Jared and Sheena's Wedding Message

Jared and Sheena, when we met in my office, a number of things were immediately evident. You both really, truly love God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You both really, truly love each other. You both really, truly love your children. You have talked long and hard about your pasts, your present, and your future. You are so ready for this, your wedding day. That fact that we are here right now is a combination of all those factors, all of which have revealed God’s plan for you.

You are entering into a covenant with each other. In this, you will promise to live together in love and trust, for the rest of your lives. The cord that will hold you together, the cord that has held you together throughout your lives already, is Christ. When your lives are braided together with Him, you will be able to withstand everything, every circumstance you will face.

Our Lord Jesus is loving, gracious, forgiving, true, loyal, the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Jesus is in each of you, and he desires that you give the best of Him to each other. He has fully forgiven you from all your sins, your past is gone, there is only the present and the future. The blessings of God in Christ Jesus are this: even out of our brokenness and sin, good things remain. Jesus will transform the brokenness of your past into a glorious future—not only the eternal future with Christ, but a glorious future together, for those who share the same commitment in Christ, as you do.

In binding you two together and to Him, Jesus is giving you the most perfect place to live, to help, comfort, have companionship, show loving and tender grace to each other. God created marriage to be the expression of love, of two becoming one, of safety and security, a place where your children will know the Lord’s love and protection.

We all have natural, sinful tendencies, that work to tear down what God has built together. So, your first priority is your union with Christ. Only by being in full submission to Christ, can you submit to one another. There will come times, Sheena, when Jared will drive you bonkers, or he will do something or say something that hurts. Jared, there will be a moment, probably only one, when Sheena will do something that will cause you to question everything. We are not yet fully like Jesus. We still sin. God created marriage as a place where we can experience true forgiveness, and where we can extend true forgiveness. Do not listen to the evil one, but remain in God’s Word, remain in Christ.

In Christ, we learn that there is no greater love than laying down one’s life for a friend. Today you will become husband and wife. Never stop being friends. In your friendship with each other, lay down your lives for each other. This will create an attitude of service, where you provide love, nurture and faith. This will provide blessing in a home that is Christ centred.

Love is not like pie or cake. When serving a pie or a cake, you cut it into pieces and share it with the family, the oldest children get the largest slices, right? But that isn’t fair, and once the cake is shared and eaten, it is gone. But love is not like that. Love multiplies. So by adding more to your family, by combining your two families into one, you are creating more love!

But siblings, and new siblings will also have trying moments. There will be times when you won’t get along. Look to your parents, look to your mom and dad, and see how Jesus is at work in them, and know that he’s at work in you also!

This is the love that Jesus has given to us: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Cor.13:4-8a)

Live in Christ, live in Christ’s love. This marriage is truly a cord of three strands: Jesus, Sheena and Jared. Lean into Christ, lean into each other. Amen.