What others are saying about the Design for …

1 what others are saying about the Together Forever: God s Design for Marriage premarital counseling program Pastors and churches who marry or minister to couples have a responsibility to do everything they can to ensure the long-term success, survival, and sanctity of the marriage covenant. That is the exact reason why I do not marry a couple unless they have been through Together Forever and why our church has installed it as a pillar of pastoral care along with Putting the Happily Into Your Ever After for already married couples. You simply cannot beat the combination of a trained Marriage By God mentor couple interactively processing the curriculum with a prospective or struggling couple.

2 Every church that wants integrity in its couples or marriage ministry would serve its members and community well by installing Marriage By God. Kenny Luck, pastor at Crossline Community Church, award-winning author, founder of Every Man Ministries In addition to the Together Forever: Premarital Counseling Workbook, Ed and Angie Wright have enabled you who serve as mentors and disciplers to succeed by following the easy-to-do steps in mentoring. The Together Forever: Premarital Counseling Mentor s Guide helps you anticipate reactions from the couple you mentor and be prepared and prayed-up to graciously encourage, guide, and respond. This will be a great asset to help you be prepared to contribute to a great marriage in the making.

3 Dr. Harold J. Sala, founder of Guidelines International, author Practical! That is the word that came to mind as I read Ed and Angie Wright s Together Forever premarital counseling mentor s guide. Their easy-to-follow guide helps direct the counseling couple who wants to assist other couples in maximizing their relationship and avoiding the pitfalls that so easily trip up the new bride and groom. As you read the guide, you ll say to yourself, I can do that! Darlene Sala, author, seminar speaker As proclaimed in the name of their ministry, Marriage by God, Ed and Angie Wright s Together Forever premarital counseling workbook and mentor s guide are essential for training up engaged couples that seek to fulfill God s purpose in their marriage.

4 Their mentor s guide reveals that not many should become teachers because God holds them to a higher standard. The Wrights represent the highest expression for God s intent for married couples and I wholeheartedly endorse without reservation these two excellent books. Willie Naulls, pastor, author Very subtle changes from the earlier version of these materials have taken this mentoring program from good to great! We love it, and the Twenty-One Questions are a great addition to use as a quick reference in fine-tuning a couple s relationship. Harold K. Webber, p astor of Living Way Christian Fellowship Chester & Cheryl Young, directors of Marriage Enrichment Ed and Angie Wright have beautifully put together a guide for both engaged couples as well as mentor couples.

5 The guide is rich with spiritual and practical insights, with the end goal being for the engaged couple to be intentional about their marriage. The Wrights have given the whys behind intentionality as well as the practical tools and steps to make an intentional marriage possible. With humility and grace, the material is presented in a systematic, easy-to-follow weekly format. A fabulous resource in a world that is desperate for such content! Kim Moeller, Christian author and speaker Ed and Angie Wright have written a beautiful and biblical book on helping pre-married couples understand the full beauty of God s plan for marriage.

6 They masterfully weave personal stories and insights to illustrate the elements of a biblical marriage that are completely practical. I highly recommend this resource for those that are mentoring couples considering marriage. Carl Moeller, CEO Biblica-The International Bible Society MARRIAGE BY GOD is a ministry of Guidelines International Ministries, Mission Viejo, California Together Forever: God s Design for Marriage; Premarital Counseling Mentor s Guide Copyright 2003, 2015 by Ed Wr i g h t. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

7 Originally published as Two Becoming One: Premarital Counselor s Guide Request for information or comments should be emailed to Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION , copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. We wish to dedicate this book to the Marriage by God mentor couples who have come beside us with a passion to help couples learn what it looks like to put Christ at the center of their marriage. You have humbly accepted God s assignment, and it has been exciting watching the Holy Spirit work in and through you as you pour blessings into the lives of couples preparing for marriage.

8 Andy & Debby Benis Dan & Carol Bobke Todd & Moshelle Carlson Keith & Debbie Hamilton Brian & Jan Healy Bob & Colleen Heineman Mike & Nora Higa Ken & Carol Holloway Dwight & Catherine Mansfield Brian & Colleen Myers Mitch & Debbie Needelman Alan & Patti Peviani Fadi & Jane Ramadan Tom & Kellie Richter Ron & Darla Schreiber Hans & Tina Schroeder Jeff & Tiffany Thompson Bill & Terri Van Workum Jay & Cathryn Wade Dave & Shannon Welsh Special Thanks A big thank you to Jean E Jones. You embraced our vision with care as you gave heartfelt attention to every detail in critiquing, editing, and formatting our materials. Contents Special Thanks Introduction to Premarital Counseling Session I Chapter 1.

9 Two Becoming One Chapter 2. Love Spoken Here Chapter 3. The Freedom of Forgiveness Session II Chapter 4. Putting Christ at the Center of Your Marriage Chapter 5. Developing an Intentional Marriage Chapter 6. Finding the Sweet Spot in your Relationship Session III Chapter 7. Personality Differences Chapter 8. Differences between Men and Women Chapter 9. Love Languages Session IV Chapter 10. Extended Family Chapter 11. Communication Chapter 12. Resolving Conflict Session V Chapter 13. Emotional Intimacy Chapter 14. Physical Intimacy Chapter 15. Affair Proofing Your Marriage Session VI Chapter 16. Finances Chapter 17. Marriage Goals Chapter 18. Keeping the Flame Going Introduction to Premarital Counseling As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

10 Proverbs 27:17 Overview of the Program Congratulations on your decision to become a mentor couple to engaged couples. You have been selected because you expressed an interest in the ministry and appear to be living a joy-filled, Christ-centered, long-term marriage (ideally ten years or more). Marriage is tough. There is no way around it. However, with the proper biblical principles and the loving guidance of Christian mentors, the institution of marriage becomes the rich blessing God intended it to be. This program is designed to show engaged couples how to live out God s Design for marriage in order to be together forever. Throughout the process, you, as mentors, will share biblical principles and time-tested techniques for fulfilling God s great plan for marriage.