Dennis Spaeth

Dennis Lee Spaeth was a committed follower of Jesus Christ! When I got the call that Dennis had passed away in his sleep, I knew the world lost a great man of God, the church lost a servant, and heaven gained a saint.
As I preached his funeral on July 16, 2019, I tried to put into words his passion that everyone know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I started the sermon with the fact that if you really want to know a person then there are three books to look at. First, their checkbook. What do they use their resources for while on this earth? Dennis used all his resources for Kingdom work. He was faithful in his tithing, faithful in his serving. Dennis spent a tremendous amount of time serving at the church in the media ministry. He loved investing in sound, lights, and video needs for our services. He specifically ran the lights. Oh, and did I mention he was legally blind? He didn't let anything stand in his way of serving. He was fully committed with his time, talents, and resources for the growth of God's Kingdom. He served on the Vision Team as he had a passion and conviction of what the church should be. He could see what others could not when it came to the church!
A second book to look at is a person's Bible. I preached Dennis funeral using his bible. He was a man in the Word of God. Although legally blind, he studied diligently and was a tremendous teacher. He used some aides to help him see the Word of God. He had memorized many scriptures and was never hesitant to share. He was a man OF the Word and IN the Word.
The third book to look at is The Lamb's Book of Life. Dennis made sure his name was recorded in The Lamb's Book of Life and wanted everyone he knew to have the same assurance of salvation. Dennis used his business as a platform for sharing Christ. He used his board positions to influence others towards Jesus. He told me, in preparation for his funeral, that he wanted me to talk more about Jesus than him. He wanted me to preach the gospel message and give an invitation. He wanted to make sure that the last public reference from his life focused on Jesus!
Dennis will be missed but his ministry will continue. Each time the church gathers for worship and the lights and sound are on, his ministry continues. Each service that is broadcast over social media, his ministry lives on. And as these outlets are used to help someone trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, his ministry is alive and well. I ended his funeral message with the following statement:
"Dennis would rather you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior than to know Dennis Spaeth."

From the heart,
Pastor BR