A Message for Graduates

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Core Scripture: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

Message: It was too much for me.  As I looked across the stage, recognizing faces of the numerous seniors graduating high school from my church, I couldn’t help myself.  These kids were so special to me.  The memories of teaching them came flooding back.  From the two-year-old room to 4th and 5th grade to middle school, I had poured into a few of those kids three different times in their lives. 

My middle school son sat next to me.  I could see the question in his eyes.  Dad, why are you crying?  When he asked me later at lunch, I tried to explain, but I am not sure he understood.  It is one of those things you would have to experience for yourself to fully appreciate it.  I awoke from my funk, wiped away the tears, and quickly snapped a picture for myself.  This simply had to be commemorated.

I will share a story about one of those seniors.  My first memory of her was when she was about four.  Her family was on stage to light the advent candle, and she was the youngest child, holding her dad’s hand off to the side.  Her dimples were flashing, and as the rest of the family said their parts, you could see the excitement building inside her.  At one point she was stomping the stage in her pink cowgirl boots. 

When the moment arrived, her dad passed the mic to her, and she belted out, “LET’S PRAY!!!”

Her enthusiasm was contagious!  It radiated into everyone around her.  I got to teach her in the 4th and 5th grade classroom, and soon after in middle school as well.  That same energy was bubbling inside her at Camp CYOKAMO when she attended middle school camp for the first time.  There she was, running up to the front of the stage, leading chants and cheers with that same dimpled smile.

She was being groomed for something so much bigger.  You could just feel it.  Her infectious passion.  Her desire to lead others.  And lead others she did!  In high school she was invited to be a part of the student panel on stage as the youth pastors interviewed about eight kids in front of a packed house of about 200 kids.  There is not a doubt in my mind that she will take that same tenacity to share the gospel into college at KU.

Think about that.  Read the scripture above again.  Let it sink in.  Allow it to bubble and simmer.  This is the Great Commission being lived out!  Making disciples who make disciples who in turn make other disciples.  If you allow it to flow, it is a chain reaction that could touch generations!  People you don’t even know could be hearing and sharing the gospel—all because you took the time to share it yourself.

That, my friends, is God’s magic at work!

Do you want to know what the sad truth is?  Over half of those kids on stage will walk away from their faith in college.  Some statistics show that up to 80 percent of young adults wander after being exposed to worldly temptations.  When you fly the coop and don’t have mommy and daddy’s watchful eyes setting rules, curiosity sets in.  You get exposed to alcohol.  Pornography.  Drugs.  A lifestyle that you might have heard about but never experienced.

Yikes.

What do we tell those kids?  How do we send them off right?  I cherished my last week of teaching middle school.  Since May of 2004, my routine was the same.  I finished my curriculum a week early to leave the last week of school to celebrate students and impart wisdom upon them as they moved to the next level.  I have never known anything different, and it is now hitting me that as I embark on the birth of a new career, those days are gone.  Kinda weird for me, and do you know what?  It hurts when I think about it.

All I am left with is the hope that some of you will share this wisdom with your own students. 

  1. Seek out a church.  I never did that when I left for KU.  I came home every two weeks with a boatload of stinky laundry and attended my parents’ church, but I never sought out a church in Lawrence.  Wish I did.  It would have been awesome to have the support of a Christian community.
  • Invest in quality friends.  A wise man once said, “Show me your friends, and I will show you your future.”  You hang around losers?  Get ready to make loser decisions.  Hang around Christians and you will have a better chance of fending off the evil one’s temptations. 
  • Grow with God.  My dad gave me a subscription to The Secret Place, a devotion he had used for years, and I still remember reading that for the first time in my bunk beneath a flashlight at KU.  I needed it that night!  It was well past midnight, we were just settling down, and I was blown away by the thought that God was right by my side the entire time.  Make these moments a habit!
  • Fight temptations.  The devil is wily, and he will sneak into your life when you least expect it.  Be proactive.  Keep your guard up!  If you are tempted by alcohol, don’t go to the party.  If you are tempted with lust, bounce your eyes away from the hottie in the short shorts.  Put on the FULL armor of God to defend yourself, but be sure to unleash your most potent and only offensive weapon: the Sword of the Spirit!
  • Join a small group.  A church is great, but a small group is essential.  To truly grow, you must be a part of an intimate, vulnerable group of men (or women if you are female) to fight off Satan.  Meet regularly.  Dig into the word.  Share prayer requests and pray for one another.  Hold one another accountable.  “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
  • Find a mentor. My life changed when I sought out my first mentor.  I wish I knew I was supposed to do that in college, but at least I did it right in my mid 30’s.  A mentor can be anyone who is more spiritually mature than you.  It could be a pastor or even a more mature student a few grades older than you.  Find someone you trust, ask plenty of questions, and seek their wisdom.  Don’t let them find you.  Seek them out yourself! 

Bible study: Reflect on the following scripture …

  • “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
  • “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
  • “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
  • “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
  • “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Video application: Need a motivational video to teach your students about life and sound character?  I have used all the videos below through the years.  For more, check out the “Character Lessons” tab at the top.

Just for fun: When I went to college and joined a fraternity, the only way to communicate with loved ones was through snail mail.  The first week I got a postcard from my aunt.  Postcards are not sealed.  Postcards can be read by whomever picks them up.  I must have turned ten shades of crimson as one of the seniors read that postcard aloud in front of ALL my friends before passing it along to me.  All I remember is that my aunt said their family went horseback riding and all their butts were sore. 

Prayer: Lord, guard the seniors graduating this year.  Help their transition into whatever phase of life awaits be guided by You.  Amen.

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