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The following illustrations are excerpted from "Funeral Ideas and Illustrations." This compilation contains more than 100 stories, poems, and quotations for use in funerals or in Bible studies or sermons on death.
Please note that not all of these items are suitable for use in funeral messages! Some of them you will find better suited for use in other types of messages. They are included here because in some way they do address the issues of death, preparation, and/or eternal life.
You may not agree with everything here. Just ignore those and move on to the next. All in all, you should find much in this collection which will be of benefit to you.
The items found in this collection come from a wide variety of sources. There are some stories and/or poems you've used for years, and there are some you've never seen before. Some of the sermon outlines and messages are original material.
Please remember, however, that this compilation is copyrighted 2004-2009 by S. M. Henriques, 537 Carpenter St., Utica, Mississippi 39175. It may not be copied (except for your own use), re-sold or re-packaged without prior written permission from S. M. Henriques.
LAST WORDS
What do people think about on their death beds, and what do they say? Here is a sample:
Murderer Richard Loeb was a trifle optimistic about his survival after being stabbed 56 times by a fellow convict in 1936: "I think I'm going to make it!"
James Rodgers replied to the question whether he had a last request before facing a firing squad: "Why yes, a bulletproof vest."
Legendary swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks must have been confused before giving up the ghost in 1939 because his famous last words were: "Never felt better."
William Palmer, who was hanged in 1856, was told to step on the scaffold's trap door. "Is it safe?" he asked.
Charles Wood, a murderer who died in the electric chair in 1963, faced witnesses and quipped: "Gents, this is an educational project. You are about to witness the damaging effect electricity has on wood."
Finally, Phineas T. Barnum, believed by some to be the greatest ballyhoo artist in history, was interested in the almighty dollar right up to his last moment on earth. His last words: "How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?" It's really tragic their thoughts are not on the God they are about to meet.
-- "The Last Time When" By George Gipes
DEATH OF THE YOUNG
We expect the old to die, but death seems to be a cruel thief when it steals the young. Carl Jung said, it is "a period placed before the end of the sentence."
DEATH OF FRANCIS SCHAEFFER
Edith Schaeffer chose to have her husband brought home. She said, "I believe when my husband leaves his body, he will be with the Lord. I don't want him to leave me until he's with the Lord. Therefore, I am sure he would want to go to the house he asked me to buy and be there for the time he has left." The doctors agreed with her and told her they wished more people would do things the same way. Francis Schaeffer was taken home, and Edith surrounded his bed with the things he loved, and had music playing in his room. She said, "One after another, we played his favorite records: Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, and Handel. Ten days later, on May 15, 1984, with the music of Handel's Messiah still in the air, Francis Schaeffer breathed his last breath."
-- Christianity Today
HE BROKE UP EVERY FUNERAL HE ATTENDED
As a young man, D.L. Moody was called upon suddenly to preach a funeral sermon. He hunted all throughout the four Gospels trying to find one of Christ's funeral sermons, but searched in vain. He found that Christ broke up every funeral he ever attended. Death could not exist where he was. When the dead heard his voice they sprang to life. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life."
A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU
Dear Ann Landers: The enclosed appeared in the Schenectady Gazette. It was written by a teenage boy who died from cancer. His parents were divorced and he and his sisters were being raised by grandparents. Please try to find room for this farewell message in your column. We went to school with Kevin, and he was truly one in a million.
A Very Special Thank You If I were back on earth, I would want to express my thanks: To the doctors and nurses at Ellis Hospital who attended me and made sure I did not suffer any unnecessary pain during my illness. To all my school friends for your concern and kindness; for the many visits you made to the chapels and churches to pray for me; for the many hours you spent at the hospital helping to cheer me up and lift the spirits of my family. For the memorial services you held on the steps of Draper High School the day I left this earth. To all who came by the funeral home to pay their last respects. I stopped counting when the number reached 400. To all who sent cards and sympathy letters. They were so helpful. To you dear friends and neighbors who cooked all that delicious food and baked those wonderful pastries. Your goodies just about covered every flat surface in our home. How I wish I could have tasted some of them. To the thoughtful friends, relatives and neighbors who sent donations to charities in my name -- and, oh, those gorgeous flowers! What a beautiful array! It was almost as if I was back in the Hawaiian islands again -- a place I truly loved. Many of the plants and flowers are now in our home, being tenderly cared for by my grandmother. To those who made up the funeral cortege. What a sight that was! There were over 30 vehicles -- one after the other, all with their lights on. What a great send off. I loved it! To my family -- Kelly, Celia, Gina and Katie. I am proud to have been your one and only brother. I'm sorry I had to leave you, but I know you will all grow up to be good citizens and a credit to our grandparents. To Gram and Grandpa. Thanks for everything. Too bad God called me just when I was reaching the age when I could have been of help to you. I realized a long time ago that you were exceptional people. I was a lucky guy to be your grandson. To all: This isn't the end. We are sure to meet again. I'll be on hand waiting when you arrive, and we'll take up where we left off. -- Kevin Dolan, 1964-1981 Dear Friend in Schenectady: Thank you for sharing that extraordinary message. For those who may be wondering how Kevin knew the number of vehicles in the funeral cortege and the fact that more than 400 passed his coffin, his farewell message was written several days before he passed away. He left blank spaces for his older sister to fill in after his death. WHAT LIES BEYOND THE GRAVE?
What lies beyond the grave? US Catholic Magazine once asked its readers what they thought. One result: the old fire-and-brimstone idea of hell seems to be on its way out, being replaced by the idea of hell as an absence of God. Some theologians say this means people are becoming more concerned about doing good for its own sake -- and less about doing good to avoid hell. As for heaven, it apparently is a great place for a picnic -- a "sylvan setting where it never rains", and where you'll be reunited with departed members of your family. Who'll go there? Well, 83 percent of the magazine's readers expect to. The rest must have some very sleepless nights.
LAST WORDS
Some months ago, the "Family Weekly" carried an article quoting the final words of certain famous people just before they died. As I read their comments, I was struck by the casual and even flippant way some reacted when they knew that death was near at hand. The French writer Rabelais declared, "I am going to the great perhaps." Another writer, Turlogh O'Carolan, having been granted his request for a cup of Irish whiskey, quipped, "It would be hard if two such friends should part at least without kissing." And a famous boxer exclaimed as he neared the end, "Oh God, here I go!" The Bible says that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27)
WHERE IS HE GOING?
"Man's life is made up of 20 years of his mother asking him where he is going, 40 years of his wife asking him where he has been and one hour at his funeral when everyone wonders where he is going.
-- Sermon Builder
HARRY TRUMAN'S STORY
Harry Truman loved to tell the story about a man who became rather disoriented, but yet philosophical after a drinking binge. It was the fourth of July and the man had "toasted" the Statue of Liberty once too often. As he staggered out of the bar, he wandered into a nearby funeral parlor and fell headlong into an open casket. There he spent the night. When he awoke the next morning he looked carefully at his surroundings and asked, "If I am alive, what am I doing in this thing? But if I'm dead, why do I have to go to the bathroom?"
BEST WISHES
A man had a friend who enlarged his business. His sales had increased to the point that a larger warehouse and sales office were needed. Even though the move was a rather complicated and burdensome process, it was really a thing to be celebrated. For this reason, the man sent his friend some flowers on the day of his grand opening. The flowers, however, were poorly handled and the businessman received a bouquet that was intended for a funeral. It was accompanied with a card which said: "My deepest sympathy during this time of sorrow." When the man called his friend on the phone to wish him well, he was confronted with the error, "Why in the world," said the businessman, "did you send me these sympathy flowers?" The man went immediately to the florist to demand an explanation. The florist met him outside the shop and was obviously upset. "I am terribly sorry about the mixup with the flowers," he said, "but I hope you will be understanding. Your situation is not half as bad as the one down at the funeral home. The folks there received your flowers accompanied by the card which said: BEST WISHES IN YOUR NEW LOCATION."
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DIE?
A young girl 16 years old drove her car to the grocery store. Her mother was raking the yard. It was a fall day. When the girl came back from the grocery store, she hadn't been driving long and wasn't familiar with how to use the car that well and she was going far too fast. When she came to the intersection that turned towards her house there were some wet leaves that had blown out into the road and she skidded on the wet leaves and she slid into a tree and was thrown into the steering wheel with her chest and her head went through the wind shield. The car door opened and she fell out on the ground. Her mother up the street raking leaves saw the entire thing. She heard the tires screech and watched the car hit the tree. She ran down the street with all of her strength. She fell down and pulled her daughter's bleeding face up into her hand. As she looked down into her daughter's face, here is what the girl said to her before the mother could say a word. The little girl looked up at her mother and said, "Mama, I'm going to die. Mama, I'm going to die." Her mother responded, "No you're not honey! You're not going to die! Everything is going to be alright, just stay calm." A neighbor ran out onto her porch and the mother yelled, "Call an ambulance." The neighbor ran back in and called for help.
The daughter said, "Mama, I going to die." The mother again replied by saying, "No you're not, honey." This happened three times. The girl kept saying she was going to die. Her eyes were wild, blood was in her face. Again she said, "I'm going to die!" "You're not going to die honey!" said her mother. "I promise you the ambulance is on its way you're going to be alright."
What that young teenage girl said next has haunted me ever since the day I first heard this. The little girl looked up at her mother and said, "Mama, you taught me how to dress. Mama, you taught me how to put on my makeup. Mama, you even taught me how to dance. But Mama, you never taught me how to die!" And she died in her mother's arms.
Friend, do you know how to die? If it came today, where would you go? It's either going to be heaven or hell. Christ in your life is the one who makes the difference. Its not whether you are a church member or not. It's not whether you are good or bad. It whether you know Jesus and have accepted Him into your life. Christ is the one who makes the difference!
DEATH, BELIEF
When the Royal Canadian Mounted Police found the frozen body of a former atheist in a snowbound cabin, they picked up a note he had written to his mother. It read, "The question that haunts me as I face death is not whether there is a God, but how I as a sinner can face Him."
DEAD, BUT ALIVE
The Viet Nam Veterans Memorial is striking for its simplicity. Etched in a black granite wall are the names of 58,156 Americans who died in that war. Since its opening in 1982, the stark monument has stirred deep emotions. Some visitors walk its length slowly, reverently, and without pause. Others stop before certain names, remembering their son or sweetheart or fellow soldier, wiping away tears, tracing the names with their finger For three Viet Nam veterans - Robert Bedker, Willard Craig, and Darrall Lausch - a visit to the memorial must be especially poignant, for they can walk up to the long ebony wall and find their own names carved in stone. Because of data-coding errors, each of them was incorrectly listed as killed in action. Dead, but alive -- a perfect description of the Christian.
THE DOCTOR'S DOG
A child of God who was seriously ill and lacked assurance of salvation said to his physician, "Doctor, although I'm a Christian, I'm afraid to die. Exactly what happens to us in the hour of death?" The surgeon, who was also a believer, thought for a moment and then replied, "I'm afraid I can't give you an exact answer to that question."
As he walked across the room to leave, he desperately wished he could say something comforting. Pausing briefly before opening the door, he heard the sound of scratching and whining on the other side. Suddenly he realized that he had left his car window open and his little dog had jumped out. With the patient's permission he let in his pet poodle who leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. In a flash the doctor's mind was awakened to a scriptural truth he had never before put into words. Turning to the sick man, he said, "Did you see how my dog acted? He's never been in this room before. He had no idea what was inside; yet when I opened the door, he sprang in without fear, for he knew his master was here! As Christians we have not been told about the glories that await us on the other side of death. But one thing we do know; our Master is there, and that is enough!"
ONLY A COMMA
"Death is not a period, but rather a comma in the story of life."
-- Unknown
Funeral Ideas
This compilation (c) 2004-2009 by S. M. Henriques. All rights reserved.
