Biblical Wisdom for Graduating Seniors | Guidance and Reflection

In this video, Reagan addresses young graduates, drawing from Proverbs and other biblical texts to offer timeless wisdom. He begins by engaging the audience with a 'This or That' game to illustrate the importance of decision-making. Reagan emphasizes four key points from Psalm 37:25 - the inevitability of change, the value of learning from elders, the constants in faith, and the effectiveness of God's way. He concludes by sharing advice from church elders, urging graduates to prioritize spirituality, seek wisdom, maintain their character, and positively influence others. The sermon highlights enduring principles for navigating life's transitions while staying true to one's faith.

00:00 Introduction and Opening Prayer
00:24 The 'This or That' Game
02:23 Young vs. Old: A Reflection
03:58 David's Wisdom for the Young
08:26 Advice from the Elders
10:02 The Importance of Constancy
17:56 Prioritizing God in Times of Change
22:38 Decisions That Should Already Be Made
26:32 Character That Remains Unchanged
30:44 Influencing and Being Influenced
33:55 Conclusion and Call to Action

Transcript

Good morning to everyone. If you have your Bible with you, would you take it out please and turn to the book of Proverbs, the book of Proverbs, Proverbs chapter one. And we will read verse eight here in just a moment. Now we're gonna refer to a number of other passages. We'll have some on the screen behind me before then, but if you'll open your Bible to Proverbs chapter one.

We'll look at a number of proverbs in our lesson this morning. There's a, a get to Know You game that. That I've played with groups of kids in a number of different environments. We've done it at camps and get togethers and those sorts of things. It's called this or that, and the way it works is you line all of the kids up in the middle of the room and then you give them two choices and two choices only, and they have to choose this or that.

Which one would you choose if given the choice between only those two options? And to be honest, sometimes it's a little unfair because a lot of times there are a lot of intermediate choices that we all would pick. But the point of the game is you've gotta choose between one or the other. And it's interesting, you can learn a lot about somebody by what they picked from some of those things.

Now I'm not gonna make everybody stand up and get in the middle and go here or there. I do value my position and vocation here at Timberland Drive and I'd like to stay, but what I will ask you to do. Is this or that, and I'm gonna have you raise your hand and make a choice on a few of these. And again, the great thing about standing everybody up is you see the kid who's still standing in the middle and say, buddy, you gotta choose raising your hand.

You have the choice whether to participate or not, but for fun, let's just try and participate together. Okay? The first one, this or that, in regard to the weather, would you rather it be hot or cold? So raise your hand if you'd rather it be hot. Raise your hand if you'd rather it be cold. Oh, very evenly split.

You get the idea? Okay. Do you like sports or music? Better? Sports. Music. Oh, music. I think outnumbers. And some of you say, I don't like either one of those things. Why didn't you ask about my thing's? My sermon, not yours. Okay. Alright. Here's one that'll really divide the crowd A and M or ut a and m. No.

Whoops. Okay, ut oh, we've got some representation there. Now all of that is a warmup for the question I really want to ask this morning, so this or that, do you consider yourself now, nobody's calling you this. This is what you consider yourself. Do you consider yourself young or old, this or that? If you consider yourself young, raise your hand.

You consider yourself old, raise your hand. Let me notate that for future reference. Young or old that's kind of a binary choice. And we say, well, I'm probably, most of us are somewhere in the middle between young and old, and that's not fair. But all of us have been young at some point, and if we live long enough, there will come a day where we have to admit that we are old.

Now, my 95-year-old grandfather is testing that theory. I'm not sure that he would admit that he's old yet, but. We're honest with ourselves. That day will come for all of us as Jerry Johnson. So lovingly addressed me this morning. Hi old man. I'm gonna have to admit it at some point, but I have been young and I am now well older.

Bad to choose. I would still say young, but we see that David and explaining the way of the world to a younger generation. Said in Psalm 37 and verse 25, I have been young and that applies to all of us, and now I am old. You raised your hand if that fits yet. I have not seen the righteous forsaken. I. Nor his descendants begging bread.

David makes four very important points, especially for young people, and this isn't the lesson, but I think it is a foundation for the things that I want to talk about this morning. And so if we highlight. A number of phrases in this verse. I think we see four very important things, especially for young people.

So if you raised your hand and you said you're young, listen up to what David has to say. Number one, changes are coming for all of us. He says, I have been young and now I am old. Change happens. Transitions of life from young and dependent to young and independent, to old and independent, to old and dependent.

That's the way of life. And there are some slow changes and there are some gradual changes and there are some very fast and immediate changes that happen all at once. But whatever the change is and however it comes, change is inevitable. Changes are coming for all of us and for you who are young people.

The second thing that David emphasizes here is that your parents and your grandparents and the people older than you at church. They've been where you are. They have been young. They have faced something very similar to what you are facing. And maybe that's hard to imagine. It's hard to imagine people who are old being young.

But I think it's easier perhaps when you reach an age that you remember those old people being. By that, I mean, I remember the 40th birthday for both of my parents, and at that time I thought. How young they are? No, I thought, wow. 40. Wow. Yeah. 40. Wow.

I remember that with them. But I remember just as clearly my own 10th birthday. The 15th, the 18th. I remember what it is to be young. And all those in this room who are older, they remember too. And whether you, as young people realize it or not, we've all been where you are. We've all sat where you sit and maybe those older people have made mistakes.

Maybe they've worked for their success, almost certainly so, and their experiences in the guidance. That they can give you, can save you a lot of difficulty and heartbreak of experiencing things for yourself. They should be a source of wisdom that continues throughout your life, even after they die. I am still learning from the wisdom of those who loved me, but have passed from this life to the next.

And David is making that connection here that all of us as older people want to make with younger people that we love. I have been young. Though I am old, I know what it's like, and I can give you wisdom that you've not yet experienced. Number three, there are some things that are universally true, that are constant and dependable, and David says, I have not seen in all of my life the righteous forsaken nor his descendants begging bread.

Now we know that Proverbs is the idea of the probability of wisdom, not the promises of wisdom. I've emphasized that with the young people. We just. Studied the book of Proverbs in the high school class, but there are things that are without exception because they are the promises of God. And please don't misunderstand what David is saying here.

He's not saying, I've never seen righteous people who are in need. He's saying, I've never seen righteous people who are truly right with God, forsaken by God, where they are in this constant state of need where they're constantly begging others. A life in Jesus Christ assures you that that's not gonna be the case.

Jesus put it this way in Matthew six, in verse 33, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things, all these physical things will be added to you. This is the way God intended for things to be for his people. And I would say this, number four, from what David says here, God's way works.

It is the righteous. Who are not forsaken. His commands, as we talked about in the junior high class this morning, are for your good sometimes. Most of the time. No for your good always. And if things aren't the way God promises, maybe you're not following God's law the way he intends. So for our young people and specifically, and especially for our graduating seniors congratulations.

You are about to experience a time of great changes in your life. Yes. David says, things change. It's inevitable, and you're about to experience some of those changes. So what do you do in a time? Great changes. Well, may I suggest that you need to go to those who are older and wiser than you to learn what is true and dependable.

Go to those who have been young and now they are old to be instructed from God's word on what works because it is God's will and God's way. Now we would be, I think, well, we would've done well in being here this morning to just get that concept and say. Be warmed and filled. Go and do likewise. Go find somebody older and wiser and get that advice for your life and, and I encourage you to actually do that.

But to help you with that, for the rest of our time this morning, I asked the elders of our congregation to give you, as graduating seniors, their advice from God's word. And then I did my best to categorize that wisdom into our main points this morning. So in a time of great changes, remember these things from those who well, don't wanna insult any of our elders, but they have been young, and you can fill in the blank in a time of great changes, number one.

Some things remain constant. I was preaching in Fort Worth this past week, cow Town, they call it. One morning we went down to the stockyards and, there was a guy whose family has been working at the Stockyards in some capacity since the mid the late 18 hundreds. It's kind of cool now he's working as a tour guide at the Stockyards.

Maybe it's just a good story. I don't know. We didn't take a tour, but we saw the little cattle drive and he was talking beforehand and giving some history and I learned something that I didn't know. Did you know how cowboys. Kept going the right direction on these cow drive from Texas to Kansas. What they would do is every night before everybody went to bed, they would point the hitch of the chuck wagon at the North Star, and then when everybody woke up this the next morning, they would know which way was north and which way they needed to go.

Now, why did that work? Because some things are constant. And we've been using the North Star for navigation for millennia as human beings. Homer wrote about it in the Odyssey 800 years before Christ. So as Christians, as young people who are believers in God and are going out into the world with great changes, what is your north star?

What remains constant, even if everything else changes, will my summation of the wisdom of our elders in regard to this. In a time of great changes, God, your family and timeless wisdom from God's word can be with you wherever you go. God, your family and timeless wisdom from God's word can be with you wherever you go.

One of our elders especially liked Isaiah chapter 41 in verse 10, which says, fear not for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. And while God is talking to his people, Israel, that is a true promise for God's people of all time.

The Elder writes quote, this verse has always meant a lot to me. The times that I have been alone and worried and fearful are the exact times I have tried to go it alone. I thought I could do it myself. Without God, it is impossible. You can't really do anything without him. Now, maybe if you're graduating, you're like me when I was graduating, and you're thinking to yourself, okay, God, your family and timeless wisdom from God's word is with you wherever you go.

I would probably have thought to myself, I love my family, but I don't want them to be with me wherever I go. As I drove off from West Texas in that Honda Accord for the first time, I was so excited to start a life of independence. And I don't mean literally they will be with you, but their love and support and wisdom can be if you'll allow it.

Stay connected to them as another elder. Put it, stay plugged into your family back home. They love you and want to hear about all of your new experiences. God, your family and your spiritual family should be the three constants in your life. Never forget how much God loves you, how much your family loves you, and how much we love you at Timberland Drive.

I would add to that something that I wish somebody had told me more explicitly. Call your mama. Call your mama when you're gone. She might not call you, but she might still be hurt if you don't call her. So call your mama. Another wrote after much, trying to think of something important to say to our graduating seniors.

I can't say it any better than. And he listed a bunch of passages from several books of the Bible. Let me read the ones from Proverbs with you. So if you're there in Proverbs chapter one, start with me in Proverbs chapter one and verse eight, and he's chosen some proverbs here that deal with this idea of relationship between fateful family and then fateful children.

My son, Proverbs one. In verse eight, my son, hear the instruction of your father. Do not forsake the law of your mother. Go to chapter four in verse one

here, my children, the instruction of a Father, and give attention to no understanding for I give you good doctrine. Do not forsake my law. Chapter six and verse 20 of Proverbs.

My son, keep your father's command and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck When you roam, when these changes happen and you go somewhere else, they will lead you. When they sleep, when you sleep, they will keep you. When you awake, they will speak with you.

Again, just like I say, it'll be with you wherever you go. It's not literally that you're gonna hear these things speaking, but that wisdom will remain with you if you'll allow it to. Chapter 13 in verse one. Proverbs 13 in verse one.

Proverbs 13 in verse one. A wise son heeds, his father's instruction. But a scoffer does not. Listen to rebuke chapter 15 and verse 20.

Proverbs 15 and verse 20. A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother. Everybody loves their mama, right? That's in part, perhaps why we have such good attendance on Mother's Day, right? Everybody wants to make their mama happy. But foolishness in our life where we turn our back on God and the way we have been taught well, that shows a despising of sorts of those who have taught us those things.

One more Chapter 23, Proverbs 23

and verse 23. Buy the truth and do not sell it Also. Wisdom and instruction and understanding the father of the righteous will greatly rejoice and he'll beget. The wise child will delight in him. Just the opposite. When we see our children walking in wisdom, what delight that gives us. So verse 25, let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice because of the way that you're living and because of who you are.

That is loved ones. 3000 year old wisdom that has not changed, passed down from a father and a grandfather to their children. So do you who are graduating. You have parents who love you and have tried to give you the greatest privilege of all being raised in a godly home to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

And I know that your parents were not perfect and will not be perfect. They are a great and abundant blessing to you, a constant even in the midst of all the change in a time of great changes. Number two, some things still come first, and this one is really easy To summarize from the elders and what they told me, put God first in a time of great changes as everything else is uncertain, as everything else is swirling.

Just remember to prioritize the things of God. Put God first. Always remember your priorities and align your actions with God's commandments. God loves you and wants you to do good. He wants you to follow him. It's amazing how much strength that you can capture if things are in the right order. Think your priorities and your beliefs to him, and you can never go wrong.

It reminds me a lot of something that my grandfather told me, and I think I've shared with you before. Something that he wrote on a little card and put in his wallet and took with him wherever he went. Always let spirituality have the upper hand and you will never go wrong. Now, he kept that in his wallet when he was young, but it stayed in his wallet as he got older and he got older and he got older.

And it, as he gave that wallet to me, it was still in there. And that wisdom continues to speak, that a man that faced the things that he faced in his life, both good and bad, the things that he faced that all people had to face, like cancer and the things that he had to face because he took a stand for what was right and what was godly.

All of those things. He continued to let spirituality have the upper hand. He put God first and his life with a life of influence and blessing to others, including me. Because of that attitude and that kind of attitude, that kind of priority really simplifies and clarifies your life. Young people, you know what life is about because you put God first.

It makes living life so much easier. I don't have to make a decision on what's right and wrong. I just do what God wants me to do. As another says, you may be pulled in a hundred different directions with everyone competing for your time. Don't commit, don't get discouraged. Establish priorities, and always remember to put God first in all your plans, education, career, relationships, so your labor is not in vain.

And really that's a quote from Psalm 1 27 in verse one. As this elder points out, unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it unless the Lord builds the life they labor in vain who live it. And so live your life built in God's way, in your pursuit of learning or whatever comes next.

Another says, don't neglect spiritual learning and growth. Start and end every day with prayer. Pray for wisdom and understanding, and read your Bible every day back there in Proverbs chapter four. If you turn back to Proverbs chapter four,

after being instructed as children to hear the instruction of our Father in verse five. This is actually instruction from the grandfather to the father past passed on to the child. Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her. That is wisdom and she will preserve you.

Love her and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principle thing. Therefore, get wisdom and in all you're getting get. Understanding the wise man. Put it this way, at the end of Ecclesiastes, if you turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 12, this is another of those list of verses that were given by one of the elders, Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verses 13 and 14.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is man's all. This is the whole duty of man. Maybe your translation says, fear God and keep his commandments. Put God first. And even in a time of great changes, we still have our priorities. In a time of great changes.

Number three, some things should already be decided. There are a lot of things that are changing, but some things should already be decided. I, I think it's tough, maybe even unfair that young people have to decide so many things that make a huge impact on their life as such. A young age, you know, where am I gonna live?

Where am I gonna go to school? Where am I gonna go to church? When I go somewhere else, who is it that I'm going to marry? What am I gonna do for a job? All of these huge, lifelong, in some cases, decisions you gotta make when you're young. But I want to encourage you and our elders encourage you that some things have or should be already decided.

For example, in Ecclesiastes chapter 12 and verse one, remember now your creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come and the years draw near. When you say, I have no pleasure in them, before you get old, while you're still young, remember your creator make the decision that yes, God comes first, as we already said in our previous point, but there are more things that should already be decided as well.

For example, in the first chapter of Daniel resolve, make up your mind to follow God Now, and that's exactly what Daniel did in Daniel chapter one and verse eight, as he experiences unbelievable changes, think about what changed in Daniel's life. He changed where he lived. That's the smallest of them perhaps.

He changed what his life was all about. He went from being likely wealthy to likely poorer. Certainly now he was free. Once he was free, and now he's a slave. The outlook of what his life was going to be changed in all likelihood, he would not be able to marry, he would not be able to have children. All of that changed.

It changed even his name as he went from being someone who was named after Yahweh, to someone who was named after a Pagan god. But what was Daniel's response to all of this? But Daniel made up his mind. The net translation says that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine.

He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself. He decided ahead of time, I'm not going to do it. And so one elder writes The additional advice from me would be to, like Daniel, make up your mind now to live as you should.

To do what you know is right and to not do what you know is wrong. Be specific in your commitment. For example, I will not be around people who are participating in fill in the blank. Waiting. He goes on to say, to make a decision in the moment is likely to result in a wrong decision and is, and is exactly what Satan wants us to do At that point, he already has his hooks in us and we are more likely to succumb to temptation.

A decision not to defile ourselves makes it easier to avoid situations and places where temptations take place. Another elder says, stay firm in your faith. Don't be misled by academics who are too smart to believe in God, who professing to be wise, have become fools. Remember what you have learned and have come to understand as the truth.

Don't be misled and tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrines so graduates, young people resolve. Make up your mind to follow God. To follow God. Now. No matter what in a time of great changes, number four, who you should be does not change where you are, might change what you do for a living. Might change your relationship status.

Might change. Lots of things. Might change, will change. But who you should be as a Christian does not change. I think one of the things I admire most about Harold Hancock is how stable and steady he is. He embodies the qualities of character that he admires most, and so really this is an idea of strive for the kind of character that does not change, including these two words.

Strive for meekness and strive for godliness. If you hadn't heard that from Harold, you hadn't been listening very closely. Because this is who he strives to be, and this is who he encourages others to be who we are. Our character should not change as all of these other great changes are taking place around us.

And so one elder won't tell you who his initials are, Harold Hancock said, number one, always be honest, sincere with yourself and others. And number two, learn the Bible definition to meekness and godliness and always practice them starting now. And that's all he wrote. And I said, well, what are the definitions of those two qualities?

So forget it in his own words. Meekness. Meekness is that temper of spirit in which we accept God's dealings with us as good without disputing or resisting them. Describe negatively. Meekness is the opposite. Self interest and self assertiveness. It is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down simply because it is not occupied with self at all.

Meekness is the example. He gives a person at the helm of a ship admits to storm who has complete control of the vessel. Despite everything else going around them. I would say this, it is a quiet confidence. It is strength under control. It is the person that knows who they are, where they're going, and how they're gonna get there spiritually, because they rely on God and young people.

Let me tell you, if you have that kind of strength, that kind of meekness, you will stand out among your peers. They say that person's got things figured out. I don't even know the right questions to ask, and they've got the answers somehow. Not in all of these physical choices that you have to make, but in the most important things of a spiritual nature, you know who you are.

You know your character, and you're striving to live that way. Godliness denotes piety, which is characterized by a God word attitude that is. Seeking to do the will of God for the right reason, which is to please God. Godliness is not just doing the right thing, it's doing the right thing with the right motives for the right reasons.

Perhaps Joseph is one who manifested both of these characteristics. He was able to handle the ups and downs in his life with an understatement. Without rebelling against God and he obeyed God with the motivation to please God. And so young people, I would summarize it this way, you wanna think about character, be a Daniel in the midst of captivity, be a Joseph even in Egypt, and you'll be who God has called you to be.

Have that character that remains the same, whoever you're around and wherever you are, whatever age you are. And whatever it is you happen to be doing. And then finally, our last point this morning, our last bit of wisdom from those who have been young and now they are old in a time of great changes. You have great opportunities with others, and I would summarize their wisdom in this way.

In a time of great changes, seek to influence others for good. Also seek to be influenced by those who are good. And really that's a great deal of our purpose. That we are salt and light and some of those who are graduating, you've heard from from Mr. B for years and years and years. Your salt and you reply your light.

You know that you are those things that you are supposed to be an influence on others, but in order to be that influence on others, you also have to be influenced by the right people as well. So one elder puts it this way, be a leader in whatever group you find yourself in. When I say a leader, I mean be a leader with Christian values.

People want to be led, and you should step into that gap when you have an opportunity. Do not be afraid. To stand up for what is right and hold your ground on spiritual matters again, quote, find other Christians to fellowship with and spend your time with, but do not miss the opportunities to influence people who are not Christians.

Do not be lazy about your spirituality. When you have the opportunity to talk to someone about salvation. Seize the moment. Be a good influence on others. Another elder says, and surround yourself, good people and good influences. He references Proverbs, 13 and verse 20, Proverbs 13 and verse 20, which says, he who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Goes on to say, connect yourself with a local congregation who stands for truth and with a strong church family who can help you to be better and who will hold you accountable. Be active in the work and take advantage of every opportunity for spiritual growth and development. Become a part of a local congregation.

Another says, wherever you find yourself on your journey, the church was designed to be and is. A wonderful support group. When you find yourself all alone in a new place, do not forget. Now, this is super practical. You paying attention. Members of the church love to feed people, and they could be a good source of free food from time to time.

Now that's somebody who's lived it, who's been through it, and also a home, even away from home. All of these opportunities. Start now because of God. Yes, changes are coming and some of those changes will be big, but who you are, what you stand for, the things that come first, the things that you've decided are right and wrong, the things that should remain constant in your life.

Those things, those things do not change. And so you're here this morning and you're not yet a Christian. You have opportunity. You have opportunity to start living a life in reflection of the promises that God has made, not just to young people, not just to old people, but to his people of any age. And I want you to turn one final time to Acts chapter 17, and I'm gonna read beginning in verse 26.

This was another of that long list of scriptures that were given, and I think I have to agree with this Elder. I don't know if I can say it any better. Than what Paul says it here, to those who are in Athens

in verse 26 of Acts chapter 17, and he, God has made from one blood every nation of men who dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined their pre appointed times in the boundaries of their dwellings, so that God created all this so that for this reason. That they should seek the Lord and the hope that they might grope for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

For in him. We live and move and have our very being. As also some of your own poets have said, for we are his offspring. Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone. Something shaped by art in man's devising God, God is not physical in that way.

Truly these times of ignorance, God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere. Who's that? Leave out? Young or old, all people everywhere to repent. Whatever else changes, God does not. And his desire for people has not changed. He desires, he revealed himself in such a way so that you might seek for him.

I mean, really seek for him, grope for him. You're trying to find him because he wants to be found and his desire is for you to find him. And when you do. For you to obey him because you know that he loves you to submit your will to his that you believe, and now you're willing to repent as he commands to put off who you used to be to put on someone new.

And if you're willing to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, you're willing to make that change in your life. If there's nothing we would love more than to baptize you into Christ to, to come into that covenant relationship with him so that you can rise to walk in newness of life prepared for any changes that might come your way.

And if we can help you with that, even this morning, come while together, we stand in while we sing,

let.