← Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt
Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt
Bachelor Couple Who Made It And Why with Catherine & Sean Lowe
01:19:57
Welcome back to Stay True Podcast! This week marks a first– Madi is sitting down with guests from The Bachelor: Sean and Catherine Lowe! Sean and Catherine’s love story began in front of millions of viewers, but what happened off-camera is even...
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- [00:00]
Madison Pruitt Trout
What made you guys go on the Bachelor and what was that process and journey like?
- [00:06]
Kathryn
Been just a very fascinating testimony coming from not a Christian background and finding my faith on a reality show that.
- [00:13]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Is normally the opposite of what happens when people go on reality tv. How do I know if they're the one?
- [00:18]
Sean Lowe
There is no one.
- [00:19]
Kathryn
This hurt my heart the first time I read it.
- [00:21]
Madison Pruitt Trout
At the time, you weren't following Jesus.
- [00:24]
Kathryn
Correct.
- [00:24]
Madison Pruitt Trout
But you were interested in someone who was following Jesus. Did you know he was a Christian?
- [00:28]
Kathryn
And the next call was to the guy I was dating. He was like, you should do it.
- [00:31]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Your boyfriend said, yeah, you should go on the Bachelor.
- [00:34]
Kathryn
Yeah. He was like, that sounds like something you do know.
- [00:36]
Sean Lowe
The world will tell you there has to be sexual compatibility. They love the Lord, they love you. You enjoy being around them and commit. That's the biggest thing. Like, no one wants to commit.
- [00:44]
Madison Pruitt Trout
A Christian would never go on the Bachelor. Did you get that question? What was kind of like going on in your mind as you see someone that you're so drawn to but you know, like, she doesn't have the same values?
- [00:55]
Kathryn
He demanded to see me. It's like, probably 11 o' clock at night.
- [00:58]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Are you, like, in your PJs with.
- [01:00]
Kathryn
White strips in my.
- [01:08]
Madison Pruitt Trout
What's up, guys? Welcome back to another episode of Stay True podcast. I'm your host, Madison Pruitt Trout, and I'm here with my new friends, Katherine and Sean Lowe.
- [01:20]
Sean Lowe
We are glad to be here.
- [01:21]
Madison Pruitt Trout
I. You guys, I've never had anyone on the podcast before. That is from the Bachelor. Oh, wow. I really haven't. I've, like, talked about it, like, one time on my podcast, and so I'm so excited because when I was thinking about it, I was like, I can't think of anybody else that I'd want to have any type of. We're not just gonna be talking about the Bachelor, but any type of bachelor conversation with other than you guys. We have so many mutual friends. Jonathan Paluda has talked so highly of you guys, and he's been on the podcast multiple times. So welcome to Stay True.
- [01:52]
Sean Lowe
What an honor. Thank you.
- [01:53]
Madison Pruitt Trout
So, so happy. And you guys. Okay, you were on the Bachelor. That's how you guys met. We're gonna be talking more about your story, but now you guys do different speaking engagements. You have, like, a brand called Home, like furniture Company, and you also have a stationery company called Loco. So cool. And so, yeah, I'm just excited to talk about everything because how long has it been since you guys came off of The Bachelor.
- [02:20]
Sean Lowe
You want to make me feel old?
- [02:22]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Well, you guys look incredible.
- [02:24]
Sean Lowe
12 years.
- [02:25]
Kathryn
Yeah, we're cosplaying as gen zers right now.
- [02:28]
Madison Pruitt Trout
You look amazing. 12 years. Okay, so a lot of life has happened since then. You have three kids, which I'm gonna be asking all the parenting questions. So let's jump into it. I'd love to just hear, like, what made you guys go on the Bachelor and what was that process and journey like?
- [02:47]
Sean Lowe
Yeah. So the funny thing is, neither one of us signed up. Like, it wasn't our idea. For me, I was working a job which I didn't necessarily love, and I worked at the time for my brother in law, selling insur. And I've always had like this entrepreneurial heart. And I remember I would pray almost on a nightly basis, say, lord, if you want me to be here, I'll be here. But you know, I want to do something that's more creative, outside the box. And I think the Lord probably has a funny sense of humor. So it was during this time, it.
- [03:16]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Was like asking, you shall receive.
- [03:18]
Sean Lowe
It was during this time that my sister and my brother in law, they watched the Bachelor. I never really watched it. I was familiar with it because it was part of pop culture. Never really watched it. But they signed me up and the casting director called me. I was out walking my dogs one day and she gave me her sales pitch and I was like, thank you very much, but politely declined. And I remember right before the phone call ended, she said, well, just think about it. At the very least, it could be a free vacation. You could travel the world. So I go back to work the next day doing a job I didn't love, and I was like, yeah, free vacation, traveling the world. Like right now that sounds pretty good. Sounds better than selling insurance.
- [03:55]
Madison Pruitt Trout
And.
- [03:55]
Sean Lowe
And yeah, the next thing you know, I was on the Bachelorette, of course, before becoming the Bachelor. And then Kathryn can tell you, but she had somewhat of a similar experience.
- [04:05]
Kathryn
I was just working at Amazon. Wonderful life.
- [04:07]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Amazon.
- [04:08]
Kathryn
Yeah. Okay. I was a visual designer there because I'm from Seattle and my best friend was watching the show and she was married and she was like, I want you to meet your guy, your dream guy. And she's wrapped up in this Cinderella story about all these people falling in love. And I was dating someone long distance at the time, and I was like, no, I'm, you know, I'm very content. And she was like, I'm gonna sign you up anyways. And so I don't hear anything for months. And I Hear back from them. And it was very, like, flattering to me. And so when I answered the phone, I was still at Amazon. I was still dating that guy. And they said, it's just an email. And I was like, what can that hurt? You know, it's very flattering. I would love to just receive it and then see what happens. Does not mean I'm on the show.
- [04:52]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Totally.
- [04:53]
Kathryn
And the next call was to the guy I was dating. And I told him. I said, krista signed me up and isn't that silly? Like, I'm so not that type. And, like, we're doing stuff. And he was like, you should do it. So that was probably the last time I talked to him.
- [05:09]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Your boyfriend said, yeah, you should go on the Bachelor.
- [05:12]
Kathryn
Yeah. He was like, that sounds like something you do. And I'm like, I literally took the bus to Amazon, walked around in Birkenstocks, not caring at all about being famous is what he thought. And I just think he wanted an out, which is fine with me.
- [05:26]
Madison Pruitt Trout
That is.
- [05:27]
Sean Lowe
His loss was my gain.
- [05:28]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Absolutely.
- [05:29]
Kathryn
But then I watched the show, and I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't him. Cause you get to see the guys that are potentially going to be who you're gonna court.
- [05:36]
Madison Pruitt Trout
So you knew there was, like, a few options.
- [05:38]
Kathryn
Yes. And I was like, I'm not gonna leave my job, leave my life for anybody but him. So I watched it to see.
- [05:45]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Wow.
- [05:45]
Kathryn
Yeah. And then they told me, and I gave him my two weeks, and the rest is okay.
- [05:49]
Madison Pruitt Trout
So you knew it was going to be shot before?
- [05:51]
Kathryn
Yes.
- [05:51]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Okay.
- [05:52]
Kathryn
I would not have given up for anybody else, because there's. There's a couple other people that were just not my type.
- [05:57]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Wait, I had no idea that part of you being in a relationship, that. That's amazing. Well, praise God. God know. God know. Okay, but at the time, you weren't following Jesus.
- [06:08]
Kathryn
Correct.
- [06:09]
Madison Pruitt Trout
You were in a relationship. You ended the relationship, but you were interested in someone who was following Jesus. Did you know he was a Christian?
- [06:14]
Kathryn
I knew he was, but I think, you know, I was in Christian communities adjacent. Went to church camps. Like, had a lot of friends in Seattle. It's different.
- [06:24]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [06:25]
Kathryn
Like, the culture is very, very different. And so when I hear that, I'm like, okay, that's no big deal. You know, I think he's a nice man. He loves his family. Like, I don't know what that's gonna change. And I just knew he was serious at the later stages of it. Like, obviously, a lot of fruits of the spirit were Coming out very clearly, he was not, you know, slamming the head. Slamming out of everybody's head about it.
- [06:51]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [06:51]
Kathryn
But it became very clear later on in us getting to know each other that he was someone who was a very devout believer and demanded to have a partner that was the same.
- [07:04]
Sean Lowe
Do you want to tell her about meeting my family in Thailand?
- [07:07]
Madison Pruitt Trout
So this is on. This is on the show. I haven't seen.
- [07:09]
Sean Lowe
This is at this.
- [07:10]
Kathryn
No, no, no.
- [07:10]
Sean Lowe
It's okay.
- [07:11]
Madison Pruitt Trout
I have not seen it.
- [07:12]
Sean Lowe
It was 20 years ago.
- [07:13]
Madison Pruitt Trout
I honestly very much relate to everything that you gu. I had never watched the show before someone applied me. Okay. Anyway, so I'm like. I actually am genuinely so intrigued by the story, because I don't even know. Everyone listening is probably like, maddie, we already know these things. And I'm like, I don't. So tell me all the things.
- [07:28]
Kathryn
So I feel like casting. They're just. They are very phenomenal what they do. They know exactly the formula. And for him, he had a lot of nice girls because he's such a nice guy. He had a ton of nice girls. He probably put it on that he wants a Christian girl or someone that has high. You know, I don't know exactly what he said, but they also have to pepper in girls that are for good, for tv. And I don't think I was meant for him. I generally don't. I don't think that they would have on paper put us together in any way, shape, or form. But there were a lot of girls doing Bible studies in the mansion, and they'd always invite or. You know, it was a very sweet community of girls that were on our season. And so there were lots of seeds being planted. One girl left out her Bible, and I was like, oh, I want to. You know, I want to see this. And she was like, yeah, please. And just, like, tons of instances that I was. You look back and you're like, wow, that was. That is the coolest thing, the line that was through this season. But when there were two girls and we were in Thailand, I remember walking in and meeting his family, and it was in Thailand. And so you're kind of like, maybe this is just the yellow light of Thailand, like this beautiful, brilliant, golden essence that you see. But I saw his family, and I was, like, instantly hit with, like, what is that?
- [08:50]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Wow.
- [08:50]
Kathryn
Everybody's sitting around a table. That's how I meet them. And I'm like, what? What is this? And I knew after that meeting, I thought, if he doesn't pick me, I need, like, this is What I want. Like, I need this type of thing in my life. Like, so it was such a profound moment that I just remember thinking, regardless of if he picks me, this is something that I want to pursue. And I didn't know what it was. I still didn't know what it was at that point. So it's been just a very fascinating testimony and something that I think is very unique. Coming from not a Christian background and finding my faith on a reality show.
- [09:29]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Right. No, I was going to say that is normally the opposite of what happens when people go on reality tv. And even when you were saying, like, the girls at the mansion were sitting around doing Bible studies, I'm like, listen, that was the story on my season. It's not what it totally was, like, around. Around the mansion, although it was great. I love all the girls.
- [09:45]
Kathryn
I know what you mean.
- [09:46]
Madison Pruitt Trout
But you felt like the Holy spirit speaking to you in that moment. Like, you saw light. You felt light. That is so cool. And then for you, what was kind of like going on in your mind as you see someone that you're so drawn to but, you know, like, she doesn't have the same values necessarily in convictions that you had at the time, but you knew that's what you were looking for long term.
- [10:07]
Sean Lowe
It's a. It's a really tough question. So confusion is the answer. Like, I was so confused, and it's so bizarre. It's such a weird world.
- [10:15]
Madison Pruitt Trout
The weirdest.
- [10:16]
Sean Lowe
Where, you know, the Bachelorette, where it was me and 25 other guys. It was so much fun. And we're traveling the world, and you become friends and you're goofing around, and when you're not filming, we were barbecuing by the pool and hanging out and being guys. And then you go to the Bachelor, where it's just complete isolation. Like, you've got a producer next to you, but for the most part, it's just isolation. And then I felt the heaviness of everything. In the beginning. It was fun, of course, and you're meeting new people and a lot of nice girls, and they're. Towards the end, you know, the producers are asking you these questions. So for those of you who don't know, you're sitting there a lot every day, and a producer saying, hey, you know, this relationship with Kathryn is advancing, and do you see yourself spending the rest of your life, like, really heavy stuff, right? And there comes a point where it's like, wait a minute, we're down to, like, three or four women, and, you know, they're all really nice. And I have this very strong pull towards Kathryn and all these things. And I'm just praying constantly. I'm so confused. Like, God, what do I do? What do I do? The best way I can describe it is I do think that God gave me a certain amount of peace now in regards to proposing to Catherine. But at the same time, I was like, no, this is so ridiculous. This is a silly reality TV show, and you're going to propose to someone. And also, like, at the time, we were not equally yoked. Right. And so I should not be marrying someone if we're not equally yoked. But in the same breath at that time. The Bible talks a lot about spiritual maturity. I was a pretty immature Christian. I'd given my life to Christ at a young age, but I had things that I refused to just, like, submit to the Lord. Right. And immature is the best way I could describe it. But the good news for me is that the Lord is in the redemption business. And, of course, he's in control of everything. He knew exactly what he was doing. And I think this piece that I had about Kathryn, the Lord said, you know what? Just wait. Yeah, like, I've got something really special for you. And I do think that. And when I say spiritually immature and holding onto things, not to sugarcoat it, a lot of it was just sinful stuff. Right. There are consequences to sin. And I think that I brought a lot of those consequences into our marriage, which is not how you want to start off a marriage. The first couple years were really difficult at times. That was a really long winded answer. But it was just. It was confusion met with peace, met with, like, God, I'm going to give this to you. And God saying, okay, well, here's Katharine. But I'm also going to teach you some lessons along the way, and they're not going to be easy. I look back now, and it's like, we have the most amazing family. We have the most special. Our marriage has never been better. Just to see what the Lord has done in both of our lives, in our marriage and our family. Unbelievable. And I just think, you know, even. Even when you don't have your act together. And I certainly did not have my act together at that time. Like, the Lord is still sovereign. He's still in control.
- [13:20]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yep.
- [13:20]
Sean Lowe
I think a lot of times we start to feel guilty, and instead of running to God and say, God, I just want to. I want to give it to you. Like, just embrace me in your loving arms. Right. I think the human tendency is to hide it from God.
- [13:37]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah, totally.
- [13:38]
Sean Lowe
You don't want to talk about it. You're afraid that he's mad at you and he's not. He's just saying, come here. I want to love you. I know what's best for you. And it took a little time, but eventually that's what I got to is just like, lord, I'm giving this to you. And, yeah, that's when he really can start to transform your relationships and your life, everything that goes with it.
- [14:03]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yep. Amen. So good. Okay, guys, I'm taking a short break from this podcast to tell you about some exciting news. My new book, Dare to be True. Stay true. Dare to be true. It just makes sense. When God laid this podcast on my heart, I actually had already started working on my next book, Dare to be True. And the whole point of this podcast and the whole point of this book is we were all designed and made for truth, and everyone in this world is searching for it. Yet so many of us are searching for the right things in all of the wrong places. And this book is all about tackling the lies that often entangle us and bind us and finding the truth that sets us free. And so in this book, we're going to be tackling all the things from sin and shame and the lies around eternity and the lies around your identity and the lies around your purpose and how to find the truth and live for free. Because the reality is, it says in Proverbs 14:12, that there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death. There is a way that the world preaches that we should go, that we should follow, that we should conform to, that we should look like. And in the end, it leads to death. Yet what God's word says is Jesus says in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. So he is saying, the truth you are looking for can only be found in me. I am the truth. And I'm not only the truth, I am the truth, at least, leads to life and life abundantly. And then it says in John 8:32, when you know the truth, it's the truth that will set you free. And so if you have ever felt bound by lies, if you have ever questioned your worth, your confidence, your purpose, if you've ever wondered how you can break free from feeling weighed down, exhausted, overwhelmed, or even insecure about who you truly are and what your purpose is on this earth, this book is for you. I have often said, I just want to be free. I have looked at my husband many of times and said, I just want to be free. I'm tired of feeling weighed down. I'm tired of feeling not enough. I'm tired of being on this endless cycle of striving and performing and never feeling like I can reach what I need to reach and be who I need to be. And when I go back to the truth, when I go back to who God is and who God says I am, that is when I experience true freedom. And so this book is for you and I am so excited. True crew for you to go and get your copy of Dare to Be True. You can pre order it now. I will be including the link in this episode and so you can go and pre order it. It will be coming out this fall. I'm so, so excited and I can't wait. We're going to be doing some really fun series all about some of the content in this book. But you're going to want to get your hands on it because there's some really, really fun, special pieces in this book that you can't get in this podcast. So you guys can go and pre order Dare to Be True now if you want to break free from what is breaking you and for you, okay, so you, you experienced that moment when you saw his family and you're like, I'm drawn to this. I want that. I want what they have. You guys, okay, you proposed, right? You said yes. Okay, so you guys in the show engaged. So then what was the journey like from there of you discovering your faith and you guys working through that together?
- [17:31]
Kathryn
So I'm gonna rewind to the night before the proposal because it's a very important piece to this conversation. Before I would see him on his balcony. Like, you'd be on these destinations, whatever. And sometimes you would see. There was one time I got to see his hotel room and you could see him on his balcony. And every morning for that, what, three days we're on location, I could see him doing his Bible time. So I knew he was serious. I didn't know the pressures that he was facing. I was just some girl that's like, oh, he's a hot guy, He's a nice guy. Like, this sounds fun. If he doesn't pick me, then whatever. I would go back to a great life. But he obviously battled with huge things that now, as a believer, when someone with children, someone in the faith who understands when you want your child to be with someone equally yoked. So it's interesting to look back at that. But the night before the proposal. I was at peace. I was like, you know what? You know, I. I feel confident about whatever happens tomorrow. Either way, it's going to change my life. But it could be me going back to my family or me starting a new life with him. So I felt fine. But I remember because you're not supposed to have any conversations off the camera. He demanded to see me. I think it was like 15, 20 minutes.
- [18:46]
Sean Lowe
I had to plead. So, you know, Martin is like the head executive producer. He was the top guy, and you never saw him. He was always off camera. And I was just. I was battling because this is the biggest decision of my life.
- [18:58]
Kathryn
And we were taking this seriously.
- [19:00]
Madison Pruitt Trout
A commitment.
- [19:01]
Kathryn
Like in the olden days, it was a proposal meant marriage. So we were taking this seriously.
- [19:05]
Sean Lowe
Oh, I knew if I proposed, we were getting married. But I had all these important things. Because on the Bachelor, you're talking about a lot of surface level stuff, right?
- [19:12]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Totally.
- [19:12]
Sean Lowe
So I had all these important things.
- [19:14]
Kathryn
What kind of dog do you want?
- [19:15]
Sean Lowe
I have not discussed with Catherine. I knew that I wanted to propose to her, but, like, I have to make sure that she knows all these things. So I'm telling Cassie, who was the producer that was always with me, I got to do this. Well, you can't talk to her off camera. I said, no, I have to do it. So then she pulls in Martin, and I'm like, martin, I have to do it. So he's like, okay, you've got five minutes. Okay. But do not give away the fact you're gonna propose to her.
- [19:38]
Kathryn
How am I supposed to deal with this? This man, this. Like, probably 11:00 o' clock at night. Okay, we're in Thailand.
- [19:44]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Are you, like, in your PJs?
- [19:45]
Kathryn
No, I am in the shower with white strips in my teeth. And so I hear a knock at the door. And it's not my handler. And I was like, okay. Like, I get a towel on and I. And I'm still with my white strips. Cause I don't know what they're doing. And he's like, hey, how long do you have on your white strips? And I was like, that means Shalm was coming. So I was like, okay. And he comes in and he talks at me for five minutes, no breath. And I'm just sitting there being like, what is happening? Like, you just rocked my world. He explicitly said, I will not, like, unite with someone that will not make Christ the center of our home. And at that point, we hadn't talked about faith. So you're just like, okay, I'm Thinking in my head, well, if I haven't shown you that. Because, again, I didn't understand his pressure. I didn't understand what he grew up with. I didn't understand what he was taught from a very young age and how important this decision was for him. For me, I was like, cool. Whatever. I didn't have. I had the weight on, like, what marriage was. But the unity and the bond under God, those are. Those are. You know, they're taken very differently. And so I just was at a more surface level of understanding. And so I got really mad because he left. And he totally dropped a bomb on me and left. And I was also mad because I felt like he hadn't seen that I was. If I wasn't there still, then I wouldn't have been up for the challenge or up for this opportunity.
- [21:11]
Madison Pruitt Trout
You're like, then why am I still here? Yeah.
- [21:12]
Kathryn
Like, I would have left if I wasn't under that understanding that that's what you need. And right when, after we were engaged, I got my best friend who put me on the show, she picked me up from the airport, and I said, we got to go to church. And she was like, okay. So we both went to church. And through that, what, three months that we were not physically together. Because you go on the happy couple weekends, but you're silent. Nobody can know anything. We just went to church and witnessed. And I met with pastors. I asked them all sorts of questions. One question that made me laugh now is I just brought, like, a bunch of questions because I was 26. I was like, I gotta know this stuff before we actually do go down the aisle. And he needed to know these things too. But I was like. So he said something about, you can't lust after your partner when you're married. And I thought, you can't have sexual feelings toward your husband. Like, what are we judging?
- [22:17]
Madison Pruitt Trout
What do I do?
- [22:19]
Kathryn
What does that mean? And I thought, like, because he. I was genuinely listening. It was hours of conversation with this pastor. And he was like, no, it's not considered lust. And I was like, okay, that made me much better.
- [22:30]
Sean Lowe
He was talking about lust towards better.
- [22:32]
Kathryn
No, I think it's not lust when you're married.
- [22:35]
Sean Lowe
Okay, gotcha.
- [22:36]
Kathryn
So I can feel that way towards you when we're married and act on those feelings?
- [22:40]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah, you probably just had. So you're like, I'm now trying to play catch up. I'm trying. I'm asking all the things. I'm trying to figure this out for myself. That's so crazy. Okay. And then in your mind, you're like, I just. I proposed. She's figuring out this faith thing, and we're gonna figure it out together. Like, we're in this for the long run.
- [22:57]
Sean Lowe
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
- [22:59]
Kathryn
I mean, there's definitely lots of trouble.
- [23:00]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [23:01]
Sean Lowe
Yeah, that was hard. It was shortly thereafter where she gave her life to Christ. And then my dad. It was really special. My dad actually got to baptize her. And since he has baptized two of our three children.
- [23:11]
Madison Pruitt Trout
No, that's so amazing.
- [23:13]
Kathryn
And all of. All of her. Your sister's kids.
- [23:16]
Sean Lowe
Yeah. So anyway, it's. Yeah, it's been amazing. And then I think nothing can mature you spiritually, like marriage sometimes.
- [23:24]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Oh, absolutely. You talked about the first two years of marriage being hard. I was like, yeah, our first year of marriage was real hard. I'm like, I learned the simplicity of the gospel all over again in marriage. I'm like, oh, forgiveness, unconditional love, grace. What? Like, thought I was a master in all those things. Thought we were onto some, like, bigger theological things we're tackling. I'm like, no, it's the basics. And then, you know, just have your own child. And then I'm like, okay, now I'm relearning it all over again, and. But it's so fun. It's really the best. Okay, so you grew up in a Christian home. You said your dad baptized her. So is your dad a pastor? What is your background?
- [23:59]
Sean Lowe
Pastor? He's just uber Christian guy, deacon. Constantly witnessing to everyone he comes in contact with. Just an amazing role model. So I've got big shoes to fill. My grandfather was a pastor, his dad. And so, yeah, that generational blessings is talked about a lot, and I think we're seeing that in our family. And so, you know, our two boys have both accepted Christ as Lord, and we pray Mia is right behind them, and hopefully that trend continues.
- [24:29]
Madison Pruitt Trout
So sweet. So you grew up in a Christian home. Like, was. What would you say your relationship with Jesus was, like, prior to the show and even going onto the show, like, what was? I guess a question I have, because this is what I got a lot of pushback with, is a Christian would never go on the Bachelor. Did you get that question?
- [24:48]
Sean Lowe
You know, I was actually surprised. Yes, of course I did.
- [24:50]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [24:51]
Sean Lowe
And social media is a different beast, where you have people chiming in, saying there's no way a true Christian could ever do a show like that. In some regards, I'm like, maybe they're right.
- [25:02]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah. Oh, totally.
- [25:03]
Sean Lowe
I also got a lot of support and it was really nice just to hear from all the people saying, you know, thank you for making your faith known on such a platform, a very secular platform.
- [25:13]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Mm.
- [25:14]
Sean Lowe
I've had a lot of really cool messages over the years of people who have actually given their life to Christ because they became curious hearing me talk about it at some point, and they look into it, and they eventually do that for themselves, praise God. But, yeah, I mean, I totally get it, because it's. For lack of a better term, it's trash tv. It's crazy in large part. You know, it's not necessarily producing a lot of, I don't know.
- [25:43]
Kathryn
Goodness.
- [25:46]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [25:47]
Sean Lowe
So that's something. I'm not sure I wrestled with it, but it was something that crossed my mind from time to time. I know my mom wasn't crazy about the idea of me going on a show like that, but you know what? For me, I think God can use you in just about every situation, any situation. And I was so young and naive. I was just. Again, I didn't even know what the show was about. I was just like, yeah, free vacation, good time. And I didn't realize, like, how they kind of zero in on sexual stuff.
- [26:22]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Oh, yeah.
- [26:23]
Sean Lowe
Things of that nature. And again, just totally naive. That's my fault. I probably should have watched the show before agreeing to go on it.
- [26:28]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah. Because was, like, you pursuing purity such a big, like, title that they gave you? Because I know it was. For me, that was a huge. The Christian girl. Yeah. Who pursues.
- [26:39]
Sean Lowe
Yeah. Funny you should ask. So it was never brought up. Once on the show, they knew that I was a Christian on the show. The producers did. It was never brought up. And I think throughout the Bachelorette, I kind of became. I don't know if you call it a fan favorite. Whatever. People felt bad for me when I was kicked off, so then they asked me to be the Bachelor the whole time I'm shooting the Bachelor. Of course, at this time, everyone producing the show knows exactly who I am because you spend so much time with these people. But it's never talked about in terms of, like, interviews that they would show on tv. It wasn't until after we shot the Bachelor, and then you go on this big press tour where you do a thousand shows, and I don't even remember when this was, but at some point shortly after filming the show, someone must have asked about our sex life or something like that. So I answer honestly, hey, we're saving sex for marriage, which is obviously very important to me.
- [27:37]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [27:38]
Sean Lowe
And then it was just like a Wild.
- [27:40]
Madison Pruitt Trout
They took it and run and, oh.
- [27:41]
Sean Lowe
My goodness, every show. And again, I have to do these shows, but that's all anyone wants to talk about. And at the time, it was very, very frustrating because they didn't care to understand my perspective. Right. It's like, hey, this is. This is just part of me being obedient to the Lord. Like, I'm submitting my life to the Lord. Obedience is a big part of the Christian walk. They don't care about any of that. They just want to paint you as, like, this is really weird. This guy who's the Bachelor who has all these women fawning over him. He's making this really weird stance. We don't get it, and we're just going to kind of make a big joke out of it. And so it was kind of frustrating from that perspective. And then they dubbed me the Virgin Bachelor, which has to be the worst nickname of all time. And so we couldn't go, at that time, all the magazines. Like, when you're checking out the grocery store, it's like, the Virgin Bachelor. Virgin Bachelor. So, yeah, that's when it really took off. And I'm sure God used that at some point.
- [28:34]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Totally.
- [28:35]
Sean Lowe
Yeah. At the time, it was kind of difficult to navigate.
- [28:37]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah. Yeah. You know, I'm like, I've seen the verse of Genesis 50:20. What the enemy meant for harm, God will use for good, for the saving of many lives. I've seen that, even in the context of the Bachelor space, of even, like, if the producers mean this for harm or if the people mean this for harm. Like, I've literally seen the Lord use it to produce so much good. And even if it was, like, the testing of my own faith and perseverance of, like, staying true and sticking to my convictions and not, I don't know, feeling defeated by the people's response, because that's just, like, something that's just really hard to navigate. When all of these people, you go from. The crazy thing about the Bachelor is, like, you go from anonymous to, you know, known overnight.
- [29:17]
Sean Lowe
I mean, for me, it's like, I don't have any skill or talent. Like, I don't deserve this fame that's all of a sudden on me. Like, it is to your point. It's so weird, wild. Then you can't go anywhere. And at the time, like, she'll tell you, I almost had fear of going out in public because you hear these, like, squeals of teenage girls when they would see me, like, I couldn't go to the mall or Whatever. It's just, it made me so anxious and it's like I don't deserve any of these. Like I'm just a normal dude.
- [29:44]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah, it is crazy because it's not like you're acting on some movie or some tv. It's like, this is just me. This is who I am. Like I'm just being myself. Let's talk about a subject that it seems like the world wants us to ignore. Our hormones, hormone health impacts. Everything. Your energy, sleep, mood, metabolism, even your skin. And when things are off, you feel it. So what if one scoop could fill in the gaps and keep you feeling your best, Would you give it a shot? That's why I recently started using Glow by Beam. It's a once daily hormone balancing blend for women that has made a huge improvement in my life. And you need to try it too. It contains 18 comprehensive active ingredients, vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants. And added electrolytes for a hydration boost. It's also hydrating and actually tastes so good. My favorite flavor is the raspberry flavor. You got to try it. I found Glo to be the simplest way to keep up with my hormones, hydration, and everything in between. Simply mix one scoop with 8 ounces of water, shake, stir or froth and you're good to go. Over 40,000 women have trusted Glow by Beam to support their hormone health. And now it's your turn. GLOW is here to help bring you back to balance. Because balance isn't a luxury, it's essential for a limited time. Beam is offering my listeners up to 35% off Glow. Just visit shopbeam.com staytrue and use code stay true at checkout. That's shop b.com stay true and don't forget to use code Stay True for your exclusive discount. It's, it's really so wild because I remember that the very first airing of my season and you know, they, they have, they know how they want to portray everything and what's going to happen all the way to the end. Like, I'm honestly so naive because I just had never watched the show before. So I came off and I was like, I have no idea how they're going to portray me. I have no idea what people are going to think of me. And I'm just praying every single day. I'm like, lord, just use it. I don't even know why I went on it. I don't know what's happening. Just use it, Lord. And it's just so crazy looking back because I remember the Very first episode that came out, I went from, like, 10,000 followers to, like, 300,000 followers overnight. First episode. And I'm like, all of a sudden, People magazine, I mean, Selena Gomez, Haley B. All these people are, like, talking, and I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. And I just remember feeling those, like, anxious feelings of all these people are talking about me, and all these people have judgments about me and misconceptions, but they're, like, praising me, but then they're, like, criticizing me, and it's just a heavy weight. How was it for you guys navigating, like, coming off of. Because you're one of the only couples that have, like, you guys made it. I mean, you're married, you're following Jesus, you have beautiful children. Praise Jesus for that. And that's not many people's stories in coming off of the Bachelor. And so how have you guys had to navigate all the things that you went through? And I'm sure this was, again, more early on in marriage, but all the things you went through on the show and public opinion about, you know, the two of you, your marriage, all the things.
- [32:42]
Kathryn
Well, I mean, the clear answer is, you know, God has definitely held our hand through this, but I think also socially, we weren't. Instagram hadn't been a thing, so we saved. We were saved from a lot of the public scrutiny. We still had it, but. But it wasn't as severe as, you know, what it is today. I think we got an Instagram account after the season.
- [33:07]
Sean Lowe
Yeah, maybe. So we also came off. So, Ben Flanek, I'm gonna take you way back. Ben Flaeck was the Bachelor before me. He didn't get the best reviews. And then Juan Pablo, who's probably had the worst reviews of all time, was after me. We were sandwiched in between. So I think we were actually saved. Like, oh, yeah, they're great. Like, we didn't get a lot of negative reviews.
- [33:25]
Kathryn
Yeah, we really got. We skated by, and everyone really supported us. We've seen a lot of things after our season that have been really hard to deal with. I've gotten certain bachelorettes who've called me and said, this is the type of scrutiny I'm receiving. And I'm like, we didn't get that. And we're very blessed for that. So that didn't feel as much of our story. I feel like, obviously, there are the pressures of, like, people are watching. We're in a fight at a party. People are going to report on it. And, like, I didn't really Care. Because that's just a normal relationship. And I'm not trying to play anybody. Like, this is a. This is a normal relationship. But we definitely were having those hard conversations behind closed doors because we didn't even know each other. Like, you don't know each other. You don't have anything. You know nothing about this person.
- [34:22]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [34:23]
Kathryn
Besides, like, the deep stuff. You don't know, like, okay, what's their routine? Do they. How do they live their life? What job? Like, what does their job look like? What's their phone number? You don't know any of these things that are normally the first things. Like, we're doing everything backwards. But, you know, with a lot of people in his life, he had a solid friend group here who was welcome, like, welcomed me right into it. And he had really good girlfriends that ended up being very close friends of mine that were all Back to Dallas.
- [34:53]
Sean Lowe
Was probably a really smart move.
- [34:55]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [34:55]
Kathryn
Because he was on Dance with the Stars. That was.
- [34:57]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Wow.
- [34:58]
Sean Lowe
Getting out of that whole scene, it was hard. Fame is toxic.
- [35:02]
Madison Pruitt Trout
It's so toxic.
- [35:03]
Sean Lowe
It comes with its perks, and we have enjoyed many perks of being able to do really cool things, but it's toxic. And I don't think humans were meant to. To be famous. Jesus was meant to be famous. But, like, the. The adoration from others is not good. Like, it definitely feels good at times, but honestly, it's not. It's not good in the long run. And so going back to just becoming famous overnight, like, it's really weird and it kind of messes with your head. And I don't. I don't think we ever felt too entitled or anything like that, but you can see why people get so addicted to fame. And then when it starts to slip, and ours has certainly slipped over the years, being old married people now, but you. You can certainly see why people would do anything they can to get that feeling, that high back of being known and, you know, being able to have doors open and red carpets rolled out and all that, because it's absolutely intoxicating.
- [35:56]
Madison Pruitt Trout
It's so true. It's why, you see. I mean, so many celebrities who have it all. It's still that thirst for more. It's like, oh, I have it, but I want more. I'm not content. I'm not satisfied. And I talk about that, actually a lot on this podcast. Podcast. Like, it makes me think of In John, chapter four, the woman @ the. Well, when Jesus has this moment with this woman and he's like, hey, if you keep coming back to this well. Like, you're gonna have to keep coming back because the water's gonna run out. Like, you're gonna get thirsty again. You're gonna be left unsatisfied and empty. But if you come to me, like, I'm the water that will never run out, I'm. I'm the only one. Yeah. I'm the only one that will satisfy you. And I think that's such a good point, because so many of us, even as Christians, like, we turn to the things of this world looking for satisfaction and looking to be filled up, and it won't fill us up. How have you been able to stay so rooted in not searching, you know, for the things of this world to fill you up?
- [36:48]
Kathryn
I thank you for. He is a fantastic leader in this, because I have. I definitely was a fish out of water coming here into the Bible Belt, into his community of people, and he's been a leader in our faith journey. He's been at our same church for, what, 20 years?
- [37:06]
Sean Lowe
19 years.
- [37:06]
Kathryn
19 years. And so, you know, I'm just. I was kind of a chameleon in watching what. Not that he expects, because I'm not gonna just do what he wants to do. But, like, that was a clear reason why we were successful, was because he was doing something right. And I just found that it was something that I had been really. Had been protected from from God. You look back at your life, and I'm like, that's why I didn't drink in high school or college. I didn't do all these crazy things. And I definitely felt a pull to God for my whole life. And now I get to live it out in this way that feels really safe and cool, because his friends were really cool people. They just happened to be Christians and doing the things and making us all. Because sometimes it's an isolated community. You feel like, okay, we're the dorks or we're the people that, you know, are looked at as different. And you just get to be with people that are just normal people and they're chasing the Lord and their life is going okay. Not that it's. That's the way it's going to be, but at that time, I think that I embedded myself into the church and were living life with people that wanted the same things. And to this day, I'm still surrounding myself with those types of people. And once you're in that, it's like a deterrent you can feel when it's not that way. Like, I swore a lot before I met him. I didn't think it was any problem. But now, because I have not spoken like that for such a long time, it's such a painful thing to hear now. It's very harsh. And so you see these things now when you're protected and you're covered and you're living towards sanctification, you see these things and you're like, ah, that is. That is why I've been saved from that, because I don't want it. I don't want to even be part of it. And that's your sanctification process. So I think us putting a ton of emphasis in to that and more stock in that and focusing on that. I mean, he leads Bible study at our church. He is a greeter at church. Like, he has humbled himself. And I knew, you know, I saw him on the screen. That's how I knew him was this really nice guy, but he was famous. And to see him to do these things that Christ wants you to do with nobody watching, you know, on the show. One point that I knew that I really had strong feelings for him. It was like after a rose ceremony and all the girls were upstairs and in the mansion and we're all getting ready for bed. But I see that he is about to go into an interview room and I hear him having a conversation with the crew that to me, he's treating them not like he's a star. He's treating them like Jesus would treat them. And I didn't know that at the time, but I was like, that is so attractive to me that when the cameras are down and nobody's watching, you are still the exact same person. And so I think that from people looking outside, you can tell that he's a really nice guy. But he does these things when nobody watches. And that's what makes him part of the Christian community.
- [40:26]
Madison Pruitt Trout
That's so beautiful. I love that.
- [40:27]
Sean Lowe
It's really sweet. Thank you.
- [40:29]
Madison Pruitt Trout
That was so sweet. But it's so important because I think that in today's world, it's so much easier to place more emphasis on what people do see and on the public space. And we neglect the private devotion to Jesus. The private time moments of like, who are you when no one's watching? Who are you when no one's around? And how are you with. With Jesus when. When you can't get the likes, the retweets, the comments, the. The microphones? Like, how are you just you and Jesus and how are you with your neighbor? Like, are you loving your neighbor? I think that's so powerful and I love that you spoke to Community in the local church, because I also think we're living in a time where there's just such an emphasis. Emphasis on, like, ISO Christianity. And I don't believe in ISO Christianity. I'm like, we weren't made to do life alone. Like, we've got to have our people. Like, how are you supposed to know that? You're not supposed to be swearing. Like, how are you supposed to know, like, if you don't. I mean, obviously, if you're like, I guess, like, really reading the Word. But it's. It's really hard to, like, stay true to that if you don't have people around you that are calling out those blind spots and holding you accountable. Like, you're. You're talking about, which is so, so good and so important of just like, you come off of something like the show to come back to, like, a local church. I've seen that so much in my own life. When my husband and I moved to Waco and we were under Jonathan Pacluta's just, like, leadership and pastoral care and just learning from him and being plugged into local church, doing just, like, normal life. I'm like, we're just. We're in a community group. We're serving at our church. And it was just so huge for our marriage. I was like, starting our marriage this way was like, the greatest way we could start our marriage. Like, we could have moved to la. We could have been chasing all of these things. But I'm like, to just be so. Just, like, in the trenches with people and serving people and loving people and reading our Bible with people. I'm like, that's the way we were meant to do life. So I just think. I love that you spoke to that because I talk about the importance of community on this podcast all the time. I'd love to hear just like, for you, what was it like as going from, you know, being on the Bachelorette and then being the Bachelor, like, being a Christian with strong convictions in that space. And how are you able to, like, stay true to your convictions in such a secular space? Because even though everyone listening to this podcast probably not going reality tv, okay. But we can all say we live in a world that's a secular world, and we're all, you know, being faced with temptations and pressures daily. And so I want to hear your experience, but then also maybe you encouraging you both, encouraging those listening, like, how can. How can we stay true to our convictions in a world that is constantly trying to, you know, tempt us and lead us astray. Hey guys, can we just chat for a second? You all know how important it is to me to live with intention. From the content I consume to the people I surround myself with. I always want to make choices that align with my faith and my values. But honestly, it can be really hard to do that when it comes to the products we buy. That's why I was so, so incredibly excited when I found out about Nemi Skincare. They've just released something I truly believe in and I had to share it with you. Their brand new clean transformation trio. Let's be real. The beauty industry can be overwhelming. It's full of questionable ingredients and frankly, it's often run by companies that promote a culture that goes against everything I stand for. 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- [45:13]
Sean Lowe
Yeah. So, like I mentioned, I definitely could have been more mature as a believer. But with that said, I was still relying on the Lord heavily. And there's actually a shot of me right before that first limo pulls up in front of Bachelor mansion on night one. There's a shot of me with my head bowed, eyes closed, praying. And I remember distinctly saying, lord, just help me. Guide me through this whole process. And so there was constant prayer on my part. And being isolated, being the only guy, of course, I think that lends itself to just like, lord, I need you. I don't have anybody else. I need you, God. So there was a lot of that. I took my Bible. I was trying to do my daily quiet times the whole time the process is going along. And then in the back of my mind, so not so much spiritually, but in the back of my mind, I. I always see people just acting ridiculous on these TV shows. You have parents, you have grandparents at home. I always thought, like, my grandparents are going to be watching this. I'm not going to do anything absolutely ridiculous. But, you know, I just. I tried my best to treat the women with respect, knowing that my actions were going to be broadcast to millions. Even when you have to do these rose ceremonies, which were just torturous because my heart went out to these women who, like, you know that they went to the store and they bought all these dresses, and they were so excited, and so to kind of crush this dream of theirs on tv, it was just terrible.
- [46:43]
Madison Pruitt Trout
And they're long. How long were yalls, Rose? Ours were like, six in the morning.
- [46:47]
Sean Lowe
Yeah.
- [46:47]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah. Six, seven hours. So long.
- [46:50]
Sean Lowe
But, yeah, I just. I tried my best to treat them all with respect and be as genuine as I possibly could, and everything turned out okay for me. It's funny, though, because now when I think about the Bachelor, I do have regrets, too. I don't think it's the best thing to be kissing multiple women. I wish I could take that back. I wish she was the only one I ever kissed, you know? But I was pleasantly surprised coming off the show because I did think that I would receive a fair amount of criticism from especially a Christian community. And I was pleasantly surprised when I got the messages of, like, thank you for being a light to this dark world and things like that. So I guess I didn't botch it too bad. But I do have some mistakes that I wish I could Go back and redo totally.
- [47:35]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Well, praise God for that. I think I took the heat for all of us. For the Christian, I was like, I was expecting it from the world. But the Christians, that's a whole nother level of hurt and rejection when you feel it from the church space. But then you do. You get the countless amount of people that are like, thank you for taking a stance in your faith and in your purity. Like, it's given you, to me, the courage to do the same. So you both pursued purity together in your relationship. Get me into that. Like, what was that decision like for you? Because as being new to the faith, was that weird for you to pursue purity in a relationship? Was that something that wasn't a huge adjustment for you? Like, what was that process like when you guys were pursuing that together?
- [48:13]
Kathryn
I think because there's a misconception. Like, he's a very attractive guy. He's the lead in a Bachelor. You're not thinking that that's a serious thing. Like, he told me on that same proposal night, he's, like, not sleeping or we're not doing any of that stuff. I was really, again, taken aback because it's such a dichotomy. You're looking at this beautiful man who all these girls are chasing kind of the same thing. Everyone thinks you're a specific type of person, but then you reveal that, no, these are the things that are really what. What make me up. This is what you see, but this is really who I am. And so I was surprised, and I was very much taken aback. But I also knew that this wasn't a silly decision. Like, he was very clear in his conviction about that. And so I just followed his lead. It was foreign to me in the concept, but I think I've always been that person who, like, wished they had their high school. Like, I would have loved to have been, like, a high school sweetheart with him. Because there. There's always been a drawn to me in terms of innocence and wanting to be on the pure side. Catherine means pure by the way. My name means pure.
- [49:26]
Madison Pruitt Trout
I love that.
- [49:27]
Kathryn
But I just. I've always felt more safe there. But then the world's telling you this way, and I had no other reason why not to be regular and so regular. But when he told me about that, I was very taken aback. But then it was something that we both decided, like, when we got engaged, we both took it extremely seriously. We knew that that was for life, that was for marriage. And whatever he said that was really important to him was something that was Going to be important to me. And, like, it's so funny because I. And he'll tell you, I've changed 95% of my life for this one decision in marrying him, and I wouldn't take it back. But there's hard things where I'm like, hey, I can't be the recycling. Can't be the only thing that I teach you, that you take from my life, my old life.
- [50:18]
Sean Lowe
Recyclers in our house.
- [50:20]
Kathryn
But, like, you know what I mean? Like, I come over here, I be with his family. I'm now a Christian. I'm living your life. And so I think there's been a really hard transition because. Because I didn't think anything was wrong with me before. I was a working woman. I was very proud of what I did. I had a wonderful family. I had great friends. I had a great life. And so it feels like an abandonment, which is what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to change your life. You're supposed to live anew. But it's very hard. You still have those things where you're like, why am I so different now? What's wrong with, you know, not wearing shoes, walking around on the beach? Like, there's nothing wrong with that. But, like, I was in such a different world that I feel like I was placed in here. And I've done a lot of changing, and it's been hard. But I think that, you know, this. This past year, kind of going back to your other question about what I would tell people listening and like, to stay true to your convictions. We did a Bible study this year. It's called BSF Bible Study Fellowship. And it's like an older women's group, and we meet every week during the school year and we talk about a specific subject. So this year it was about revelation. And I've had a really hard year, very, very challenging year. And to witness the things that you could just be lenient on, it's not worth it. It's not worth the risk of the devastation that you could be experiencing forever. To not say something and not do something and say, you know what? This is where I stop. This is where I'm gonna be. You can come meet me. Because this is very important. And I do not want to walk you over there. I'm not gonna walk you. Like, I don't. Not gonna hold your hand to go that way. So I think young people, and I think there's a revival. There's people that are talking all about now how Christianity is coming back or is cool now, but I think there just needs to be a reverence for what that next thing is and what your steps are or which direction are you going.
- [52:32]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Wow, that's so powerful. I've been like, so in the book of Revelation lately and oh gosh, we could have a tough one. We could have podcast multiple, actually a whole series on that because it's. I've been studying like the seven letters the churches and how that translates into modern day language.
- [52:54]
Sean Lowe
Seventh letter right now.
- [52:55]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Wow. Yeah. Huh. And I'm like, that is what is so. It's so hard when you're looking at that. And then you look at. Even in the Christian space today, there's such. You see for a lot of people, like labeling themselves as Christians, but it's only for a means to gain. It's only like, I'm following God to get from God, but I don't have. Have an actual relationship with him where I've made him Lord of my life. Like, he's actually king of my heart. Like, I've submitted myself to Him. Like you've been talking about, I'm obedient to follow him. I'm not just a hearer of the word, I'm a doer of the word. I think that is where there's going to be such a separation that we should have a fear of the Lord because it's. Jesus isn't just our bestie. Like he. He's king and he, yes, he saves and he gives grace, but he's also judge. And that is, I think, a really hard realization that a lot of people stray from teaching and sharing, even in close circles with friends and even with family members. I mean, it's just, it's. It is hard. Like, I even have people in my own life that I'm like, man, I need to do. Like, I've been having this conversation with my husband lately where I'm like, man, how do we have conversations with certain people that we really care about that think that they're following God? But, but. And I'm not to judge, but I do have a question mark of like, well, if I have to give an account for like how I shared the gospel and like, showed them the truth and pointed them to Jesus, like, have I done my part? Like, have I done everything that I can? And I think that's just really important. I love that you shared that because I think that is needs to be talked about more. And I think we live in a time where so many of us ask the question, like, how far can I go like, how far can I get? You know, how close to the line can I get of sinning without, you know, going too far? When the question should be like, how close to Jesus can I get? And how can I stay as far away from sin and anything that will separate me from God? And so I love that you. That you spoke about that, because that is how you stay true. That is how you stand firm in your convictions in a world that's constantly trying to get you to conform and follow the culture today.
- [55:04]
Kathryn
Yeah. And the goal is for us to be sanctified and for us to go in that direction, but it's also to bring people with us.
- [55:14]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Right.
- [55:14]
Kathryn
And so that, to me is like, when you're talking about people who are going to judge you here on Earth for what you say and do in terms of your faith, you know, that's been a really, really hard. That's what really. This year, my lesson was through revelation. It's like, I don't care. You know, the risk for me is too great for you is too great. I'm not gonna be like, I can't sleep without thinking about this. And even if I, you know, and there's. Being bold is. There's different for me. The term bold has transformed this year because I think you need to be bold in your faith and you need to tell people about him. Being bold is in those opportunities that he presents to you, that. To not shy away when he gives you those convictions in your heart, not just to be bashing people over the head with it. Because I think that that is opposite. Has the opposite effect. I was an adult non believer, and I saw the effects of people doing that and not being a safe place. I really saw two different paths in Christianity as an adult non believer, and which one was I drawn to and why, and having that be part of why, how I witness to other people.
- [56:26]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Totally. That's so powerful. And I love that you're speaking to all of that, because I think that is. It's not at all where I thought this podcast we're gonna. And I'm so much. I'm happier. I'm like, praise God. Because I literally just walked through. I mean, I did a whole podcast episode on purity, which is a question that I wanted to ask you guys too. But I did. I did a whole episode on it. And just like overcoming, you know, sexual sin, struggles from my past, and choosing to pursue purity, it blew up. It made E News. It made all these things just bashing me. And it's been a hard week for Me, this past week was a really hard week for me. And just like, you know, believing lies of, like, well, maybe I shouldn't have said anything. You know, maybe I shouldn't have. And I'm just like, no. Because there's so many people that are stuck and that are living in sin and far from God and bound and they don't know how to get free. They don't think it's possible. They don't think anybody else is going through it because the enemy has lied and made the them feel like they're the only one, especially for females, like, being stuck in. Like, I was talking about porn and masturbation. Being stuck in that. That. That has been a lie that the enemy has whispered to women that it's like only a man struggle and problem. And so anyways, I just love that you spoke to that, because I've had to remind myself even this past week. Like, there was a moment in the book of Acts where it talks about the disciples walked away after being flogged. And it says that they were rejoicing that they got to suffer for the name, they counted themselves worthy, that they got to suffer for the name. And I'm like, we, as Christians, I feel like today we run from suffering and we're so afraid of suffering. And so we would rather live comfortable here when we're gonna have to pay for that there in heaven. And it's like, I want to live reverse. Like, I don't want to live comfortable here. Like, I'd rather count it as a cost and count everything else as garbage for the sake of following Jesus and know that there might be some suffering, there will be some suffering. There will be some persecution that comes along with that. But it's worth it if. If I know that my reward is in heaven and that if my goal is to take as many people with me as I can. So I just. I don't know. That was just so beautiful because I had no plan on going that direction. And that was the Holy Spirit. That was the Holy Spirit. And that's just so powerful. What. What advice would you guys give to on the topic of purity, of why is it so important as Christians, as followers of Jesus, to pursue purity? Why was that important for you guys?
- [58:47]
Sean Lowe
Well, I think if you read through the Bible, you will quickly discover that obedience is God's love language. He wants an obedient heart, right? And it's only human nature to say, well, I'm going to keep these things over here for me and I'm going to hold them With a closed fist. I'll give you this over here, but this is for me. This is my dirty little secret that I'm going to keep or whatever it is, whether it's pornography or whether it's gossiping or you name it, totally. You have to understand God's heart, right? It's not a matter of I need to try to be holy because God expects me to be holy. And God has this set of rules. No, that's not it at all. It's, God loves you so much and his plans are so much better than whatever you can dream up. Right? But it starts with obedience. And just like you said, it's, are you. If you're going to say you're a Christian, what does that mean? It's a follower of Christ, someone who has bent the knee and say, you are Lord of my life. I would venture to say that most people who identify as Christians do not know the Lord on an intimate basis. And so for those of you who are listening, it's not about going to church. It's not about reading your Bible. It is about giving your life to the Lord, who knows you so much better than anyone here on earth knows you. Who you loves, loves you more than you could possibly comprehend. And just saying, God, I'm yours, like, do with me what you will. And it's not always easy. But obedience is a big part of that. It's letting go of those things that you once held with a closed fist. And as soon as you do that, that's when God can really start to work in your life. But it's like I said, it's not a set of rules. You mentioned JP a couple different times. You know, he. JP does an amazing job of publicly witnessing to people all the time. And I've been to lunch with him, and he's asking our server, hey, do you have a faith? You know, and most people usually say, well, yeah, I'm a spiritual person. Okay. You know, you've probably heard him say this. If you died, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being you're definitely going to heaven, one you're not, what are you? And most people are like, well, I don't know, seven, eight, I'm a pretty good person. And then he quickly tells them, hey, you know what? The Lord loves you. And actually the Bible says you're either a 0 or a 10. And it's real easy to be a 10, right? And that's the message. It's like, understand who God is. And then once you do that, it's so much easier to give your life to him. And then life is so much fuller. It's so much better. And then it changes your perspective on everything. The best way I can describe it is like, I have these. This spiritual lens that I look through. And so then you start living your life. And it's like every question that comes your way, every life decision that comes your way, it's like, okay, Lord, what do you want? You know? And it's not, what do I want? It's like, lord, where are you leading me here? You know, you're just constantly relying on the Lord. And so that's the message I want to share with as many people as I possibly can, is like, God loves you so much, and he wants to know you on a. An intimate level. He's been chasing after you, like, are you gonna open the door and let him in? Right.
- [61:58]
Kathryn
And I think also on the conversation of purity, practically, it's destructive if you are not. It has caused problems like our past before we met each other. It's caused problems here. It causes problems. You might think that it's something that you're like, okay, well, God just wants me not to have pleasure. No, he's protecting you from something that is not real. It's not. What you're experiencing is not real. And it's gonna hurt you later. It's gonna hurt someone later. And I've just witnessed from, you know, our conversations and my past that it's so much better to not be. I mean, curiosity, of course, because that's who we are. That's human nature. But to try to quell that, because it's a counterfeit, it's not real. It doesn't. It's destructive.
- [62:56]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [62:57]
Sean Lowe
If you're not, don't put yourself in situations that are gonna make you compromise. I guess, practically speaking, try to avoid that as best you can.
- [63:04]
Kathryn
But, like, the kids that aren't, let's say, people that are listening, who are not Christian, who are. It's. It's like, well, why not? Well, I know from my past that I thought that it was gonna be just something that's cultural and normal, and it's destroyed a lot of relationships. It's hurt my heart to think about the pain that I've probably caused him. But, yeah, it's destructive. It's not worth it. It's not worth it.
- [63:33]
Madison Pruitt Trout
So good, because we're talking about purity in the lens of it being possible. It is possible to pursue purity. And also it protects you. It protects your heart. God's not trying to withhold from you. Like he actually wants to bless you with his very best. And we've just believed the lie from Satan himself that, you know, we can find good outside of God. He's the inventor of good. We can't find good outside of God. So when we try to manipulate that, we end up receiving the counterfeit of it, which then ends up, we end up realizing it's fake. Like, this ain't, this ain't the real deal. This, this only is hurting me. And I love that you spoke to that because it is so true. Like we, we try to find it and we realize it's fake, but then we live in such shame and deception that then we just feel like, well, this is what everybody else is doing. So, like, I can't. Like, this is just, this is what it is. Like, oh, the way that I feel after looking at that, the way that I feel after doing that. Like, this is just what everybody feels. And so it's like not that big of a deal. And it's like, no, God has so much more for you, so much more for you. And I love that you also said, like, obedience is God's love language. That's a cool way of saying it is so true. Like we, we are called to. How do we know that we belong to him? Like, how do you know that? Like Jesus says, how do I know if you love me? You obey me. Like you are, you are obedient, you are submissive to me. And it's not because he wants to just be this, like, you have to obey me. It's like, no, he, it's because he knows because he created you that actually what's better, best for you is to follow him and submit to him because his ways are just so much better. Okay. And thinking about parenting, like how. What are some ways that you guys are just really showing your kids, you know, how this is the most important thing. Faith is the most important thing. Pursuing Jesus, having a relationship with Jesus. What does that look like practically in your home, discipling your kids and point them to Jesus?
- [65:22]
Sean Lowe
I think we talk about it constantly.
- [65:24]
Kathryn
It's a normal conversation. It's not.
- [65:26]
Sean Lowe
We're always talking about how much Jesus loves us and things like that. When someone passes, like we've had some grandparents pass and her father passed not too long ago, you know, so there's easy introduction to talking about heaven and what happens after you die and all these different things. And then one non negotiable, we've always had, it's like Sunday, we're Going to church. And our kids love going to church. And I think a lot of times you hear, well, my kids just don't really like. It doesn't matter. They're going, yeah, go to church. So that's been a big part. And then, you know, prayers around, family dinners and things like that, praying before bed. It's just. It's a constant conversation. And if you're. If you're walking with the Lord, I think naturally, it is a constant conversation.
- [66:07]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [66:08]
Sean Lowe
Apologizing to your kids, but that's a big one. Yeah. Showing grace.
- [66:11]
Kathryn
Yeah. We're not. We don't know either. We don't want a thing, but we're.
- [66:14]
Sean Lowe
Going to loving others, which my wife is incredible at, Whether it's someone in our neighborhood going through a tough time, just showing love and care to others, helping those less fortunate, things like that.
- [66:24]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah. That's amazing. And what would you guys say if you're. If your kids grow up and they want to go on the Bachelor?
- [66:31]
Kathryn
I'm finally.
- [66:31]
Sean Lowe
The question we've received a million times.
- [66:34]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Listen, I really. I've not actually received that question yet. And maybe it's because she's only five months old, but I'm like. I'm like. It's funny because I've had friends come up to me and be like, I want to go on the Bachelor. And I'm like, absolutely not. I am like, no, you're not allowed.
- [66:49]
Sean Lowe
When they're adults, hopefully they're making all the best decisions. If that's something they really want to do, okay, do it. But my hope is that they'll find some high school sweetheart. I actually want them to get married young. I think society today says you've got to establish a career and, you know, make sure everything's settled and then maybe get married. Like, I got married at 30. You were 28. I would rather see them get married young. And, like, that's the foundation of things to come, like, get married. And, of course, spiritual maturity is a big part of that. Get married to someone who loves the Lord as much as you do and loves you, and then build your life after that.
- [67:27]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Right.
- [67:28]
Sean Lowe
So that's kind of my hope. We'll see if it works out, but hope, that's the direction.
- [67:32]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah. My parents got married at 18, and I'm like, you guys got to just experience life together. Like, you didn't really have to go through all of this previous, you know, hurt and breakups and traumas, and you just. You figured it out together and they've been married for, you know, over 30.
- [67:47]
Sean Lowe
Years, you get selfish as you get older, like, naturally, because, yeah, I'm 30. I've always done things my way. Then all of a sudden you have someone living in your house. You're like, wait a minute. I can't do things my way all the time.
- [67:57]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yep.
- [67:58]
Sean Lowe
It's a hard, hard transition.
- [68:00]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Last question. What advice would you guys give to someone when they're. They're in a relationship and they're like, how do I know if they're the one? We all have interesting experiences coming from, obviously the Bachelor, but I get asked that question a lot. You know, even when I met Grant, like, how did you know he was the one? And I always love just hearing other people's hearts and ideas behind that. So what would you guys say to someone asking that question?
- [68:25]
Sean Lowe
Can I start, please? There is no one. There is one.
- [68:29]
Kathryn
Yeah. See this. This hurt my heart.
- [68:31]
Madison Pruitt Trout
The first time I heard it, she.
- [68:32]
Kathryn
Was like, hey, excuse me. It's soulmate, you know?
- [68:36]
Sean Lowe
Yeah.
- [68:36]
Kathryn
That's such a romantic thing to think.
- [68:38]
Sean Lowe
It is. It is romantic and it is a fairy tale thing.
- [68:42]
Kathryn
Rude what you're about to say.
- [68:43]
Sean Lowe
It is absolutely not biblical. There is no one.
- [68:47]
Kathryn
Go find someone else. You've had many options.
- [68:51]
Sean Lowe
And that's really sad because what if there was a one and you just missed that person?
- [68:54]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Right?
- [68:54]
Kathryn
Yeah, that's actually.
- [68:55]
Madison Pruitt Trout
It adds so much pressure.
- [68:57]
Sean Lowe
I would say find someone who loves you, that you get along with and who loves the Lord. And that sounds super simplistic. There has to be much more than that. There has to be physical attraction. There has to be, you know, the world will tell you there has to be sexual compatibility. They love the Lord, they love you. You enjoy being around them and commit. That's the biggest thing. Like, no one wants to commit. Now I'm going to get on my soapbox. I don't like dating. Again, super hypocritical. His mom and I, the guy who dated 25 women. Yeah, I don't like dating because it's sets you up to leave people when things get tough or when you discover something you don't. You're not crazy about. Okay, I'm gonna break up with them. I'll go find someone better. And then, you know, I'm guilty of doing this. You know, start dating in my teens and going through my 20s. Things get tough, move on to the next one. And then you get married. Things get tough.
- [69:50]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Can't go nowhere.
- [69:52]
Kathryn
Stuck here.
- [69:53]
Madison Pruitt Trout
So true.
- [69:54]
Sean Lowe
And so, yeah, like, the fairy tale is great and everything, but there is no one but once you discover what the Lord can do through your marriage, if you commit and you understand love is not a feeling, she will tell you. I think most days, she absolutely feels like she loves me. Some days she feels like she wants to murder me, but it's more of a verb. There's a great John Mayer song called Love is a Verb, and it's actually very true because it's every day. How can I love my wife? You're not always going to get it right, of course. And it's taken me 11 years, and I still haven't perfected it. But, like, what can I do to show her I love her, to be a good husband, you know, all those things, how can I be a better partner for her? That is way more powerful than thinking you found the one and then just relying on some type of feeling for the rest of your life. Because anyone who's been married for any amount of time knows that that feeling is going to wane.
- [70:48]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yep.
- [70:49]
Sean Lowe
All right, that's it. I'm off my soapbox now.
- [70:52]
Kathryn
Don't date is what he's thinking.
- [70:56]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Everyone immediately calls their person they're dating. They're like, hey, Sean, Lowe said I can't date anymore.
- [71:02]
Kathryn
Guys know, like, within three months.
- [71:04]
Sean Lowe
Yeah.
- [71:04]
Kathryn
Like, they legit know. So anyways, I. I felt like.
- [71:09]
Madison Pruitt Trout
I know. I knew on the first date.
- [71:11]
Kathryn
Really?
- [71:11]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yep. I called my mom after going on a date with Grant.
- [71:14]
Kathryn
First date.
- [71:14]
Madison Pruitt Trout
And I said, I'm gonna marry that man. Man.
- [71:16]
Kathryn
How did you know? Just. What's that?
- [71:19]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Truly, like, the Holy Spirit. I don't even know how else to explain it. It was like a crazy piece and just, like, draw and of course, like, what exactly. What you're saying is, now, are there some things that were revealed later on on his end or my end that I was like, oh, maybe I heard wrong, you know, maybe he's not the one. You know? And you start getting in your head about things. But more than anything, it was just like, I could see myself, you know, living on mission with this person. I could see myself loving God with this person. I think he's gonna make me look more like Jesus and push me closer to Jesus and help me do more for Jesus. And those three things are checked off, and I'm like, all right. And, you know, is it a plus that you're attractive? Six one play basketball. Absolutely. But I'm like, those weren't the things. Cause we were actually set up on a blind date, so I'm like, those weren't the things that drew me in. Okay. Wait, I do have one more question about what you're saying about the things when you're in a relationship and like, don't date, you know? Cause then it trains your.
- [72:12]
Kathryn
Because seriously, old man, think.
- [72:14]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Well, because I, I felt like I was the person that even though I was the girl who, you know, I, I didn't, you know, I was pursuing purity in my relationships. Like, but one thing that I struggled with was very much like the toxic tendency. Anytime I was like over something, I was like, okay, bye. Like, move on to the next person. So I dated around a lot and then it did, it was hard for me when I got married because then Grant would do something that would take me off and I'm like, well, crap, you know, this is just, I gotta just go pray. What else am I supposed to do? You know? And it is so interesting because the toxic tendencies that you put up with in dating and that you don't deal with, you do carry into marriage. And then you're at like a point where you can't really do much about it. So what would you say? The person that's like, well, what am I supposed to do if I'm not supposed to date? What do I do?
- [73:02]
Kathryn
Thank you for asking. I would like to know the second part of this.
- [73:05]
Sean Lowe
I'm not completely deeply anti dating because you do. You must spend some time with someone to get to know. Like, do our personalities gel?
- [73:13]
Kathryn
This is a newer thing, by the way. So I'm.
- [73:16]
Sean Lowe
But I think, I think group dates are amazing. Like spend time with groups of friends. And you mentioned Watermark. Watermark had the porch, which was this big singles ministry. And like that was a fantastic place to meet people who are like minded, you know, pursuing Christ, where you can go out and spend time with a great group of friends. And not completely anti dating, but I am anti person to person to person to person to person. Like, find someone that you think you're going to jail with and then start to spend a little time with them. And then I think you should figure out rather quickly, don't date for two, three, four years. Like, you should figure out within a few months. Like, is this person that a person that could challenge me spiritually and could be the father of my kids, all that stuff.
- [73:58]
Kathryn
See, this is how he gets you, is because he makes sense.
- [74:01]
Madison Pruitt Trout
He makes sense.
- [74:02]
Kathryn
And then you gotta follow. And you're like, oh man, I totally was against this.
- [74:05]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Dang it. You're like, that wasn't my thought process.
- [74:08]
Sean Lowe
I went off on this tangent because my 16 year old niece Is dating now.
- [74:13]
Kathryn
This is the reason I didn't know.
- [74:15]
Sean Lowe
And then she was over in the chair like, shut up, old man. Just let her be a teenager.
- [74:19]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yep.
- [74:20]
Kathryn
Yeah, but his mom was on my side too.
- [74:23]
Sean Lowe
She doesn't know.
- [74:24]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Well, it is probably a whole different when you start having like your kids start getting into that, I bet you. Because I mean, my child is five months old, but I'm like, whenever that time comes, I'm sure I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be like, do as I say, don't do as I did. Obviously the best is like you find your person young and you date for, you know, eight months and then you get married and then there's just none of that other stuff. And that isn't everyone's story. And if it's not yours, that's what.
- [74:47]
Sean Lowe
Shaman'S right is what I'm hearing. Get what Sean was right.
- [74:50]
Madison Pruitt Trout
That's what I'm hearing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Sean. Sean was right. And Catherine and I was 30. Reminder.
- [74:56]
Kathryn
He was 30 and dated 26 and.
- [74:57]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Dated six women at the same time. Yeah.
- [75:00]
Sean Lowe
Hypocrisy.
- [75:03]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Guys. This was so good. This was so fun. I feel like we hit, we hit on all the things. We had the, the light hearted and we had the really deep revelation talk. I'm like, we really hit the full spectrum. We really did. We went from bachelor talk to revelation. And I don't think anybody was expecting that.
- [75:18]
Kathryn
This was never done before. We're in the elevator and he's like, do you think we're going to talk about the Bachelor? And I was like, I mean, probably, but this has been the most unique take. This has been a deep dive. Still talking about the Bachelor, but being able to really weave like our honest perspective and accounts.
- [75:38]
Sean Lowe
And if I may, to bring this full circle, we're talking about my wife and not knowing the Lord and her walk and over the years, going up on the elevator, it's just the two of us. And she starts to pray that the Lord would just give us the words and that we might make an impact to those who are listening. So, so proud of her. And. Yeah, that's what life is all about.
- [75:59]
Madison Pruitt Trout
So good. I'd love for you to honestly just. Can you pray for just. Oh, God, she's a great prayer. I can tell, I can tell. You're so, like, sensitive. The spirit, I can feel it. Can you just pray for those like you were, you know, just talking about, like, heaven and hell are real and we don't know when Jesus come back and we don't know, you know, And I'm not talking about salvation's prayer, but just. Or maybe I am. I don't know anything that God puts on your heart, but just those who are listening and from anything we've talked about, from just like they're in a relationship, they're. They don't know, or they. They don't know if this is the person. They're stuck in sexual sin. They're, you know, trying to figure out this faith thing, whatever God lays on your heart. The. To just close us in prayer, if you don't mind.
- [76:40]
Kathryn
Lord, this world has. Is really, really hard to navigate. But with you and the strength and the love and the wisdom that you have allowed us to witness and to experience only through you. I pray for the people who are young and challenged in this, who are struggling to find the balance or the space to live between the world and what God tells us to do. I pray that you find those people who are going to hold your hand and guide you, and you will. Iron sharpens iron. You walk through life with those people who are discerning and who are pointing you to Christ because those are the people who are really going to hold you accountable for your actions. And you're gonna have to really submit to God and to that person to find your steps in whatever you do, whether that's dating, whether that's a job, whether that's. All these choices that we have every single day for you to choose God and God's character is only going to be found when you read your Bible and you study what his Word says. And through that maturity will come and you will find more peace in your choices. I pray for the people that are dealing with the devastation in the floods, for the people in our community whose hearts are completely broken. Please, Lord, give them comfort. Because there are no words that can make this any better. Please, Lord, let them trust that they will see their little ones again and that we. That you will be at the center of it. Pointing people to you because this world has been such a challenge. And I really pray that you are pointing people to you in this tragedy. So please, please let your voice be heard over everyone else right now.
- [79:12]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Yeah.
- [79:12]
Kathryn
In Jesus name we pray.
- [79:15]
Madison Pruitt Trout
Amen. So good. Thank you. This is so good, guys. And I'm so thankful for both of you coming on and so thankful for your voice, your heart, the way God is using you to inspire millions and the tenderness that you have towards just the heart of God, the spirit of God, the people of God. It's truly beautiful. And shines. And so I'm so thankful. And, yeah, just thank you guys for coming on. And as always, guys, be sure to stay you and stay true. We love you.