Graduation is a moment in time when a family and their community can celebrate the graduate’s individuality, their accomplishments, and the future before them. It’s an opportunity to rejoice in God’s faithfulness and to trust in His continued leading.
We offer these Bible verses and quotes/mottos as suggestions for your graduation celebration: for considering yourself or for sharing with the graduate in a card or speech. We also offer all of these verses and mottos as options on our diplomas and graduation announcements.
Verse #1 – I Thessalonians 5:24, NIV
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through… The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Verse #2 – II Corinthians 9:8, KJV
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8
Verse #3 – II Corinthians 9:8, NIV
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8
Verse #4 – Colossians 1:10, KJV
“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10
Verse #5 – Colossians 1:10, NIV
“And we pray… that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God…” Colossians 1:10
Verse #6 – Colossians 2:6-7, KJV
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7
Verse #7 – Colossians 2:6-7, NIV
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7
Verse #8 – Ephesians 2:10, ESV
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
Verse #9 – Ephesians 2:10, KJV
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
Verse #10 – Isaiah 40:31, KJV
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Verse #11 – Isaiah 40:31, NIV
“… but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Verse #12 – Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water… its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Verse #13 – Jeremiah 29:11, NIV
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Verse #14 – Numbers 6:24-26, KJV
“The Lord bless thee and keep thee: The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Verse #15 – Numbers 6:24-26, NIV
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Verse #16 – Philippians 1:6, KJV
“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6
Verse #17 – Philippians 1:6, NASB
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
Verse #18 – Philippians 1:9-10, NIV
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ…” Philippians 1:9-10
Verse #19 – Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6
Verse #20 – Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Verse #21 – Proverbs 9:10, KJV
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
Verse #22 – Proverbs 9:10, NIV
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
Verse #23 – Psalm 119:105, KJV
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
Verse #24 – Psalm 126:3, NIV
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” Psalm 126:3
Verse #25 – Psalm 28:7, KJV
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7
Verse #26 – Psalm 28:7, NIV
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” Psalm 28:7
Verse #27 – Psalm 37:4, KJV
“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37:4
Verse #28 – Psalm 37:4, NASB
“Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Verse #29 – Psalm 5:12, KJV
“For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12
Verse #30 – Psalm 5:12, NIV
“For surely O Lord, you bless the righteous; You surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12
Motto #3 – by Robert F. Kennedy
“Some men see things as they are and ask, ‘Why?’ I dream things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?'” – Robert F. Kennedy
Motto #4 – “Do not follow where the path leads…”
Do not follow where the path leads. Rather, go where there is no path and leave a trail.
Motto #6 – by William Ward
“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” – William Ward
Motto #9 – by Martin Luther King Jr.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Motto #19 – by Booker T. Washington
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” – Booker T. Washington
Motto #22 – “The past is my heritage…”
The past is my heritage; the present – my responsibility; the future – my challenge.
Motto #24 – “Cherish yesterday…”
Cherish yesterday; live today; reach for tomorrow.
Motto #27 – by Thomas M. Smith
“Let us keep climbing ever higher, never fearing the step that is next; for our goal is in our grasp, just beyond our hopes and dreams.” – Thomas M. Smith
Motto #29 – “We cannot discover new oceans unless”
We cannot discover new oceans unless we have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
Motto #31 – by Daniel Webster
“The most important thought I ever had was that of my individual responsibility to God.” – Daniel Webster
Motto #35 – “Our lives are before us…”
Our lives are before us… our past is behind us… but our memories are forever with us.
Motto #41 – by Anatole France
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” – Anatole France
Motto #43 – “Knowledge comes…”
Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers.
Motto #45 – “I asked of Life…”
I asked of Life, “What have you to offer me?” And the answer came, “What have you to give?”
Motto #47 – “Do not look bitterly at…”
Do not look bitterly at the things you wanted and did not receive. Instead, look at the things that you have received but did not deserve.
Motto #50 – “Behind us lies…”
Behind us lies the path of learning… ahead, the road to success.
Motto #52 – “The journey of a thousand miles…”
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
Motto #59 – by Helen Keller
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
Motto #60 -“Nothing we do changes the past…”
Nothing we do changes the past – everything we do changes the future.
Motto #62 – by John Newton
“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great savior.” – John Newton
Motto #64 – by G.K. Chesterton
“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” – G.K. Chesterton
Motto #69 – “To achieve all that is possible…”
To achieve all that is possible, we must attempt the impossible. To be as much as we can, we must dream of being more.
Motto #74 – by Ben Sweetland
“Success is a journey, not a destination.” – Ben Sweetland
Motto #97 – by Socrates
“There is nothing we can do better than seeking to become still better than we are.” – Socrates
Motto #106 – by Robert Louis Stevenson
“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Motto #120 – by Robert E. Regent
“When enthusiasm is driven by confidence, any goal can be attained.” – Robert E. Regent
Motto #130 – by Albert Einstein
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” – Albert Einstein
Motto #135 – by John Wooden
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” – John Wooden
Motto #137 – by Joseph Chilton Pierce
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” – Joseph Chilton Pierce
Motto #140 – by Norman Vincent Peale
“Enthusiasm spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” – Norman Vincent Peale
Motto #141 – “Learn from yesterday…”
Learn from yesterday, live for today, dream for tomorrow.
Motto #143 – “Learn as if you were to live…”
Learn as if you were to live forever. Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Motto #147 – “In our hands we hold today…”
In our hands we hold today; in our dreams we hold tomorrow; in our hearts we hold forever.
Motto #154 – by Ralph Waldo Emerson
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Motto #155 – “It matters not…”
It matters not what you are thought to be, but what you are.
Motto #186 – “The key to happiness…”
The key to happiness is having a dream – the key to success is making it come true.
Motto #189 – by Ursula K. LeGuin
“It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ursula K. LeGuin
Motto #190 – by Sue Atchley Ebaugh
“Within our dreams and aspirations, we find our opportunities.” – Sue Atchley Ebaugh
Motto #203 – “Only as high as we reach…”
Only as high as we reach, can we grow. Only as far as we seek, can we go. Only as deep as we look, can we see. Only as much as we dream, can we be.
Motto #238 – by Charles Dickens
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it’s happened.” – Charles Dickens.
Motto #250 – by Goethe
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” – Goethe
Motto #255 – by Pauline R. Kezer
“Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.” – Pauline R. Kezer
Motto #260 – by Abraham Kuyper
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine.'” – Abraham Kuyper
