A SAD DAY!!

Funerals are absolutely no fun.  They are hard for everyone involved.  The family is devastated, the friends are sad.  And the Pastor is trying everything he can do to make sure this person's life is honored while also trying to bring comfort to the family while also trying to challenge people to think on eternity and give them the opportunity to make a change in their life.

Today I have the sad honor of conducting the funeral for a guy that was one of my students in our student ministry when we were in LaGrange, he also eventually joined my staff, and he was my friend.  There are no words that can really say how sad I am.  The whole thing is so very unbelievable.  But I trust God and I trust that God has his arms wrapped around my friend right now.

Going into today, I have a few goals which are really the same goals I have at any funeral, but this one is a good bit more personal...

1.) Honor the deceased as best as I can...

2.) Make it personal... scriptural but personal...

3.) Comfort the family...

4.) Encourage the friends...

5.) I believe a person's personality should come out in their funeral service...

6.) Give the opportunity for life change...

Hope I can do those things today for my friend, Josh...