Jenelle & Justin's Wedding

Jenelle and Justin, it has been an honour getting to know you over the past several months. Thank you for the privilege of conducting your wedding ceremony.

Now, this is the part where I get to speak to Jenelle and Justin directly. Y’all are welcome to listen in.

Justin and Jenelle, you have chosen a great passage as your wedding text. It begins, in verse 12 with the statement, as God’s chosen people.” God chose you both to be together. Each of you are God’s gift to the other. But before that even, God chose you to be members of his family. This isn’t something you earned, this isn’t something you proved to God first. God chose you. Know that, understand that, embrace that.

Then, because he chose you, and because you are members of His family, because he has set you apart, because you are dearly loved (Jesus died for you), put on, clothe yourselves with God’s virtues, God’s true character, not the character of God that is distorted by man-made things, but the true character revealed in God’s word:

Put on compassion—love each other always. Be kind, especially when frustrated, take a moment and be kind. Be humble. It just might be possible, I know, it’s hard to imagine right now, but it might just be possible that Justin is right. It just might be possible that Jenelle is right! Along with kindness, put on gentleness. Gentleness is moderate, it is neither jumping to one extreme or the other, but keeping an even keel. And be patient. Married life requires a lot of patience. Don’t try to make each other into who you want the other to be, but accept each other as you are, as you inevitably change and grow.

Verse 13 is super important. Forgive each other. The plain fact of the matter is you will need to forgive. Justin, you will be exasperated by Jenelle, Jenelle, you will be exasperated by Justin. Your expectations will not be met. More money will be spent on the truck than expected. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. The Lord forgives like this, before we were aware of having done wrong, God, in Jesus, has moved our sins as far as the east is from the west. Whatever grievances, the things that just drive you crazy, remember, let them go, forgive.

The greatest virtue is love, which holds everything together in perfect unity. Remember what you learned about love. Love, true love, is a choice. People don’t fall out of love, sure, feelings might change, friendships get strained, but true love chooses to stay, no matter what. True love lays down one’s life for the other. Today is when you declare mutual surrender to each other. The rest of your life, you get to live it out!

Because we all are born into rebellion, all of us have a natural tendency to rebel, stir up trouble and be contentious. Jesus offers peace. He has already made it between you and him. He offers it to you to rule in your hearts. Called out of rebellion, we are called to peace.

If you’ve been in church, sometimes, many times, this doesn’t seem true. That’s because churches are hospitals where sick, broken, imperfect people come to get healed. There hearts are mended. But we sometimes forget these principles, and we cause even more harm. But then we need to go back to verses 13.

Justin and Jenelle, the two of you are now one. Be thankful. Let thankfulness be the attitude you adopt each day. This won’t be difficult for you. Neither of you take things for granted. You know how to put in a good day’s work, you know the energy required to earn a living. You both were raised with good ethics.

Don’t just put that energy into your work lives, however. Put it into your home life. Put the same effort into each other and the Lord.

Now, for all these things to come together, you must both be completely committed to Christ. Let God’s word dwell in you richly. Access it daily. Read it, study it. Apply it. Encourage and call out each other with it. Allow your gratitude, your thankfulness to be evident, welling up into psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

The really cool thing about gratitude is that it has a positive impact on you, physically, psychologically, emotionally. A state of gratitude has a personal net benefit,but also a benefit on those around you. When you feel and expresss gratitude for each other, the other will be encouraged and blessed!

Give thanks to God for each other, doing everything in Jesus’ name. Do it in service to each other, in service to the Lord. Again, don’t get caught up in man-made rules and regulations. Put on love, love for each other, love for God. And God, by His Holy Spirit, will guide you in your life together.