5 Stars – A Spiritually Grounded Approach to Marriage

Sacred Marriage offers a powerful shift in perspective: what if marriage is not just about making us happy, but making us holy? Gary Thomas invites readers to view marriage as a spiritual discipline—an opportunity to grow in Christlikeness through both the joys and challenges of relationship.

This updated edition is incredibly well-rounded, incorporating biblical truth, modern insights, and over two decades of wisdom from Gary’s teaching. The study guide is practical and rich, featuring video access, personal reflection prompts, and meaningful group discussion questions. Whether you’re newly married or decades in, the content feels both relevant and transformative.

Highly recommended for couples, small groups, or anyone who wants to deepen their relationship with God through the sacred covenant of marriage.

Did not finish.

Whilst originally it started out not so bad, it progressively got worse.

Seems to exclude non-heterosexual and non-cisgender marriages. As a Priest’s daughter who has loved ones who are LGBTQ2SIA+, I feel this book could have been far more inclusive.

Whilst it did have some topics that were useful, my husband has gone through severe religious trauma and is Agnostic, and I felt little, if any, information and suggestions in the book could be helpful to our particular situation when he isn’t open to any form of organized religion. And I’d naively hoped that the book would be a little more open minded to people who fall under both this category, and the one above.

It also mentioned the Tesla factory in a way of praise. Considering the damage Elon Musk is doing to the world at present, and a lot of his work has been done on the backs of child labour in impoverished countries to mine metals for the batteries for his cars, I feel this was a highly inappropriate and outdated reference to make and a far better one could have been used. I don’t believe Elon Musk’s actions on any level are a loving representation of Jesus or God, and to use his example is offensive to people who genuinely are trying to practice loving kindness in Christianity, when he has recently been quoted as demeaning empathy, and calling those who are struggling and needing help “parasites,” yet doesn’t see the irony that his shady business practices exemplify the epitome of profiting off another’s suffering - which I feel is far more parasitic than those with disabilities who genuinely need help and are decent, kind people.

Even if we forgive him and know he’s not perfect, doesn’t mean we should condone his actions or think they should be praised.

I decided to stop reading when transphobia etc was encouraged in “sexual saints.” Scientific studies have shown that not everyone is born biologically male or female. Whilst there’s a possibility someo people may choose their own genders, the author’s hateful rhetoric is extremely offensive and excluding of people who are born intersex or with contradictory male or female chromosomes to their anatomy etc. - which has been proven by science. God loves ALL of his children, and to preach otherwise is hypocritical and contradictory to the lessons Jesus teaches, and inherently harmful and dangerous to people in this situation.