Learning for the Long Haul (Elder Kevin Young, 07/29/23)

All right, so I'm actually really appreciative of today's children's story.

It was almost like an opposite case scenario to an example in the Bible I want to look at together today.

So God is good on that, piecing these things together when we might not expect it.

So thank you for that. Thank you for bringing that to the table, Julie.

So today what I want to talk about is something that I do need to give fair warning.

It's going to make a few people in the audience cringe.

So a couple months ago, a portion of this congregation survived something that was several months in the making.

They got to finally step away from it, wipe the sweat from their brow, catch their breath.

Maybe even relax to the point where they could forget about the place where it all happened.

But for some of those same people, they will face the same thing as early as this week.

Or even maybe as far off as a couple weeks from now.

Either way, whenever that bell tolls, it will soon toll for them a different bell, if you will.

Knowing this, that anticipation will make some of these people excited, believe it or not.

But it will make others cry.

Still others might just roll their eyes and move forward.

Any guesses? Back to school. Yes.

I want to point out that some of that mix of emotions, that roller coaster ride, is just as applicable for the educators as it is for the students.

Anyway, it's back to school season.

You can kind of tell. You can tell actually by the makeup of our audience right now.

When I was thinking I'm going to talk about back to school,

we're close enough to back to school time that a bunch of our school-agers are actually getting their last vacation kicks right now.

But bear with me, because the non-school-age don't need to tune out. I'll get to that in a second.

To me anyway, I'm an educator. To me, it's kind of like New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

It's a little arbitrary. It's still objectively just another day, isn't it?

But it's still one of those times that we can consider a bit of a fresh start.

So where we can maybe enter this new fresh start, renewed, regrouped, refocused,

it's a good time to pause and mentally gear up for our approach to the new year ahead.

And for those of us not school-aged, don't tune out. That's good.

Again, a lot of our school-agers are getting their summer kicks right now.

Those who study development across the lifespan do point out that we're all—thank goodness for this—

we're all capable of change and learning until our last breath.

So if there's something that you're still working on, you know, throw that saying about old dogs and new tricks out the door.

I think we're all a little thankful we can do that.

So I do hope in light of that, even those who aren't school-aged will have something gained from this moment of reflection on learning and purpose.

So I'm going to start with a bit about our kind of our temporal why, the why that drives us for now,

especially students, you know, why are we here in the classroom? What is this building towards?

So I am an educator, specifically, most of you know, I'm a high school counselor.

So I do have it. Thankfully, somebody in the congregation—not today—but I have it on good authority that a lay speaker can kind of relieve pressure on themselves

if they don't feel that need to put on a preacher hat or a theology hat.

If that's not them, you can kind of, even if you're sermonizing, just be what you already are.

And so today I'm going to keep my educator hat on for a while, starting with that temporal why.

Before I dig into that, I need to recognize for a moment—I'd probably be in a little trouble if I didn't do this somewhere today—

Happy Anniversary, Sarah. Today we're celebrating—today's the day.

Eleven years ago, we got married just on top of Lookout Mountain.

And so in those 11 years, I know you just don't get to hear me talk about work enough.

So here we are. I'm sure you're thrilled you'll get to learn more about what I do.

But I love you and thank you for these 11 years. And your long suffering along the way has been very appreciated.

For 11 years and this moment right now.

But my role as a school counselor can be broken down into three domains of development.

The academic, college and career development, as well as social and emotional development.

Kind of the personal, the touchy-feely, I guess.

So I'm not going to go much into the shock stories or anything like that.

That can go with the social and emotional.

This is more about where these overlap.

Working with students individually or as a group, you do see these different domains kind of overlapping.

Discovering our purpose and facing the future ahead does require developing some goal setting skills or some soft skills for the workplace or

growing some grit and dealing with both the positive and the negative stress of change and preparation for that future and so on and so forth.

How about dealing with the present?

When an academic struggle makes a student wonder why or maybe more so when I hear why bother.

So wherever you find yourself, students of all ages listening today,

let me encourage you that wherever we're at, we can aim higher and think about the long haul.

Each year, in fact, I have a lot of conversations with students and families about that student's why.

Again, usually from the standpoint, why bother is what the student's asking.

So that's when I hear their common concerns or sometimes excuses.

That's when I need to swoop in, come beside some families and together we encourage that.

Unmotivated or maybe just discouraged learner so that they can be equipped to aim higher.

A lot of those common lines I might hear in that in that moment, I don't need a diploma.

I'm not going to college or I'm never going to use this.

Let's let's level. I'm never chemistry.

You serious? What am I going to use this?

So I'm going to break those down. I'm going to I'm going to try again.

This is this is just the tip of the iceberg for all the learners, especially the school age learners in the room.

This is we're going to start a little on the temporary, the earthly, but we are going to shift into that long haul,

the big picture, that eternal motivators.

But let's let's think for a moment. I don't I don't think I need a diploma.

So picture the student who's unmotivated because school takes work that they don't care for.

Maybe they struggle with it, you know, so maybe they're discouraged, not just hating on it.

I have to complete this class that I don't care about to get a thing I don't care about.

All right. That diploma. Right. And so why bother?

And it's oftentimes in these cases, I.

They also point out this is all too often true.

These same students are pointing out that, hey, mom and dad are putting food on the table just fine.

So what's all the fuss about education? Right.

So to that, I want to point out.

Maybe some boring stuff. I try to frame it differently than this, but we might be a little more interested in some of these stats.

You know, some for the Bureau of Labor of Labor Statistics in twenty twenty one,

they say that of the eight hundred some occupations that they track, eighty seven percent of them require a high school diploma or beyond.

What's the flip side of that? Maybe we're going to engage our brains today.

What's a hundred percent minus eighty seven percent?

Thirteen. Thank you. All right.

So hold on to that number in your memory for a bit.

In a conversation like this with a student and parent, I might I might compare their job prospects without a diploma now compared to previous generations.

Hey, you know, mom or dad, your mom or dad left high school in a time where you could maybe do more without a diploma, I might say.

But forget about mom or dad's day, maybe 20 years ago when they stepped out of high school without their diploma.

How about just 10 years ago, 2013?

Even just that long ago, same agency, Bureau of Labor Statistics says that 73 percent of the tracked occupations required a high school diploma or more.

All right. We're going to math it up again a little bit.

One hundred minus twenty seven is.

Yes, yeah, one hundred minus seventy three.

Sorry. Yeah, that's twenty. Yeah, I flip that around already.

I'm not on my A game. I gave you a freebie. Twenty seven percent.

Seventy three requiring a high school diploma, twenty seven percent.

So just over that 10 year gap, it kind of cut in half the work out there that you can land without a high school diploma, just just from 10 years ago to now.

So now let's say I don't have those fancy statistics on hand.

If the parent isn't on the conversation, that's usually when they point out and I can pretty well count on this if they're there, they point out to their child, hey, I try not to let on this struggle of putting food on the table for you.

Yeah, I've kind of made it by. But please, please get your diploma.

We will thank yourself later and you won't struggle like we have to support you.

And those those can be some tough conversations with few exceptions.

Those parents urge their child to persevere together, we convince oftentimes, and we hope that if the student hangs on for a little longer along the way, they'll they'll find a long term goal of interest that motivates them more properly, more from within.

Yeah, now I do want to do this for me. I do want to do this for my own good, not just because people are telling me to telling me it's good for me.

So still, I want. I want them.

I want our students here to aim higher than high school.

Enter the student who says high school is fine, but.

I don't think I'm going to college. It's not for me.

Nothing after high school. So let's let's think a little more about that Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If you can't tell, they like to track things about jobs, the job market, what jobs are out there, which ones are available, when all those good things.

For decades in the economy is good times and bad times. The pattern holds that those with education beyond high school earn considerably more in the short and long term.

And they enjoy much lower rates of unemployment.

OK, so that's not exclusive to people with four year college degrees.

It tends to be better, but it's not a benefit you only get once you hit that four year degree marker more.

So I remember when I was in high school.

Planning for after high school was summarized by the mantra for year degree or bust.

Four year degree or bust. We know better now.

We've kind of shot ourselves in the foot with that mantra over time.

So many learners flocked to four year degrees and turn their nose up at anything less.

Things like the welding trade, heavy machinery operation, allied health, electrician work, all that good stuff.

Now these fields have so many more people retiring than there are people to take their place.

And we're suffering for that. We're reminded that trades like these are essential.

It's not a four year degree or bust scene when you plan for your future as a worker on this earth.

These things are essential. They can be well paying.

And now conveniently, there's plenty of room for you.

So if a four year college program or beyond is not up your alley or that of a loved one who is school aged and thinking about what's ahead for them,

know that there are trade schools that focus on specific occupations or technical colleges offering a variety of technical diplomas or certificates,

things that tend to be shorter. And let's not forget about military service branches.

We have examples of people who have led lives in the military and still served and witnessed for God there.

And we're able to still observe where their conscience led them.

So you can enter these without a certain GPA or stellar scores on a college entrance exam.

And these programs tend to be shorter, more affordable. Depending on the occupation and the location, they can pay pretty well, too.

My best kept secret here is that there are skilled trades that take maybe more of a one to two year program,

and they make more money than I do as someone holding a master's degree when I started out.

It happens. You can find those. They might fit your interest and support your future.

So to the student who says they're not going to college, go to something.

Again, I encourage aim higher. And if you can help it, don't go without some sort of aim.

But know that you're doing yourself quite a favor going to some sort of training or school towards your career of interest after high school.

But there are plenty of students still, either the follow up conversations to some of these other students I've described,

or even the student who is at peace with needing education beyond high school.

But boy, that chemistry. Did I already mention that? That chemistry.

Why does that have to stand in my way? I will never use this.

Maybe, and I'm not going to ask for any confessions here, but maybe students and lifelong learners in this room have had this thought, too.

I've probably had one or two of those along the way myself.

But have you, honestly, have you ever struggled to find a worthwhile takeaway from a lesson or a class

when it just seemed unrelated to what you thought was important in life or towards your interests in life?

So I could probably stumble along with some words, but I'm going to borrow from a world renowned astrophysicist.

In other words, a kind of a brainiac, also a bit of a pop culture icon, if I'm to be fair, Neil deGrasse Tyson.

His reaction to the I will never use this statement really captures my sentiments on that matter.

I will never use this misses the fact that the act of learning how to do math or insert any other school subject there

establishes a new kind of brain wiring in your mind, a kind of problem solving brain wiring.

So it's not about what you learn. It's about what methods, what tools, what tactics you have to develop in order to solve that problem.

That problem that you may never see again at any time in the rest of your life.

But you will see other problems where these methods and tools and tactics will become immensely valuable to you.

Maybe that's a bit of a surface interpretation of today's key text where it points out fools despise wisdom and instruction.

But really, if we if we aim higher and we aren't so worried about will I use this or not,

we're going to have something to take away from it.

Don't please don't despise instruction.

I'm not a classroom teacher, but I do commiserate with them.

And please, please cooperate there in it for your good.

But ultimately, for all the students I work with professionally and here,

I encourage finding and doing what you love in a way that supports the lifestyle you seek after.

The kind you seek after is where we're going to change gears a little bit in a sec to get there.

Identify your natural skills and talents.

Discover them as you tackle lessons in the classroom.

Cultivate them further with further learning and practice.

Plug them into careers of interest that put those talents to use.

Focusing on your why can be a safeguard against discouragement when the learning process gets tough.

Now, again, I kind of foreshadowed that we're that's all very here and now that's very maybe our work life,

maybe a little bit of our hobby interests in this setting.

And we can aim higher still and think about an even longer term than I can make than I can than I can draw people's attention to sometimes in my professional setting.

So, yeah, we're not stopping there. If you thought I was winding down, I'm just switching gears.

So but if you're concerned about that, I'd like to say something.

I was speaking to a church member recently.

They complimented me on a sermon I delivered a couple Sabbaths back.

Yeah, it was good. I can't take credit, though.

That was Anthony. Maybe it's my summer base tan or the fact that we're beard bros.

That's OK. That's OK. But allow me to take advantage of the confusion.

If you're not satisfied with today's message, my name is Anthony Lopez and I approve this message.

Sorry. But if if somehow this message does strike a chord with somebody, anybody, I still can't take credit.

The glory is God's. I was reminded of this all the more.

God's specialty of equipping us when studying for today's message.

So again, in this setting, I do want to go beyond the simple earthly calling or purpose that may turn up in the form of our career goals.

A glimpse at our earthly goals for the future can motivate students in the here and now.

Sure. But as Christian students, as Christian lifelong learners, we aren't just learning for a job.

We are learning for the long haul. Are we not?

We're building towards something bigger, towards something more eternal.

So as we prepare to head back to school, it's good to remember the fact that the fear of the Lord is indeed the beginning of knowledge.

Many scientists recognize that the more answers that they find in their studies, the more questions come up, the more curiosity is sparked.

And the more we realize we. We're at a loss.

We we don't know what we don't know. Great minds, too, in math and physics, they marvel over a certain order.

They find in the universe to the extent that even some profess sensing a greater mind and design behind what they're seeing.

It's true. We serve an almighty, all knowing God who knows and understands the beginning to the end.

So who better to focus on as we dive into learning and seeking our purpose?

Beyond the classroom lectures, beyond the homework sheets and the like.

So God's word actually provides many examples that we can learn from about confidently meeting God's purpose for you.

Again. Jonah, great that Jonah came up today.

Again, a little bit the opposite of what happens with the example I picked out, but I'm so glad we have the contrast.

Jonah was a good example of kind of running away from that purpose.

So but when I went looking for some some example in the Bible, I'm thinking of the younger target audience.

And so I'm interested in finding young characters in the Bible. Right.

And so that that still doesn't narrow it down.

There's a lot of young characters in the Bible we can draw from.

Joseph, David, Daniel and his friends, Timothy.

I'm sure a few others come to your mind as well, but my attention was drawn to a Bible character who himself pointed out his young age as a potential challenge.

That leads me to Jeremiah.

So what can we learn from God's calling of this young prophet, Jeremiah, as it applies in our search for purpose today?

From Jeremiah's calling, we learned that God has something great in store for each of us.

A purpose that he will equip us for and we can trust he will see us through the role that he has in store.

So as we turn to Jeremiah and God's word, I do want to offer one more word of prayer.

Heavenly Father, please send your spirit of wisdom and understanding as we open your word together.

And whatever it is that needs to be spoken to us, not just hitting our eardrums, but hitting our hearts.

Please let us be prepared for those today. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

So this is where we're switching gears to that eternal why or eternal learning for that long haul.

So let's do a quick pass over a good chunk of the first chapter of Jeremiah when he is called to service for God, starting with verse four.

I'll give you a second to turn there if you want to.

Again, Jeremiah, chapter one, verse four is where I'm starting.

The word of the Lord came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you before you were born.

I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

Alas, sovereign Lord, I said, I don't know how to speak.

I'm too young. But the Lord said to me, don't say I'm too young.

You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.

Don't be afraid of them. I'm with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, I've put my words in your mouth.

He didn't have to figure out the script himself, did he?

I've put the words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down,

to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.

Next, the word of the Lord came to me. What do you see, Jeremiah?

Now, in the verses that followed, Jeremiah proceeds to see visions from God and God gives him their interpretation before continuing in verse 17.

Get yourself ready. Stand up and say to them whatever I command you.

Don't be terrified by them or I'll terrify you before them.

I can picture him calling him out before the people he's speaking truth to.

Might call you out, might embarrass you a little bit.

Don't be terrified by them. Who are you? Who are you really?

Don't you worship a mighty God?

Today I've made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land,

against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.

They'll fight against you, but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.

So there's actually, that's where I'm going to stop, there's actually a lot that can be studied about Jeremiah's historical setting,

the way the kingdom of Judah and its leaders were operating, the prophecies Jeremiah delivered from God, all that good stuff.

That's not what we're looking at right now.

So that is a worthwhile study and there was actually, I think, a quarterly for Sabbath school a couple of years back that was pretty good for it.

I would like to refer you to that today.

Today we're wondering what God's calling of Jeremiah tells us about our calling and purpose today.

So looking at verse five, and I'll kind of alternate a little bit going between what these meant for Jeremiah and what we can draw from them for you, for me today.

In verse five, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

Before you were born, I set you apart.

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

In Jeremiah's case, we learn from actually verse one that he was a Jewish priest.

So even from priesthood, though, he was specially set apart to be a prophet.

In verse five, God is essentially telling Jeremiah he's not recruiting him to be a prophet.

It's a purpose that's already there, just needs to collect on it.

It's turnkey. It's in store for you.

If Jeremiah, if you choose my will for your life now for you and me, this is a great reminder.

God has great things in store for us.

You you may build towards this occupation or that in life.

You might pick up that hobby or interest.

You might find your natural God-given talents and learn how to put them together into a really cool ministry or a good or at least just a good living.

But you can really level them up when you adopt God's will as your own.

That reminds me of in last December, Corbin, a young man from Southern who studied and I believe is returning to study this fall, studying math and computer science.

He gave us a great message testifying how God can use us as witnesses when we do what we do to our best,

treat others how God wants us to in that process.

And while we're being God's hands and feet, I can open doors for more conversation about the God we serve.

Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

We're challenged in first Corinthians 10.

This can be true of a doctor.

It can be true of an electrician, educator, custodian, a real estate agent, all walks of life.

You name it.

And that reminds me, what was Jesus' occupation?

Yeah.

And so don't overlook your potential in God's work just because you don't necessarily plan to be a pastor.

Any person seeking God's will is taking what they're already built for and letting God use that to build his kingdom.

Now, that's learning for the long haul.

And we're just getting started.

Let's look at verses 6 through 9.

We start out with a little bit of an excuse.

I don't know, you could almost interpret it as an excuse.

You could almost see it as maybe valid concerns.

I don't know Jeremiah personally.

Maybe you do.

But when I do know what he said, though, alas, sovereign Lord, I don't know how to speak.

I'm too young.

So, you know, it's a pretty common thing.

I would say today, just as it may have been in those days, usually the elders are the ones revered for their experience.

Maybe they're being better read.

Even in the priesthood here that Jeremiah is coming from, there's a bit of a maybe a pecking order.

Yeah, you haven't been with us long enough to know all the ropes, right?

But on top of that, he is going to find himself speaking truth to power.

He's going to be talking to the rulers of the day in that kingdom of Judah and others.

And so certainly, he's going to feel timid beyond a simple fear of public speaking.

Like any of us in the room might not want to be upfront, right?

But he is speaking, he's the young buck and considered to have less experience and wisdom,

speaking God's truth to people of earthly authority, people who could probably do some damage to him if they wanted to.

God didn't let Jeremiah wallow in weakness, though, did he?

He pointed out, hey, hey, hey, hey, I've already written the script.

You just have to deliver it. And if they don't like what we say, the person they have to deal with ultimately is me.

So for you and me, when it comes to accepting God's mission, he'll meet you where you are.

You might have concerns, you might have excuses.

Either way, he can be the strength in your weakness.

You might remember Paul saying it well, when I am weak, then I am strong.

And that's out of 2 Corinthians 12.

In fact, Paul boasted about his weaknesses because he knew that Christ's power may rest on me.

God can use us in our weaknesses.

It makes me think sometimes it's easier to train someone in something if they don't already think they know a lot about it.

You don't have to reverse or break some sort of bad habits they've already formed from a misunderstanding or from poor instruction the last time through.

So you almost in some cases, you actually want a blank slate with a person.

Let God use that. Let God use meet you where you're at and use that weakness.

Let him be your strength.

It only shows God's power more when we know something was accomplished that we couldn't have done on our own.

On verses seven through nine, we can also consider the insight from Acts of the Apostles, page 599.

If they, the members of Christ's church, will make God their strength, he will work with them and they will not labor in vain.

Let them realize that the work in which they are engaged is one upon which the Lord has placed his signet for the younger listeners.

That's kind of like empowered by his special seal of divine approval.

So God then said to Jeremiah what we hear in verses seven through nine.

And Ellen White continues, and he bids us go forth to speak the word he gives us, feeling his holy touch upon our lips.

He's giving us the words. We just got to deliver it.

Sometimes that helps to know.

Now picking up in verses 10, kind of the transition from 10 to 11, we go from don't be afraid of them.

You know, he's on the tail end of addressing Jeremiah's concern or excuse.

Don't be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, I have put words in your mouth.

Whoops, I said 10 11, didn't I? See today.

He does a lot of reiteration of the encouragement to Jeremiah, so it makes me lose my place sometimes.

But it's like he knows that he recognizes that weakness in Jeremiah.

He recognizes he's timid or thinks little of his position that God just reinforces again and again.

I think that's kind of neat, even if it throws me off here that some of the verses sound the same.

But back to 10 and 11. See today, I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down,

to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.

The word of the Lord came to me. What do you see, Jeremiah?

What?

Shouldn't there be a training montage in there somewhere?

I mean, we should be seeing a little rocky or maybe a little wax on, wax off, anything like that.

But we don't see that here.

And you know, it's totally possible if you read some of the original translation,

maybe there's verbs or tenses in there that imply time passes and we have no idea what that gap may be.

But I'm a little impressed from a straight, cold reading of this.

It would sound like we just go from, I've addressed your concerns, now let's get busy.

Whoa. So.

Wow. I don't know about you, but sometimes when I feel directed towards change or I'm struck with,

maybe I'm struck with inspiration to put a skill to use for others that maybe I'm a little timid about,

maybe I want to polish it a little bit or I think I need to be a little better or I might need to read up on this more.

Insert excuse here, I'm procrastinating.

That I don't think I do that on purpose. Maybe maybe this is a similar experience for a lot of us.

I hope I'm not alone in that.

Anyway, it would feel a little better. But that that seems to be what happens for me.

Maybe I need to be better read or let me do some research first and then we'll talk.

And maybe I need my training montage before I do this thing that.

God has planted this idea in my brain for.

But when God calls you to do something, in all likelihood,

you can get started right away with what you're already equipped with.

He's you can use what God's gifted you leading up to that point and then use the strength he supplies in your weakness that we talked about a moment ago.

So the challenge to me here and to all of us really, what are we waiting for?

If you sense hesitation in yourself in the face of God's leading.

Pray for the wisdom to recognize those moments and the courage to act accordingly.

Next up, Jeremiah 17, if you're worried how long this will go, just look at how.

Close we are to the end of the chapter, verse 17 for Jeremiah.

We see get yourself ready in other translations.

Gird your loins is actually what a number of translations say now for.

Like we hear that and we kind of have an idea of what it is,

but especially for the younger audience or the less familiar, I want to point out for the clothes that they wore back then.

You know, pictures kind of the Bible costumes we see sometimes.

So these are not things you're doing hardcore work in.

These are not things you're running around in some, you know, oftentimes girding the loins was basically like get ready for some dirty work.

Get ready even for battle.

We're about to need to mobilize on something right now.

So gird your loins, get yourself ready.

That's what God is saying towards the end of Jeremiah one.

But he adds he closes with they will fight against you.

But I am with you.

There it is again, this encouragement that he keeps circling back to.

I am with you.

I will strengthen you.

That's beautiful.

So for us, when we aim high, when we want to learn for the long haul and when we're better yet when God is our why and we let him use our here and now for a more eternal impact.

We we might encounter challenges.

I shouldn't say might.

Gird your loins.

We will meet challenges.

But God is with us.

In preparation, we should adopt God's will for our development inside and out.

Trusting his ways are higher and more lasting than ours.

There we have it.

We're we're at the end of the chapter.

The end is near.

I hope we all understand there.

There is a purpose in what we learn in the school year ahead or the life ahead.

Whether we understand it now or it hits us later when we need it, that's handy on this earth in this life.

But better still, when we acknowledge God for who he is and use what he's blessed us with for a higher purpose.

We know from the story of Jeremiah's calling, God has something great first in store for you.

For me to reach others, to equip us in our strength and our weaknesses and to see us through what lies ahead until he returns.

To claim that now and set this focus for the school year ahead, I do want to have a special prayer to close.

And that will be specifically, especially for our students returning to school, the educators in the room, as well as the educators in these students lives.

And I don't care if you're heading back to college or going to kindergarten or pre-K.

If you're an active teacher, retired, this is you.

You're everybody's and really everybody in the room.

Again, we're lifelong learners and we also all have some ways we teach or influence others for God's will.

And so I want to lift, especially focusing on the students and educators, I want to lift the group up with a blessing for the school year ahead.

So bow your heads with me, please.

Heavenly Father, we know elsewhere in Jeremiah, we actually learn that you know the plans you have for us.

Plans to prosper us, not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future.

Lord, we recognize today that hope and future is in you, best found in you, best developed in you, best exercised when we abide with you.

And Lord, we look forward to the day when we'll get to see the fruits of that labor from all the times that we maybe sat in class or maybe sat in a meeting at work wondering what is this for.

Let us all remember there is a way, there is a way we can with your strength draw something from each of these experiences that can help us build your kingdom,

that can help us share your gospel as we've seen it play out in our lives.

And these things we do ask in Jesus name, Amen.