Johnathan and Christiana's wedding

Have Everyone be seated

Dear Friends and Family today we are here to celebrate the marriage of Christina and Jonathan

When God created man in his image he saw that man was in need of a helper

God had created all of the animals and saw that none of them was suitable to be the helper to Adam

In Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.””

God placed Adam into a deep sleep and from the rib of Adam, he made woman

God than said in Gen 2:24 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

Today we celebrate the joining together of Jonathan and Christina

What I have learned from studying God’s word is that God is always faithful to bless and honor those who walk in obedience to His word

Today you have made the wonderful decision of becoming husband and wife.

Many in our world today treat marriage lightly

They begin together and fail to endure to the end

When we make the decision to marry it is a decision of will and a decision that no matter what we face that we are committed to stand by our partner and best friend

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

As we read these words what we find is that true love is sacrificial

Great marriages are built upon Great sacrifice

God’s word tells us that He is love

The love God speaks of His word is a decision of will

There are difficulties that you will face in marriage

There will be times when you will feel together you stand upon the mountain top

Then there will also be seasons in which you feel you are in the valley

But always remember that you walk through the valley together

the key to a strong marriage that stands the test and perseveres through the storm is a marriage built upon the Lord and His word

Ephesians 5:22-33: 22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;

29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,

30 because we are members of His body.

31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

In these verses the apostle Paul gives us important instructions concerning marriage

The husband is to be the head of the household as Christ is the head of the church

The wife is to be subject to her husband

But the importance of these commands from the Lord is His command for husbands to love your wife as Christ loved the church

Jesus laid down His life for the church

The call of a husband is a high calling

Jonathan my charge to you is always be a man of your word

When moments in life come and at times as a man feel overwhelming, I would encourage you to look to the Lord in prayer.

He always promises to give us strength

He always promises that in our weakness His strength will be prefected

Always be a man of your word

Always choose to love your wife

Always desire to lead your family in love

Christina I charge you to stand by Jonathan

To love and respect him at all times

To be not only his partner in life but also his best friend

As both of you begin this journey of marriage there will be trials and there will be struggles, but there will also be joy

For there is nothing better than to spend every day with your best friend growing together and truly becoming one

When God created Adam he saw that Adam needed a helpmate

Always remember that no matter what you face in life that you are both on the same team

The Lord said that man and woman would leave their father and mother and become one

Today you make the decision to become one

As 1 Corinthians says love is patient

Love is kind

It is not jealous

It does not boast

It does not seek it

It does not act unbecoming

It is not provoked

It does not take into account a wrong suffered

Choose every day to love one another

Choose always to forgive

Be willing to quickly say you are sorry

Build your life, your marriage, and your word upon the word of God

Vows

With confident trust in each other, you are now ready to accept each other as husband and wife to pursue life’s journey together, you will acknowledge this decision of hearts by taking each other by the right hand

sharing of the vows

Exchange of rings

What pledge have you for the faithful fulfillment of your marriage vows?

Then the man or his attendant at the altar will hand the ring to the minister, who, holding it up to be seen will say:

This circlet of precious metal is justly regarded as a fitting emblem of the purity and perpetuity of the estate of marriage

The circle is a picture of eternity. Eternity has no beginning and no end. While gold is so incorruptible that it cannot be tarnished by use or time. So may the union, at this time solemnized, be incorruptible in its purity and more lasting than time itself

Give the ring to the Jonathan with the following instructions:

You will state your name and repeat after me: With this ring, given to thee, as a token of my love, I seal my vows; and with all my earthly possessions, I thee endow, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Give the ring to Christina with the following instructions:

You will state your name and repeat after me: With this ring, given to thee, as a token of my love, I seal my vows; and with all my earthly possessions, I thee endow, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Kiss

Now by the power invested to me by the state of New York and the Lord God Almighty I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.

Prayer

Lord we pray today that your hand be upon Jonathan and Christina

That you would protect and watch over them

That at all times you would strengthen and bless them in their marriage

Your hand be upon their children

Presentation of the bride and groom

I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hayward