EJ & Corey Davis Wedding

Bride & Groom: Corey Davis & Emilio Posa

Wedding Date: 09/21/2024

Wedding Time: 4:00 PM, 30 minute ceremony

Wedding Location: 256 Sandybanks Rd, Greenfield Township

Rehearsal Date: 9/20/2024

Rehearsal Time: 5:00 PM

Wedding Colors: Fall Colors, dark browns, dark greens, gold

Names of Bride’s Parents: Dr. Neal and Sue Davis

Names of Groom’s Parents: Emilio & Terri Posa

Bridal Party: 7

Groom’s Party: 7

The Processional

○ Pastor and Groomsmen

○ Groom's mother with EJ

○ Groom’s grandmother with Emilio

○ Bride's mother with Mike

○ Ring-bearer and flower girl before bridesmaids

○ The Bridesmaids

○ The Maid/Matron of Honor

○ music change, cue Mother of the bride to stand

○ The bride

Presentation of Bride

Who presents this women to be wed to this man?

Welcome

Aunt Kate - Scripture reading, Ruth 1:16-17

Cue family prayer

Uncle Lee- Scripture reading, 1 Corinthians 13

Message to the couple

EJ wrote: I want to be married because I am ready to spend the rest of my life with my fiancé, and start a family of our own. I feel as though God put us in each other’s lives for a reason, and that reason was to be with each other. We both push each other to be the best people that we can be, and that pushing is shown in the way that we interact with not just each other, but the people around us. We have pushed each, and continue to push each other to be at our best spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I believe that as a couple, we have built a foundation that allows us to conquer any challenge that we may encounter together in our lives. I see it as such a blessing to take on the world, together, with my fiancé…

She is the love of my life, my best friend, and my other half. The happiness and joy she brings me everyday, is nothing that I have ever felt from another human in my entire life. She has the biggest heart that I have ever encountered, and cares for others in ways that I have never witnessed in my entire life. I am honored and humbled to call her my wife to be.

She makes me feel so comfortable and I feel as though I can be my true self around her, at all times of the day. I cannot imagine feeling this level of love that I have for her, for any other person In my life, and I constantly am amazed by her more and more everyday.

Corey wrote: God placed EJ in my life 5 years ago and I have so much gratitude for each day we have together. We have experienced so much joy and have also worked through challenges that have come our way. He is a man grounded in faith that loves Jesus, his family, and me. Each day, I learn something new about him. As a couple we really do make an effort to have Jesus at the center. We are growing in our faith and personal relationships with God both individually and together. EJ is hard working, loving, goofy, and values the small blessings in everyday life. I believe God has put us together to do wonderful things for His glory (and enjoy the beautiful journey with each other along the way).

As you know, the God over all, Creator of all, is the One who designed marriage. He did it at the beginning of the world. After he made the first man, Adam, and showed him his need for a complementary partner, God made Eve and brought her to the man, giving her to him in marriage.

Genesis 2:24 (NIV) That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Marriage, when God first created it was perfect. The man and the woman were together, in perfect harmony with each other, and in perfect love with the God who had created and blessed them by bringing them together.

God set the example of what a loving union is. He thought of the man, of what he would need, and provided for him. Love is, as God defines it, what we do for another, not because of who they are, or what they do for us, but rather because we love them. Love considering others. Love is what we do for others without them earning or deserving it.

This was not the case for long.

Adam and Eve chose to love themselves, and seek their own desires instead of loving and trusting the God who warned them not to eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They chose not to love the Lord and trust Him, but rather trusted their own desires. Sin, self-centeredness had entered their hearts.

When God came to them in grace and mercy, asking where they were, and what they had done, they responded by turning on God and each other.

God once again demonstrated love, when they did not deserve it.

This is why marriages have been struggling ever since.

Marriages struggle and fail, because we are all fallen from the perfect state in which God had created mankind.

When Adam and Eve chose to look to themselves and their own desires, that self-centered nature entered and corrupted mankind. We are no longer holy and righteous. We twist what love is.

Because of this sin, this self-centered heart we all have, we have turned love into how someone makes me feel. We have turned love into something we have in response to how we are treated.

And, as a consequence, we have turned marriage into a self-serving contract, instead of the covenant God made it to be.

God describes marriage as a Covenant relationship. We don’t speak of covenants in our culture. We tend to think of contracts. Contracts are documents which create binding liabilities. You must do this for me or these are the consequences I will place on you. As such, contracts are frequently, and easily broken over the slightest offense.

Covenants create responsibilities. One making a covenant does not say, you will do this for me, but rather, I will do this for you, and if I don’t, may I be literally cut in half for failing to meet my responsibilities to you.

Contracts allow one to abandon their responsibilities when the other party fails to ‘do for me’.

Covenants require one to continue to meet their responsibilities, though the other will have to face their own consequences if they fail in their responsibilities.

Covenants are based upon God’s concept of love, which is: “what I do for you.”

Marriage is a Covenant. We need to know that.

We also need to know and recognize the truth about ourselves.

I am the worst of sinners.

So where is the hope?

The Hope is in God. The One who is the true example of love, and the true Covenant Keeper. He has worked to restore us to what we were created to be and do.

He exemplified love and Covenant relationship.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:15 “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

God, fulfilling His Covenant to love us, and make a way for us to be restored to what He intended us to be is the perfect example, and everything we need to return to showing true love, and living in a true Covenant of Marriage.

As you learn from God’s example of love, you will be able to love each other, not for how the other makes you feel, but out of the responsibility to be more like your God and Savior, who loves the unlovely, who loves the worst of sinners.

As you learn from God’s example of a Covenant relationship, you will remain committed to fulfilling your responsibilities to the other, even when they hurt you, and fail in their responsibilities.

As you learn from God’s forgiveness and mercy to you, the worst of sinners, you will be able to extend forgiveness and mercy to the other.

How will your marriage work? How will it survive in this day when so many fail?

Only as you know what true love is, what a Covenant of Marriage is, and rely on the God who is working in you to make you like Himself will you be able to fulfill this Covenant.

And remember. You are entering this Covenant before the Lord. He is the One who will be watching. He is the One who will be holding you accountable to fulfill the responsibilities you are taking upon yourself to love another one of His beloved creations.

Prayer

Communion with those who wish to participate

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (NIV)

● Vows

Hand them to EJ and Corey

Charge to Witnesses

Emilio & Terri, Neal & Sue, will you, their parents, after witnessing their covenant of marriage make every effort to support EJ and Corey in their covenant vows as husband and wife, encouraging and exhorting them as they grow together in their love for their Lord and for each other?

If so, say, “We will.”

Witnesses, will you, after witnessing their covenant of marriage, make every effort to support EJ and Corey in their covenant vows as husband and wife, encouraging and exhorting them as they grow together in their love for their Lord and for each other?

If so, say, “We will.”

Explanation and Exchange of Rings

○ (GROOM) Corey, I give you this ring as a pledge of my love for you. As long as we live, it is a sign of my dedication and commitment to you.

○ (BRIDE) EJ, I give you this ring as a pledge of my love for you. As long as we live, it is a sign of my dedication and commitment to you

Prayer

Blessing

○ The Lord God, who instituted marriage between a man and a woman and who unites them in a true spiritual bond, establish and sustain you, that you may find delight in each other and grow in holy love until life’s end. Amen.

○ “The LORD bless you and keep you, the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace,” Amen. (Numbers 6:24-26)

Declaration of Marriage

By the authority committed to me as a Minister of the Gospel of Christ, I declare that EJ and Corey are now husband and wife, according to the ordinance of God, and also the law of the state. “… they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together.”

EJ, you may Kiss your Bride

Presentation - It is my pleasure to present to you Mr. and Mrs. EJ Posa

I ask you all to rise in celebration of the union of EJ and Corey as they proceed down the aisle as husband and wife!

Recessional

Ask immediate family to remain for picture, everyone else can proceed to the cocktail hour