Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace

MUST read...one of the best marriage books I've read, and I have read lots :) To read and understand and LIVE this book would be to help your marriage immensely!

We worked through this book in a group of 9 couples. It led to great discussion in the group. I had read the first "Love that Lasts", written many years ago. This is an excellent update. Gary and Betsy's transparency and humility is encouraging and provoking in a good way. We have given this book to many young couples . . . even as a wedding gift.

This marriage book stands out because its focus is Biblical. Many Christian marriage books seem to come at marriage from a psychological angle first, then add verses to support that. This starts with a Biblical view of marriage and then moves towards each spouses practical responses to that view. A group of couples in our church recently went through this book and many found it to be very helpful in their marriages. There were aspects of the writing style that bothered me a bit. The authors would change from his perspective to her perspective in a kind of haphazard way. It seems like offsetting or transitioning between these two viewpoints would make it easier to read. However, despite that I still highly recommend this book!

This is a very refreshing read. It kindled my love for Alicia and for the ordinance of marriage. They have a very high view of marriage, namely because they have a high view of God, where marriage begins. As with all of the people at Sovereign Grace, these writers are Spirit-filled, Word-centered, and gospel-saturated. They also are complementarians, doing a great job covering roles and responsibilities. Another added benefit, is their understanding of the necessity of the local church in all of life, especially marriage. The chapter on the husband's role is insightful and challenging. The chapter for wives is great too. These writers have spent some timing learning from the guys at CCEF (Tripp, Powlison). Conflict is inevitable (if there is true intimacy), but the way in which you resolve conflict is vitally important. I was particularly challenged to be very specific and use biblical terms when confessing sin (and no 'but's'). The chapters on romance and sex were great too. Busyness is a type of selfishness, a failure of priority. I would highly recommend this little book to all, single, engaged, and married. Throughout the book, they acknowledge their indebtedness to the Mahaney's and point the reader to their books for further study. "Nothing is more important to your marriage than your theology" 21 "Nothing is more essential to a marriage, and nothing brings more hope, than applying the gospel of Jesus Christ." 23 "So many couples spend their lives avoiding conflict. They choose a superficial 'peace at any price'--a price much higher than they realize." 113

Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace by Gary and Betsy Ricucci is an inspirational guide to the love and dedication that are the foundations of a successful and enduring marriage. Introducing the conceptual understanding of God being a fundamental aspect of a marital relationship, Love That Lasts carries its readers through the intimate counsel on protecting sanctity of a marriage and protecting the interests of those involved in the marriage through the fulfilling path of God's commandments and blessings. Love That Lasts is very highly recommended for all Christian couples for its evocative and discerning comprehension of God, and the perception of marriage as the essence of two people and their mutual love God as a part of loving each other.