My Grandad, Les Miers, died this week. The following are a few words I said today at his funeral along with the two bible readings.
I have been visiting Brisbane for as long as I can remember and at least once a year for the last 10 years. I have loved visiting Grandad and Gran each time. Our family will be moving from Melbourne to Brisbane in January next year to help start a new church in the City and I was personally hoping that Grandad would still be around when we moved, but also knew that his health had been deteriorating for a long time.
One of the highlights over the last few years has been the opportunity to speak with Grandad about the common hope we share in Jesus. We have spent time reading the Bible together and praying confidently to God because Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sin and Jesus rose to guarantee resurrection life to all who trust in Him.
This first Bible reading is from a passage that I read out to Grandad on my last visit in February this year. The Apostle Paul says these words in Romans chapter 8:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NIV)
Our second Bible reading speaks of the satisfaction and eternal life that Jesus brings to all believe in Him.
John chapter 6… Verse 35
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”