Gary Lee ThomasAnmeldelser

Great information on how to relate/deal with toxic people.

¿Y qué tal si el matrimonio, más que para ser felices es para ser santos?

Thought-provoking survey of various ways to experience the presence of God.

This is a must read for anyone wanting to really guard, strengthen and fortify their marriage. Issues arise, storms come, challenges are inevitable but marriages don't have to fall prey to them. Gary speaks from a wealth of pastoral wisdom and insight in his ever real and practical way to leave you with tools that will help you make your marriage a fortress. He shares real life stories and sage advice from leaders in the field of marriage. He addresses relationships from dating to long time marriages all coupled with God's word to give you tools that are solid. Each chapter ends with takeaways that are invaluable. It's easy to read and straight forward. He laid a foundation of Biblical marriage in his book Sacred Marriage. He added depth with his book Cherish. I would recommend these as well. And Making Your Marriage a Fortress provides the necessary nuts and bolts needed to safeguard and be prepared for your marriage to be fortress strong. We will be using this book as a training tool in our church's marriage ministry. I received an ARC for which I am very grateful. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Overall I think the concept is great. I think he provides a lot of helpful information and perspective. I also think the questions at the end are great for processing motivations for pursuing dating relationships.

Writing: 4.5; Theme: 5.0; Content: 5.0; Language: 5.0; Overall: 4.5

Many Godly principles on producing a marriage that is pleasing to God- a Sacred Marriage. Seeking God's best as we seek holiness more than happiness in our most vital relationship on earth- our marriage relationship. Very solid teachings in this volume that I will definitely read again and highly recommend.

***July 1, 2022***½

His points are fair, but he uses many extreme examples to make them. He tends to focus mainly on negative reasons to marry well: look at all the ways your life will be miserable if you don't marry well. It can be depressing. It may be what some people need.
I don't *recommend* it to anyone, but I won't dissuade anyone from reading it, either.
If you choose to read it, don't let it be the only marriage book you read. :)

Writing: 4.5; Theme: 5.0; Content: 5.0; Language: 5.0; Overall: 4.5

***April 20, 2022*** (Read with Kristin)½

Discover your soul's path to God.

This book revealed a different goal for marriage, giving good reasons for the commitment and work (marriage is work). It makes the goal a more prepared and worthy individual, building yourself into the person God wants. I did find it tedious towards the end, as it seemed to make the same points repeatedly, but I liked the points he made.

I have read many books that Gary Thomas has read and for the most part can say that I enjoy them. The fact that he chose to write something on this subject matter does not surprise since it seems to be a popular subject to write on. I have to say honestly that the title is cute - it is one thing that caught my attention. As a youth teacher I am constantly telling the youth that their bodies matter to God because they are the temple of God. This fact alone should stir each of us to take better care of what God created as a special place for the indwelling of his spirit.

In this book Thomas explores the negative and positive aspects of caring for ones body. He ties the healthy body to a healthy soul. His main goal is to show that our desires should not be for the outward appearance but should be for the goal of growing closer to God.

I would recommend this book for someone who is looking to make changes in their lifestyle while staying focused on God's design.

Thank you Zondervan and LibraryThing for this review copy.

This is 52 week devotional is set up for one devotional a week. The intent of the author is that readers practice what they study the remaining 6 days of the week. I really appreciate the fact that Gary Thomas tells the readers to do other studies the remaining days, thus encouraging couples to study together all days of the week. I like the fact that this is a stand alone devotional. It is not simply a rewrite of the book by the same title (Sacred Marriage), but rather is fresh and new. In this devotional Gary Thomas states that he is applying what is taught in the book. I can't wait to read the book as well. I also am pleased that I could read the Sacred Parenting devotional and not worry about it being a remake of the book that was so good. Too often authors follow up a great book with a "devotional" that is just a synopsis of the book and tends to dissapoint. In the end this is challenge to become a Christ-centered spouse. This is an excellent study!
Thank you Zondervan for this review copy.

As Christians, we often feel the guilt and responsibility of meeting the needs of unhealthy people in our lives. Whether a sibling, parent, spouse, coworker, or friend, toxic people frequently seek to frustrate our life's calling. While you're seeking first God's kingdom, they're seeking first to distract your focus and delay your work.
Instead of attempting the impossible task of mollifying toxic people, it's time we dedicate our energy to a more worthwhile effort: completing the work God has given us by investing in reliable people. It's only when we learn to say no to bad patterns that we can say yes to the good work God has planned for us.
Drawing from years serving as a pastor, Gary Thomas, bestselling author of Sacred Marriage, looks at biblical examples from the lives of Jesus, Paul, and Nehemiah to give you insightful, biblical takeaways that you can apply right away.

Gary Thomas details nine spiritual temperaments and--like the Enneagram and other tools do with personality--encourages you to investigate the ways you most naturally express yourself in your relationship with God. He encourages you to dig into the traits, strengths, and pitfalls in your devotional approach so you can eliminate the barriers that keep you locked into rigid methods of worship and praise.

Truth be told, I skimmed it. This is not a book to savor; it's to be scarfed. A summary is great - in fact, it's probably better than the actual content. His argument is this: there are many paths that lead to God, not merely going to church and reading your Bible. Here are 9 of them, with a personalized self-assessment for each.

Highly recommended for conservative evangelicals!

Very good book - highly recommended if you are looking for a spouse. It's written from a conservative Christian perspective. Regardless if that's good thing or not to you, Gary Thomas has tons of wisdom and I'd recommend this book for all young Christians.

This book is not about how to be a better parent. It shows you how to see God in your children and become a better person through them! I can't even express how much this book has affected me! I'm so glad I read it before my son got any older than 9 months. I know I will have a very different outlook from here on as he grows and becomes the man he is destined to be.

Whether you have kids, want kids, or aren't quite sure about kids I recommend picking up this book and giving it a shot! I definitely cherish this little miracle God decided to bless me with so much more than I did before!

Gary Thomas's Sacred Marriage has attained the rank of a contemporary classic. Its unique and inspiring perspectives on marriage as a spiritual discipline have influenced well-known church leaders, popular teachers, and thousands of readers worldwide.
Sacred marriage doesn't tell how to build a better marriage-it shows how your marriage can help you deepen our relationship with God. From the practice of forgiveness, to the ecstasy of lovemaking, to the history you and your spouse create together, everything about your marriage is filled with the potential for discovering and revealing Christ's character.
Now with discussion questions for couples and small groups, this book may very well alter your marriage profoundly. It will most certainly change you. Because whethr it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God.

I have appreciated Gary Thomas's writing in the past and may not have given this book a fair shake. I started this book midstream, in a church small group with his discussion of Love. I was underwhelmed. After love, we jumped around a bit and I finished the book on my own. Some helpful discussions and will happily hold on to this book, but I think I have better books on the virtues than this and think his appropriation of the Christian tradition is a little limited.

This book has a simple but valuable premise. Treat your spouse as you want to have your son or daughter treated. God is not only your father, but also as your father in law. I highly recommend reading this book and apply this you your marriage.

Very good book about a precious gift given by God but often mis-trusted by Christians. If you've been guilty of being suspicious of anything that feels good, you need to read this book. Would be great in combination with Worldliness by C J Mahaney.

Lifelong Love
Gary Thomas

Book Summary: Gary Thomas believes couples often settle for too little when it comes to marriage. We fail to understand how deeply God cares about our spouse. We diminish our need to not only understand what biblical love really is, but also to become a people who excel at it. We let ourselves drift apart instead of making the daily choices to grow closer together. Whether your marriage needs a complete makeover, a touch up, or just a new purpose, A Lifelong Love promises to set your relationship on an entirely new dimension. You will never look at worship or your spouse in the same way again. You will understand how living for that day will so radically transform the decisions you make this day. And Gary will guide you through the power shifts and seasonal mine fields that blow up so many marriages so that you can grow in your love instead of in your disappointment. Thirty years of study and two decades of working with couples has led Gary Thomas to his most significant book yet on the relationship between husband and wife. Find out for yourself what all the fuss is about—and why A Lifelong Love is sure to challenge the way the church talks about marriage.

Review: Fantastic book!!! Read it slow and think about the various Biblical references. He has such insight about God’s plan for marriage. I found the topic thought provoking and worth praying about. I agree that marriage changes as time continues. I agree with Mr. Thomas when he talked about all the books that abound on have a ‘happy marriage’ in the earthly sense, he sees contentment and satisfaction is a choice. Another excellent point is that marriages that are me centered is not the point of marriage. It is other centered. As that topic and idea was explored it was freeing and frightening. Yet, that is exactly how our relationship with God. It explored out others are most important and that you have to pray and love your spouse without wanting to get anything, oh that is so hard. Mr. Thomas has such insight into relationships and the Bible it is a wonderfully freeing concept with biggest question being reward in heaven or on earth. If I seek only getting for me from my relationship than I will have my reward, if I seek my husband’s best than I will see the Lord in my marriage and thus my reward will be in heaven. One of the best things that was tapped into is that even if my husband does not give me attention or affection, I will always have God, who cares for me more than anyone else does. This was a great comfort. It was such a comfort to know that Mr. Thomas sees both sides of the coin when talking to couples and wants the best for both. It is a must read for newlyweds to those who are celebrating a golden anniversary.

I would like to thank Net Galley and David C Cook for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

A very helpful book, focussing on nine different pathways that people meet with God. The author explains early on that these are not the same as personality preferences - such as the Myers-Briggs or Enneagram systems - although there are some obvious correlations.

There's a chapter on each of the pathways. Each one has an explanation with some examples from Scripture and from other lives; some suggestions; some warnings against extremes, and a useful short questionnaire enabling the reader to build up a general profile.

As I read the first few, my scores on the questionnaires were all around 12-15, and I wondered if anything would apply to me. Then at last I read the last two - the contemplative and the intellectual - and scored 24 and 21 respectively. That made a lot more sense.

Nicely balanced, well written, clearly presented. It's made clear that these are nine different equally valid ways of finding God, and that we mostly have one or two preferred ways, although it's worth experimenting with others from time to time. my only slight reservation was the insistence -repeated a few times - that it was of vital importance to be part of an established congregation meeting for services... even though he also points out that one hour per week can do very little to meet most people's spiritual needs overall.

Recommended.

The premise of this book is that Christians often feel guilty about taking pleasure in life. I wasn't too sure that I agreed; I was frankly surprised at his suggestion coming from a fairly materialistic culture. But he makes some good points. We can spend so much time trying to avoid doing wrong that we forget to take pleasure in what is good - in the abundance of what God has created. He suggests that sometimes we fall into temptation because of boredom, or because something is wrong in our lives which may often be solved by relaxation, intimacy or a good hobby.

There are chapters focussing on different themes within the overall idea of Christians taking pleasure in their lives. Chapman points out that Jesus enjoyed many good things - he was accused of being a glutton and drunkard by his enemies, which suggests that he loved to relax over a good meal and a glass of wine. He asks the reader to consider what they enjoy, and to make time to do whatever it is - we are not created for continual work or suffering.

A balance is needed, of course, and we're also warned about too much pleasure, about the dangers of materialism, and about apparently 'safe' pleasures that can lead us into serious problems.

I don't know that I found this life-changing, but it was reassuring and encouraging in a low-key kind of way, and very readable. Recommended.

This book is more or less a book for couples who are already married and having difficulties. There are some questions for discussion and reflection at the end of each chapter. Its tone is quite a bit different--more practical and less philosophical--than his seminal work Sacred Marriage. Persons who are just beginning the marriage journey will be better served by his earlier work. This one is recommended for Christian couples who are unhappy in their marriage as it may assist in resolving some of the issues that are keeping you from love. This review is based on an e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review.