Graduation 2024 | Commencement Address: Rick Warren

Summary

Dr. Rick delivers an inspiring commencement speech to the graduating class of 2024, emphasizing the power of love and faith. He recounts personal stories, including praying with Oral Roberts and sharing a powerful moment of faith with a professor in China. Dr. Rick underscores that life's most important value is love—love for God, others, and oneself. He reminds graduates that achievements are secondary to relationships and that true fulfillment comes from expressing faith through love. His final message is to embrace love as they step into the world.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Dr. Rick opens with an emotional reflection on the class of 2024, highlighting their heartfelt worship and resilience through challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 👏 He congratulates the graduates and acknowledges the various obstacles they overcame to reach the finish line.
• 🗣️ Dr. Rick shares a personal story about Oral Roberts, emphasizing the importance of making people feel loved when praying for them.
• ❤️ The key message is that life is all about love, and the most important thing is faith expressed through love, citing Galatians 5:6.
• 💡 Dr. Rick urges graduates to prioritize relationships over achievements, as love and human connection matter more in the end.
• 🙏 He highlights Jesus' teaching to love God and love others as yourself, calling it the foundation of life and success.
• 💌 God’s love is unconditional, and Dr. Rick encourages graduates to let God's love transform their lives and relationships.
• 🌍 Dr. Rick shares a story about sharing God’s love with a dying professor in China, leading him to embrace faith and receive Christ.
• 📖 He illustrates that true transformation comes from understanding and receiving God's love, which surpasses any worldly success.
• 🌟 The final message is that graduates should go into the world and love those who are the least loved, as faith expressed through love is what truly matters.

Q & A

What moment did Dr. Rick describe observing in the audience during the speech?

Dr. Rick described watching the graduating class of 2024 sing the worship song 'All my life you have been faithful' with heartfelt sincerity, noting that they truly meant what they were singing.

How did Dr. Rick relate his personal experience with Oral Roberts in the speech?

Dr. Rick shared a personal story about praying for Oral Roberts' healing when Roberts faced health issues, and how in return, Oral prayed for Dr. Rick's ministry. He emphasized that both Oral and another friend, John Wimber, said the most important thing during prayers for healing was that 'people feel loved.'

What key message did Dr. Rick decide to focus on instead of his planned speech?

Dr. Rick decided to focus on the theme that life is all about love. He emphasized that love is the most important thing in life, more important than achievements, fame, or success.

What does Galatians 5:6 say, according to Dr. Rick's speech?

Galatians 5:6 says, 'The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.' Dr. Rick used this to emphasize that love is central to the Christian faith.

What did Dr. Rick say people want in their final moments of life?

Dr. Rick said that in their final moments, people do not ask for their trophies or achievements, but instead, they want to be surrounded by the people they love.

What two commandments did Jesus summarize as the most important, according to the speech?

Jesus summarized the most important commandments as: 'Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

What does Dr. Rick say is the first purpose of life?

Dr. Rick says the first purpose of life is not to love God, but to let God love you. He explained that we love because God first loved us, and understanding God’s love is transformative.

How does Dr. Rick describe God’s love for us?

Dr. Rick describes God's love as unconditional and unwavering. He explained that God loves us on both our good and bad days, and this love is not based on what we do but on God's nature.

What story did Dr. Rick share to illustrate the concept of God's love being like a free ticket?

Dr. Rick shared a story about a friend who took his son and friends to a carnival. A new friend asked for a ticket, and the father gave him one because he was his son's friend. Dr. Rick used this story to illustrate that God offers a 'ticket to heaven' to those who are friends of Jesus.

What was the reaction of Professor Joe after hearing about God's love, and what did he do the next day?

After hearing Dr. Rick talk about God's love, Professor Joe was moved to tears and expressed his desire for a 'ticket to heaven.' The next day, he publicly proclaimed his faith in Jesus Christ at a church in China, to the excitement and celebration of the congregation.