Gary’s seminar was very insightful. Brought out sins I’m dealing with and has given me encouragement in God’s eyes to deal with them.
I appreciate the paradigm of marriage as a biblical tool or covenant.

Your thoughts and ideas are Biblical and should be incorporated into small groups within the church.

Thank you for your honest portrayal of marriage. I have been challenged to live out the principles Gary presented.

Great input, helpful insights, practical thoughts and application. Appreciated the time, motivation and perspectives. Thanks!

Really appreciated this opportunity to have a fresh and important view of marriage. We are going to use this as a chance to work on our relationship. Thanks for providing this time.

This was a great conference – very helpful in a new way. The focus on God and how He can work in and through marriage was/is really important.

Refreshing and new perspective on how to look at and love our spouses from this point on. Great prayer! “How can I love my spouse today like she/he has never been loved before!” Wow! Good marriage is something we make! I (we) look forward to our next 40 years!!

Excellent! Appreciated his willingness to tackle some tough topics. Please have him back. Also, please inquire as to having Gary speak on Sacred Parenting.

Allows and opens up conversations about our marriage and how we are doing. Allows evaluation, repentance, and goals we need to make in our marriage. Loved Gary’s information, challenges, laced with humor and wonderful stories.

Honesty – not pretentious in his presentation.

Absolutely wonderful. This came along when my marriage was in some serious trouble and this seminar has helped me and my wife focus on God’s plan and desire for us. Please have more! Just fantastic.

I believe the Holy Spirit descended so thick you could cut it like a knife. Gary, I believe, brought such new insights even if he says they are from the classics. Thank you! Thank you! I am committed again to become a God-centered spouse. May the glory be to God in all things!

The truth of this seminar is helping me persevere in my marriage.

I really appreciated the principled, biblical approach.

Lots to ponder!

Fantastic thoughts – wonderful perspective and insight.

I love his focus on holiness over happiness, that all of life’s tangible events and relationships are meant and allowed to help us become and respond more like Christ.

Great seminar. What a sincere and needed message.

I will be a better husband because of this information.

Home run!

A wonderful reminder of what God’s purpose for marriage is… to make us holy – not our personal happiness.

Awesome! Worth the drive and rain. We thank God for Gary’s heart and the passion of his heart. Amen-Amen to the message God’s desire for holiness in our lives and marriage. Praise God!! Larry, thank you for your graciousness to us!!

I found this seminar very enlightening and helpful. I am divorced and single and I wanted to attend this seminar to learn about the biblical perspective of marriage, and the relationship of that marriage. However, to my surprise and benefit, I have learned that marriage is about how to make us “holy” and happy. In learning about my relationship with God, it will honor my relationship, should I be blessed enough to marry again, my marriage, and then honor my relationship with God.

Gary Thomas has given me a lot to think about, shining a spotlight on my misconceptions and naiveté about marriage. I’m challenged and inspired by Gary to change my mindset and love my husband in a better and more sacrificial way.

I missed Friday evening. Saturday was very good. You gave me lots to think about: my responsibility.

This conference has been a great help for our marriage. This confirms that we are on the right path, but we still can do better. Thank you, it’s been a pleasure being here. Everything was great. Do it again, we will come back. Thank you. God bless.

It was a very helpful theological view on marriage and each individual’s role in marriage. I gained a better perspective on what marriage is intended for and what the realities are. This is encouraging. I gain some good goals and ideals to work toward. Thank you for a little direction! It’s much appreciated. (single person in serious relationship)

That marriage is not just bliss but work and that a godly marriage is centered around God. Also the sacrifice of love is a necessity of marriage to be Christ-like. We enjoyed it fully. It was great. We really needed it. Thank you!

Excellent perspective: refreshing biblical insight. Marriage to make holy, not happy; marriage made not found; God is my father-in-law. Excellent speaker – the book is just as good, we’ve both read it.

Format: Friday-Sat. Format was great. Could be Friday night/Sat. Morn. Need: one, if not the most important topic in the church today. Having Larry Shoemaker in a pastoral/marriage role has been very good for me personally. Studying others on the topic of marriage is new and refreshing for me also. Thanks for providing this!

I’m delighted to be part of a church that has opportunities like this that are offered. Hope there’s more! Thank you!

Solid biblical teaching; solid theology brings about good practical living. Thanks for effort to make this happen.

Wonderful-great insights. Thanks for bring this…. Wish it would have been a broad scope of people – more promotion. Next time….!

I loved it! It would be a shame to not continue offering these types of seminars! It was very well organized and planned. Thank you so much for all your work.

A fantastic time. Great material. Well presented. Challenges me to be a good husband.

Wonderful reminder/motivation to make Christ the center of our marriage. We went through Christ Centered Marriage (book+22 weeks with other couples) a few years ago which really gave us a changed perspective of our relationship but like so many times…we begin to forget what we learned as life weaves its highs and lows. “Sacred History” was an area we seldom consider as “valuable” in our lat 27 years together. The session on extravagant love was wonderful! What will it cost us to love each other? Is the cost any greater than the cost Christ made for us?

Very well communicated! Great material – good time line. Thanks for working to allow this here at Trinity.

I loved all the examples in stories and word pictures. I want to love God more. Thank you for reminding me of how much God loves me. I want that kind of love in my marriage. Thank you so much.

Very powerful presentation of what God’s Word tells us about marriage. A very fresh perspective.

This was an excellent perspective on marriage. Thank you for arranging Gary to come and speak.

We truly were blessed by the teaching that Gary shared. It gave us some fresh and new ways to look at marriage. We know that God will use the things we learned to enrich our marriage.

One of the most insightful speakers I ever heard. God was speaking to me, through Gary. Thank you for inviting him to speak.

Excellent speaker and thoughts. I enjoyed the seminar very much.

Good speaker – focused on basics and profound issue(s).

Thank you for providing the opportunity to be a part of the Sacred Marriage Seminar. We’re blessed to have been able to hear Gary in person as he expounded on the deep truths given to us in God’s Word relating to His plan for marriage. Again, thank you.

Very impressed. Informative and insightful. A lot to think about.

This seminar gave me a lot of good info and tools to really improve our marriage. We also bought the CD to share with our older children. I will recommend this seminar to our oldest son who is soon to get engaged.

Great!! Powerful, needful. I’m so excited to see the fruit from this time invested. If we don’t have healthy marriages how can we have healthy parenting, etc… Also thanks for a fresh voice! (That’s a plug for a parenting seminar).

Excellent time and location such that it’s very accessible for those of us with family obligations. Would come again!

I really appreciate the opportunity Trinity has given us by presenting this seminar. It was a fantastic seminar. Gary was an excellent presenter and the information was excellent and challenging.

Please bring more of these! Really, really good.

Great – I really enjoyed what Gary had to say. It’s a life-changing principle; one that God has begun teaching me recently. The story of Brian and Haley will stick with me for a long time.

A great new outlook on sacred (sacrifice) marriage. I realize that I may not be sacrificing enough in my marriage. Gary’s experience and willingness to share is a gift from God.

Refreshing insight to apply biblical principles to our marriage….to make us holy (not necessarily happy).

Excellent foundation.

Greatly appreciate this seminar and Gary’s wisdom which reminds me to “purify myself” to be a better “sole” mate to Jay.

Excellent marriage seminar; invite Gary Thomas back.

Excellent; it gave me a whole new way to be the wife God has called me to be. Thank you.

Thank you; I will never look at marriage the same.

Gary was great! His real life stories and honesty were very moving and convicting. I’m sure our marriage will be changed for the better.

Gary was great! His real life stories and honesty were very moving and convicting. I’m sure our marriage will be changed for the better.

It was very good and informative. I really enjoyed it.

Great perspective on how our culture puts “undue” pressure/expectations on marriage, bringing us back to a Biblical perspective on marriage.

Very connecting and encouraging. Thanks for putting it together.

Given me much to think about! I need to process it. Need more time! I have been challenged to listen to Linda and to listen to God.

It was refreshing to attend a marriage conference at our church. Thank you so much for bringing Gary and his scriptural approach to speak to us. What an important investment – our marriages.

Love the challenge on viewing God as my father-in-law. After meditating on II Cor. 7:1 – have found a (second) life verse – absolutely central to Christian life and marriage.

It was great. I enjoyed it very much. It was very helpful; God spoke to me personally; as well as to my husband. I appreciate Trinity Church providing; this well needed material. May God richly bless those who worked hard to make this happen.

Fabulous principles and presentation.

A wonderful seminar. Was challenged and found practical applications throughout. Fell like relationship with both the Lord and husband will be impacted. Would love to hear him talk on Sacred Parenting. Thanks for sponsoring this!

The booklet was great – good resources listed. Very worthwhile seminar – thanks for organizing it! In the future, it would be helpful to allow about 20 minutes fro couples (or singles) to talk through the reflection questions together. Too busy or distracted to be disciplined enough to tack these questions outside the structure of the seminar. There is a lot to absorb during the lecture and it would have been great to reflect on the questions a bit.

Very good; very candid; very convicting.

Great speaker with a lot of insight, not just another talk on marriage. Fresh new way to approach marriage and a life filled with a deeper love for Christ. I would attend another conference with Gary Thomas and would invite friends to her him speak. It was great!

Thank you, Gary and Larry, for organizing and presenting this marriage seminar. It’s been enlightening, encouraging, and moving. Even after 28 years of marriage, I gained a fresh new perspective. Thanks!

Thank you so very much. This will transform my marriage and my life with God is strengthened. This is a valuable teaching to do again.

Gary shared in a way that really held my attention and made me aware of areas I can change and be a better wife. It was awesome and I can’t wait for the CD’s.

Fresh, well spoken, deeper than I expected. This seminar calls me to a deeper love of God and Diane. I’m so glad I came. Key insights for me were the history of marriage perspective, being God-centered, and perseverance as a key.

Great!!

As a single who went through a horrible divorce, with three trials, youngest child of 3 was 6 months old, I had had it with marriage. Recently, I am reconsidering marriage, and appreciate a new view, God’s view of marriage. Thank you for your outpouring of information and yourself. Thank you for the Biblical love perspective and realities of marriage. I love seeing a truly loving couple in a loving marriage. Wish our kids could all hear this biblical love/marriage.

Excellent time. Good to do again.

Excellent time blocking – easy to do with children. It might be nice if childcare were provided/available.

The impact was tremendous. I have a totally different look on my marriage. I will quote what my impact was: “Love your spouse like if the Lord was your father-in-law_. As he says: “Take care of my son.” “And Love him too.”

What a blessing! The blending of love and holiness brought a new perspective to my marriage. God’s plan is amazing.

Thoroughly enjoyed it and gained much from it. Thanks for organizing it.

Great – God centered and definite biblical-based concepts to put into practice.

I like the statement/question: “What are you trying to show me through this, Lord?” rather than “Why me, Lord?” I thank God for the Sacred Marriage Seminar.

Love her like God loves His Daughters. Many great points and practical, useful directives to love Jesus by loving my wife above anyone or anything in this world.

Thank you for lowering barriers and building bonds.

Great!! Go it again.

Good material – great reminders. I would like to see regular (on a regular basis) seminars here. Thank you for taking the time to put this together for all of us.

I was very impressed with Gary’s humility in his teaching and his sound and strong faith and obedience in Christ Jesus. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed his book Sacred Marriage and we were (I was) more than encouraged today! Thank you sooo much for hosting this seminar!

It was great. Thank you for having it open to singles too. It put a whole different perspective on marriage than is usually presented and one that every engaged couple should seriously consider before marriage.

Great communicator. Challenging relevant message presented thoughtfully. Glad you made CD’s available.

I enjoyed so much of this conference. I want to pray the prayer “Show me how to love my husband as I’ve never loved before” or as they’ve never been loved before.

Good speaker; communication. Good though provoking and helpful material.

Excellent. New perspective.

Any wisdom and insight one can gain regarding God’s purpose for marriage is beneficial. Families need these types of opportunities in order to keep things in perspective and keep the flame lit in addition to staying in line with God’s will.

I enjoyed the seminar very much. Gary is a very good speaker and Larry was a great emcee. I only wish I’d asked a lady friend who is a Christian that I work with to come with her husband. They are having marital problems and I ordered the CD set for her. I hope it will help. Thank you for a great time and good lunch!

It was a far different marriage seminar than I was expecting. Gary refocused my thoughts and priorities that I need to be holy more than happy. I am looking forward to God’s direction for me as I refocus my direction.

Practical applications that helped me visualize what I can do to be a better husband. Thanks.

Really enjoyed the sessions, particularly Extravagant Love. Good to have outside resource people share at Trinity. Perseverance is a concept so important and yet not taught enough!

Outstanding; greater than I ever expected; God used it in a cathartic way to re-establish our marriage. We have been deeply touched by God! Praise be to His powerful name!

Excellent, better than I expected. I was impressed that the seminar was focused upon the most important and basic foundation of marriage.

Thanks. Gary Thomas shared a great perspective on our need, focus on God’s call to us to serve each other.

Lots of good insight into making our marriage work and knowing what to expect in the years to come.

Outstanding; must continue here at Trinity.

Great! It’s what the young women need to be taught and we older women need to model! Thanks so much for having the seminar. We are never married long enough to not need to refresh our commitment.

The seminar was beyond teaching that has me committed to hang on with my marriage. Thank you very much.

I thank God for attending this seminar. God spoke to me about many things that I am doing that does not glorify Him. As a result, I pray today to God to help me to be the husband who He wants me to be. Please pray for me. Thanks for visiting Gary.

Very insightful message on how God wants my marriage to be holy. Thank you for the opportunity to hear Gary’s message in person, alongside my husband.

Awesome! Great format, not too short, not too long. I like the Q & A. (Easy for parents with kids). Question: provide childcare?

Very good. Appreciate his insights and clear way of presenting it all. This conference was very good. Close to home so more reasonable. Thanks.

Thank you so much. Please let’s do this again. Let’s save marriage, one couple at a time.

Awesome! Better than a “How-to” seminar. It encourages change from the inside out, and from our relationship with Christ down to our earthly relationships. Very though provoking and encouraging.

The best I’ve ever heard. It wasn’t “how to”/self help. It was a call to surrender to obedience to Jesus…to respond to His call to holiness.

Thank you for providing this seminar. Very helpful, even transforming. So good that we are getting the CD’s.

This presentation was SO GOD centered that I want to have my marriage lead both my wife and myself closer to God in the Spirit.

Thank you for this great seminar. It’s biblical and spiritual focus is so needed.

Wonderful perspective on how marriage makes us holy vs. necessarily happy. Would love to have him back for more – on parenting, etc.

Very practical, thought out content presented in an interesting, entertaining way. We would highly recommend this seminar to others.

We loved the Sacred Marriage seminar. Funny, to the point and biblical.

I thought it was fantastic – really pointed me towards Christ and reminds me of my own role to be a better wife. Thanks so much for having him.

Excellent! More couples need to hear this kind of stuff! Kids need parents who will love each other like this.

Thank you for bringing Gary Thomas to our church for this seminar He shared many insightful things.

We really enjoyed the seminar. Gary was great and talked to us on our level and with passion when he speaks.

Very informative with new insight on marriage.

I’m looking forward to loving my husband everyday as he’s never been loved before, as Gary Thomas suggested. Good seminar.

I’ve been asking God to make me more holy (more like Him). Gary has made it more practical.

It was a great experience. As a single (seriously dating) I have learned a lot of new things about the future of our relationship and of what God has and continues to prepare me for marriage.

It was great! It helps me to rethink my attitudes towards marriage.

Your stories/analogies communicate vividly. A fresh perspective that’s also Biblical, logical, powerful and reflective on our relationship with God.

One of the best investments of time! Thanks for all the effort in the preparation.

Thanks for sharing with us what a marriage is and is not. Putting our expectation level where it should be. And directing us toward how to truly love our spouses.

I really appreciate the emphasis you put on needing to work on myself and my relationship with God. And to refocus on the things I appreciate about (spouse) and not on disappointments I have with him.

A very helpful glimpse into the command for me to love my wife as Christ loves the church – by giving up my selfish desires to serve (spouse) – with cost.

Thanks for the reminder of what Godly love truly is! Married 17 years, I look forward to the next 17 to see how the Lord changes me through loving my husband.

It was very interesting ,fun, and beneficial. I hope he comes again sometime. It was worth the price! I know in our culture, marriage is not valued so this is especially important.

Encouraging to be challenged to get out of the selfish mode in marriage and love my husband as I want my future daughter-in-law to love my son – as a son of God.

Great speaker! Wonderful teacher!

Gary Thomas is an excellent speaker and writer. The seminar was excellent. It blessed my tremendously.

This was an excellent, outstanding program. We, as men, are charged “headship” duties under Christ. Therefore, I really appreciate this instruction because of the focus on the how/why/I ca love my wife. Thanks.

Fantastic motivation to stick with it and make it work through God. I’m proud that sex was freely addressed and praised for its spiritual fulfillment. I think that I’ve learned an abundance of positive information to make me a holier and “wholier” man.

Being only seriously dating, this seminar really helped me to see just what is important and how much the mean means to me and what can help us to be stronger as a couple, both now and in the future.

Greatly enjoyed it – good insight – biblical teaching – to help us as we prepare for marriage.

Great speaker, very inspirational. Is there any opportunity for a second session – ongoing training?

Great speaker and message. Time well spent.

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We thought it was really amazing and eye-opening. We hope there are more like it in the future.

Great seminar! It gave a great biblical and historical perspective on how to properly relate to and love your spouse. Gary Thomas’s messages really focused on the core need for our marriage.

Outstanding. What is so good about sacred marriage is that it teaching me, first, how I become more like Jesus; secondly, how God can use my marriage in that process.

Just wanted to tell you and Karen WELL DONE! The seminar was wonderful. You worked very heard to have everything run so smoothly and obviously gave a lot of thought as to how to make people feel welcome and comfortable. The length of the sessions was just right. It was nice to have a beverage to sip, the lunch was a marvel of efficiency, and the content of the sessions was superb. We are really talking the seminar up among our circle of friends. It avoids all the threatening small group discussion pitfalls, and rightly focuses on God rather than on the human beings. Thanks for persevering in making it happen. We were greatly blessed and encouraged by the whole experience. One of His Daughters…