The Grace Marriage: How the Gospel and Intentionality Transform Your Relationship

We live in a performance-based world—but happy and hope-filled marriages thrive on grace.

“What a brilliant move to look at every aspect of marriage under the rubric of grace! Grace is lovely and precious; even more, it reflects the beauty of Jesus, which this book does as well. After reading this marvelous book, you will never look at your marriage through the same lens again.”
—Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage and Cherish

Marriage was God’s idea, so we know He designed it to be very, very good. But why do most marriages look disengaged, unappealing, or at best a bit stagnant?

For Brad and Marilyn, “the honeymoon was over before the honeymoon was even over.” Both found themselves disillusioned and disappointed. In The Grace Marriage, the authors share how a revelation of God’s grace and fresh conviction of the need for intentional investment transformed their hearts and relationship.

What does a grace marriage look like? This book invites couples to explore:

• Grace and Identity
• Grace in the Day-to-Day
• Grace in Crisis
• Grace and Communication
• Grace and Sex
• Grace and Money . . . and more.

Choosing to show your spouse the same grace Christ has showed you liberates you to walk in freedom and fullness of joy. If you want your marriage to reflect the vibrancy, creativity, and oneness God intends, you must show proactive, ongoing investment.

This book is an essential resource for couples who desire to thrive—not just survive—and who want a marriage that showcases the grace of God to the watching world.

BRAD AND MARILYN RHOADS founded Grace Marriage in 2015 to help churches and couples prioritize marriage. Prior to this, Brad was a practicing attorney for 22 years. He served as a marriage pastor at their local church, where he noted the nationwide absence of an intentional, ongoing strategy to keep couples on a trajectory of growth. Marilyn holds a masters in social work and worked at Counseling Associates before choosing to stay home with their children. In 2015, Brad left the practice of law to pursue marriage ministry full-time. The Rhoads currently lead Grace Marriage, author curriculum together, speak at conferences, and work with individual couples. They are the proud parents of five amazing kids and live in Owensboro, Kentucky.

BRITTANY CRAGG has been editing and authoring marriage curriculum as the Director of Content for Grace Marriage since 2015. She has a degree in English Literature from Wheaton College and a law degree from Emory University, where she won the Golden Pen Award for excellence in legal editing. She has worked as an editor at Christianity Today in the preaching resources department and for investment firms in Chicago and Dallas. Brittany and her husband, Mark, have been married for over eleven years and live with their three children in Prosper, Texas.