Book Recommendations Marriage & Sexuality

Friends and Lovers: Cultivating Companionship and Intimacy in Marriage, Joel Beeke

Neither a comprehensive marriage manual, nor a complete exploration of the theological significance of marriage, Friends and Lovers focuses on two key ingredients in a vital marriage: friendship and sexual intimacy.
Drawing from the wisdom of the Bible, especially the Book of Proverbs, Joel Beeke shows you how to grow closer to your spouse both emotionally and physically.

Living in a Godly Marriage, Joel Beeke

The Puritans believed that godly marriages were foundational for the future life of families, churches, and nations.
Therefore, they wrote prolifically on the subject of marriage, seeking to bring biblical reformation to this subject in a comprehensive way. Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other previous Reformers had begun this task, but the Puritans took it much further, writing a number of detailed treatises on how to live as godly spouses.
Out of the wealth of material available to us from the seventeenth century, Joel R. Beeke and James A. La Belle have gathered together insights from the past and summarized them in a contemporary form in order to encourage modern day coupled to glorify God in marriage.

When Sinners Say I Do, Dave Harvey

Marriage is the union of two people who arrive at the altar toting some surprisingly large luggage. Often it gets opened right there on the honeymoon, although it sometimes waits for the weeks after. The Bible calls it sin and understanding its influence can make all the difference for a man and woman who are building a life together. This book is about encountering the life-transforming power of the gospel in the unpredictable journey of marriage.

Intended For Pleasure: Sex Technique and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage, Ed Wheat

A classic for 30 years, Intended for Pleasure is a reference book that combines biblical teaching on love and marriage with the latest medical information on sex and sexuality. This popular resource gently encourages married couples to make their sexual relationship the fulfilling experience it was meant to be. This is a complete sex manual, with basic facts and frank discussion of all facets of human sexuality. A perfect gift for newlyweds and a source book for pastors and marriage counselors, this book has helped more than a million people understand and enjoy the gift God intended for pleasure.
Contains mature themes.

The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective, Martha Peace

Here is a scripturally based blueprint for the woman who truly desires to be the wife God intended her to be. This book is based on Proverbs 31:10: An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. Thousands of women have already discovered the worth of this volume and testify to lives and marriages changed because of a commitment to the principles presented here. If this is a commitment you have made, or want to make, The Excellent Wife answers the difficult questions facing you today.

The Exemplary Husband

The Exemplary Husband is designed to be a companion volume to Martha Peace’s The Excellent Wife. In it, Stuart Scott addresses the struggles and responsibilities associated with being a godly husband. This practical and life-changing book looks to the Lord Jesus Christ as the husband’s example. Husbands, read this biblically based book and heed its wisdom for being the godly man God calls you to be in your home.

The Power of a Praying Wife, Stormie Omartian

Today’s challenges can make a fulfilling marriage seem like an impossible dream. Yet God delights in doing the impossible if only we would ask! Stormie Omartian shares how God can strengthen your marriage as you pray for your husband concerning key areas in his life, including… his spiritual walk; his emotions; his role as a leader; his security in work; his physical protection; his faith and his future. You will be encouraged by Stormie’s own experiences, along with the Bible verses and sample prayers included in each chapter.

There is also a book written for husbands, it is called: The Power of a Praying Husband.

Christian Marriage: From Basic Principles to Transformed Relationships, Martin Lloyd-Jones

In an age which has seen an almost total collapse of marriage and when, in many cases, marriages end in divorce with children being raised in ‘broken homes’, Dr. Lloyd-Jones” words speak powerfully into our present situation. It is a situation which may be seen as giving Christians, and especially Christian marriages, a valuable opportunity to bear witness to biblical truth. The way in which Dr. Lloyd-Jones, like the Apostle Paul, deals with marriage relationship, is extremely important – to attempt to deal with Christian practice apart from Christian doctrine is to tread a dangerous path. As these chapters on Ephesians make clear, the only Christianity powerful enough to penetrate and change society is that which is derived from the work of the Spirit of God.

Strengthening Your Marriage, Wayne A. Mack

For better or for worse? Whichever term describes your marriage, there are ways to make it (even) better. That’s because God has designed marriage to be a relationship of deep unity and strength. Despite the challenges that couples face today, marital harmony need not be considered an impossible ideal. Wayne A. Mack recognizes the challenges before us, and shows us how to meet those challenges with growing success. In this book, he has gathered a wealth of biblical insight and practical information on marital roles, communication, finances, sex, child rearing, and family worship. Both as a counseling aid and as a guide for husbands and wives to study together, this book offers true hope and help where couples need it most.

Explaining LGBTQ+ to Your Child, Tim Geiger

LGBTQ+ identities and their widespread acceptance have produced a host of questions and quandaries for Christian families. How do you help your child navigate a world where their classmate may be transgender and their neighbors a gay couple? How do you explain these issues and teach children to respond to LGBTQ+ identity with truth and love?
Tim Geiger explains how best to help young people understand LGBTQ+ identities and struggles in light of Scripture, while modeling the compassionate concern of our Savior. He also shows you how to build authentic friendships with members of the LGBTQ+ community, always remembering our common need for grace, repentance, and faith.

Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality: Empowering Your Kids to Understand and Live out God’s Design, Hillary Ferrer

Starting at a young age, kids are being fed damaging misinformation about sexuality, gender identity, and human biology. As a parent, it’s up to you to help your children understand God’s truth about these integral concepts in the face of the candy-coated lies that saturate today’s world.
This book will equip you to understand God’s design for gender, sex, marriage, and family as a beautiful portrait that reveals the nature of God himself; identify the tactics being used to trick children into adopting an unbiblical view of sexuality under the guise of Christian-sounding words like love, identity, tolerance, and justice; and teach your kids to treat those who hold different beliefs with gentle, Christlike compassion without compromising biblical values.
As society continues to blur the lines of what is good, true, and acceptable, God’s standards remain clear and unchanging. This book will give you the wisdom to confidently raise your children to understand sex and gender through a biblical lens.

Everyday Talk About Sex & Marriage, John A. Younts

Everyday Talk About Sex & Marriage is written for parents of teenagers and soon-to-be-teenagers. The short, approachable chapters written by a dad and his son who have been through these talks offer wisdom, guidance, and application. Includes six sample conversations to help and encourage parents as they navigate these challenging topics.

A Child’s First Book about Marriage: God’s Way is Always Best, Jani Ortlund

The world’s view of marriage can often be very different to what the Bible says. But who is right, and who should we listen to? From a very young age, children are confronted with and can be confused by these conflicts. This hardback, illustrated title helps to explain the beauties of God’s plan for marriage to children of any age, introducing them to a different, counter–cultural way of viewing these aspects of life and faith.

Wonderfully Made: God’s Story of Life from Conception to Birth, Danika Cooley

Wonderfully made is an excellent book that introduces a young child to the wonder of God’s creation – the wonder and miracle of birth. From conception in the womb through the nine months within the mother’s womb Danika Cooley takes us on a journey of discovery… the discovery of life. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13

God Made Babies: Helping Parents Answer the Baby Question, Justin & Lindsey Holcomb

Justin and Lindsey Holcomb tackle the tough question “Where do babies come from?” in a common sense, biblical way.
This common question all too often leaves parents perplexed about what to say and when to say it. When children ask “where do babies come from?,” they ask because they are curious about where THEY came from. The question is not about sex.
The Holcombs, along with illustrator Trish Mahoney, help parents start the conversation with their children about reproduction by giving them the basic tools to guide them—including specific biblical content and age-appropriate ways of talking to children at different stages. Instead of leaving this conversation to “experts” or to the culture, they equip parents to answer questions about sex in the right way at the right time.
Drawing from the story of creation and how God made the living world to reproduce, God Made Babies helps children to understand the gift of reproduction in the light of God’s goodness and care.

God made Boys and Girls: Helping Children Understand the Gift of Gender, Marty Machowski

God Made Boys and Girls helps children understand that their gender is a gift from the God who made them and loves them. The story begins as the girls and boys at Grace Christian School are discussing if boys will always be boys and girls will always be girls.
Their teacher explains that God gives each of us the gift of being male or female before we are born, and that you continue to be a boy or a girl whether you like to climb trees or play house, play tag or color pictures, cause a ruckus or sit quietly.
In a world where there is so much confusion about gender and identity, pastor and best-selling author Marty Machowski shares the simple, clear truth that all of us are made in God’s image as either male or female-and what God made is very good!
Included in the back of the book is a special section just for parents and caregivers that gives biblical guidance and help as they have this important conversation with their children.

God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies, Justin & Lindsey Holcomb

God Made All of Me by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb is an invaluable resource and beautifully illustrated story to help families talk about sensitive issues with two- to eight-year-old children.
Because the private parts of our bodies are private, home is the ideal environment for a child to learn about his or her body and how it should be treated by others—without conveying a message of shame. Through carefully written language and relatable storytelling, God Made All of Me helps parents navigate discussion that can so easily be warped into confusion, embarrassment, and secrecy.

Growing up God’s way for Boys/Girls, Richards & Jones

Growing up is God’s idea. During puberty you will experience many changes to your body and mind. God designed these changes so that you can become an adult and maybe one day get married and have a family of your own. This book helps you to understand the changes of puberty, how and why they come about, some practical ways to look after yourself and how to honor God by making good choices.

Growing up God’s way for Girls is a colourful, fully illustrated book available as separate versions for boys and girls. It is intended for children approaching or experiencing puberty, typically represented by the 10-14 years old age range. The artwork has been specially produced for the book and includes accurate biological drawings as well as ‘cartoon’ illustrations to keep the young reader interested. Most importantly of all, the Bible is the constant reference point, so that what the Bible has to say about the matters dealt with is always front and centre. The result is that this book conveys essential biblical ethical teaching as well as the facts about puberty.

A Beautiful Mystery, Heather Thieneman

Because true modesty is rooted in a deep appreciation for the body and its beauty, A Beautiful Mystery shows pre–adolescent girls how God gives variety in beauty— different shapes and sizes and colors— and how modesty honors their bodies.
In focusing on the principles behind modesty, A Beautiful Mystery stays away from specific rules so that you can fill in the standards of dress for your family. Likewise, sensitive subjects are touched on in a way that treasures your daughter’s girlhood, leaving it to you to elaborate on the joys and wonders of the marriage relationship as you think appropriate. The opportunities for meaningful conversations are a great reason to read this book with your daughter!

Not if, But When: Preparing Our Children for Worldly Images, John Perrit

One of the greatest tools the enemy has used when it comes to pornography has been this: silence. Too many parents have been embarrassed or felt ill-equipped to deal with this subject, so they don’t talk about it at all.
This book is meant to be read alongside your child. It is pitched at 7- to 12-year-olds. While you may protest that seven is too young, please note that the average age of porn exposure is now 8 years old. Plus, wouldn’t you want your children to be exposed to the truth of God’s Word about sex before they hear lies from the world?
As you introduce your children to the stories of Sarah or Samuel you will negotiate together the problems, challenges, and truths of God’s wonderful gift of sex.

Good pictures, Bad pictures, Jr.: A Simple Plan to Protect Young Minds, Kristen Jenson

Young children deserve to be armed early against internet dangers. Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr. makes it easy for parents to protect their young kids ages 3 to 6. Using gentle, age-appropriate messages, children will learn to Turn, Run & Tell when they are accidentally exposed to inappropriate content. This book is not from a Christian perspective, nevertheless very helpful to start a conversation with your child(ren).

Good Pictures, Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids, Kristen Jenson

Good Pictures Bad Pictures is a read-aloud story for children ages 6-11, about a mom and dad who explain what pornography is, why it’s dangerous, and how to reject it. Featuring easy-to-understand science and simple analogies, this book engages young kids to porn-proof their own brains. This book is not from a Christian perspective, nevertheless very helpful to start a conversation!

The Talk: 7 Lessons to Introduce Your Child to Biblical Sexuality, Luke Gilkerson

When it comes to the matter of teaching kids about sex, Christian parents are often confused about what to say and when to say it. The Talk is a series of 7 studies, all anchored in the Scriptures, that helps parents to talk meaningfully with children about sexuality. The Talk was written for parents to read with children ages 6 to 10 years old. The study supplies elementary-age children with foundational truths about sexuality at a level they can understand.

Changes: 7 Biblical Lessons to Make Sense of Puberty, Luke Gilkerson

Acne. Pubic hair. Breasts. Squeaky voices. Menstruation. Nocturnal emissions. Make no mistake, puberty can feel like an awkward time in a child’s life. But with the right perspective, children can be taught to anticipate puberty as a blessing. Changes is a series of 7 studies, anchored in the Scriptures, that helps parents talk meaningfully with children about the mental, emotional, and physical changes puberty brings. Changes was written for parents to read with children ages 8 to 12 years old. The study supplies children with a Bible-based understanding of puberty in a language they can understand.

Relationships: 11 Lessons to Give Kids a Greater Understanding of Biblical Sexuality, Luke & Trisha Gilkerson

Relationships was written for parents to read with their kids ages 11-14 years old. This study will help prepare your teen for sexual temptations that they are sure to encounter and give them a greater understanding of biblical sexuality. As Christian parents, it is of utmost importance that we’re guiding our teems through the sometimes-overwhelming sexual desires and temptations they experience. Relationships is a series of 11 Bible studies that provide a foundational understanding of how to navigate sexual temptations and desires in a godly manner.

Dating with Discernment: 12 Questions to Make a Lasting Marriage, Sam Andreades

Done with dating? Don’t know where to start? Wondering if your date is the one to marry? Pastor-scholar Sam Andreades brings single Christians in that vulnerable life moment the practical, theological help to make the dangerous decision confidently. Bringing the Bible’s wisdom on relationships to bear on the dating scene, he helps you lay a foundation for a love that lasts.
This book will teach you how to:
– Confidently say good-bye to ill-suited suitors
– Deepen your relationship with God as you date
– Find, and make a lifelong commitment to, a worthy, compatible mate
– Understand the role of gender in developing intimacy

Your Future ‘Other Half’: It Matters Whom You Marry (for women), Rebecca VanDoodewaard

Rebecca Vandoodewaard gives Biblical advice for women who are in a relationship, who wish to be in a relationship, or who struggle in an imperfect marriage by addressing the spiritual, emotional, mental, physical and relational effects of intimacy and answering questions for the single or married such as: Where does love fit in? and, How do I fit in?

Sex Before Marriage: How Far is Too Far?, Timothy S. Lane

“If we’re in love, what’s wrong with having sex before marriage? Why should we be the only ones who wait?” If you have ever thought or said things like this, you have a lot of company. Many people believe that, at least in some circumstances, premarital sex is okay. But do you know what God says about this issue?
Timothy S. Lane clearly explains God’s perspective on your sexuality and how it should be expressed. Many people think God says in the Bible that sex is inherently bad and sinful, but nothing could be further from the truth. God is not a killjoy—his guidelines for your sexuality are for your help and protection. This booklet’s forthright and honest look at sexuality, including a discussion of “How far is too far?” will be an invaluable resource for young adults and those who minister to them.

Engagement: Preparing for Marriage, Mike McKinley

Have your wedding plans crowded out the spiritual significance of your marital union? God created marriage as a picture that demonstrates his love and character—both to you and to those around you. Using daily devotional readings, reflection questions, and practical action points, Mike McKinley prepares your heart for the wonderful, sanctifying calling to love another person in a way that echoes God’s love for his people.
In the 31-Day Devotionals for Life series, biblical counselors and Bible teachers guide you through Scripture passages that speak to specific situations or struggles, helping you to apply God’s Word to your life in practical ways day after day.

Preparing for Marriage God’s Way: A Step-by-Step Guide for Marriage Success Before and After the Wedding, Wayne Mack

Preparing for Marriage God’s Way is a marriage counseling resource that uses thoughtful self-examination to reveal the personalities, background, and expectations that you and your partner are bringing to your union. Through rigorous Bible study, you will learn about God’s expectations for marriage and be equipped with his solutions for dealing with typical marriage conflicts. Three follow-up lessons after your marriage help you to reflect on all that’s happened after you said, “I do.”

Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and Why it Matters, Juli Slattery

Sexual abuse, sex addiction, gender confusion, brokenness, and shame plague today’s world, and people are seeking clarity and hope. By contesting long-held cultural paradigms, this book equips you to see how sexuality is rooted in the broader context of God’s heart and his work for us on earth.
It provides a framework from which to understand the big picture of sexual challenges and wholeness and helps you recognize that every sexual question is ultimately a spiritual one. It shifts the paradigm from combating sexual problems to confidently proclaiming and modeling the road to sacred sexuality.
Instead of arguing with the world about what’s right and wrong about sexual choices, this practical resource equips you to share the love and grace of Jesus as you encounter the pain of sexual brokenness – your own or someone else’s.

Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys who are Sick of Porn, Tim Challies

A huge percentage of men need a porn detox, a moral and psychological reset. Do you? If so, whether you know it or not, pornography has corrupted your thinking, weakened your conscience, warped your sense of right and wrong, and twisted your understanding and expectations of sexuality. You need a reset by the One who created sex.
But here’s a promise. You’ll never stop until the sin is more horrifying to you than the commission of the sin is enjoyable. That means you need more grace.
This book can help you reorient your understanding of sex, both in the big picture and in the act itself, according to God’s plan for this great gift. God will meet you with grace as you act to cut off the porn and begin the reset.

The Problem with Masturbation: It’s All About Me, Winston T. Smith

“It’s normal.” “Everyone does it.” “Nobody gets hurt.” These are some commonly held beliefs about sexual fantasy and masturbation, but are they really true? Are sexual fantasies and masturbation harmless ways of dealing with sexual frustration?
Marriage and family counselor Winston T. Smith uses his counseling experience and biblical knowledge to show how these seemingly “harmless” pursuits negatively impact you and your ability to have healthy relationships with the people in your real life. Then he shares how you can build a new inner world founded on Christ’s love, instead of your imaginary fantasies. As you do so, your life will grow richer in real relationships and your fantasy life will pale by comparison.

Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace, Heath Lambert

This book is not about pornography. You won’t find graphic depictions about the porn industry, the catastrophic effects it has on individuals and relationships, or how to think differently about porn. If you’re reading this book, you probably have some understanding of those things already-the last thing you need is to be subjected to that kind of detail…again.
Finally Free is about hope. It’s about discovering the freeing power available to those who trust in Jesus Christ, who can, will, and does set people free from the power of pornography.
Dr. Heath Lambert, a leader in the biblical counseling movement, has organized this book around eight clear and practical tactics you can wield to make it easier to flee lust and temptation and shelter in the protection of God’s grace.

What does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?, Kevin DeYoung

In this timely book, award-winning author Kevin DeYoung challenges each of us—the skeptic and the seeker, the certain and the confused—to take a humble look at God’s Word regarding the issue of homosexuality.
After examining key biblical passages in both the Old and New Testaments and the Bible’s overarching teaching regarding sexuality, DeYoung responds to popular objections raised by Christians and non-Christians alike, making this an indispensable resource for thinking through one of the most pressing issues of our day.

The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, Carl Trueman

Modern culture is obsessed with identity. Since the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision in 2015, sexual identity has dominated both public discourse and cultural trends—yet no historical phenomenon is its own cause. From Augustine to Marx, various views and perspectives have contributed to the modern understanding of the self.
In this timely book, Carl Trueman analyzes the development of the sexual revolution as a symptom—rather than the cause—of the human search for identity. Trueman surveys the past, brings clarity to the present, and gives guidance for the future as Christians navigate the culture in humanity’s ever-changing quest for identity.

The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Dan B. Allender

For those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse and those who love and care for them, The Wounded Heart offers a tender, compassionate window into the psychological effects of abuse and the theological foundations for healing.

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, Rosaria Butterfield

Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department’s curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down-the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a “train wreck” at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could.

Openness Unhindered, Rosaria Butterfield

Terms like same-sex marriage, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gay Christian are part of daily discourse; yet enormous controversy surrounds them. They are the stuff of news headlines and vitriolic social media posts. But they also reflect stirrings of the heart in real people with real questions and concerns.
Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, once a leftist professor in a committed lesbian relationship and now a confessional Christian, but always the thoughtful and compassionate professor, has written a followup to The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. This book answers many of the questions people pose when she speaks at universities and churches, questions not only about her unlikely conversion to Christ but about personal struggles that the ques­tioners only dare to ask someone else who has traveled a long and painful journey.
Dr. Butterfield not only goes to great lengths to clarify some of today’s key controversies, she also traces their history and defines the terms that have become second nature today-even going back to God’s original design for marriage and sexuality as found in the Bible. She cuts to the heart of the problems and points the way to the solution, which includes a challenge to the church to be all that God intended it to be, and for each person to find the true freedom that is found in Christ.

Same-Sex Attraction and the Church: The Surprising Plausibility of the Celibate Life, Ed Shaw

When Christians have same-sex attraction, how should the church respond? Pastor Ed Shaw experiences same-sex attraction, and yet he is committed to Scripture and the church’s traditional position of fidelity in heterosexual marriage and celibacy in singleness. In this honest book, he shares his pain in dealing with these issues, but at the same time shows us that obedience to Jesus is ultimately the only way to experience life to the full. He shows that the Bible’s teaching seems unreasonable not because of its difficulties, but because of missteps that the church has often taken in its understanding of the Christian life. We have been shaped by the world around us and urgently need to re-examine the values that drive our discipleship. Only by doing this in the light of the Bible can we make sense of its call on the lives of those who are attracted to their own sex.

One Man & One Woman: Marriage and Same-Sex Relations, Beeke & Smalley

What does the Bible teach about sexual relationships between people of the same sex? Does true love require that we accept all forms of sexual expression? No, real love does not rejoice in sin, but rejoices in the truth. In the Bible, God reveals that he created gender, sex, and marriage, and we may not alter them at our will. Through his laws and works in history, God has made it clear that homosexual practices violate his holy purposes for mankind. The New Testament reaffirms God’s created order and moral laws. It too warns that homosexual practice, like any other sin that we cherish, is the pathway to God’s judgment. However, the Lord Jesus Christ saves sinners by his spirit and gives them a new identity, forgiveness, life, and power to live according to his commandments. This is the message that all people need to hear: God’s laws have not changed, but God’s grace offers hope to sinners through Jesus Christ.

King Solomon: The Temptations of Money, Power & Sex, Philip Ryken

In studying the life of Solomon, we see both the true greatness and the tragic failure of our own humanity—from godly devotion to self-serving excess. Even in the midst of our best intentions, we are all prone to succumb to the same temptations of money, sex, and power. And if Solomon’s incredible wisdom could not prevent him from such tragic mistakes, then how are we to triumph over the same temptations? Philip Graham Ryken shows us how, by the grace of God, to prevent those downfalls and to seek God’s glory amid earthly temptations through this rich, Christ-centered study of the life of Solomon.