Different by Design

This is the workbook that accompanies the text, "Different by Design." To say that marriage is today facing unprecedented crises is to be guilty of a chronic understatement. Soaring divorce rates have been fuelled by inadequate preparation for marriage, ignorance about its purpose, premarital sex, and counterfeit incarnations like polygamy, polyandry, and cohabitation. Additionally, economic pressures, increasing global amorality, and the determination to redefine marriage are further sounding the death knell for marriage. The good news is that there is nothing new under the sun, and this institution that has survived every onslaught in every community across every age will continue to do so. The purpose of the book is to heal marriages in this generation but, more significantly, to equip the next generation to approach, prepare for, and conduct marriage as God intended. The topics covered are the fo0llowing: The purpose of marriage and lessons from the first marriage How clearly defined roles determine your marriage's success and insulate you from the scourge of unmet expectations A spiritual and practical checklist for picking the right spouse in the first place Three critical principles of communication Learning to fight properly by mastering conflict resolution techniques How not to make outlaws of your in-laws and parents "I can't live without you!-myth or fact? If sex can be good and at the same time godly; also what is sexually permissible for a Christian couple What happens when the initial attraction fades or love dies What to do when your spouse is attracted to or involved with an external party The key to raising godly offspring Each chapter in this Workbook mirrors the topics in the Text with bullet points, questions, fill in the blanks, illustrations, and explanatory charts. There is also an Application Section which in turn comprises an individual (spouse) subsection and an interactive (couple) subsection. The layout includes setting the scene and goals, directions and homework. The chapter ends with the answers to the questions posed throughout that chapter.