Amen. Thank you for tuning us in. I'm Darrell Bailey, Service for Christ, for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves, your servants, for Jesus' sake. Here, this morning, as the message that the Lord laid on our heart that deals with us this past week, this past Monday, and these past several weeks have been a very difficult time for all of our families, for the Thomas family, the Davis family, and the Hand family. Here, my cousin that I grew up with since I was very little and came to Georgia in 69, amen, that we go back all of our childhood together with Denise Davis as she married Mike Davis later on and had Courtney and Casey and they had kids. And of course, her brother, Daryl Thomas and D.D. Thomas, later D.D. Hunt. And man, we grew up together. But here with her passing, it's been very difficult. Brother James Thomas was the one that brought the message that we've been knowing him and James and Jerry all of our lives since we were little kids. They've always been a great testimony and witness in front of us as he's been a pastor and had groups for all of his life, for all the years. And he's in his 80s now. And so I know that how hard that this was, even with Casey Davis having to get up and doing a part in the service for his mother. But as I was listening to them in the funeral home at Parnick Jennings, this is a message that began to come to my heart. Six hands on the coffin. Now, I thought about each and every one where some of the family of Bailey Hunt, Logan Hunt, Lamar Hunt, myself, Michael Weathers, and Jimmy Sumney, all of us began to lay hands on that coffin as the services were over at Parnick Jennings and we went out to the gravesite to finish up things, all the way over to Rolling Hills. where all of our family plot is. And this particular scripture that began to come to my mind as Brother James was doing this, I thought of Genesis chapter two, verse seven, the Bible says, and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. You know, I'm glad that even though this doesn't directly talk about hands, it sets the stage and the understanding for God's hands on the role of creation. I know Sister Denise, God's always had his hand on. I remember when we all got saved in September of 1972. In the book of Exodus, chapter 14, verse 21, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and he made the sea dry land and the waters were dotted. Moses' act of stretching out his hand is associated with God's intervention in parting that Red Sea. And I'm glad that all of us play a part with our hands, whether they somebody that is living or someone is dying. that our hands will reach out and try to give and do. And I want to thank on behalf of all the families that have reached out their hands to help the Thomas and the Davis and the Hand family during this very difficult time for all of them. The psalmist said, lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord. Isaiah 49, 16 says, Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually before me. God uses the imagery of engraving on his hands to symbolize his enduring care and remembrance of his people. And I know that Sister Denise, what a blessing that she's been to us all of our lives. and how that at this age God has already called her home with the rest of our family members where we come from a big family of sharecroppers of 15 kids with a set of twins that now we're down to two aunts and one uncle. And so Matthew chapter 5 verse 30 says, If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, cast it from thee, for it is proper for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that the whole body should be cast into hell. Jesus uses the hand as a metaphor for sin and the need for measures to avoid it. And so when I got to thinking about this, even I think of a lot of things, but one of the most powerful things that I've ever thought of, even when I've been in the emergency rooms and even though that we didn't go up in a time with Denise, we were praying for her recovery. One of the scriptures that I always thought of was in John chapter 10, where he says, And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. And my Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. And I thought about this when Brother James was preaching, even though he didn't use this scripture. I thought of the security that it has because Denise was one of his, and no matter what, Nothing would ever change that. No one could ever pluck her out of the Father's hands. And I'm glad that each and every one of us, we've got a place of security and protection. And so, as Paul said, I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, wherefore wrath and doubting. Paul encourages us to lift up hands without wrath and without doubting. And I have all of the confidence to know that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we're absent from the body, we're present with the Lord. And so let's open up with a word of prayer. Father, we come together in sorrow and remembrance because Lord, as a few days ago, all of our family were seeking comfort from your presence. And Lord, we honor our cousin, Kathy Denise Davis, and we ask that you And Lord, envelope us your peace. Give Daryl and Dee Dee and Casey and Lord Courtney and all the kids, all the grandkids, Lord, please, we ask that you would help them with their peace and grace. And may your word bring solace to their hearts and remind us of the loving hands in every season of life. And Lord, we ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. You know, I remember a story about a small town that experienced a tragic loss of a beloved figure. At the funeral, six close friends, each from different walks of life, took turns placing their hands on the casket, and each hand represented a unique bond. Friendship, love, support, and memories were shared. This is what I thought of when I was thinking of all of us and our hands that were getting a hold of that coffin. And the gesture reminded me that everyone on the journey of life and death is not traveling alone, but in the company of those who care. And as we all remember Kathy Denise Davis, I want us to reflect on that significance of the hands that have shaped and supported us through our lives and especially her. Every hand that has had a part in her life and how she has blessed us with her presence. And so I'm glad when we look and we realize that like today, those six hands on the coffin and what they represent, we see the hands that created us. Because as I read, the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Denise was only two years older than me. And when death comes close, we all think about death. But we look at the hands that created us and we see a divine craftsmanship, the hands of creation. God's hands formed all of us from the dust, breathed life into Sister Denise. And we're reminded of that divine care that shaped all of us, our very existence in the Testament to God's intricate handiwork, the hands of creation, the breath of life. God breathed in the man that symbolizes the preciousness of life and the personal touch of our creator. And Sister Denise, our cousin, was precious to all of us. The breath of life has given us our moments and our relationships and our cherished memories that we all have. Not only do we see the hand that created that divine craftsmanship, the hands of creation, the breath of life, but the gift of a soul. Because Denise, she had a gift just like everyone else. And I'm glad that the creation of man as a living soul reflects the uniqueness of the value of each individual. Denise had uniqueness. She had value. And in the reflection of her love with her and Mike Davis, they had children, amen, that are taken on and continuing to contribute to life in the world today. You know what? None of us are merely physical beings, but souls with eternal significance crafted by God's loving hands. And you know what? I remember talking to Nick Hand and Nick Hand was telling me how Denise was his Sunday school teacher. And of course, he had always fallen in love with Denise's daughter, Courtney. And so we see the hands that created us, but the hands that comfort us as well, because we have the support of loved ones. And Denise had a loving mother and father, Lee and Bradford Thomas, and they had great grandparents. I remember all of them. And we look at the support of those loved ones. Paul said, Blessed be God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and the God of all comfort. who comforted us in all of our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. And so the hands that comforted us, the support of the loved ones, everybody showed up. Man, you talking about a crowd that everybody knows, all of the family, all the way from Alabama that people traveled over to pay their respects, the support of the loved ones, the hands of compassion that was there. Because in the times of grief, the comforting hands of the family and the friends that reflect God's own comfort. and their support that reminds us that we're not alone in our sorrow. And so we see that it's not only that support of loved ones, the hands of compassion and the ministry of that presence, because sometimes the simple act of just being present. Some people there, they didn't even have to say anything. They just showed up and they hugged their neck and maybe they couldn't say anything. But the offering of a hug or a kind word can be a powerful source of comfort. And I thank all of those ones that were there for our family. These hands are instrument of God's love and grace. And so we see the hands of compassion, the ministry of presence, and the promise of peace. Because God promises peace that surpasses understanding. Because Paul said in Philippians 4-7 that his hands guide us through our pain, offering a comfort that transcends human limitations. And so I'm glad that as we see the hands that created us and the hand that comforts us. But lastly, I see the hands that continue to guide because I'm glad that there is a legacy of life that has been lived. Sister Denise is leaving behind family, her and Mike. And that family continues to go on, and they have been guided no matter what. They've been put in the right track with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I thank God. You know what? Nick, Courtney's husband, he's a preacher. Casey he's a pastor and a preacher praise God and all of the family they've been they've grown up around ministry And so the legacy of life is lived the psalmist said the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way and so of the legacy of a life that's lived there's the pathway of faith and And the life of Kathy Denise Davis, my cousin, reflects the journey that God has laid out for all of us when our time comes. As we honor her memory, we're reminded that God's hand guides us even through the shadows of life. Because you know what? At the gravesite, when Brother James Thomas was talking about and reading Psalms, the Shepherd Psalms, Psalms 23, even in the shadow of the valley of death, there's light. because there has to be light for there to be a shadow. And even though the shadow of death come upon our family, light was there in its presence. I thank God, all the men and women of God that gathered around, that had the brilliance and the radiance of and all of the legacy of the life that's lived, the pathway of faith, that we see all of these families, that all of them are living a life that that are in the light of Jesus Christ. And so the influence of a life that is well-lived, amen, their legacy is a testament to the ways God's hands work through them to touch others. All the way back to Bradford Thomas that was preaching that message of salvation for all of us to come into the family of God. And so we see that legacy of a life that has been lived, the pathway of faith, the influence of a life that is well-lived, and then lastly, the hope of a reunion. Because all of us, our hope is anchored in the promise of an eternal life. We trust that God's hands will one day reunite us with our loved ones in his heavenly presence, amen. And so, our beloved sister and cousin, Kathy Denise Davis, was laid to rest and we acknowledge that the six hands that were on the coffin, each one representing the different ways in which our lives are touched and shaped by the presence and the love of others. We remember that our lives are formed by God's hands, comforted by his grace, guided by his purpose, praise God. And I thank God when we look at this and realize that those hands that continue to guide us I tell you, may this be a time of remembrance, amen, that strengthens our faith and reminds us of an enduring love that surrounds each and every one of us today, praise God. And so I hope and pray that you can offer comfort to someone who is grieving in your community. Reach out with a listening ear, offer practical help, present in their time of need yourself. and share comforting words and provide support in ways that reflect God's love and compassion. And you know, there's ways that you can honor the legacy of someone who has passed away, such as my cousin, Kathy Denise Davis. by continuing to do the works, living out the values, and keeping their memory alive through the actions that reflect their character and their faith. When I hugged Courtney, man, I just felt the presence of God. And when I hugged Casey, I told him that Sister Denise, his mother, would always be around because when I see them, they don't even know it, but their mannerisms are her mannerisms, hers and Mike's. And I've been around them enough to know their mannerisms. And I know it because it goes all the way back to the legacy of Lee and Bradford Thomas and the Thomas's way on before. And all of them, and I thank God, that we can always trust God's guidance during the times of grief and loss. Why? How? by leaning on the promises in scripture, seeking comfort in prayer, and allowing ourselves to be supported by our faith in the community. Praise God. Trusting in God's sovereignty and plan that provides hope. Amen. And I'm glad that all of our hope that we go through today, each and every one of us, amen, we've got a great hope that we can always look forward to. Trusting God. And I'm glad that through his reassurance, that I'm glad that here, these hands that are represented on the coffin, there was a lot of them besides six that came together for that family. And this is what I was thought of. And I thought that I'd share it with everyone else, what God had shared with me, because there were a lot of hands that were on that coffin besides six hands. Let us pray. Amen. Father, thank you for the gift of Kathy Denise Davis's life. for the hands that have supported and guided her and all the family. Comfort the hearts. Help us to hold on to the hope and the assurance that you provide. May your peace rest upon us as we continue to walk in your grace. Because Lord, you were right on time when you came for Kathy Denise. You were right on time in her birth. March the 30th, 1962. You were right on time, Father, when she came, Lord, for her, Father, a few days ago, Father, and you were right on time, Lord, when she needed salvation in September of 1972, when you came and saved her by the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ. You were always on time, and now, Lord, we give her into your comforting care, and we ask your blessings to continue to go over this family Lord of the hurt because Lord time does not heal anything. You're the only one that Lord that gives us stronger and greater faith and strength to get strong to go through these because none of us will ever be the same when a loved one is gone, but we do have your strength. And Lord, we have many hands that are there that will always reach out and not only have a hand on the coffin, but have a hand on the families of all these loved ones in Jesus's marvelous mighty name. Amen. God bless you.