When
a man and woman are married, they stand before a room of witnesses
and proclaim their commitment to a lifetime of love. They recite
a sacred vow "to have and to hold…from this day forward…to love,
honor, and cherish…for better, for worse…for richer, for poorer…in
sickness and in health…as long as we both shall live."
It's a happy day, perhaps the happiest in their lives. And yet,
once the honeymoon ends, once the emotions of courtship and
engagement subside, many couples realize that "falling in love"
and building a good marriage are two different things. Keeping
those vows is much more difficult than they thought it would
be.
Otherwise intelligent people who would not think of buying a
car, investing money, or even going to the grocery store without
some initial planning enter into marriage with no plan of how
to make the relationship succeed.
But God has already provided the plan, a set of blueprints for
building a truly God-honoring marriage. His plan is designed
to enable a man and woman to grow together in a mutually satisfying
relationship and then to reach out to others with the love of
Christ. Ignoring this plan leads only to isolation and separation
between husband and wife. It's a pattern evident in so many
homes today: Failure to follow God's blueprints results in wasted
effort, bitter disappointment, and, in far too many cases, divorce.
In response to this need in marriages today, CBMC is offering
a series of small-group studies called the HomeBuilders Couples
Series, developed by Family Life (a division of Campus Crusade
for Christ).
You could complete this study alone with your spouse, but we
strongly urge you to either form or join a group of couples
studying this material. You will find that the questions in
each session not only help you grow closer to your spouse, but
they help create a special environment of warmth and fellowship
as you study together how to build the type of marriage you
desire. Participating in a HomeBuilders group could be one of
the highlights of your married life.
