For nearly a decade, Chip Ingram has been bringing the truths of God’s Word to the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. “I was asked to speak at The Cove seven or eight years ago and have enjoyed a great relationship since,” he said.
He enjoys coming back to speak at a place who bears the name of a man who encouraged him during his early pastoral years. “His biography, Just As I Am, had a big impact on me as a pastor when God was growing things beyond my capacity to lead it. His story gave me hope and confidence.”
Now, Ingram is bringing that same hope and confidence to married couples at the Cove November 12-14 when he leads a seminar titled House or Home?: Four Essentials for Your Marriage.
As a pastor, Ingram has seen the ups and downs of many marriages. He says most people have dreams about marriage that represent our ultimate vision of what marriage will be like, yet so few of us realize those dreams. He relates it to three of the many key problem areas in Christian marriages:
- Lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities
- Misunderstanding of God’s design for marriage
- Influence of a secular world to do marriage their way rather than God’s way
“God has a dream for marriage and He plants it in our heart,” says Ingram. “But understanding God’s dream for marriage and actually living it are two very different things.
“The whole world will tell you that there’s someone out there and they look a certain way, and own certain things, and they’ll provide certain things. God created marriage and made you for oneness. The root for oneness cannot be found in the world – the root to oneness begins with God.”
Another thing he says married couples should remember is that the greatest thing that can ever be done for a marriage is walking with God.
“God’s ultimate design for marriage is like everything else He’s designed – for His glory. To enhance His reputation. To reveal who He is, His holiness, faithfulness, giving and generosity,” Ingram explained.
“As you get closer to God, you grow closer to one another. That spiritual component is completely absent in secular marriage. And unfortunately, it is almost completely absent in most Christian marriages.”
During this seminar at the Cove, married couples can learn how to make deep connections with their spouses, build marriages that last, and explore biblical principles designed for the family.
*This seminar is designed for couples under the age of 45. Register today!
Chip Ingram is an accomplished author and the senior pastor of Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California. He is also president and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, an international discipleship media ministry that provides teaching through radio, TV, and interactive online discipleship pathways.
