Plum Creek Christian Academy 2026 Commencement

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:12]I didn't have breakfast.

[00:00:52]Hallelujah.

[00:00:54]Hallelujah.

[00:01:16]Hallelujah.

[00:01:28]Hallelujah.

[00:01:55]We have Hallelujah.

[00:02:29]Thank you for Heat.

[00:03:02]Heat.

[00:03:10]Heat. Heat.

[00:03:53]Thank you.

[00:04:23]Hallelujah.

[00:05:50]I can do it.

[00:06:22]Yes.

[00:06:45]Hallelujah.

[00:07:04]Heat. Heat.

[00:08:32]Thank you.

[00:10:54]and they do a great job.

[00:11:04]Thank you for coming to graduation. Glad that you're here. 20th 26.

[00:11:18]First of all, make sure Also, if you have kids with you restless or whatever, there's plenty of space down the service tonight.

[00:11:41]Let's begin tonight.

[00:11:52]Father, we come to you God who loves us.

[00:12:08]Thank you for laying before these students opportunities, challenges, friendships, everything.

[00:12:32]We praise you tonight and worship you.

[00:12:34]The accomplishments of our students are just tokens and indications of your grace in their lives. So we give you all we pray that tonight will be all that should be filled with joy, excitement, a little bit of nerves, a tingle and a full heart looking back and recognizing all accomplished. We surrender tonight to you and ourselves thanking you for all of this mighty name of Jesus.

[00:14:03]Glory.

[00:14:32]Yeah.

[00:14:44]Heat.

[00:15:13]Heat.

[00:15:30]Heat.

[00:16:26]Heat. Heat.

[00:16:34]Heat. Heat.

[00:19:02]wanted to get a little senior solo.

[00:19:10]He's afraid you guys don't hear him here in New York or Heat. Heat. N.

[00:19:46]Heat. Heat.

[00:20:08]Heat. Heat.

[00:20:30]Heat.

[00:20:46]Heat.

[00:21:06]Heat. Heat.

[00:21:14]Heat.

[00:21:28]Heat.

[00:22:14]Heat.

[00:22:17]Heat.

[00:22:24]Heat. Heat.

[00:22:48]Heat.

[00:23:03]Heat.

[00:23:11]Heat.

[00:23:26]Heat.

[00:24:02]Seniors, can you come down here, please?

[00:24:11]Last year we graduated three and this year we're graduating five.

[00:24:18]And they're going to leave a really big hole in our orchestra.

[00:24:26]I have to be careful not to speak too long, so I'll try to keep my comments short.

[00:24:31]But I'm really going to miss these guys.

[00:24:36]There's some really really serious musicians on this on this platform.

[00:24:40]Every single one of them is musical and every single one of them just has a beautiful way of just singing through their instrument and feeling feeling music and feeling it deeply.

[00:24:53]Caitlyn's been playing for 13 years because I started her in kindergarten.

[00:25:01]Chase has been playing since third grade. So, I don't know, 10 years. Um, we we got first in orchestra again this year. So, this was our fifth year getting first. And he's the only French horn that I've had and next year I don't have a French horn. But fortunately, Ben has taken up the saxophone and his tamber will carry the weight. Um, I'm just I'm just I'm just so thankful for for these students.

[00:25:32]not not only for their seriousness as musicians, but for their their love for the Lord.

[00:25:39]I was really blessed today in chapel. Uh I'm not up in chapel all the time. Um, but I was up there today and there was a woodwwind quartet that that played in chapel and then um our seniors and the juniors um had heard a song at at camp and were really excited and loved the song and so they came back and they got the music and learned it all on their own and sang it for the students today in chapel. And then that's what they're doing. They're taking these gifts that God has given to them and they're giving it back to the Lord. Last year, uh, I gave our seniors a little very simple little keychain, and I just encouraged them maybe put it in your your music case, your instrument case, and it says something to the effect of um, your talent is what is is the gift that God has given to you. And what you do with that talent is your gift back to God.

[00:26:34]A secularist will take an instrument and they'll play for their own glory. So that people can la and applaud and praise them for their finesse.

[00:26:42]But a Christian plays so that when they're done playing, God looks great.

[00:26:49]>> And whether and whether it's classical music or whether it's a sacred song, but especially when they're playing sacred music. What what I'm so touched with is the way the musicality of these young people where they're learning to express the music of the song so that it blesses the heart of the hearer >> so that we don't just hear a sacred song and it's oh that's nice but that the music carries the lyrics and touches our hearts because God made us musical people, musical beings and God loves to be worshiped with music. So, I just want you to know I'm going to miss you guys a ton, and we all are. But we are thankful for your investment, and we hope that you will take what you have learned and continue to use it for God's glory, not just for the next four years, but for the rest of your life.

[00:28:13]As our musicians exit the stage, I'd like to take some time to read to you just some of the accomplishments our senior musicians have had over the years. Their freshman year, they took first place in orchestra as well as the large instrumental ensemble. Their sophomore year, they took first place in orchestra. Their junior year, they took first place in orchestra, large instrumental ensemble, and small instrumental ensemble. And their senior year, they took first place in orchestra, large instrumental ensemble, and swept music theory. Individually, Chase Atinson received first place for brass solo his junior year. This year, Caitlyn Whittinghill received first place for brass solo, marking the fourth consecutive year a PCCA brass player has won the award. Joseph McGallan has received numerous awards for piano, culminating in a national championship at this year's 2026 American Association of Christian Schools Fine Arts Competition in Greenville, South Carolina, where he beat the competition with one hand tied behind his back.

[00:29:11]Literally, it it was a one-handed piece because two wasn't hard enough, I guess.

[00:29:15]Danica Magcgato has received multiple awards for female vocal solo as well as piano. She's placed in music theory all four years. Aaron Wyn received first place this year in a brand new competition category, classical, guitar, solo. One more round of applause for our musicians.

[00:29:42]Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, >> my pleasure to begin our eighth grade graduation ceremony.

[00:30:12]Isla Shabbat, Modern Dyster.

[00:30:39]Johan promise Audriana Poker.

[00:31:01]Jackson Kirk, Laura Clarence.

[00:31:25]Elena Mccertie, Zachary Robinson.

[00:31:51]Eden Becker.

[00:32:24]Ladies and gentlemen, may I present your eighth grade graduates.

[00:32:56]Graduates, you may return to your seats as we enjoy a few memories together.

[00:35:09]Wow.

[00:35:25]Heat.

[00:35:48]Hallelujah.

[00:36:24]Heat. Heat.

[00:36:34]Heat. Heat.

[00:37:49]Heat. Heat.

[00:37:59]Heat. Heat.

[00:38:09]Heat. Heat. Heat.

[00:38:26]Heat.

[00:38:30]Heat.

[00:38:39]Heat up here.

[00:39:05]Heat.

[00:39:19]Heat.

[00:39:37]Heat. Heat.

[00:39:47]Yeah. Heat.

[00:39:58]Heat up here.

[00:40:23]Heat.

[00:40:34]Heat.

[00:40:58]Heat up here.

[00:41:12]Heat up here.

[00:41:36]Heat.

[00:41:48]Heat.

[00:41:57]Heat. Heat. Heat.

[00:42:07]Amen.

[00:42:39]I'm blessed by the ministry of our students and of our music director.

[00:42:43]Aren't you? Thank you so much to each one of you for what you've shared with us. At high school graduation, we like to honor teachers who have been serving at intervals of 10 years, 15, and now today for 20 years. You see, this is the 20th year of Plum Creek Christian. We started back in 2006 and it is my privilege and delight to embarrass to call up Mrs. Betty Bird. If you would please come.

[00:43:31]Okay, this is emotional for both of us.

[00:43:38]You see, there's never been a Plum Creek Christian without Betty Bird.

[00:43:44]We started out together in the West Wing with just a handful of students, a few books, and some homemade visuals.

[00:43:52]And she's been teaching ever since.

[00:43:54]How to hold your pencil, how to use scissors. That's the hard one, isn't it?

[00:44:00]teaching them to play I'm the gingerbread man, You Can't Catch Me. And she was always the gingerbread man.

[00:44:07]She's had a huge ministry to a huge number of students. In fact, if I know some of the students are at the way back and some are in different places, but if you've had Mrs. Bird as a teacher, would you just stand for a minute, please?

[00:44:20]Yeah. Yeah. All kind of ages, graduates, alumni.

[00:44:26]Thank you. You may be seated.

[00:44:29]So, we want to do something special for you. We have something more than tissue paper. If you take out the tissue paper and grab the red box, let's see if we can get that open.

[00:44:45]It just uh slides off. There we go.

[00:44:58]It's heavy.

[00:44:59]>> It's a natural stone red apple with a laser engraved mahogany base with a school seal on one side and it says Mrs. Betty Bird, 20 years at Plum Creek Christian.

[00:45:12]Thank you for your ministry. We're so thankful for you and all the lives that you've touched and the eternal difference that you've made. Thank you so much.

[00:45:21]>> Thank you.

[00:45:22]>> Do you have any hands left to shake?

[00:45:26]God bless you.

[00:46:00]Ladies and gentlemen, please rise as our seniors enter.

[00:46:09]Thank you.

[00:46:36]Glory.

[00:46:49]Heat.

[00:46:57]Heat.

[00:47:18]Heat.

[00:47:33]Chase Atkinson.

[00:47:46]>> Um, I would like my speech though.

[00:47:50]>> Paper.

[00:47:53]I got my phone. Use that.

[00:47:56]>> So sorry.

[00:47:58]This one's entirely on me. That's why he's validator.

[00:48:05]>> Well, good evening, students, teachers, families.

[00:48:12]We are so blessed to be here today and look back on what God has done both this year and these two decades at Plum Creek Christian Academy.

[00:48:28]First, I want to say thank you to some very important people.

[00:48:36]Mr. Dr. Dryen, thank you for making history exciting and putting your all into teaching.

[00:48:46]Dr. Honey said, thank you for giving me a love for science and for God's creation.

[00:48:54]Mrs. Holen, thank you for putting up with me in math class and for pushing me to grow and take the next step.

[00:49:04]Mrs. Kypers, thank you for teaching me language and writing, but more importantly, godly character.

[00:49:15]Pastor Peter, thank you for teaching me Bible and helping me grow in maturity.

[00:49:23]Mr. Laurent, thank you for nine years of music lessons where I learned a lot more than how to play the French one.

[00:49:36]Mrs. Baggage, thank you for patiently teaching me the basics of reading and writing, but also of doing right.

[00:49:48]Mrs. Bird, thank you for teaching me the basics, kindness, obedience.

[00:49:58]These are foundational and your faithfulness has made a difference.

[00:50:04]Coach, principal, Mr. Benner, thank you for teaching me advice for college life, but more importantly, thank you for teaching me to work hard, to live above reproach, and for showing me what true leadership looks like.

[00:50:27]Grandma and Grandpa, thank you for mentoring me, for being a godly example and for faithfully praying for me.

[00:50:38]And finally, mom and dad, thank you.

[00:50:43]Thank you for giving of yourself to minister to your students, for loving me, investing in me, teaching me, and supporting me with the truth.

[00:50:58]But above all this, I want to thank God for allowing me to be here at this school surrounded by all these godly examples.

[00:51:15]Well, as you all can see, this is not exactly how I thought tonight or this last last month of school would go.

[00:51:24]But through this, I can confidently say that God is so so very good.

[00:51:33]He has a plan for my life and he is working all things together for my good and for his glory.

[00:51:42]Classmates, this year has had great moments and hard ones.

[00:51:50]We all had times where we were tired or where we felt unprepared, maybe inadequate or just wanted to quit.

[00:52:02]But that's life. And unfortunately, it's only going to get harder from here.

[00:52:09]But in these moments, if we stop relying on our own frailty and humbly throw ourselves on God's grace, he will carry us through and he will do something amazing.

[00:52:29]One of my favorite verses is Micah 6:8, which says, "He has showed thee, oh man, what is good, and what do the Lord require of thee?

[00:52:43]>> But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

[00:52:54]>> We know what is good.

[00:52:56]God has shown it to us.

[00:52:59]And he doesn't require some crazy impossible task.

[00:53:04]All he wants is three simple things.

[00:53:08]To do justly, do what's right.

[00:53:11]To love mercy, depend on it, show it to others, and finally to walk with God in humility.

[00:53:21]If we will do this, God will prove himself faithful to us.

[00:53:28]and take care of everything else.

[00:53:32]Seniors, we've learned a lot in high school, but the most important thing we have learned is what it means to follow Christ.

[00:53:46]As children of God, we are called to be different, to display the love of Christ to a world without hope or or direction, to live our our faith outside of church on Sundays.

[00:54:07]And whatever God has planned for us, I want us to remember number one, our purpose goes beyond ourselves. Number two, we are called to something greater than comfortability.

[00:54:24]But amazingly, our future is safe, secure, in God's hands.

[00:54:32]>> We don't have to fear.

[00:54:35]I want to end with just a few of my tips for high school. You could say number one, don't sprain your ankle. It It hurts.

[00:54:50]Number two, love the people that God puts in your path.

[00:54:56]You don't know how long you have with them.

[00:55:00]Number three, take every opportunity to grow.

[00:55:06]And finally, God is so faithful.

[00:55:12]Rest in him.

[00:58:16]Hey, hey, hey.

[01:02:03]This is a hard moment when I think it's saying goodbye.

[01:02:11]Fortunately, there's another week of school, so we're okay.

[01:02:20]Maybe when you were little out on the playground, somebody found the most amazing bug or the perfect stick and everyone gathered around to see it and and you were kind of towards the back of the crowd and you'd say, "Let me see."

[01:02:40]Maybe a few years later, you um cut your finger and you made your way to the school office and brought your wound to Miss Jodie and she said, "Let me see."

[01:02:51]before she gave you a band-aid. Could be that you were standing in choir and weren't lined up just right. So, Mrs. Mr. Luran was hidden from you and you thought, "Let me see."

[01:03:03]Or maybe as the amazing high schoolers that you are, you got a cool gift from a friend and you said, "Let me see."

[01:03:14]Our human curiosity has us constantly saying or at least thinking, "Let me see."

[01:03:25]We want to be able to understand something thoroughly. And we know it will make more sense to us if we can look at it with our own eyes.

[01:03:34]When we see, we understand.

[01:03:39]However, as Christians, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight.

[01:03:46]Jesus said to Thomas, "Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed." Faith pleases God and faith is the evidence of things not seen.

[01:04:03]With that baseline that God wants us to have faith and trust him for things we can't see, I want us to consider tonight. Some things that we can ask God to let us see. So that's our our tagline to remember is let me see.

[01:04:20]Moses asked God if he would show him his glory. And that's certainly primary graduates. If you would have a right perspective on life, you need to see God in all his glory, his majesty, and his holiness.

[01:04:37]That puts everything else in the right perspective.

[01:04:43]I'll just give you three things because that might be a little easier to remember.

[01:04:47]The first thing I think it's it's good and fair and right for you to ask God, "Let me see your protection.

[01:04:55]Let me see your protection."

[01:04:58]There's an amazing story in 2 Kings chapter 6 verse 15. Elisha, the man of God, um is kind of pitted against a whole army and they've come and surrounded the location where he is. and uh his servants's getting a little bit nervous and Elisha is unconcerned.

[01:05:19]Uh I'll pick it up in 2 Kings 6:15 where the Bible says, "When the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth, behold, and host compass the city both with horses and chariots." And his servant said unto him, "Alas, my master, how shall we do?"

[01:05:39]Now, you may have already felt that, but I guarantee you're going to feel it again. Alas, how shall we do? What are we going to do, Aaron? I can't see you.

[01:05:51]How shall we see? There we go. Okay, now I can see everybody.

[01:05:56]This servant said, "What are we going to do, master? We're surrounded by these troops." And Elisha answered, "Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."

[01:06:10]And he answered, "Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." And Elisha prayed and said, "Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes."

[01:06:23]>> And that's our prayer for you tonight, graduates, that God would open your eyes. When Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened, the Lord opened his eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

[01:06:45]Students, I think it's important for you to pray. Oh God, let me see your protection because it'll give you courage.

[01:06:54]The servant was afraid. How shall we do?

[01:06:57]He's panicking.

[01:07:00]Elisha prayed, "God, open his eyes. Let him see your protection." And he saw that there was a multitude of fiery horses and chariots ready to protect them. Now, I don't know if there's fiery horses and chariots surrounding you.

[01:07:16]But I know that God is with you. In fact, as believers, God is in you. And wherever you go, whoever you face, no matter the challenge, God is there to protect you.

[01:07:32]Maybe maybe there will be difficulties unforeseen, medical challenges at a young age.

[01:07:39]Maybe it's um a skeptic at university and they want to challenge your faith.

[01:07:47]Maybe it's friends that turn a different direction and make you make a difficult choice.

[01:07:54]Whatever the problem, whatever the difficulty, say, "Oh, God, let me see your protection." Because students, the truth is God has you.

[01:08:04]You are safe.

[01:08:06]No one can harm you.

[01:08:10]They may hurt you. You may have difficulties, but God can work it all for your good.

[01:08:17]Rest in his care and his protection because God is with you.

[01:08:26]I'd like you to also make it a habit to not only pray, "God, let me see your protection." Pray, "God, let me see your truth."

[01:08:35]There's a lot of lies out there, a lot of miages, things that aren't real.

[01:08:44]If you're going to make good decisions, if you're going to plot a good course for life, you need to see the truth.

[01:08:51]I like how the psalmist prayed it in 119 verse 18.

[01:08:56]Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

[01:09:04]>> Students, you've done a great job on your commentaries.

[01:09:08]Thanks for your hard work.

[01:09:10]I hope that not only do you love your particular book of the Bible more than ever. I hope that you have tasted and seen how good the Lord is.

[01:09:25]That you've developed now an appetite for studying God's word, to make it yours, to know it, to own it, embrace it, and live it.

[01:09:37]that you would regularly open your Bible and cry out, "Oh God, open mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I need some truth. I need some direction. I need some answers. I need to know what's right because this person's saying this and this person's saying this and the crowd is going this direction. But God, what do you say?"

[01:09:56]And if you know what God says, you know the truth.

[01:10:01]I don't want you falling for lies and deceptions. Satan's the father of lies.

[01:10:07]He's a deceiver from the beginning.

[01:10:11]If you have the truth, you'll not only have courage of the protection that God gives, but if you have the truth, you'll have the wisdom that you need. I remember I had a flashback when I was sitting over here. My high school graduation where I graduated, there was a hallway with big windows and there were seven in my graduating class just like yours. Before we marched out, we kind of all stopped and we turned and we looked at the big glass mirror and because the lights were off, we could see reflections of ourselves.

[01:10:45]And it was kind of one of those moments. What's next? Where do we go from here? What's going to happen to us?

[01:10:52]Where are we going to go?

[01:10:57]We face a lot of challenges and you will, too. You got plans. Mr. Bender is going to announce them in just a minute.

[01:11:04]But you're going to face things that you weren't expecting to face.

[01:11:08]>> And you're going to need God's wisdom.

[01:11:12]The thing is, wisdom from the truth of God's word doesn't work like a 30 second YouTube video. Oh, something's broken.

[01:11:19]Let me see what I'm supposed to do to fix it. No. If if you wait to pull out the Bible till right when the problem occurs, you may have some difficulty. But if you are immersing yourself in God's word constantly so that the word of Christ dwells in you richly and you you are embodied with the truth and and it oozes out of you and that it shapes your very thinking.

[01:11:43]If you will pray, God, let me see the truth, you'll be ready for whatever challenge you face.

[01:11:51]May God help you to never stop seeking the sweetness and the substance of his word.

[01:11:59]Constantly open the Bible and say, "God, I want to know the truth.

[01:12:06]Let me see your protection so that I can have courage. Let me see your truth so that I can have wisdom."

[01:12:13]One more for you.

[01:12:16]This comes from something Jesus said in John chapter 4.

[01:12:22]After Jesus has ministered to this woman of Samaria, the disciples are still kind of surprised by all of this. Why would he talk to her? Why is he concerned with these people?

[01:12:36]After that whole exchange where this woman gets wonderfully, gloriously saved, Jesus says to his disciples these words, "Say not ye, there are yet four months."

[01:12:50]And then cometh harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes.

[01:12:56]The fields are white already to harvest.

[01:13:02]Pray God, let me see your harvest.

[01:13:07]The disciples literally had just gone to town to buy lunch.

[01:13:12]All they could think about was going to get food in their regular daily existence.

[01:13:19]And Jesus says, "There's something bigger than the little errand you're on.

[01:13:23]There's people that need the truth.

[01:13:25]There's people that need me."

[01:13:27]Graduates, there's even more people now that need the truth.

[01:13:34]Eight billion of them.

[01:13:37]I don't know what your role will be. I don't know where your hometown is going to be. I don't know what your vocation will be. But wherever you are, there are people that need the Lord.

[01:13:48]Lift up your eyes and see. There is a harvest.

[01:13:52]There's a need.

[01:13:56]You have the answer. You have the truth.

[01:13:58]You know the gospel. You've heard it, some of you, for years.

[01:14:05]May God help you to see the harvest. And wherever you go, teach people the word of God. Teach them a relationship with Jesus. Share the gospel with them. Jesus died to save the world and now he has asked you to finish the job because nobody can be saved unless they hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[01:14:27]Will you take up the challenge?

[01:14:30]Will you leverage your education, your abilities, your experience and opportunities? Will you will you push all those towards doing something meaningful with your life?

[01:14:42]Let me be direct.

[01:14:45]The American dream is not worth chasing.

[01:14:51]>> Living for money, pleasure, and ease will not satisfy you. And you'll look back at the end of your life and say, "What have I done?"

[01:15:01]>> Whatever field, whatever vocation, whatever income level God leads you to, do it all with a ministry mindset.

[01:15:10]Some of you may be privileged enough to spend your life and vocation years actively proclaiming the word of God.

[01:15:17]Good for you.

[01:15:19]But whatever your vocation, wherever you go, have a ministry mindset that shares the gospel. Lift up your eyes and see God's harvest. If you don't tell them, who will?

[01:15:34]Do you think the graduates from a school down the road that didn't learn about Jesus are going to do the job?

[01:15:41]It's up to us.

[01:15:43]Pray God, let me see your harvest and it will give you, watch it. Here's the word purpose.

[01:15:52]Purpose.

[01:15:54]The last thing I want to hear five or 10 years from now is that one of you is drifting kind of just aimlessly through life, paying your bills, maybe doing a little this or that, but you're not you're not aimed at anything.

[01:16:10]Don't let that be you.

[01:16:12]Have purpose that underneath everything else that you do, there's the glory of God and the salvation of the lost.

[01:16:24]If we pray, Lord, let me see your harvest. We'll have purpose. Let me see your truth. God's word will give us wisdom. Let me see your protection.

[01:16:32]God will give us courage.

[01:16:36]Maybe you're saying, "I want that heavenly viewpoint. I want to see what God has for me. Let me see." How could we have that? Well, first of all, obviously pray for it. Would you make that a habit?

[01:16:48]Make it your habit to pray, "God, let me see. Let my eyes be open.

[01:16:54]And then a couple other pointers and I'll wrap up. First of all, if you would see God's harvest and his truth and his protection, first of all, you need to get your eyes off yourself.

[01:17:06]And isn't that true for all of us?

[01:17:08]>> The scripture says, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

[01:17:16]Are you Are you looking at your own stuff all the time? my schedule, my possessions, my collections, my hopes, my dreams. Look, there's enough people in the world already looking that way.

[01:17:26]Get your eyes off yourself. It's not about you.

[01:17:31]It's not about you.

[01:17:34]We're celebrating you tonight. We're happy for you tonight. Our hearts are full of joy for you tonight. But don't get the idea that that life is all about you and your accolades.

[01:17:45]Life is about serving and about giving, not about taking and getting.

[01:17:53]Get your eyes off yourself. Number two, get your eyes off your stuff. There's a lot of stuff in this world, isn't there?

[01:18:02]Stuff, stuff, stuff, stuff, stuff.

[01:18:06]And stuff is largely fluff.

[01:18:11]Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 4:18. We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, because the things that are not seen are eternal. If all you're thinking about is is um your car and your boat and your vacation and your house and your yard and your and and all this. If that's all you're thinking about, you're not going to see God's vision. So, don't look at yourself.

[01:18:42]Don't look at your stuff. And then here's the good thing you need to do.

[01:18:46]And I'm like so excited for this. Have you ever had a situation where you wanted to show somebody something and maybe it was something in the distance?

[01:18:56]And you say, "Well, it's it's over there." Well, pointing doesn't do any good because it's all, you know, in such a a distant place. And you say, "Well, no, it's to the left and down and it and they're just not getting it." What we almost instinctively do at that point is say, "Hey, let me show you.

[01:19:14]Come here."

[01:19:15]And we get right next to them. We put our head close to theirs and we say, "Look, it's it's" We kind of line up their vision with theirs, our vision with theirs. And then we can show them.

[01:19:25]And because now we're close, our eyes are almost in the same place, and they can see what we see. You know what I'm talking about? Look at that bird in the tree. Look at that star. Look, when when we're pointing something off, if you want to see what God sees, you got to get close to him.

[01:19:44]If you would pray, "God, let me see your truth. Let me see your your protection.

[01:19:48]Let me see your harvest." You got to get close to him.

[01:19:53]I think you are right now.

[01:19:56]That makes me happy.

[01:19:59]Stay close to God and get even closer because the more aligned your eyes are with his, the better your vision will be.

[01:20:12]Students, you need to see.

[01:20:15]And you can only do that if you're standing with God.

[01:20:20]Yeah, it's a big moment.

[01:20:23]I don't know if you saw this or if Mr. Bender will mention it in a little minute, but of our seven graduates, five of them are graduating across this stage for the third time.

[01:20:36]>> Kindergarten, 8th grade, and high school.

[01:20:42]That means we've been sharing these halls for a long time.

[01:20:48]I could hear you singing and practicing.

[01:20:57]Some of you for 14 years now you're going to leave these halls and leave us behind.

[01:21:07]We are so glad.

[01:21:14]We're sad and glad >> because it means >> you finished your course.

[01:21:24]You've done what you came to do.

[01:21:26]>> We've given you everything we've got.

[01:21:29]>> And now it's time for you to go out with God and see something new and do something great.

[01:21:39]Not for yourself, for the one who shed his blood to save your soul.

[01:21:49]He's worthy, isn't he?

[01:21:54]Let's do something about it.

[01:21:56]When we're blind, when we can't see, it's easy to get disoriented, confused, and lost. We we lack vision, destination, and purpose.

[01:22:07]But when you get close to God, so close that he can put his arms around you and say, "It's right there."

[01:22:14]You can see the way he sees and he can give you purpose so that you have something worth doing with your life. He can give you wisdom so that you know how to do it with your life. And he can give you courage so that you're not afraid to live your life for him.

[01:22:34]Students, we love you and wherever you go and whatever you do, if we can ever serve you in the future, we're here for you.

[01:22:44]I know there's going to be a prayer in the minute, but in a minute, but I'm praying, too.

[01:22:52]Lord, thank you for these students so dear to my heart that now they carry a piece of it away from me.

[01:23:20]because wherever they go, they'll have my love.

[01:23:28]Lord, would you bless them and keep them?

[01:23:37]Would you guide them in your truth?

[01:23:42]Give them strength.

[01:23:44]Resolve, joy, blessing.

[01:24:01]And at the end of days, may the story that is their life be a beautiful narrative of what you can do with somebody that follows you all of their days.

[01:24:18]Oh God, you are our God.

[01:24:21]We claim you as our own and commit these seven special people to you.

[01:24:33]In the name of Jesus, I ask and pray.

[01:24:36]Amen.

[01:24:58]Graduates, please rise.

[01:25:06]At this time, I will announce our graduates.

[01:25:18]Luke Matthew Alser.

[01:25:36]Luke is headed to Georgia this fall for lineman school.

[01:25:42]David Chase Atkinson Chase will attend Pensacola Christian College as a premed major.

[01:26:12]Joseph John McGawan.

[01:26:29]Joseph will be attending Pensacola Christian College for nursing.

[01:26:38]Danica Grace Magato Danica is headed to Indiana University Bloomington as a premed student with an emphasis in neuroscience.

[01:27:00]Anna Mary Beth Porter Anna will attend the Crown College in Tennessee pursuing a degree in office management.

[01:27:20]Gungu Aaron went The stole on Aaron's neck represents his home country of China as he's our second international student to graduate.

[01:27:45]This fall, Aaron will attend Pensacola Christian College for nursing.

[01:27:58]Caitlyn Anne Whittinghill Caitlyn is attending Indiana University Northwest to pursue a degree in diagnostic radiology.

[01:28:58]It doesn't matter. You're fine. It's okay.

[01:29:17]>> Graduates, please turn your tassels.

[01:29:26]Ladies and gentlemen, the 2026 graduating class.

[01:29:50]At this time, Joseph McGallen will perform Not Turn for Piano Opus 9, number two, the piece for which he received first place at our national fine arts competition.

[01:30:46]Are you Heat. Heat.

[01:32:17]Heat. Heat.

[01:37:21]Well, I suppose now because this is messing up his administrative plans.

[01:37:52]But that's what fathers are for.

[01:37:57]I won't be long.

[01:38:01]I'm I'm not quite sure where I was this week. don't know where it was, but I heard a rumor and I I don't know what's true, but I heard a rumor that both General Douglas MacArthur and uh General Patton said that the best drill sergeant they ever had was Mrs. Betty Bird.

[01:38:42]I was working in the staircase the other day, the staircase that goes out past the nursery and you know Mrs. Bird's work is there in that wing and she didn't know I was there and I was having a wonderful time and uh you know Mrs. Bird uh has all of these loving commands like hands off the wall, feet off the floor, now fly.

[01:39:18]And 20 years of children have flown because of Mrs. Bird.

[01:39:28]Some some folks call it the wind beneath my wings, but we call it Mrs. Bird.

[01:39:37]Um, well, I'd like you to stand if you have any energy left and just let's look at each other face to face. Okay.

[01:39:50]Um, it seems like only yesterday that I was talking with Luke's father about teaching their one son and I enjoyed that very much. And he he sort of looked at me as if he knew some things that I didn't know. and he said, "Oh, you'll get Luke next."

[01:40:23]And and then we got to class and I worked hard on the names of the students and um I would ask a question and finish it with, Luke.

[01:40:40]and he just sat there and stared back at me as though I had his name wrong as though Luke sat two seats behind him.

[01:40:56]And I don't know which of the two of us was most intimidated, him or me, but we had a great talk tonight and he said I could say those things and we're we're on great speaking terms now.

[01:41:16]And then then Chase. Chase, our last grandchild.

[01:41:26]Our last grandchild. And tonight, a man, wiser than his years, going off to study. And I just found out tonight going off to study to be a doctor.

[01:41:46]>> God bless you, Jesus.

[01:41:49]And then Joseph, wasn't that beautiful?

[01:41:56]Uh, the first time I heard you play one of your instruments, I that's that's just phenomenal.

[01:42:08]And then God blessed us by bringing you here.

[01:42:13]God bless you.

[01:42:16]And there she is, Dan. Um, when I first met your mother, we were asked to pray that your father would get his papers to come to the Philippines from the Philippines to here.

[01:42:37]And we prayed and prayed and uh Danica's father to be came and then sometime later Danica was born.

[01:42:54]Th those memories go deep.

[01:42:59]And now she blesses us with a voice that sings like a night and day. God bless you, Dan.

[01:43:08]And then Anna, there she is. And it seems like just yesterday when you were down here and now you're way up here.

[01:43:26]Well, maybe not quite that tall, but you're up here.

[01:43:32]And She is every bit of lady and God bless you.

[01:43:41]And then there's Aaron.

[01:43:45]We started praying that you'd get your papers to come and study here.

[01:43:51]And seemed like it seemed like 20 years, but it wasn't. And you got your papers to come as our second Chinese student.

[01:44:03]and we've loved you and we'll keep loving you. And and now he even tells jokes in English and usually we get them.

[01:44:24]And then Caitlyn, we heard those first tootses on the trumpet.

[01:44:37]And uh it seemed like only just yesterday that we heard those first tootses on the trumpet.

[01:44:47]And now you're a Christian woman with convictions said deliberately a Christian woman with convictions for which she has paid a price sometimes.

[01:45:05]And now she plays the trumpet magnificently.

[01:45:17]The Lord bless thee and keep thee.

[01:45:23]The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace.

[01:45:40]The Lord shall we're back to protection that we heard of from our pastor.

[01:45:48]The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth even forever.

[01:46:02]Let us pray.

[01:46:07]our blessed heavenly father.

[01:46:10]I praise thee for the gift of Luke and what I've learned from him and the gift of Chase and what he's taught me and the gift of Joseph and that exhilarating God-honoring music and the gift of Danica.

[01:46:40]and the sacrifice of her parents so that now she plays piano and sings like a night and gale.

[01:46:52]And I bless you Lord for Anna.

[01:47:00]Perhaps not as tall as some, but every inch a lady, a Christian lady.

[01:47:14]And I thank thee for our Chinese brother Aaron, and that you've honored us with his fellowship and his presence and his teachability these years.

[01:47:31]And then I bless you and thank you for Caitlyn who persevered with trumpet and now makes such a joyful sound to the Lord to lead us in worship on Lord's day mornings as she plays trumpet in the orchestra.

[01:47:55]And I bless you that she's a woman of Yes, a woman of convictions.

[01:48:02]Now the blessing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit rest and abide upon each of you till we meet again. Amen. Thank you.

[01:48:25]As our a capella group comes to the stage, I'd like to take a moment on behalf of the graduates to thank you and tell you that we're honored by your presence and thank you for the years of investment you've made in our graduates lives. At the conclusion of this song, our program will be over and our seniors and our eighth graders will take next steps into their future.

[01:48:48]Please stay as long as you'd like and take as many pictures as are humanly possible. Good night and God bless.

[01:49:15]D in the beginning in the form of God.

[01:49:40]With just a word you say creation song.

[01:49:47]But when by sin humanity was you took on flesh to save the world.

[01:50:02]To save a world gone wrong. To save the world gone wrong.

[01:50:12]At Calvary, the solders chose the nails to fasten you upon the cruel tree.

[01:50:25]The hammer drove into your sinless hands.

[01:50:32]The nails you chose to pay.

[01:50:38]You are the Christ, son of the living God, my rebel heart in mercy you to persuade.

[01:50:58]You are my all and I belong to you.

[01:51:21]triumphantly prevailing over hell.

[01:51:27]You broke sin's curse by rising from the deading his victory.

[01:51:40]You freed my soul and crushed the serpent at your face.

[01:51:58]My voice through inite of me. Your saving grace pre your grace pre you are the Christ are the Christ living heart in mercy you pursue no other you are my life My all.

[01:52:37]>> You are my life, my all.

[01:52:40]>> You are my life, my all.

[01:52:44]>> And I belong to you.