Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Describe God’s design for marriage

• Explain how the Reformers corrected the early churches’ mistakes on human sexuality

• Make better choices as you seek to find a mate

• Describe the rise of recreational dating and its negative consequences for human relationships

• Avoid common mistakes that increase the likelihood of future divorce

• Explain the tragic effects of divorce on adults and children

• Understand the significance of marriage from God’s point-of-view

• Develop church programs/practices that help people build strong marriages

• Recognize the importance of restoring the connection between marriage, sex, and procreatio

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and Course

Unit 1: Defining Christian Marriage

• Design: A Critical Issue

• Defining Marriage: Opening Thoughts

• Specific Elements of Marriage: One-Flesh Consummation

• Specific Elements of Marriage: Common Law, Covenantal, Conjugal

• Specific Elements of Marriage: Heterosexual, Lifelong, Freely Entered Into

• Specific Elements of Marriage: A Reflection of the Trinity

• Marriage Is Not a Sacrament

Unit 2: God’s Purposes for Marriage: Mutual Help

• Purposes of Marriage: Roman Catholic and Protestant Views

• Purposes of Marriage: Marriage, Sex, and Children

• Mutual Help: Old Testament Examples

• Mutual Help: Benefits of Marriage

• Mutual Help: Self-Sacrifice

• Mutual Help: Mutual Interests Unnecessary; Non-Gender-Specific Roles

Unit 3: God’s Purposes for Marriage: Sexual Fulfillment

• Two Men Named John

• Human Sexuality before and after the Fall

• Confronting Errors of the Early and Medieval Churches

• Reformers Recovered Biblical View of Sex

• Recapturing Positive Views of Marital Sex

• Puritans’ Views of Sex in Marriage

• Sex and Marital Happiness

• Error of Today’s Church: Sexual Liberalism

• More Evangelical Statistics

• Deeper View of Sex and Marriage

Unit 4: God’s Purposes for Marriage: Children

• Procreation: Two Views

• God Ties Procreating and Raising Children to Marriage

• Children and Marriage Naturally Go Together

• God Views Children as a Blessing

• Children as a Blessing: Helpful Considerations

• Major Problems in Belief and Practice among Americans

• Cohabitation and Divorce

• The Married Parent Advantage

Unit 5: Dating and Mate Selection

• Pursuing a Godly Marriage Partner

• Moral Examples and Moral Warnings

• Pre-Dating Courtship

• Rise of Modern Recreational Dating

• Concerns about Recreational Dating: Using Adolescent Ideals for a Life Partner

• Concerns about Recreational Dating: Pre-Marital Sex

• Do’s and Don’ts of Dating: First the Don’ts

• Do’s and Don’ts of Dating: Positive Practices

Unit 6: The Modern Divorce Plague

• Martin Luther and Jesus on Divorce

• Divorce Should Be Rare among Christians

• Democratization of Divorce

• Rise of Expressive Divorce

• Recent Declines in Divorce Rates

• Evangelicals and Divorce: Attitudes toward Divorce

• Evangelicals and Divorce: Statistical Comparisons

• Final Thoughts on Our Divorce Problem

Unit 7: Divorce: Associations, Causes and Prevention

• Getting the Big Picture

• Framing Divorce Practically

• Impact of Divorce on Children

• Causes of Divorce

• Non-Marital Cohabitation

• Church Attendance

• Consideration of Early Marriage and Finances

• Effective Communication and Conflict Management Skills

• Risk Factors beyond Our Control

• Remarriage and Age Differences

• Differences of Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality

• Final Thoughts on Divorce and Its Prevention

Unit 8: Building Strong Marriages

• Families and Churches: Mutual Dependence

• Pastoral Fears of Speaking on Marriage Issues

• Appropriate Standards for Pastors and Leaders

• Normal Christianity

• Importance of Church Attendance

• Ministry to Families

• Teaching about Sex

• Dating, Cohabitation, and Pre-Marital Preparation

• Access to Expert Help

Conclusion

• Strengthening Christian Marriage

Details

• Title: CS261 Christian Marriage: The Beautiful Order for Christian Marriage

• Instructor: David J. Ayers

• Publisher: Lexham Press

• Publication Date: 2020

• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education

• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources

• Courses: 1

• Video Hours: 7