"WE WOULD NOT BE MARRIED IF IT WEREN’T FOR YOU." Recently, as a young couple was leaving my office after counseling, the wife suddenly stopped, turned around, and exclaimed, “I just want you to know that we would not be married if it weren’t for you.” Of course, these were wonderful words to hear, affirming yet again what God does through His Word. But, they also gave me an opportunity to better clarify what Hope for Life is all about. I was able to explain that the “you” is not merely Continue Reading
Marriage Book Available
Mark's book, Marriage For The Wise: Practical Biblical Wisdom For Marriages is now available for ordering online. An in-depth, interactive study and workbook, Marriage For The Wise is a comprehensive marriage and pre-marital resource, and is one of the main tools used in Hope For Life's marriage counseling, classes, and conferences. Unity, communication, marital roles, conflict, and parenting are just a few of the topics covered in this practical biblical handbook. An excellent resource Continue Reading
True Love or Manipulation? A Critique of the Best-Selling Book Love & Respect
True love. What is it? How do we define it? Is there a difference between what the world says love is and what Scripture says? First Corinthians 13, arguably the most well-known definition of love in the Bible, gives us a straightforward list of what love--real love--looks like. And right in the middle of this list, we are told that one of the earmarks of true love is that it is "not self-seeking." Would it surprise you then to learn that one of the most popular and best-selling books Continue Reading
2013 + A Year of Firsts
Without a doubt, this year has been one of many firsts + big changes for the ministry of Hope For Life and the Baker family! Starting off, in January, our ministry office was relocated to the Willow Dental building, after more than a decade at the Youth For Christ office in downtown Fresno. February and March were spent teaching marriage classes and preparing for upcoming events. In April, we facilitated Hope For Life’s first Marriage Conference at Riverpark Bible Church, and then our Continue Reading