|
 Admissions Student Fees News Calendar Academic Classes Vocational Training Development Labor Case Elementary School Alumni Association About Laurelbrook Sabbath School Lesson Nursing Home Contact Us Home |
 Brian Traxler Speaks About True Education  Services at the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on September 26, 2009 began with a Sabbath School song service led by Gabby and Maureen (both 9th graders), accompanied by Donna Kanna. The opening song was “Bringing in the Sheaves”. Gabby had prayer and read Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” David Moses welcomed everyone to Sabbath School. The theme of the Sabbath School was “Stretching to Serve”; members of the 9th grade Bible class took part in the program.
Maureen then read a mission report about the projects for the 13th Sabbath Offering. Two involved the country of Ecuador – an expansion of the Adventist high school to include buildings for college courses and a further expansion of the Adventist radio station. The other project is in Brazil and involves money for developing an Adventist university on the Amazon River to serve students in that area.
Darius (elementary school) and Karl (10th grader) collected the Laurelbrook Missions Offering, which helps students and staff members go on mission trips. Matthew played his saxophone for special music, accompanied by Donna Kanna on the piano. David Moses concluded with a few remarks about the service, and Matthew closed with prayer. Clifton Brandt taught an adult Sabbath School class in the main church sanctuary studying the church power struggle mentioned in 3 John.
Rick Carr taught a student class behind the glass partition at the back of the church sanctuary because their usual meeting place - Center Building - had been readied for the Friends of Laurelbrook dinner on Sunday evening. The subject of their study was the church of the Laodicea mentioned in Revelation 3.
Notes on David Moses’ talk on “Stretching to Serve”:
When services resumed at 11:00, Brian Traxler had the invocation or opening prayer. Clifton Brandt welcomed everyone and made the necessary announcements. He welcomed Ron Oxentenko (the new Laurelbrook president) and his family to the campus. He mentioned that he was having a short Bible study this afternoon primarily for students but open to everyone. The congregation then sang “How Great Thou Art”. Clifton Brandt had the Morning Prayer and called for the church offering; and Cassie (junior) and Vasti (senior) collected the offering. The congregation sang the doxology, and David Moses prayed for the offering.
For the scripture reading, David Moses read Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Laura Mae Zollinger sang “God Leads Us Along” for special music, accompanied by Donna Kanna on the piano.
Clifton Brandt told the children a story about the trials of a refugee family. A little boy in the family found a school and made some friends there. He returned to the school quite often. One day the school was having a worship service in the morning, something that made this boy wonder whether God would answer a prayer if he made a kite telling God about his missing father. The kite got away, disappointing the boy.
Meanwhile the boys’ father was checking the train station for his family. He found the kite with the note written on it caught on the top of the train. After reading the note, he took the next training to the area where his family was. Does God answer prayer? Yes, He does.
Brian Traxler preached on true education, the congregation sang “I’d Rather Have Jesus”, and David Moses had closing prayer.
Douglas (junior) ran the P.A. system for the morning services.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Brian Traxler – educational director for EASEA (E.A. Sutherland Educational Association), a Tennessee state accredited agency for Seventh-day Adventist self-supporting schools
Clifton Brandt – local church elder, one of Laurelbrook’s maintenance men specializing in boiler, water, and sewer systems
David Moses – 9th grade and 11th grade Bible teacher, one of Laurelbrook’s maintenance men specializing in mowing, local church elder
Laura Mae Zollinger – retired nurse living with her husband in a home next to the Laurelbrook campus
Rick Carr – works in the institutional purchasing department, runs the staff commissary program
Following are notes on the sermon:
1. False education has four characteristics.
2. Dinosaurs: an Adventist View by David Reid is a recent book showing that Darwin’s basic evolutionary theory is false.
3. Choosing creation or evolution is a religious choice made with the heart, not the intellect. Christians often have to make choices based on God’s Word, sometimes without direct support from the science of the time.
4. The enemies of true education are very determined in their opposition to the principles of true education.
5. Dr. Michael G. Hasel is the director of the archeology institute at Southern Adventist University; Southern is taking part in the excavation of Khirbet Qeiyafa, a city as old as the period of King David. The site was occupied only once around 1000 to 970 B.C.
6. This site has a four-chambered gate like Hazar, Megiddo, and Gezer do. These cities date from the time of kings David and Solomon.
7. There is a new generation of archeologists committed to tearing down and reinterpreting evidence so that the Bible is discredited as an authentic book of history. Dr. Hasel says that no amount of evidence will change their minds. There is always an excuse not to accept it.
8. The International Center for Leadership in Education claims that critical creative play that plays a vital role in all phases of development is being sidelined in favor of testing criteria.
9. Ellen White in Child Guidance says that the first six or seven years of a child’s life should be allowed to engage in play and learning at home. The center’s report says the same thing and says that these ideas are being ridiculed and dismissed in some quarters.
10. In 1938, the Fait Labor Standards Act was passed so that workers’ conditions of employment were improved.
11. We have been given some ideas of the dignity of labor in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. Jesus was a carpenter, Paul a tent maker. Ellen White says that young people must be taught how to engage in useful labor.
12. Here at Laurelbrook this concept of labor has been under attack – the continuing court case as an example.
13. False forms of education include developing intellectual abilities only or mostly, advancing human philosophy, developing moral goodness, developing good citizens, or preparing for workplace. All these forms are false when they become primary.
14. False forms of education mix truth with error, rely on human reasoning rather than God, exalt man as God, and are only concerned with earthly life, not eternal life.
15. The aim of true education correctly understands the original nature of man was created by God to reveal God’s image by continually developing this image throughout eternity. Disobedience badly damaged the image of God in man but didn’t completely destroy it.
16. The primary purpose of Christian education is the redemption of human beings. Ellen White in the book Education, p. 30 says that getting Christ as the center of student lives and characters is the first aim of education. Converting a student to the correct image of God should be the primary purpose of every teacher.
17. Secondary purposes of Christian education include developing character, preparing for life’s work, fitting for service, increasing usefulness, seeking balance education, and developing intellect. This are good goals when united with the primary goal previously mentioned.
18. How do we reach these purposes?
a. Connect the mission of our schools intimately with the mission of our church. In 1874, Seventh-day Adventists sent the first foreign missionary overseas and also established a school to train missionaries for overseas work. Matthew 28 says we must teach all nations.
b. Be responsive to God’s call to come up higher. We need to change our educational program or reform it to bring it closer to God’s ideal.
c. Let faith in God, not human reason, drive our educational programs. Everything should be measured by what God has told us. It is much harder to have faith in God’s way of education than follow the current system of secular education.
d. Follow the model exhibited in the educational program at Madison College. Ellen White in the pamphlet Madison School says we should establish schools after the Madison order. We are in danger of bringing the world’s system of education into our Adventist schools. In other words, education should be Christ-focused and practical.
19. True education looks higher than this world to a life of learning that will start in this world and continue in heaven.
|
|
 |
|
|