The document provides advice for making marriages better through commitment to God, commitment to each other, understanding differences between partners, forgiveness, and resolving conflicts respectfully. It cites several studies showing that marrying within the church leads to higher rates of remaining faithful to the church and relationship. The key aspects of strong marriages highlighted are commitment, understanding, and forgiveness.

1. Making Marriages Better

2. Making Marriages Better Takes Planning “Most spend more time planning the wedding than the marriage.” It takes work to live “happily ever after.”

3. Keys to Making Marriages Better Commitment Understanding Forgiveness

4. Commitment is a Definite Commitment to God “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” (Psalm 37.5,6; ESV)

5. Commitment is a Definite Commitment to Each Other “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5.31; ESV)

6. Some Interesting Marriage Facts A nineteen-year study in Wynne, Arkansas, revealed the 80% of all Christians who married outside the church eventually left the church. Source: Jacksonville Christian Student Center publication Jacksonville, Ala

7. Some Interesting Marriage Facts A twenty-year study in Miami, Oklahoma, showed 72% of Christians marrying outside the church eventually left the church. The same study showed 92% of those who married Christians remained faithful to the Lord. Source: Jacksonville Christian Student Center publication Jacksonville, Ala

8. Some Interesting Marriage Facts Another study conducted in Oklahoma, published in Truth in Love, revealed that 70% of Christians marrying outside the church left the faith, while 94% of Christians marrying in the church remained faithful to the Lord. Source: Jacksonville Christian Student Center publication Jacksonville, Ala

9. Seek to Understand “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3.7, ESV)

11. Affection

13. Men – 12,500 words a dayIs there a difference?

14. Forgiveness is a Must “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." (John 20.23; ESV)

16. No silent treatment.