The Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church service on December 8, 2018 began with Pastor Richie welcoming everyone and making a few announcements. He called those to the platform those who have been baptized this year to the platform. These students were given their baptismal certificates and copies of Messages to Young People.
Rodney Herra then mentioned the problem of lack of reverence in the church. Each of us is coming to be with Jesus. Psalm 89:7 “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all [them that are] about him.” We need to remember who we are coming to meet. Each of us has to make the choice to be reverent.
Pastor Richie handled the membership transfers, when the music groups would leave, and the new devotional books.
Samantha (junior) played an introit. Joubert Pierre had the invocation and then sang “I Will Early Seek the Savior”. Pastor Richie had the main prayer; the congregation responded with “Hear Our Prayer, O Lord”.
Heissel (junior) called for the offering. Pedro Arce and Jesse (junior) then collected the morning offerings; the loose offering went to the world budget (community service). The congregation sang the doxology, and Heissel prayed for the offering.
Joubert Pierre’s mother-in-law reminded the children that a lamp has to be connected to a power source to be effective. So we must connected to Jesus to shine through prayer and the Bible. Eliseo (junior) then played his cello and Samantha the piano for special music.
Heissel then read Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Joubert Pierre discussed the topic “Plug Into Power”. The congregation sang “He Leadeth Me”. Joubert Pierre had the closing prayer.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Joubert Pierre – teaches some of the academy math and science classes
Pastor Richie (Richar Perez) – academy boys’ dean / campus chaplain
Pedro Arce – Laurelbrook music director
Rodney Herra – local church head elder
Following are some notes on the sermon by Joubert Pierre:
- Plugged into or connected to God is know Him. Sometimes we assume we know Him.
- Five Principles for Improving Devotional Life with God .
- Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
- There is power in putting first things first. (1) God wants us to set aside time specifically for Him .
- To make sure you have time in the morning – go to bed early in the morning. Then practice waking up early.
- Find a personal place to talk with God.
- (2) There is power in having a person assist us to being close to God .
- Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
- If not a person, schedule an activity each day to bring us closer to God.
- (3) Prayer is the means of bringing us much closer to God . A prayer journal helps remind us of the prayers we have prayed and possibly the answers. Psalms is really one long prayer journal.
- (4) The power of patience . We send a message and expect immediate answers. Isaiah 65:24 “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
- Lamentations 3:25 “The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.”
- Delayed answers can be beneficial because God knows the future. We need to listen to circumstances, people, and His Word.
- (5) We should surrender ourselves to God . God’s answers are not necessarily our answers. But we must trust His answers are better than ours.
- Mark 14:36 “And he said, Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” Jesus is worried about His connection with the Father but surrendered to God’s Will.
- God wants us daily to plug into His power.
- Challenge – stay plugged in to God’s Power.