The marriage of our daughter to Laquawn Curry this week has been on my mind, as you might imagine.  It provides me an opportunity to share a few thoughts on marriage.  First, do you remember when you got married?  Did the pastor compare your marriage to Christ and the church?  If he didn’t, he should have.  Marriage in the New Testament era is PRIMARILY a picture of Christ and His church (Eph. 5:22-33).  It exists (among other reasons) so we can picture the love that Christ has for us (and our’s for him) to a watching world.  Second, it exists because God created it, and He gets to set the parameters.  Those parameters are found in Genesis 1-2: one man married to one woman, the two becoming “one flesh” for life.  Every other arrangement is outside the bounds of God’s intention for marriage.  Third, the institution of marriage, as God designed it, “is honorable” (Heb. 13:4).  It is not the only “honorable” state (I Cor. 7), but it is worthy in God’s eyes.  If you are married, consider your marriage this morning.  Does it reflect Christ and His church?  Does it reflect God’s original design?  Does it honor God?