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Beating Post High School Challenges Part 1

(This is the first in a series articles about the first big tests that high school graduates face. We’ve been studying them in our senior Sunday school class and I hope these ideas will be helpful to you or those you influence.)

Have you ever seen a train wreck? There’s not a much more vivid metaphor than the unbridled collision of several tons of moving metal resulting in twisted steel, broken glass and an industrial disaster of gargantuan proportions. Too often we see high school graduates celebrate their graduation night and start down the tracks of adulthood only to wreck their lives just a few miles from the train station!

This is the time of year we see our graduates “commence”—begin their adult lives, their post-high school years; so I thought it would be appropriate to consider the top three challenges facing every graduate. It could be stated that these are the first big and immediate tests that confront a young adult immediately after high school. If they pass these tests, they avoid the bad decisions that can lead to a spiritual train wreck. Perhaps these thoughts will be helpful to you as you prepare graduates for adulthood!

1. The Challenge of a Job—Exodus 20:9-10 says, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God.” God created us to work and expects us to lead productive lives. (Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”) And every young adult is excited about having that first job! Mine was making Big Macs at McDonalds. What a joy. And yet, so many young people allow their job to become their first spiritual downfall—often within a few weeks of high school graduation. How?

LBS Graduation—A Memorable Evening!

Last night was a wonderful family memory—watching Lance graduate from High School. Other than gratitude to God for the way Lance has honored the Lord and his parents, the overwhelming emotion of the day was thankfulness to all the people who have labored along with us and invested into his life over the years!

I think first of Pastor Chappell and the many years of faithful leadership and spiritual development that has been poured into our family. We are blessed to have such a loving, Bible-preaching pastor. Second I think of all the LBC/LBS church family and staff—from Sunday school leaders to teachers to coaches to youth leaders—we owe a huge debt of gratitude to all those who have loved our family. Thirdly I think of extended family—grandparents and aunts and uncles who have encouraged our children to love the Lord and honor Him.

Personally, I’m grateful for Dana! She is not only an incredible wife, but she’s an amazing mother. Her spirit and tireless labor has made our family wonderful. Some months ago, as I began sorting through photos, I wrote a post about things I don’t regret when looking back ten years. Last night these same things came to mind again! We truly thank the Lord for His greatness and goodness in our lives. Please join us in praying for Lance and other 09 grads as they continue to seek and follow God’s will for their futures.

A Glimpse Back at Spring Banquet 09

A Special Memory for the Senior Class of 2009

Last Monday we had the privilege of hosting our Senior High teens and many of their parents at Spring Banquet 2009. It was an amazing evening, featuring a delightfully decorated “Grand Ballroom” at the Disneyland Hotel. The students arrived at church at about noon, dressed their best! After a comfortable charter-bus ride, they enjoyed a couple hours of shopping and strolling through Downtown Disney and the hotel gardens, taking photos by the waterfalls and other picture spots.

The banquet began at 5:30 with a great dinner and video greetings from the parents of each senior graduate. This was followed by a video that featured baby pictures of each of the seniors as well as many photos from this past year—school, sports, church, youth activities, etc. After the videos, we heard a few great testimonies, enjoyed a time to honor each senior, and then Pastor Paul Chappell shared a Bible challenge about living a life that can make a difference.

After a short break, the evening wrapped up with a wonderful concert from Ryan Gass—assistant pastor at Coastline Baptist Church. Ryan challenged and blessed all of us.

This was a special evening for Dana and I, because it was Lance’s senior banquet and Larry’s first! God answered some specific prayers and gave us a great night as a family. We also greatly enjoyed honoring the three students in this class whose dads went to Heaven during the same year—when they were in kindergarten and early first grade. That was an emotional moment. We honored these three and their mothers for loving the Lord and being faithful to Him through all these years!

All in all, it was a very special evening and one we will never forget!

My Favorite Moment of WCBC Commencement 09

Praying with the “LBC Brats” that Graduated Today!

Today was a special commencement for West Coast Baptist College! For Dana and me it had a special significance as 20 graduates of the Lancaster Baptist Church youth group were graduating from Bible College. This was a special class! They have always had a fantastic, encouraging spirit and a desire to serve the Lord.

As we were congratulating everybody in the church lobby, one member of the group said, “Can we take a class photo?” After a few minutes, I found myself fighting back the tears as most of this class gathered together near the pulpit to share in a photo. After the photo, we grouped up and had a word of prayer. We gave God thanks and glory for His work in their lives and prayed for His mighty protection and blessing upon their ministries. It was a spiritually and emotionally overwhelming moment—one I will never forget. Standing there in that group was a representation of the essence of our whole lives—a big part of the reason we wake up every day and serve the Lord. God is good to let us experience these special times!

And to put it mildly—these graduates are my heroes!

Book Review—A Glorious Church

A New Book about the Biblical and Historical Integrity of the New Testament Church

Evangelist Mike Gass has written a fantastic new book now available from Striving Together Publications. “A Glorious Church” is a study of the origin, identity, heritage, and integrity of the New Testament Church. It is a fantastic read filled with historical and biblical documentation on the authenticity and function of the local church.

This book is a must read for any one who loves the local church and desires to understand it more biblically and historically. We began working with Brother Gass on this project nearly two years ago, and the first time I read it through, it was challenging and moving beyond description. I often found myself just setting the book down, brushing back some tears, and thanking God for His work in my life through the local church. 

These pages will make you more thankful to be a part of something so incredible as the local church of Jesus Christ. The book is over 300 pages, hardback, and is now available here.

Helping Graduates Prepare for the Future

A Tool to Help High School Grads Understand Their Own Hearts and Direction

I’ve not been able to write a blog post for a while due to year-end events with our graduating seniors—which leads me to thinking this might be a helpful subject. I want to encourage pastors, youth pastors, principals, and those who work with students to have a “senior appointment.” We have sit down appointments each year—one on one—with our graduates to speak openly and prayerfully about their future plans. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see where the Lord is directing their hearts. Let me first share a few thoughts about the appointment, and then a tool that I have found helpful for the appointment.

1. Make sure you are preparing them for the future all through high school—this isn’t the first time we talk about their future, but rather it’s the culmination of a lot of teaching series and mentoring on how to arrive at biblical decisions.

2. Have only God’s agenda for your students—since we have a college on campus, many students and parents automatically assume that we “pressure” every senior to attend WCBC. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This appointment is pointless if you have any agenda other than helping them seek the Lord, get counsel, and supporting their family in the process.

3. Seek to discern the heart direction, not merely the surface decisions—how and why a graduate is making a decision is usually more important that the decision itself! I’ve seen many merely conform to what they perceived to be the expectations of others. Graduates can do “good things” the wrong way or for the wrong purpose. This appointment needs to help them discover their own heart—their logic and reasoning—and expose whether it is biblical and spiritual or not.