Book Review: "When Sinners Say I Do"

Another book on marriage, really?  Yes, really.  If you love to learn by reading and want an exceptional book on marriage than you should read this one.  Dave Harvey, Pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church, i.e. C.J. Mahaney and Josh Harris, has done the church a great service.  Within ten chapters Pastor Harvey sets out ten biblically strong and practical topics.  He begins with the foundational doctrine of sinful humanity.  This may seem obvious, but this book is a light doctrinal thesis on what is sin and how it damages our lives, and especially our marriages.  With amazing clarity he helps us navigate who we are before a Holy God and therefore who we are for our spouse.  Without using phychological jargon and only biblical jargon he helps us inspect our lives with God's law and grace.  He also deals with mercy, forgiveness, and grace as related to our marriages.

Did I like this book?  YES!  I am leary about marriage books, but once I got started into this one I realized I was taking it for granted and had to go back and re-read the first two chapters.  It was then I realized I was hooked.  Pastor Harvey gives great insight into sin, the glory of God, mercy, forgiveness, and grace and applies it appropriately to our marriages.  Is this a marriage book?  Yes, but only after being a well crafted book about the goodness of Jesus despite our sinfulness.  I will reference this book again and again, and will probably require its reading for marriages I counsel.  As a Pastor myself, I would use this book not for newlyweds, but for those one to two year marriages, who are struggling.  The young marriage that realizes that their spouse and their marriage isn't all bliss.  I would strongly encourage any married couple who needs a boast in the theology of their marriage to read this book. 

This book was given to me by Shepherd Press as a review in exchange for my honest and realistic review. 

"Marriage Matters" Book Review

"Marriage Matters" is written by Winston T. Smith, is a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF).  The subtitle:  "extraordinary change through ordinary moments" seeks to summarize that all of the small ordinary events in our marriage that can usually stall the marriage or bring its deterioration can actually fuel our marriages in to an extraordinary relationship.  The opening section creates a biblical foundation for all marriages.  This section is worth the price of the book itself.  The second section deals with specific concerns, primarily, conflict and forgiveness.  The third section is reminder to stay focused on the important aspect of marriage, how grace satisfies us, how our faith in Christ sustains us, and how our marriage is a picture of God the Son dealings with His bride.

All marriage books deal with the same issue.  There really isn't anything new under the sun when it comes to marriage and the Bible truly is a great source for strengthening our marriages.  This book is a good addition to the marriage book arsenal.  I appreciated Mr. Smith's theological convictions that drove the lessons of his book.  He truly understands the covenant aspect of theology and for that sake marriage too.  The opening section discusses marriage from the viewpoint of how God loves His people and how idols destroy that relationship.  Mr. Smith uses the analogy of idol worship through out the book to highlight the destructive tendencies with in each man and woman and how we use them to fuel our own appetites and simultaneously destroy our marriages.

The chapter on marriage roles interested me and I found that Mr. Smiths treatment of the subject biblically consistent.  The subject is dealt with from a foundation of love.  He presents the topic of authority and submission entirely from a "love" perspective.  I found it very encouraging and biblically sound.

This book would be great for a marriage that is several years along.  Husbands and wives will identify with the stories and relate well to the content.  Pastors and teachers will find it helpful for counseling and advice.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the New Growth Press book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."