Vertical Marriage: The One Secret That Will Change Your Marriage

by Dave Wilson, Ann Wilson, John Driver (With), Dennis and Barbara Rainey (Foreword by)

Overview

For anyone who is married, preparing for marriage, or desperate to save a relationship teetering on the brink of divorce, marriage coaches Dave and Ann Wilson offer hope and strategies gleaned from personal experience and Scripture that really work. Vertical Marriage will give you the insight, applications, and inspiration to transform your marriage into everything you hoped it would be.

Honest to the core and laugh-out-loud funny, Dave and Ann Wilson share the one secret that brought them from the brink of divorce to a healthy and vibrant relationship.

If you had asked Dave how their marriage was doing on the night of their tenth wedding anniversary, Dave would have rated it a 9.8 out of 10, and he would have even guaranteed that Ann would say the same. But instead of giving him a celebratory kiss, Ann whispered, "I've lost my feelings for you."

Divorce seemed inevitable for the Wilsons, but starting that night, God began to reveal to Dave and Ann the most overlooked secret of getting the marriage we are looking for: a horizontal marriage relationship just doesn't work until your vertical relationship with Christ is first.

As founders of a multi-campus church and marriage coaches with 30 years of experience, Dave and Ann share the hard-earned but easy-to-apply biblical principles that ensure a strong marriage. Written in a highly relatable dialogue between both husband and wife, Vertical Marriage will guide you toward building a vibrant relationship at every level, giving you the tools you need to embrace:

• Effective communication
• Fair conflict
• True romance
• A deeper connection

Through their unique perspectives, Dave and Ann share an intimate, sometimes hilarious, and at times deeply poignant narrative of one couple's journey to reconnecting with God and discovering the joy and power of a vertical marriage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310362043
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	406,487
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 5.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Dave Wilson was the Detroit Lions chaplain for 33 seasons, a lead pastor, and a nationally touring speaker as well as the radio host with his wife, Ann, of the nationally syndicated radio show Family Life Today. But it’s his singular passion for enriching lives through spreading the Word and wisdom of God that truly defines him. As the cofounder, alongside his wife, of Kensington Community Church, a national, multi-campus church that hosts more than 14,000 visitors every weekend, Dave’s energy and experience allow him to engage with crowds of any size.

Ann Wilson has served alongside her husband for more than twenty-five years, cofounding Kensington Community Church, speaking at Family Life’s Weekend to Remember®, and hosting their own marriage conferences across the country. They live in the Detroit area, and they have three grown sons, CJ, Austin, and Cody; three daughters-in-law; and five grandchildren.

John Driver, M.S. is an award-winning writer and collaborator of more than twenty-five books. A former teacher with a history degree from the University of Tennessee, he lives near Nashville with his wife, Laura, and their daughter, Sadie. He serves as the executive and teaching pastor at The Church at Pleasant Grove and hosts the weekly podcast Talk About That.

Table of Contents

Foreword Dennis Barbara Rainey 13

Part 1 Going Vertical

1 Six Words That Changed Everything 17

2 "I've Lost My Feelings for You" 25

3 A Surprise in the Honeymoon Suite 38

4 The Vertical Starts Here 48

Part 2 Conflict and Communication

5 "Come Back Here and Fight Like a Man!" 65

6 Welcome to the Jungle 75

7 The Shapes of Wrath 85

8 Just Zip It 97

9 Tear Down That Wall 107

10 "All I Hear Is, 'Boo!'" 125

11 What Every Wife Longs For 138

Part 3 Intimacy

12 Sex in the Chapel 151

13 Don't You Think about Sex All the Time? 161

14 Dave's Neck Problem (Ann's Perspective) 178

15 Dave's Neck Problem (Dave's Perspective) 186

Part 4 Living Vertical

16 All In 205

17 Victory through Surrender 218

Acknowledgments 229

Going Vertical: Questions for Couples 233

Editorial Reviews

As a professional athlete, I utilize experts in every facet of my career to be the best. Striving to be the best, of course, doesn't stop on the field. Elise and I want the most fulfilling marriage we can have, and Vertical Marriage, written by two relationship experts, shows us how to have it by striving to be vertically aligned with Christ. Elise and I trust Dave and Ann Wilson as true experts and mentors—as a couple who has been through it all.

Detroit Lions receiver and Super Bowl champion Golden and Elise Tate

My favorite marriage speakers finally wrote a book—one I've been asking them to write since I first heard them speak on stage almost ten years ago. The Wilsons are the real deal, and reading Vertical Marriage gives us a peek into their life and marriage, but not in a stuffy Christian way where you listen to some pastor who doesn't really let you into their real world. This book isn't like others that seem far from obtainable. You'll get practical advice and wisdom from a couple who has gone the distance and are willing to help you learn from their mistakes so you don't make them. This book will encourage you and may even leave you feeling good about where you're at in your marriage, not just overwhelm you with depressing news and more work to do.

founder of XXXchurch.com Craig Gross

Dave and Ann Wilson have a unique ability to authentically reveal their scars, glorifying God as the centerpiece throughout the process. Their impact on our marriage is immeasurable, and we are eternally grateful for both of them.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Drew and Kristin Stanton

Vertical Marriage will provide a virtually life-changing message for all couples seeking God's presence in their marriage. It's a very entertaining read packed with real-life experiences that all married couples can relate to. Dave and Ann Wilson provide dual perspectives that blend seamlessly into the singular concept of a vertical marriage.

seven-year NFL head coach and two-time Super Bowl Jim Caldwell

I think what I love most about my friends Dave and Ann Wilson is their honesty, coupled with their passion for couples to experience marriage as God intends it. Wherever you are in your relationship, Vertical Marriage will move you closer together as you learn how to go vertical together.

cohost of Family Life Today Bob Lepine

I had an idea that I could transform my husband into the man I wanted him to be. By the grace of God, Dave and Ann Wilson came into my life. I came to see that my husband didn't need to be fixed; my own personal view did. With their guidance I was able to refocus, and fifteen years later, we're still putting the Do Not Disturb sign on the door every night!

wife of the hottest NFL coach around—Mike Fu Koren Furrey

Dave and Ann Wilson have been gifted by God to speak into the hearts of marriages across this country. We've been blessed to sit under and learn relationship principles from the Wilsons for three years, and we still seek their counsel today. What a blessing Vertical Marriage will be to countless couples who will experience in print what so many have experienced in person through their church, their speaking ministry, and their ministry as chaplains for the Detroit Lions for more than thirty years. Their transparency, commitment to biblical marriage, and pertinent stories will convict, challenge, and encourage everyone who reads this book.

seventeen-year NFL quarterback and current high sc Jon and Jen Kitna

If your marriage isn't vertical, then it's just a matter of time before your relationship will pay the price. Or...you could read this book and transform your marriage into a page-turning, smoking-hot, this-is-more-like-it love story. Your call.

author of Grace Filled Marriage Dr. Tim Kimmel

It's rare to have a great marriage. It's rare to be a great communicator. Put those things together, and you have the right book for the right person from the right authors. I'm a fan of Dave and Ann Wilson and Vertical Marriage. They have helped me, and they will help you too.

Brian Tome

Dave and Ann Wilson are amazing at breaking down how and why to do marriage right. Not only is the information in Vertical Marriage legit, but it works. They know how to make it fun. I'm also amazed that Dave finally sat still long enough to write it all down!

comedian and author of The Parts We Play Michael Jr

One of the reasons I have a healthy marriage today is because of how Pastor Dave and Ann Wilson poured into me as a teenager. As someone who spent my high school years in their church, they modeled an authentic and persevering marriage centered on Christ. Dave and Ann are transparent, wise, and relatable. You will get to be a 'fly on the wall' as they share their stories and hard-won insight. Vertical Marriageis not about trying harder; it's about trying again. I'm so glad they tried again and again. Our marriage shapes future generations. Let this book encourage you, no matter what season you're in.

speaker and author of No More Faking Fine Esther Fleece Allen

We athletes invest countless hours of time and money into giving ourselves the greatest chance of not just success but greatness. Taking the time to read this book will do for your marriage what all great athletes do for their careers—find the people who are the absolute best at what they do and allow them to pour into every part of you as an athlete. This book will radically change you as a person and a partner, and, like Tiffany and me, you'll become a part of a marriage that thrives because of these teachings and principles. If you want your marriage to be different, Vertical Marriage by Dave and Ann Wilson is the difference maker.

twelve-year NFL quarterback and seven-year member Dan and Tiffany Orlovsky

I had an idea that I could transform my husband into the man I wanted him to be. By the grace of God, Dave and Ann Wilson came into my life. I came to see that my husband didn't need to be fixed; my own personal view did. With their guidance I was able to refocus, and fifteen years later, we're still putting the Do Not Disturb sign on the door every night!

wife of the hottest NFL coach around—Mike Fur Koren Furrey