Samuel "Korey" Boone - 1-12-23

We gather today in our sadness to surrender the body and life of Samuel Korey Boone to the Lord who made him. None of us wants to be here. The Lord knows that there has been great heartache in this family in recent years.

To give us a little perspective listen to these words from the Word of God. The first is from Psalm 147, words Korey himself could have said,

7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me,

for my depression deepens.

Don’t turn away from me,

or I will die.

8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,

for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk,

for I give myself to you.

9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;

I run to you to hide me.

10 Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward

on a firm footing.

11 For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.

Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.

12 In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies

and destroy all my foes,

for I am your servant.

Second we have this assurance from the word of God, In 2 Corinthians 5 we read,

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.

Finally, in the book of Revelation God takes our focus from the sadness of this world to the hope and joy of the world to come.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4)

Korey was a man who had his demons. He fought addictions throughout his life, and those demons along with some, perhaps, supernatural demons tormented him. He wanted desperately to be free. But, we must never draw conclusions about a person’s life by the demons they battled or by the way they died.

When Korey was younger (around 4 or so) he used to enjoy helping his grandpa cut and deliver wood. Grandpa would always pay Korey for his “help.” That money was always put in a jar. One day he asked for the jar because he needed some money. He took money out of his jar so he could buy his mom a flower for Mother’s Day.

When he stayed with grandma and grandpa in Chaddock, he liked to listen to “preacher tapes” at night.

Korey loved his brother even though not all the memories were positive . . . like the time Kyle was playing with a fishing pole in front of his grandparents house. Kyle went to cast, not knowing Korey was behind him, and hooked him in his lip. This led (understandably) to Korey starting to scream. Grandpa came and rescued him. (Grandpa was also the one who took Korey to get his first earring!)

Then there was the time both Kyle and Korey each got a new toy. Kyle wanted the toy Korey had and conned him into trading for it. Korey started to cry, and the toys were returned to their original owners. Brothers!

Korey is remembered by teachers as a polite, kind, and a really nice student. One teacher said Korey gave her a gift at Christmas that she displays every year.

Korey had a tender heart. He was the kind of guy who would always put other people first. He would let people stay with him, he would go travel to help someone, and he was always sitting and playing with children. He was patient. He loved his cousins and family. He just had a big heart. He sent several wonderful notes to his mom to let her know what a good mom she was. He was a really good artist.

Korey spent some time in jail. It was all related to the addiction he battled. When he was leaving prison, he met Sheli for the first time. They went out on a date and Sheli knew he was different by the fact that though he found her very attractive he didn’t want to take advantage of her even though it had been much too long of a time to be in jail for both of them.

Not long after he met Sheli, even though he was living in a homeless shelter, he took his entire paycheck from McDonald’s and gave it to her so she could buy a car.

Korey was determined to care for his family. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a stand-up guy who wanted to do right by those he loved. His mom said she was so proud of the man he was becoming.

We have all seen the pictures and videos of Korey caring for his kids in the hospital. His tender heart was obvious.

Korey loved riding motorcycles, he loved his friends, he loved his wife, his children, and his extended family. He loved being a dad. He loved telling corny dad jokes and stupid pirate jokes.

One of Korey’s biggest problems though was that he didn’t believe in himself. All he saw were the mistakes he made. He did not feel He had even come close to being the person God wanted him to be. Yet, it sounds like, he had a sincere faith. And even though he couldn’t forgive himself for the mistakes he made, he now knows that He was forgiven by God all along.

The hard part about the way he died is that he left us with so many questions. Family members wonder if they “missed something.” Some wish he had left a note to explain why he did what he did. Most of us wish we could have one more conversation. We have no answers, only the questions.

Korey leaves behind his wife, his sons: Ezra and Kable and his daughter Lynlee, his mom, Teresa Boone and his brother, Kyle, and his grandmother Shirlene Jones along with aunts, uncles, and cousins who loved him.

We are all saddened, not just by the loss but by the fact that Korey seems to have not really realized how much he was loved and cherished.

Suicide is not a rational act. It is impulsive at a time when you have, in a sense, lost your mind. No one who loves their children as much as Korey did, would if he was thinking clearly, choose to remove himself from his children’s lives. He was being tormented and it appears he just wanted it to end.

But this raises a question: Can someone who takes their own life go to Heaven? Many people believe the answer is NO. I am not one of those people.

In my mind it is kind of like saying, “can someone who has been in jail, go to Heaven?” Or, “can someone who has ever hurt someone else go to Heaven?” Or even, “can someone who has been divorced go to Heaven?” or even “Can someone who got a speeding ticket go to Heaven?”

The assumption behind these questions is wrong. The assumption is that if we are “good enough” we earn Heaven. The Bible however is clear: No one is “good enough” for Heaven. In fact, that was the point of why Jesus came to earth. It was impossible for us to save ourselves. He came to give His life to pay for the sin and the stain of sin that devastated our lives. Jesus came, if you will, to free us from our addiction to sin and to anything else that controls us.

So, yes, I believe if Korey trusted in Jesus, (and it seems he did), he is in Heaven now. He has been delivered from the torment; he understands now that he is loved and forgiven for past mistakes; he now sees himself differently than he saw himself here. He sees himself through God’s eyes.

We would like to have one more chance to tell him these things here. We would like to plead with him not to give up or make any impulsive decisions. Unfortunately, that is not possible. Our comfort now comes from the grace and mercy Korey knows as he stands before the Lord.

But let’s not waste this time. We need to focus on the truth of the gospel. We all need to understand that God loves and cares for us. He wants us to call to Him and trust Him. He sees past our failures and wants to lead us to a better life. If we turn to Him, He will work inside of us to make us into new people. He will replace the guilt of the past with the reality of His love in the present. He will set us free to enjoy life and the people that are in it. Our Lord wants our hearts.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me will live, even though they die.” That is our comfort for today and our hope for tomorrow.

So now we commit Korey to the Lord and seek the Lord’s strength as we must move forward from this day.

We ask God to wrap His arms around Korey, to give us strength and a measure of his spirit as we move

forward. May we not look back, but ahead, as we look forward to the day when all those who trust

Christ will see Him again.

Will you please pray with me?

Father, we bring our sadness to you. We ask you to help us bear the reality of what has taken place. Please wrap your loving arms around Korey . . . and around us. Help us to see beyond our failures and feelings of inadequacy and embrace your grace, your love, and your forgiveness. Set us free to live the lives you created us to live. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen

Samuel Korey Boone

1/12/23

We gather today in our sadness to surrender the body and life of Samuel Korey Boone to the Lord who made him. None of us wants to be here. The Lord knows that there has been great heartache in this family in recent years.

To give us a little perspective listen to these words from the Word of God. The first is from Psalm 147, words Korey himself could have said,

7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me,

for my depression deepens.

Don’t turn away from me,

or I will die.

8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,

for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk,

for I give myself to you.

9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;

I run to you to hide me.

10 Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward

on a firm footing.

11 For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.

Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.

12 In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies

and destroy all my foes,

for I am your servant.

Second we have this assurance from the word of God, In 2 Corinthians 5 we read,

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.

Finally, in the book of Revelation God takes our focus from the sadness of this world to the hope and joy of the world to come.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4)

Korey was a man who had his demons. He fought addictions throughout his life, and those demons along with some, perhaps, supernatural demons tormented him. He wanted desperately to be free. But, we must never draw conclusions about a person’s life by the demons they battled or by the way they died.

When Korey was younger (around 4 or so) he used to enjoy helping his grandpa cut and deliver wood. Grandpa would always pay Korey for his “help.” That money was always put in a jar. One day he asked for the jar because he needed some money. He took money out of his jar so he could buy his mom a flower for Mother’s Day.

When he stayed with grandma and grandpa in Chaddock, he liked to listen to “preacher tapes” at night.

Korey loved his brother even though not all the memories were positive . . . like the time Kyle was playing with a fishing pole in front of his grandparents house. Kyle went to cast, not knowing Korey was behind him, and hooked him in his lip. This led (understandably) to Korey starting to scream. Grandpa came and rescued him. (Grandpa was also the one who took Korey to get his first earring!)

Then there was the time both Kyle and Korey each got a new toy. Kyle wanted the toy Korey had and conned him into trading for it. Korey started to cry, and the toys were returned to their original owners. Brothers!

Korey is remembered by teachers as a polite, kind, and a really nice student. One teacher said Korey gave her a gift at Christmas that she displays every year.

Korey had a tender heart. He was the kind of guy who would always put other people first. He would let people stay with him, he would go travel to help someone, and he was always sitting and playing with children. He was patient. He loved his cousins and family. He just had a big heart. He sent several wonderful notes to his mom to let her know what a good mom she was. He was a really good artist.

Korey spent some time in jail. It was all related to the addiction he battled. When he was leaving prison, he met Sheli for the first time. They went out on a date and Sheli knew he was different by the fact that though he found her very attractive he didn’t want to take advantage of her even though it had been much too long of a time to be in jail for both of them.

Not long after he met Sheli, even though he was living in a homeless shelter, he took his entire paycheck from McDonald’s and gave it to her so she could buy a car.

Korey was determined to care for his family. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a stand-up guy who wanted to do right by those he loved. His mom said she was so proud of the man he was becoming.

We have all seen the pictures and videos of Korey caring for his kids in the hospital. His tender heart was obvious.

Korey loved riding motorcycles, he loved his friends, he loved his wife, his children, and his extended family. He loved being a dad. He loved telling corny dad jokes and stupid pirate jokes.

One of Korey’s biggest problems though was that he didn’t believe in himself. All he saw were the mistakes he made. He did not feel He had even come close to being the person God wanted him to be. Yet, it sounds like, he had a sincere faith. And even though he couldn’t forgive himself for the mistakes he made, he now knows that He was forgiven by God all along.

The hard part about the way he died is that he left us with so many questions. Family members wonder if they “missed something.” Some wish he had left a note to explain why he did what he did. Most of us wish we could have one more conversation. We have no answers, only the questions.

Korey leaves behind his wife, his sons: Ezra and Kable and his daughter Lynlee, his mom, Teresa Boone and his brother, Kyle, and his grandmother Shirlene Jones along with aunts, uncles, and cousins who loved him.

We are all saddened, not just by the loss but by the fact that Korey seems to have not really realized how much he was loved and cherished.

Suicide is not a rational act. It is impulsive at a time when you have, in a sense, lost your mind. No one who loves their children as much as Korey did, would if he was thinking clearly, choose to remove himself from his children’s lives. He was being tormented and it appears he just wanted it to end.

But this raises a question: Can someone who takes their own life go to Heaven? Many people believe the answer is NO. I am not one of those people.

In my mind it is kind of like saying, “can someone who has been in jail, go to Heaven?” Or, “can someone who has ever hurt someone else go to Heaven?” Or even, “can someone who has been divorced go to Heaven?” or even “Can someone who got a speeding ticket go to Heaven?”

The assumption behind these questions is wrong. The assumption is that if we are “good enough” we earn Heaven. The Bible however is clear: No one is “good enough” for Heaven. In fact, that was the point of why Jesus came to earth. It was impossible for us to save ourselves. He came to give His life to pay for the sin and the stain of sin that devastated our lives. Jesus came, if you will, to free us from our addiction to sin and to anything else that controls us.

So, yes, I believe if Korey trusted in Jesus, (and it seems he did), he is in Heaven now. He has been delivered from the torment; he understands now that he is loved and forgiven for past mistakes; he now sees himself differently than he saw himself here. He sees himself through God’s eyes.

We would like to have one more chance to tell him these things here. We would like to plead with him not to give up or make any impulsive decisions. Unfortunately, that is not possible. Our comfort now comes from the grace and mercy Korey knows as he stands before the Lord.

But let’s not waste this time. We need to focus on the truth of the gospel. We all need to understand that God loves and cares for us. He wants us to call to Him and trust Him. He sees past our failures and wants to lead us to a better life. If we turn to Him, He will work inside of us to make us into new people. He will replace the guilt of the past with the reality of His love in the present. He will set us free to enjoy life and the people that are in it. Our Lord wants our hearts.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me will live, even though they die.” That is our comfort for today and our hope for tomorrow.

So now we commit Korey to the Lord and seek the Lord’s strength as we must move forward from this day.

We ask God to wrap His arms around Korey, to give us strength and a measure of his spirit as we move

forward. May we not look back, but ahead, as we look forward to the day when all those who trust

Christ will see Him again.

Will you please pray with me?

Father, we bring our sadness to you. We ask you to help us bear the reality of what has taken place. Please wrap your loving arms around Korey . . . and around us. Help us to see beyond our failures and feelings of inadequacy and embrace your grace, your love, and your forgiveness. Set us free to live the lives you created us to live. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen