Funeral Lisa Flood

Survivors include her husband, Josh Dodson; children, Julie Flood, Tristan Lively, Morgan Long, and Lily Flood; mother, Lynn Wesson; father, Kenneth Flood; sisters, Karen Reed Ingram, Michelle Searcy

1. Each human being is created in the image of God, regardless of how he or she lived in this world.

This fact always remains: Humans are created in God’s image. No angel or bird of the air or cattle in the field could ever boast of being created in God’s image. This is a feature of design reserved for humans alone. It is for this reason that each person, regardless of the color of his or her skin, where they live, what language they speak, or how much money they have stored in the bank, is important to God. This truth is so important, in fact, that God chose to send his Son to become a human in order to die for us.

Genesis 1:27 KJV 1900

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

2. The wages of sin are still death.

Roughly 200,000 people around planet Earth die every day. 200,000 people. Dead. Every single day. Most of them are going to Hell, not Heaven. Does that bother you? Are you irked, perturbed, upset? If we aren’t concerned that people are dying and going to Hell…heaven help us!

People die because they are sinners. We will all die at some point. A funeral service is a reminder of this sobering truth.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

3. We are unable to save ourselves.

We aren’t created in God’s image to be sinful. We were designed to be creatures who worship the God of our creation. We are to be holy, as our heavenly Father is holy; perfect, as Jesus is perfect. Nobody gets into heaven because of his or her own good works. Our good deeds will determine either the quality of our reward in Heaven or the severity of that Hell, but our deeds do not determine which place we go to (only faith in Jesus gets a person to Heaven).

“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

4. Today we are forced to face the reality of our eternal destiny.

One day soon you too will find yourself in a casket much like this one. Soon to be either six-feet under or cremated to ash. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27)

5. God wants to save people, which is why He sent Jesus to live and die for us.

I’m the chief of sinners. So are you. So was the apostle Paul. None of us deserves to be saved, to be ransomed, to be given mercy. But God does it anyway. Why does God do that? Because He loves us. He loves you! We’re just a bunch of wretches but God is a wretch-loving Savior. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for the sins of all who would ever believe, once and for all.

John 14:6 KJV 1900

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

6. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a “Now!” gospel.

Don’t wait for a better “time” to be saved…do it now! Don’t say that God could never forgive what you have done in the past…be saved now! No person on Earth is guaranteed another day. In fact, you could die before you finish reading this article. You never know when you will exhale your final breath. It’s too late to believe in God when you’re six feet under. Be saved today. Believe!

Acts 4:12 NKJV

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Proverbs 27:1 NKJV

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

7. We’re all going to die. However, where you’ll spend eternity is your choice.

Christians get to go to Heaven because they chose to believe and, therefore, surrendered by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Non-Christians end up in Hell because they chose not to believe, or love, or worship God. I believe in the absolute sovereignty of God, and I also believe in the responsibility of humans. We must believe. We must exercise saving faith. There is no such thing as “being neutral” when it comes to Jesus Christ. You either believe in Him for salvation, or you don’t.

Romans 4:1–5 ESV

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Romans 10:13 NKJV

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”