[applause] [applause] [applause] >> good evening birthday. what a night. during worship, you feel the presence of the lord of the holy spirit was upon everyone i just cannot tell you, what an honor it is to be here. president, the board of trustees, chancellor and faculty, the family and friends, distinguished guests and most importantly, the class of 2025. [applause] [applause] [applause]

>> thank you been incredibly warm welcome and the invitation to share this truly special day with all of you from presidents to pastors, professional athletes going to supreme court justices, liberty is a proud history and distinguish commencement speakers never forget is only the amazing first lady suzanne young can in my son grant young ted and i have an opportunity to be back at this wonderful institution and i hope that you understand how special liberty us as an institution that is respected all around the world, because it is rooted not in the temporal but in the internal and also great to be back here because soon as suzanne left me after this i'm going to head down to the

tearoom and going to grab a cheesy westerner to predict. [applause] [applause] >> to although graduates that i see before me in your incredibly handsome caps and gowns, i ensure the during this final year your family and friends have all had a serious discussion and they have been peppering you about what you will do next. and while in this last year of serving as governor, i know how you feel. therefore i know will need a job at the end of this term and so i know who to go see advice from there will be coming to see all of you. we know that there is a season into everything braided and while there will be a time to look to the future, today's the

day to congratulate you probably accomplishment largest ever university class of 2025 worried. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> you not only liberty largest ever class today, but you're also part of the largest event ever held in central virginia. [applause] >> look around, this milestone is tremendous in your life's journey. there were some really important people who helped you won't go away. many of them are here in williams stadium tonight. some of them, very surprised indeed. some of them are sitting here thinking today is proof that the lord really does work miracles.

my friends above all, we rightly give glory and thanks to god because he is everything any buses you university every liberty graduate who came before you, graduates who said exactly where you are and graduates that lay the foundation for this incredible moment. but you also will thanks to the professors, who not only taught you but they prayed over you like coaches who push you when you did not want to be pushed and who gave you an extra dose of encouragement when you need it faculty and staff and administration, may your time here some significant. and today yes, we'll thanks to your whole family. but is that and especially to proud parents pretty and once again, i would ask you to please

stand i think your parents for everything that they have given you. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> and while you're standing, can we please say thank you to all of the mothers here because none of us would be here without our moms. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> and for those of you not had an opportunity to buy your mother for something, you can think me later come there to shopping days left this moment where i think of my own mother, she was my hero, the lock of our family. i miss her every single day.

so all of the mothers here thank you, thank you for loving the children that the lord blessed you with and thank you for giving everything you possibly can for their futures. most importantly, thank you for raising them in the spirit of the lord because they also may have a forever life. and the truth is, all of the moms and dads here have so many good reasons to be happy. so many good reasons to be happy. and i say that i'm sure there are a few that are quietly thinking, maybe today is the day my son or daughter actually graduates and gets off of the family payroll. with 132,000 graduates, the class of 2025 is only largest history but also for the most

and present since senior had a vision over the doors of the school more than five decades ago more than 6300 of you graduated with honors and number 4100 of you made perfect 4.0 gpa. that's amazing. i particularly think the 71209 graduates for the military or family ties to our military, think you for your service to our nation. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> you champions on the basketball courts the men and ladies winning the conference championship in printing your

ticket to go dancing in march. congratulations to all of the student athletes on your successes this year including whole team under six consecutive teams playable game right here. this class is also proved that you take your civic duty seriously november and you were part of the largest voting turnout ever liberty university. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> we look back for years, many of you just arrive on campus when i was right running for governor. i will never forget the strong support so many of you gave me my campaign, thank you for hiring me. [applause] [applause] [applause]

>> my friend, your march to live with me and you stood up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. [applause] >> you exhibited a remarkable spirit and countless acts of generosity and so grateful and how many of you donated led a helping hand to those to those who lost everything and hurricane helene partnered with organizations like the samaritans person operation blessings, needed more than 80 those who have lost everything. he showed with a meant to be champion for christ that is the utmost administration live at an action and of course i know this day of celebration can be bittersweet. you've developed deep

friendships here who have challenged you and your studies and inspired you with their faith and once who stayed with you through the peace and power and friends who will stand with you and your weddings, appears to your children and eventually will hold your hands as you go home with the lord to the father's house were there are many rooms. the relationships that will last forever. you spent countless hours studying the library and lunchtime making bread. no understand those when the students are all in town. whether you spent most of her time and you in this article. in the hills printed going to

class and freedom tower now you being sent from this good place and out into an exciting world of opportunity that awaits you. we hear me clearly, it is desperately need to see you. as you start to write the next few chapters remember, there are seasons to life. seasonal school, season to apply what you have learned in seasons of tribulation and seasons of triumph seasons where you will hear god's voice asking whom shall i said will go for us. we may be called into ministry, like the prophet isaiah, under other service going you also will be called the raise your hand emphatically response here i am.

said me. we've seen the holy spirit supported guide and strengthen many admitted women it who said sent me throughout history in american history throughout virginia's history we saw 250 years ago, when patrick and every inspired the commonwealth of virginia to fight for liberty with his most famous plate i know not but asked for me give me liberty or give me death. and yes from patrick henry to thomas jefferson from george washington to george mason, have james madison to james monroe. calling. in answer said me, they helped found the greatest nation on the earth and the faith and encourage have those who said send me has been watching over virginia ever sense whether it

was barbara jones and protected segregation as a 16 -year-old, prince edward county and helped open up education opportunities for every american there was private first lesson broke right here. served in the state combat medic in world war ii it is more the medal of honor for saving 75 of his fellow soldiers and hacks outrage in okinawa, all while staying true to his beliefs. whether it was doctor bill mcgee who founded operation smile in virginia beach in 1982, an organization that had prepared for over 400,000 children's as needed gross and it wasn't the largest volunteer -based medical nonprofit anywhere in the world. when there was any them are countless in all of these virginians heard and answered the call to be sent. 's faithful courage and says

send me does not just along the history books. it's also this right here in william stadium and i know all of you, i've known her below is calling at some .151 percent here tonight is patrick patterson, liberty student united states marine, who answered the call to serve our nation in uniform. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> like so many bad trends, patrick returned bob with deep scars, ptsd and addictions about the loss of his home and his family and terrible infected by the terrible business of war but even the darkest moments, patrick never gave up by the grace of and help of his fellow veterans even hope recovery and rebuild his life in these degrees criminal justice all

while working full time in law enforcement. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> after graduation patrick will continue in his mission starting a masters program in addiction counseling ensure you stories and ministering long other struggling addiction and inspiring them to see him against the enemy. patrick especially your wife and three children are. very proud of you and all of his heart thank you for saying send me. [applause] [applause] >> and also here rodriguez the senior nursing major is partnered with lu certain now is

partnered with them over the last four years she's gone three disaster relief trips affected americans by hurricanes all she's been here liberty taken her to washington state kentucky and most recently, the western north carolina pretty originally decided she would attend liberty because of the mission minded focus she's look to christ example of washing his disciples feet as a model of true servant hood that we are all called to emulate now hannah, i know this you served are grateful for how you've help them rebuild their homes after the terrible disasters with most important thing that you provided on these mission trips, the material aid, and sharing christ love and the peace of one day will welcome each of us to a house not made with hands, and thank you for saying send me.

[applause] >> and before you were said, you will be called, and trust me and fairfield christian by come he will hear a call is important to remember the's calling are always comfortable or can be an effective rarely are with god's calling them i call you like my friend janet, who adopted a child going my call you like my friend max, to care for a sick spouse, he ♪ ♪ you to minister in the vast sums of a major city or call to start a nonprofit to help human trafficking survivors pretty much how you devoted to return my call you with a prison ministry, and michael you to do something that everyone thinks is a little bit crazy like founded the college dedicated to christ next to the side of the mountain in virginia. my friends, you may even find

yourselves living a very happy life and thinking you're doing everything that he wants you to do and the lord will abruptly interrupt at and called you to do something incredibly different. in some of you know before i entered public service, and they had this amazing privilege of working for 8.8 million virginians so i 25 your business career read in 2020 my head when i thought was my dream job as married to the love of my life, for 26 years then we were racing an amazing or children was exactly supposed to be in the lord had other plans pretty but stop sign in my prayer life and impossible to ignore. and therefore no that he cannot sit on the sidelines any longer

on friday night in july, i am suzanne to go on a walk with me and i looked at her and he told her that i planted to quit my job and run for governor. i'll never forget how she tipped me friday evening with tears flowing up and rice and quivering, and she asked governor of what. [laughter] [laughter] >> and we prayed together and we asked god for guidance and for wisdom and strength. i know will tell you that we have never once regretted it predict and other than the day that i accepted jesus as my savior and suzanne said, yes, i will marry you and i've never felt more purposeful in my life. each of you, on a different story and i don't know how your

chapter will enfold you specific callings will be, but you're calling me not be something that you would plan for something that you would scripted for yourself and i know this for sure, the class of 2025, you're ready to hear that implication of you shall i said and who will go for us i am so confident too, thank you will stand up and say send me. send me to be dedicated her husband or wife and send me to raise my children in a way that glorifies and send me to be a light and by workplace and send me to be salt of the earth send me to provide christian witness in a culture so badly in need of it. you have learned here and values formed and conviction shaved and strength and in practice will set you apart from this moment on in every room that you enter,

you will bring the unique information about liberty education and what a blessing that will be to everyone, whose path you will cross. in the world needs you. and each intellect, your promising major commitment. the world needs more champions for christ above all, he needs your faith and needs your help. it needs your love and remember, the greatest of these is love. my friends, at the heart of this great university, is prayer. and so stand faithfully and answer humbly, and pray mightily and today graduating from a place to that power of prayer and how the does move mountains

and can change and soften even the hardest parts and so now spirit, like a close by praying with all of you. and her family, we hold hands when we pray. so if you would not mind, just reaching out to the person next to you, grabbing hand in forming a circle for our lord and savior jesus christ. please join me. dear heavenly father, you are holy. thank you for this amazing institution and for each and every one of you extraordinary graduates and father i ask that you guide and protect them and they ask you to draw them closer you go their separate ways and i ask that you pursue their lives and share their gifts which wil