Lifemark: The Kendrick Brothers’ Latest

We've told people, if you hang out with us, you'll be less impressed with us and more impressed with the God that we serve.

That's right. And so we don't know what we're doing, but we are constantly praying and then following whatever God tells us to do. And then he blows our minds with the timing of how he works everything out. Welcome to Family Life Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I'm Ann Wilson. And I'm Dave Wilson. And you can find us at familylifetoday.com or on our Family Life app.

This is Family Life Today. All right, we've got Alex and Steven Kendrick in the studio with us today. They've got a movie coming out this week. It's going to be awesome. We're all going to the movies on Friday night.

Alex and Steven, welcome to Family Life Today. Woo woo! Good to see you guys again. It's always good to talk to you guys. We're excited. We're always excited to be with you. You're producing such great material, movies for families. Thanks for all you're doing. And tell us, what's your newest project?

You know, we had just finished Overcomer a few years ago, 2019. And Kirk Cameron gives me a call out of the blue. He says, hey, man, I got something you just got to look at. He had seen the short- Yeah, by the way, Kirk Cameron calls me all the time, too, you know? Just one of those things. He's like, how do you do bald, man?

I got too much hair. Yeah, that's right. So he calls you up.

Yeah, yeah. He says, I just saw this short documentary called I Lived on Parker Avenue. So he says, you got to look at it. So I do. I pull it up and look at it. It impacts me way deeper than I would have expected. I show it to Steven.

It is just beautiful. And so we start talking about this being a feature film. And the more Steven and I prayed about it, the more he felt like the Lord was saying, yes, you're going to tell the story. And so we met the real people it's about. But essentially, it boils down to, it follows this 18-year-old girl who at the last second rolls off the abortion table, says don't do this to the doctor. She places her baby for adoption. It's adopted by a Christian couple that could not have their own children. They named the baby David.

When David turned 18, he crossed paths with his biological mother. Well, she thought he would hate her. And when he met her, he just wraps her up and cries and says, thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me live, for letting me be adopted. I love my life.

I'm so grateful. And it just melts her heart. And that was recorded. Somebody video recorded that. So we saw that interaction. And then both of them now speak for life and the beauty of adoption and share their story.

And they're impacting so many people's lives. So Kirk helped us turn this into a feature film about this true story. And so it comes out this week, September 9. Yes.

And so you can go to lifemarkmovie.com, find the theaters that's closest to you. And we can't wait for people to see it and to see what God does with it. Well, the scene that you just described with David hugging his birth bomb. I had to pause it and tell Dave, if I pause it, I need to go get some clean next.

You really did. Yeah. It's emotional. I mean, we had popcorn.

We watched it obviously, you know, in our living room because we got an advanced screening. We have popcorn and Coke. And you can eat popcorn and Coke during this movie, but it's very emotional. Well, and you laugh too. You know, we try to always have humor, inspiration, emotion, and truth all wrapped up into a bow. So now, and, and were you comforting him when Dave was sobbing, watching this film? Honestly, I'm going to tell you the truth that actually does happen.

Yes, it does. We're both crying. It is a 100% every movie I've ever seen. I cry.

I have a men's group and they just make fun of me. And one time we were on a trip and they put in some movie that there's, they're like, there's no way you can cry in this movie. And I found a part in the movie that I cried. You guys, it was firehouse dog, firehouse dog. Our son was in high school and he texts me like, mom, dad is crying at firehouse dog.

The dog comes back to the firehouse. It's a tender moment. Enough about that. We need to send all of our movies to you, man.

You should. The kid that does the filming in the movie, you know, the friend of David, is that, is that how it went down? Is there really a kid that did that? Well, when you're making a real story, you got to combine 20 people into one sometimes. And so David Scott and who the real story is about, he had multiple friends that were with him on the journey.

You see some of them in the documentary sitting at a table when he writes the letters to his parents. And then there was a guy named Phillip who went with him, was on the train ride with him, filming the whole thing, the skydiving, all of that kind of stuff. And so we combined all of those into Nate's character that's in the movie, which is, I mean, Nate is hilarious and the real Justice Stern in real life is hilarious. So people like, you know, straight man, funny man, and you get to follow that kind of buddy ride between these two guys.

Yeah. And we got their permission to do that. It's the only time we do that in the film where you take about six different people and just make them one person because of the nature of their role in the movie. Everybody else is portrayed pretty much exactly as they really are in real life. And so it is a pretty accurate depiction of their story.

And you can't argue with a true story. Well, let me ask you, was this emotional for you guys to create this film? Yes, it was.

Of course, Steven has adopted his beautiful daughter, Mia. But for me, and I have six kids myself, but for me, you know, it was so moving was having the real people on set with us, watching this be portrayed, and even being able to speak into it. This is what I was thinking at this point. This is why I was nervous or what I was doing. And our actors getting to talk to the real people about, walk us through this event in your life, and then they were able to portray it on screen. That was just beautiful. It was emotional. But again, I hope it just grabs the heart of the audience, too, because if we can draw them to biblical truth and how they view life, how they view the beauty of adoption.

And so we just think it could make a huge impact. I have not heard the term life mark until I saw that moment in the movie. Explain that a little bit, because that was powerful.

Yeah. So at the end of the movie, David sends Melissa, his biological mother, this gift. She opens this small box. She sees a note first, and it says, Dear Melissa, this is to mark the day you chose life. And she pulls out this pendant with life mark on it, and it's the date she changed her mind and said, I'm letting this child live. I'm going to place him for adoption. So the life mark was that day.

And so she wears that now as a reminder of that beautiful choice. I'm letting this child live. I'm letting him be adopted by a loving family. And you know, the line is long for parents wanting to adopt, even in our country alone.

That is a long line. And so with Roe v. Wade being overturned, there will be more births. And we want people to know there is hope. If you cannot raise this child, then there are couples that are looking for a child to adopt. And of course, Steven adopted his beautiful daughter, Mia. And the Kirk Cameron himself adopted four of his six children.

And even his wife, Chelsea, was an adopted child. And so it meant so much to our whole team. And again, we hope that the audience agrees when they see it. Yeah. Did you guys have any thought when you were working on this movie, or even as you started to, you know, look at the script and write it out that the Supreme Court ruling was going to come and your movie is going to release right after that? Was that in the plan or?

No. In fact, the way God has worked behind the scenes, we've told people, if you hang out with us, you'll be less impressed with us and more impressed with the God that we serve. That's right. And so we don't know what we're doing, but we are constantly praying and then following whatever God tells us to do. And then he blows our minds with the timing of how he works everything out. That's right.

That's true. You know, every time we say, Lord, what do you want us to do? He usually directs us in a path and we're like, okay, how's this going to go?

So like, even when we did War Room, it scared us. The Lord was waking us up in the middle of the night. I remember waking up and I see these images in my head of this elderly woman praying in a closet, teaching a young wife to do it as she faces a lot of hardship. And then all these verses are coming to mind.

And I'm thinking, Lord, is this the direction you want us to go? Because closets aren't cinematic. Prayer is not that exciting to portray on film. Are you sure you want us to make this movie? And War Room became our first number one hit at the theater.

It outdid every projection that Sony had and we were astonished at its response. So sometimes God says, trust me first, then you'll learn why later. So this movie, we didn't know what was going to happen. We didn't know about Roe vs. Wade.

We didn't know about all the timing. The Lord did this. And so that's why we're so excited to see what the Lord does with this film. That's amazing.

I think the thing that's so impressive, you guys, is that you hear from God. You're having dreams. You're having these pictures in your head. Is that typical for you both?

I would say it is common. But the Lord sometimes moves in different ways. Sometimes it's the verse that jumps off the Bible page at you. And it's like God said, focus on this theme right now. And sometimes it's after a season of prayer.

So He has woken me up in the night before. It's not that way with every film. But what is common is the Lord pointing us in a direction. I'll have a piece about it.

Stephen will as well. And we don't move forward until we're in unity and just watching what God does. So God, He directs us in ways that are clear to us in whatever manner that is.

But we've learned, be quiet sometimes. Listen. Seek Him.

Get in His Word until it is clear. And then you proceed. But I think that's encouraging because sometimes we want all the answers ahead of time. But God is saying, go. Walk forward. I'm giving you this direction.

And then He gives you some of the pieces later. Well, and walking by faith requires that we move forward in obedience with the light that He's illumined in front of the car driving through the dark. And when we moved a hundred yards down the road, He illumines the next step that we need to take. And so if you read Hebrews 11, oftentimes He gives them enough to obey Him, but then He reveals the next steps when they move forward in obedience. And so our whole journey has been us moving forward by faith and then God then providing the rest of the script or providing the resources to shoot it or the locations. And sometimes it's in the last hour when the Lord shows up with the Hail Mary pass in the end zone, but He has been faithful on every project we've worked on to carry us and lead us into bless. And so we've gotten to the point where we just know if He confirms He's in it, and that's one of the keys.

People say, oh, God told me to do this or God told me to do that. Well, He may or He may not have, but if He's in it, He will confirm it. He'll confirm it with a peace. He'll confirm it with His Word.

He'll confirm it oftentimes with counsel. Circumstances will begin. Doors will open and close. Provision will fall into place.

And so we have learned that if you get a great idea at three o'clock in the morning, it may be a dumb idea when you wake up and you really process it. But if it won't go away and it lines up with the Word and the provision is showing up and the door is opening, move forward by faith and trust the Lord. I mean, what you're talking about actually happens, as you know, in the movie. I don't want to give away, you know, the whole movie.

I don't know how much you want your listeners to know before they go to the theater. But when David's mom's in the abortion clinic, I mean, I didn't know that scene was coming. I, you know, it's later and her laying there, it it sure is portrayed that she heard get out.

Yeah. Is that how it went down? So yeah, the way she tells it. So two things happen there. So when she's walking in, there is a Christian lady on the side urging her not to go in. And she literally said, ma'am, your baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes.

Please don't kill it. You're listening to David Ann Wilson with Steven and Alex Kendrick on Family Life Today. We'll hear more of the story in just a minute. But first, I know some of you have actually already been to Weekend to Remember Marriage Getaway, but we just wanted to make sure you've heard that there is a lot that has changed. We have a new speaker lineup, an entirely different guidebook, and so much of the getaway has been changed and intentionally curated for you and your spouse to grow together. Right now would be a great time to head back to Weekend to Remember. And now through September 19th, they're 50% off.

So find a date and location that works for you at familylifetoday.com. All right, now back to David Ann with Steven and Alex Kendrick and how the simple thought of your baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes kept repeating in David's mom's head while she was inside the abortion clinic. She kept thinking of that. This baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes. This is a human baby. This is not just a clump of mass and a clump of cells.

This is a human life. And so she went in and then she's laying there and she hears the voice, get up, there's still time, which was just moments before the doctor started the procedure. So she sits up and she says, please don't do this. And she gets off the table.

It irritates the doctor. And so she walks out, changes her clothes. And when she walks out of the center, of course, she never looks back and she reflects on that moment. That lady is saying your baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes. And so she said those moments, hearing the Lord prompt her, get up.

And then that lady is saying your baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes. She said that couldn't leave her mind and that she's so grateful because she said it was about three to four seconds and David would not be here today. And today, just so you know, he recently passed the bar exam. He's now a full lawyer.

He just got married and he's helping now as part of his legal duties, he's helping couples adopt children. And it is just so beautiful that this is now another generation that's being started because he's here. And so we're very excited. We talk about how this movie demonstrates that one courageous decision in a moment of fear can bless and change so many lives. And that you see that in that moment when everything was against her, her feelings, her emotions, her boyfriend, everybody else, that she chose what she believed God was leading her to do. And then the blessings that have resulted in now a movie that could potentially go to countries around the world and promote life and adoption for such a time as this. Well, Steven, you've had the opportunity to adopt your little girl, Mia. What did that feel like in the courtroom for her adoption?

Take us back to that. Well, for us, my wife and I had had four biological children and the Lord spoke to me on an airplane when I was reading his word. He confirmed it in his word. He confirmed it with what he was leading me to do with my wife, with prayer. And then the doors opened for us to adopt her. I remember being in China and standing there, meeting her for the first time, holding her for the first time. And there's this immediate bond that God gives you this love for this adopted child that's equal to your biological children.

She has such a special place in my heart. And then through that process of adoption, you learn about spiritual adoption in living color in front of you because Ephesians says that God adopts us into His family when we give our lives to Christ. He becomes our Father and He loves us unconditionally. He blesses us with every spiritual blessing. He forgives us of all of our sins and pays all of our debts. And we have access to His heart, His throne in prayer because of that adoption. So it was through that adoption process with Mia that all of those light bulbs begin to go on for me about what God does for each one of His children. It's funny, I was just reading Romans 8 today. Romans 8, 15 says this. Because you're doing your one year Bible.

I'm right behind you. The spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again. Rather, the spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship and by Him, we cry, Abba, Father.

Yes. And Dave and I were just in a courtroom a couple days ago and our middle son has two of bio daughter and son and then he just adopted two sons that are biological brothers and it was emotional. I think exactly what you guys said and what you said, Steven, it makes you feel the beauty of God's adoption toward us. And then you also see the beauty and grace of God taking us in, grafting us in and this little boy that they just adopted, he is our grandson.

Yes, he is. We just wept the whole time. I mean, it wasn't that long of a process. You did? You wept?

Yeah, I mean, here's a picture of this little sign that they took beforehand. Beautiful. Before, every picture we sent out, you had to cover his face because he was just a foster child, but now he's, I am chosen. I am wanted. I am loved.

I am accepted. I am a Wilson. Yes. Come on, man. As you guys know, sitting there watching the judge say he has all the rights of being a Wilson and you can never take these away. I just, you know, I was weeping because I knew the future he could have or would have had and now the future he will have. And it's just the same for us. Our destiny without Christ, our destiny as a son and daughter of the king. It's such a beautiful thing. So, I mean, your movie portrays that in such a powerful way. I'm hoping people see it and they become advocates for adoption and for life. For life.

I'm sure that was your hope as well. Well, and in life, Mark, as you remember, when you saw it, there's those scenes where Kirk Cameron's, the adopted father turns to his son and he says, God gave you to me and mom as a gift and you will always be our son. He is saying that as an adopted father to a son who's about to go meet his biological mom.

And he knew that inside of his heart and mind there would be all this mixed of emotions as to who am I. And there's a lot of adopted kids who they don't treasure their adoption. They don't realize how priceless and precious this gift is. And that, yes, their adopted parents are their parents now. We tell our daughter and we've said it all along from the beginning that she is a gift from the Lord. God wanted her to be in our family.

We chose her. We love her and that her future is bright and hopeful. And we always present adoption in a positive, wonderful light. This is something super special about her life that God chose for her to not only be born, but he chose for her to grow up in our family. And we know God has great plans for her. And I think the body of Christ for such a time as this needs to get a bigger heart for adoption because so many people have said, hey, the end game is to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And no way. In God's big picture, overturning Roe v. Wade is like a touchdown in a big, long journey. And we have to view it as discipleship at every level, that we want to show compassion for these young girls that are in these unwanted pregnancies and disciple them to faith in Christ. Because as you know, sometimes even if they put up this baby for adoption, they may be back pregnant a few months from now unless somebody reaches them with the truth of the gospel and God begins to turn their hearts towards their Heavenly Father in Christ rather than trying to find love in a passing whim or a passing experience. But the church also needs to show compassion for the unborn. And they need to show compassion for these parents that can't have biological children.

And they need to show compassion for the children in the foster care community that are around them. I think that Life Mark can be used as a tool to not only reach the head with a true story, but reach the heart with inspiration. And hopefully God can use it like a weapon in this journey that we're on to overcome evil with good. You know, I'm guessing your dream, your vision is even as people sit in a theater or like we did, sit on their couch and watch it when it's then released after the theater, that God will speak to them. We've already talked about God moving, but God will speak and say, I'm calling you. Is that part of your dream?

Absolutely. Our prayer is that not only do we commit a project to the Lord, but that the Holy Spirit speaks to people's hearts while they watch it. Because God knows exactly what each person in every theater seat needs to hear. And God can speak to them about something totally unrelated to adoption and abortion or life or any of these things. And He can touch their life about their need for Him, about their need to be courageous with the decisions that are being placed in front of them, about going home and loving their bio kids.

You know, they've got at home and spending more time with them. So we are asking that the Lord's hand of favor and blessing be upon every project that we do so that people, yes, they're entertained and yes, they're inspired, but that they have an encounter with the Lord. And that they walk out of the theater or they might be looking at their cell phone on an airplane, watching one of these films, and God can touch their heart and forever change their life. That's so interesting, because as I hear you say that I go through each of your movies.

Sorry, big fan, but I've seen all of them. And that has happened every time there's been a moment. I can kind of see those visions in my head of even the war room, how she's praying over her home and taking back her home and her marriage for Jesus and to stand on the foundation of Christ.

And Anne's not going to tell you this, but I've watched her do it on our back deck, screaming out. Yes, yes. You know, which is awesome. It was really, the vision was from seeing it on the theater screen saying, we can do that and we need to do that. And the same thing can happen with this movie. It's the power of a story. It's the power of visual that the Holy Spirit uses in our own lives to really speak to us and move us into action.

Isn't it interesting that you and I often will have trouble clearly remembering a sermon that we heard a month ago, but we will remember a motion picture that we saw 10 years ago. And so that's why these pictorial emotional stories can carry so much weight in people's lives. And so that's why this movie, which is based on a true story, when people see it, it will grab their heart and instill in them the beauty of life, the beauty of adoption, and that that will influence our culture, if not our leaders when they're making laws. So again, it's not just about our individual rights. It's also about the preciousness of life existing. Well, thank you for what you guys do.

It is a it's more than a ministry, you know, this it's a calling that is impacting the world, the Christian community, but the world and we are just beneficiaries of that. So thank you. I don't know if you want to give us a heads up of what's coming next.

You got plans for the next movie or do we want to not let anybody know? Well, well, we have this couple, this dynamic couple. He's bald headed. Yeah. She's this pretty blonde lady. They're spies at night. Yes. They help our government. And during the daytime, they're just talk show hosts. Yes.

They just pretend to be family friendly talk show hosts. How'd they find out we were spies? I don't know. That was undercover. I think you should do a movie on the saga of the Detroit Lions chaplain for 33 seasons being the losingest chaplain in the history of the NFL. I think there's a movie there.

Wow. But you know what? In heaven, all the impact for the kingdom. God may say you are the winningest chaplain because the fruit remained, which was God's real goal in this situation. There you go, man. I like how you're thinking. And our producer, Jim, just said somehow Wilson got football in an interview again. I guarantee it. That's what he said. You heard me say a minute ago that the Roe v. Wade decision is just a touchdown in the big scheme of things.

I almost jumped in there and said, yeah, I like that analogy. God bless you guys. Good to talk to you. You guys are the best.

Thank y'all so much. You've been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Steven and Alex Kendrick on Family Life Today. The Life Mark movie launch happens tomorrow, actually. You could find a theater near you by going to familylifetoday.com or checking it out in the show notes.

There are so many options today for birth control, but are those options even biblical? But tomorrow on Family Life Today, Wayne Grudem joins Dave and Ann to talk about just that. On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I'm Shelby Abbott. We'll see you back next time for another edition of Family Life Today. Family Life Today is a production of Family Life, a crew ministry, helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.