Special Sharing Our Story - Steve Ridgell - Part 3
Teacher
Lesson Summary
During the class, the teacher narrated a recent ministry experience in which Steve Ridgell responded to a call from Angel to visit her brother Wes, who was hospitalized with stage‑four cancer. Over a series of visits, the group engaged Wes and his wife Thelma in conversations about Jesus, sharing stories of the Prodigal Son and the Lost Sheep, and addressing Wes’s question, “Can I be forgiven?” The elders from their congregation gathered, anointed Wes with oil, and prayed according to James 5:14‑15, while also emphasizing the assurance of forgiveness found in 1 John 1:9. The class highlighted the practical application of biblical teaching on caring for the sick, the importance of prayer and anointing, and the transformative power of confession and forgiveness at the end of life. The narrative concluded with a compassionate funeral service organized by the church, illustrating how Linder Road Church of Christ supports its members through both spiritual guidance and community care during life’s most challenging moments.
Key Scriptures
If any of you is sick, they should call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. Also, if they have committed sins, they will be forgiven.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.