Mike’s Musings …                        

Bryan Keith Guthrie

   Few will recognize the name, and fewer still are they who actually knew Bryan Keith Guthrie. To my knowledge, he only preached one sermon outside the confines of Midtown church of Christ, Bedford, IN, and that was the funeral of one of their members. He never considered himself a “full-time” preacher. In fact, he preferred being known simply as Bryan, the carpenter. This author heard him preach his last sermon on 1-30-2022. Without exception, it was the finest sermon I ever heard regarding brotherly love! Wednesday afternoon, this author preached the funeral of 59-year-old Bryan Keith Guthrie.

   I do not know when, where or who immersed Bryan into Christ, but I know he struggled with his faith for several years. Within the past ten years, he studied with the late brother Dean Jackson and was restored to Christ and His church, and then expressed a sincere desire to teach the gospel to others. With Dean’s tutorage, Bryan learned well and following Dean’s death, the brethren at Midtown asked him to continue as their preacher. He did his best and devoted numerous hours to studying God’s word.

   While I could relate more than thirty years of acquaintance with Bryan, I prefer to focus on the last five, and so would he! We had him do several repair jobs at our home and with those jobs, Bryan and I found time to talk about preaching and teaching the gospel. He requested some outlines, study materials, and guidance in understanding various passages. He must have counted those times as “partial payment” for his services, as he never charged what we considered “enough” for the work! From the few members comprising Midtown, nothing but praise has been uttered regarding his dedication to proving all things, holding fast that which is good. It would be difficult to find a better compliment to give to any preacher!

   I muse on Bryan’s life and remain ever thankful for his return to Christ and His church, and his true love for preaching the gospel! In Bryan’s case, as it is with many, he was apprehensive about dying. Just a week to the day before preaching his funeral, I was asked to come to his bedside and talk with him. His question, “Can I be sure of going to heaven?” I read to him 1 John 1, and asked, “Have you repented, confessing your sins, and asking God’s forgiveness?” He answered affirmatively, and we prayed again. He soon was notably at ease and comforted. To me, that was Bryan’s best sermon: “Making your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1: 1 – 11) would have been the title. He preached it … I pray we all learn that lesson and apply it to ourselves!