This week’s book of the week is C. J. Mahaney’s Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God.
This short read is full of great scriptural insights into romance within marriage. What I love about the book is that it is not crass but it is also not fuddy-duddy. It speaks of marriage, sex, and romance in a practical, engaging manner and gets its boldness from the Word of God.
While it is geared primarily towards men, his wife also provides some chapters at the end. So practical and so God-glorifying. A great reclaiming of the joy of romance for Christians living God’s way! Great read!
Top 5 Ideas:
1. “Man in his sinfulness may distort it, but in the context of marriage, sex itself remains an unblemished, untainted gift from God” (14).
2. “The best sex and the deepest human intimacy are only possible when, first, sex takes place within the context of marriage, and, second, that couple is living in the light of God’s purpose for marriage” (20).
3. “If you have children living in the home, then of all the questions you could ask her, this one is especially revealing: ‘Do you feel more like a mother or a wife?'” (29).
4. Concerning his weekly planning time, he wrote, “The heart of this time is when I define, for each of my roles, what is most important for me to accomplish during the next seven days. I have learned that if I do not define the important, then during the week that which is merely urgent will rush in, disguised as the truly important, and will crown out everything else” (35).
5. “It’s really simple. No one should be more important to you than your wife or be the object of greater love and affection. So let us do tow things. First, let us scrutinize our lives: Is there any other passion that may be eclipsing our passions for our wives? And second, let us give to our wives whatever assurance or reassurance of this unparalleled love they may need” (96).
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
