Funeral Message: A Double Portion Of Her Spirit
In Loving Memory of Charlotte Sanders
A Note to Fellow Pastors
Every funeral is different because every person is different. One of the challenges of pastoral ministry is finding a way to honor someone’s life while keeping the message rooted in Scripture and pointing people toward Jesus Christ.
When I was asked to speak at Charlotte Sanders’ funeral, I knew there were so many things I could say about this remarkable lady. She was a pastor’s wife, a wonderful mother, a faithful friend, a prayer warrior, and someone who made an incredible difference in the lives of others.
I chose two passages of Scripture to guide the message.
The first was 2 Timothy 4:7–8, where Paul describes fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and keeping the faith. Those words seemed to describe Charlotte’s life beautifully.
The second was 2 Kings 2:9, where Elisha asks Elijah for a double portion of his spirit. That passage allowed me to move beyond celebrating Charlotte’s life and challenge everyone present to follow her example.
I’ve included this message as an example of how a funeral sermon can both honor a loved one and encourage those who remain to live more faithfully for Jesus.
Opening Words of Comfort
Dearly beloved,
We are gathered here today to pay our final tribute of respect to Mrs. Charlotte Sanders.
To Michael, Heather, Misty, and the rest of the family, we offer our deepest and most sincere sympathy.
It is our prayer that this service will bring glory to God while celebrating the life of your precious mother.
We do not grieve as those who have no hope, for we believe that Mrs. Charlotte is with the Lord.
The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord.
Mrs. Charlotte has never been more alive.
She and Pastor John have been reunited, along with her parents and so many family members and dear friends.
I can only imagine the wonderful time they’re having in the presence of the Lord.
But when someone has made such an incredible difference in our lives, the loss is real.
And we’re all going to miss Mrs. Charlotte Sanders dearly.
Let’s pray.
Opening Prayer
Most gracious God,
Thank You for giving us Mrs. Charlotte Sanders.
She lived her life in surrender to You.
She was an amazing mother, a wonderful wife, a faithful and loyal friend, a powerful prayer warrior, and a cheerleader for us all.
Mrs. Charlotte spoke the truth in love, and we’re going to miss her advice.
We know these qualities were evident in her life because she allowed You to live through her.
Thank You for preparing a place for her in glory.
She loved good music, and we can only imagine the joy she is experiencing in Your presence.
Now may Your presence comfort our hearts, may the words spoken today encourage our minds, and may the worship inspire us to live as You would have us live.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
At this point in the original service, Michael was invited to share some words about his mother.
Memorial Message: A Life Well Lived
There are so many things we could say about Charlotte Sanders.
And many wonderful things have already been said.
But to be honest, we’ve only scratched the surface of what an amazing lady she was.
I believe I’ve found a passage of Scripture that beautifully describes this godly woman while also giving us comfort.
It’s 2 Timothy 4:7–8.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Charlotte Sanders Was a Fighter
Charlotte Sanders was a fighter.
She had spunk!
She fought for the kingdom of God to become a reality here on earth.
Mrs. Charlotte knew what a difference Jesus could make in people’s lives, and she did everything within her power to see others come to know Him.
Countless people were influenced by her witness.
Marriages were restored. Relationships were mended. Forgiveness was extended. People experienced healing and encouragement through her faith and prayers.
I love the story Michael told about his mother bringing all the neighborhood children to church at the Bible college.
Mrs. Charlotte didn’t care what you looked like or who you were. She wanted you to know her Savior.
But she didn’t just fight for the kingdom of God.
She fought for her family.
Michael, Heather, and Misty knew Mama had their backs.
You’d better not wrong her kids!
She supported her children, but they also knew they would always get the truth from her.
What an amazing lady.
She fought the good fight.
Charlotte Sanders Was a Finisher
Some people run a marathon and stagger across the finish line.
Not Mrs. Charlotte!
She finished the race.
And what an amazing race she ran.
She got everything there was to get out of this life.
She made each day count for the Lord.
Whether she was teaching a Sunday School class, reaching out to someone in her neighborhood, spending time with good friends, or calling people to check on their spiritual well-being, Mrs. Charlotte kept striving to help others know Jesus better.
Like the Apostle Paul, she had a physical thorn in the flesh that the Lord chose not to remove.
But she didn’t allow her physical difficulties to keep her from making a significant difference in this world.
She had her share of struggles, but she continued to serve the Lord faithfully.
She finished the race.
Charlotte Sanders Was Faithful
There is no doubt that Charlotte was faithful to the Lord.
She served Him with all her might.
She was faithful to her husband.
She was the kind of pastor’s wife every minister would be grateful to have serving alongside him.
I remember hearing about one church where Pastor John and Mrs. Charlotte interviewed.
One of the board members later confessed to Pastor John:
“After meeting Charlotte, we knew we would hire you!”
That tells you something about the kind of lady she was.
She was also a faithful friend.
She prayed for people.
She loved people.
And when you needed someone to tell you the truth in love, Mrs. Charlotte was there.
There is no doubt about it.
She kept the faith.
The Crown of Righteousness
Because of her faith in Jesus Christ, Mrs. Charlotte looked forward to the crown of righteousness that Paul describes.
I’m happy for Mrs. Charlotte.
She is free from the pain she endured for so much of her life.
We believe she will experience the fullness of resurrection life that Jesus has promised His people.
She is in the presence of the Lord she loved and served.
And she has finally seen Jesus.
Mrs. Charlotte longed for that day.
But I’m sorry for us.
You just can’t replace someone like her.
The world seems a little less bright without her.
Now, I think I know what Charlotte would be saying if she could:
“Stop being so sad! I’m okay, and God will take care of you.”
And she would be right.
But it’s still hard to say goodbye to someone who lived such a good life.
A Double Portion of Her Spirit
I’m going to read a verse that I don’t believe I’ve ever used at a memorial service before.
But in this case, I think it’s especially appropriate.
It comes from 2 Kings 2:9.
“When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’
‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied.”
I chose this passage because I thought about how wonderful it would be if we could receive a double portion of Mrs. Charlotte’s spirit now that she has left this world.
What would that look like?
We Would Love Jesus Incredibly Well
If we received a double portion of Mrs. Charlotte’s spirit, we would love Jesus incredibly well.
She didn’t have to tell anyone that she loved the Lord.
You could tell by the way she lived her life.
Mrs. Charlotte loved to sing and worship her Savior.
She loved telling others about Him.
And there wasn’t a day that went by when she didn’t have a conversation with the Lord.
I loved her expression about how she “shooted up prayers throughout the day.”
She didn’t wait until she had a formal prayer time. She talked with the Lord as she went about her day.
If we received a double portion of Mrs. Charlotte’s spirit, we would love Jesus incredibly well.
We Would Love People Incredibly Well
If we received a double portion of Mrs. Charlotte’s spirit, we would love people incredibly well.
Her love began at home.
She was an amazing wife.
One of Pastor John’s wisest decisions was marrying Mrs. Charlotte!
She cared for him, supported him, and defended him.
Anywhere he took her, she made him look better.
I loved the story about how they would attend large Air Force gatherings, and Mrs. Charlotte would be visiting with the highest-ranking officers.
She had a presence about her.
When Pastor John became a minister, she was a wonderful partner in ministry.
And Mrs. Charlotte was an incredible mother.
She would defend her children and grandchildren, but she would also speak the truth in love.
She loved the people she met.
She was a friend to so many.
In fact, everyone thought Charlotte was their best friend!
She especially loved people who didn’t know Jesus or who were just beginning their journey with God.
She was quite the discipler.
If we received a double portion of Mrs. Charlotte’s spirit, we would love people incredibly well.
We Would Love Life Incredibly Well
If we received a double portion of Mrs. Charlotte’s spirit, we would love life incredibly well.
Mrs. Charlotte didn’t get cheated.
She lived each day to the fullest.
As has already been mentioned, Mrs. Charlotte didn’t have it easy physically.
There were days when she had every reason to rest.
But whenever she was able, she wanted to be doing something meaningful.
She had work to do.
Lives to touch.
People to see.
She reminded me of the Apostle Paul’s determination to remain disciplined and faithful in his calling, as he describes in 1 Corinthians 9:27.
Mrs. Charlotte wanted to make the most of the life God had given her.
And she did.
If we received a double portion of Mrs. Charlotte’s spirit, we would love life incredibly well.
The Secret to Her Life
But the truth is, I don’t know if we can receive a double portion of Mrs. Charlotte’s spirit.
But I know we can receive the same Holy Spirit who guided and directed her life.
That’s the secret.
It wasn’t simply that Charlotte Sanders was a remarkable person.
It was that she surrendered her will to the Lord.
She allowed the Holy Spirit to shape her heart, guide her decisions, and direct her life.
And the same Holy Spirit who worked in her life is available to us.
May we do likewise.
May we surrender ourselves to the Lord.
May we love Jesus incredibly well.
May we love people incredibly well.
And may we love life incredibly well.
Let’s pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
We wish we had a million Charlotte Sanders.
This world would be a different place.
But the truth is, we have You.
And that is enough.
Change us.
Make us more like Your Son, Jesus Christ, so that we can live lives that make a difference, just as hers did.
May we love You more deeply, love others more generously, and make the most of every opportunity You give us.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
A Final Thought for Pastors
One of the things I’ve learned about preparing funeral messages is that a good funeral sermon should do more than remind people of what made someone special.
It should also help those who remain consider how God might want to work in their own lives.
In this service, I began with Paul’s words about fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and keeping the faith. Those three statements gave me a natural way to celebrate Charlotte’s life.
But I didn’t want to stop there.
The passage about Elijah and Elisha gave me an opportunity to challenge everyone present to consider what it would look like to live with the same kind of faith and commitment.
And I wanted to make one thing especially clear: the source of Charlotte’s strength was not simply her personality or determination. It was the Holy Spirit working through a surrendered life.
When preparing a funeral, I encourage you to look for ways to celebrate the person’s life, comfort the grieving family, and invite those present to respond to God’s grace.
Sometimes a funeral can become a moment when someone begins to think seriously about their own relationship with Jesus Christ.
