A Tribute to Greg McCoy, Founder of ICN

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, while we have opportunity, let's do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Galatians 6:9-10

Celebration of Life: Greg McCoy, Founder of ICN

On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, ICN's founder and leader entered into the presence of Jesus Christ. Greg had been fighting valiantly to beat extreme illness until God called him home. The family celebrated Greg's life with a time of remembrance, laughter, crying, and being real with each other. The service was beautiful, honoring God and celebrating what God has done in Greg's life.

One of Greg's wishes was the presentation of the gospel at his funeral. We honored that wish and share it with you today as well.

THE GOOD NEWS!

People often ask the question, what is the gospel or Good News? My wife, kids and I attended a church in Birmingham, Alabama that did a great job defining the gospel:

The “Good News”:

That the just and gracious God of the universe has looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to bear His wrath against sin on the cross and to show His power over sin in the resurrection so that all who have faith in Jesus will be reconciled to God forever.

The Church at Brook Hills (1/30/2011)

 Understanding God’s Grace and Freedom for Us

We believe our greatest HOPE comes - when we know we are loved and our future is secure.

This is the story of the Bible. God loves you and has prepared a place in heaven for you. And you can receive the gift of salvation by believing in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There is great freedom in accepting the gift of salvation because there is nothing you can do to earn your way to heaven. Jesus gives it freely to all who believe in him. The God of the universe humbled himself to death on a cross to pay the price for all our sins. Why would he do this?  Because he wants a relationship with you eternally.  You are that important!

To understand this beautiful story of salvation in Jesus Christ fully, here are a few key verses from the Bible:

John 3:16 – 17 – For God so loved the world that he GAVE his one and only Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to SAVE the world through Him.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Most won’t do this for anyone – Jesus did it while we didn’t believe or love Him at all!)

John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“

Ephesians 2:8-10 – For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Romans 3:23 – For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We have a SIN problem)

Romans 6:23 – The wages – (OR THE PAYMENT FOR OUR SIN) - is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (THIS GIFT IS FOR EVERYONE WHO CHOOSES TO ACCEPT GOD’s GIFT – HIS PAYMENT, HIS WAY TO DEAL WITH – OUR SIN)

Romans 10:9-10 – If you DECLARE with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and BELIEVE in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be SAVED.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and ARE SAVED. (THIS IS HOW TO OVERCOME OUR SIN PROBLEM AND BE SAVED!)

INVITATION TO ACCEPT AND BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST

I invite you to cry out to God the Father acknowledging your sin before the perfect and Holy God. Own your sin. Understand what God has done for each of us by sending his one and only Son to be born of a virgin and live a perfect and Holy life on earth.

Paying the ultimate penalty that is required to pay for sin, ALL SIN. Jesus died, and three days later, ROSE from the grave. The significance of this is that Christ’s death was payment for ALL sin. His resurrection, displayed His power over death.

After some time presenting himself to his followers, Jesus ascended into heaven…literally! He is working on behalf of his followers, from heaven, awaiting the day when God tells Him to go get His church.

This is real. This is serious. Life as we know it is short. The Bible says, we are just a breath, and then we die. When we die, there is life after death and it is FOREVER. Where will you be when your time comes?

NOW IS THE TIME. If you have never accepted the gift of salvation that God has given to each of us, choose today.

If you want this hope, you can pray right now to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It doesn’t need to be anything scripted. Just pray these things from your heart:

• Admit you are a sinner in need of forgiveness.

• Confess your sins to God.

• Thank Him for Jesus’ death on the cross that paid the price for those sins.

• Ask Him to be Lord of your life.

Greg lived his life in celebration of who God is, what He has done, and what He will do. Below is a video that was requested by the family that is a glorious celebration of the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.

NOW WHAT?

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today, we at ICN highly encourage you to tell someone who is close to you about your decision to accept the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ by faith! WOOHOO!! We are so excited for you and the journey you are beginning!!! Next, find a local church that preaches the Bible, loves people, and disciples new or young believers. If you need help with this, message us at this link https://theicnetwork.org/contact. Then, READ THE BIBLE and pray to your Savior to open your heart to understand His Word.

The ministry of ICN is about nurturing Christ-followers to grow in their new or old faith, learn about the incredible partners we support, and encourage you to be a patron to grow in your faith and to share what you have with a world in desperate need of Jesus. Learn more about ICN by watching a video from our Founder, Greg McCoy, by visiting this link https://theicnetwork.org/about?m=6k3fl8.