Baccalaureate 2026 Message

Opening: Daniel’s World and Yours

Congratulations. You have reached another milestone in life. And unlike any other graduating class, you have lived through a period of time that has changed more and faster than any generation before you.

And you have something in common with one of the greatest prophets of all time. Though under much different circumstances, Daniel was a young man whose future was massively changed by a new culture, new expectations, new pressures, and new technologies of his time. He was moved from the comforts of a familiar home-life to a new modern world of the day, from Israel to Babylon. Babylon was the most advanced empire on earth, and Daniel had no idea what the future held for him.

Like Daniel, you are entering a modern world culture today that is undergoing a transformation that is so drastic, no one can comprehend it. We can talk about the future and try to predict the changes, but the future you are entering right now is beyond imagination.

And predictably, the future will bring problems–but God’s way brings the cure.

This is why you need, more than ever, a solid, unchanging anchor for truth and life orientation. This is what made Daniel such a great man of God. Scripture says:

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself…” (Daniel 1:8)

This means that Daniel determined not to be defiled by his new culture or led astray from God and His truth. That one decision shaped the rest of his life. Daniel didn’t wait to see where the world was going. He decided where he was going. And because of this, He became one of the greatest prophets and leaders among God’s people. He lived with conviction. He stood on God’s unchanging Word and became a leader who changed an empire.

And that is exactly the kind of leader God is calling you to be.

The Cure for Everything

Inside the bottle I gave you is a cure for all things you are about to face in your future.

Inside is aspirin — because the future will give you headaches. Candy — because God gives sweetness even in hard days. And a verse from God’s Word — because God’s promise is the cure for everything, known and unknown.

To set the tone, here’s your poem titled: “The Cure for Everything”

When life hands you problems you didn’t expect, And dreams fall apart in a way you can’t correct, Remember this truth when the world feels absurd– There’s a cure for it all when you live by God’s Word.

Aspirin may help when your head starts to pound, And candy brings joy when no joy can be found, But leaders who rise, who inspire, who endure — Are the ones who discover God’s way is the cure.

So open His Book when you don’t know what’s true, Let Scripture reshape what you think, say, and do. You’ll change your whole world–and perhaps others too– For the cure for the world starts with God curing you.

The World Is Changing Faster Than Ever

You are graduating at a moment in time unlike any other in history.

AI is transforming medicine, science, communication, creativity, warfare, education, and business.

And here’s one astounding example: AI-powered labs can now discover new medicines faster than all the scientists in the world combined. AI can test millions of chemical combinations in minutes, rather than years.

This means: cures will be found faster, diseases will be defeated sooner, breakthroughs will happen daily. AI is not the future. It’s already here. It is changing the future.

The world is accelerating — and the future desperately needs those who will lead from the front, not from behind. The world needs to be led by people who purpose in their hearts to remain anchored with Christian values and perspectives and a relationship with their Creator as they enter the future.

But Jesus stated a sad fact in Luke 16:8, saying, “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” One reason the children of this world are wiser than the children of light is that they advance into the future rather than drag their feet in fear and complaint.

With the Creator and Savior of truth on our side, Christians should be — and can be — much wiser. We have access to God’s wisdom, which is infinitely greater than the collective genius of all humanity. And with access to this wisdom, you should be leading the world.

The wisdom about the future is that it is coming whether you like it or not. You are sitting in a car on the roller coaster of life heading into the future. You can embrace it and lead the way looking at problems as opportunities to solve, or you can sit in the back with your eyes closed in denial and complaint. But either way, you cannot get off this roller coaster. So if you are going to be in the future anyway, then step into it with purpose and lead the way.

The world doesn’t just need people who can use new tools like AI. The world needs leaders who know where to go with them. Leaders who don’t wait for the future to arrive — they shape it. Leaders who blaze trails. Leaders who think ahead. Leaders who live with conviction. Leaders who live by the Bible. Instead of shrinking back in fear, we should be the ones out front, leading with the wisdom of God. The future is coming whether we like it or not — so run toward it like David ran toward Goliath, with confidence and boldness in the wisdom and strength of the Lord.

And remember, the tools of today and tomorrow are only as powerful as the truth that guides the hands that hold them. The world needs leaders who know the true and living God so they can know what to do with the tools.

Here are three leadership principles to keep in mind as you advance into the future.

Leadership Principle #1: Purpose in Your Heart like Daniel

Daniel 1:8 — “But Daniel purposed in his heart…”

Daniel didn’t drift into leadership. He didn’t wait to see what everyone else would do. He didn’t let culture shape him. He purposed. He set his heart and soul and mind on doing what was right in the eyes of God.

Leaders don’t react — they decide. Godly leaders don’t follow trends — they follow God. Godward leaders don’t bend to pressure — they stand on conviction.

Your future begins with a decision in your heart.

Leadership Principle #2: Lead Yourself First

Paul exhorts in Colossians 3:2 to “Set your affection on things above…” This reminds us of the first and great command Jesus stated in Matthew 22:36-40, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

Leaders rise above the noise of the world, think higher, and choose differently when God controls their hearts, souls, and minds.

Leadership Principle #3: Lead with Conviction

Proverbs 3:5-6 — “Trust in the LORD… and He shall direct thy paths.”

The future will be filled with new tools, new challenges, new opportunities, new dangers. But God’s wisdom and truth never change.

Leaders who trust God’s wisdom will always know where to go — even when the world is confused.

The Leadership Question

Will you purpose in your heart — like Daniel — to live by God’s Word?

There are two paths to choose from going into the future.

• One path leads to confusion. One path leads to clarity.
• One path leads to emptiness. One path leads to purpose.
• One path leads to regret. One path leads to impact.
• One path leads to destruction. one path leads to success.

Leaders who change the world for good are leaders who live by the Bible and help others do likewise.

Lead the Future God’s Way

God is calling you to more than success. He is calling you to leadership — leadership rooted in His Word and in a real, deep relationship with Him.

The bottles you hold in your hands are a reminder: The world gives problems. God gives the cure.

His Word works. His way is right. His truth changes lives for good.

Choose to be the leader God wants you to be. Choose to become the leader God designed you to be.

In a few weeks, I and my staff will be training young Christians leaders at the Leadership Training Institute of America in Washington DC. After that, I will be leading a discipleship seminar here in Fayetteville to equip Christian leaders wanting to improve their personal ministry for the Lord. I hope and pray you will come and join us.

The world needs you. Your generation needs you. And God is ready to use you.

I end with this phrase from the poem: “Open His Book when you don’t know what’s true, Let Scripture reshape what you think, say, and do. You’ll change your whole world–and perhaps others too– For the cure for the world starts with God curing you.”