Graveside for Tommy Weldon

A Life of Faith: Celebrating Bro. Tommy

Schedule of service

Opening prayer - Derrick

Minister - Chris

Song - go rest high - Weldon girls

Nick Hodgson

Scott Nordyke

Song - what a day that will be - Julie

Closing prayer - Chris

Introduction

Dear friends and family, We are gathered today not just to mourn, but to celebrate the life of Bro. Tommy,

Tommy meant so much to so many—

And While many of our hearts ache TODAY,

our spirits SHOULD rejoice because we know he loved the Lord—

and we know where he is today.

Psalm 116:15 says,

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

I LOVE THIS....BECAUSE

To us…….today feels like loss.

But to God—it’s a homecoming.

A faithful servant has finished his race.

A beloved son has entered eternal rest.

Bro. Tommy's Faith and Legacy

Bro. Tommy was not a perfect man—I know this because……none of us are—

but he was a man of faith,

a man of character,

and a man who lived out the Gospel in his daily life.

Whether through quiet encouragement, hard work, a kind smile, or a timely prayer—

he touched lives.

Maybe you were one of the people he prayed for when no one else knew.

Maybe you were helped by his hands when you were hurting.

Or maybe, like many of us, you just knew you were loved when you were around him.

HIS FUNNY DEMEANOR, ALWAYS JOKING AROUND

His life echoed the words of 2 Timothy 4:7,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

That’s Bro. Tommy.

He kept the faith.

Through trials. Through sickness.

Through life’s ups and downs.

He didn’t give up—he leaned in.

And in doing so, he left us an example to follow.

Bro. Derrick shared with me a piece of information that I think highlights who he was.

the night before he would go on to be with the Lord

he was in some pain and he was there with his wife Sherry

and all Bro. Tommy wanted to do was for them to pray together.

even in the midst of nearing the end of his life...

he knew where his strength and help came from

Encouragement for the Grieving

For those of us still here—who feel heavily the weight of this loss—I want to speak to your hearts for a moment.

one of my favorite scriptures to share in this moment that I find so encouraging is......

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 it tells us,

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of the world, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

We do grieve, yes.

But we do not grieve without hope.

Our hope is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And because Tommy trusted in Christ,

he is not gone—he is home.

He's not in pain.

He's not struggling.

He is more alive now than he ever was here on Earth.

And one day, those of us who share that same faith will see him again.

John 14:1-3 Jesus says to His disciples,

“Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms... I go to prepare a place for you.”

I believe Tommy has found his room in the Father's house.

A place prepared just for him.

And friends—there’s room for us too.

A Call to Reflection

So let me ask you: What will you do with the time you have left?

Bro. Tommy lived a life of purpose.

A life surrendered to Christ.

What better way to honor him than to follow the Jesus he loved?

If you’re hurting today, God says in Psalm 34:18,

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

If you’re questioning, doubting, or lost

God is not far.

HES waiting for you to return to him

Romans 10:13 says,

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

This includes you.

I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS TODAY...

Conclusion: Comfort and Hope

Many of you will miss Tommy dearly—

his wisdom, his warmth, his faithfulness.

But let us honor him by living our lives that reflect the same faith and hope that he held onto.

He’s now in the place described in Revelation 21:4: IT SAYS.....

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain...”

Let that give you comfort today.

This isn’t the end of the story for Bro. Tommy

it’s the beginning,

THE COMMENCEMENT OF eternity—

and for us, a reminder to live LIFE….with eternity in MIND

AMEN???

LET’S PRAY....

Closing Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of Bro. Tommy’s life.

Thank You for the faith he walked in, the love he gave, and the legacy he leaves behind.

Lord would you…Comfort those who mourn.

Strengthen those who are weak.

Lord I pray a special blessing and peace be with Derrick, merridith, and his wife sherry.

Lord stir in us ALL the hope of the Gospel—

that just as Christ was raised, we too shall rise.

WE GIVE YOU ALL OF THE GLORY AND ALL THE HONOR FOR THIS DAY

AND FOR BRO. TOMMY’S LIFE

In Jesus’ name, Amen.