A Message to Our Graduates

As you know, this is the season of graduations. If you've not been paying attention, you've missed out. Neighborhood graduation parties and just many events taking place all around us in this season. It's the time of graduations because another academic year has completed. The majority of students have advanced now through this grade level for this year, and graduations are taking place. This last week, our family went downtown and crammed into a building. It was a big building, and there were hundreds of others there as well.

But it was the graduation ceremony for East Valley High School. Our niece Julia was graduating this year. And honestly, it's shocking when you think of this little toddler in a car singing, and, yes, Jesus loves me. That was like two or three years ago. And now she's walked across the aisle and got her diploma. It just goes very, very quickly.

We're in this auditorium with hundreds of other family members gathered together. There are speeches that are being delivered, a commencement address that's being delivered. Some of them are by students and valedictorians. Some are delivered by the educators themselves. And the point of the messages was to encourage the students as they go forth from graduation. The fact that they've accomplished a lot. And honestly, a lot was built into recognizing even the challenges they had.

You think of four years, say, of high school or even college. What's taken place in the world in the last four years? And what happened in terms of disruption to education and coming together in classes? And you had online learning and distancing. So just a lot was presented about the accomplishments of those students, the future possibilities that were now before them because they had persevered.

And now they are going with their degree out into the world to make a mark. And the general outlook was, your future is bright. Grab a hold of life and make the most of it. And through the speeches, the graduates were sent off with great hopes, great expectations for their futures. This week I emailed out the listing of graduates we have on this circuit. There are seven of them in total. Some have graduated from high school, others from college and universities. We have some two-year degrees, some four-year degrees, and also some have gone on.

And we have a couple of master's degrees as well among our graduates. And that's a wonderful accomplishment. And it's a wonderful thing to be acknowledged and recognized, and I would say celebrated, because a lot of work has gone into coming to that point of graduation, receiving a diploma. And now it's a big step. Another, you turn the page of this chapter of your life, and you step out now on the grand adventure of the rest of your life.

Now that lays ahead of you. Probably a number of us have sat through commencement addresses and speeches directed towards graduates. And because we're honoring our graduates today, I'd like to actually present a message that's geared primarily towards them, not as a counter to what they have received, but hopefully this is complementary and go hand in hand in the encouragement of what they have received as they've walked across that stage and received their diploma.

I believe it's important information, and we could go in so many more directions than we'll even go today, but I do want to primarily speak to the graduates who are moving to another chapter of their life. But this is for everybody as well, because we're all called to live this, and to put these into practice, and hopefully we can continue to do that as a good example to them, as they step out into the world in a new way.

So my title is a message to our graduates, and I've essentially organized it into five points that I'd like to address. Five things, please, graduates, to consider, to keep in mind as you plan your life and you move forward with excitement and enthusiasm, and we pray, educated from this point. So point one is, graduates, keep God first in all the future plans that you make. Keep God first in all the future plans that you make. You know, this is a very exciting time where you're transitioning to new possibilities, new horizons.

Some maybe even have job offers and careers that they're stepping into already. There's plans to be made. There's decisions that have to take place, and frankly, a lot of big decisions. This is adulthood at the level you've been functioning for a few years now, right? You've made a lot of hard decisions already in terms of what your course of study would be, and frankly, what the direction of your life will take in some degree based on those studies.

But those decisions now and the implementing of those things just continue to increase from this point. And I want to encourage you to keep God first in all the future plans that you make. A little over a week ago, I was privileged to be a part of a wedding ceremony between a couple, and as part of the counseling leading up to that, I said, you know, if you as the man put God first, and He is first in your life, and as you as the lady put God first, and He is first in your life, then God will be first in your marriage, and the blessing to your union will be wonderful, because your plans, your outlook, and what you do together as a couple will be based on putting God first.

And indeed, that is the key for all of us, and I hope it is remaining true for those of us who have been graduated for decades. God must be first in the plans that we make. Let's begin today in Proverbs chapter 3, in verse 1. Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 1. This book is full of wisdom, and it's wisdom that's directed towards young people, and I would encourage you graduates, and in fact all of us, if you've not read through the book of Proverbs in a while, take the time to do so.

Reflect upon life, and reflect upon the wisdom that's here. Proverbs chapter 3, and beginning in verse 1, it says, My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands. It's written very much as instruction from a father to a son. Let me pass on the wisdom of this life to you that you may go and prosper.

Verse 2, For length of days and a long life, and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you, bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of both God and man. As you graduate and you move out and you get a job and you are engaged fully in this life, you want favor.

First of all, from God, but also from man. And you work to educate yourself and to apply yourself in those right and proper ways. Verse 5, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. Okay? This might be a little different than some encouragement you've received lately. You have a lot of understanding. You have a lot of knowledge that's been taught to you through education, and you're encouraged to lean on that. And I do encourage you to lean on what you know, but do it in a proper balance with understanding. Lean on God for the understanding that He offers, because so many people have gotten in trouble in life by leaning on their own understanding apart from God. And it is by His wisdom that true success indeed comes. So, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. And so, young people, build the framework of your life around acknowledging God first, around living the principles of His Word first, trusting in Him first. Open the way. As Mr. Crane spoke about in the sermonette today, you know, we have our requests. We have our petitions that we bring before God, but we have to leave it, frankly, in His wisdom to answer in the way in which He knows will be best for our lives and those around us. And, frankly, ultimately the eternal plan that He's working out for us. We lean on Him. We rely on Him. We all have plans, and we all have dreams in this life, and we have places we hope that our education and our income will someday take us. And for the graduates, I would say, aim high. Okay? Aim high. Don't be afraid to make big plans. Don't be afraid to throw your whole heart into something and go for it. Okay? Aim high, but aim high while recognizing that your plans and dreams may change with life's circumstances, but you can always trust on God to take you where you need to be. Okay, I'll say that again. Your plans and dreams may change with life's circumstances, but you can always trust in God to take you where you need to be. You see, His purpose for you will stand and will never change no matter what course life may have pulled you on. Sometimes you say, I'm going this way, and life takes a left turn. And sometimes it's circumstances outside of your control. And you're like, but I'm going this way. God is with you no matter what direction. If you put Him first, if you make your plans with Him first, He will always be there. And you can trust He will work out all things for the good in the end.

So make plans, make dreams, aim high, but always keep God involved. Proverbs 16 and verse 9. Proverbs 16 and verse 9 says, a man's heart plans his way. Right? I have plans. I have big plans, you might say. Places I'm going, things I'm doing, this education is going to take me to a certain level. I hope it does. Make your plans. Okay, that is natural. A man's heart plans his way. Proverbs 16 and verse 9, but the Lord directs his steps. The New Living Translation puts it this way. It says, we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. So oftentimes our plans, we make them, and they may be good plans. They may be honorable plans and plans you've diligently made, and you've thrown yourself into preparing for those things. But God knows what's best for us, and he might perhaps take us down a completely different path than we had planned for ourselves. But you know it's okay. If you're putting him first, if you're relying on his understanding and not your own first, if you're including God and every plan that you make first, it's okay. Because God is first in your life, and he will take you where it is that you need to be. Still do your part, still make plans, and trust that God will bring you to the place he knows is best for you. Because oftentimes life will take you to places you thought you may never go. It will take you places sometimes in the opposite direction that you thought you were heading.

Proverbs chapter 19 and verse 21.

Proverbs 19 verse 21, it says, There are many plans in a man's heart. Again, life's before me. Here's where I'm going to go. This is what I'm going to do. There are many plans in a man's heart. Nevertheless, the Lord's counsel, that will stand.

I had a lot of plans when I was young. A lot of dreams. A lot of things where I thought, someday I'm going to go and do this. I'm going to be this, and I'm going to do that. And guess what? None of them included what I'm doing right now. None of them included standing here as your pastor today. This is a completely dirt—it wasn't even on the radar as a young person.

But you never know where God's going to take you, what he's going to work out in your life. Maybe what level of positive work he will do that brings you to a point that you're drawn close to him. Honestly, I would say I am closer to God because of where he put me. Then maybe I would have been otherwise. And I would say there's a proper fear factor in that. There's a realization of perhaps what's on the line as a result of that. But God will take you to places that cause you to rely on him.

Don't begrudge the journey. Find the value in it and serve him well. When I was growing up, my dad was in the Navy and my mom was in the church. And so we moved off and placed the place every two or three years. And for me as a kid, that was a big adventure. Just to see new places, to live different places.

If anybody is listening in, this would not be a big adventure today. I'm happy here. Happy to be here for a while. But, you know, life is full of adventure. And I thought, you know, the Navy would be kind of cool. There's service, there's duty, there's honor, there's world travel, there's responsibility, all these things. And I came to a point in my life where I recognized, okay, that's in conflict with God's way, and I need to go God's way. And all I can say is that what God has opened up in my life through responsibility through the church.

I pass her to West Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. There's travel, there's adventure, there's service. There's all these things that to me were admirable qualities about where I thought maybe I wanted to go. God has opened the way in His service. And so I would just say, young people, whatever direction God takes you, okay, make your plans, but include Him in your plans, and leave room for God to say, I'm taking you here. And live your life in His service. Point number two, graduates. Point number two, be guided daily by the principles of life found in God's Word.

Be guided daily by the principles of life found in God's Word. As a young person, you're making your way into this world. How do you view this book? You know, how do you... when you take this off the shelf, when you open it up, what do you expect to find in here? What are you looking for? Is the Bible just a book of doctrine to you? You know, there's scriptures we can go to and say, what day is the Sabbath?

When are the Holy Days? It is a book of doctrine. And we can find those things. You know, is this a book of history and prophecy? It tells you what happened and what will happen. Is it a book of dos and don'ts? Thou shalt, thou shalt not. Well, it is all those things. But the Bible is a book so much more than that as well. These are the words of life.

These are the words that if you read them and you live them, they lead to an abundant life and a full life. And your future will be bright. And your expectations can be high for what can be accomplished, again, hand in hand with God. Learn to see His word as something that you go to daily, that you read, that you study, not just for some technical knowledge, but study for instruction on how to live this life. How to face challenges. How to deal with the difficult boss or the difficult coworker. How to lift other people up around you.

How to make relationships and connections that will be of value to your life. It's all here. So I just wanted to encourage you, come back to God's word day by day as instructions for life and leading to an abundant and a productive living. I want to encourage you to see the answers in here. Don't just ask, what does Google say? We have this little pod on top of our refrigerator that's probably listening and spying and reporting on us every day.

Fine. We're Sabbath keepers and we talk about God's way, so maybe someone somewhere can hear something good. But don't just get in the habit of saying, you know, asking the device for the answer, get in the habit of looking into God's word for the answers, the substantive words of life are here, and they will guide and direct your steps each and every day. Timothy was a young man that the Apostle Paul took out to travel with him, recognized something very valuable in him and his attitude and in his dependence on God, and he took him and he traveled with him, he instructed him.

Eventually, Timothy became the pastor of Ephesus, even at a young age, and in one of the Apostle Paul's writings, actually in the final book, he wrote, 2 Timothy 3, you can be turning there, he gives some instructions to this young minister to remember, and I think it's words that are important for all of us, but again, specifically as you are stepping out in life and you are making the decisions that are going to impact the rest of your life.

Where are you going to go? What's your career going to be? Who are you going to marry? Where are you going to live? All these things are going to be major impacts for the rest of your life. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 13. Paul to Timothy says, But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. He says there's going to actually be times you'll run across deception and things that'll take you down a completely different path if you're not careful.

He says, But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. So, you know, you've had an education in school, you've had an education in church, you've had an education from your parents, you've had an education from God's Word. Be assured of the things you have learned and those you have learned them from. And don't just get your information from any old source. Paul said to Timothy, you know, you heard this gospel from me. I received it from Jesus Christ. Now you go and you preach it with confidence.

Verse 15, And from childhood you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It's theonustos. It's God breathed. God excelled. This is His inspiration by His Spirit.

These words are now here. The inspiration of God, and they're profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, or the woman of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So these words lead to righteousness. Understand, you've received an education in this world. Some things are of great value.

Many of the things you've learned are of great value. Not everything you've learned. Couple it with the Word of God. These are the words of righteousness. And the education that you will couple with that, which comes from God, will actually take you farther than you ever imagined you could go, because you will have satisfaction in this life that you live.

Instructions in righteousness. God's called you to be children in His family for eternity. Okay, that's your marvelous potential. It's the reason we were created to be sons and daughters of God in His family for eternity. There is no education outside of this book that can literally prepare you for the greatest potential of your life and the greatest purpose God has called you to. Don't walk through this life without God's words and this education coupled with what it is you've received. The blessing of where it will take you is true.

The United Church of God has produced a booklet titled Making Life Work. And for our graduates, if you have not read it, or if it's been a long time since you've read it, I'd encourage you to get that booklet. You can order it, you can download it digitally online. Probably that's what you'll do, knowing you. Download that. Open it up on your device. Please read that book. Read it as a part of your education as you now walk forward with your diploma. Making Life Work. I want to read you the introduction to that booklet.

At least a paragraph from it. It says, It tells us how to make life work. It's talking about the Bible, about the Word of God, how to be a success, and all that it is that God gives you opportunity to do. Again, I encourage you to look at that study aid and let it encourage you as you dive into the Word of God.

The point is, the Bible is filled with so many guiding principles that have direct impact on your life here and now. You will live an abundant life if you apply these.

Now, I know that sounds like the H-word.

Homework.

Sounds like homework, doesn't it? But I'll give you a little insight that pretty much, I would say, every adult in this room has learned, the homework never stops. And the education never stops. And what it is that we're to be learning and growing in day by day never stops. We're to grow towards the Kingdom of God. We're to grow to be more effective in our jobs. We're to grow to be more effective in our relationships with spouse, with friends. The education never stops. Please never stop learning. Just because you've graduated, this is just tools you've received that are going to prepare you for moving on to, shall we say, graduate-level work, which is this life.

Learning never stops and never fall behind in the value of educating yourself.

Notice King David and the value he placed on studying God's Word. Psalm 19, verse 7.

Psalm 19, verse 7.

David says, the law of the Lord is perfect.

The result is converting the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure.

The result is making wise the simple.

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold. Okay. Right? We all need money. We all need finance. We all need to live life at some level. And we seek after those, but he says, these words are to be more desired than gold. Yes, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them your servant is warned. Okay. Go there. Don't go there. Lessons for life. Your servant is warned, and in keeping them, there is great reward.

Living God's Word has a profound effect on our lives for good, because it points us in the right and proper way to live, and it leads us to blessings, and it helps us to avoid so many of the mistakes that so many in the world around us have made, because there is a way that leads to life, and blessing, and good. And there's a way that leads off the cliff, frankly, the other direction. God has called us to life, and He's called us to live these words today, and keeping them, He says, there is great reward. Great reward. Psalm 119, verse 97.

Psalm 119, verse 97, David says, Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day. It says, what I think about, it's what I focus on, and it says, this is where I start the day studying, it's what I include in my prayer. It's what orders my life. Oh, how I love your law is my meditation all the day. You through your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.

Your commandments, not my enemies. Your commandments are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. People, do you want more understanding than those who taught you? Who were your professors, your teachers, those who helped you towards that degree? Do you want to walk out from there having more understanding than your teachers? The word is, from David, immerse yourself in the truths of God.

Study and live these things. You'll have more understanding than your teachers. Verse 100, I understand more than the ancients, those who are older than me, those who should be wiser because of experience, right? Because I let keep your precepts. I've restrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep your word. I've not departed from your judgments, for you yourself have taught me.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth? Through your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. Again, the education, it just never ceases. Verse 105, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The principles contained in the word of God illuminates the way before you.

It's like if you've ever been out in the mountains and you're hiking on a trail at night and you ever just turned your flashlight off and maybe the moon wasn't out and it's just pitch black and you just stand there and you can hear every sound because your senses of hearing are heightened because you can't see a thing. Well, you don't want to stumble very far in that condition, do you? The trail may be there, but who knows what else is there?

God's word is like flicking on that light, seeing the path before you. It illuminates the way, shows you where to place your feet on solid ground so that you move onto success, not stumbling onto judgment. God's word lights the path in true life, true liberty, and true happiness. It truly comes through His way. So as graduates, again, I want to encourage you to get into the habit of turning to the Scriptures daily to find the answers for life's questions there, because the answers are true and they are sure. It is what you need to successfully navigate life.

Study them as David did. Meditate upon them as David did. Pray about them as David did. And then go and live them. And the result will be a blessing to your life. Point number three. Graduates, be careful of the company you keep. As you move forward in life. Be careful of the company you keep. As you move forward in life. The people you call your friends are going to have a big impact on your life. They're the people you associate with, that you confide in, that encourage you, and you encourage them. And frankly, you're going to have a big impact on one another's life.

And it will pay a major role in influencing who and what you become. Honestly, people you surround yourself with will affect who and what you become. In order to grow in a positive direction, you need to surround yourselves with positive, like-minded people. Who will encourage you, will encourage your potential, who will point you to God. Not people who will take and turn and drag you in the opposite direction, or discourage you with wrong ideas. Again, the book of Proverbs discusses much about the kinds of people we should and should not associate with. And I can't reiterate it enough. Study this book. At every life change, and even in between, but at every major life change, study this book.

Seek the wisdom. It is here. Proverbs 22, verse 24. Proverbs 22, verse 24. We want to surround ourselves with people that will lead to our godly growth, not our downfall. Proverbs 22, verse 24 says, There's actually attributes that would disqualify people from being our friends. People that we would want to associate and hang out with. And it says, an angry person.

Someone who has a temper, someone who's given to outbursts of wrath. They're lacking in self-control in this way. Distance yourself. Disassociate yourself from an angry person. It says, Lest you learn their ways, and it'll be a snare unto you. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 33 tells us that evil company corrupts good habits.

Evil company corrupts good habits, and so to spend your time associating with such individuals will only bring hardship and trouble into your life. It'll be a hindrance to all that you do, but if you live God's words, and you find people that embrace God's words as well, and I'm not saying you can't have friends in the world and in the church. If you have friends in the world, great! You have the opportunity to be a wonderful example to them, and you know what? There's some good things they can teach you as well.

And if they're positive people that can lift you up, that's wonderful. But again, just don't link yourself with people that will drag you away from the values of God's word, morality, and into trouble, because at this point in life, you have the opportunity to make good decisions that will impact the rest of your days.

Bad decisions will impact the rest of your days as well. But we do have a choice. Proverbs 13, verse 20. Proverbs 13, verse 20. Again, the kind of people that we associate with has a direct impact on our lives. Proverbs 13, verse 20. He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. This is a very important principle to live by, because again, the company we keep affects who and what we become.

He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. I encourage you young people, seek out those who are wise and well-balanced. Associate with them regularly. Pray to God to bring them to you. Go looking, but pray God brings you the people that will be of value to your life. The number of truly close, close, intimate friends that you're going to have in this life, you can probably number on one hand.

We're family. We're church family. We're close. But I'm talking like a very intimate, close companion. Those are going to be very, very few in life. You want to pick them well. You want to ask God to direct the right and proper people to you that will be a blessing to you, and that on the flip side, you can be a blessing to them as well. It's a relationship that goes both ways. Again, Proverbs 13, 20, Proverbs 27, verse 17, says, Again, ask God to send you the kind of people that will be a blessing to you, and that you can be a blessing to them in return.

You know, that companionship will be valuable all through life as you carry and support and lift one another up, all throughout this journey.

God's Word tells us that our friends should be people of integrity, people of honesty, people who are forgiving in nature, people who are good listeners, people who are willing to make sacrifices for us and others, people who are encouragers, and people who sharpen us along the way. There are scriptures tied to each and every one of those principles, but seek those people out. And pray that God allows that wonderful relationship to be developed, that you recognize it when it comes before you, and that it will be a blessing to you. In order to grow, we must choose our friends wisely. And graduates, again, I encourage you to be careful of the company you keep as you make your way forward in life.

Point number four.

Graduates, as you begin your career, determined to be a worker, your boss will love to employ. As you begin your career, determined to be a worker, your boss will love to employ. At this point, a number of the graduates either have already secured jobs or they're going out to seek after jobs in the bent towards where their studies have taken them. They're going to be putting this in a practical application in the workforce. What will make you an employee that your boss loves goes beyond simply what you know.

Okay? You know a lot. You've been educated in a lot. But what will make you an employee your boss loves goes beyond simply what you know. Just having a piece of paper with some letters behind your name will not automatically move you up the ladder of success. How you apply yourself to the opportunities that are presented will make virtually as much difference as the education you've received. What kind of worker are you? How do you apply yourself? How do you interact? How do you relate with others that you may work with? That's why I hammer home the concept again, constantly return to the Word of God. It talks about all of this. It talks about the kind of employee you should be.

Proverbs 12 and verse 24.

Proverbs 12 and verse 24, it says, The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

So it's saying that the diligent person, they're self-motivated, and they're actually going to move into a position where, you know, as the Bible says, they'll rule. So how would we apply that to the workforce? Well, perhaps they'll be supervisors, perhaps they'll be managers, perhaps they'll be people that are actually given an opportunity and some budget and some ability to supervise themselves and to help organize others. Okay, so that's a diligent man. They don't have to work with somebody constantly looking over their shoulder, and they do it well. Be diligent in whatever it is you do. You have a lazy man on the other hand that says, we'll be put to forced labor, which means he's always going to be under somebody's hand. He's always going to be somebody who has to have somebody guiding, directing at all times, saying, okay, pick that up and put that over there. Take that down from up here and stack it down here. Now go and do this and point it over there. All right, they have to be driven, they have to be motivated by somebody else over them, and honestly, that doesn't take you to a place that achieves you much more than a minimal wage in life. You want to be diligent. You want to be a hard worker. You want to be someone who applies themselves. And I've talked to a number of employers over many months, and it seems like there's an issue of entitlement among many that would come to work. Well, I showed up, the boss owes me a paycheck. You owe the boss, and then the boss will owe you. Okay, and part of living rightly is giving someone an honest and a fair day for an honest and fair wage. Anything short of that is theft. So to rise above and beyond is what the Bible gives us as the example for being leadership material and being something that your boss will love to employ. Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verse 10 says, Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave where you are going. As long as you have breath, put your all into whatever it is you've been given to do. Do it with your might. Employers want and need diligent people, but they also want people who are willing to go above and beyond the minimal requirement. That was the example of Jesus Christ. That's the example of His disciples as well. And all that we do to be people that go above and beyond simply the minimal requirement. Luke chapter 17 verse 7.

Let's look at the words of Jesus Christ and let's apply it to this principle. Luke chapter 17 and verse 7. It's, I believe, a parable here. Christ is expressing. And He says in verse 7, In which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once, sit down to eat? But will he not rather say to him, Prepare something for my supper, Engurge yourself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, And afterward you will eat and drink? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?

Jesus said, I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, Say we are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do. Jesus says an unprofitable servant is one who does just exactly what he is told. Right? You said, do A, B, and C? I did A, B, and C. But Christ says that's an unprofitable servant.

And as I expressed in a sermon a few months ago, That literally translates over into our spiritual lives. Are we profitable servants of God? Do we just meet the minimum requirement because it's commanded, Or do we not rise above and beyond in seeking to please our Father in all things? Someone who simply meets the minimum requirement in terms of employees are easily replaced. They're easily dismissed. They're easily looked over when it comes to times of promotion and advancement. A profitable servant is one who is profitable, right?

They go above and beyond. They put in the extra. They go the extra mile. They show up early. They stay late if that's what's necessary, and they give it their all. By performing in those ways, you'll make yourself an employee that the boss will highly value. And if your employer highly values you, then guess what? They'll be more likely to bend with your needs as well. Do you need the Sabbath off? Do you need the Holy Days off? Do you need the time off to travel to the feast? Obviously, you have to work with your employer in those things, But I'll just say there'd be much more likely to extend that to you willingly.

If you are someone they value, if you are someone that they say, This is a special employee, this is a profitable servant. Indeed, it will be a blessing to your life. As a side note, the Bible also has much to say about if you, say, go down the field of being self-employed, or even if you do end up in a position of being a supervisor or a manager over other people.

The Bible tells you how to deal with customers, how to treat your employees, how to run a business that's founded on the principles of success. That's why I say these are the words of life. Go to them each and every day to discover what works. Meditate on them. Pray about them. Then live them. Determined to be a worker, your boss will love to employ. Finally, point number five, graduates, as you move into the next phase of your life, be careful to exercise financial wisdom.

Be careful to exercise financial wisdom. Money makes the world go round, some would say. We'd probably all question that, but we do need money, don't we? Make the mortgage payment, buy a car, put food on your table, put clothes on your back. We all need to have money. We all want to have fun from time to time as well. Take a vacation. Nothing wrong with those things within proper bounds. But debt can be crippling to your current and future opportunities.

According to the website, nerdwallet.com Tell what I read. I'm a nerd wallet. nerdwallet.com. 55% of the class of 2020 graduated with student debt. Education is expensive, and understand there's times you have to make an investment that will pay off rightly in the future. But let's just understand some of the playing field here. 55% of the class of 2020 graduated with student debt. I assume we're talking college here. Among these graduates, the average student loan debt was $28,400. I can just tell you that where I sit today, if I had outside of a mortgage, that's the only thing I can think of in that category, outside of that mortgage, if I was sitting around with a debt of $28,400, I would be nervous today.

You don't want to let it linger. You don't want to let it grow. That does not include, apparently, private debt accumulated along the way from credit cards and other sources. My warning to graduates is that it can be so easy to get into financial trouble. It can happen so quickly. You're coming out of school. You may have a little bit of a debt load coming through school, but now you're trying to get established. You're trying to get a home. Maybe you have to move for a job. Be careful. It is so easy to get into financial trouble so quickly.

It can be fun, too. It can be fun. Why would we whip out the card? I would say, live with an expectation of delayed gratification. How many credit card purchases are because it feels good right now? Or I want to do it right now? Or I want to take that trip right now? Or somebody else has it, so I want it now.

Live with an expectation of delayed gratification because if you're seeking after instant fulfillment, that will take you down the road to financial debt quickly. So be careful. As you move forward from this point, be careful to minimize your debt load as much as possible because, again, once you get behind that financial eight ball, it is so hard to get out. So much easier to get there. It's so much more fun to get there, sure, but it's so much harder to get out. Proverbs 22, verse 7 says, The borrower is servant to the lender. Borrower is servant to the lender. Let's think about that for a minute because when somebody owns a large portion of debt over you, they control your life.

They own you. They own many of your choices in so many respects. Assessive debt could actually hinder your ability to take the job you truly love because the salary isn't high enough to cover the bills. What if you say, this is where I want to live and that's the job I want, but I have to actually take this over here simply because I have to service the level of debt I'm carrying.

Again, these are principles for happy and successful living. High debt could also shut the door to a job offer altogether because an increasing number of employers are running credit checks and people who are potential employees because they say, we want to see what's their financial standing because it's not true in every case, but poor credit rating can perhaps mean poor lifestyle habits, which perhaps mean poor employee in the workforce. So it's going to cost more and more down the road as that racks up and it's going to cost more in homeowners insurance, it's going to cost more in auto insurance.

All these places, they're running your credit. Seek to, as best you can, protect your credit diligently. And again, the textbook for that is here. The principles for that is God's word. Study it. Live it. The Bible contains instructions for budgeting your resources, for not spending more than you make, for laying up funds for a rainy day, go to the ant and consider and be wise. Most can't buy a house apart from taking out a loan, okay? I think we get that. And frankly, it's getting harder and harder to even purchase a decent vehicle without going that route of finance.

But if you can all help it, especially coming straight out of school, pay cash wherever you can. And take time. You don't have to live the fullness of what your degree will provide you immediately. Take the time to knock out the debt. Delay gratification. But when it comes, the vacation will be so much sweeter, and the meal will taste so much better when it is paid for in cash, and not just adding to the accumulating pile. Use wisdom, and don't overextend yourself. Romans 13, verse 8 says, Oh, no one anything except to love one another.

And that is good advice that will serve you well in this life. Oh, no one anything except to love one another. And so, graduates, as you move to the next phase of your life, please be careful to exercise financial wisdom. Coming back full circle now to where we started. One of the ways that we put God first is by immersing ourselves in His Word and making wise choices, and using Him as our guide in the plans that we make.

No matter what degree you have received, and no matter what school you have attended, the education has not come to an end. Please don't ever consider your education done. The education in the Word of God is lifetime. You will spend the rest of your life studying His Word, and you will grow until the very last day of your life if you stay immersed in the Word of God. Go to it regularly.

Make it your habit to seek out the principles that will make life work as God intended them. Put them into practice. Study, meditate, pray, and then live them day by day. Congratulations, Class of 2023! You've worked hard. You've been through a lot of challenges. You've done well. You've done well. As you go out from here, we wish you Godspeed. We pray that He will bless you, that He will guide you and direct you, and whatever it is you put your hand to, may you always keep Him first. May you always love His way. And may you allow His words to guide you. As King David says, you put these things into practice. In doing them, there's great reward.