FCA Graduation 2022-use this

Introduction

Good evening everyone. I want to first say what an honor it is to be able to speak in front of you this year. Thank you pastor for allowing me to do this.

Parents, grandparents, friends, and family of the graduating students, thank you for being here tonight. Whatever your role in the lives of these young men and women, thank you for taking part in their journey to this moment.

FCA, faculty and staff, thank you for not only being here tonight but for your investment in these students. Thank you for not just the hours spent teaching but for the unseen hours spent grading papers, lesson planning, and praying for your students.

Let’s give the school staff a round of applause tonight.

Students, congratulations on your achievement. Tonight’s ceremony is the culmination of not only 4 years of high school but truly represenative of the journey you have been on in life for the last 17-18 years. From the coloring sheets of kindergarten to the book reports and algebra tests of just the last few weeks, you have done it. You have successfully accomplished what was asked of you while often going above and beyond the requirements of the curriculum.

Great job.

Tonight I want to answer a question I get from time to time and one you will eventually be asked as well. If I could go back in time, what would I tell myself at your age.

Well, I’d probably start with “get a different haircut”

And after taking care of that important matter.. I’d then talk with them about what I’m going to say to you this evening.

In just a moment we are going to go to the book of Philipians and read about Paul writing to a church about having joy. he is writing this from a Roman prison.

You see, Paul is also the one who wrote that he finds himself content no matter what that he is in.

How doe He have joy and contentment no matter what He is going through?

I’m gonna share with you three things Paul did to have that joy and contentment as he faced the difficulties of life found success

I. Invest in your relationship with God

Philippians 3:1 CSB

1 In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you.

Exegete:

Notice where Paul told his brothers and sisters to find joy. The Lord. I beleive he told them this because it is the place where He found His joy.

It would make no sense for Paul to write for these people he cared for like family and tell them to find joy in something he didn’t find joy in.

illustrate:

In the next few months here in Yuma something is going to happen that you will have to get through, its going to be hot. And during that time you are not going to tell someone to find joy in the broken AC.

You will tell them to find joy in the AC, find joy in the pool, find joy in the ice bath becuase its 120 out.

Why? Because that brings you joy.

Apply:

How does the Lord bring Paul this type of Joy though? How are Pauls emtional and mental facalties positively impacted by God during difficult times?

Because Paul had a relationship with God.

Paul had taken time to invest in that relationship. Paul didn’t let life and the work He was doing for God impact his relationship with God.

Students, no matter where you go no matter what the next phase of life looks like for you whether that be college, trade school, starting a business, or entering the work force you are going to face difficulties. You are going to be in situaitons you may not always enjoy..

It’s during those times your relationship with God will be vital to ge you through with JOy and contentment.

Paul didn’t just arrive at this place. He was intentional about developing his relatiohpis with God.

That’s why I’m sharing this with you tonight. To have joy and contentment as you grow, I encourage you, I challenge you to

I. Invest in your relationship with God.

Don’t alow the ddistractions of school, work, business, or life keep you from continually investing in your relationship with the Lord.

When I say that I’m afraid that you students and many of you here in the audience tonight are only thinking of reading your BIblee and praying.

Can I tell you that while you may grow in your knowledge of the Lord through reading your Bible and praying, you will not grow in your understanding or relationship with Him until you live it out what you know.

Solomon wrote that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.

The fear, the reverence, of God and what He says is the beginning of wisdom because when you revere and respect God and His Word you will live out His truths and principles leading you to understand what Jesus meant y being blessed when you are meek, or peacemaker.

Students, when you were growing up you got to hear your parents words.

Keep your room clean, do your homework, don’t stay out late, don’t stay up late on the xbox, go get a job, and all of these things.

Often time when you heard those words you may resented them, often when you read the words of God in scripture you will find yourself not liking them. That’s ok. Most of us don’t like to be told what we should or shouldn’t do.

Just as with your parents and your knowledge of them is being based on the words they have said, your knowleddge of God will stay there as well until you live out what is being tuaght.

When you didn’t stay up late and woke up rested, you didn’t just know what mom said, you understsood what she said and why she said it.

When you read the Word of God and live it out, you will being to udnerstand not just what He is saying but why He said it. I can go head and telll you the answer to why He has said what He said.

The same reason your mom has said what she says, God loves you.

Paul found Joy and contentment because He had invested in His relationship with God by living for HIm’

The second way you can have Joy and contentment as you go out into the world is

II. Invest in your relationship with yourself

Philippians 3:3–6 CSB

3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh— 4 although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.

Exegete:

Students when we read this we can see at first Paul is very critical of himself.

He is saying I’ve got all these reasons to glory in my flesh. IN who I am and what I’ve done.

I’m the best of the best. I’ve got titles and accolades. I’m well educated and got degree on top of degree.

I’ve been rigtheous and blameless when it comes to the law.

Remember Paul isn’t talking to himsellf here, he is talking about himself to other people.

Look at how open and honest he is.

illustrate:

In the last couple of years masks have become a hot topic in our society. The truth is though we have been wearing masks for years prior to 2020.

The difference is it wasn’t a mask everyone else could see.

Even prior to the launch of facebook in 2004, teenagers and adults alike have found it difficult to be truthful with others and themselves about who they are.

They have a fractured relationship with themself. People are dishonest about who they are and desire to only project the good sides of them. Why?

Apply:

We often believe that by only allowing people to know the good things about us, we are protecting ourselves when the truth is we are building up walls between us and them.

When you portray an image that isn’t real to someone and they find out thee truth, they have a right to be upset. However, when you accept yourself for how God made you, you will find that people lean into you because they relate to you.

You are not the only young man that has weaknesses and struggles. You are not the only young woman that struggles with detaching her value from the way she looks.

Who you are is so much more than the diplomas you receive, the clothes you wear, the image you portray to others.

Ephesians 1 and 2 lets you know that you are blessed, chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, sealed, loved, and saved by the blood of Jesus.

Investing in your relationship with yourself is investing in understanding who you are and letting others know who you are.

It’s spending time with God and learning who He made you to be. It’s trying new things in life and discovering if they are for you.

Ever tried sushi? Do it. Ever jumped out of a plane? Do it. Ever played basketball? Do it. Ever written a poem? Give it a try.

Don’t wait for someone else to tell you who you are. Go out and discover who God made you to be so that you may be confident, not in yourself, but in Him.

As you get closer to Him you see who you are without Him. That’s what Paul just identified in our text. He said “this is who I was without Christ.”

He has invested in His relationship with God, He has invested in His relationship with Himself, and can now be open and honest with others about who he is and he is not.

He isn’t living behidnd a mask. He is living in the full truth of God’s love. He was able to ahve joy and contentment based on who he found himself to be in Christ.

He can live this way because He invested in his relationship with God and His relationship with himself.

The last truth I’d like you to know as you go out into the world and seek to have joy and contentment is

III. Invest in your relationship with Others

What is it that Paul is doing in all of His epistles? He is is adding value to those around Him.

As He traveled on all of his missionary journeys he would invest in the llives of others. He would speak truth to them. His speech was fulll od grace and seasoned with Salt.

Students, you are going to have many people that you interact with throuhgout life. You will not control how they treat you or how they live their llives.

You can control how you will treat them.

You can control how you add value to their lives.

Don’t neglect those around you for the perceived success before you. Whether that be in ministry, in business, or anything else.

Jesus met people where and brought them to where God wanted them to be. How?

He loved on them.

I doubt you will be walking on water or healing the bllind anytime soon but you know what you can do?

Be kind. A compliment only thought of and never said is a wasted compliment.

A photographer went around taking before eand after pictures of people. The before picture was of them when askedd to take a picture. The after was after she tolld them they were beautiful

Be an encoruagement to others.

Proverbs 16:24 CSB

24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb: sweet to the taste and health to the body.

Leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell said “The happiest people are those who have invested their time in others. The unhappiest people are those who wonder how the world is going to make them happy.”

Joy and contentment is not found in a life lived for self. Joy and contentment are found in a life lived being selfless.

How can you be selfless? How can you add that type of value to others lives?

Invest in your relationship with God

Invest in your relationship with yourself

Invst in your relationship wits others.

Why should you be doing any of this?

Notiec what Paul said in verses 7-11

Philippians 3:7–11 KJV 1900

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Because of how Paul knew Jesus, He wanted others to know Him.

He wanted others to trust in His death burial and resurrection.

He invested in His relationship with God, His relationship with himself, and his relationship with others so that others may know God through faith in Jesus.

Students, whatever path the Lord has for you, whatever life looks like for you after High school I pray that it is a life lived glorifying God and leading others to know Him the way you know Him.

I leave you with this:

Don’t live your life trying not to fail, for failure is apart of life.

Psalm 37:23–24 CSB

23 A person’s steps are established by the Lord, and he takes pleasure in his way. 24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord supports him with his hand.