Graduation Today

Today is graduation. I have been asked to do a speech, and I will copy it below for your review. It is a speech, not a written presentation, as you will notice as you see the various emphases and punctuations throughout. The text is simple, given all the language differences that will be present.

It is getting hotter every day- I might even appreciate the cold weather back home! I am still busy- I will have a few classes for the graduate students and Myo Zaw and Tumar this week, and we are trying to get Skype set up at the farm so I can continue to teach a couple of times a week after I return to the Socialist States, whoops, I mean United States of America. (I leave and the whole place goes crazy- what can I say?) I will make a few more posts this week to wrap things up, and hopefully include some graduation pics. Here is my 10 minute (if I go slow) graduation speech, sans introductions:


First let me say to our teachers, and to our students, that it has been a privilege to work with each one of you during the 3 months I have been blessed to be here in Thailand. I came here to teach, and indeed I have been teaching, and I have been spending much time in preparation. But just as I expected before I came here, I find that it is the teacher that is learning the most!

To our graduating students, please understand that I am going home, also. Like you, I still have much to do in my life- there is much that God has for me to do. Like you, God has prepared me for the job He has waiting for me. I will make the most of the time that God gives me, and I encourage you to do the same. Today, as I speak to our graduating class, I also speak to myself.

You have taken 3 years of your life to study here at Legacy. You have learned much. What will you do with it? What will you accomplish in your life? How will you put into practice the principles you have learned here? Will you make an impact on those around you? Will you make a difference?

You can, and you will! …in fact, you must, for God has given you gifts that He intends for you to use to help others.

Today, and in the days, months and years to come, I would like you to consider 3 things- 3 principles, that if followed, will guarantee success. To illustrate these principles, let us look at the apostle Paul. Here is a man that turned the world upside-down. Here is a man that- almost by himself- spread a message of hope around an entire empire. Here is a man that endured much, and suffered much, that others might hear the message that he was given. Here is a man that turned his own life completely around in a career change that changed the world.

Do you want to make a difference? Do you want to share what you have been given here at Legacy with others? Do you want to be successful in your life? Then follow these 3 steps.

First of all, KEEP GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE. If you are a Christian, this is the most important thing you can do. Paul said that he could do all things through Christ, who gave him the strength. I understand that some of you are not Christian. But guess what? The principles of the Bible that you have learned over the last 3 years work for everyone. God’s laws are good laws, and they benefit everyone who follows them, Christian or not. Paul, a man of experience in the world, said this himself.

Having God first in your life means seeking His will, not your own. It means, as Paul said, being self-disciplined and focusing on the things of the Spirit. It means doing the right thing when the wrong thing would be easier. It means caring for the needs of others as if they were your own needs. Paul said that he would even give up his own salvation if that would save some of his own people. He also said that to think in this manner was to think like our Savior. A life of humility, service and obedience is a life that works for Christians and non-Christians alike.

Keeping God first in your life is the first of the 10 commandments? Why is it first? Because it is most important. Jesus said that there are only 2 great commandments- Love God with all your might, and love your neighbor as yourself. It is that simple. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness- God will take care of the rest.


Secondly, you must WORK HARD. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your strength. There is no substitute for hard work, just as there is no limit on the amount of good that can be accomplished by one who puts God first and works hard. Look at Paul. On his missionary trips, he preached, he taught, he trained others…then he traveled…and did it all over again in another place. Year after year. At times, he even worked at a trade to support himself while he was doing God’s work. He suffered persecution and even disappointment, but he kept going, with the burning desire to achieve his goals. Do you have a burning desire to achieve your goals? Do you even know what your goals are? Do you have a plan to achieve them? You should. If you do not know where you are going, then where will you end up?

Jesus said that His Father worked, and likewise he works. At times, Jesus helped and healed people when he was exhausted, and really should have been resting. In fact, the Sabbath is a day of rest simply because the other days are supposed to be days of work. The night will come when no man can work, so we need to do all we can while it is still the day. Not only did Paul set an example of hard work, he instructed those under his care to do the same, saying that our purpose is to do good works, and that our lives should show a pattern of good works.

It is your choice. You can watch it happen, or you can make it happen. Which will it be for you? It depends on how much you are willing to work. Do you want to have an impact? Do you want to make a difference? Then keep God first, and work hard.

Finally, graduates, I challenge you- DARE TO DREAM. What do you want to do? What needs to be done? What can YOU do that will really make a difference? Write it down. Write them all down. Make a list, and look at it often. DREAM. Think about what might be possible. Look at Paul. He wanted to travel all over the Empire…so he set that as his goal, and he did it! How? He put God first, he was not afraid to work hard, and he dreamed BIG dreams. Paul preached the gospel for years at Rome- ROME- the capital and business center of the entire Roman Empire- even to some of Caesar’s household. At that time, this was about as BIG as one could dream!

Do you need to be told to do something, or do you do it because you see it needs to be done? Do you jump at opportunities, or let them slip by because they would not be easy? Do you want to do great things, or will you grow old and look back with regret? It is up to you- no one else. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. The people who make a difference are the ones who step outside of what is comfortable, and dream to do what others are not doing.

It starts with an idea. All ideas are not good- you need to think them through, and throw out the bad ones. But many ideas are good. You need to analyze, and plan. You need to involve God in your plan. You need to work hard. But it all starts with an idea, If you don’t dream it, you won’t do it. Think little and you will achieve little. Think BIG and you will do BIG things… important things… things that have an impact…things that make a difference in people’s lives.

Keep God first in your life, work hard, and dare to dream- Big dreams. Do these 3 things, and you will make things happen, and people around you will be better off- because of you.

That, my friends, is true success.

I pray that it will be your success. In a world that is full of suffering and evil, there is so much good that needs to be done. Why not you? Why not me? We’ve all been prepared. Let’s do it!

May the Great God of Heaven bless you, and keep you, as you return home to make a difference.