You’re Engaged!

Congratulations!  It’s finally happened – you’ve met the one God has called you to spend the rest of your life with, but now what?  Certainly there is a wedding to plan, invitations to order and vendors to secure – but more importantly there’s a miracle about to happen.  God is about to unite two hearts together as one flesh!  What a glorious event – like blending together two different grapes into a most satisfying wine.  Below we offer resources to help you prepare for the day after the wedding until “death us do part”.

Note: It is most important that you take time in the months leading up to your wedding to receive godly premarital counseling through the local church.  This site in no way intends to replace such input.  Our purpose is to make available additional help as you prepare to become husband and wife.

• Sacred Search, What If It’s Not About Who You Marry, But Why? by Gary Thomas
• Sacred Search, The Couple’s Conversation Guide, by Gary Thomas
• Questions To Ask When Preparing For Marriage, by John Piper
• Preparing For Marriage God’s Way, by Wayne A. Mack
• Resource Library on Marriage provided by Desiring God Ministries.
• Her Hand In Marriage, by Douglas Wilson, paperback – $9.60
• 10 Great Dates Before You Say “I Do”, by David and Claudia Arp, Curt & Natelle Brown (Haven’t seen this yet, but it looks interesting and very helpful!
• 15 Marriage Admonitions, by Legh Richmond (1772-1827)

 

A staff member at Bethlehem Baptist asked Pastor John Piper what one or two main things he wants to say to an engaged couple in premarital counseling. His answer is relevant for marriages new and old:

 

Be joyfully, brokenheartedly, shaped by the death of Christ for you.

 

Do you both feel the fearfulness of how the death of Christ witnesses to your unspeakable unworthiness to be loved—that it took this much suffering and indignity to the Son of God for you to be saved. And do you both feel the wonder of being forgiven owing to nothing in you?

 

If you do, it will profoundly shape your patience with each other’s shortcomings (which you will find to be more than you ever dreamed).

 

Get really clear the meaning of headship and submission.

 

Husband, tremble at the implications of Ephesians 5:25-30.

 

Wife, tremble at the implications of Ephesians 5:21-24.

 

Understand this and glory in the greatness of the calling to be married for the sake of showing the world the covenant faithfulness between Christ and his church.