Announcing the Passing of
Dennis Lee "Dennie" Warford

LAWRENCEBURG, KY - Dennis Lee "Dennie" Warford, 54, died June 10, 2006. Current Lawrenceburg City Councilman. Survived by mother, Jewell Waldridge Warford, daughters, Jennifer Warford and Christina Gayle Drury. Service Wed, 11 a.m. Visitation Tue, 3-9 p.m., at the Ritchie and Peach Funeral Home. Published in the Lexington Herald-Leader on 6/12/2006.

Dennie Warford

Dennie Warford

Dennie Warford

Dennie Warford

Dennie Warford

Dennie Warford

Remarks by
Rev. Terry L Cooper, Senior Minister

Ninevah Christian Church
1195 Ninevah Road, P.O. Box 446, Lawrenceburg, KY 40342
(502) 859-5804
tcooperpreacher@wmconnect.com

At the funeral service of Dennie Lee Warford 6-14-06

  1. I tried to remember the first time I met Denny and my first memory took me to two things…a little convertible sports car (maybe a MGB) and a tennis court by the old city pool.
  2. As a young man I looked up to Denny (he was 4 years older than me).
  3. In high school Denny was the one to watch; he seemed to be good at everything and it looked like he had it all together (looks, smarts, personality, athletic, a good family).
  4. In my mind at least Denny would have been voted, "most likely to succeed" (Denny Loved Politics).
  5. The security and safety of Denny's youth was shattered by the untimely death of his father…the passing of Hollie Jr. had a profound affect on Denny's life.
  6. Denny's world seemed to transform from convertible MG's and tennis courts to the harsh realities of life (THIS HAPPENS TO A LOT OF US).
  7. There were good times, the birth of his two daughters and there were bad times; a broken marriage and the sudden death of his brother Gayle.
  8. When I stop to think about it, I realize this truth, Life is good, but Life is hard.
  9. The carefree days of convertibles and tennis courts are way too short and then the burdens and trials of the adult life arrive.

THE JOURNEY

  1. I've often heard life described as a journey; a journey that begins and ends without any decision of my own.
  2. Even though we are not allowed to decide the date our journey begins or ends we are allowed, to a certain degree at least, to control three things along the way:
    1. The road that we will walk.
    2. The people I will walk with.
    3. The attitude of my heart while I walk.

CHOICE #1--THE ROAD THAT WE WILL WALK

  1. One of the greatest gifts God ever gave to man was the gift of "choice".
  2. One of the worst gifts God ever gave to man was the gift of "choice".
  3. We arrive and depart this life by God's appointment calendar, but we get to choose our own path while we're here.

Psalm 27:11 (NIV)
Teach me your way , O Lord;
lead me in a straight path (My prayer for my children)

  1. I like the freedom of choice, but I've notice there are many roads in life to choose from.
  2. I am so thankful today that the One that made me has also made a path for me to walk upon.
  3. I am so thankful today that Jesus invited me to "follow Him"…that is how I know which road to choose, for there are many choices.

John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 10:27 (NIV)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me .
(I'm thankful that Jesus showed us the way, the road, the path to travel!)

CHOICE #2--THE PEOPLE I WILL WALK WITH

  1. We're all born into a family and for a while we have to put up with them.
  2. As we enter our adult life we get to choose whether or not to stay close to our family or choose others to journey with.
  3. Denny chose to stay close to his family; I believe that was a good choice (nobody knows you like family and nobody loves you like family).
  4. I want to walk with people that will encourage me because life is hard.
  5. I want to walk with people that will pick me up when I fall.
  6. I want to walk with people that are going the same place that I'm going (it makes the journey much easier).

Eccles. 4:9-10 (NIV)
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

**I thank God today that He has given us friends (fellow pilgrims) to journey with.

CHOICE #3—THE ATTITUDE OF MY HEART WHILE I WALK

  1. This choice is different than the other two, because I can't always control my circumstances (the road that I'm on) and I can't always control the people that are next to me, but I can control my attitude while I walk this journey called life.
  2. Jesus tells us:

John 16:33 (NIV)
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

  1. Not "maybe", but "will have trouble".
  2. But take heart…take heart means cheer up…it's temporary.
  3. Right now we're in the wilderness (like Israel-40 years), but up ahead is the Promised Land.
  4. Take heart, cheer up, take courage, LIFE WON'T ALWAYS BE HARD!
  5. Life is hard, but life (here on earth) is short and that's the good news.
  6. This TRUTH defines the attitude of a Christian.
  7. Jesus said take heart, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.

2 Cor. 4:16-18 (NIV)
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

CLOSING

  1. I want to close today with an event from the Holy Scriptures about what happened when Jesus went to a funeral…the funeral was for Lazarus.
  2. In fact Jesus was late in arriving at this funeral and Lazarus had already been dead 4 days.
  3. Lazarus' sister Martha was angry that Jesus did not come sooner.

John 11:21-26 (NIV)
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

When Jesus is at the funeral EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT!
Do you believe this?

CHOOSE WELL…THE ROAD THAT YOU WALK
CHOOSE WELL…THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WALK BESIDE.
CHOOSE WELL…THE ATTITUDE OF YOUR HEART (YOUR HOPE) WHILE YOU WALK.