MALE ANNOUNCER: COMING UP ON "MARRIAGE TODAY WITH JIMMY &
KAREN"... STEVEN CURTIS: WHEN WE HAD NO
CLUE ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE, SOMETIMES NO CLUE HOW TO EVEN
BEGIN TO LOVE AND UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER OR ANYTHING, TO HAVE
THAT ANCHOR, TO HAVE THAT PLACE TO RUN AND SAY, "GOD, WE'RE
TRUSTING YOU. WE'RE TRUSTING THAT YOUR WORD IS TRUE. WE'RE
ANCHORING OUR HEARTS TO THAT," AND ALL OF US ARE SAYING HE HAS
BEEN FAITHFUL THROUGH ALL THAT.
JIMMY: THIS SESSION IS CALLED "A CORD OF 3 STRANDS," AND WE'RE
CALLING IT THAT FROM-- "ECCLESIASTES" 4 SAYS, "TWO ARE
BETTER THAN ONE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GOOD REWARD FOR THEIR
LABOR. FOR IF THEY FALL, ONE WILL LIFT UP HIS COMPANION. BUT
WOE TO HIM WHO IS ALONE WHEN HE FALLS, FOR HE HAS NO ONE TO HELP
HIM. AGAIN, IF TWO LIE DOWN TOGETHER, THEY WILL KEEP WARM;
BUT HOW CAN ONE BE WARM ALONE? THOUGH ONE MAY BE
OVERPOWERED BY ANOTHER, TWO CAN WITHSTAND HIM. AND A THREEFOLD
CORD IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN." YOU KNOW, GOD CREATED MARRIAGE
IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, KAREN, AND IT WASN'T ADAM AND EVE. IT
WAS ADAM AND EVE AND GOD, AND GOD WAS THE CORD OF 3 STRANDS,
AND WHAT I WANT YOU TO HEAR FROM ALL OF THE COUPLES HERE IS JUST
SIMPLY ABOUT YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK
YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING GREAT ROLE MODELS. THANK YOU FOR
STANDING UP WHEN IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT, TELLING YOUR STORY
WHEN IT WAS EASIER NOT TO TELL YOUR STORY, AND ALL OF THAT, BUT
SEAN AND CATHERINE OVER HERE NOW, THE FIRST QUESTION--YOU
KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A DUD WITH THEM--IS, HOW DID YOU MEET?
YOU KNOW, WELL, YEAH, SO Y'ALL WERE ON "THE BACHELOR." YOU WERE
ON "THE BACHELOR." SEAN: WE MET THE OLD-FASHIONED
WAY. JIMMY: HA HA HA! YEAH.
SEAN: YES. UM, I WAS THE BACHELOR, AND I HAD 26 WOMEN ALL
VYING FOR ME, I GUESS, AND SHE-- JIMMY: THAT'S NOT RIGHT. THAT'S
JUST NOT RIGHT. SEAN: IT'S NOT RIGHT. IT DIDN'T
FEEL RIGHT, EITHER, AND, YOU KNOW, LONG STORY SHORT, I WENT
INTO THAT CRAZY WORLD NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING. I KIND OF
FIGURED, YOU KNOW, "GOD HAS OPENED THIS DOOR. I'M GONNA WALK
THROUGH IT, BUT I DON'T SEE MYSELF EVER MEETING MY WIFE ON
TV." I MEAN, THE THOUGHT OF IT JUST SOUNDED RIDICULOUS, AND I
KNOW THAT MAY SOUND HYPOCRITICAL BECAUSE I WAS THE BACHELOR AND
THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE SHOW, BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT
COULD HAPPEN, AND, LO AND BEHOLD, A COUPLE MONTHS INTO IT,
I REALIZED I WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH THIS WOMAN
RIGHT HERE. JIMMY: THAT'S AWESOME. THAT'S
AWESOME. TIM AND SHERICE-- TIM, LET ME SAY, HEISMAN TROPHY
WINNER IN 1987. KAREN: WHOO.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] JIMMY: HE--TIM HAS BEEN INDUCTED
INTO THE NFL HALL OF FAME. [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
YEAH. 17 YEARS WITH THE OAKLAND
RAIDERS. THAT'S WRONG. YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN A COWBOY.
TIM: HA! I TRIED. I TRIED. JIMMY: SHOULD'VE BEEN A COWBOY.
TIM: MICHAEL IRVIN WOULDN'T LET ME COME PLAY WITH HIM, SO--
HA HA HA! JIMMY: OK, SO HOW DID YOU GUYS
MEET? TIM: ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS
CHESTER McGLOCKTON--GOD REST HIS SOUL--HE PASSED AWAY, 42 YEARS
OLD, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT HE HAD TOLD ME ABOUT THIS YOUNG
LADY WHO LIVED IN HIS BUILDING WHO WAS A GREAT COOK, WHO WAS
BEAUTIFUL, AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, MY BOY WAS, YOU KNOW,
SETTING ME UP WITH ONE OF HIS EX-GIRLS OR SOMETHING. I WAS
LIKE, "CHET, PLEASE, MAN, DON'T DO YOUR BOY LIKE THAT,"
AND HE KEPT TELLING ME, "TIM, NO. THIS IS THE GIRL FOR YOU,
I'M TELLING YOU," AND IT TOOK ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
AT HIS WEDDING, HE HAD US SITTING TOGETHER, AND THAT'S
WHERE I MET HER. I MET HER AT THE WEDDING, AND--
JIMMY: WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR SIDE.
SHERICE: OK. LET'S START OVER. SO AT THE WEDDING, I'M STANDING
THERE WITH SOME GIRLFRIENDS, AND HE'S STANDING BEHIND ME IN THE
LINE, AND I THINK HE WENT OVER TO CHESTER IMMEDIATELY AND
ASKED, "WHO IS THAT YOUNG LADY?" AND CHESTER SAID TO HIM, "THIS
IS THE YOUNG LADY I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET YOU TO--INTRODUCE
YOU TO," SO THAT'S THE REAL STORY.
JIMMY: I GOT IT. THERE YOU GO. STEVEN CURTIS AND MARY BETH, OK,
HOW YOU ALL MET, HOW YOU FELL IN LOVE, WHEN YOU DECIDED TO GET
MARRIED, ALL OF THAT. MARY BETH: OK. WE MET AND
MARRIED IN 13 MONTHS. I WAS A FRESHMAN AT ANDERSON UNIVERSITY,
WAS 18 YEARS OLD WHEN I MET HIM, 19 WHEN WE GOT MARRIED.
I WENT TO-- I WAS A FRESHMAN, SO YOU KNOW
HOW FRESHMEN GO EARLY AT, LIKE-- I DON'T KNOW. THEY HAVE ALL
DIFFERENT NAMES, LIKE PREVIEW WEEK OR WHATEVER. MY ROOMMATE
AND I WERE IN THE BACK ROW OF THIS CONCERT, AND I KEPT
THINKING, "WELL, THERE'S AN ODD-LOOKING LITTLE MAN."
HE HAD A GREEN GUITAR, AND-- [LAUGHTER]
STEVEN CURTIS: OH, GOSH. MARY BETH: AND, UNBEKNOWNST TO
ME, I REALLY WASN'T PAYING MUCH ATTENTION--SORRY--AND I DIDN'T
HEAR THAT HIS NAME WAS STEVE CHAPMAN, WHICH IS WHAT HE WENT
BY IN SCHOOL, AND HE GOES BY STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN BECAUSE--
THAT'S A WHOLE 'NOTHER STORY-- BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER STEVE
CHAPMAN THAT DOES MUSIC, BUT-- SIDE NOTE--I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT
WAS WHO THAT WAS, WHICH MEANS WHEN I WENT TO MY MAILBOX AND
STARTED SEEING MAIL FROM STEVE CHAPMAN, I DIDN'T MAKE THE
CONNECTION THAT THAT WAS THE GUY THAT I SAW PERFORMING ON STAGE,
AND YOU AT THE SAME TIME SAW MAIL TO ME, AND YOU ACTUALLY
TOLD ME THAT YOU THOUGHT, "WOULDN'T THIS BE INTERESTING IF
I MET THIS MARY BETH CHAPMAN PERSON AND WE ACTUALLY, LIKE,
LIKED EACH OTHER AND GOT MARRIED?" AND THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT HAPPENED. NOW, STEVEN CURTIS AND MARY
BETH, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT THE TRAGEDY THAT
HAPPENED WITH YOUR DAUGHTER AND THE--
TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THROUGH AND HOW ONLY WITH
GOD'S HELP, I MEAN, WOULD YOU GUYS BE SITTING HERE HAPPY AND
IN LOVE AND WITH A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY.
MARY BETH: YEAH. IN 2008, PROBABLY MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN
THIS ROOM KNOW THAT WE LOST OUR YOUNGEST DAUGHTER MARIA AS A
RESULT OF A CAR ACCIDENT IN OUR DRIVEWAY.
IF GOD WERE NOT IN THE CENTER OF OUR RELATIONSHIP, IT IS A 100%
TRUTH THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED. MANY PEOPLE IN THIS
ROOM PRAYED FOR US AND PRAYED FOR OUR SON AND OUR FAMILY, AND
WE ARE A 100% LIVING RESULT OF PRAYERS OF PEOPLE WHO INTERCEDED
ON OUR BEHALF, SO THANK YOU, FIRST AND FOREMOST...
STEVEN CURTIS: AMEN. [APPLAUSE]
MARY BETH: AND THIS MAN RIGHT HERE IS A 100% SAFE PLACE FOR
ME, AND NOT EVEN-- NOT EVEN JUST IN THE DEATH OF
MARIA, BUT IN OUR EARLY YEARS OF MARRIAGE, HE RAN AND IS RUNNING
HARD AFTER GOD, WHICH IS WHY I RAN HARD AFTER HIM--HA HA!--
BECAUSE I SAW THAT IN HIS LIFE. I SAW IT EARLY ON WHEN WE FIRST
MET AND HOW HONORABLE HE WANTED TO BE TOWARD ME AND OUR
RELATIONSHIP, AND I'VE WATCHED HIM IN RAISING OUR 5 LIVING
CHILDREN, AND HE, STEVEN, REALLY GAVE OUR WHOLE FAMILY THE
PERMISSION TO ASK HARD QUESTIONS AND TO BE ANGRY AND TO WRESTLE
IT OUT, AND WE LANDED. IT WAS A FACE PLANT, BUT WE LANDED, AND
IT WAS SOLID GROUND AT THE END OF IT, AND LITTLE BY LITTLE, GOD
HAS BEGUN TO REDEEM. STEVEN CURTIS: THANK YOU,
SWEETHEART. UM, I LOVE YOU. I'M PROUD OF ONE OF THE MOST
COURAGEOUS--THE MOST COURAGEOUS WOMAN ON THE PLANET, AS FAR AS
I'M CONCERNED, SITTING BESIDE ME, AND THROUGH THE DARKEST OF
TRAGEDIES AND ALL OF THAT, JUST KNOWING THAT WHEN NOTHING ELSE--
WHEN WE HAD NO CLUE ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE, SOMETIMES NO CLUE
HOW TO EVEN BEGIN TO LOVE AND UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER OR ANY OF
THAT, TO HAVE THE ANCHOR, TO HAVE THAT PLACE TO RUN AND SAY,
"GOD, WE'RE TRUSTING YOU. WE'RE TRUSTING THAT YOUR WORD IS TRUE.
WE'RE ANCHORING OUR HEARTS TO THAT RIGHT NOW IN THIS MOMENT,"
AND ALL OF US ARE SAYING HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL THROUGH ALL OF IT.
JIMMY: YOU GUYS HAVE TOUCHED MANY MILLIONS OF LIVES, AND YOU
HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE PRAYING FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU HAD--YOU'D SOWN
A LOT OF SEED BEFORE THAT EVER HAPPENED. WE'RE PROUD OF YOU FOR
ALL THAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH AND HOW YOU WENT THROUGH IT, AND YOU
WILL SEE YOUR DAUGHTER AGAIN. YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE A WONDERFUL
DAY WHEN WE ALL GET BACK TOGETHER IN GOD.
STEVEN CURTIS: AMEN. AMEN. [APPLAUSE]
JIMMY: THANK Y'ALL FOR SHARING. SEAN AND CATHERINE, I WANT TO--
TALK TO YOUR GENERATION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME
WATCHING RIGHT NOW. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO YOUR GENERATION
RELATED TO MARRIAGE? SEAN: WELL, SO SPECIFICALLY, THE
THING THAT WE TOOK THE MOST HEAT OVER AND WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING
TO IS OUR DECISION TO WAIT UNTIL OUR MARRIAGE NIGHT TO HAVE SEX,
AND THE TABLOIDS GOT A HOLD OF THIS. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE,
SOMEBODY ASKED ME A QUESTION, A REPORTER, AND I ANSWERED IT
HONESTLY. HE MUST HAVE ASKED HOW OUR SEX LIFE WAS OR SOMETHING
ALONG THOSE LINES, AND I SAID WE WERE WAITING UNTIL WE GOT
MARRIED, AND FROM THAT MOMENT FORWARD, ANY TALK SHOW I WENT
ON, EVERY TABLOID, THAT'S ALL THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT--"WHY
AREN'T YOU GUYS HAVING SEX?"-- AND IT REALLY BOTHERED ME IN THE
BEGINNING. THEY LABELED ME THE VIRGIN BACHELOR, EVERY TABLOID--
"THE VIRGIN BACHELOR." IT COULD BE RESPECTABLE NEWS
OUTLETS LIKE "GOOD MORNING AMERICA." ALL THEY WANT TO TALK
ABOUT IS OUR SEX LIFE OR LACK THEREOF. I WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW
WHY WE WERE TAKING THAT STANCE, BUT THEY DIDN'T CARE TO HEAR MY
REASONING. THEY JUST WANTED TO PUT A LABEL ON US, BUT AS THE
MONTHS WENT ON, WHAT I THINK WE BOTH REALIZED IS THAT WHETHER OR
NOT THE TABLOIDS AND THE ENTERTAINMENT SHOWS AND
EVERYBODY WANTED TO HEAR OUR STORY, PEOPLE WERE STILL
UNDERSTANDING IT, AND PEOPLE WERE STILL GETTING THE MESSAGE,
AND THEY WERE SEEING GOD'S TRUTH THROUGH US. FOR ALL THE YOUNG
PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE LISTENING, YOU WILL NOT REGRET
THAT DECISION, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT SEX HERE. YOU WILL NOT
REGRET THAT DECISION TO WAIT UNTIL MARRIAGE, AND IT'S SUCH A
SPECIAL, INTIMATE THING THAT GOD HAS CREATED, AND I KNOW YOU'VE
PROBABLY HEARD THIS IN CHURCH A MILLION TIMES, AND YOU MAY EVEN
HAVE READ IT IN THE BIBLE, BUT IT'S SUCH A SPECIAL,
INTIMATE THING THAT GOD MADE FOR YOU AND THAT
ONE PERSON YOU'RE GONNA GO THROUGH LIFE WITH, YOU'RE DOING
YOURSELF A HUGE DISSERVICE IF YOU'RE HAVING SEX WITH OTHER
PEOPLE. CATHERINE: AND, TO BE HONEST,
SEAN WAS THE ONE WHO PRESENTED THAT COMMITMENT TO ME WHEN WE--
THE DAY BEFORE HE PROPOSED, HE SAID, "I AM NOT GONNA HAVE SEX
UNTIL MARRIAGE," AND I IMMEDIATELY WAS LIKE, "WAIT.
WHAT? I KNEW YOU WERE A CHRISTIAN, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE
SAY THEY'RE CHRISTIAN, AND THEY DON'T LIVE IT OUT," SO I WAS,
LIKE, VERY TAKEN BACK, BUT IMMEDIATELY I THOUGHT, "YES.
ABSOLUTELY I WILL DO THAT WITH YOU, NO QUESTIONS ASKED," AND WE
HELD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE THE WHOLE TIME. WE MADE SURE THAT
THAT COMMITMENT THAT WE BOTH MADE MEANT SOMETHING, AND I
THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED TO HEAR US SAY THAT
ABOUT SEX, BUT THAT WAS THE BEST DECISION THAT I COULD'VE EVER
MADE, IS TO SAY, "YOU KNOW WHAT? FORGET MY PAST. FORGET WHAT I
COULD HAVE DONE AND WHAT PATH I COULD HAVE TAKEN." THE WAY THAT
HE PRESENTED IT TO ME AND THE WAY THAT I HAD JUST SAID,
"ABSOLUTELY," AND I STUCK TO THAT COMMITMENT, I AM SO GLAD
THAT I DID THAT, AND I'M SO GLAD THAT HE PRESENTED IT TO ME
BECAUSE I AM--THERE'S NO LOOKING BACK, AND I AM SO HAPPY, AND I
HOPE THAT EVERYBODY REALLY LOOKS AT IT SERIOUSLY AND THINKS, "I
DON'T WANT TO MOVE IN BECAUSE THAT CHANGES SO MUCH ABOUT
A RELATIONSHIP, AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE SEX." IT'S, LIKE, THE
MOST AMAZING THING THAT I'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH.
JIMMY: WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU GUYS.
KAREN: YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT, SEAN, YOU, AS A
MAN, MADE THAT DECISION. THERE'S A LOT OF WOMEN THAT WANT TO BE
VIRGINS, BUT THE MEN PUT PRESSURE ON THEM, AND FOR YOU TO
BE THE ROLE MODEL THAT YOU ARE FOR MEN, I MEAN, THAT'S FOR--
JUST LIKE SHE SAID, "HE PRESENTED IT TO ME," AND
IMMEDIATELY, SHE'S LIKE, "WELL, YEAH." CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT THIS
GENERATION THAT YOU'RE A PART OF, HOW IT WOULD CHANGE IF MEN
SAID, "WE WILL REMAIN PURE," AND WHAT WOULD THAT DO FOR THE WOMEN
IN OUR SOCIETY? JIMMY: YEAH. NOW I WANT TO TALK
TO TIM AND SHERICE. OK. WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT
YOU LEARNED ABOUT MARRIAGE? TIM: WELL, MARRIAGE IS PROBABLY
THE MOST DIFFICULT THING THAT YOU EVER GO THROUGH, WITHOUT A
DOUBT. I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW-- THIS IS A EVER-CHANGING BEING.
[LAUGHTER] AS BEAUTIFUL AS SHE IS, IT
CHANGES ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, SO--HA HA!--I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
ADJUST TO THAT AND TO-- JIMMY: AND ALL THE MEN SAID,
"AMEN." TIM: "AMEN." HA HA HA!
JIMMY: I DON'T WANT TIM TO JUST HANG OVER THERE BY HIMSELF.
TIM: RIGHT. COME ON, Y'ALL. LOOK. YEAH...
JIMMY: I MARRIED HER TWIN RIGHT HERE.
SHERICE: I HEARD SOME WOMEN GOING, "HMM."
TIM: SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK FROM THAT STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, YOU
ALWAYS HAVE TO BE OPEN. YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE READY FOR
SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND, YOU KNOW, SO I KNOW THAT SHE'S GOT
CENTERED, SO WHENEVER THINGS-- IF THINGS START TO SLIDE
A LITTLE BIT TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, ALWAYS, "HEY, YOU KNOW,
THIS GOD THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT, LET'S GET BACK THERE,"
BECAUSE THERE, WE CAN ALWAYS BE HEAD TO HEAD
AND WE CAN ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE, AND I THINK THAT'S
THE PLACE I WANT TO BE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU
KNOW, I PLAYED FOOTBALL AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS IN MY LIFE,
BUT THIS I HAVE TO WORK AT VERY, VERY HARD. THERE IS NO
AUTOPILOT, YOU KNOW. I WISH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU COULD GO ON
AUTOPILOT, BUT YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT DO THAT BECAUSE I HAVE TO
FIND A WAY EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE'S HAPPY.
NOW, I DON'T--I FAIL, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT IT'S NOT
BECAUSE OF LACK OF EFFORT, AND SO I KNOW THAT. I KNOW THAT I
HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO PLEASE HER BECAUSE IF MAMA'S HAPPY,
EVERYBODY'S HAPPY, AND THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, AND THAT'S
HOW I TRY TO APPROACH IT. JIMMY: AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH
THAT, TIM, AND I THINK EVERY MAN WOULD. YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THEM
TO BE LESS COMPLICATED. YOU WANT THEM TO BE, YOU KNOW--HA HA HA!
TIM: SEE, YOU USE THAT WORD. I WASN'T USING THAT WORD.
HA HA HA! JIMMY: AND I'LL PAY A HIGH PRICE
FOR THAT, TOO, TIM, BUT, NO, REALLY AND TRULY, IT IS WORK,
AND IT IS EVER-CHANGING, AND THAT MAKES IT CHALLENGING, BUT
IT ALSO MAKES IT WHAT IT IS. TIM: ABSOLUTELY. A BEAUTIFUL
THING. SHERICE: THAT GOES BOTH WAYS...
TIM: OHH! SHERICE: BUT ONE THING I CAN SAY
IS, YOU WERE VERY HELPFUL AND INSTRUMENTAL WITH ME BECAUSE WE
DO A WIVES' PRAYER. A GROUP OF MY GIRLFRIENDS, WE HAVE A WIVE''
PRAYER GROUP, AND WE WALKED IN ONE DAY, AND SHE'S LIKE,
"LADIES, SIT DOWN. I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU--JIMMY EVANS.
YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO HEAR THIS," AND I'M LIKE, "UH-OH. WHAT DID
WE DO?" BUT IT WAS MORE OR LESS SAYING HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO
SUPPORT OUR HUSBANDS. YOU REALLY WERE REALLY TEACHING ON HOW THE
WIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS BIGGEST CHEERLEADER, AND WE ALL
SAT BACK--I CAN'T SAY ANY NAMES BECAUSE SOME WELL-KNOWN WOMEN--
AND WE SAT BACK AND WE SAID, "WOW," AND WE ALL HAD TO THINK
ABOUT IT, AND WE SAID, "OK, SO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT THEM
IN ALL THAT THEY'RE DOING, REALLY NOT SAY TOO MUCH, BUT TO
SUPPORT THEM AND THEN LET THEM KNOW, "HEY, I SUPPORT YOU. I
LOVE YOU," AND THAT'S OUR ROLE, NOT THAT WE CAN'T BE HEARD AND
YOU CAN'T GIVE YOUR OPINION, BUT YOU DON'T TEAR YOUR HUSBAND
DOWN. YOU DON'T BEAT YOUR HUSBAND DOWN FOR MAKING BAD
DECISIONS. YOU COME TOGETHER. COMMUNICATION IS KEY.
TIM: "BAD DECISIONS"? HA HA HA! SHERICE: BAD DECISIONS. HA HA!
HA! COMMUNICATION IS KEY, I WOULD TELL ANYONE, AND WE'RE IN
OUR FORTIES, BUT JUST COMMUNICATION IN YOUR MARRIAGE
HAS GOT TO BE NUMBER ONE. IF YOU DON'T COMMUNICATE,
THERE'S NO WAY THAT YOUR MARRIAGE IS GONNA SURVIVE
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE IN ONE CORNER AND SHE IN ANOTHER CORNER
AND YOU'RE WORKING ON THIS AND I'M IN THIS AREA AND WE'RE NOT
COMING TOGETHER. IT JUST DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT. THAT'S NOT
BIBLICAL, SO-- JIMMY: IN MARRIAGE, EVERYTHING
WE DO AFFECTS THE OTHER PERSON, AND SO THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO
SPEAK INTO IT, AND SO IT'S MEANT FOR HUSBANDS TO INCLUDE THEIR
WIVES IN DECISION MAKING IS A HUGE SHIFT...
SHERICE: AMEN. JIMMY: AND I KIND OF LEARNED
THAT THE HARD WAY, TOO. WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU
GUYS LEARNED ABOUT MARRIAGE? STEVEN CURTIS: WELL, YOU KNOW, I
THINK, ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I MEAN, REALLY
CELEBRATING THOSE DIFFERENCES. I THINK EARLY ON IN OUR
MARRIAGE, I MADE GREAT MISTAKES IN TRYING--
YOU KNOW, I HAD THIS SORT OF IDEA OF THIS IS WHAT MY WIFE IS
GONNA--HOW SHE'S GONNA RESPOND TO THINGS. AND, QUICKLY, WE
LEARNED, I THINK, WITH, YOU KNOW, COUNSELORS AND DIFFERENT
ONES WITH GOD'S DIRECTION THAT-- I THINK IT WAS OUR PASTOR AT THE
TIME, SCOTTY SMITH, THAT LIKENED US TO--BECAUSE WE WERE FANS OF
WINNIE-THE-POOH, HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, IT'S SORT OF LIKE TIGGER
AND EEYORE HAVE GOTTEN MARRIED HERE," AND...
[LAUGHTER] IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG IF YOU'RE
AROUND US TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IS THE "HOO HOO HOO! FUN,
FUN, FUN" GUY DIVING IN, SADDLING UP HIS HORSE, AND NOT
THAT MY WIFE IS IN ANY SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION LIKE EEYORE.
MARY BETH: I CAN BE FUN. STEVEN CURTIS: SHE CAN BE VERY
FUN, BUT THE WISDOM, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO ASSESS SITUATIONS
AND READ THOSE AND TO REALLY EMBRACE AND RECOGNIZE THAT AS A
GIFT FROM GOD, EVEN THE VAST DIFFERENCES AND SOME THAT WERE
REALLY HARD FOR US, YOU KNOW, TO EMBRACE AND CELEBRATE, BUT IT
WAS SO IMPORTANT AND HAS CONTINUED TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR US TO CELEBRATE THOSE, AGAIN, ALL GOING BACK TO
TRUSTING THAT GOD REALLY DOES KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING WHEN HE
BRINGS US TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF TIMES WHEN IT'S EASY
TO GO, "OK, GOD. I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THIS ONE. YOU MISSED IT ON
JUST THIS ONE," YOU KNOW. "ALL THE OTHER ONES YOU GOT RIGHT,
BUT THIS ONE, THERE'S NO WAY THIS COULD'VE BEEN YOUR DESIGN,
THIS IS SO DIFFERENT, WE'RE SO DIFFERENT," AND YET TO REALLY
BEGIN TO WATCH GOD REDEEM THAT AND SAY, "NO. I ACTUALLY HAVE A
REALLY BRILLIANT PLAN HERE GOING ON IF YOU'LL TRUST ME WITH IT
AND LEARN THROUGH THE PROCESS." JIMMY: WELL, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED
THAT TEACHING TODAY. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
TEACHINGS THAT I'VE EVER BROUGHT IS A MESSAGE CALLED "FLYING HIGH
IN MARRIAGE," AND IT'S A POWERFUL MESSAGE TO HELP YOU TO
HAVE THE MARRIAGE OF YOUR DREAMS AND TO HAVE A MARRIAGE THAT'S
GREAT THAT LASTS FOR A LIFETIME, AND THAT MESSAGE IS CALLED
"FLYING HIGH IN MARRIAGE." RIGHT NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNT
TO SUPPORT US HERE AT "MARRIAGE TODAY," I WANT TO SEND YOU THE
CD SINGLE OF THAT MESSAGE. IT'LL REALLY BLESS YOU. FOR YOUR
GIFT OF $75 OR MORE RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO SEND YOU THE FULL 5-PART
SEMINAR SERIES "FLYING HIGH IN MARRIAGE." AND IT HAS EMOTIONAL
HEALING AND HEALTH. IT HAS GOD'S LAWS OF LOVE. IT HAS TREMENDOUS
MESSAGES IN THERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU IN YOUR MARRIAGE
RELATIONSHIP, AND SO RIGHT NOW FOR YOUR GIFT OF $75, WE WANT TO
SEND YOU THE FULL 5-PART CD SERIES AND MY "RIGHT ONE" BOOK.
"THE RIGHT ONE" IS A BOOK ABOUT DATING AND MARRIAGE, AND IT'S
PERFECT IF YOU HAVE A CHILD OR SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW THAT'S
HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE AGE, SINGLE, DIVORCED, OR WHATEVER,
PERFECT BOOK TO HELP THEM PREPARE FOR MARRIAGE. RIGHT NOW
FOR YOUR GIFT OF $120 OR MORE, WE WANT TO SEND YOU THE DVDs AND
THE CDs OF "FLYING HIGH IN MARRIAGE," THE FULL SEMINAR, AND
"THE RIGHT ONE" BOOK AND WORKBOOK. NOW, "THE RIGHT ONE"
BOOK IF YOU'RE SINGLE, DIVORCED, COLLEGE, HIGH SCHOOL, WHATEVER,
IT'S PERFECT FOR ANYONE WHO IS SINGLE AND THEY WANT TO GET
MARRIED, AND THE WORKBOOK IS FOR YOU TO TAKE IT EVEN FURTHER BUT
ALSO TO HAVE A BIBLE STUDY OR A SMALL GROUP WORKING ON, YOU
KNOW, GETTING MARRIED AND DATING AND DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY, SO
WE WANT TO PUT THESE VERY IMPORTANT RESOURCES INTO YOUR
HANDS RIGHT NOW AS YOU GIVE TO SUPPORT US HERE AT "MARRIAGE
TODAY," AND HERE'S HOW YOU CAN DO IT.
FEMALE ANNOUNCER: IN THE "FLYING HIGH IN MARRIAGE" SERIES, YOU'LL
DISCOVER WHY YOU FELL IN LOVE, HOW TO HEAL FROM THE EMOTIONAL
SCARS OF LIFE, AND WHAT KEEPS YOUR RELATIONSHIP GROWING AND
THRIVING. SUPPORT "MARRIAGE TODAY" WITH YOUR ONLINE GIFT OF
ANY AMOUNT, AND WE'LL SEND YOU THE "FLYING HIGH IN MARRIAGE"
SINGLE. JIMMY: WE DIDN'T GET MARRIED TO
LIVE TWO SEPARATE LIVES. WE GOT MARRIED TO SHARE OUR LIVES
TOGETHER, AND WE'RE GONNA RUN THIS THING TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
FEMALE ANNOUNCER: RECEIVE THE 5-PART CD SERIES AND "THE RIGHT
ONE" BOOK FOR YOUR GIFT OF $75 OR MORE. IN "THE RIGHT ONE"
BOOK, YOU'LL GET BIBLICAL, NO-NONSENSE ADVICE ON
SUCCESSFULLY DATING AND MARRYING THE RIGHT PERSON. FOR YOUR GIFT
OF $120 OR MORE, YOU'LL RECEIVE THE 5-PART DVD SERIES,
"THE RIGHT ONE" BOOK, AND THE "FINDING THE RIGHT ONE"
WORKBOOK. INCLUDED IN THE 5-PART DVD SERIES IS A CELEBRITY PANEL
WITH STEVEN CURTIS AND MARY BETH CHAPMAN, TIM AND SHERICE BROWN,
AND SEAN AND CATHERINE LOWE. MARRIAGE CAN GET BETTER YEAR
AFTER YEAR. YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE CAN FLY HIGH IN MARRIAGE.
JIMMY: YOU KNOW, ON THE PROGRAM TODAY, YOU SAW THE CELEBRITY
COUPLES, AND THAT WAS SUCH A FUN TIME AND A POWERFUL TIME OF THEM
SHARING, BUT THE THING THAT THEY ALL HAD IN COMMON WAS JESUS, AND
THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO PORTRAY, IS, YOU KNOW, SEAN AND
CATHERINE, THEIR MARRIAGE, YOU KNOW, CAME TOGETHER AROUND
JESUS, AND WE LOVE WHAT SEAN-- YOU KNOW, HOW HE WAS SUCH A MAN
OF GOD IN HONORING HER BEFORE THEY GOT MARRIED, AND THAT NEEDS
TO BE AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY AND PEOPLE GETTING
MARRIED, IS KEEPING YOURSELF UNTIL MARRIAGE AND THE BLESSING
THAT THAT BRINGS, BUT ALSO TIM AND SHERICE AND THEIR MARRIAGE,
WHAT A POWERFUL TESTIMONY OF HOW THIS MAN--SO FAMOUS, SO GIFTED--
HAD MONEY, FAME, EVERYTHING YOU COULD WANT--BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH
WITHOUT JESUS AND HOW THAT TERRIFIC COUPLE HAS DEDICATED
THEIR MARRIAGE TO GOD AND HOW GOD HAS BLESSED THEM.
THE STATISTICS OF DIVORCE IN MAJOR LEAGUE SPORTS, PERIOD, IS
HORRIFIC, AND IN FOOTBALL IS HORRIFIC, BUT THERE IS
AN EXAMPLE OF HOW JESUS CHRIST MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE
OF A PERSON. YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT TIM AND
SHERICE AND JUST ENVY THEM AND THINK, "OH, MY GOSH, THAT'S THE
MOST INCREDIBLE COUPLE. THEY HAVE MONEY. THEY'RE
GOOD-LOOKING. THEY'VE GOT EVERYTHING." NO, NOT WITHOUT
JESUS, AND THEY KNOW THAT, AND, SEE, WHAT THE DEVIL WANTS US TO
BELIEVE IS, ALL THESE CELEBRITIES OUT THERE, WELL,
THEY'VE GOT EVERYTHING. CELEBRITIES NEED JESUS JUST THE
WAY EVERYBODY ELSE DOES, AND THIS IS WHY WE WANTED THEM TO
SHARE THEIR TESTIMONY, IS JUST AN EXAMPLE TO ALL OF US IS, WE
NEED JESUS. IF THEY NEED JESUS, WE ALL NEED JESUS, AND HE MAKES
THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, BUT STEVEN CURTIS AND
MARY BETH, WHAT A PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS COUPLE. STEVEN CURTIS
IS THE MOST AWARDED CHRISTIAN MUSIC ARTIST IN HISTORY.
HIS GRAMMYS, YOU KNOW, HIS-- THE DOVE AWARDS HE'S WON, IT'S
JUST INCREDIBLE HOW GIFTED THAT MAN IS, BUT THEY WENT THROUGH
A TRAGEDY IN THEIR FAMILY, AND MOST COUPLES THAT LOSE A CHILD
DIVORCE. THE DIVORCE RATE FOR COUPLES LIKE THAT GOES UP
DRAMATICALLY, BUT THEY MADE IT BECAUSE OF GOD. THEY MADE IT
BECAUSE GOD WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND GAVE THEM
THE STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH SUCH A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TIME,
AND WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THE CELEBRITY COUPLES TODAY, BUT LET
ME JUST SAY SOMETHING. WE NEED JESUS IN OUR MARRIAGES. PEOPLE
ASK KAREN AND I, YOU KNOW, HOW WE MADE IT IN OUR MARRIAGE.
JESUS. WE ARE MARRIED BECAUSE OF GOD, AND IF IT WERE NOT FOR OUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST-- I'M NOT SAYING BECAUSE WE WALKED
THE AISLE WHEN WE WERE 13 YEARS OLD AND GOT SAVED. I'M SAYING,
BECAUSE WE PRAY EVERY DAY AND DEPEND ON JESUS EVERY DAY IN OUR
MARRIAGE. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I'M TALKING ABOUT
AN ACTIVE, DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP ON JESUS CHRIST.
IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN MARRIAGE. IT'S THE MOST
IMPORTANT ISSUE. WHETHER TO PREDICT WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO
SUCCEED OR FAIL IN MARRIAGE IS YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH
JESUS CHRIST. WHEN GOD CREATED MARRIAGE IN "GENESIS" 2, GOD WAS
IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT MARRIAGE. IT WASN'T ADAM AND EVE. IT WAS
ADAM AND EVE AND GOD. IF YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN YOUR LIFE TO
JESUS CHRIST, I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW, OPEN YOUR HEART TO CHRIST
AND ASK HIM TO COME IN TO BE YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR, AND HE
WILL. IN AN INSTANT OF TIME, YOUR ETERNAL ADDRESS WILL CHANGE
FROM HELL TO HEAVEN, AND GOD WILL COME IN. HE'LL FORGIVE YOUR
SINS, AND FROM THAT POINT FORWARD, JESUS WILL LIVE INSIDE
OF YOU, AND YOU'LL BE A NEW PERSON. HE WILL FULFILL YOU.
HE WILL FILL YOU WITH HIS LOVE AND ABILITY TO LOVE OTHER
PEOPLE, BUT IT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE THAT WILL BE MADE IN
YOUR MARRIAGE, IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, SO I
HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED TODAY'S PROGRAM, AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL
OPEN YOUR HEART TO CHRIST IF YOU HAVEN'T, AND IF YOU'RE NOT
DEPENDING ON JESUS RIGHT NOW, I WANT YOU TO GIVE YOUR MARRIAGE
TO GOD. MAYBE YOU'RE IN A CRISIS. MAYBE YOU'RE GOING
THROUGH A TOUGH TIME. I WANT YOU TO GIVE YOUR MARRIAGE TO GOD AND
JUST SEE WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MAKES FOR YOU. I HOPE YOU'VE
ENJOYED THE PROGRAM TODAY. LISTEN. IF THIS MINISTRY'S
A BLESSING TO YOU, WOULD YOU SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY? WOULD
YOU GIVE YOUR MOST GENEROUS GIFT RIGHT NOW TO HELP US COME BACK
TO YOU AND GO TO OTHER PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, HELPING THEM
IN THEIR MARRIAGES? THE INFORMATION'S ON YOUR SCREEN.
YOU CAN CALL THE NUMBER THERE. YOU CAN GO ON OUR SECURE
WEBSITE, OR YOU CAN MAIL YOUR GIFT IN TO THE ADDRESS THAT'S
THERE ON YOUR SCREEN, BUT GIVE YOUR MOST GENEROUS GIFT TO HELP
US RAISE THE STANDARD. YOU KNOW, MARRIAGE IS UNDER ATTACK, AND
WE'RE ON THE FRONT LINES OF HELPING PEOPLE TO SUCCEED IN
THEIR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. THANK YOU FOR
GIVING, AND WATCH THIS. WE HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU.
MALE ANNOUNCER: GOING THROUGH DIVORCE IS A LOT TO ASK OF
CHILDREN AND OFTEN RESULTS IN YEARS OF EMOTIONAL PAIN.
IT'S A VIOLENT RIPPING APART OF THEIR PARENTS AND A SENSE OF
ABANDONMENT. WHAT SOMETIMES WE SEE AS A QUICK WAY OUT CAN MEAN
COMPLETE LOSS FOR A CHILD. JIMMY: YOU HAVE A 100% CHANCE OF
SUCCESS IN MARRIAGE. YOU WERE MADE FOR MARRIAGE.
MALE ANNOUNCER: "MARRIAGE TODAY" EXISTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM
THE PAIN OF DIVORCE AND TO STEER COUPLES AWAY FROM MARITAL
FAILURE BY TELLING THEM THE TRUTH. WHEN YOU STAND WITH
"MARRIAGE TODAY," YOUR INDIVIDUAL EFFORT MULTIPLIES
WITH OTHER LIKE-MINDED PARTNERS, AND TOGETHER, WE CAN REBUILD THE
LEGACY OF STRONG FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD. CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF
PARTNERSHIP TODAY AND RECEIVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THE VIDEO
STREAMING LIBRARY. BECOME A ROCK
SOLID PARTNER TODAY.
Thank you for watching MarriageToday
with Jimmy and Karen. Subscribe to MarriageToday's
YouTube channel for more marriage-building videos
and updates.
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