The church service in the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on April 13, 2019 began with a welcome and announcements by Rodney Herra.
- He got the church members present to nominate the church nominating committee for the year beginning in July so the committee has time to really do its work. Members are Maudie Westfall, Brenda Herra, Stephanie Roy-Lavallee, Pastor Richie Perez, and Ruan Swanapoel. Alternates were Lois Davis and John Ellis.
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This coming Monday there will be a church boarding in the admin building conference room.
Leilani (junior) played an introit on the piano. Rodney Herra had the invocation. The congregation sang “Open My Eyes”. Rodney Herra had the main prayer; the congregation responded with “Hear Our Prayer, O Lord”.
Rodney Herra called for the offering, which will go to North-American Division Evangelism. Daryll Ellis and Eldric (sophomore) collected the church offerings. Rodney Herra then prayed for the offering.
Carol Warle then talked to the children about keeping their bodies and lives healthy – proper food, good exercising, love and obey parents and God, and devotional books to bring them close to God. Each child got an apple for a treat after church. Katherin Swanepoel sang a Spanish song for special music, accompanied by a recorded accompaniment.
Rodney Herra read the scripture reading – Psalm 51:11 “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” Rodney Herra then spoke on the topic “Are You the Man?” The congregation sang “Whiter Than Snow”. Rodney Herra had the closing prayer.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Carol Warle – mother of Hannah Perez, wife of Richie Perez, Laurelbrook campus chaplain
Daryll Ellis – local church deacon / Laurelbrook graduate / works for the nearby stone company
Jeremy Westcott – teaches some of the academy classes, mainly English classes
Katherin Swanepoel – wife of Ruan Swanepoel, Laurelbrook’s farm manager
Rodney Herra – local head church elder / owns an auto repair business on Highway 30
Following are some notes from Rodney Herra’s sermon:
- 2 Samuel 12:1-14 “1 ¶ And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich [man] had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3 But the poor [man] had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, [As] the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this [thing] shall surely die: 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou [art] the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if [that had been] too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife [to be] thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.”
- David was guilty and recognized his guilt of his sin against God, Uriah, and Bathsheba. He wouldn’t die, but the son resulting from the union would die.
- What led David to this sin? 2 Samuel 11:1-2 “1 ¶ And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth [to battle], that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. 2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman [was] very beautiful to look upon.”
- David should have been with the army, but he probably got comfortable with his life at home.
- Psalm 51:1-10 “1 ¶ « To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. » Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 ¶ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; [that] the bones [which] thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
- David recognized he was a sinner and should be cleaned thoroughly to remove all impurities.
- As sinners we need clean hearts.
- Psalm 51:11 “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”
- The Holy Spirit is necessary to make sure the cleaning is permanent.
- [Rodney illustrated this with a container full of balls. When water (Holy Spirit) is poured into the life, sin (the balls) is expelled. When we don’t continue asking for Jesus, sin comes back into the life]
- If we are full of the Spirit, sin is expelled, and our lives come closer to God. Allow Jesus to fill you today.