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Excerpts from commencement address
Two years ago, 73 of us moved into the College for Officer Training at Crestmont. Two years later, 82 will walk or be carried out! Six babies were born in our session over the last two years and three people came from Korea to be part of our session family. Matthew 7:20 says, you shall know them by their fruit. It cannot be denied—we are a very fruitful session.
Much can be judged by a person’s fruit: spiritual, emotional and physical. Like Paul says in Galatians, “you reap what you sow.” In one of our last classes, we read about 10 characteristics of a healthy church, including “experiencing the empowering presence of God.” Isn’t that what this is all about? His presence is what we long to reap.
Our greatest lessons here came from each other, the staff and the employees. Of course, that didn’t keep our homework from preventing sleep or lively discussions on what we believe. A friend of mine aptly described our learning as being “like a crop-dusting of seeds.” The learning was so much more than academic…it challenged our hearts and spirits.
A cadet’s life here is about examining the heart and mind in preparation to serve God and you. That’s right—to serve you. We came here because God called us to serve. It is our desire to see every corps, every person and every leader “experiencing the empowering presence of God.”
I pray that today, as we begin to make official the commitment that God has put on our hearts to serve you that you also commit or recommit to serving and building up that same body, as we seek God’s presence. I look forward to seeing what fruit this body can bear.
