The Intimate Mystery: Creating Strength and Beauty in Your Marriage (Intimate Marriage) - Softcover

Allender, Dan B.; Longman III, Tremper

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0830837248 ISBN 13: 9780830837243

Publisher: IVP, 2009

Synopsis

What do you want out of your marriage? Do you simply want to get along and be happy? Or do you desire real intimacy--the kind of relationship that will challenge you to grow as an individual and satisfy you in a much deeper way than you have imagined? Contrary to what television and bridal magazines tell us, marriage is about much more than personal happiness. Marriage is about spiritual growth. God wants to use your marriage to shape your character and to carry out his purposes in the world through you as a couple. The book of Genesis provides a matrix for understanding the intimate mystery of marriage in light of three commands--leave (your family of origin), weave (a life together) and cleave (through sexual intimacy). In this book, Dan Allender and Tremper Longman III explore and unpack the rich implications of this pattern. While this paper edition can be read on its own, a couple, Bible study group or Sunday school class can enhance their understanding by making their way through the bonus six Bible study sessions included in this expanded edition. Video segments introducing each of the Bible study sessions are also available online for free video download, making this book a complete small group curriculum. The Intimate Mystery is part of the Intimate Marriage Curriculum Kit which includes everything needed to mentor individual married couples or to lead a group discussion and makes an especially helpful resource for newlyweds or young married couples.

About this title

From the Publisher

Author Interview

Dan Allender & Tremper Longman, authors of The Intimate Mystery

From the Author

IVP: How is this book and curriculum different than others on marriage?

Longman: We felt that Christians need more than another how-to, step-by-step book. Rather, we thought it would be more helpful to get people in touch with important biblical ideas about the nature of marriage. The Bible tells us everything we need to know about marriage--its purpose and goal, and its importance. We also learn important principles about the most essential aspects of marriage such as communication, sexuality, and most importantly, about repentance and forgiveness. IVP: What do you mean by the "intimate mystery" of marriage?

Allender: One the mysteries of marriage is sacrifice. "Sacrifice is not merely cleaning the floor or doing the laundry; it is suffering for, with and against the other without turning away from desire. Sacrifice compels us to enter the heartache, stories, dreams, desires and sin of the other in order to bless them. It calls us to lose ourselves in the complex web of their soul. The mystery is great--in doing so, we find ourselves. We find our truest self and the God who is true to our self. The sacrifices of love open our eyes to the mystery of Jesus' death and resurrection for us."

About this edition

• Publisher: IVP
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0830837248
• ISBN 13: 9780830837243
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144