Marriage and Family - The Missing Dimension

Marriage and Family: The Missing Dimension

Do you hope for a happy, fulfilling marriage? Sharing your dreams and life with the one you love can be one of life's most fulfilling experiences. Discover the biblical foundations for a successful marriage and family in this guide. 

A loving marriage and the blessing of joyful, respectful children are big parts of a good life. Do those kinds of relationships sometimes feel impossible to attain?  

This guide explores: 

  • The spiritual significance of godly relationships. 

  • What God had in mind when He created the marriage covenant. 

  • Instructions and guidance from God’s Word to strengthen your family. 

Uncover how marriage and family can be wonderful gifts from God, and how to cherish and sustain your closest relationships.  

Table of Contents

A couple on their wedding day.

Marriage and Family: The Missing Dimension: Introduction

4 minutes
"Didn't the LORD make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union" (Malachi 2:15...
A husband and wife holding their baby.

Marriage and Family: The Spiritual Significance

12 minutes
To understand the spiritual significance of marriage and family, we must turn to God, our Creator, to learn what He had in mind in making the human...
A couple sitting together on a couch looking at a large book.

God's Instruction Manual for Marriage

17 minutes
Marriage is one of God's most wonderful gifts to mankind. It is a treasure worth working on, cherishing and sustaining. His instructions are as valid...
Young adults running on the beach.

Dating Do's and Don'ts

17 minutes
Everyone knows that in most cultures dating is a prelude to marriage. But what many don't know is that how we date greatly influences the kind of...
A couple looking out over a wall.

Choose Your Love Story

2 minutes
God's beautiful picture of sexuality is for us to refrain from having sex until we are married and then to only enjoy sex with the person to whom we...
A young couple holding hands while walking.

Handling Those Touchy Situations

9 minutes
To help you establish godly standards, consider the following advice given by a panel of young Christians between the ages of 20 and 30.
A group people.

Popular Sexual Myths

1 minute
Given all the confusion that exists today regarding sex, it's important for us to understand some of the most common but mistaken ideas about this...
Two wedding rings lying a table.

At What Age Should We Marry?

1 minute
The Bible does not indicate that there is a specific age at which it suddenly becomes appropriate for us to marry.

Is Homosexuality Acceptable to God?

5 minutes
The acceptance of homosexuality as an equally valid lifestyle is rapidly growing in Western culture. Yet God tells us that sex was designed for only...
A young couple talking to each other.

Men's and Women's Vulnerabilities

2 minutes
When it comes to temptations to have sex, men and women, in general, face different challenges.
A closeup of young woman's face.

What If You've Made a Mistake?

3 minutes
When it comes to sex, people make mistakes—both premarital and extramarital. The biblical way to cleanse one's conscience is to repent—that is, stop...
An unborn baby.

Is Abortion the Answer to Unwanted Pregnancy?

3 minutes
Many people today consider abortion to be a woman's right to control her body—specifically her reproductive rights. What does the Bible say?
A woman putting a wedding ring on her husband.

Divorce-Proof Your Marriage

15 minutes
Because so many marriages—particularly in modern Western countries—end in failure, couples trying to live godly lives and make their relationships...
Husband and wife kissing on the beach.

Was Sex Intended Solely for Procreation?

1 minute
Does the Bible prohibit sexual relations within marriage purely for pleasure?
A family lying down on a blanket.

Our Children: Gifts of God in a Hostile Environment

12 minutes
The Bible tells us that children are a blessing from God, and most couples readily welcome them into their families. Human reproduction is one of life...
A little girl with a sad expression on her face looking down.

The Epidemic of Missing Fathers

2 minutes
Dr. Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, addressed the connections between...
A mother and daughter working together on a project.

Bringing Up a Moral Child

21 minutes
Many parents, including single parents, are raising well-adjusted, moral children who successfully enter adulthood. Why are these families successful...
A dad and son talking.

Measuring Influence on Our Children

2 minutes
While parents have the opportunity to be the greatest influence on their children's lives, this doesn't always happen.
A little girls sitting on a couch looking at a book.

Proverbs and Proper Training

2 minutes
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
A father and son sitting together on a park bench.

Discipline With Encouragement

2 minutes
Discipline with encouragement may seem like an oxymoron. How could discipline possibly be encouraging? Isn't it always painful and depressing?
Two siblings fight over a stuffed teddy bear with the mom in the background.

Sibling Rivalry

1 minute
How can sibling rivalry be minimized?
A mother and her son.

Single-Parenting Success

2 minutes
Is it possible to successfully raise godly children even as a single parent?
A father and son repairing a broken chair together.

The Value of Consequences

2 minutes
Should children be held responsible for bad choices or decisions?
A father and son hanging out.

Creating Quality Time

2 minutes
It's important to set aside quality time to spend with your children.
A family playing together.

The Seasons of Parenting

2 minutes
There are three seasons in raising children, and one final season that is our goal. Each season is a phase where a child needs a certain type of...
A young boy giving an apple to girl a school.

Personality Differences and Temperament

1 minute
Because each child is a unique human being in terms of the way he or she thinks and acts, parents often wonder whether these differences should affect...
A parent and child walking on a beach.

A Foretaste of Tomorrow

2 minutes
The desire for a happy, lasting marriage blessed with children who grow up to be successful, morally responsible adults is truly the universal dream.