IN OUR MARRIAGE,

EVERYTHING BY THE WORLD'S

STANDARDS WAS ABSOLUTELY

AGAINST US.

THERE WAS NO ONE -- IN FACT,

EVEN SOME CHRISTIANS -- WHO

WOULD SAY THAT WE WOULD

SURVIVE.

Reporter: STEVEN AND

CHRISTINA MARRIED THREE

MONTHS AFTER THEY MET.

HE WAS A METH USER WHO HAD

DONE PRISON TIME FOR

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

CHRISTINA WAS TWICE DIVORCED

AND HAD TWO CHILDREN AT

HOME.

I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO

BE HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, AND IT

WAS ANYTHING BUT THAT.

WE MARRIED QUICKLY, IN

CO-DEPENDENCE, IN ADDICTION,

AND IN AN UNHEALTHY MENTAL

AND EMOTIONAL STATE.

RIGHT AFTER WE GOT MARRIED,

I WAS PREGNANT.

WITH THAT EXCITEMENT WAS

HELL.

I WASN'T REALLY LOOKING

TO BE A DAD.

NO.

I WAS TOO BUSY GETTING

HIGH.

Reporter: STEVEN WAS

ORPHANED AS A CHILD AND

NEVER LEARNED TO DEAL WITH

CONFLICT.

IT WAS SO FRUSTRATING TO

NOT BE ABLE TO DISPLAY MY

EMOTIONS.

SO IT WAS FROM ZERO TO

ANGER, AND I WOULD EXPLODE.

Reporter: EARLY INTO

THEIR MARRIAGE, STEVEN'S

ANGER ERUPTED.

I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THAT

HAPPENED, BUT I HAD -- I

LAID MY HAND ON MY WIFE, AND

SHE FELL ON THE GROUND.

HE DRANK ALCOHOL, AND HE

JUST BLACKED OUT AND HE JUST

STARTED BEATING ME.

HE BROKE MY FACE, AND IN

FRONT OF THE KIDS.

AND HE ENDED UP GOING TO

PRISON FOR A SHORT WHILE.

Reporter: AS PART OF

HIS SENTENCE, STEVEN WENT TO

COUNSELLING AND TOOK STEPS

TO RESTORE THEIR MARRIAGE.

HE WANTED OUR MARRIAGE TO

BE SUCCESSFUL.

HE HAD NO CLUE HOW.

I THINK HE HAD HAD

COUNSELLING BEFORE FOR

AGGRESSION, BUT THIS TIME HE

WENT INTO IT WITH A "WANT

TO."

I WANT TO GET ON THE OTHER

SIDE OF ANGER.

THE MARRIAGE WAS NOT

GOING GOOD AT ALL.

I WAS WILLING TO TRY

ANYTHING.

Reporter: ONE AFTERNOON

STEVEN NOTICED A CHURCH NEAR

HIS SON'S SOCCER PRACTICE.

HE WALKED IN AND ASKED TO

TALK TO A PASTOR.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHY I WENT

INTO THAT CHURCH.

I JUST KNOW I NEEDED HELP.

I LOOKED IN HIS EYES, AND I

SAID, I NEED HELP.

AND HE SAID, YOU NEED

JESUS.

Reporter: CHRISTINA MET

STEVEN WITH DIVORCE PAPERS

IN HAND.

TWO PASTORS HAD BEEN

MEETING WITH HIM DURING THAT

PRAYER TIME.

AT THAT PRAYER, I FELT

PEACE.

YOU KNOW?

I FELT REAL PEACE.

I FELT COMFORT THAT THERE

WAS HOPEç FOR MY MARRIAGE.

I TOLD HIM.

AND I SAID, ALL RIGHT, THIS

IS FINALLY IT.

IT IS THE ALL BOTTOM LOW.

YOU SAY YOUR GOD CAN FIX

IT.

SO YOU HAVE HIM FIX IT.

OTHERWISE, HERE ARE THE

PAPERS.

I'M DONE.

Reporter: EVEN THOUGH

SHE WAS HESITANT AT FIRST,

THEY STARTED ATTENDING

CHURCH AND MARRIAGE

COUNSELLING.

SOON BOTH BECAME CHRISTIANS

AND SAW POSITIVE CHANGES IN

THEIR LIVES.

THE CHANGE IN MY HEART IS

WHEN I THINK WE REALLY

STARTED COMING TOGETHER.

I CONSISTENTLY, YOU KNOW,

PRAYED TO GOD.

I CONSISTENTLY LET HIM SHAPE

AND MOLD ME.

WHEN WE SINCERELY DECIDED

TO LET GOD ACTUALLY DO THE

WORK AND SIT BACK AND BE

OBEDIENT TO WHAT HIS

INSTRUCTIONS WERE, THINGS

WERE BROKEN OFF.

PERMANENTLY.

DRUG ADDICTION, BROKEN OFF.

PHYSICAL ABUSE, BROKEN OFF.

THERE WAS A LOT OF BAD

BEHAVIOR BROKEN OFF

COMPLETELY.

Reporter: AND THEY ALSO

COMMITTED TO A 10-WEEK

COURSE ON MARRIAGE

COUNSELLING THAT GAVE THEM

TOOLS ON HOW TO EFFECTIVELY

COMMUNICATE WITH EACH

OTHER.

IT WAS SO HARD, BUT IT

WAS THE FIRST TIME WE EACH

LOOKED AT OURSELVES

HONESTLY.

AND IT WAS A MESS.

AS A WOMAN, ONE OF THE FIRST

THINGS I LET THAT WAS THE

MOST DIFFICULT WAS LETTING

GOD DEAL WITH STEVEN IN

GOD'S WAY, AND NOT IN MY

WAY.

AND THAT'S WHEN I STARTED

APPRECIATED SEEING WHAT GOD

WAS DOING.

IT TOOK A LOAD OFF, AND THE

RESULTS WERE WAY BETTER.

Reporter: TODAY THEIR

MARRIAGE IS HAPPY AND

HEALTHY.

THEY SAY PUTTING JESUS AT

THE CENTER OF THEIR LIVES

HAS BEEN THE KEY TO THEIR

SUCCESS.

ALL OF MY HOPE COMES FROM

HIM.

AND HE CONTINUES TO GIVE ME

HOPE.

STUFF TODAY THAT WOULD HAVE

KNOCKED ME DOWN YEARS AGO, I

DON'T EVEN WOBBLE TODAY.

I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO

LIVE WITHOUT HIM, AND I KNOW

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE WITH

HIM.

AND IT'S AMAZING.

YOU HAVE TO KNOW GOD FOR

GOD.

AND LET GOD BE GOD.

OTHERWISE THINGS WILL NOT

CHANGE.

SO I'M VERY, VERY THANKFUL

THAT I WAS BLESSED TO SEE

THOSE MOMENTS WITH GOD.

AND NOW I THINK, OH, YES.

Reporter: STEVEN AND

CHRISTINA SAY THEY ARE

GRATEFUL THEY SERVE A GOD

WHO RESTORES BROKEN LIVES.

SHE'S A GREAT WIFE.

SHE'S MY FRIEND.

SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND.

SHE'S BEAUTIFUL.

SHE'S GOT A LOT OF PATIENCE

TO PUT UP WITH ME.

YES, I HAVE AN AMAZING

HUSBAND.

AND, YES, I'M MORE IN LOVE

WITH HIM TODAY THAN I HAVE

EVER BEEN.

BUT I EXCITED BECAUSE I'M

EXCITED TO HOW MANY

GENERATIONS FORWARD DO I GET

TO SEE.

SO IT IS OUTSIDE OF JUST OUR

MARRIAGE NOW.

WE STARTED INCLUDING BIBLE

STUDIES FOR OUR CHILDREN

EVERY DAY.

THEY'RE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC,

AND WE GET EXCITED BECAUSE

NOW IT IS STARTING TO LIVE.

JESUS IN THE MIDDLE OF

OUR MARRIAGE.

IF I TRUST JESUS IN MY LIFE,

AND I TRUST THE JESUS IN ME,

THEN THERE IS NOTHING HER

AND I CAN'T GET THROUGH.

NOTHING.

WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE

POSSIBLE.

THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT

THAT.