Table Of Content

Building Stronger Marriages and Families Making Your House a Home Building Stronger Marriages and Families Making Your House a Home by Billy Joe Daugherty Harr ison House Tulsa, Oklahoma Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission. 4th Printing Over 22,000 in Print Building Stronger Marriages and Families— Making Your House a Home ISBN 0-89274-858-3 Copyright © 1991 by Billy Joe Daugherty Victory Christian Center 7700 South Lewis Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136-7700 Published by Harrison House, Inc. P. O. Box 35035 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74153 Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the Publisher. Contents Introduction.................................................................................9 1 Marriage—God's First Institution..........................................11 2 Prime Rib: A "Help Meet"....................................................13 3 Leaving and Cleaving............................................................15 4 Intimacy in the Marriage Relationship..................................17 5 God's Plan for Marriage........................................................19 6 The Sacredness of Marriage..................................................21 7 Scriptural Covenant Agreements...........................................23 8 God—Third Party to the Marriage Covenant........................25 9 Terms of Covenant................................................................29 10 The Sealing of a Covenant..................................................31 11 Covenant Commitment........................................................33 12 The Marriage Act................................................................35 13 Unconditional Love.............................................................37 14 Four Types of Love.............................................................41 15 Love in the Marriage and Family........................................45 16 Finding the Right Mate........................................................49 17 The Dating Scene................................................................51 18 Deceived and Defiled..........................................................57 19 Hold On to Your Virginity!.................................................61 20 Make Plans for Marriage in Your Teen Years.....................63 21 Children Are the Heritage of the Lord.................................67 22 Children Are Receptive to the Things of God.....................69 23 Train Up a Child..................................................................71 24 Correction Versus Punishment............................................75 25 Tips for the Discipline of Children......................................77 26 Open Communication With Your Children.........................81 27 Goal in Discipline: Character Development........................85 28 Framing Your Child With the Word of God........................89 29 Bless Your Children............................................................93 30 Ten Commandments for Parents.........................................95 31 Improving Communication Skills........................................99 32 Seven Keys To Improving Your Communication Skills....103 33 Levels of Communication.................................................107 34 Communicating on an Intimate Level................................111 35 Reasons People Aren't Transparent in Communication.....113 36 Don't Communicate in Anger............................................115 37 Don't Bring Up the Past.....................................................117 38 The Power of Agreement in Communication....................119 39 Flowing Together as Husband and Wife...........................121 40 Becoming One Is a Process...............................................129 41 Appreciating Your Marriage Partner.................................131 42 Men Taking the Spiritual Leadership in the Home............133 43 God Hates Divorce............................................................135 44 The Curse of Divorce Can Be Broken Off of You............139 45 Issues Causing Marriage Difficulties................................141 46 Reconciling Differences....................................................149 47 Close the Door to Strife.....................................................155 48 Keys To Giving Strife No Entrance...................................159 49 Tearing Down the Barriers................................................163 50 Building Your Marriage and Family Upon the Rock.........167 51 Strengthening the Foundation of Your Family..................171 52 Maturing in Marriage and Family Relationships...............177 53 When Are You Mature Enough for Marriage?..................179 54 A New Beginning..............................................................181 55 Framing Your Marriage and Family With God's Blessings ................................................................................................183 References...............................................................................185 Introduction Successful Christian marriages are made up of successful Christian individuals who get together. When you put two people together who are walking in harmony with God, they'll walk in harmony with each other. If you are living in harmony with God, you can live in harmony with those in your family, whether it's your husband or wife, your children, or your parents. However, just being a Christian doesn't guarantee good marriage and family relationships. In Hosea 4:6 the Lord says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...." Sharon and I have a good marriage. It's getting better every year. We have four children who love God. We're under construction, and God's not finished with us yet! We've stayed together. We still love each other. So while we haven't been married as long as others, we believe we do have some things to impart to strengthen your marriage and family relationships. We're fighting one of the greatest battles in America in this hour, and that is the battle for the marriage and the home. The little things that we're talking about may seem insignificant to you, but Satan has taken them, as small as they are, and has driven a wedge between marriage partners and their children. If we'll root them out and make an effort to do the things that God has spoken for us to do in His Word, we'll see marriages last. We're praying for marriages and homes to be strong. Perhaps you've been married before and you've remarried. We're not condemning you for past mistakes. We want the marriage you're in to last and be strong. If you've gone through a broken marriage, perhaps you'll be remarried. We want that marriage to last. It's possible that you'll be restored to your original mate. We've had the wonderful privilege of remarrying a number of people in our congregation. 9 In this book, you'll find several scriptural principles that will give you a basis for better marriage and family relationships. Although the enemy is interested in destroying marriages and families because this is the basis of what makes up the Church, he cannot do so if you'll chart the course of your marriage and family relationships on the Word of God. Today is the best day to begin! —Billy Joe Daugherty 10