Wow, what an exciting day this is, huh? I'm very excited—let's hear it for the class of 2003! Yeah...

Before I begin I would like to thank the Family Academy®¨ Staff for the chance to speak to you today, and I also think that it would be very appropriate for all of us to thank a group of people who are here today who will probably not be honored as well as they should be. People who have contributed as much, if not more, than the students who are graduating here today; they had a vision for us—a vision that never became clouded by our occasional lack of vision. Personally, I want to thank my dear Mother who stuck with me, and believed in me enough, to allow me to stand before you here in this place on this great day. Thanks Mom. And students, I think that our parents really deserve a standing ovation, so, please stand with me in honoring them.

As I thought and prayed about what it was that I was going to speak to you today—I can not get past the thought of what an awesome group of young people, like ourselves, can accomplish, and how we can change the world for God—in this lifetime. I am going to be a world changer; are you going to be a world changer? There are many things that jump into my mind when I think of the words, "world changer," but there are three things that really stand out to me.

The first one is that world changers are faithful in the little things. So often we downplay the importance of the little things, when it is the mundane and the ordinary that challenge us the most. Anyone can work hard when they're thrust out onto stage—the key is to work hard when no one seems to be watching.

Jerry Rice is arguably the greatest receiver in the history of the NFL. He is the greatest on game day because he is the greatest Monday through Saturday. His coaches and teammates would say that he is the first on the practice field, and the last one to leave. It takes a lot of effort to make something difficult appear effortless.

Many years ago there was a man who walked all the way from San Francisco to New York. It took this man several years to complete this journey, and when he had, the media clamored to interview him. They all wondered what his greatest challenge had been. They were expecting stories of crossing the Rocky Mountains, or the desert heat, or the loneliness of the vast prairies. Instead the sojourner answered, "It was the sand in my shoes." The greatest challenge was not the mountains or the storms, or the distance, but it was the little things. A hairline fracture in a dam, an undetected flaw in a pacemaker, a small tear in a rappelling rope—the little things do matter; there is no substitute for hard work.

In the wise words of G.K. Chesterton, "...the Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting—it has been found difficult and left untried." In order to become a world changer we must be faithful in the little things. He who is faithful in the little things is also faithful in much.

The second characteristic of a world changer is that they have "God-confidence" and not self-confidence. In Proverbs 3:26 it says, "...for the Lord will be your confidence." The only references to the word "confidence" in the Bible all refer back to this idea of God-confidence and not self-confidence. Self-confidence is something of the world; it's something that the world has created.

Like little Travis who wanted to help his father mow the lawn. He had his little bubble mower and he was right next to daddy. He followed right along behind with his toy mower. (It's a fine machine—just pour in some soapy water and he could mow both the front and back lawns without stopping for a refill.) Dad circled the lawn in narrowing boxes, and the son was right on his heels. When they finished Mom brought out some lemonade for them and the Father and son sat on the front porch admiring their masterful job. Travis always felt an equal sense of accomplishment, and his father allowed him to.

The Holy Spirit works with us in much the same way. He is out in front cutting a wide swath and doing the real work—while we follow behind with our little toy mowers. We complete the task together, but the job is actually achieved by the one in the lead. It is easy when you boil it down to one simple thought: God is God, and we are not. Some men trust in horses, some men trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of our Lord. A world changer must have God-confidence.

And the final characteristic that a person who plans on impacting the world must possess is humility. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. As John McCloy put it, "...humility leads to strength, and not to weakness." It is the highest form of self-respect to admit your mistakes and to make amends for them.

One way that we can strive for humility is by deflecting praise from ourselves. But how many times do we deflect praise when we are congratulated for something? Graduation perhaps? ..."and whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

The first graduating class in history was the Israelites. After forty year in the Desert Academy they finally got it, and graduated into the Promised Land. God did not want the Israelites to see the graduation as an end to their learning, but only the beginning. They needed to learn to fear God, and this means to revere God. Do not be consumed by man, but by a fear of God. God also wanted them to learn, as graduates, to be distinctive.

We, like the Israelites, are set apart, and we are distinctive. Most of us graduates here today will be going off to college, and it is crucial that we stay on track with God—because the temptation of this world is great. Once we can learn these things, like the people of Israel, we too will be let into the Promised Land. I want all of us to think of this Graduation as a graduation into something bigger, and something better. The beginning of our learning, and not the end. Let us be world changers—eager to learn, and eager to serve God.