Triple Picture of the Gospel of Grace

My dear friend Sherry was re-wed to her husband Rusty this past Saturday at our church. I got to coordinate the ceremony!! It was an amazing wedding in which to be so involved, because Sherry was saved only about 7 months ago, out of quite a hard and destructive lifestyle. If you ever get to meet her, her story is amazing! Right away, the Lord gave her a heart to serve and to spend as much time as she could with other believers. I got to know her as we worked together on Fridays at our Clothes Closet. The first time I spoke with her she shared her burden for her former husband "Rusty" (his full name is Christopher, lol). They still loved each other and were in a relationship of sorts because of Corinne (their 3 year old). I got to know Sherry & little Corinne more through VBS, and I still love to hear that little girl belt out the songs & explain what "Hosanna" means. :) Corinne went from being too afraid to be left alone in my care to being my shadow and my trusting, joyful little friend. The Lord has further grown Sherry's and my friendship through shared Bible Study, and just life together as sisters in Christ. All of us were praying the Lord would save Rusty, and even one day, heal their marriage... and ... HE DID!! Rusty was converted in August, and baptized soon thereafter. Our church has been wonderful about discipling them, and now... a godly family has been re-born. What sin had marred and Satan would have loved to keep broken God's grace has healed. Imagine the difference in Corinne's life: instead of growing up split across two homes, surrounded by crime, sin and pain, she has a Daddy AND a Mommy who love her, love each other, and most of all, love Jesus. Instead of growing up hearing the TV and swearing, she is going to grow up hearing songs and stories that exalt our God. Rusty & Sherry will be living with two other Christian families from our church in a huge house in the South End, so she'll be surrounded by other believing families... it's so amazing to me!! This is what the Gospel does! It reconciles: sinners to God, and then to one another.






During the wedding ceremony Pastor Jeff King shared each of their stories, and then charged them to live in this new marriage as new creatures; not acting as they had before, because they aren't those people anymore! It was the best wedding sermon- perhaps the best all-around sermon- I have ever heard Jeff preach, and knowing these people and having seen them through each step was amazing. Seeing Sherry cry under her veil, watching Rusty put his arm around her so tenderly-- these were two amazing pictures of what the Gospel does. It had reconciled them to God: hardened sinners were now weeping joyfully in His presence. Secondly, it had reconciled them to each other; Rusty's arm was around his bride. Thirdly, they were vowing to portray the Gospel in their marriage: Christ leading and loving His Bride, the Church submitting to and helping her Groom. Three times the Gospel.

Wow.