High School Valedictorian Reveals Why She Praised Jesus During Viral Speech
A bold high school valedictorian who recently took the stage and delivered a memorable speech filled with biblical truth is surprised her powerful address rapidly went viral. Lydia Owens told CBN’s Faithwire the reaction to her words has been “overwhelming,” though she’s elated to see her speech pointing more people toward the Gospel.
“It surprised me a lot, the amount of people who were so impacted by it,” she said. “That’s exactly what I’d want to happen. I want people to know Jesus because of what I said.” Owens, a recent graduate of Woodmont High School, a public school in Piedmont, South Carolina, drew applause during the address from the audience when she reminded her peers they are “made in the image of God,” and their worth should be found in eternal rather than temporal things.
Lydia specifically mentioned how her mother’s death two years ago showed her the importance of leaning into the Lord to find peace. “When everything else in my life felt uncertain, the only person that I could depend on to stay the same was Jesus,” she said. “My perspective of success drastically changed, because I realized that the many years I spent placing my worth in my academics meant absolutely nothing in light of eternity.” Christ, she said, is the only person who “will ever satisfy.”
Video of the speech quickly spread, with positive and encouraging comments flowing. Leading up to her valedictorian address, the teen said she considered for a long time what she would say. “I could have talked about absolutely anything, but when I was thinking about it, I knew that I wanted to say something that would leave people thinking,” Lydia said, noting she endeavored to make a positive impact. So, she used her own struggle with perfectionism and overcoming the odds to deliver a timeless message to which others could relate.
Watch Lydia and her dad, Brian Owens, executive pastor of First Baptist Simpsonville Upstate Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina, speak about the viral speech.
CBN News. Because Truth Matters™
Download the free CBN News App: http://cbnnews.com/app
SUBSCRIBE to the CBN News Channel for more:
http://youtube.com/c/CBNnewsonline/?sub_confirmation=1
SUBSCRIBE to the QuickStart Newsletter by visiting quickstart.news
SUBSCRIBE to the Quickstart Podcast. New episodes every morning at 7am: cbn.com/cbnnews/quickstart
What’s coming up next? Have a look at our program guide: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2Fcbnnews%2Fnewschann&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description
CBN features 24-hour TV news from a Christian perspective. The CBN News Channel provides independent news programming to an underserved audience to enlighten, entertain and inspire Christians around the world. Comments below do not necessarily reflect the views of CBN.
Share this live feed with your friends and family:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CBNnewsonline
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbnnews/
Like us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBNNews
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbnnews/
Contact News Editors: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2Fcontact%2Fcontact-&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description
Questions about other CBN programs: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2Fcontact%2Fcontact-&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description
Questions about supporting CBN?
http://www1.cbn.com/cbn-partners (and) https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.google.com%2Fyoutube%2F%3Fp&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description
Questions about Helping the Home Front? Call: 800-700-7000
https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.cbn.com%2F700club%2Fhelping-&redir_token=3Xja-7LE5ZQebEu1fn-B5ib34tN8MTU3OTg4MjMzMkAxNTc5Nzk1OTMy&v=P0mHVeNNfDw&event=video_description
#breakingnews #politicalnews #christiannews #christian #christianity #church #breakingnews #cbnnews
