What Others Were Saying after the Conference

“My hubby and I had a great time at the Real Marriage Tour event! Even though our marriage is amazing, there is always room for growth! Thank you for sharing how we can bring our marriage to a higher level ~ We are Face to Face, View Sex as a gift, Servant + Servant = Godly Marriage! Thank you for challenging us to have more FUN, FUN, FUN, to always keep our spouse in second place just under God, and not let the little foxes get into our beautiful garden!” – Christina Nordmark

Thank you for being practical, honest and funny! My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves and I pray that “by the Grace of God” we can put the information into practice!- Lauren Briggs

This conference is amazing and has taught me so much! Praise God! – Andrew Maxwell

A Recap of the Real Marriage Tour

I awoke at 4:16 a.m. even though my alarm was set for 5:00 a.m. I was wide awake so I figured I might as well start getting ready since you can really never be too early for a flight out of DFW.

Doug, the owner of The Hub and producer of the Real Marriage Tour, met me at the airport and we had an intense strategy session 20,000 feet in the air.

As we flew over New Mexico we were both in awe at the vastness of God’s creation. The desert. The mountains. It was all so remote and from our viewpoint – tiny. We could only wonder what the world looks like in the palm of God’s hand.

We arrived in Corona, CA at 9:11. This was my first trip to California and it’s beauty and climate exceeded my expectations.

We met up with some of the creative crew from Mars Hill church for lunch as well as Peter McGowan of Plain Joe Studies. We feasted on the patio at Miguels Mexican Restaurant with hot food on our plates and warm sunshine on our backs – a real treat when the weather in Texas was rainy and cold when we left that morning.

We arrived at Crossroads Church and began to setup the lobby of the with tables upon tables of merchandise as well as promotional booths and banners for our sponsors – Logos Bible Software, Food for the Hungry and Air 1 FM Radio.

We were running a little behind schedule and were surprised when people started arriving around 4:30 to attend the conference when doors wouldn’t even open until 6 p.m. By 5 people were standing in line for registration, by 5:30 people were streaming in and there was a buzz and excitement in the air. At 6:20 Mark & Grace showed up to sign autographs and take pictures. There was a huge line for the autographs and so we recommend getting there early if you want to be sure and get your book signed and your photo with Mark and Grace.

Praise and Worship with Dustin Kensrue

Dustin Kensrue of Thrice kicked off the evening with praise and worship and everyone loved it. When I asked one attendee “What was your favorite part of the conference” he said, “The praise and worship and the Q&A” – and he was right, both of these things were big hits at the conference. Dustin is genuine and sings from the heart and one of my favorite things about being a Christian is corporate worship. There is nothing like coming together with a body of believers and praising the Lord.

Real Marriage with Mark Driscoll

Mark started teaching and immediately he had the crowd laughing. If you haven’t heard Mark Driscoll teach then you should check out his podcast or download some of his teaching from our website. Mark doesn’t beat around the bush and as Hector, one of the conference attendees interviewed said, “Mark has no shame”. Hector continued to tell me that he appreciated that Mark would talk about topics that other churches were often afraid to speak on. People have real questions, they expect real answers, not fluff.

During the Q&A Mark and Grace answered questions like “Why are some guys scared to make the first move?” and “What can I do to get my husband to pursue me?”  Mark and Grace gave great answers to both questions. Mark had the crowd laughing when he answered about the guys being scared to make the first move. He pretty much said that guys shouldn’t be going around to a girl’s friends and asking “Does so and so like me, maybe?” Instead men need to be okay with taking a risk – it’s what being a man is about. Just keep it simple, ask a girl if you can get to know her more and if she says no, then say “Well, okay, just tell all your friends I was honorable.”

Not Just for Married People…

Everyone should attend the Real Marriage Conference. As a single man who has attended multiple marriage events over the years I can honestly say that each time I go I learn something new.  The single attendees that I asked about the conference said that the topic on selfishness really hit home with them. As human beings it’s often all about us and that is something we forget when pursuing a mate. There is so much amazing information at these conferences that you would be so far ahead of the curve if you attended BEFORE you got married. If everyone heard this information before they got married then I’m sure they would avoid years of heartache.

Real Marriage Changes Lives

Attending a Real Marriage Conference is life-changing. Many people asked me, “Why should I go to the conference when I can just listen to this online?” I guess the best answer would be why do you go to a concert to hear a singer when you can just listen to them on the radio? It’s all about shared experience. You get to come together with people who have a common interest and want to share their experience with other people. There is an energy and a joy that you get from being at a conference. I have seen couples after the conferences praying together, holding each other, crying together. Lives are changed.

At each of our conferences we plan to do a vow renewal for a couple that wants to renew their vows in front of the congregation. This is something you won’t experience online or by just watching the DVD. We also have question and answer sessions that are unique to each event since the participants text their questions in and we choose them while Mark Driscoll is speaking.

How is The Hub connected to Mars Hill Church?

A question I got a lot at the conference was “How is The Hub connected to Mars Hill Church and Mark Driscoll?” Well, if you are new to The Hub then you may not know that we used to be called SongofSolomon.com and that we have produced and promoted over 150 conferences over the last 15 years. Doug Hudson, owner of The Hub is passionate about great Bible teaching as well as spreading the word about Jesus Christ through live events. He partnered with Mark & Grace Driscoll and Mars Hill Church to produce and promote The Real Marriage Tour which is sponsored by Logos Bible Software as well as Food for the Hungry, Bible Study Magazine, PastorMark.tv, The Resurgence, Vyrso, and 5 Love Languages.

We want to say a big THANKS to all of our sponsors, our on the street photographers (Brett Benham) our wonderful selfless volunteers, the staff from Mars Hill and Crossroads Christian Church, to Mark and Grace and of course our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

More videos and pictures coming soon so be sure and watch our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.

The Real Marriage Tour kicks off this February with 7 tour stops, starting in Corona, California. To celebrate, we’ll be giving away a special-edition, Real Marriage iPad 2 preloaded with Pastor Mark’s entire sermon archive, thanks to Logos Bible Software, as well as the following ebooks, courtesy of Vyrso:

Preloaded Books by Mark Driscoll

• Real Marriage
• Doctrine
• Religion Saves
• Disciple
• Death by Love
• Vintage Church
• Vintage Jesus
• Church Leadership
• Who Is God?
• The New Testament
• The Power of Words and the Wonder of God

How To Win

To be entered to win you can fill out the Giveaway form over on the Real Marriage Tour Facebook page  (you’re one-stop shop for all the updates on the RM Tour).

Here’s the best part: you have 7 chances to win, and the more you share, the more chances you’ll have to win. Each winner will be announced the Monday before each event. So,tell your friends on Twitter and Facebook about the contest and the Real Marriage Tour to up your chances for a free iPad 2.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the Real Marriage event nearest to you, or visit our Real Marriage Tour page to find out info on times and locations.

Free Ebook Offer

At The Hub we are always trying to create fun new opportunities for our conference attendees to get the most out of their conference and now we have a new offer – starting January 5th the first 75 registrants for the Real Marriage Tour will receive a free copy of Real Marriage in eBook form!

Just use Promo Code RMeBook at checkout. 

Free Autographed Book Offer

If you are planning on coming to one of the 7 conferences, round up a group of friends, purchase 10 tickets or more and you’ll receive a free autographed copy of Mark and Grace Driscoll’s book Real Marriage.

How to Get Your Free Autographed Book

When buying your group tickets of 10 or more, please enter promo code FREEBOOK at checkout.  When you arrive at the registration desk on the day of your event, just give them your name and your autographed copy will be given to you then.

Special-Edition iPad 2

The Real Marriage Tour kicks off this February with 7 tour stops, starting in Corona, California. To celebrate, we’ll be giving away a special-edition, Real Marriage iPad 2 preloaded with Pastor Mark’s entire sermon archive, thanks to Logos Bible Software, as well as the following ebooks, courtesy of Vyrso:

Preloaded Books by Mark Driscoll

• Real Marriage
• Doctrine
• Religion Saves
• Disciple
• Death by Love
• Vintage Church
• Vintage Jesus
• Church Leadership
• Who Is God?
• The New Testament
• The Power of Words and the Wonder of God

How To Win

To be entered to win you can fill out the Giveaway form over on the Real Marriage Tour Facebook page  (you’re one-stop shop for all the updates on the RM Tour).

Here’s the best part: you have 7 chances to win, and the more you share, the more chances you’ll have to win. Each winner will be announced the Monday before each event. So, tell your friends on Twitter and Facebook about the contest and the Real Marriage Tour to up your chances for a free iPad 2.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the Real Marriage event nearest to you, or visit our Real Marriage Tour page to find out info on times and locations.

Mark Driscoll in Chicago

We are excited about our LoveLife/Song of Solomon Conference  featuring Mark Driscoll coming to Harvest Bible Chapel (Rolling Meadows Campus) on April 1 – 2, 2011.

If you will be staying in town and need lodging, we have rounded up some excellent hotel options for you:

Hotel Indigo Chicago-Schaumburg North (This Hotel is Across the Street from the Church)
920 E Northwest Hwy Palatine, IL 60074

Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Schaumburg (This Hotel is about a 10 minute drive but nearby to many shopping & restaurants)
1311 American Ln Schaumburg, IL 60173

Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel (This hotel is in the same area as the one above, it’s just an upscale option)
1551 Thoreau Dr N Schaumburg, IL 60173

Pastor Mark Driscoll shared from the Bible, his heart, and his experience as a pastor on how God is the creator of our bodies and souls and just how messed up our lives can get when we try and figure out sex and marriage on our own.  If we base our lives on the world’s advice, or anything other than Christ and His Word, true fulfillment in relationships and sex will never be ours.  Sex is good, not gross. Sex is pure in the sight of God and encouraged by his very direct words in Song of Solomon: “Drink friends and imbibe deeply.”

Marriage between one woman and one man is greatness, and it takes a lot of work.  A poignant quote from Pastor Mark to the women: “Single ladies, if he will not work to get you, what makes you think he will work to keep you?”

Most men want the ladies to do all the work, or perhaps the man is willing to work to get her, but then he says, “I got her, now it is back to my career.”

The underlying theme throughout the day can be summed up in these two lines: God is the author and creator of life, sexuality and marriage, not the world, so stop looking to others who are just as flawed as we are.

Secondly, in marriage, be a Servant Lover.  Marriage is based upon unselfishness.  Therefore, in sexuality, in money, in raising kids, in all areas, be a servant.  If you will by God’s strength and power set out to be a servant lover, chances are you will be just as fulfilled as your spouse who you have been faithfully loving and serving.

God is with you in your situation no matter what the cirucumstances look like at this very moment.  There is hope and there is redemption for Los Angeles  and the world.

How tough are you? Outside my hotel there was an OUTDOOR concert, a band playing 80′s cover tunes, in that weather. Now, I can tell you that the crowd wasn’t quite Woodstock like, but still, that is what I call hard-core and committed to fun.

On Saturday at the St. Paul River Centre, over 2,000 people came to hear Pastor Mark Driscoll teach about love, marriage, dating and sex. As Mark stated…”in a place where you spend a lot of time indoors, if you are married, or going to get married someday, this is a ‘life skill’ you better get good at, because you are going to have plenty of time.”

The day was amazing, the stories told by attendees were tough, but filled with hope. Our prayer partners prayed with nearly 50-60 people afterward. It was a great conference, it blessed us and we hope it was a blessing to those that attended.

This comment sums it up best and was left on our site just a couple of days ago:

What Mark said about Engedi at the conference in Minneapolis this week really affected us. We have been in a variety of co-sleeping arrangements with our four kids for almost all of our 7 years of marriage. At times it was necessary for us to get any sleep. We have faced huge trials as a couple, most recently surviving cancer (me), losing a baby, and dealing with a life-threatening – and altering – illness in one of our small children. However, Mark’s teaching was the kick in the pants we needed to change our sleep situation. In two days, we have instituted a new sleeping arrangement and routines for everyone in the house, and we have hope – like Doug promised in one of the opening sessions – that God will use our prayerful decision to bless everyone in the house, our kids included.  Thanks for helping us establish Engedi in our home – we already love it!

As a Student Pastor I spent the first ten years giving students the best advice I knew when it came to dating. “The Bible says don’t have sex, so don’t! It mentions fleeing from sexual immorality so I guess that means don’t touch the parts of another’s body that are covered with clothes. Other than that date, kiss and enjoy those great years of junior and senior high relationships!”

Then I eventually saw and had to counsel many of those same students who ended up going too far physically, suffered through broken hearts or lost their own spiritual passion while pursuing their personal romance. Then I discovered the timeless wisdom from the Song of Solomon. It changed my ministry. It changed my parenting. It changed my life!  Who would have ever thought that something written over two thousand years ago could be so relevant for students today?

I love watching the raw scriptures in Song of Solomon challenge students’ thinking and rearrange their perspective when it comes to healthy relationships with the opposite sex. I have used these biblical principles with my own teenage kids.  Although they resisted the ideas at first (my daughter once told her older brother that dad was “trying to brainwash her with that Solomon stuff”), they are realizing God may have a better idea when it comes to dating than their peers do.  Imagine that.

I can’t wait to see you in Tennessee!

Keith Smith
Worth the Wait

The Conference will give you:

• Practical instruction on what to look for in a guy or girl before you date/court and marry
• Help on setting clear standards
• What the difference is between a date and dating
• Practical, Biblical counsel on purity and romance to help you learn and keep God’s best for your love life
• Hope, if you’ve experienced a failure in this area experience God’s grace and some tools to help you make a fresh, healthy start
• Truth to help you learn and live, instead of living and then learning
• Truth that God is for correct, biblical marriage, sex and romance – it was all His idea!

It is practical, relevant, humorous, solid, redemptive—the straight truth. Students, as with adults, don’t change the way they live until they change the way they think.

This material and God’s hand can revolutionize their lives.Please consider exposing your students and families to this all-important message.

We look forward to how God is going to use His Word to influence and shape the lives of students with the Song of Solomon message.

Click Here to view video clips, schedule and pricing information.

They are geared for: Adults 18 years and older, Married Adults, Single Adults and College Students.

Perfect for a small to medium-sized churches to bring a group for a turn key Bible-based relationship conference.

Whether you are newly married, married for years and may think that your marriage can’t get any worse, or better, or perhaps you are a college student
or single and want to have the most fulfilling marriage possible, the Song of Solomon is for you. It is God’s foundational and most intimate writing about how to:

• Attract and become the right kind of a person
• How to Date and then moving towards a serious relationship
• The Gift of Intimacy and Sex, and why and how it can be such a blessing or such a struggle
• * How to fight, because we all do, and how to grow closer through fight, not build a bigger wall between us
• Romancing our spouse after years, fighting boredom and “this is as good as it’s going to get” pitfall
• Commitment and why it is God’s desire and command, and why it is the most satisfying, simple and fulfilling model ever