[0:00] I'd like to ask our graduates to come up here and take their seat, and also to ask Steve Morgan and John Pearson to come up here. They're going to say a few words as our teenagers make their way up here. This group is not as talkative as maybe last year's group or the years before, but they'll have an opportunity to share a testimony here in a moment.
[0:18] I am very grateful to get the work with the Morgans and the Mises and the Pearsons and the Littlefields with the teenagers, and they're going to take a moment and encourage this group of young people.
[0:30] Good. I'm Steve Morgan, my wife, Maria Morgan. We've been teaching the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade middle school here from 2014 through 2021. And when these folks came through our class, they were 12, 13, and 14 years old, so they're probably wondering, what is he doing up here? What's he going to talk about?
[0:47] Because it's been a long time, so they've had four years of growing up. But I do have a few things to remind you of. I am excited for your graduation. I'm excited for the joy of your journey, for the way that you've grown up to be strong Christians.
[1:01] But I do want to remind you that you are warriors for Christ, and that's what this church, Sunday schools, the pastors have prepared you for. And I also want to remind you that you've been in an adolescent battle, but you've just graduated to an adult battle.
[1:13] And the enemy is playing for keeps. 2 Timothy 3, 1 through 4 talks a little bit about the challenges of the perilous times that are going to come. And I'll tell you that whether you go to a secular college, secular job, secular America, or the secular world, you're going to find out that it is a fierce place, and it is difficult.
[1:32] I also want to remind you, though, that this is the mission field. This is where we are called. 2 Timothy 3, 10 through 13 tells us that you shall suffer persecution.
[1:44] Make no mistake, we'll suffer persecution, and that is God's plan. Now, in 2 Timothy 3, 14 through 17, I'm going to go ahead and read those verses, but I just wanted to summarize the other ones for time.
[1:55] But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
[2:10] All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
[2:22] My reminder for you is this, continuing the things you have been taught. You have had the holy scripture, godly parents, godly pastors, godly teachers, and godly men and women around here, and we are behind you.
[2:35] And God's word is everything. Seek him, know his ways, and walk with him. Well, I'm John Pearson.
[2:46] My wife and I teach the high school class, and I really want to thank this high school class because that's the first time I've got to sit in the blue chair over there. Thank you, guys. That was nice. Sherry, I hope you got a picture of that.
[3:00] I want you to know that I think about the teens, and I try to think because we do the same things over and over in class time. I just try to think, what do I say special and different about these teens?
[3:12] And there's really nothing new to say, but I will tell you, especially with this group, this is a group of ministering young people. This is a group of young people. I mean, we've done a bunch of things together.
[3:23] We've studied together. We've prayed together. We've practiced the five spiritual disciplines together. They've ministered here. They've ministered in foreign countries. We've done VBS. We've dodged hunger.
[3:35] We've expounded. We've glowed. We've hiked. We've skied. We've paddled. We've done so many things, but in all of those things, I will tell you that these young people are ministering teens.
[3:45] They've prayed over their friends. They've invited their friends to church. They've led some of their friends to the Lord. We've seen them make professions of faith. I've seen them go through spiritual battles that they have trusted God to get them through, and they are just a wonderful group of ministering teenagers.
[4:03] I have for them the special 2021 graduation edition of the note card, which is in all of your letters that we wrote to you guys. A verse that we use, it's kind of our class verse, is 1 Timothy 4, verse 12.
[4:17] The Bible says, Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers. In word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
[4:28] He says, Don't let anybody despise your youth, but if you'll be an example of these six things, your youth will become your advantage. Because you've got this long life that you can live, and living it under those guiding principles from the Bible will make it a very fruitful life.
[4:44] The word is the first of those six. Have confidence in the word. Always let it mature you spiritually. I'm looking at you guys, but I'm talking to them. Let it mature you spiritually.
[4:54] In conversation, creating spiritual conversations. I am just so thrilled every time we do prayer requests or we get together and I hear about the spiritual conversations they started with their friends.
[5:07] How they witnessed to their friends, how they took their friends through foundations, how their friends are here now knowing Christ who didn't know Christ before. What a wonderful thing. In charity or in love, showing an awareness and compassion of others and acting on it.
[5:20] They have a wonderful compassion for other people, and they show true Christian love. In spirit, that's positive and confident about their faith. I mean, they talk about their faith like they really believe it.
[5:33] I really love that about them. In faith, determine that God is faithful to his word and just refuse to consider otherwise. We talked this morning in class about not trading the grace of God for anything else, anything in this world, and they determine that God is faithful to his word.
[5:52] And then the last thing, purity. Keep some margins in your life so that all the wonderful things that God has designed for you, as you go through life, as you start your families, as you raise your children, all of those things are preserved.
[6:05] I love these teenagers. They are ministering teens, and we as a church are so fortunate to have them here. Love you guys. God bless you. Amen. This time I'm going to present to them Bibles and give them a chance to share a testimony.
[6:19] I guess if they didn't have a Bible by now, it would be a little bit late in their childhood to be giving them one. Thankfully, this is not their first Bible that they've been given by their family and they read. It is a Bible that will help them remember the night.
[6:30] So I'm going to tell you a little bit about each one of them and then present them the Bible, give them a chance to say a word if they would like. Adriana Bush. I've never said that before. That's Audrey right there on the end.
[6:41] Born in Atiquipa, Peru. David says amen. Our little, this is her mom speaking, her little language school baby. She lived in Peru in Argentina, taking mission trips to Bolivia, Peru, South Africa, and soon Mexico.
[6:54] Her hobbies are talking to her best friend in South Africa. Emily is very dear to Audrey, and so I love that. Is there anybody else? No, I don't think so. Taking care of her dog, Dakota, and playing piano.
[7:06] She's working as a secretary for a couple missionary families, tutoring for kids. She's involved in the New Zealand Bible Institute, the WANA program, church choir, discipleship. Looks forward to attending the Our Generation Training Center.
[7:19] And Audrey, she is just hilarious. Everything is more fun when she's at an event. And I feel the same way when I'm excited to know she'll be at something. She holds the record for the individual ice creams eaten on a flight over the ocean.
[7:33] All right? When we went to, coming back from South Africa, how many were there? I don't know. 16. The stewardess really liked Audrey and just kept giving them to her. And it was amazing.
[7:44] And so, not the record for our youth group, the national record for the most ice cream eaten on a flight. And super athletic, Audrey. Our church needs more teenagers like you.
[7:55] And so we ask, would you please disciple the next batch of Audrey's? Because we are so blessed by you and can't wait to see more of them in the years to come. Ms. Audrey Bush. Well, I just want to thank the Lord for several people who have helped me throughout these years.
[8:16] I'm thankful that my parents were missionaries in Argentina. And when I was born, I was able to grow up the first 10 years of my life living on the mission field. So many people there in Argentina impacted me.
[8:27] And when we came back to the States, I felt like we loved everyone that we knew and loved. But God has given me so many family and friends here at Vision, and I'm so grateful for all of you guys. First, I want to thank Ms. Sandy Pearson for being my children's church teacher when we first got back and teaching me so many Bible lessons and songs.
[8:43] Thanks. I've learned so much from her on so many things, but especially on how to just jump in and be a servant in any way you can. I'm thankful for Mr. Steve and Ms. Maria Morgan for everything they did for me in middle school.
[8:55] I really enjoyed my time being in their class. One time they took us all the way to Ohio where my parents were for a meeting just so that we could attend a youth event. Y'all have been so sweet to me and my family.
[9:06] I'm grateful for Brother John and Ms. Sandy Pearson for taking over the high school class and loving on all of us students. I've learned so much from them in Sunday school and also a lot in Bible Institute. When the Bible Institute first started, my mom required it for a homeschool, so at first it was just something I had to do.
[9:22] But then I realized how much I really needed it for my spiritual growth. I've learned so much about the Bible and our great God from Bible Institute. I really recommend taking those classes. It was very helpful for me in my walk with the Lord.
[9:34] Brother Trent and Ms. Stephanie, thank you for all you do with the youth group and for being an example of selfless love to so many of us. I really appreciate it and love you guys. Pastor and Ms. Betty, thank you for being so kind and loving.
[9:45] Thank you for always showing us Jesus and preaching straight from the Bible. Mom and Dad, thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for making school fun and allowing me to step out of the normal school and be able to enjoy life and do more to serve God.
[9:59] You guys mean more to me than you'll ever know. And I appreciate everything you've ever done for me. The reason I want to be a missionary is because of y'all. And I'm thankful for your godly influence in my life and always pushing me towards Christ.
[10:11] I really love you guys. That was wonderful. Next is Ben Sherry. His family says he's full of life, loves the Lord.
[10:22] He's adventurous, selfless in his service. When someone needs a friend, you can count on Ben to go the extra mile. Life is never dull with him. He's not ashamed of telling anyone about Jesus, sharing the gospel with others, even to his teachers at school.
[10:35] After graduation, Ben will be spending a month in Peru to see the mission field. And Ben kept us all entertained with his slack line about a year ago. He started making those videos. That was the highlight of my day, was watching you on that.
[10:49] Ben has been in our church since elementary school. Ben, God has used Ben, I dare say, to bring more people to church this year than any adult or anybody else. God has really used him in a special way.
[11:01] And you can tell that it demonstrates that he really believes that what he's doing is important in the way that he shares his faith with each other. And we're super proud of Ben Sherry. Thank you. So I'd just like to say thank you all.
[11:19] Thank Pastor and Miss Betty for always teaching us and teaching my family, my dad. I'd like to thank my parents. I should probably thank them for, you know, raising me and everything. So my dad was the one that led me to Christ when I was about seven, eight years old.
[11:34] Since then, I kind of went a little bit downhill. But then luckily, I want to thank Chase Southerd. He's not here. He might be watching. He's in Peru right now. But he was the one that discipled me, brought me back to church.
[11:48] And he was the one that kind of took me under his wing and showed me what a true Christian should live like. I also want to thank, like, the Elrods and the Du Bois for giving me the opportunity to teach in Awanas and be a part of Awanas and lead in Awanas.
[12:01] David, you don't know this, but, like, you helped me a lot through, like, witnessing in school from, like, camp a couple years ago. You taught about that. So that's always been in my heart and in my mind. I'd like to thank Brother John and Miss Sandy, wherever they are, there they are, for always teaching me and discipling me.
[12:16] Brother John and all the Zaxby's that you've bought me. And all the lunch. I'd like to thank Trent and Stephanie. Trent, you've always discipled me and helped me out and gave me opportunities, like student-driven service and be able to get, can't talk, letting me preach up here through student-driven service.
[12:33] And thank you for all the Moes as well. And then I'd like to thank God for everyone in here, all my friends. Y'all are about as close as family can get, other than my actual family, technically.
[12:46] But anyway, yeah, you know what I mean. So, yeah, just thank you guys. Amen. That was great, Ben. That's it. You're right. I always love to hear teenagers speak.
[12:57] I especially get excited when they don't have notes. But Ben's always fine. Ben's always going to be okay. Next is Hayes. This is written from his mom, most affectionate of the three.
[13:10] He's always said he would grow up with two sets of parents because he came along after the other two were old enough to help care for him. Is that you, Elliot? All right. And he loves to cook. He's interested in fixing up cars, enjoys learning, playing different sports.
[13:21] He bowled in leagues for a few years, plays pickleball. He plays the trumpet, has volunteered at a food pantry on Fridays for several years, has traveled to and through at least eight countries, 26 states. He helps to someday travel Japan.
[13:33] He's currently learning Japanese. He's graduated from homeschool. He also has some dual enrollment credits. Hayes came to our church about a year ago. And we're talking to his parents today.
[13:44] Hayes, you were at this service. It was a little bit later last year. And I was real excited to get to meet you knowing you're going into your senior year. I knew that you would round off this class just perfectly.
[13:56] First thing you know is his ability to make a bow tie, which is no small thing if you've ever tried to do a bow tie. But that kind of intentionality and detail is just all is who Hayes is.
[14:07] And he's very competent, very capable. And Hayes, we've got to be part of your life over the last year. But I pray to God that he'll allow me to be an even bigger part of your future. We really believe in you.
[14:17] I believe God has a special plan for you. And we're so thankful that you're one of our graduating seniors tonight. Thank you.
[14:52] And everybody else in the class who's supporting me. And Trent, Pastor Gardner, everybody, just thank you.
[15:03] Amen. All right. All right. Really, TJ, that was better than season two of The Chosen, wasn't it? All right.
[15:15] That was wonderful. Next here is Jonathan Lawrence Sykes. All right. I use his middle name because I know it. All right. He is the son of Danny and Mindy Sykes.
[15:27] Born a natural leader. Jonathan is a self-taught musician, dedicated friend, hard worker. Became a guitar player for Vision Baptist. Has enabled Jonathan to challenge himself, serve God. Balancing school, guitar playing, church functions, and work.
[15:39] Jonathan has grown to be a well-rounded, respectful young man. Throughout his junior and senior year, Jonathan has been able to complete nearly 50 college credits. He is currently dual enrolled and plans to attend Liberty University in the spring as a senior in college.
[15:51] Plans on majoring in business administration. Desires for God to dictate his career path. So, Jonathan is the man dressed in black. That's what he's known as. And always playing the guitar.
[16:02] I won't forget Luke Littlefield helping him get involved in the music ministry. He hadn't been here very long. And Luke helped him get involved. And, Jonathan, besides that one camp incident we won't talk about, you've been a real blessing to this church.
[16:17] And now, Jonathan, it's your turn to invite the next guitar player to be up here. Just like somebody helped you get involved in this church. As long as God places you here, then it's your job to always make way for the next person besides you.
[16:31] And I have no doubt that God will use you to make many disciples. Jonathan Lawrence Sykes. I prepared this really long speech for you guys, so please bear with me.
[16:44] So, first, I'd like to thank the Internet, Google, Wikipedia, Microsoft Word, and Copy and Paste for helping me get through my high school years. That was really helpful. They were a big help in my education.
[16:55] But on a serious note, I would like to thank my family and friends for helping me get through school. Please continue to pray for me as I go through college. So, thank you. Grace White isn't with us tonight.
[17:11] She's on a missions conference with her family. She's graduating. She's going to be a student in the training center. So, we have an opportunity to be more involved in her life. She grew up on the mission field in Bolivia. And we're super proud of her and her family and excited as a church.
[17:24] We're going to get to help her in the next stage of life. Last, but certainly not least, Miss Sophia Whithom. Sophia is named rightly. This is written by her parents. Sophia means wisdom. She's a young woman of wisdom, which comes from a continual ingesting the Word of God and then seeking it to be put into practice.
[17:39] She's a household baker. She will make treats for unbelievers and believers. And she boldly approaches the people and asks them how she can pray for them. Then she will pray for them on the spot in Jesus' name.
[17:50] She has helped teach English in Lesbos, an island off of Greece. Greece to Afghani refugee women. She loves her Lord and Savior, and we wish we could all be more like her.
[18:01] It's written by our parents, and I say amen to that. Sophia loves the Word. She has shown a maturity that is exceptional to someone of her age. We're very excited to see what her pursuit of knowing and obeying God will lead her.
[18:13] And Sophia, we're super blessed to have you as part of our church. Miss Sophia Whithom. Thank you.
[18:47] My parents couldn't have a baby, but they prayed and they asked the Lord. And the Lord first led them to adopt children in Russia. And then a little while after that, my older sister, who is adopted from Russia, she said she wanted a little sister.
[19:02] And so she and my mother prayed. And a year later, the Lord answered that prayer. And that's the beginning of my life. And then all throughout, the Lord has really blessed me.
[19:12] He's blessed me with many godly people around me. And I do thank the Lord for this church, too. It's been a very wonderful place to learn more about the Word of God and to become established in the Word of God.
[19:24] And I am thankful to all of the teachers that have taught me over the years. And I know it takes a lot of preparation to prepare lessons and then to teach it. So I thank you for that. And most of all, I am very thankful to the Lord.
[19:36] And then after that, I'm very thankful for my parents because they are such wonderful, godly people. They have just taught me how to stand upon the Word of God and how to be full of the Word of God and to love other people and to serve others and to think of others better than ourselves.
[19:53] And I just am really thankful for you. And I love you very much. Thank you. All right.
[20:03] Thank you so much. Proud of all of them. Turner, if you wouldn't mind helping me with what we talked about. There you are, Turner. And I'm just going to take a quick moment here to challenge you all. And then the ushers will come during the special and receive the offering for the night.
[20:18] But I want to look in 1 John 4, verse number 18 is where we're going. 1 John 4, verse number 18. Come on out here, Turner, before I read that.
[20:30] Okay. And I thought you were going to write it for me, Turner. You're not, are you? Oh, I'm sorry. I'll go back. No, that's fine. Okay. That would be something we could never forget. All right. And so I got every one of you a bicycle for graduation.
[20:42] I couldn't afford more than one, but this is y'all's bicycle. And so I really hope that you like it. I wasn't sure where you're at, so I made sure to get the training wheel addition on it.
[20:53] And now Sayla's really concerned because this is her new bicycle. And she loves it very much. And Ben wants to work on it because he works at a bike shop. He can really do a few things to it. We're going to talk about that bicycle here for a second.
[21:04] And I don't think you're going to forget the bicycle, but I want to make sure you understand why I brought it out. Besides, it was pretty funny. See, Turner pushed the bicycle. 1 John 4, verse 17 and 18 are going to tell us something that everybody wants to have and something that all of us want to get rid of and not have, a perfect love and fear.
[21:25] Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in his world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment.
[21:36] He that feareth is not made perfect in love. The greatest prayer that we've had for any of you, it was testifies that you would have confidence that God would accept you on the day of judgment.
[21:47] You can have confidence. You know Jesus. Hayes testified a coming to Christ a year ago. Each one of you shared testimonies when you knew that God had now prepared a place for you in heaven.
[21:57] That's our greatest prayer for all of you. The most important thing that we do in any of our ministries from one on up is to prepare our kids for the day of judgment. We prepare them for adulthood. We prepare them for teenage years. But what are we doing if we're not preparing them for the day that they will meet our Lord and Savior?
[22:12] And through your testimony, you're prepared for that day, and you have confidence in this, and that's such a wonderful thing. But it says this, it talks about a perfect love. Oftentimes we love him perfectly, and we don't act upon it.
[22:24] Perfect love here, the word perfect is not what we often think about it, so that Christ was made perfect on the way to the cross, that in him we're perfect. It's a complete love where the action is which is shown.
[22:35] And so when it comes to fear, most of us, when you say, do you have fear, you think, no, I'm not afraid of anything. You think about somebody jumping out and scaring you, or you think, what is it that fear that you have?
[22:46] So you think the opposite of fear is courage, but here in this passage it says that when you're fearful, the opposite is not to be courage of yourself, but it's to recognize the love of God for you.
[22:58] And so in your life there's going to be a lot of opportunities to be fearful. So Selah still has her training wheels, and she's about to get them off this summer. Pray for us, isn't that okay? And Selah rides her bicycle, and as she goes, there's a whole lot going on when a little kid learns a bicycle, and when they're going.
[23:16] And when these training wheels are going to come off, and she's going to begin to pedal by herself, the thing that's going to keep her to be able to ride this bicycle is a confidence that her dad who loves her is standing there beside her and that I'm willing to protect her along the way.
[23:31] If you get on the bicycle and you're afraid of the person standing behind you, you'll never learn to ride a bicycle. You'll never enjoy that. And so that love will cast off that fear. So you're about to get to a place where you're going to have to answer a lot of questions in your life.
[23:44] You're going to be on every turn, and at times fear is going to come. And don't allow fear to dictate your decisions. Allow the love of God that has been shown in your heart to make those decisions for you.
[23:56] Know that you can trust Him, because the opposite of that fear that we would have would be trust in God, and He has demonstrated that love to you. He's demonstrated it through your family. He's demonstrated it through this church.
[24:07] But He mostly demonstrated it, as we would see, through Jesus Christ coming and dying for your place. So just like you would pedal into life, knowing that you have full confidence that one day you spend eternity with Jesus, I want to encourage you to pedal your whole life with full confidence, knowing that because of His love for you, you can do all that He's called you to do without fear.
[24:26] When He calls you to do things, in this summer in Peru when you're there, whatever God leads you to do, as you decide what's the next step for all of you to do, don't let your fear dictate your decisions. Let the love of God dictate what you're going to do, because that will cast off all fear.
[24:40] I know that He loves you. I know if you continue looking to Him, not only will you have confidence on that day of judgment, but you're going to have confidence for tomorrow and the next day, and you'll become that all God has designed for you to be.
[24:52] I'm going to pray, and the Turner's going to get rid of this bicycle, and then we're going to have a special, and during that time, we'll receive the offering. Heavenly Father, I pray for our graduates, Lord. As adults, Lord, we all face fears in our lives where we're not sure that we can do all that You have called us to do, and I pray, Lord, that they will have full confidence that You love them with a perfect love, an unconditional love, a sustaining love.
[25:16] Lord, I pray that love that's been demonstrated for them will cast off all fears that they will have, and they will move forward. In Jesus' name I pray. Well, Jonathan Lawrence Sykes, where are you?
[25:31] I couldn't understand why you didn't say, thank you, Trenton Lynn Cornwell. I didn't understand why you missed that opportunity, as sharp as you usually are.
[25:44] One of y'all didn't like your Bible. I see that, or is that? Okay, good. Say, man, this Bible church didn't do too good. They left their Bible.
[25:55] I want you to go with me to John 17. We're excited about you getting to graduate. I thought your teachers did a great job speaking to you. I think they've done a great job training you.
[26:07] I think your parents have done a great job training you. I'm proud of Trenton Lynn Cornwell. And just proud of all of you. It's a great thing.
[26:18] I was praying about what to say to you. And, you know, it's not as easy because you're not going through the Bible. You know, you're just usually pretty easy to pick what I want to preach.
[26:30] It's like this next, whatever's next. But I got thinking about the Lord's Prayer. You know what the Lord's Prayer is? That's John 17. Now, the Lord's Prayer is not where he said, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[26:42] That's not the Lord's Prayer. That's a model prayer. That's what the Lord was saying. This is how you pray when you pray. But in John 17, Jesus was like, I want to talk to my Father about my people.
[26:56] That's a sweet chapter. You'd enjoy it if you'd spend some time reading it. But I'm just going to pull five things from it real quickly. I don't think we have time to even read that. But I want five things.
[27:06] And I wish all you young people were a little closer to each other. But you listen like as though you're sitting there. Brother John was preaching to you when you were behind him. So I don't know where you are. So I'm preaching to you too. All right. But look at this.
[27:17] The first thing Jesus does is he, and we pray with Jesus that you enjoy eternal security of your salvation. Now look in your Bible at John 17, 9 and 10 with me if you would.
[27:31] I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them that thou hast given me. For they are thine. And all mine are thine.
[27:43] And thine are mine. And I am glorified in them. Verse 11, he says, And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world.
[27:55] And I come to thee, Holy Father. Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. So would you look this way just a second and listen here.
[28:07] I believe you know you're saved. And I'll trust that. Hayes, I would really appreciate it. Hearing your word of testimony, buddy. I just really appreciate it. Anytime you stand and tell about Jesus saving you is a wonderful thing.
[28:20] I'm glad you did that. It all made for a happy mom and daddy too. But you know how y'all are going to stay saved? He said, God gave them to Jesus, and they belong to God.
[28:35] But what belongs to God belongs to Jesus. And then Jesus, who's God, prays to God and says, You keep them. Through thine own name.
[28:47] You keep them. I want you to know your salvation isn't dependent on what you do, but on what God did. What Jesus did.
[28:58] I want to remind you that although you come out of very good families, I'm very proud of your families. I am just blessed by your families. Every one of you. But your family didn't save you.
[29:09] And your church didn't save you. And the youth department didn't save you. It was God that saved you. And He will keep you.
[29:23] I would challenge you. I am not, I've never been told, but I'm willing to bet you've been given verses to memorize. About knowing you're saved. John 5, 24.
[29:34] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him, hath everlasting life, shall not come into condemnation, and is passed from death to life.
[29:44] I'm pretty sure you've been taught that. 1 John 5, verse 13 says, These things are written unto you. You might know that you have eternal life. And I'm pretty sure you've been taught that.
[29:55] But you hold on to your salvation, not because, Boy, I had a really good youth teacher. Don't you dare hold on to it for that. He doesn't want that. She doesn't want that. You don't hold on to it because you had great parents.
[30:06] You hold on to it because you know you met God. You know you met God. Second thing I'd like you to look at in John 17, 13, Jesus said, Father, keep them.
[30:17] And the second thing I want you to look at, when Jesus prayed, and we pray with Jesus as he prays, that you will enjoy the new life he's given you. That you will enjoy the new life he's given you.
[30:29] Look at verse 13. And now I, now come out to thee, Jesus says to God, I'm on my way up back. I'm on my way home. I'm on my way back to heaven. These things I speak in the world.
[30:40] As I'm saying this to these people, they're still living down here. They're not coming home. I'm on my way home. But I like this, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
[30:51] I wish if you had your Bible open, you'd underline my joy. It's not your joy. It's not your parents' joy. It's not the church's joy. It's not the youth department's joy. It's the joy you get because Jesus changed your life.
[31:04] He gave you a new past. He gave you a new present. And he gave you a new future. He has given you, he said in John 10, 10, the thief comes up for the steal and the kill. But I am come that they might have life and life more abundant.
[31:18] So your God loves you. Let me explain something to you. Lost people always accuse us of having a pretty miserable run at life. They act like, you know, because I don't get to sleep with somebody else's wife, I don't get to enjoy life.
[31:33] They act like, because I don't get to abuse some kind of alcohol or drugs, that I don't get to have a good life. But I'll be honest with you. I'm still a young man of 66, but I've had a stinking good time.
[31:45] God's been good to me. And this is a room full of people that really believe that. You know why we enjoy life though? It's not our joy. It's not Baptist joy. It's not church joy. It's not Christian joy.
[31:56] It's the joy of the Lord. He said, my joy. Now I want you to go to number three, if you would, to John 17, 15, another prayer we would pray. We would pray you to enjoy eternal life.
[32:08] We would pray you to enjoy the new life. We pray that you, that God would keep you safe from Satan. John 17, 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
[32:24] So, you know, brother, Steve Morgan said, you'd graduate from adolescent troubles to adult troubles.
[32:37] He wasn't teasing. He wasn't being cool. He wasn't trying to say something, something like a tweet. He's telling the truth. He's telling the truth.
[32:49] And the rest of your life, the devil's after you. The devil's after you, sins after you, and it would destroy your life. But thank God, Jesus is praying for you. Thank God, you got a mom and daddy are praying for you.
[33:01] You got a church that's praying for you. You got some youth, and you're back from middle school, all the way up. Even children's and, and, and, and, and everybody else that's ever worked to you. They're praying for you.
[33:12] See, Satan's like a roaring lion looking around, seeing who he can devour. And the world that hated Jesus hates you. By the way, there's no more hated person on the planet than Jesus.
[33:26] Not by us. We're in deeply in love with him, but you know what? You could be a Muslim and you could be a, you could be a, whatever you want to be. And people don't even get upset about it.
[33:37] But if you talk about Christianity, they don't like it because they don't like Jesus. You need to know it's a devil. He hates Jesus. He's the only one that can do it. And so he says, keep them from Satan and sin and, and all of that.
[33:52] And I want to tell you real quickly, and I know it's a broken record, but it's going to be the word. It's going to be the word. John 17, 17, he said, father, sanctify them through thy truth.
[34:07] God clean up their lives through your truth. And then he said, and your words, truth. And so it's the word of God's going to keep you clean. I know you've been taught this. I know you've been taught by your moms and dads.
[34:18] I know you've been taught. I know you've been taught by the teachers that you've been working with. I know you've been taught in the youth department. I know you've been taught in all the things that's ever happened to you, but you need to book. And the word sanctify here is like taking a bath.
[34:31] It's like getting holy. It's like stepping away from sin and stepping closer to God. And you know what? When you get in the Bible, it's kind of like taking a bath. You don't take a bath pretty regularly.
[34:41] You're going to smell pretty rank. Amen. And anybody walks around in this dirty world and needs a regular bath. And the bath is the sanctifying word of God, the truth of God.
[34:53] And so while I'm on that, when he said, when he said, keep them safe from sin, he was, he also has more than once already mentioned how he wants you to enjoy unity with the, with the brethren.
[35:05] And so I'd like you to look at 1720 with me, if you would. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their words. So as you go out with us and the people, there's other people going to get to enjoy all this.
[35:18] But I want you to underline in verse 21, pray that they all may be one. As you father are in me and I in you, that they may be one in us.
[35:34] And he wants you to enjoy spiritual oneness with him and with other believers. If you really want to stay away from sin, stay in the book, stay in the word.
[35:49] But if you really want to stay away from sin, stay in worship, stay at church. You know what? You, you become like that with which you associate.
[36:00] You become like that with which you run around. And if you hang around with wicked stuff all the time, you're going to end up being wicked. And I know you don't want to do that. I don't know how many of you get there, start making adult-like decisions on your own, but sooner or later they're coming.
[36:14] And you've got to make up your mind. Without mama, without daddy, without them Pearson people telling me what to do, without the Cornwells fussing at me, I'm going to choose the right thing.
[36:26] And the right thing is I'm going to be in the Bible, and I'm going to be with God's people. I'm going to be in the Bible, and I'm going to be with God's people. The fourth thing, I think Jesus prays here that they would reach spiritual maturity.
[36:40] Look at John 17, 23. I in them, thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. They might get this maturity, perfect maturity.
[36:54] It's not perfect like I don't sin. It's like fully grown up. It's like fully grown up. So though you have finished high school, and though you've learned a lot of doctrine, I'm just going to say perfect means getting your doctrine settled.
[37:14] If you're going to get to maturity, you're going to get your doctrine settled. You're going to have to say, I know what the Bible says. I know what's true, and I accept it. I believe it, and it's a part of me, and it's a part of who I am.
[37:28] You can't let every wind of doctrine that comes along change you. Tomorrow, I mean, if they're confused about gender today, what will they be confused about tomorrow? But you're going to get in the book, and you're just going to be straight.
[37:40] You're just going to know what the Bible says. You got your doctrine. Don't let the world push you into its mold. If you let the world push you into its mold, it will ruin you. It will destroy you. Don't let that happen.
[37:53] And the last thing I think Jesus prayed for his disciples here, for me and you and them, especially, is John 17, 24. He prays that they'd see Jesus for who he is.
[38:05] Well, I want you to do that. Well, I want you to do that. I want you to know him for who he is. Bible says in 24, Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.
[38:22] Anyway, this isn't a carpenter. This isn't a rabbi. This is almighty God in human flesh.
[38:33] John 1, 14, we beheld him. He's the only begotten son of God. We beheld him. He's in flesh. John 1, 1, he was, he was with the word. He was the word.
[38:45] And I want you to know you, Jesus is God. He existed a long time before the first Christmas. He has existed always. He has no beginning.
[38:56] He has no end. He is God come in human flesh to save sinful men. Jesus knows God. Jesus is God. Jesus was with God.
[39:06] Jesus is with God. We're not worshiping the Baptist church. Thank God. It's got me in it. And that ruined it.
[39:19] And it's got you in it. And that didn't help it that much. We're worshiping Jesus Christ. We're not worshiping a religion. We're not something we made up.
[39:31] You get to college. They're going to tell you like they told me way back in 1972. They're going to tell me religion is a man-made thing. We figured out who God was.
[39:41] We made up God so we could control people. That was a lie back then. It's a lie now. There was a God that made me. A God that made you. You know what we want to do is we want to see Jesus for who he is.
[39:51] Now to see Jesus for who he is, I got to see who I am. And when I see who I am, then I see how great he is. I have to see me like I really am.
[40:05] I don't challenge you with that. Now listen to me. It's pretty easy to think pretty highly of yourself. I'm not the only one that has a problem with that. And it's pretty easy not to remember too much sin.
[40:17] And when y'all brought up in a Christian home, I was brought up in a Christian home. I still hadn't had any alcohol to drink. I've never used drugs, I tell you, in my life. I mean, I got some big bad sins like speeding.
[40:31] I mean, I have been on a drive fast on occasion like this week. But I mean, I just really don't do much. It's pretty easy to get to thinking you're pretty good. And then Jesus isn't so big.
[40:44] But when you read the Bible and find out, boy, I failed an almighty God. And I deserve to go to hell. And I'm just a worm that ought to burn forever. But God loved me.
[40:56] And Jesus came and found me. And Jesus convicted me of my sin and showed me my need. And then reached down and said, I'll pull you out of where you ought to go. And I'll let you go to heaven.
[41:07] I'll make a new creature out of you. Then when I realized this almighty God who was before the world was ever made and will always be and has always been and who is always perfect and never messed up, not one time, not one idle word, not one bad thought, not one failure in his entire being, and looks at a filthy sinner like me and says, I love you.
[41:31] Boy, it's easy to see glory there. It's easy to realize how great our God is. I want you to see him. Because when you see him, you're going to want to worship him. I got awestruck over them when I was a boy.
[41:45] And I am still awestruck. I think about how good he's been to me. I think about how he's answered my prayer. I think about how he's given me everything I've ever had. And I am just beholding the glory of God.
[41:59] And I still see through a glass darkly. I don't even understand a tenth of who he is. But I can't wait to watch him and to look at him and to behold him. And Jesus prayed that that would happen.
[42:11] Father in heaven, I thank you for these young people. And I thank you for our church. And I thank you for who you are and what you've been doing. God, I pray these young people.
[42:23] God, help them to be secure in their salvation. Help them to know based on the word of God that they're saved. Not on emotion. Not on emotion. Not on behavior. Not on something they did.
[42:35] But on realizing you changed them. God, help them to know that. God, help them to grow into maturity and get victory over sin. And to get their doctrine settled.
[42:47] God, protect them from the devil. God, help them to see Jesus for who he is. God, show your great grace and power in their lives. And we'll give you praise and honor and glory for all you do. In Jesus' name.
[43:04] And that's certainly through the night. And teenagers, I would like for you to recognize that on the back of your program is the outline that Pastor just preached. Reminding you that that Jesus that he spoke about, that he was all struck with, is the same one that is praying for you.
[43:18] And we have that outline. We won't be ending the night with announcements. So I'm going to make a couple of those before we end the night in prayer for our graduates. Ladies, all ladies, young and old and anywhere between.
[43:31] On Wednesdays this summer for three mornings, there's going to be a summer series. If Jesus is the hero of the story, the ministry that he uses is the ministry of the word. And so I encourage you ladies to get together for a study about Jesus Christ on Wednesday mornings.
[43:47] Information is available coming on email. And I want to make sure you don't miss out on that. I'd like to invite the graduates, all of you, back up here. And it would have been good if I'd had them sitting together.
[43:58] But I guess in some ways it's symbolic that they scatter throughout the church. And you never know where they're at because that's where they are at throughout the time. So if you'll come back and sit back up here. And then I'm going to invite their parents to come stand behind them.
[44:11] And parents, if you'll come and stand behind your graduates. And then youth workers, Pearsons and Littlefields, Morgans and Mize. After the parents are in place, you'll come stand behind them.
[44:21] Because you know that is our role in youth ministry is to support the family as they raise their children. So if all of you begin ahead this way. And Pastor, we'll close our night with a word of prayer.
[44:33] And so these kids have grown up. And your kids are growing up seeing people come forward. And being commissioned to go out and do a work. Whether it's a short-term mission trip. Whether it's to go to the mission field.
[44:44] But we bring people up here and we pray over them when they're being commissioned. And tonight they'll most certainly be commissioned. As it's been said, they had a temptation in their adolescence. Now they have a battle as adults.
[44:56] They had ministries as teenagers. And now they have ministries as adults. And I hope all of you will see that the people in front of you. They are here for you as they are praying with Jesus for you. They want to help you in life.
[45:08] They want to help you learn how to make disciples. They want to help you solve the problems. Ben, as you said, we are a family. We really are a family. This group of people in here tonight, they are for you.
[45:19] And you have a great group of people that are behind you. What a blessed group of people to have the family that they do. And it's a blessing in youth ministry to get to stand beside you parents to raise such incredible young people.
[45:32] What a gift of the people that he has brought together here. And this is a really special thing that we get to be part of. And I will ask all five of you here that you would be part of the next generation.
[45:44] That you would invest. As that's been invested into you, that you would now invest. And that every year when there's another group of people sitting up here, you'll say, I had a part in that. When they said I want them, I was a part of I want them.
[45:55] When they said discipleship, I was part of discipleship. When they speak about the church, they're going to be speaking about your life. And then very soon, believe it or not, and I can see it from your pictures, Jonathan.
[46:06] You're going to look like your dad when you're older right here. Very soon, you're going to be standing exactly where they are. And Lord willing, until Jesus comes back, we'll keep filling these with the kids of our kids.
[46:17] And what a special thing. And so pastor's going to come up here and he's going to say a word of prayer and commission you to your adult ministries inside of our church and to this world.
[46:28] Let's put your heads for a word of prayer, if you would. Father, I come before you and I bring these wonderful young people and their families and all the teachers and workers. And we so thank you for all you have done and are doing.
[46:41] God, I pray for Adriana. I pray that you would, God, bless her, raise her up to do great and mighty things for you. I pray, God, that you would bring exactly the right man at the right time into her life.
[46:54] I pray, God, that her marriage would be one that brings great honor and glory to you. And I thank you that she wants to serve you in missions. And I pray to God that you would use her that way. God, I thank you for Ben.
[47:06] And I ask you to work in Ben's life. I ask you to help him continue to be a soul winner. And I pray, God, that you'd help him to be a man that could lead a woman. I pray you bring the right lady into his life at the right time.
[47:18] And, God, that he would raise a family that would bring honor to your name. And that every day he would do more and more as he serves you. God, and I pray for Hayes. I thank you, Lord, for his testimony of being saved last year today.
[47:31] And I pray, dear God, that you would bring the right lady into Hayes' life at the right time. I pray, God, you'd help him to be the kind of man to lead a home that would bring honor to your name. And I pray you'd show yourself real.
[47:41] God, help Hayes to become somebody of influence for the cause of Jesus Christ. Help him to be a man of the book and help people there. God, I pray for Jonathan. God, I thank you for him.
[47:53] I thank you for his sweet spirit. I thank you for his attitude. I pray, God, you bring the right lady at the right time. I pray, dear God, that you would help Jonathan as he leads us home. That you would give him.
[48:03] I pray, God, you put him in the ministry. You'd have him in. I pray, God, that for another generation there, unless you come back to get us, Jesus, I pray you'd use Jonathan in a mighty way.
[48:15] God, I know grace isn't here. But I thank you for grace. Thank you for the girl she is, the young lady that she is. Thank you. I've got to watch her grow up as a little girl all of her life.
[48:26] And I pray, God, that you give her the right man at the right time. I pray, God, you'd help her to be greatly used of you. I pray, God, you'd let her life count. I thank you that she wants to study and to do something with life.
[48:38] I'll give you praise for that. God, be with Sophia. God, I know that Sophia and her siblings have had the word pumped into them. And I thank you for that.
[48:50] I do thank God that you have put wisdom in this young lady. And I pray, God, you'd bring the right man at the right time and the right way into her life.
[49:01] I pray, God, you'd help her to share wisdom with other ladies and girls and children. And I pray, God, it should be the kind of helpmate that you'd have her to be. And I pray, God, that her family, whenever you put them together, would be somebody that does great and mighty things.
[49:17] God, I can't thank you enough for all these workers. I know that they have spent countless hours. They have prayed. They have taught. They have answered the phone.
[49:29] They've answered texts. They've been in touch. And, God, that you have used them. And I thank you for that. I pray, God, that you'd help us to do some more of it. I pray you'd help us to see more people turn out.
[49:40] And, God, I pray you'd just do great things. I thank you for Trent and Stephanie. I thank you for their heart. I thank you for their life. I thank you for what you do with them. And, God, there's a thousand other people. All these people in this room have had a part to do in the lives of these young people.
[49:54] God, I pray you'd help us to see great things happen. You'd do more and more. Till you send Jesus back to get us, please help us continue. And we'll give you praise for it. In Jesus' name, amen.