Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

This is the time of the year where students have accomplished the task of completing a step on the education ladder. Whether it be high school, college, technical/trade school, or otherwise, they will be moving on to greater heights as a result of their achievement. As a church, we want to celebrate this and show support for them going forward!

The economic world today makes it more difficult to find “the right job” or the finances towards more schooling. Windows of opportunity are closing left and right and compromises might be made to “get by”. But what this economy cannot rob graduates of is hope.

Hope is one of the unique characteristics of the Christian faith. Hope is a yearning for the good that is to come. Hope for today and tomorrow; for yourself and others; for this world and the next. It is by faith in Christ that we are strengthened by hope.

One of my favorite verses, Romans 8:24-25, tells us more about it:

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Jesus promises us eternal life in heaven and abundant life in the here and now. Best of all, He does this all out of love, mercy, and grace towards us, when we least deserve it! Unlike a diploma or degree, we cannot earn this gift of salvation through “hard work and dedication”.

So upon the moments where these students will be jumping into “the real world”, it’s a fine time for us to be reminded that we are loved and favored beyond our mortal comprehension. And guess what? God can take us places we never imagined! (this means better than what we wanted) When we stand in that moment victorious, our hope is transformed into reality.

Join us this Sunday at the Center Theater (11:00 am) as we recognize our graduates and rejoice in the hope we have in Christ!