Kirk Cameron - Love Worth Fighting For

Photo by Don Burk of The Florida Times-Union

In July 2011 Kirk Cameron and Warren Barfield were featured at First Baptist Church of Orange Park for the Love Worth Fighting For Marriage Event. 

Conference set up began immediately following our morning service. Warren Barfield and his brother Jeffrey arrived early and were in the foyer. They had been traveling all morning from Orlando and were in casual-mode (which is common for these guys. . .and makes them my heroes.) Warren shared that apparently, they confused or maybe even scared our ushers. One of our men kept quizzing them as to why they were there and just hanging out in the foyer. They laughed about it as they shared the encounter with me. Apparently, some of our ushers were at "Threat Level Red" and were concerned about these casually dressed guys with guitar cases claiming to be musicians. So much for first impressions.

Mike Williams, founder of Feed Your Faith, and the sponsor of the event arrived. They had just completed two days of conferences - one in Ocala and one in Winter Park. We were the last leg of this three day tour. I know these guys were beat, but they had great attitudes. There was a team of about ten here to set up product tables, organize Feed the Hungry child sponsorships, set up the sound and stage, and get everything ready for the event.

Kirk and his son Jack arrived.

Kirk hosted a special Q & A time with some attendees. This was a great time for him to share his story of how he came to Christ and why he does what he does. The questions were great, for the most part. As I was standing with Warren over to the side, he began sharing that just about in every town, an aspiring actress will arrive just to give Kirk a headshot photo with hopes he will pass it along so she can become the next big star. No, it's not the same woman in each city, but there seems to always be one.

Barfield was proven right as one woman presented Kirk with such a gift. Kirk was gracious and took questions. Warren just stood in the corner and laughed.

The building started filling up and we knew that about 900 tickets were sold ahead of time. When the doors opened, the crowd began to fill the building. Soon over 1,200 were in their seats..

I was able to spend some time talking with Warren and his brother Jeffrey. Not only are they gifted musicians and singers, there is a depth to them that is inviting. We talked for some time about church, frustrations, and family time and more.

I also had the opportunity to talk with Kirk one-on-one. Kirk has a passion for the things of God. One reporter asked me if I thought Kirk's celebrity status played a role in attracting people at the event. Of course it plays a role, but the thing I discovered about Kirk, is that he understands God has given him a story and. platform. His story and his celebrity history most notably as the character Mike Seaver from the television show Growing Pains has given him a platform for sharing boldly about Christ and about things that matter.

Kirk and Warren were great on stage. Kirk opened with a self deprecating act that took people back to the 1980s.

He soon transitioned into the teaching about life and marriage. He readily admitted he is not a marriage counselor or pastor. He shared that his experience as a Christian husband of twenty years to Chelsea Noble and father of six children gives him some things worth sharing.

The message was clear and plain. The points and ideas shared are not new, for there is nothing new under the sun, but were good, clear reminders of what it takes to live our lives for God and to be the husband or wife God has called us to be.

Later in the evening he used illustrations and clips from his film Fireproof. These clips highlighted the truth of what he had been saying.

Warren Barfield led in worship and performed some of his most known songs. Perhaps his most well-known song is "Love Is Not A Fight" as featured in the film Fireproof. One of the most poignant moments of the day was when Warren shared how the song came to be. I had thought he must have written it for the movie. It was written after a pretty serious fight with his wife that almost led to their separation. Warren has a great sense of humor and is a great storyteller. Even though the story about the fight was hard for him to share, the way he shared it drew the crowd in and held us. Then, he performed the song. It was an incredible moment.

Events are not always the best things for churches to host. Many times, events are just events. What I mean by that is they are short-sighted and built upon a model that believes if people are in the building or that a group shows up, it is successful. 

I talked with Mike Williams about this and determined that this event would be more than that. At least it had the potential to be. 

It really is up to those in attendance. What will they do with what they heard?

Kirk asked me if we had a program for the couples to join that could help them in the area of marriage and life. I shared that our desire is that believers grow together in community. That is best fleshed-out in our small groups. Joining a Sunday School class isn't the answer. Couples won't grow closer to each other and with other couples in community if they are just attending a class one hour a week without engaging personally.

However, if couples (and individuals) will invest in each other, if they will become a part of a small group that is intent on growing deeper and more intimate with God together, some incredible life change can happen.

Married couples need other married couples living the journey with them. Older couples can pour into younger ones. Mistakes and challenges can be avoided. Life can be abundant and full. This is God's design. 

Couples can read a marriage book together. This is a good thing to do.

Couples can go to a marriage conference or retreat together. This is a good thing, too.

Couples can even go see a marriage counselor. Another good thing.

However, it is my conviction that couples need to be in community with other believers. It needs to be a pure, holy, safe community for faith development and growth. Love is worth fighting for, but you don't have to fight alone. 

Love is worth fighting for.

Your marriage is worth it.