The following is an abridged version of the valedictorian message delivered by Matthew Salzani at his high school graduation ceremony, in June 2015, at Emmanuel Christian School. Matthew is very involved in the music ministry (playing drums) and the children’s ministries at Onward.

What I have come to realize is that more important than all earthly friendships and relationships is your personal relationship with God. … As all of us go out into the world … our faith will be tested. As soon as your new classmates or colleagues see that there’s something different about you, they’ll wonder what it is. That difference is faith. And what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

But what if they don’t see a difference about you? Are you just going to be someone who slips into the crowd and calls themselves a Christian behind the scenes? Are you going to be a lukewarm fan of Christ or an on-fire follower of Him? …

Life may seem like a humongous mountain to overcome, but it isn’t! It will definitely be overwhelming, frustrating, depressing, and terrifying among other things at different points in your journey. But if you put in the effort, you will make it through the high-paced world. You can’t do it on your own but, with faith in Christ, all things are possible.

Faith in God isn’t something your parents told you about and now you’re saved because you said a prayer over a decade ago. Faith without works is dead. You have to be an example of Christ and not just think or say you are. Jesus says in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Trials will most definitely come your way. James 1:2 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” When you walk out of this building … there are going be people who don’t know you or who don’t care about you. But God is the One with you through it all. He’s the one fighting right by you, not against you. Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” … You have to fight daily towards your goals and no one can give you that strength to fight except Christ. When you get knocked down, life will keep you there permanently if you let it. In the wise words of Benjamin Franklin … “If you do tomorrow what you did today, you will get tomorrow what you got today.” Will what you do move you closer to God or closer to the world?

The world keeps getting darker and darker and that’s why you have to be the light of change. …

Think about this analogy for a moment before I close. You’re sitting in a boxing ring all alone. No, this isn’t a Rocky reference. You’ve been beaten down 10, 20, 30 times, you’ve lost count. But you know what? You’re not alone in the ring and you never will be. You lift your head and you see God in the other corner. He’s not there to fight you, He’s there because you’ve been fighting him the whole time. Confess your sins and mistakes and He will always forgive! 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Friends, I can’t change what you’ll do in your life. To be honest, I may never see some of you again. What I can do, though, is try and change the way you think. And if I can change the way you think, perhaps it will change what you do. Live your life for Christ. You can’t climb the mountain of success with your hands in your pockets.

As Paul challenged (2 Timothy 4:7), finish the race strong. Jesus is the Bread of Life. Fill yourself with Him, not with what the world feeds you. Put in the effort with and through Him, or be overwhelmed.