“The Art of Marriage,” created by FamilyLife, is a biblically based resource designed to help couples grow closer to each other and to God. It provides video sessions, group discussions, and practical tools that address key areas like communication, conflict resolution, intimacy, and commitment. Guided by Scripture, it emphasizes that marriage is God’s design—a sacred relationship meant to reflect Christ’s love and faithfulness. Couples are encouraged to learn how to serve one another selflessly, forgive generously, and build a marriage anchored in prayer and Scripture. By following biblical principles, “The Art of Marriage” aims to strengthen unity and understanding, offering hope and guidance for couples seeking a lasting, godly relationship.
The six sessions of “The Art of Marriage” are built on biblical principles, showing how marriage reflects God’s design. Each session addresses key areas couples face: understanding God’s purpose, dealing with conflict, fostering deeper connection, nurturing intimacy, and leaving a lasting legacy. Through practical examples and Scriptural insights, “The Art of Marriage” guides couples toward a stronger, Christ-centered relationship, teaching them how to serve one another selflessly and grow in unity.
SESSION 1: HESED: UNWAVERING LOVE – In this session, we learn about hesed—God’s unwavering love—and how marriage should mirror His steadfast commitment. The Bible shows marriage as God’s design (Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:32-33), calling husbands and wives to love each other with sacrificial devotion. A strong marriage has qualities like faithfulness, humility, and selflessness—character traits we develop through prayer, practice, and dependence on God. Hesed means staying committed, not just in easy times, but through every challenge. Unlike a contractual approach that seeks fair exchange, covenantal love commits fully, expecting nothing in return. We’re reminded that God’s infinite love empowers us to place our spouse’s well-being above our own, reflecting His heart. Though we can’t love perfectly, we can steadfastly pursue our spouse and give ourselves for their benefit. As we focus on Jesus and love as He loves, God’s light shines through our marriage, demonstrating His grace to the world.
SESSION 2: DABAQ: RESILIENT LOVE – In this session, we learn about Dabaq—resilient love that holds couples together through every high and low. We explore how outside pressures can affect marriage and the importance of supporting each other. Genesis 2:24 urges us to “hold fast” to our spouse, suggesting practical ways like weekly check-ins, monthly dates, and annual getaways. We discuss pursuing Christ together, which can be challenging, yet vital for spiritual unity. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reminds us that two are better than one—marriage thrives when we function as a team, appreciating each other’s gifts. Prioritizing quality time can be tough, but simple tweaks in our daily routines can help us stay connected. Ultimately, marriage should reflect God’s unending love, offering a safe place for imperfect people to love, fail, forgive, and rejoice together. Even when life doesn’t slow down, our steadfast commitment honors God and strengthens our bond.
SESSION 3: AGAPE: SELFLESS LOVE – In this session, we learn about agape love—choosing to do what’s best for your spouse, no matter the cost. We discuss ways to adjust marriage assumptions and identify each other’s love languages, so we can better meet emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational needs. We also reflect on how we can daily sacrifice ourselves to serve our spouse, in line with Jesus’ command in John 13:34-35 to love one another as He loves us. While it’s easy to say we would give our life for our spouse, the real test lies in our daily acts of devotion, such as changing personal preferences. We’re reminded that sacrificial love takes work and that marriage is designed to mirror God’s unfailing love for His people. In the sacred commitment of marriage, we learn to love, forgive, and persist just as God does.
SESSION 4: LUO: FORGIVING LOVE – In this session, we focus on “Luo”—forgiving love, which means choosing to release our spouse from punishments or grudges. Conflict resolution is a big theme: we explore strategies that help strengthen, rather than harm, our marriage. We learn how small, even silly disagreements can reveal deeper issues, and how “fighting fair” requires humility and selflessness. Scriptures like 1 Peter 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 guide us toward patience, kindness, and true forgiveness. Recognizing that disagreements are inevitable, we commit to unity instead of trying to “win.” Just as God frees us from sin, we can create a safe space for repentance, forgiveness, and healing in our marriage. While the path of love isn’t always smooth, choosing to forgive each other daily leads to a marriage that honors God and grows stronger through every challenge.
SESSION 5: YADA: INTIMATE LOVE – In this session, we focus on Yada—true intimacy, where couples see both the good and bad in each other yet still move closer. Many find it hard to talk about sex, often because of culture or past experiences. However, Scripture views sex as a sacred gift for marriage (Hebrews 13:4), contrasting with society’s often self-centered approach. Guarding intimacy means committing to God’s plan (1 Corinthians 7:1-5; Philippians 2:4-5), resisting worldly influences, and prioritizing your spouse. Life changes—health, age, and circumstances—can affect sexual desire, but intimacy can remain strong through communication, mutual respect, and love. Ultimately, being known and loved is a deep human longing. Though physical needs and abilities shift over time, the covenant you share stays constant. As you keep pursuing one another emotionally, physically, and spiritually, you give each other the profound gift of true intimacy—knowing and being known.
SESSION 6: EUANGELION: MISSIONAL LOVE – In this session, we focus on “Euangelion,” or missional love—sharing the Good News through our marriage. We discuss how faith shapes our daily lives together and how God wants to use our relationship to reach others. Couples are encouraged to pursue God jointly, learning from more experienced spouses and mentoring those who are newer on this journey (Matthew 28:19-20). Our marriages don’t just serve us; they display Christ’s love to the world (Ephesians 5:32). We are reminded that each marriage, whether young or seasoned, has a God-given role in His Kingdom. By committing to live and serve together, we provide a living illustration of Christ’s devotion to the Church. Take time to pray and seek God’s direction, considering what adjustments you may need to make so that others will see Jesus more clearly in your marriage.
We used “The Art of Marriage” by FamilyLife in our small groups at church with great success. Participants appreciated the variety of short video stories, all linking back to the main message and demonstrating how widely these principles apply. The discussion questions were very thoughtful, guiding conversation and deepening everyone’s understanding of the material. Each week concluded with a practical challenge, which helped couples put what they learned into practice. This structured approach kept everyone engaged and fostered real-life growth.
Digging Deeper
- The perspective of a successful marriage – If this perspective can lead to an incredible Olympic victory, imagine what it can do for your marriage. It’s almost a miracle!
- Daily marriage devotionals for growing Christian marriages – Marriage devotionals for growing strong marriages compiled from verses that we have shared with couples over the years.
- Biblical relationship checkup – This Biblical relationship checkup helps couples find where they are on God’s map of a successful marriage and find direction for improvement.