Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome and Prayer

Good afternoon.

It is an honor for me to welcome you to this service as we gather together to celebrate the life of Iris Gragg.

Iris Norris Gragg was born on February 6, 1928 and departed this life on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.

She leaves behind her niece, Mary Helen Vaughn and husband Jerry, one step-daughter, Gloria Presnell, one step son, James Eber Gragg, one step granddaughter, Sheri Stout and husband Jimmy, two step-grandsons; Steve Presnell and wife Lorrie, and James Eric Presnell and wife Anita, two step great granddaughters and four step great grandsons, and a number of nieces, nephews and her church family.

Your presence here today is indicative of how she touched our lives.

Please join me in prayer.

Congregational Song

Hymn #

Gordon Noble Remarks

Choir Song

Gloria Remarks

Congregational Song

Hymn #

Mitch Remarks

I first met Iris when I became her pastor 2 and half years ago.

When she was able to come to church, Ronnie and Kim would bring her and she we be here in her wheel chair.

She always sat right in the front.

After the service, Ronnie would roll her to the back to see me.

I affectionately called her my “Favorite Holy Roller” and she would flash that smile.

As I visited her in Deerfield Ridge and later in the Foley Center, we would have incredible conversations.

Most of the time visited, she would be sitting in her wheelchair with her Bible open, reading and studying God’s word.

She loved her sweets.

I understand that she was quite the cook as I have heard about her jello pie, her peanut butter pie and a peanut butter cake.

She had a drawer in the night stand beside her bed that was packed with goodies and she always tried to offer me something.

One day I came into her room and there was her Bible opened with a half-eaten chocolate bar laying on it.

I immediately thought of the verse from

Iris lived a life where she tasted and saw that the Lord was good.

If you spent any time with her, you know that she loved her Lord, she loved reading His word, she loved her church, and she loved everyone she meant.

There are many passages of scripture that we could share about Iris and the example of a woman that she was.

There are many that describe her steadfast faith.

One that seems to rise to the top is from :

Iris knew that the Lord was righteous in all His ways.

After she fell and broke her ankle last year, I walked in one day and said to her, “Ms.

Iris, are you ready to go dancing?”

She told me really quick that her father did not approve of dancing and she never did dance nor would she never dance.

She told me of how tough her dad was on her when she was growing up but the Lord showed her how to love him and respect him.

The Lord revealed His righteousness to her.

Iris knew the Lord was gracious in all His works.

Whenever I would ask Iris what she wanted to pray for, she would say, “that I could love Jesus more because He has been so good to me.”

Iris knew the Lord was near to all who called upon Him.

She valued prayer.

She loved to pray and she knew that through prayer, the Lord was near to her and to those she prayed for.

My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August of last year.

Some how Iris found out about that.

Every visit we had, she asked me about my mom and told me that she was praying for her.

She always told me that she was praying for me and her church.

Iris called upon the Lord in truth.

She knew that she could be real with very real God.

She knew that the Word of God was true and she believed it from Genesis to Revelation.

Wednesday morning she went to sleep and woke up to the truth that her salvation was true, the Word of God was true, and I believe she heard the words, “Well done my good and faithful servant.

Welcome Home.”

Prayer.

Choir