A Lasting Promise The Christian Guide to Fighting for Your Marriage

For more than fifteen years, Scott Stanley's A Lasting Promise has offered solutions to common problems—facing conflicts, problem solving, improving communication, and dealing with core issues—within a Christian framework. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition is filled with sacred teachings of scripture, the latest research on marriage, and clear examples from the lives of couples. The book's strategies are designed to help couples improve communication, understand commitment, bring more fun into their relationship, and enhance their sex lives.

• Lead author Scott Stanley is co-director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver and coauthor of Fighting for Your Marriage, which has sold more than a million copies.

• Offers reflections on how to enhance anyone's marriage over the long term and avoid divorce

• Covers recent cultural shifts, such as dealing with the endless technological distraction and issues  with social networking

• New themes include the chemistry of love, the life-long implications of having bodies, and how to support one another emotionally

• Uses illustrative examples from couples’ lives and rich integration of insights from scripture

This important book offers an invaluable resource for all couples who want to honor and preserve the holy sacrament of their union.

Introduction xi

Part 1 Foundations 1

1 Naked and Unashamed 3

2 Communication Danger Signs 16

3 Asking God: Praying for Your Marriage 34

4 We Found Your Keys 51

5 Talking Without Fighting 69

6 Finding Solutions to Problems 86

Part 2 Complexity 107

7 Jars of Clay: Why Bodies Matter 109

8 Handling Events, Understanding Issues 131

9 Unraveling the Mysteries of Expectations 150

10 Protecting “Us” in iWorld: Marriage and Technology 170

Part 3 Deeper Connection 189

11 Positive Bonding: Keeping Fun and Friendship Alive 191

12 Touch and Sexual Oneness 207

13 Got Your Back: Carrying Each Other’s Burdens 220

Part 4 The Promise Is Lasting 241

14 The Power of Commitment 243

15 Forgiveness and Restoration 264

16 Spiritual Blessings and Intimacy 283

17 Onward 297

Appendices 301

Appendix A Getting More Help with Serious Problems 303

Appendix B Resources from PREP® 309

Appendix C Research and Scholarly References 313

Notes 319

About the Authors 321

Index 323

Scripture Index 335

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.