If you’ve been married for more than a month, you know marriage is amazing and wonderful, but it’s also hard work. It takes more than strong feelings; marriage takes intentionality, effort, sacrifice, and commitment to make it last. And just because you’re both Christians does not make marriage any easier. Christian marriages are particularly vulnerable to the Devil’s schemes — he would love nothing more than to see two people who are united in Christ become divided and broken.
It’s both easier and harder than ever to find good resources to help your Christian marriage thrive. It’s easier than ever, because we have so much great information at the tips of our fingers. But it’s also harder than ever, because there are a lot of voices out there telling us what to do and what to believe, and it can be hard to know which of those to trust.
That’s why we’ve created this Christian Marriage Resource Guide. In this guide you’ll find 25 trusted, highly recommended books, podcasts, blogs, conferences and workbooks that are packed full of wisdom, tips, insights and hopeful encouragement to strengthen your marriage. These are expert voices who have taken all of their wisdom and shared it with us so that we can reap the benefits of their hard work.
Yes, marriage is hard, but it’s also possible to make your marriage last. It’s possible to bear good fruit and find more joy than you thought possible in your marriage. We hope that these resources will help guide you and your spouse into greater intimacy, trust and love as you live out your calling to love one another all the days of your life.
Editor’s Note: We have not been asked or paid to endorse any of these authors, blogs, ministries or books, and none of the links provided are affiliate links or make us money. We simply love these resources and want you to know about them.
Our Top 5 Favorite Christian Marriage Books
“Most couples come into marriage with BIG expectations. How can we be happily married to one person for our entire lifetime? How do we resolve conflict? How do continue to develop intimacy in our marriage? Full of practical advice and personal inventories, this best selling book by Nicky and Sila Lee is easy to read and a real source for building a healthy marriage!”
“Modern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that your spouse is there to help you realize your potential. But these modern-day assumptions are wrong. Timothy Keller, with insights from Kathy, his wife of thirty-seven years, shows marriage to be a glorious relationship that is also misunderstood and mysterious.”
“Only when a husband and wife know and respect each other's needs, choices, and freedom can they give themselves freely and lovingly to one another. Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, counselors and authors of the award-winning bestseller Boundaries, help husbands and wives understand the friction points or serious hurts and betrayals in their marriage—and move beyond them to the mutual care, respect, affirmation, and intimacy they both long for.”
“A wife has one driving need―to feel loved. When that need is met, she is happy. A husband has one driving need―to feel respected. When that need is met, he is happy. When either of these needs isn’t met, things get crazy. Love and Respect reveals why spouses react negatively to each other, and how they can deal with such conflict quickly, easily, and biblically.”
“What if God’s primary intent for your marriage isn’t to make you happy . . . but holy? Sacred Marriage doesn't just offer techniques to make a marriage happier. It does contain practical tools, but what married Christians most need is help in becoming holier husbands and wives. Sacred Marriage offers that help with insights from Scripture, church history, time tested wisdom from Christian classics, and examples from today's marriages.”
Our Top 5 Favorite Christian Marriage Blogs:
1. Beating 50 Percent: “Beating 50 Percent is about building better than average marriages, and giving more than 50% to your spouse. Let’s be compelled to give more, serve more, learn more, play more, seek more, and love more, always more, as we share stories and insights from married couples around the world. Join the conversation by commenting on posts or responding on our feeds!”
Our favorite Post: What Do All Healthy Marriages Have In Common – Boundaries
2. Married and Young: “It is our mission to see Married and Young increase the marriage rate and decrease the divorce rate in the World by helping singles, courting, engaged, and newly married couples establish a solid foundation for a successful Godly marriage! We believe strongly in order to have a healthy marriage, Christ must be in the center of it. Married and Young is reaching over 30,000 singles and couples monthly with the message of having a thriving Christ Centered marriage.”
Our favorite post: 3 Priorities to Build the Best Marriage Ever
3. Unveiled Wife: “Unveiled Wife launched in March of 2011. I first began this blog to share with other wives the struggles and the healing I encountered in my first few years of marriage. I believe that if you want a thriving marriage, you must be intentional about it… My passion motivating every post is to encourage other women in their role as a wife, focusing on the foundational principles about marriage revealed throughout the Bible.”
Our favorite post: Does it Hurt Your Marriage to Go to Bed Angry?
4. Fierce Marriage: “We started this blog to help us process through marriage’s trials as well as celebrate it’s joys. We are in our 11th year of marriage and we’ve learned a ton about what works and what doesn’t. We hope that as we share openly it will help you grow and cultivate a truly Christ-centered marriage… Everything we write here stems from our core values. In short, our relationship with Jesus Christ and our faith in Him governs everything we write. We wouldn’t be married if it wasn’t for the grace of Jesus and the power of God in our lives. We literally owe Him everything. You can expect us to post 1-2 times per week on various marriage topics like communication, priorities, love, sex, and accountability. Everything we share is from our experiences, reading, and advice given to us by others.”
Our favorite post: 3 Ground Rules for Experiencing Real Honesty with Your Spouse
5. Marriage365: “Millions of couples are trying to figure out this thing called marriage so we decided to do something about it. With our unique perspective as a husband and wife team, we started to rethink how to communicate the timeless truths about marriage in a way that connects with the issues that the modern couple goes through.”
Our favorite post: The Importance of Being Honest in Marriage
Our Top 5 Favorite Marriage Podcasts:
Our Top 5 Favorite Marriage Conferences:
1. RefineUs: “We bring a 6-session marriage conference to your church on a Friday evening and half day Saturday. We share our story as a spring board to help couples choose the path to the marriage God has in mind. We cover topics such as: Intimacy, Truth-telling, Conflict resolution, Sexual intimacy, Forgiveness and Resentment, Living Intentionally.”
2. Family Life’s A Weekend to Remember: “Where is your marriage today? Is it drifting towards isolation or intentionally moving toward oneness? You know what “oneness” feels like — conflicts resolve quickly, adventures happen together, and sex is on point. It’s great. But great marriages don’t just happen. Greatness takes investment. And isn’t that why you walked down the aisle – because you longed for a great relationship that lasts a lifetime? Find out what over 3 million couples worldwide have experienced at FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember. It’s your turn to make a great marriage happen.”
3. Marriage Encounter: “Marriage Encounter is a weekend away for couples who want to take their marriage from good to great. From Friday evening at 8 to 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, you and your spouse will experience unique presentations and dynamic discussions in the comfort of a secluded environment. Specially trained couples will guide you through carefully honed communication techniques with talks inspired by their personal experiences–experiences that open up discussions about money, family, changing seasons of life, sex, and God. Almost every session ends with time to talk it over in the privacy of your own hotel room.”
4. Build Your Marriage Conference: “Build Your Marriage is led by Brad and Heidi Mitchell. Two people who are authentic, fun, passionate, Biblical, practical, transparent, dynamic and encouraging. Brad and Heidi have experienced the highs and lows of marriage, and are committed to each other and to building marriages and families for God’s glory.
If you or your organization are planning a marriage conference or retreat, Brad and Heidi are available to serve your group with solid Biblical teaching presented with humor and warmth. Their goal is to bring hope and to help build lasting transformation in marriages.”
5. Love and Respect Conference: “Love and respect surface in social research and the Bible (Ephesians 5:33) as the two key ingredients for a successful marriage. Through this dynamic and life-changing conference couples will learn how to apply love and respect to their marriage. Emerson and Sarah come for a Friday night and Saturday morning to present the Love and Respect message.”
Our Top 5 Favorite Marriage Workbooks/Curriculums:
1. iMarriage - Transforming Your Expectations by Andy Stanley: In this marriage-makeover DVD and study guide from Northpoint Resources, Andy Stanley ’s three key teachings help you transform your expectations and examine the “I’s” of marriage: “Keeping My ‘I’ On You,” “Putting Your ‘I’ Out,” and “It Takes Three.” Broken into six DVD sessions with discussion questions, this is one lesson your marriage won’t survive without.”
2. The Love Dare by Alex and Stephen Kendrick: The Love Dare, the New York Times No. 1 best seller that has sold five million copies and was major plot device in the popular movie Fireproof, is a 40-day challenge for husbands and wives to understand and practice unconditional love. Whether your marriage is hanging by a thread or healthy and strong, The Love Dare is a journey you need to take. It’s time to learn the keys to finding true intimacy and developing a dynamic marriage.
3. The Story of Marriage by John and Lisa Bevere: Marriage was forever. It was a covenant that knit one man and one woman together. This weaving made both stronger, nobler, and more vibrant expressions of who they were created to be. They were better together than either had been on their own. The wedding ceremony was but a beginning. It was the gateway to build their happily ever after. Each choice and action was designed to construct the life their union represented. Husband and wife walked into the great unknown with hearts, hands, and voices intertwined to express the love of their Creator. How did we lose touch with this profound love story? In The Story of Marriage, John and Lisa Bevere invite you to rediscover God’s original plan. Whether you’re married, single, or engaged, your story is a part of His.
4. The Marriage Course by Nicki and Sila Lee: The Marriage Course is a series of seven sessions, designed to help couples invest in their relationship and build a strong marriage. Nicky and Sila Lee, authors of The Marriage Book, developed The Marriage Course for couples looking for practical support to strengthen their relationship. The course is designed to help couples build strong foundations, learn to communicate more effectively and resolve differences well.
5. The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted by Gary Chapman: Broken down into five 45-60 minute sessions for small group study, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted Small Group Experience gives couples the essential tools they need to improve and enrich their marriage.
