Worth/Morgan Wedding

Welcome:

It is my honor to welcome you all here today on behalf of the families of the bride and groom. Before we begin, please take a moment to ensure you keep all electronic devices turned off and put away during the duration of the ceremony. They have paid to have professional photography today they don’t want pictures of your phones. Also, remember you serve as witnesses in this ceremony so you Need to be fully engaged and attentive at all times. Thank you for your cooperation.

And with that, let the ceremony begin.

Groom enters

+ Bridal party enters.

Charge to the Groom:

Before we continue we will have a moment with the groom.

Worth.

God has had his hand on every step of this journey, if it were only up to you, you would’ve found a way to mess it up… we are just being honest here. Listen, I have known you basically since you were born and I didn’t think we’d make it this far. And that has nothing to do with marriage, or relationships- I just never thought you’d survive this long! Thankfully, God placed many people in your life to help you get to where you are today. I am grateful to have been able to watch you grow up all these years into the man you are today. And looking back on those years, I know you can see mistakes, failures, and brokenness. I want you to remember one thing as you take this step: we all sin and fall short of God’s glory, and we can only experience love like this through God’s grace. So, remember that reality as you take this next step.

Today is not just an event or celebration, it is a next step in God’s plan for you and your bride. And His plan began before you were even born. So, as you take this next step, do not take it in your own power, in your own wisdom, or your own ability. But rather, take it in obedience to the God who has already brought you this far.

Ephesians 5 teaches us that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Your responsibility is to love and lead your wife and family. Before you lead your wife and family, you must lead yourself. You must always keep your discipleship to Jesus your first priority, and out of that let your leadership of your wife and home follow.

Before we continue, Worth, do you promise in front of your friends and family who are gathered here tonight, and before God, no matter what happens today, tomorrow, or in the years to come to be the lover and leader of your home?

Groom says, “I do.”

Thank you.

With that, let the ceremony continue.

Ceremony Continues:

Bride enters with parents.

Parents and bride standing in front.

Well, I realize that this day is a little bitter sweet. Maybe, a lot bitter sweet. But, whether it feels more bitter or sweet right now, I want to encourage you to remember that the Bible tells us that children are like arrows in the hands of a strong warrior. Arrows are not meant to be held onto, but rather sent out into the world. And you have raised a very strong woman of God. I have gotten to know her over the last couple of months and it is evident you have raised a strong, kind, and wise daughter. And now she is about to marry a Godly man, and they will begin to do great things for the Kingdom of God as a family.

So it is at this time that I ask,

Who gives this woman to marry this man?

Father says “I Do/We Do.”

Hand off to the groom.

You two can face me now.

Ring warming ceremony

At this time the wedding rings for the bride and groom will be passed along this front row for some of the family to pray over the rings symbolically as we begin our ceremony. As they do that, I invite us all to pray at this time as we enter this holy moment with the bride and groom.

Pray. (Bride/Groom facing me)

You all may be seated.

We are all here together tonight to witness the marriage of Joseph Worth Teston and Morgan Helene Pereira

About their story…

Worth and Morgan were able to meet through their time at school in the National Aviation Academy. They began dating, attending Church together, and navigating life together.

They went through multiple moves to different cities as they worked out where God was calling them to work and live. And even after all of these challenges, they are more sure than ever that God has called them to be together as husband and wife.

They have many sweet stories from their time together, however my favorite part of their story is how Morgan shared multiple times with me that she had wrestled with her faith throughout her life but she truly began following Jesus after she met Worth! I don’t believe there is a better picture of a Biblical marriage than that.

Now, I know the road to this moment hasn’t been the easiest at times. So, can I encourage you? You will see the fruit of the story that you have, God has used these years to create a deeper and stronger foundation for your marriage.

You have put in so much work, effort, intentionality, and sacrifice already and I believe that is exactly why you are here today.

But we have to realize that they did not get here on their own…

It is because of their friends, family members, and most of all God’s hand in their lives that they are here before us tonight. Each of you have been specifically invited because of the roles that you have each played in their lives and in their relationship. You have been a line of support, encouragement, accountability, and love for them both. And now, in this moment you are being invited into the next step, this time of promise between Worth and Morgan.

I now charge you all in attendance to pay close attention, listen to the promises exchanged between this man and woman and serve as witnesses to their love and commitment to one another before God.

This man and woman are committing to life-long marriage tonight.

And I want us all to remember now that,

Marriage isn’t our creation, it’s God’s.

Since it is not ours but God’s, it’s purpose is not defined by society, and it doesn’t change with the world, its purpose is given by God, for God’s glory.

Your story is a part of a larger story that began at the beginning of Creation.

In Genesis we see the creation story of humanity. We were created in the image of God, male and female. God said it was not good for man to be alone and so he created a female out of the body of the male. When the man saw the woman, The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” And the author adds a note on the side of this story of creation, explaining why this is so significant. The author writes: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

It’s like he is saying, see. Male and female, created in the image of God, are meant to be united together in marriage. Male and female, together in the bond of marriage is a critical part of how we bare the image of God in the world. It’s not just male alone, nor just female alone, but a man and woman, fully united in love that display the image- the glory, the power, the wisdom, the love of God.

This man and woman, standing here tonight, come now to bear the image of God together to the world around them for as long as they each are alive.

So, ___Worth_____(groom), this is your wife.

A moment ago, her father left her side and sat down. That wasn’t an accident, and it also wasn’t just symbolic. Something is changing today. You have a new responsibility. This is your bride, and the gospel tells us of Jesus who loved his bride, the church, so much that he laid down his life for His bride, you are now called to live your life in a way that is laid down daily for your bride, ___Morgan___ (bride).

You now measure your love, not based on anything the world says that love is, but by the love of the Gospel, the love that Jesus has for His church, and that he has for you. Your ability to love ____Morgan____(bride) well will always happen out of the overflow of your experience with God’s love for you. He loved you so much that He gave up his glory in Heaven to come to earth, He loved you so much that he was misunderstood and attacked, He loved you so much that he was hung on a cross to die for you, he loved you so much that he rose from the dead 3 days later to bring us new life. This is the love that Christ has for his bride, and so tonight I challenge you ___Worth___(groom), to love your wife in this way. You do that by putting her needs above your needs, by placing her burdens on your shoulders, and by being faithful to her as long as you live. Lead her and love her the way that your savior gently leads and loves you so perfectly. So, I charge you tonight to love your wife.

Now, ___Morgan__(Bride), this is your husband.

You have made the decision to be here tonight. You are choosing to say that ___Worth__(Groom) will be your provider, protector, and your leader. The Gospel teaches us about a Church that follows and honors Jesus, and likewise you are to follow and honor __Worth__(Groom), as your leader. You do this by respecting him and encouraging him to live out his God given calling. And by honoring his leadership in your home. The church isn’t supposed to resist the leadership of Jesus, but to gladly follow it and honor it because they trust Him and know His leadership is perfectly loving. So, love and follow your husband as he leads you in love.

So, I challenge you to love your husband.

Ultimately, your marriage exists because of the Gospel:

Because of what Jesus did for the church, and for you both. The Gospel does not say look at me, it says look at Jesus. You both can testify that you are not here because you were strong enough, or brave enough, or even stubborn enough, but because of God’s grace that He has shown you both by bringing you every step of the way to this point. So, never let your marriage be about yourself but about serving one another. Never let your marriage say look at us to the world around you, but rather let it be a testimony of how good and how faithful God is, to everyone who sees you. Let your marriage cause people to say, wow, what is different about them? Why is their marriage, their life, their faith so unique? And the answer is the Gospel. The Gospel is also about forgiveness. While humans had chosen their own way apart from God and were heading towards death, Jesus came to die on the cross so that we could have forgiveness for our sins. That is your story, a story of forgiveness through Jesus. And so too, I want to call you both to have a marriage of forgiveness. You will both make mistakes. You will mess up, you will get mad at each other, you will say things you regret, you will even neglect each other at times. But, when you make those mistakes, immediately confess them. And when you confess those mistakes to one another, forgive each other as you have been forgiven.

Now, as a showing of your love to one another, will you face one another.

Groom’s Vows:

_______________________________________________________________________

EMERGENCY Traditional Vows:

_____Worth_____ (Groom), as you hold ______Morgan____ (Bride) by the hand, do you promise her, God, and these who love you both that you will love, cherish, honor, and sustain her as your wife? And do you solemnly commit yourself to be her faithful devoted husband so long as you both live?

Groom says, “I do”

_______________________________________________________________________

Self-Written Vows:

Now, Worth, you have written your own Vows for your bride today. Would you read them to her now before these witnesses?

_______________________________________________________________________

Worth, Do you have a token of your love and affection to give to your wife today?

Groom says “I do” and receives the bride’s ring.

Take that ring and place it on the wedding finger of your bride. And then repeat after me:

I __Worth___(Groom’s Name)

Take you, ___Morgan___ (Bride’s Name)

To be my wife.

As Christ loved the church

And gave himself for her

So I today

Give myself to you.

I promise

Before you

My friends

My family

And my God

That divorce will never be an option.

With this ring

I thee wed.

Bride’s Vows

_______________________________________________________________________

Traditional Vows:

Now, ___Morgan____ (bride’s name)

_____Morgan_____ (Bride), as you hold _____Worth_____ (Groom) by the hand, do you promise him, God, and these who love you both that you will love, cherish, honor, and sustain him as your husband? And do you solemnly commit yourself to be his faithful devoted wife so long as you both live?]

Bride says, “I do”

_______________________________________________________________________

Self-Written Vows:

Now, Morgan, you have written your own Vows for your bride today. Would you read them to her now before these witnesses?

Morgan, Do you have a token of your love and affection to give to your husband today?

_______________________________________________________________________

Bride says “I do” and receives the groom’s ring.

Take that ring and place it on the wedding finger of your groom. And then repeat after me:

I ____Morgan___(Bride)

Take you __Worth____ (groom)

To be my husband.

As the Church is subject to Christ

In all things,

So I today,

Fully

Freely

and joyfully

Give myself to you.

I promise before you

My friends

My family

And my God

That divorce will never be an option.

With this ring,

I thee wed.

____Worth___(Groom) and ____Morgan____ (Bride)

Because the Gospel teaches us about a Christ who keeps His word to the church, so too must you keep your word to one another, every single day. Jesus will never ever leave or forsake the church. When he made her a promise he bound himself to her and made her a promise that cost him his life. Therefore, your love for one another is not based upon a feeling or built upon an emotion, it doesn’t change with your circumstances. It is built upon this promise that you’ve made today before each other and these witnesses. You have made a promise to stick with one another until death itself parts you. Keep that promise.

And ____Worth___ (Groom), the responsibility to keep this promise falls largely on your leadership. Your wife needs to know that you are always on her side, that you will be with her forever and that you will never stop loving her.

Your marriage is meant to put the Gospel on display to the world around you. Your marriage shows others the power of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection to give you each forgiveness and new life, and now together live that new life as one flesh. So, let your marriage testify forever to the goodness, love, and faithfulness of our God.

___Worth___(Groom) and ____Morgan___ (bride) you have given sacred vows here today. You’ve done that before each other, before those gathered here, and before God. Those vows are never to be broken. What God has joined together, let no one separate.

And now, by the virtue of the authority vested in me as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in the presence of those assembled here today, I now pronounce you man and wife.

___Worth___(Groom), you may now kiss your bride.

Step aside.

Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great honor to introduce to you for the very first time

Mr. and Mrs. Worth Teston, as HUSBAND AND WIFE!

step aside

SAY: instruct first two rows to stay seated and the rest of the guests to dismiss and enjoy a cocktail hour out behind oak hall.

I stay in chapel for photos!