How to Preach a Funeral Sermon

At a funeral you stand in front of people at their most broken, their most open, and their most ready to hear about eternity. People who would never come to a Sunday service will sit in a funeral and hear every word you say. The person in the casket cannot be saved, but the people in the pews can.

That is why a funeral sermon is not the place to wing it. Below is the order of service and the sermon outline I use, followed by notes on how to make it personal.

A complete funeral order of service

1. Song
2. Introduction: "My name is Chaplain Reece. I want to thank you for being here today and for your many expressions of love and concern."
3. Prayer
4. Obituary
5. Song
6. Sermon
7. Closing prayer: "Please stand with me."
8. Song

Use your own name in the introduction, of course. Keep it simple. The family does not need a speech about you. They need to know someone is in charge and that they are cared for.

How to open the funeral sermon

Begin by naming what everyone in the room already feels:

"The death of someone is never easy. But gathered here today we can show our love and concern for each other. We can share memories of ____ and we can look into God's Word for the comfort and guidance we need."

Then name the question that is sitting in the room:

"Now that ____ is gone, you may be asking yourself: What now? What do I do? Let me urge you to stand on four eternal truths from God's Word."

That is the same principle the book teaches for every sermon. Name the real problem first. At a funeral, the problem is already in the room. You simply say it out loud, gently.

The sermon: four truths to stand on

1. Stand on the truth that God is good

• Psalm 33:5: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
• Psalm 34:8: O taste and see that the Lord is good.
• James 1:17: Every good and perfect gift is from above.

Answer the question grieving people are asking: if God is so good, why is there so much evil, pain, and suffering? John 10:10 says the thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

2. Stand on the truth that God loves you

• John 3:16: For God so loved the world...
• Romans 5:8: God commendeth His love toward us...
• 1 John 4:8: God is love.

When something terrible happens, it is easy to say God doesn't love me. But He does, and He proved it by sending His Son Jesus. Life can be extremely hard. Stand on the truth that God loves you.

3. Stand on the truth that God can help you

• 2 Corinthians 1:3: The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.
• 1 Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon Him.
• Matthew 11:28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• Psalm 121:1–2: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

4. Stand on the truth that God has a plan

This is where the sermon becomes personal. "God had a plan for ____'s life." Then share the accomplishments and meaningful moments of the person's life, the things the family told you, and the things you knew yourself.

"But now ____ is gone. The plan has been fulfilled. We are all still here, living and breathing. If ____ could speak to us right now, they would tell us all to find and fulfill God's plan for our lives."

Then turn it gently to the living. Take a look back: what has your life been like? Take a look forward: have you been fulfilling God's plan?

How to end a funeral sermon

Come full circle and give people something to hold on to in the weeks ahead:

"The next weeks and months may be difficult. But remember: God is good. God loves you. God can help you. God has a plan."

Then the closing prayer, "Please stand with me," and the final song. Four truths, repeated at the end, are easy for a grieving person to carry out the door. Repetition is the difference between something being heard and something being remembered.

Making it personal

The outline gives you a solid frame, but the fourth truth only works if you know something true about the person. Sit with the family before the service. Ask what they want people to remember. Get the name right, including the name family and friends actually used. Write any story you plan to tell out in full so you can tell it cleanly, the same rule the book gives for illustrations in any sermon.

Slow down. A funeral is not the place for the preacher to be the loudest thing in the room. For more on pacing and closing well, see How to End a Sermon.

Watch the full teaching

The book points preachers to a free video teaching on officiating a funeral. Search YouTube for "Chaplain Reece officiate a funeral." If you need a chaplain to officiate a service in the Tulsa area, visit tulsafuneralchaplain.com.

This outline is the free resource chapter at the back of The Sermon That Holds the Room. The rest of the book teaches the nine-step framework for every other message you preach. See the book and order a copy.

More free sermon guides

• How to Prepare a Sermon — The nine sermon preparation steps, from Scripture to a clear call.
• Sermon Outline Template — A free nine-step fill-in outline with a worked example.
• How to Write a Sermon Step by Step — Blank page to pulpit, one step at a time, even your first sermon.
• Sermon Introduction Ideas — Four ways to open a sermon so people lean in.
• How to End a Sermon — Application people can do, a clear call, and a full-circle close.
• How Long Should a Sermon Be? — Why structure matters more than the clock, and how to cut.
• How to Preach a Bible Story — The eight-step Hero's Journey for narrative sermons.
• Sermon Illustrations and 22 Preaching Tools — The 22-tool preacher's toolbox and where each tool fits.