Emphasis Preaching Journal

Fireproof is a movie with a strong agenda: Stay married, lead an honest life, and let your faith in Jesus Christ guide you. Actor Kirk Cameron stars as Caleb Holt a firefighter whose marriage is in trouble. After a decade of marriage, Caleb and Catherine have drifted apart and to the point where they could move on without each other. While Caleb enjoys his status as a hero, it comes at the expense of his marriage. His wife, Catherine, is tired of being alone in their relationship and wants him to devote more time to their family. When she points out that he has worked 43 straight days Caleb replies, “That doesn’t mean I have to stop.” The remainder of the movie shows how he does stop and reconnect with his wife. In a recent interview Kirk Cameron reflected on his own seventeen-year marriage. “To love somebody unconditionally, you have to stop and think about what that means. Love is not a feeling that you simply fall into and fall out of.” With so many movies glamorizing broken relationships almost to the point of encouraging affairs, Fireproof is refreshing. Cameron concludes his interview with these words, “Hollywood ought to take notice.” King David was at the height of popularity and perhaps he thought he could do no wrong. Driven by lust he commits adultery with Bathsheba, another man’s wife. His affair leads to deception and ultimately murder. This episode would eventually lead to David’s downfall. Those of us who are married need to “fireproof” our marriages by proactively spending time together.