Marriage is the source of a lot of joy and love for people, but it can also be a source of a lot of pain, tension, and frustration. Therefore, people want to know how to navigate it well and how their faith can help them through that navigation process.

That being said, it’s important that we as pastors are doing our due diligence to invest in our own marriages and learn firsthand what the Lord wants us to teach others about marriage. And while I firmly believe experience is the greatest teacher, there is also something to be said for proactive preparation and learning.

So today, I want to give you a few books on marriage that I think will really help you not only learn how to better preach on marriage to your church, but also invest well in your own marriage so that you can see God work in your relationship with your spouse.

In this brand new book, Ed and Lisa take a penetrating look at what it means to have a lasting marriage in today’s world. Drawing upon their experience in church ministry and successful marriage of more than forty years, they speak openly and honestly about the hard work involved in keeping your marital relationship fresh and alive as you creatively live out your “I Do’s.”

What happens when a kingdom man marries a kingdom woman? Kingdom Marriage: Connecting God’s Purpose with Your Pleasure helps couples grow together as a kingdom couple to fulfill God’s design and purpose for their marriage. Through practical insights and powerful stories, Dr. Tony Evans inspires and instructs so couples will discover the hope, challenge, and guidance God’s Word provides for their journey together.

In this book, Timothy Keller uses the scriptures as his guide to show readers what God's call to marriage is, and why this is such a powerful call. He talks in frank terms about the difficulties that couples have and how they can best work them out while keeping their faith in God intact.

What if God designed marriage to make you holy instead of happy? What if your relationship isn't as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God? In Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas uncovers the ways that your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God and with each other. Thomas invites you to see how God can use your relationship with your spouse as a discipline and a motivation to love God more and reflect more of the character of His Son.

Marriage is great, but it's not forever. It's until death do us part. Then come eternal rewards or regrets depending on how we spent our lives. In this book, Francis Chan joins together with his wife Lisa to address the question many couples wonder at the altar: "How do I have a healthy marriage?" Setting aside typical topics on marriage, Francis and Lisa dive into Scripture to understand what it means to have a relationship that satisfies the deepest parts of our souls.