The Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church service on May 19, 2018, 2018 began with Samantha (sophomore) playing an introit. The congregation had a silent invocation and then sang “He Lives”, directed by Pedro Arce. Rich Sutton had the main prayer; the congregation responded with “Hear Our Prayer, O Lord”.
Sarah (senior) then called for the offering. Eric (junior) and Daryll Ellis then collected the morning offerings; the loose offering went to the local church budget. The congregation sang the doxology, and Sarah prayed for the offering.
Stephanie Roy-Lavalee told the children about snakes, which she is afraid of. One day her friends tied her to a tree and put snakes all over her. She fled from the forest. She is still afraid of snakes, but she can trust God to protect her as she steps outside.
Suriel (junior) read Hebrews 11:8-10 “8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.” Rachel (junior) sang a vocal solo for special music, accompanied by Samantha (sophomore) on the piano.
Rich Sutton discussed the topic “The Call”. The congregation sang “Faith is the Victory”. Rich Sutton had the closing prayer.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Daryll Ellis - works for nearby Majestic Stone Company / local church deacon
Rich Sutton – Laurelbrook president
Stephanie Roy-Lavalee – academy girls’ dean
Following are some notes on the sermon by Rich Sutton:
- All of us are called for a mission.
- The senior class went to Mexico. Pedro Arce was called to go at the same time to promote the school and see what churches needed to be built.
- Pedro Arce – went to four different schools promoting the school. So many applied that the school has to figure out how to accommodate these students.
- What do you do with a call?
- Next week the seniors finish up and head out.
- Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here [am] I; send me.” Like Isaiah, God is calling these seniors to go.
- About 500 years had elapsed from the Flood to Abraham’s time. The world was already in a mess. Abraham went to Egypt, lied about his wife, and left Egypt.
- Jacob went down to Egypt. His people went out but not peaceably.
- Independent ministries work for the church but don’t cost the church.
- Eight of God’s people came out of the ark. Then the people dispersed. One built Babylon.
- The Lord let the people who worshipped idols go on their way, but God chose Abraham to obey and keep His laws (we are preserving His laws today). God preserves a remnant to serve Him (today we are that remnant).
- Like Abraham, do we reject idolatry today?
- Abraham was given a promise of a Redeemer to come in his family line and went to the land of Canaan where people were offering their children to their gods.
- Genesis 12:1 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”
- Abraham was to dwell among strangers even when it seems crazy – the Call.
- He couldn’t trust his family.
- Ginny Arce, Pedro’s wife, just graduated from Wildwood’s missionary training program. Others are saying that Laurelbrook should start a wellness center and a vocational training program for post-high school students.
- Lisha Westcott, the elementary school teacher, is working with her students on the farm along with Keith Wellman, the nursing home administrator.
- You learn by doing.
- What happens when you don’t take the call the Lord gives you?
- God enables those who head out to answer the call.
- Those who have taken the vocational class dealing with construction can lay block where churches are needed.
- People who don’t like an activity or food often come around to like it and make the most of it.
- God is trustworthy.
- Pharaoh sent Abraham out of Egypt. It was shown that God would protect Abraham. It was dangerous to mess with him. God puts His protection around Laurelbrook and its staff, too.
- The Hebrews took the spoil of Egypt as they left the land.
- Do what is right because it is right and leave the consequences with God.
- The Call is not going to easier. Satan keeps attacking, but God will win. We must stay on His side.
- Are you ready to respond to God’s call?