Untitled Sermon (2)

Good morning church family!

My name is Eric Warren and for those of you I have not met I have the honor of serving as your high school director here at The Glade.

This morning is special to many here in the church. There are. Few times throughout the year where we get to take a step back and recognize some really special moments within our congregation. At this moment I would ask that our high school seniors would join me and line up here up front.

We are within just a few days of graduation and then these young men and women will turn the page on one chapter and begin a new exciting journey in life. Some will stay close, some will head off before too long to a new part of the state or country and because of that, we want to honor all of the hard work that you and your families have poured in up to this point.

Today we’ve prepared a gift for our students. Every student will receive a journal in hopes that it will be an avenue that you can dive deeper in your devotional life, but also our students will receive a quilt from our quilt ministry.

Moms, Dads, many of you have been praying for this moment, pleading, “if I can just get them to graduation,” well, well done good and faithful. But hear me this morning when I say "thank you.”

When I came on board here at The Glade and I was told that we had a quilt ministry, I thought, “Wow, that’s pretty unique. I’ve never heard of anything like that before.” But then I heard some of the stories of quilts being delivered to those in dire health. Of quilts being delivered to expecting mothers who tragically only bring home a quilt from the hospital, and then I thought, “oh my goodness, how incredible is this,”

Thank you for striving towards when it says, “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

When I came on board here at The Glade and I was told that we had a quilt ministry, I thought, “Wow, that’s pretty unique. I’ve never heard of anything like that before.” But then I heard some of the stories of quilts being delivered to those in dire health. Of quilts being delivered to expecting mothers who tragically only bring home a quilt from the hospital, and then I thought, “oh my goodness, how incredible is this,”

So students, I hope that you see this as more than a blanket, but that you see it as a display of truly how much your church loves you and cares for you.

When we talk about making disciples to the glory of God who serve with compassion and offer real hope, we look to the home for one of the most direct avenues in which we get to pursue that. Why? Because as revealed in Scripture, God speaks to us so profoundly through these relationships. He reveals himself to us as Father, who sent His Son and that we, as children of God, might be co-heirs with Christ.

Moms, Dads, many of you have been praying for this moment, pleading, “if I can just get them to graduation...” well, well done good and faithful.

So if you are a family member of one of these students, let me ask you to stand. Mom and dad, Grandma and Grandpa, when you hoped against hope that God would make a way for your little boy or little girl, I hope that you can look at your child now and remember how good and faithful is our God.

Moms, Dads, many of you have been praying for this moment, pleading, “if I can just get them to graduation...” well, well done good and faithful.

But hear me this morning when I say "thank you.”

Church family if you look up here and you see someone you know, perhaps you are a family friend, maybe a Sunday school teacher, if you are church staff or you have been with one of these students on a retreat or church function, let me ask you to stand now. Church family I hope that it is evident here that what we do day in and day out here as a church is much more than just pleasantries. We are accountable to one another. We are to love one another. “Greater love has no one than this, that he would lay himself down for his friend.” Many of you have made great sacrifices for these students here and I pray that today is evidence of the fruit of your labor.

But hear me this morning when I say "thank you.”

Thank you for striving towards when it says, “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

At this moment I would ask that all of you stand. Again, when we talk about disciple-making, this is one of the most profound ways that we will do just that. This is much more than just a commemoration of all of your hard work, but a commissioning. Just as Christ bid us to go and make disciples, so too do we, seniors, commission you to go. You see all of these people? You see this church? We are for you. And we always will be. If ever you find yourself in need of prayer, encouragement, help, you will have your brothers and sisters in this church. But the intention was never to hoard you here as if an exhibit in a museum, but to mobilize you as a faithful follower in the way of our Lord.

When we talk about making disciples to the glory of God who serve with compassion and offer real hope, we look to the home for one of the most direct avenues in which we get to pursue that. Why? Because as revealed in Scripture, God speaks to us so profoundly through these relationships. He reveals himself to us as Father, who sent His Son and that we, as children of God, might be co-heirs with Christ.

So at this time if you are a family member of one of these students, let me ask you to stand. Mom and dad, Grandma and Grandpa, when you hoped against hope that God would make a way for your little boy or little girl, I hope that you can look at your child now and remember how good and faithful is our God. Through joyous times and difficult times, God never ceases to give himself to us, and as we anxiously anticipate these next steps for our students, I pray that it God’s joy overwhelms you, knowing that He is good and He is for our good.

Church family if you look up here and you see someone you know, perhaps you are a family friend, maybe a Sunday school teacher, if you are church staff and you have poured into these students, or you have been with one of these students on a retreat or church function, let me ask you to stand now.

Church family I hope that it is evident here that what we do day in and day out here as a church is much more than just pleasantries. We are accountable to one another. We are to love one another. “Greater love has no one than this, that he would lay himself down for his friend.” Many of you have made great sacrifices for these students here and I pray that today is evidence of the fruit of your labor.

Now I would ask that all of you stand. Again, when we talk about disciple-making, this is one of the most profound ways that we will do just that. This is much more than just a commemoration of all of your hard work, but a commissioning. Just as Christ bid us to go and make disciples, so too do we, seniors, commission you to go.

You see all of these people? You see this church? We are for you. And we always will be. If ever you find yourself in need of prayer, encouragement, help, you will have your brothers and sisters in this church. But the intention was never to hoard you here as if an exhibit in a museum, but to mobilize you as a faithful follower in the way of our Lord.

So go. Chase down all those many ways that God has uniquely gifted you and do so for His glory, knowing that wherever it is that you find yourself next, God has strategically and purposefully placed you there to be a light to shine in the darkness. Whether you remain close or find yourself in another part of the state, another part of the country, and maybe someday another part of the world, know that God will never leave you and never forsake you.

At this time church family, I’d ask that as a symbol of your support of the commissioning of these students that you would extend your hand as if to lay it on them in support and let us lift up your brothers and sisters in prayer.

Our Father in Heaven,

You have commanded us to go, so we go. I pray for these students here, Lord, that with all of the adventure and unknown set before them, that you would be their rock and their hiding place. God I pray for their families, that they would continue to be strong in the days, weeks, and months ahead. God I pray for all of the families of The Glade Church, that through difficulty, through trial, through joy and through victory, our aim would always be to glorify you in everything that we do. Whether as a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, whatever may be the case I pray that we would be centrally focused on spurring one another on to good works as we aim to bring glory to the name of your son Jesus Christ.

And it is in his holy and matchless name that we pray…

And all of God’s people said…

Amen.