Welcome to the Marriage Challenge! Our goal is to help you have the best marriage possible. We hope the next few weeks will be filled with helpful insights and practical ideas that will help you reach that goal. Just a reminder…this is not about how you can change your spouse. This is more about how you can love your spouse. So, let’s get started!

Week 1 Challenge:

1. Pray for your marriage every day. Pray that God would reflect Himself in you.
2. Read chapters 1 and 2 in your book.
3. Write a letter to your spouse. In it, share 3 reasons why you love them.
4. HUSBANDS: Schedule an uninterrupted, romantic date night before Sunday with your wife… something SHE would like. On the date, read your letters to each other. *For creative date ideas, see below.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:3-8 (Today’s New International Version)

Date Ideas:

• Pick up take-out or subs and eat on a blanket on the beach under the stars. Park near an ice cream shop, grab a couple cones and take a stroll along the beach or pier. Don't forget money for parking!
• For a longer date, go to City Place in West Palm Beach and eat at two different restaraunts for main course and dessert.
• Try something different. Bring dinner to the drive in movie theater in Lake Worth. Set up a picnic blanket or get fancy and eat on a card table w/ folding chairs.
• For something less expensive, make your wife a candle light dinner at home. Rent a DVD...let your wife choose the movie :)

Week 2 Challenge:

1. Pray with your spouse, for your spouse this week.
2. Read Chapters 3 and 4 in “For Men/Women Only”.
3. Create a list of things that you love your husband/wife to do and schedule a time to talk about them. Men, you are in charge of setting up the time for this. Remember to be positive. This is NOT a time to be critical.  Be specific and encouraging
4. Break out the Barry White and enjoy the “Sextacular Sex Challenge” 3 times per week with your spouse...of course, unless your husband says that is too much. Women, you are in charge of making this happen.

Week 3 Challenge:

1. Pray with your spouse, for your spouse this week.
2. Read chapters 5 and 6 in “For Men/Women Only”.
3. Husbands, plan a fun date night for your wife. Ask your spouse this question on your date:  What has been the thing you enjoy most about our marriage? 
4. Continue the “Sextacular Sex Challenge” with your spouse.

Week 4 Challenge:

1. Pray with your spouse, for your spouse this week.
2. Finish reading “For Men/Women Only”.
3. Choose one way you can show love to your spouse this week and put it into practice. How can you bless him? How can you bless her? Be creative. Think outside the box. Think of what you did when you were dating.
4. Keep enjoying the “Sextacular Sex Challenge” with your spouse…
5. Commit to personally working on one thing in your marriage this summer that would significantly increase your spouse’s satisfaction. Remember, falling in love is easy. Staying in love takes work.