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Wow.

Cameron: Yeah, really. And they actually did have some people step down and disqualify themselves because they really respected these guys and didn't want to get in the way of what they were trying to do in asking God to bless the project.

Caleb and wife Catherine (Erin Bethea) argue

Jesus built this spiritual empire and a church that has lasted for 2,000 years. He didn't go to the religious leaders of the day. He didn't say, "Let me get the two or three most excellent Pharisees that I can find." He picked the nobodies with not a lot of talent, the not so noble, the not so famous, and he used these guys to send a message that has transformed the world. Ultimately his confidence is in the power of God, working through nobodies, so that God gets all of the glory. I think that's the same philosophy that went into the making of the Kendricks' movies.

In your book, you mention dealing with your parents' separation. Did that inform the way you play your character in Fireproof?

Cameron: Certainly that speaks to the problem that so many people have in marriage—they come to a place where they feel that they can't work out their differences, and it might be better off for them to split.

But I think the thing that inspired me even more was my own marriage. I've been married for 17 years, and anybody who's been in a relationship that long, you come to realize that there's a lot of selfishness that goes on in relationships. It's selfishness that ultimately tears relationships down, and the wonderful news of the gospel is that not only has Jesus Christ died for your sins and he offers you eternal life, but he transforms you into a new person and you learn how to die to yourself. That's the key to any lasting relationship, learning to die to yourself, because the love of self is what's killing marriages. I'm a sinner who said "I do" at an altar with my wife, and those are lessons we're learning every day.

So to be able to do a movie about marriage, where I could see myself in those exact same scenarios to some degree, that's why I was so invested in the movie. I know the challenges and struggles, and I think this movie provides some solutions that are very practical and effective.

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