Laurelbrook Academy SDA Church

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Joel Hernandez Talks About "Reach for the Stars"

 

he church service in the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on July 20, 2019 began with Clayton Brandt welcoming everyone and making announcements. There will be a special fellowship dinner today in Bubba and Jennifer’s home on Dayton Mountain about six miles from Laurelbrook. Sabbath School lesson study will continue to 10:45. After a ten-minute break, everyone should be back in the church sanctuary at 10:55.

 

Daniel (freshman) played an introit on the piano.  Clayton Brandt had the invocation.  The congregation sang “Praise to the Lord”. Clayton Brandt had the main prayer.

 

Clayton Brandt called for the offering, which will go to the local church budget.   Sebastien Roy-Lavallee and Daryen (senior) collected the church offerings. Clayton Brandt then prayed for the offering.

 

Sebastien Roy-Lavallee told the children about a mother who was interested in shopping. There was a panic, and the little boy ran outside, forgetting to hold her hand. The mother finally found the boy outside. We should hold God’s hand, too.

Scott Sterling played a violin solo for special music. Maria (senior) then read Isaiah 55:8-9 “8 For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  

Joel Hernandez then spoke on the topic “Reach for the Stars,” his daughter Maria (senior) translating for him. The congregation sang “I Surrender All”.  Joel Hernandez had the closing prayer.

 

Personnel Other Than Students:

 

Clayton Brandt – works with Laurelbrook’s heavy equipment

Joel Hernandez – father of Maria (senior) / chaplain and pastor in Columbia

Sebastien Roy-Lavallee – men’s work coordinator

Scott Sterling – works with Laurelbrook’s IT / flight instructor

 

Following are some notes from the sermon:

 

1. 2 Timothy 2:1-4 “1 ¶ Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of [this] life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
2. The Emperor Nero had 400 gladiators who would do special jobs for him.
3. They would walk before the emperor and sing a special song. They were loyal to him.
4. Some who became a Christian were given a chance to deny their faith. They were asked to strip naked and walk over the ice, singing as they went. The leader of the whole group stripped and joined the Christians.
5. This is why Paul appeals to Timothy to be brave like a good follower of Christ.
6. We might wonder how to be brave for Christ.
7. 2 Samuel 23:8 “These [be] the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same [was] Adino the Eznite: [he lift up his spear] against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.” One against eight hundred!
8. 2 Samuel 23:9-10 “9 And after him [was] Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, [one] of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines [that] were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.”  A great victory for the Lord!
9. 2 Samuel 23:11 “And after him [was] Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.” He stood while everyone else was running away!
10. The Lord tests young and old about standing when everyone else is fleeing.
11. Ellen White says that we must stand like a rock for the principles of righteousness.
12. It could be a drink that Christians shouldn’t be drinking (reject it) or required Sabbath exams (wait and see what the Lord can do). The first exam was so hard that nearly everyone failed. The teacher rescheduled the exam for another day, giving opportunity for people to retake the exams.
13. Judges 20:16 “Among all this people [there were] seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair [breadth], and not miss.”  They were prepared.
14. Ellen White says that students should make school life as perfect as possible in our witness for God. We must make every moment count for God.
15. God wants us to be prepared so we can witness as perfectly as possible.
16. Jesus is the best king of the universe, and He wants the best army.
17. Do you accept Jesus’ calling?  May we make the decision and stick with it for the rest of our lives.