Sex on the First Date: A Story of a Broken Beginning to a Radically Transformed Marriage

Tim and Kathy Bush’s open and honest memoir Sex on the First Date tells the story of a rocky marriage, full of infidelity, miraculously transformed when Tim and Kathy meet Jesus; it will give readers hope that their relationships, too, can be transformed.

Marriage can be perilous for any couple, but for those facing infidelity and other dark secrets, it can be soul-crushing. Yet no matter how broken a relationship may seem, hope and healing remain within reach.

Tim and Kathy Bush are proof. Theirs was a union built not on solid ground but on the shifting sands of childhood trauma, promiscuity, addiction, and a hunger that neither of them could satisfy. Through many tumultuous years, they stumbled to the brink of both relational and personal destruction again and again, nearly giving up on each other—and on life itself.

In this deeply personal memoir, the Bushes hold nothing back, revealing the raw reality of a marriage seemingly doomed to end in heartbreak. After years of trying to fix themselves, they finally found the source of hope, or rather Hope found them, and their lives and marriage were radically transformed from the inside out.

In this harrowing and heartfelt story, you will discover:

• an engaging narrative shared from each one’s unique perspective
• the power of bringing even the harshest realities into the light of truth
• eight intentional “stakes” you can plant to foster a flourishing marriage
• practical applications and questions to spur transformative conversations
• . . . and much more.

If your marriage is clinging to life or is vibrant and healthy, or if you’re not married at all, the rich insights in Sex on the First Date will encourage and strengthen you and your relationships—not only with your spouse and others, but ultimately with the Lord himself, the true Lover of your soul.

Tim and Kathy Bush have been married since 1982 and are the proud parents of three children, three in-law children, eight grandchildren, and one dog. They are speakers as well as FamilyLife affiliate staff, who share their story at marriage conferences and retreats across the country. They founded War Room Ministries (warroomministries.com), which has served to strengthen men, marriages, families, and churches, and to develop Christian character through redemption, relationships, and resilience. Tim and Kathy have received countless responses of gratitude for openly discussing the shame that comes from searching for happiness in all the wrong places. 

Tim is retired from thirty-five years in the automobile business and is an entrepreneur in real estate and business development, having owned businesses since just out of high school. Kathy has been a homemaker and esthetician who studied at Euro Institute of Skin Care and is retired from running her own spa and skin care business. They both enjoy drinking coffee, walking, and traveling. They love spending time with their kids and grandkids, praying and reading God’s Word, and worshiping God and going to church together. They also stay very busy serving together at marriage events, and partnering with other couples who have a passion for marriages has been their source of greatest joy.