Life Verses
24 May 2023
These are the days of diplomas. But . . . .
Let me have a little fun. These days, we are celebrating big time with all our graduates. We are incredibly proud of them and their accomplishments. Congratulations!
But allow me to play this morning with the concept of the diploma. Diplomas are celebrations, to be sure, of wonderful journeys, enlightening growth, and preparedness for promise. So, in one way, it’s humorous to me that we don’t take our diplomas with us wherever we go. Instead, we encase and entomb them securely in a rigid frame. (Truth be told, some diplomas rigorously earned by my family members are still rolled up in the dark tubes in which they were presented). Even if they make it into a frame, we nail them somewhere. Almost ensuring they won’t run off anywhere. Entombed in glass, nailed to the wall. They’re not going anywhere!
In contrast, there’s a milestone-marker COS presents our youth that travels with them every hour for the rest of their lives. A living, active commemoration they carry with them to every single GPS data point of their lives. It’s their life verse. Yes, we present our 8th grade confirmands with a lovely certificate to go with their diplomas. But, more importantly, we send them with one of God’s promises we’ve helped them choose. And since they commit it to memory, these promises, these words of encouragement, travel with our precious young adults into all the life situations they will face. Through all their highs and lows, they not only know Jesus promises to be with them, but they can recite and claim a specific promise of hope and guidance through which they can claim immediately God’s presence, love and grace.
Do you have a life verse?
My confirmation or life verse is John 8:31-32. “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Jesus’ promise of deep truth and freedom inspired me, as did his invitational challenge to keep following him throughout my entire life and not just in my formative years.
If you have a life verse, shoot me an email back and let me know yours. If you don’t have one yet, it’s not too late! Check out the life verses from this year’s COS Confirmation Class below. Or click here to review some options. https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/life-bible-verses/ Allow the Holy Spirit to nudge one your way. Then memorize it so it goes with you all the time . . . and doesn’t stay nailed to a wall stuck at home.
Taking God’s Word wherever I go, with you,
Pastor Fritz
