"i invite YOU in": WORDS for the GRADUATE

(continued from previous iBLOG—Up On Stage)….After thanking the appropriate parties for the invitation to be at the graduation ceremony, I transitioned to the reason I was requested to deliver the keynote in the first place; To remind the graduates how every decision they will make from this point forward will determine their destinies. So I thought, what would I tell the senior graduating version of myself? Hmmm, if I could go back and tell myself 5 of the most consequential truths that I have learned through my journey of transitions, what would I share? All of which came to light in my heart and mind in the darkness of prison. All of which were learned through trouble. But trouble that God trusted me with.Graduates…..1.  Don’t just make Jesus 1st on a priority list of many other items. Make Him the list and allow Him to prioritize those items.  “Seek 1st the Kingdom of God (heavens economy) and its King (heavens character), and everything else will be provided.”  You have more responsibilities now, whether furthering your education in college or entering the working world, but do not allow the pursuit of such endeavors to come at the expense of your soul and salvation. For there is no pursuit that can compare to the pursuit of Jesus.  And regardless of what the world tells you about success and accomplishments, please know that “to know Christ daily is the greatest achievement of life.”2.  Find time for personal spiritual growth. Whether your spiritual development has been the labor of your parents, whether it was laid by the staff of ACS, or leveraged by your church, now such a crucial responsibility is solely yours. The Bible instructs us to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling”: This means be serious, deliberate, and intentional. If a class, a task, or a new group of friends are going to compromise your conviction, you must have the courage to honor what it eternal over what it temporal.3.  Guard your decisions with the lock of integrity. The word “integra “means sameness, like being consistent. It also means complete.  So when the pressure is on and you don’t know what to do, just do the next right thing. And when I say the right thing, I mean the righteous thing. The word righteous means, “rightly clothed”, giving us a clearer picture of what it means to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14). Do not place yourself in compromising circumstances, for if you give the flesh space, the flesh will always bring disgrace.  Clothe yourself in Jesus. And please know that I failed privately long before I failed publicly.4.  Even if you mess up, and you will, know that you’re not defined by those mistakes  (I am the perfect example of this consequential truth). We are ALL  blood bought and Spirit taught, and both of these truths make us inherently redemptive. “Even while we were still sinning, Christ died for us.” The Father sees you as a precious son or daughter, not flawed creation or an error.  God makes no mistakes, which makes us perfected in His love. Friends, adversity will enter your life. But know this, it is Gods greatest tool for refinement.  Just as a lump of mineral coal needs pressure to become a diamond; just as certain metals need the fire to be purified; just as a pearl is developed from the irritation between grains of sand.  Friends, we too need to accept adversity so that we can personally experience God bringing beauty from ashes. Truly how you see adversity will determine whether it makes you or breaks you. But ultimately, how you respond to it will absolutely reveal you.5.  Do not devalue life—its opportunities, its relationships, and its gifts—for whatever you devalue, you will eventually lose. Appreciate every God-given day no matter what the day may bring—because you control what you bring the day.  Look around and notice the friends, family, and faculty that have helped you to get where you are today. Now realize that even this moment is passing—not as an ending—but passing into a new beginning. Do not lose sight of the value God places in every moment.In conclusion, as you have learned God’s Word through these years, it is my prayer that you have not merely read it, but that you have digested it. It is crucial to understand that the ink on the pages of the Bible only comes alive when it is applied.I recently authored a book titled, U MAY B THE ONLY BIBLE SOMEBODY READS: R U LEGIBLE?And that is the question that I’d like to leave you with today. If you were to see yourself 4 years from even now, what would the people, places, and things say about you on that day? What would the places you passed through testify about you? What would the “things” you did witness in you? What would those closest to you say on your behalf? If you were being read, would you be a legible representation of your Savior? The world is watching. It is my hope that you would take this calling seriously.The label of Atlantic Christian School has taken you this far. I am asking you to take the name of Jesus farther still.  Thank you and congratulations to the graduating class of 2015. “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make much of Himself through you. And may you bless the Lord in all you say and do. Amen.”