy, but choosing to love someone and stay committed even in the hard times. Many of us believe that a person is supposed to make us happy. Happiness is a CHOICE. You choose to be happy. If you are not happy, then that means that there is something missing from your life (Generally a personal relationship with Jesus Christ) and you are looking for someone or something to fill the void that ONLY GOD can fill. This book was certainly eye opening.