The Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church service on September 8, 2018 began with Rich Sutton and Ginny Arce presenting the list of proposed new church officers for the new year. Rodney Herra welcomed everyone and made a few announcements. At 7:00 there will be vespers out by the Lodge.
Jeremy Westcott played an introit. The congregation had a silent invocation and then sang “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” with Leilani and Samantha (juniors) leading the singing. Rodney Herra had the main prayer; the congregation responded with “Hear Our Prayer, O Lord”.
Denisse (junior) then called for the offering. John and Daryll Ellis collected the morning offerings; the loose offering went to the world budget (Fall Mission Appeal). The congregation sang the doxology, and Mark (junior) prayed for the offering. During the offering collection, Scott Sterling played a violin solo.
Heissel (junior) told the children a story. Rodney Herra then read Romans 9:20-21 “20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” Gustavo (sophomore) and Dafne (junior) sang a vocal duet for special music.
Rich Sutton discussed the topic “Mold Me”. The congregation sang “Spirit of the Living God”. Rich Sutton had the closing prayer.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Daryll Ellis – Laurelbrook graduate / church deacon / works for nearby Majestic Stone Company
Ginny Arce – wife of Pedro Arce, the campus music director
John Ellis – former Laurelbrook staff member and retired mechanic living near Laurelbrook
Rich Sutton – Laurelbrook president
Rodney Herra – former Laurelbrook staff member / church treasurer
Scott Sterling – works with Laurelbrook’s IT and aviation programs and teaches an academy physics class
Following are some notes on the sermon by Rich Sutton:
- Each person is a block of clay in the hand of the Potter.
- Jeremiah 1:4-6 “4 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a child.”
- Jeremiah didn’t feel qualified.
- Jeremiah 18:1-4 “1 ¶ The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in a hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it].”
- The potter started over again. God wants to mold and fashion us. We need to let Him do His work, not tell the potter what to do.
- Each piece of pottery has a usefulness.
- While being made, a lump of clay has to be beaten to make it conform it to a specific shape.
- We have to be flexible to be a missionary for God, willing to do what needs to be done.
- Pottery held the water turned to wine.
- God makes each of us special to do the work He wants us to do, but each of us has to be pliable.
- Does the potter really care about the clay?
- At the end of the process, the pottery is heated to make it strong.
- The potter is in control of the fire, heating it just right to make the pottery strong.
- Do what God wants you to do with God providing the necessary means and circumstances to make your work a success.
- Revelation 22:11 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
- Revelation 22:12 “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [is] with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
- It’s your choice.