John Thompson Funeral

Welcome

Welcome and reading of the obituary

Following a weekend spent with family, including his grandchildren, great grandchildren, and his wife of 62 years, Billie, Pawnee County native and lifelong Burdett resident John Thompson, 84, passed on October 14. Born March 20, 1936, he was the son of John “Howard” and Doris “Jean” (Bindley) Thompson. 

John was a quintessential Kansas farmer and rancher. When his hands weren’t in the soil, he was an active member of the Faith Fellowship Church in Hanston. He was committed to his Christian faith, actively answering the call by participating in bible studies and assisting with children’s ministries. He had a passion for reading, history, bicycling, planting, K-State sports and volunteering with the Lions Club. John’s numerous bike rides across Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Nebraska hinted at his enthusiasm for travel and love for meeting new people, which he realized by spending winters in Texas and summers in Colorado. Even during his retirement, he found ways to give back from replacing window screens and sheet rock to painting shutters for community churches. 

Survivors include: his wife, Billie Mae (Herndon) Thompson of Burdett; a daughter, Robin (Bill) Niederee of Great Bend; a son, Marshall Thompson of Burdett; two grandsons, Daniel (Heather) Thompson of Hanston and Dillon Thompson of Burdett; a sister, Doris Chipman of Denton, Texas; three granddaughters, Katlyn (Jonathan) Rosborough of Washington, D.C., Allison Niederee of Los Angeles, Sarah Niederee of Buffalo, N.Y.; four great-grandchildren, Wyatt, Will, and Anna-Beth Thompson, and James Rosborough.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Dan Thompson.

PRAYER

Congregational Song - In The Garden

Family Sharing

Dave and Tami Duet

Message - Pastor Doug

1 Thessalonians 2:13 This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also works effectively in you who believe.

This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul as a way to encourage believers in Thessalonica

Paul is enthusiastic about a couple different things

he is enthusiastic about the faith of these people

he is enthusiastic about how they share their faith

so we see in this passage that Paul says that they thank God because they believed the word of God

what is the word of God that Paul mentions

he is not simply talking about the OT

he is talking about the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ

Give the gospel

Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

not just that they heard the gospel, but they believed that it was from God

this is not an man made message, a fairytale to just and try to make you feel better

most of us live in a small town America…

we cannot even get the truth to stay complete as it goes from one person to another here

the scripture has been kept pure, the same today as it was thousands of years ago when it was written

one story from beginning to end on how God came to save his people

This is what gives us hope

for our own lives…

we can know what will happen when we die and be confident that we will be with Jesus for eternity

at the times of loss of a loved one

no one can know the heart of another

we are good at deceiving ourselves

we can be deceived by other people

but we can look at a persons life and see the evidence

John professed Jesus as his Lord, he had a desire to see other people come to know Jesus as well

John was genuinely concerned with other people

talk about John and our kids

but listen to some of the things that his family told me about what they will remember about him

Words:

Christian

Humble

Kind

Let prayer guide him

Tireless work ethic

Never rested a day in his life

Now is at rest

Even when he and Billie traveled or spent time in Colorado and Texas, he found a way to give back to those less fortunate through hands-on projects and repairs.

Faithful, committed husband who loved Billie

Steadfast Christian who showed the Lord's way through every interaction with other people

Sweet tooth -- rhubarb pie

Patient

Memories:

Always put the Lord at the center of everything we did. Prayed at restaurants, “blessed,” said thank you

While quiet and humble, was always the best at praying extemporaneously

K-State sports fan

Supporting our 4-H activities, whether it be letting us practicing surging with grandma on his old work pants, turned into shorts with purple (go cats) stitching, watching the show for our market beef projects, or eating our “flops” when baking

Eating ice cream together after dinner

Chewing on wheat until it turned into bubble gum

He always talked about riding his bikes, always ready for the next ride

Dillon — I keep thinking about when I told him about the place in Hays that has lightweight bikes. That’s when he got his RANs bike he was really excited about

John was not like this because he was just a great guy…

it was the work of God in him

Paul tells them that word of God also works effectively in you who believe

this word “effectively” it means brought about a change, or accomplished what it intended to

John believed this…

that is why he would come every week to help little ones hear the good news

that is why he would invest in the lives of other adults

that is what he would want you to hear here today

that you too can have a changed life, a confidence in your eternal destination

Congregational Song - Amazing Grace

Benediction - Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever., Amen.