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The Winning Walk with Dr. Ed Young | Ed Young - A Foundation of Marriage | December 12, 2025
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- Ed young: we have so much to be thankful for.
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- And i wanna thank you for your faithfulness, your generosity,
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- Your prayers as part of the "winning walk" family.
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- And we want to enter 2026 strong, ready to reach even more
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- People with the life-changing good news of jesus christ.
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- Let me personally thank you again for boldly giving and
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- Standing with "the winning walk," with me through
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- Your prayers and support.
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- God bless you, and your end of the year gift will be used
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- To maintain and expand god's family around the world.
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- ♪♪♪
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- Ed young: god has a plan for marriage.
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- And i've discovered that every time we follow god's plan,
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- It always works.
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- There are positively no exceptions to that.
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- And there are three kinds of marriages.
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- There are bad marriages, there are okay marriage, okay
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- Marriages, and there are great marriages.
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- If you're not married, what kind of marriage would you
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- Like to have?
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- If you are married, what kind of marriage would you like to have?
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- So we have to decide.
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- And so god, in his clarity-- people always say, "a lot of the
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- Bible i don't understand."
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- That's not your problem.
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- The problem that you and i have in the bible is the part
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- We do understand.
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- So it's very clear.
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- God has given us a formula, a design, a dream, a way in which
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- A marriage, marriages, can be all that he designed
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- For them to become.
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- And so we look back and see the essential relationship.
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- There's no other human relationship that is greater
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- Than marriage.
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- Certainly our relationship with god in jesus christ would be
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- First, but marriage is absolutely there.
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- Nobody here as humans will make a more profound, important
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- Decision in your life by saying, "i do and i will."
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- "i now pronounce you--" that has pre-eminence over
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- Everything else.
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- So let's just look back and see the history a little bit.
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- Let's go to the book of genesis.
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- Genesis chapter number 1 tells us what god did.
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- In the beginning, god.
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- Let there be. let there be.
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- Let there be. let there be.
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- And he had seven "let there be's" and he said every time,
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- "it is good."
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- And the seventh one, he said, "it is very good."
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- And then we see the beautiful, beautiful story.
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- And god said, "it's not good for man to be alone."
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- And adam says, "i sure get that."
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- He said, "i will make a helper suitable for him."
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- Now, the females get upset at the word "helper," but the word
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- "helper" in the hebrew means that something is missing.
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- It's the rest of that which should be there.
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- That's a better translation, not some subservient.
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- It is something that will be there.
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- It's something that is missing.
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- And then he said, "i will make a helper,"
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- That part that is missing.
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- "now the lord god had formed out of the ground all the wild
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- Animals and all the birds of the sea.
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- And he brought them to the man to see he would name them, and
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- Whatever the man called the living creatures,
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- That was a name.
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- And so the man gave the name to all the livestock, and the birds
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- In the sky, and the wild animals.
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- But adam, no suitable helper," the rest of something,
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- "was found.
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- So the lord god called man to fall into a deep sleep, and
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- While he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then
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- Closed up the place with flesh.
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- Then the lord god made a woman from the rib.
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- He had taken out of man and he brought her to man.
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- And adam said--" notice, god brought that woman to man.
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- Ladies, god brought your husband to you.
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- Men, god brought your wife to you.
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- Same thing.
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- The man said, "eureka!
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- That's the rest of me.
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- This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, and she
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- Shall be called woman."
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- By the way, what is the purpose of all this, of creation,
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- All the universe?
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- What is the purpose of all the animals?
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- What is the climax of all this magnificence that has come
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- Into being?
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- Ex nihilo, out of nothing, god's creative act.
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- What is the purpose? here it is.
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- Guess what? marriage.
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- Marriage.
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- You say, "well, i'll doubt that."
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- Then you don't know your bible.
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- Marriage, we've already discovered, begins right here in
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- Genesis 1. ends up the marriage feast of the lamb
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- In revelation, right?
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- And we know this particular plan for marriage is repeated in the
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- Bible by jesus in the sermon on the mount in matthew 5,
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- Matthew 18.
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- He comes back and deals with it again in ephesians 5. and all
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- The way through the bible, there's marriage, and marriage,
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- And marriage, and marriage, and marriage.
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- Now, those of you who are single, just hold on.
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- We're not going to cover every relationship.
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- We'll get to that very clearly, what that role is, so don't get
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- Bent out of joint.
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- We're talking about relationships, and the highest,
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- And most sacred, and beautiful, and magnificent relationship god
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- Has given to us is marriage.
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- And we can follow the formula, the plan, and the design.
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- And when we do, guess what?
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- It works every single time.
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- I was speaking last night and i got carried away, and i said,
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- "look, if anybody who is married follows this formula, both
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- Partners are christians, and your marriage doesn't sing, and
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- Work, and soar, i will personally go find $100,000 and
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- Write you a check, so you'll make some quick money."
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- And i wish i could say $1 million or $10 million, because
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- I am confident, i know beyond words.
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- So you can have a bad marriage, an okay marriage, or you can
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- Have a great marriage that god designed.
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- You say, "well, i bounce between one and one."
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- No, no, no, under the great marriage doesn't mean everything
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- Is always violins and roses.
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- I'm not saying that, but i'm saying your marriage will be
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- Bountiful, and beautiful, and growing, and significant, and it
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- Will be the center point of your life if we do it god's way.
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- Now, we have to decide.
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- Some people say, "well, it's too late for me."
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- No, it's not, not by god's grace and by god's power.
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- So what is this formula?
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- Let's look at it. it's right here.
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- "she shall be taken out of man, and that is why a man leaves his
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- Father and his mother."
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- The first thing we have to do, we have to leave.
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- We have to leave your parent, you see?
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- Leave father, leave your mother, and what does that mean?
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- It means in marriage there has to be an exclusivity.
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- It's an exclusive thing.
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- It's a private thing.
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- It's you and me, babe.
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- Exclusivity is a part of it.
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- You leave. what does it mean to leave?
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- You leave your parents, all other relationship.
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- You have your parents, you have other relationship, but the
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- Number one relationship, there's nothing challenging it, so you
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- Have to leave the financial support you have for
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- Your parents, hello.
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- Doesn't mean parents do not help, but it means that parents
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- Back up and let those married children begin to fend for
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- Themselves as early as possible.
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- You back up and let them decide.
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- Don't make that house payment.
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- Don't buy that car.
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- That'd be my recommendation.
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- Back up. let there be some struggle.
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- Let there be some discipline financially.
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- Don't overtake that.
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- There is exceptions here for a while, but that is what we must
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- Do as parents, as grandparents.
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- Back up. back up.
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- You have to back up emotionally.
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- I heard a marriage tape this week.
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- I just flipped it in and the story was told that this young
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- Couple got married.
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- Boy, they were having a great time.
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- It was perfect.
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- It was ken and barbie and the bells were ringing.
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- They had everything going for them.
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- And then they were married about six months and they had their
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- First real fight, not physically,
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- But the first real debate.
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- And i'm telling you, it went from bad to worse.
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- And she said, "i didn't know you when i married you."
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- And he said, "i didn't realize you were like this."
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- And they called old things, old grudges, old ideas.
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- And it goes on and on, and she gets hysterical,
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- And she's crying.
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- And females, i want you to know your tears are like nuclear
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- Weapons at this time.
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- And she's crying, she's hysterical, and they go
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- On and on.
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- And it gets worse and worse, and, "i don't know how we can
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- Live together.
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- We didn't make it. let's get outta here."
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- It gets overwhelming, until finally he said, "i'm outta
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- Here," and he gets up, and goes out, and closes the door, and
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- Starts walking up the street.
- 00:11:10.249 --> 00:11:11.884
- And she's just outrageously upset, and she goes and gets a--
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- Puts on a robe over her gown, and gets on some shoes, and gets
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- In the car, and packs out of the car, and takes off down the
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- Road, and sees him walking, and doesn't even look left or right,
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- And she's going home.
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- Though her mother and dad live about two hours from her,
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- She's going home to mama.
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- She takes off.
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- She gets there about, oh, 4 a.m.
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- In the morning, knowing her mother gets up early.
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- She's still crying.
- 00:11:44.950 --> 00:11:46.285
- She goes to the front door and she rings the bell.
- 00:11:46.285 --> 00:11:50.022
- She rings the bell, banging on the door.
- 00:11:50.022 --> 00:11:52.191
- "mama, mama, mama!"
- 00:11:52.191 --> 00:11:54.393
- And mother comes to the door and pulls that little, you know, the
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- Little screen, the little curtains back, and looks at her,
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- And closes it.
- 00:12:00.432 --> 00:12:01.901
- "oh, let me in, mother."
- 00:12:01.901 --> 00:12:03.969
- And she--mother pulls it back, looks at her again, closes it.
- 00:12:03.969 --> 00:12:08.073
- She's still hysterical on the porch.
- 00:12:08.073 --> 00:12:10.042
- And the mother goes and cracks the door, and puts her foot in
- 00:12:10.042 --> 00:12:14.680
- It, and says, "you've had your first fight, haven't you?"
- 00:12:14.680 --> 00:12:18.284
- "oh yes, mother."
- 00:12:18.284 --> 00:12:19.952
- She says, "go home and make it right."
- 00:12:19.952 --> 00:12:21.921
- Bang, closes the door, that was it.
- 00:12:21.921 --> 00:12:28.127
- About 10 or 12 years went by, this couple's marriage
- 00:12:28.127 --> 00:12:34.300
- Was just blossoming.
- 00:12:34.300 --> 00:12:37.303
- And she told a friend, "you know, the best thing that ever
- 00:12:37.303 --> 00:12:40.940
- Happened in my marriage was when my mother slammed the door and
- 00:12:40.940 --> 00:12:48.013
- Said, 'go home and make it right.'"
- 00:12:48.013 --> 00:12:52.785
- You see, there's an exclusivity in marriage.
- 00:12:52.785 --> 00:12:57.523
- An exclusivity in marriage.
- 00:12:57.523 --> 00:12:59.758
- So we got to watch all the financial support, we've gotta
- 00:12:59.758 --> 00:13:03.362
- Cut away the emotional support, and realize that god has put you
- 00:13:03.362 --> 00:13:07.933
- Together, and you have the ability, particularly and
- 00:13:07.933 --> 00:13:10.803
- Especially if you're in christ, to go through
- 00:13:10.803 --> 00:13:13.239
- Every single crisis.
- 00:13:13.239 --> 00:13:15.507
- Number one, leave.
- 00:13:15.507 --> 00:13:17.610
- There is an exclusivity there that we must honor,
- 00:13:17.610 --> 00:13:21.347
- First principle.
- 00:13:21.347 --> 00:13:22.948
- The next principle in here, i want you to look at it very
- 00:13:22.948 --> 00:13:25.484
- Accurately here in the account.
- 00:13:25.484 --> 00:13:28.487
- It says, "this is why a man leaves his father and mother,"
- 00:13:28.487 --> 00:13:31.657
- Because of marriage.
- 00:13:31.657 --> 00:13:33.259
- And he says, "and is united with his wife and they
- 00:13:33.259 --> 00:13:37.096
- Become one flesh."
- 00:13:37.096 --> 00:13:38.998
- That's a singularity.
- 00:13:38.998 --> 00:13:41.367
- In other words, two become one.
- 00:13:41.367 --> 00:13:43.035
- And when this happens, here is the kingdom of self meeting
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- The kingdom of self.
- 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:50.676
- Here is the kingdom of the male meeting the kingdom of the
- 00:13:50.676 --> 00:13:53.012
- Female, and you mean they are to become one?
- 00:13:53.012 --> 00:13:57.249
- And so, many times there is a kingdom battle that goes on for
- 00:13:57.249 --> 00:14:02.388
- A long, long time, not understanding that both kingdoms
- 00:14:02.388 --> 00:14:07.993
- Are to be dissolved and destroyed.
- 00:14:07.993 --> 00:14:10.896
- And now they're to have one kingdom that is operating
- 00:14:10.896 --> 00:14:14.400
- In marriage under the very kingdom of god.
- 00:14:14.400 --> 00:14:19.838
- You see, two becoming one is a tremendous challenge.
- 00:14:19.838 --> 00:14:27.446
- But when it happens, it is a magnificently beautiful thing
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- To observe.
- 00:14:33.285 --> 00:14:34.620
- Do you know the most powerful witness for christ that anybody
- 00:14:34.620 --> 00:14:38.057
- Here can make, myself included, is to see when two become one?
- 00:14:38.057 --> 00:14:43.629
- They become one flesh.
- 00:14:43.629 --> 00:14:46.365
- And that's where we would say gorilla glue or super glue
- 00:14:46.365 --> 00:14:50.436
- Comes into being.
- 00:14:50.436 --> 00:14:52.071
- And we're so intertwined with one another in every way, in
- 00:14:52.071 --> 00:14:55.708
- Every attitude, in every situation.
- 00:14:55.708 --> 00:14:58.544
- And that marriage that is alive for god in christ is the most
- 00:14:58.544 --> 00:15:03.182
- Powerful witness we can give to the world.
- 00:15:03.182 --> 00:15:05.617
- There's nothing more powerful than that.
- 00:15:05.617 --> 00:15:08.053
- To see a couple that's got it, that's glowing,
- 00:15:08.053 --> 00:15:13.692
- It's a beautiful thing.
- 00:15:13.692 --> 00:15:16.328
- That intertwineness.
- 00:15:16.328 --> 00:15:18.030
- There's no secret agendas.
- 00:15:18.030 --> 00:15:19.898
- There's nothing hidden there.
- 00:15:19.898 --> 00:15:21.500
- There's nothing that the other one doesn't know.
- 00:15:21.500 --> 00:15:23.836
- And there's no areas you can't talk about.
- 00:15:23.836 --> 00:15:25.738
- "well, we can talk about everything but sex
- 00:15:25.738 --> 00:15:27.840
- And finances."
- 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:29.174
- Oh no, two become one.
- 00:15:29.174 --> 00:15:31.176
- And the reason we have so many tragic divorcees when people
- 00:15:31.176 --> 00:15:36.382
- Have been married for a long time and there's that empty nest
- 00:15:36.382 --> 00:15:39.852
- Is because they wake up and said, "who is this woman?
- 00:15:39.852 --> 00:15:45.257
- Who is this man?"
- 00:15:45.257 --> 00:15:47.593
- In the process of child rearing, and raising, and bringing them
- 00:15:47.593 --> 00:15:51.797
- Up, they got where they didn't know each other and they didn't
- 00:15:51.797 --> 00:15:55.000
- Give the highest priority to one another.
- 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:58.303
- It was the children. it was the job.
- 00:15:58.303 --> 00:16:00.873
- It was other people.
- 00:16:00.873 --> 00:16:02.207
- It was hobbies. it was activities.
- 00:16:02.207 --> 00:16:04.777
- And they wake up and therefore they say, "i'm not gonna live
- 00:16:04.777 --> 00:16:06.445
- The rest of my life with him or her."
- 00:16:06.445 --> 00:16:08.247
- Bang, they're out of here.
- 00:16:08.247 --> 00:16:09.581
- It happens all the time.
- 00:16:09.581 --> 00:16:13.952
- Two become one, what a beautiful thing.
- 00:16:13.952 --> 00:16:18.457
- Two become one, operating with the very principles of god
- 00:16:18.457 --> 00:16:22.561
- In jesus christ.
- 00:16:22.561 --> 00:16:24.596
- It works every time.
- 00:16:24.596 --> 00:16:26.065
- It is a powerful witness to this world.
- 00:16:26.065 --> 00:16:29.468
- They'll say, "boy, what do they have that we don't have?"
- 00:16:29.468 --> 00:16:32.137
- What do they see?
- 00:16:32.137 --> 00:16:33.906
- It's because there is an exclusivity there.
- 00:16:33.906 --> 00:16:37.709
- It's because now there's a singularity there.
- 00:16:37.709 --> 00:16:42.047
- And that is a magnificent thing and almost a rare thing in the
- 00:16:42.047 --> 00:16:48.120
- Culture in which we live.
- 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:50.889
- Because some of us, even as christians, we use the bible
- 00:16:50.889 --> 00:16:54.526
- As a hammer.
- 00:16:54.526 --> 00:16:56.195
- Oh yeah, "oh, you don't know the bible like this."
- 00:16:56.195 --> 00:16:59.131
- And we call out the word of god as if it's a sledgehammer to win
- 00:16:59.131 --> 00:17:03.135
- Some kind of argument.
- 00:17:03.135 --> 00:17:04.470
- We try to--some wives or husbands try to out-pious
- 00:17:04.470 --> 00:17:07.206
- One another.
- 00:17:07.206 --> 00:17:08.540
- You know any situations like that?
- 00:17:08.540 --> 00:17:09.875
- Oh yeah, i do.
- 00:17:09.875 --> 00:17:11.210
- I've seen it many times.
- 00:17:11.210 --> 00:17:13.178
- There was a couple that got married, newlyweds.
- 00:17:13.178 --> 00:17:17.249
- Both of them were christians.
- 00:17:17.249 --> 00:17:19.184
- And so the bible teacher that the man had sat under for many
- 00:17:19.184 --> 00:17:23.122
- Years asked this young guy, just married, "how are things goin'
- 00:17:23.122 --> 00:17:28.460
- With your marriage?"
- 00:17:28.460 --> 00:17:30.729
- He said, "wow, she's having a tough time
- 00:17:30.729 --> 00:17:36.535
- Following my leadership.
- 00:17:36.535 --> 00:17:40.239
- She's not really submissive to my leadership."
- 00:17:40.239 --> 00:17:45.711
- And so the bible teacher says, "well, show me that verse
- 00:17:45.711 --> 00:17:48.380
- In the bible."
- 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:50.015
- He said, "my goodness, you mean you don't know that verse?
- 00:17:50.015 --> 00:17:52.417
- You've been teaching me the bible all these years.
- 00:17:52.417 --> 00:17:54.586
- You know that verse."
- 00:17:54.586 --> 00:17:55.921
- He said, "no, show me the verse that says that your wife needs
- 00:17:55.921 --> 00:17:58.957
- To submit to your leadership."
- 00:17:58.957 --> 00:18:00.292
- He said, "well, it's right here."
- 00:18:00.292 --> 00:18:01.627
- And he went got his bible out of his desk and he said,
- 00:18:01.627 --> 00:18:04.563
- "i want to read it to you.
- 00:18:04.563 --> 00:18:06.465
- It's in ephesians.
- 00:18:06.465 --> 00:18:07.799
- You know it.
- 00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:09.134
- Chapter number 22, it says, 'wives, submit that--'"
- 00:18:09.134 --> 00:18:10.602
- "wait a minute. wait a minute.
- 00:18:10.602 --> 00:18:12.104
- What'd you say?" "it says, 'wives submit.'"
- 00:18:12.104 --> 00:18:14.873
- He said, "no, no, that verse is not for you.
- 00:18:14.873 --> 00:18:16.208
- Didn't you say it began with, 'wives.'
- 00:18:16.208 --> 00:18:17.543
- Did you notice that?"
- 00:18:17.543 --> 00:18:18.877
- "oh," he said.
- 00:18:18.877 --> 00:18:20.946
- He said, "look at some of those verses that are for you."
- 00:18:20.946 --> 00:18:22.748
- He got the bible.
- 00:18:22.748 --> 00:18:24.082
- He said, "look here, 'husbands, love your wives just as christ
- 00:18:24.082 --> 00:18:27.653
- Loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her
- 00:18:27.653 --> 00:18:30.622
- Holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through
- 00:18:30.622 --> 00:18:33.258
- The word.'"
- 00:18:33.258 --> 00:18:34.593
- Said, "it sounds like a husband should be willing to die and
- 00:18:34.593 --> 00:18:37.863
- Should be living a death-defying life in the presence of the
- 00:18:37.863 --> 00:18:41.500
- Wife, doesn't it?"
- 00:18:41.500 --> 00:18:42.834
- It sure does.
- 00:18:42.834 --> 00:18:44.169
- Christ died for--"oh, that's how the husbands should live,
- 00:18:44.169 --> 00:18:46.338
- A sacrificial, a crucified life to please the wife."
- 00:18:46.338 --> 00:18:50.075
- "oh."
- 00:18:50.075 --> 00:18:51.410
- Said, "here's another verse that's for you.
- 00:18:51.410 --> 00:18:52.744
- Look at verse 28, 'in this very same way, husbands ought to love
- 00:18:52.744 --> 00:18:56.882
- Their wives as their own bodies.'"
- 00:18:56.882 --> 00:18:58.584
- Oh.
- 00:18:58.584 --> 00:18:59.918
- "he who loves his wife loves himself.
- 00:18:59.918 --> 00:19:01.620
- After all, no one ever hated his own body, but they feed and care
- 00:19:01.620 --> 00:19:04.890
- For their body."
- 00:19:04.890 --> 00:19:06.225
- Oh, that's for you.
- 00:19:06.225 --> 00:19:08.393
- And said, "by the way, while you're talking about biblical
- 00:19:08.393 --> 00:19:11.330
- Principles of marriage, did you notice that all these job
- 00:19:11.330 --> 00:19:14.866
- Assignments for the husband and a wife begin with this verse?
- 00:19:14.866 --> 00:19:18.403
- Look at this.
- 00:19:18.403 --> 00:19:19.738
- He read to him verse 21, 'submit to one another out of reverence
- 00:19:19.738 --> 00:19:27.646
- For christ.'"
- 00:19:27.646 --> 00:19:28.981
- It all begins with wives submitting to their husband,
- 00:19:28.981 --> 00:19:32.384
- The husband submitting to their wives.
- 00:19:32.384 --> 00:19:34.953
- That's the pre-amble before you have the specific assignments
- 00:19:34.953 --> 00:19:39.091
- Given to a husband and wife.
- 00:19:39.091 --> 00:19:40.859
- So remember, we talked about that.
- 00:19:40.859 --> 00:19:43.028
- We position ourself under.
- 00:19:43.028 --> 00:19:44.963
- We position us under.
- 00:19:44.963 --> 00:19:46.598
- The husband positions himself under the wife.
- 00:19:46.598 --> 00:19:48.900
- The wife position herself under the husband.
- 00:19:48.900 --> 00:19:52.537
- You see what i'm talking about?
- 00:19:52.537 --> 00:19:54.940
- God's formula really works, folks.
- 00:19:54.940 --> 00:19:58.110
- It cuts across pride and ego.
- 00:19:58.110 --> 00:20:00.612
- It cuts across my desires, your desires.
- 00:20:00.612 --> 00:20:03.382
- And the number one thing in life you don't want, the kingdom of
- 00:20:03.382 --> 00:20:06.351
- Self versus the kingdom of self.
- 00:20:06.351 --> 00:20:08.654
- You want the kingdom of selflessness operating in that
- 00:20:08.654 --> 00:20:13.525
- Marriage, in that home, in that relationship.
- 00:20:13.525 --> 00:20:17.763
- Did anybody ever have a marital debate, or dispute, on the basis
- 00:20:17.763 --> 00:20:24.403
- Of, well, you're not being treated fairly.
- 00:20:24.403 --> 00:20:30.008
- It was all the disputes come, "i'm not getting what i deserve.
- 00:20:30.008 --> 00:20:34.746
- I'm not getting what ought to be here."
- 00:20:34.746 --> 00:20:37.416
- It's self.
- 00:20:37.416 --> 00:20:38.750
- And when a marriage begins to increasingly increase and become
- 00:20:38.750 --> 00:20:41.920
- Selflessness, powerful things take place.
- 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:46.925
- This is not my idea.
- 00:20:46.925 --> 00:20:49.061
- Don't say, "well, i don't agree with the preacher."
- 00:20:49.061 --> 00:20:51.096
- It has nothing to do with me.
- 00:20:51.096 --> 00:20:52.431
- It's just god's word.
- 00:20:52.431 --> 00:20:53.765
- You can take it and throw it out and not believe it, or you can
- 00:20:53.765 --> 00:20:55.801
- Put it into practice and fire will come into your marriage,
- 00:20:55.801 --> 00:20:59.171
- Guaranteed every single time.
- 00:20:59.171 --> 00:21:02.474
- So, we leave.
- 00:21:02.474 --> 00:21:05.444
- Your marriage, my marriage becomes a touch of exclusivity.
- 00:21:05.444 --> 00:21:10.682
- Man, it's--we leave.
- 00:21:10.682 --> 00:21:12.951
- We become one.
- 00:21:12.951 --> 00:21:14.653
- There's singularity.
- 00:21:14.653 --> 00:21:16.788
- No hidden agenda.
- 00:21:16.788 --> 00:21:18.123
- There's nothing backward, nothing back there.
- 00:21:18.123 --> 00:21:19.658
- We deal, we talk about it all, and we become one.
- 00:21:19.658 --> 00:21:24.229
- And then finally, look at the last part, and this has to do
- 00:21:24.229 --> 00:21:27.866
- With transparency.
- 00:21:27.866 --> 00:21:32.971
- "adam and eve were both naked and they felt no shame."
- 00:21:32.971 --> 00:21:38.443
- Isn't that great?
- 00:21:38.443 --> 00:21:39.878
- Transparent.
- 00:21:39.878 --> 00:21:42.381
- Here i am, open, honest, with you, on your team,
- 00:21:42.381 --> 00:21:51.356
- Cheering for you, cherishing you.
- 00:21:51.356 --> 00:21:55.193
- Transparency.
- 00:21:55.193 --> 00:21:56.595
- What would it be like to live in a family where everybody always
- 00:21:56.595 --> 00:22:01.600
- Told the truth in love?
- 00:22:01.600 --> 00:22:05.570
- What kind of family would that be?
- 00:22:05.570 --> 00:22:07.639
- Well, that's the way it's gonna be in heaven.
- 00:22:07.639 --> 00:22:09.808
- We have the opportunity to have a little touch of heaven right
- 00:22:09.808 --> 00:22:12.544
- Now, folks.
- 00:22:12.544 --> 00:22:13.879
- Just tell the truth in love.
- 00:22:13.879 --> 00:22:16.114
- And your wife and your husband can reprogram how you see
- 00:22:16.114 --> 00:22:19.951
- Yourself and how others have have seen you.
- 00:22:19.951 --> 00:22:24.289
- There's a reprogramming there.
- 00:22:24.289 --> 00:22:27.292
- If people have said, "well, you know, he's not very smart," but
- 00:22:27.292 --> 00:22:31.596
- Your wife says, "hey, man, i know you've got a lot of stuff.
- 00:22:31.596 --> 00:22:36.368
- I think you're very bright," it reprograms you.
- 00:22:36.368 --> 00:22:40.372
- Somebody, says, "well, you know, you're sort of slow and you
- 00:22:40.372 --> 00:22:45.310
- Don't really look too sharp."
- 00:22:45.310 --> 00:22:46.912
- Your wife says, "man, you're the sharpest thing i've ever seen."
- 00:22:46.912 --> 00:22:50.949
- Same way with a husband.
- 00:22:50.949 --> 00:22:52.317
- We reprogram one another because there's that mirror out there
- 00:22:52.317 --> 00:22:55.987
- In front.
- 00:22:55.987 --> 00:22:57.322
- And we can tear down, we can build up, we can speak the truth
- 00:22:57.322 --> 00:23:01.593
- In love, and there's an open and a candidness.
- 00:23:01.593 --> 00:23:05.864
- All of a sudden, things happen in marriage.
- 00:23:05.864 --> 00:23:08.967
- Wonderful things happen in marriage.
- 00:23:08.967 --> 00:23:12.971
- So we got the formula there: leave, cleave,
- 00:23:12.971 --> 00:23:20.378
- No shame, transparency.
- 00:23:20.378 --> 00:23:24.950
- Well, how do we get there?
- 00:23:24.950 --> 00:23:26.651
- Remember, i talked about you.
- 00:23:26.651 --> 00:23:28.920
- In marriage, you talk, talk, talk, you listen, listen,
- 00:23:28.920 --> 00:23:33.191
- Listen, then you pray, and pray, and pray.
- 00:23:33.191 --> 00:23:36.394
- Marriage involves work and worship, worship and work, work
- 00:23:36.394 --> 00:23:41.366
- And worship, and when a couple genuinely begins to pray
- 00:23:41.366 --> 00:23:44.736
- Together, that marriage will soar every single time because
- 00:23:44.736 --> 00:23:50.675
- You can't fool god.
- 00:23:50.675 --> 00:23:52.210
- You may try to, but you can't.
- 00:23:52.210 --> 00:23:55.647
- Now, somebody here, or many here, would say, "man, it's just
- 00:23:55.647 --> 00:24:02.621
- Too late for me.
- 00:24:02.621 --> 00:24:04.689
- My marriage is down in a pit.
- 00:24:04.689 --> 00:24:08.226
- It's down there 20 feet deep."
- 00:24:08.226 --> 00:24:12.531
- I'm going to tell you something.
- 00:24:12.531 --> 00:24:15.033
- God has a rope that's 21 feet long, and he'll put it down
- 00:24:15.033 --> 00:24:23.642
- In that pit.
- 00:24:23.642 --> 00:24:26.545
- You say, "well, my marriage is-- well, you don't know.
- 00:24:26.545 --> 00:24:31.283
- My marriage and my kids, my wife, i'm down in a pit
- 00:24:31.283 --> 00:24:35.220
- 1,000 feet deep."
- 00:24:35.220 --> 00:24:37.689
- Let me tell you something.
- 00:24:37.689 --> 00:24:39.024
- God has a rope that's 1,001 foot, and he'll put it down.
- 00:24:39.024 --> 00:24:47.098
- I'm going to tell you something more exciting than that.
- 00:24:47.098 --> 00:24:49.501
- He'll not only, by his grace, put that rope down for you if
- 00:24:49.501 --> 00:24:53.471
- You're down in that pit, but jesus christ will go down that
- 00:24:53.471 --> 00:24:57.142
- Rope just like he did in bethlehem, and meet you, and
- 00:24:57.142 --> 00:25:00.378
- Bring you back up so you can have a marriage that begins to
- 00:25:00.378 --> 00:25:04.382
- Flourish, and grow, and sing in harmony like god intends
- 00:25:04.382 --> 00:25:08.720
- For it to do.
- 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:14.092
- Choices.
- 00:25:14.092 --> 00:25:16.695
- Just keep on doing it the same old way.
- 00:25:16.695 --> 00:25:21.633
- "my marriage is okay.
- 00:25:21.633 --> 00:25:23.401
- I'm holding on.
- 00:25:23.401 --> 00:25:26.004
- I'm here for the kids, or for a family, or reputation,
- 00:25:26.004 --> 00:25:29.307
- Or whatever."
- 00:25:29.307 --> 00:25:30.642
- Or you can begin, by his grace and by his power,
- 00:25:30.642 --> 00:25:39.284
- To do it god's way.
- 00:25:39.284 --> 00:25:43.688
- Ed: we have so much to be thankful for.
- 00:25:46.024 --> 00:25:49.494
- And i wanna thank you for your faithfulness, your generosity,
- 00:25:49.494 --> 00:25:52.397
- Your prayers as part of the "winning walk" family.
- 00:25:52.397 --> 00:25:55.700
- And we want to enter 2026 strong, ready to reach even more
- 00:25:55.700 --> 00:26:00.305
- People with the life-changing good news of jesus christ.
- 00:26:00.305 --> 00:26:04.743
- I'm reminded of a story of young american soldier
- 00:26:04.743 --> 00:26:08.046
- In world war ii.
- 00:26:08.046 --> 00:26:10.115
- It was on the eve of when he was to ship out for what would later
- 00:26:10.115 --> 00:26:13.151
- Become known as d-day.
- 00:26:13.151 --> 00:26:15.654
- The british allies held a dance at the uso.
- 00:26:15.654 --> 00:26:19.424
- The soldier was just 18 years old.
- 00:26:19.424 --> 00:26:21.693
- He asked an english girl to dance, and when the music
- 00:26:21.693 --> 00:26:24.963
- Stopped, he spontaneously kissed her.
- 00:26:24.963 --> 00:26:28.800
- She drew back, shocked.
- 00:26:28.800 --> 00:26:31.469
- She asked him what in the world was he doing.
- 00:26:31.469 --> 00:26:34.906
- He answered honestly, "i ship out in the morning.
- 00:26:34.906 --> 00:26:38.743
- And i don't know what lies ahead, i'll live or die,
- 00:26:38.743 --> 00:26:41.880
- And i've never kissed a girl before, so i thought
- 00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:46.051
- This was a time for boldness."
- 00:26:46.051 --> 00:26:48.820
- We live in an embattled culture.
- 00:26:48.820 --> 00:26:51.723
- Now is the time for boldness.
- 00:26:51.723 --> 00:26:53.391
- I believe that together we can finish the year strong and be
- 00:26:53.391 --> 00:26:57.062
- Ready to start in 2026 with strength and boldness
- 00:26:57.062 --> 00:27:01.332
- In sharing the truth of jesus christ
- 00:27:01.332 --> 00:27:04.569
- To a dark and hungry world.
- 00:27:04.569 --> 00:27:07.205
- Thank you again for boldly giving and
- 00:27:07.205 --> 00:27:09.674
- Standing with "the winning walk," with me through
- 00:27:09.674 --> 00:27:12.310
- Your prayers and support.
- 00:27:12.310 --> 00:27:14.713
- God bless you, and your end of the year gift will be used
- 00:27:14.713 --> 00:27:18.516
- To maintain and expand god's family around the world.
- 00:27:18.516 --> 00:27:18.516
