Liam and Molly Wedding 2023 | Special Event

Marriage as a Covenant, Not a Social Construct

What do you think? Yeah. Okay, perfect. I'll do that then.

You will.

You got it. I'm going to trust you.

Where do you typically put these?

Back pocket? Front pocket? What do you think? I do have a belt. Let's see. Wow, that's a little more difficult than I thought. Maybe. And the button is on the top, right? Just because, yeah, I mean, I want to...

I don't know. You should keep it on the whole time. I just don't like when I'm coming up after Jim prays.

Yeah. Let's go.

I think so. Yeah.

Yeah, you know. I don't know.

I didn't cry when I first saw her, so I'm like, that's a good sign. I don't know. With the music though, that's what kills me. I'm like, gosh. I was telling her, let's get a rock song or something. It's too sappy for me.

I don't think so.

Ready to roll.

I think it'll just...

We shall be him. We shall be like him. When we see him, we shall be like him.

His justice, oh. His justice, oh.

Stop. There's no such thing as ordinary. Really, we are quite... Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

Her mother.

Prayer for the Service and the Meaning of Marriage

Will you join me in a word of prayer? Our Father, it is with joyful hearts that we get together here together to celebrate this cutting of a covenant. It is a gift of your grace to us, the ordinance of marriage, and that you have brought Liam and Molly together, and that we are here to be witnesses to such a joyful and solemn occasion.

We thank you, and we pray your blessing upon our service. May it be attended with rich blessings and grace. As you pour that out upon this couple and upon the families and friends who are here, we pray that all that is said and done here this day would honor you and point to the true reason for marriage, which is a picture of Jesus Christ and his church and the great salvation that we have in him.

We ask these things for the glory of our great God and King, in Christ Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

God’s Design for Marriage in Creation and in Christ

Well, this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. You made it, Molly, Liam. Your day has finally arrived. Great job, you two. You are absolutely breathtaking, Molly. You definitely get that from your mom.

Liam, you clean up quite nice. So what do you think about this girl over here?

I'm stunned.

Looking pretty amazing, yes. I want both of you to remember that everyone in this room loves you and that God is for this. Now take a deep breath, relax, and let's enjoy this together. Family and friends, we are gathered here in the presence of God to witness, to bless, and to unite Molly and Liam in marriage.

But what is marriage? Why are these two all dressed up, and why are all of you dressed up in here? Is marriage a social construct? Well, this is what the world would like you to believe. If that is the case, it can be defined any way we see fit and changed whenever we desire, or dissolved just because.

Marriage was not invented by men, but by God. We see this established right at the beginning of creation in Genesis 2, 18 and 24. Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper, fit for him.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Jesus affirmed this in Matthew 19. Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?

And said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined, let no man separate.

Marriage is not just a promise to love each other as long as we want to love or as long as the other person will make us happy. No, marriage is a lifelong covenant made between a man and a woman on the basis of mutual personal commitment in the presence of these witnesses and of God Himself.

It is not meant to be broken. Your guests, Liam and Molly, are here to witness your wedding, your wedding vows, and hold you accountable to them. These vows are sacred promises made in the presence of witnesses who will remember them.

R .C. Sproul had this to say about marriage. I believe marriage is the most precious of all human institutions. It's also the most dangerous. Into our marriages we pour our greatest and deepest expectations.

We put our emotions on the line. There we can achieve the greatest happiness, but we also can experience the greatest disappointment, the most frustration, and the most pain. With that much at stake, we need something more solemn than a casual promise.

Three Reasons for Marriage: Enjoyment, Children, and Christ and the Church

Liam and Molly, are you sure you're ready for this? I thought so. But for what purpose, again, do we marry? I'll give you three reasons. First, it is for our enjoyment. God has given marriage as a gift.

Remember back in Genesis 2 .18? It is not good that the man should be alone. God provided a companion for Adam, just as He has given the two of you to each other. He doesn't want you to be alone. And look what Adam says when he wakes up to find Eve.

This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. The second reason I give you for marriage is for procreation of children. God says in Genesis 1 .27, be fruitful and multiply.

As you become one flesh, you provide the opportunity to be blessed with children, if that is God's will for you. Know this, a strong and happy marriage provides children the best environment to grow into responsible adults and the best opportunity to come and know our loving Savior, Jesus Christ.

The final reason I give you for the purpose of marriage is to show the world the beautiful relationship of Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. Marriage from the beginning was created by God to be a reflection of and patterned after Christ's relation to the church.

Jesus loves and cares for His church, and the church submits and follows Him. Ephesians 5 .31 .32 says,. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy, for the help and comfort given each other in good times and in bad, and when it is God's will for the procreation of children and their nurture and the knowledge and love of God.

Marriage is to be lived out in such a manner as to bring our great God and Savior maximum glory as we show the world the beautiful picture of the relationship of Christ and His church. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was intended by God.

It is God who joins a husband and wife into a one-flesh union. Again, with that in mind, let us go to the One who created us, who created marriage, and who created a plan of salvation for us to walk in that brings us into a relationship with Him now and for eternity.

Covenant Vows and the Story of Liam and Molly

Please pray with me. Heavenly Father, we gather here today to celebrate Your gift of love and its presence in our lives and in this marriage ceremony. We rejoice that Molly and Liam have chosen to commit themselves to a life of loving faithfulness to You first and foremost, and also to one another.

We praise You for the way You have touched our lives with the loving relationship of Liam and Molly, and we give thanks to You for drawing them to each other. May our participation in this celebration of love and commitment give to us a new joy and responsiveness to the relationships that we cherish, and may You be honored and glorified.

It is in the powerful name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. So into this union Liam and Molly now come to be joined. Liam, will you have this woman to be your wife, to live together with her in the covenant of marriage?

Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live? Molly, will you have this man to be your husband, to live together with him in the covenant of marriage?

Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live? Congregation, will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?

If you agree with me, will you please say we will? So a lot of you in this church have watched this tall blonde kid over here grow up. You probably are thinking, how in the world did our little Liam woo this beautiful girl into marrying him?

Believe me, I'm still asking myself that. Well, what is their story? Some of you may have watched it from the beginning, but others of you have only seen bits and pieces, and some of you might be seeing it for the first time.

Well, it seems to be another case of marriage by Kootenai Thunder. So I'm sure Tracy's here, but I think that sports program really got into existence so that she could marry a bunch of kids off. So the first time Liam remembers seeing Molly was at a picture day for soccer and volleyball in 2019.

He saw this pretty girl over here, and he hasn't stopped pursuing her since. Molly first remembers seeing Liam sitting with her brother Eli, watching her volleyball games later that same year, and thinking to herself, who is that cute guy sitting over there with my brother?

As winter came in 2019, the snow season began, and Liam just happened to bump into Molly and Coco over here up on the slopes. Hmm, I wonder if that was a coincidence. The three of them started snowboarding together and became known throughout the land as the posse.

So it was about that time I heard about this tall boy named Liam that was hanging around my 16-year-old daughter. I wasn't quite ready for that. I remember telling Molly, you know, Liam likes one of you or both of you, but trust me, he isn't just snowboarding with you because you are good snowboarders.

A few months later, Liam reached out to me and asked permission to write a letter to Molly. Molly wrote a letter back, and then they wrote more letters. They officially declared their like for each other.

Katie and I met up with Jim and Deidre to discuss this budding relationship, and at 16, I thought, they're too young. In my opinion, I've talked to my kids over the years about the purpose of dating and that it is to find a marriage partner.

And I said, yeah, if you aren't old enough to be married in the near future, then you aren't ready to date. That being said, I agreed to meet up with Liam here in person since I knew he was pursuing, and I wanted to see what this kid was made of.

So May 20, 2020, is a day Liam will probably never forget. We met at my office, and I grilled him for a couple hours. I got to know him and his relationships with family and friends, his relationship with Jesus, his school life, his work life, and his future plans.

It was a lot longer of a meeting than I'm sure a 16-year-old boy was ready for, but he handled it like a champ. I came out of that meeting knowing he wasn't quite ready, and after talking with Molly, she said she wasn't ready either.

That is not the answer Liam was looking for. For the rest of 2020 and 2021, they didn't see each other much, but Molly and Liam both never stopped thinking of one another. I know Liam was ready to jump in with both feet if Molly would give him the green light.

Well, obviously that happened since we are standing here today. I met up with Liam again for a marathon meeting on February 16, 2020, too, and what I saw in that year and a half was a drastic change. Our little Liam had grown up, not only in height, but again, he was a young man who was a hard worker.

He loved Jesus, and he was faithful. So he asked permission to date Molly, and they officially started dating the next day. In the year of their courtship, the two of them had some ups and downs as they grew closer, but again, those bumps in the road only brought them nearer together.

One initial bump occurred in the first week of them dating. This is a funny story. So I'm down at Disneyland with my daughter, Laura, standing in line to the Indiana Jones ride for a long time, and I get a call from Molly.

She was distraught and questioned this whole dating relationship. Well, if ever I had a chance to end it, it was right then. But instead of listening to my flesh, I listened to the Holy Spirit. I talked Molly off the ledge.

Fast forward one year, and they were engaged February 20, 2023. What came to mind when I was thinking of these two and their courtship was the word steadfast, to be firmly fixed and not subject to change, to be firm in belief and determination, and to be loyal and faithful.

In Molly over the years, I have seen a steadfast, unwavering pursuit of her relationship with Jesus. It is a given to find Molly hunkered down with her Bible, digging into God's Word every morning. In Liam, I have seen a steadfast pursuit of not only my daughter Molly, but also his relationship with Christ.

He has grown into a hardworking man, a spiritual leader, and a patient counselor for Molly. Where did they get this steadfast character trait? From Jesus, of course, who is the perfect one, who loves us with a steadfast love.

He never changes, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His love will never change or fade. Your love for each other needs to remain steadfast in your marriage, as you experience life and all the joy and the pain that comes in it.

The Gospel, Invitation, Vows, and Enjoying Marriage in the Power of the Spirit

But what is love, really? 1 Corinthians 13 tells us love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful.

It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. In the meaning of marriage, Keller wrote, in sharp contrast with our culture, the Bible teaches that the essence of marriage is a sacrificial commitment to the good of the other.

That means that love is more fundamentally action than emotion. How do we remain steadfast in our commitment to love each other? You give. You give your life to God daily, and you give preference to one another.

I want to share a quick four tips on how to give to each other in your marriage, and I'm going to use each letter of the word give to frame it. Hopefully this will make it somewhat memorable since this all might be a blur to you guys at the moment.

So, give. G stands for gospel. It all starts with the gospel, but it also continues with the gospel. What is the gospel? The good news, of course. So what is this good news? Well, we'll start from the beginning.

God rules. Genesis 1, 1, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Colossians 1, 16 through 17, for by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things consist. God created everything, and he is in charge of everything. We have sinned. Romans 3, 23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6, 23, for the wages of sin is death. Since the beginning everyone has chosen to disobey God, which is called sin. This separates us from God and deserves God's punishment. But God provided. John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Ephesians 2, 8, and 9, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. God sent his perfect Son, Jesus, as the solution of our sin problem.

It is something we could never earn. Jesus alone saves us. Jesus gives. Romans 5, 8, but God demonstrates his own love toward us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again.

Because Jesus gave up his life for us, we can be welcomed into God's family for eternity. We must respond. Romans 10, 9 through 10, and 13, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what he has already done on the cross.

Repent of your sin, turning from yourself, and turn to Jesus. Follow Jesus every day. Tell God and others that your faith is in Christ. So let us remember that Jesus came to earth to save us from ourselves.

He came and he lived the perfect life that we couldn't. He died a horrible death on the cross so that we don't have to. And he calls out to you to come and follow him because he holds the keys to true and everlasting joy.

If you have never called out to him to save you, do it. He will save you and never leave you. If you are already his but you have failed to love him as you should, ask him to forgive you and to give you the strength to continue to follow him.

Liam and Molly, you don't move past the gospel. Every day you need to continually face up to your own sinfulness and then run to Jesus through faith in his shed blood and righteousness and live in love by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in you.

The I stands for invite. True life begins with an invitation. God has invited us to be part of his family. You first need to respond to his invitation to give up your sin and to follow after him. You also need to invite Jesus to not only be the savior of your soul but the Lord of your life.

Hebrews 12 .1 .2 tells us, Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Every day you need to fix your eyes on Jesus and run the race that he has set out before you. As you run your races, you will grow closer and closer together because you are fixing your eyes on the one who is the way, the truth, and the life.

V stands for vow. First, you need to remember God's vow to you. He has vowed to never leave you or forsake you. Hebrews 13 .5. Once he has you as his own, he will never let you go. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8. Then you must remember your vows to each other. Molly, you will vow to love and respect Liam, to submit to his leading. Liam, you will vow to lay down your life for your wife. You are called to love Molly like Christ has loved his church.

Now these are tall orders that can only be carried out by dependence on the Holy Spirit living in both of you. E stands for enjoy. The Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1647 asks this question. What is the chief end of man?

Their answer, to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. God calls on you to glorify him in all aspects of your life, your work, your play, your relationships, your marriage, but he also calls you to enjoy him.

Philippians 4 .4 says rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. The world is broken by sin, and that will continue to affect your lives as followers in Christ, as well as your marriage relationship.

But don't let sin steal your joy. God has given you new life in Christ. God has given you a future hope of absolute bliss and glory in heaven with him for eternity. God has given you each other to enjoy, so remember to enjoy your marriage.

How do you remain steadfast in your commitment to love each other? You give. Live in the power of the Gospel each and every day. Invite Jesus to lead your life in your marriage each and every day. Live in the light of God's vow to keep you in his loving arms forever and live out your marriage vows each and every day.

Don't forget to enjoy life. Enjoy serving and glorifying God. Enjoy living life. Enjoy your hope to future glory and enjoy loving each other each and every day for the rest of your lives. You as husband and wife are entering a covenant, a commitment to love each other from this day forward.

But remember this, you can't do it in your own strength. Liam, you can't love Molly the way she needs to be loved, the way God calls you to love her in your own strength. Molly, you can't love Liam the way he needs to be loved, the way God calls you to love him in your own strength.

But thanks be to God for he has given both of you his Spirit to empower you. The fruit of the Spirit is love, Galatians 5 .22 tells us. 1 John 4 .16 tells us that God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.

God is not only the example for us in why and how we love, but he also supplies the motivation and the power to love as you live and remain in him. Therefore, Molly and Liam, love one another in both word and action in the power of the Holy Spirit from this day forward, regardless of what comes your way.

The Marriage Covenant, Rings, and the Cord of Three Strands

Liam and Molly, now that you've heard God's message concerning marriage, do you agree with it and do you commit yourselves to each other in accordance with it? Liam? Molly? Liam? Repeat after me. I take you, Molly, to be my wife, and I promise before God and all who are present here to be your loving and faithful husband as long as our lives shall last.

I will love you and give myself up for you as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. I will serve you with tenderness and respect and encourage you to develop the gifts that God has given you.

Molly, repeat after me. I take you, Liam, to be my husband, and I promise before God and all who are present here to be your loving and faithful wife as long as our lives shall last. I will love you and submit to you as the church loves and submits to Christ.

I will serve you with tenderness and respect and encourage you to develop the gifts that God has given you. Good job. What do the two of you bring as a sign of your promise? These rings are to be a reminder to you and the world that you are each other's and no one else's.

These rings are a symbol first of God's unending love for you. This circle has no end and no beginning. It never ends just as God's love for you never ends. Second, this ring is a symbol of the love you are to have for each other.

That love needs to be drawn from God's strength and demonstrated sacrificially. Bless, O Lord, the giving of this ring that he who gives it and she who wears it may live in love and faithfulness all their days through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen. All right. Liam, you may place the ring on Molly's finger and repeat after me. Molly, I give you this ring as a sign of the covenant we have made today in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Bless, O Lord, the giving of this ring that she who gives it and he who wears it may live in love and faithfulness all the days of their lives through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Molly, you may place the ring on Liam's finger and repeat after me.

Liam, I give you this ring as a sign of the covenant we have made today in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. So as their first act as a married couple, Liam and Molly will braid three strands together into a single cord.

Each strand has a significant meaning. The center strand represents God in all his glory. The left and the right strands represent the bride and the groom and their lives. In braiding these three strands together, Liam and Molly are demonstrating that their marriage is more than a joining of two lives together.

It is a uniting with God as well. They have chosen to make God the center of their marriage woven into every aspect of it. Ecclesiastes 4 .12 says, Though one may be overpowered, two can withstand him.

A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

A Song of Commitment and a Prayer of Blessing

My steadfast love, My deep and boundless peace. To this I hold My hope is only Jesus For my life is wholly bound to him. Oh, how strange and divine I can sing. All is mine Yet not I But through Christ in me.

Repent.

I say.

I stand.

To this I hold.

My hope is only Jesus. To this complete.

Still my lips.

Shall repeat. To this complete.

Still my lips.

Shall repeat.

Well, let us pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day you have made. Thank you for the marriage union of Liam and Molly. Please give them wisdom and devotion in their life together. Please give them grace when they hurt each other to recognize and confess their fault and to seek the other's forgiveness.

Please give them steadfast love for you and for each other through all of life's joys and sorrows. Please make their life together a sign of Christ's amazing love to this sinful and broken world. Amen.

Throughout this ceremony, Liam and Molly have vowed in our presence and in the presence of God to be loyal and loving towards each other. They have formalized the existence of the bond between them with the words spoken and with the giving and receiving of rings.

Therefore, it is my pleasure to now pronounce them husband and wife. Liam and Molly, after keeping yourselves for this day, you may now enjoy your very first kiss ever. Liam, you may kiss the bride. As a servant and minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is my honor and joy to announce you to you, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Liam Osmond.

It's time to change our fate, take our place. Throw me to the ransom, the captives. Your name is...

Reception Details and Closing Announcements

So, family needs to stay. I think you know who you are for pictures after right here in this room. And the reception will start immediately after this. The address, I think, is around, but it's 718 Selly Road.

You can find it pretty easily, I think. Thank you.