Laurelbrook Academy




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Pastor Wendt Speaks on the Topic "Twice Chosen"
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Sabbath services at the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on December 11, 2010 beganwith a song service led by Wanda Sarr, accompanied by Beth Brandt on the piano. The opening song was “Tell Me the Story of Jesus”. Lucas (9th grader) welcomed everyone. Abigail (sophomore) had the opening prayer. Julian (elementary student) read the scripture reading. 
Art Kanna then told a mission story from Paraguay, South America. A city police chief was baptized, and the local Catholic authorities were not pleased. His father had gone to a church gathering some miles away and was returning by Russian cart and other conveyances. Suddenly five men on horseback came out of the forest, carrying knives and police sticks, and attacked the group of Adventists. His father ran to the rescue of a lady whose surrey had run over her. One of the men beat him twice on the head with no apparent result (no mark or bruise on his head). His father screamed out the name of the police chief, and the men left. It came out that the local Catholic priest had paid them to attack the group of Adventists. God can work miracles for us when we are doing His work.
The penny offering was taken by Jesse (9th grader) and Maria (9th grader). The Laurelbrook Band under the direction of Donna Kanna played “Here I Am, Lord”. Donna Kanna then had a few remarks about music. Donna Kanna then had the closing prayer and reminded the students that there would be three student Sabbath School classes and two adult Sabbath School classes.
 
Following are notes on Donna Kanna’s talk:
 
1.     Music teaches students a lot about life. It makes them more alert and responsive to their studies.
2.     Miracles happen every day – we are alive, which is a miracle in itself.
3.     She and her husband Art retired a long time ago but got back into music teaching because Laurelbrook needed a teacher for private lessons.
4.     The Lord helped her find a cherished nickel when she was small. While she looked, her parents and guests left the area. A car stopped, and the occupants took her right to the house where her parents were despite the fact she had never been there before.
 
At 10:47 Rodney Herra made the announcements. The outreach group will meet in front of the cafeteria at 2:30. Vespers will be at 5:15 p.m. in the church.
 
Laura Mae Zollinger talked about the upcoming religious liberty campaign. Liberty magazine is read by both lawyers and judges. A Tennessee Adventist lawyer noticed that while he was waiting for a case to begin three other lawyers were reading Liberty.
 
The church service proper began with an introit on the organ by Donna Kanna. Pastor David Wendt had the invocation, and Rodney Herra welcomed everyone. The congregation sang “I Sing the Mighty Power of God”. Rodney Herra had the Morning Prayer and called for the offering, which was for inner city ministries. Giovanni (9th grader) and Ellis (junior) collected the morning offerings. The congregation sang the doxology. Robert Zollinger had a prayer for the offering and read 1 Peter 2:9 “But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
One of the academy juniors told the children a story. Karl (junior) and Argie (senior) played a clarinet duet - “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” - for special music. Pastor Wendt talked on the subject “Twice Chosen”; the congregation sang “O Come, O Come, Immanuel”; and Robert Zollinger had the benediction.
 
Dadrian Cross was the assistant head deacon on duty.
 
 
Personnel Other Than Students:
 
Art Kanna – retired academy science teacher, husband of Donna Kanna
Beth Brandt – wife of Clayton Brandt, one of Laurelbrook’s maintenance men
Dedrian Cross – teaches Bible instructor classes for the academy students
Donna Kanna – directs the Laurelbrook Band and teaches private music lessons
Pastor David Wendt – pastor of the Graysville, Laurelbrook, and Pikeville Seventh-day Adventist churches
Rodney Herra – former Laurelbrook staff member presently working at nearby Majestic Stone Company, local church elder
Wanda Sarr – Laurelbrook Academy principal
 
Notes on the sermon:
 
1.     Genesis 1:26-28 “26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
2.     Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” [meanwhile Stephen (9th grader) was making an airplane]
3.     The airplane reminds us that God as Creator has power over us just like Stephen had power over the airplane.
4.     Psalm 139:14-18  “14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them. 17 ¶ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”
5.     God, therefore, is in charge of our lives.
6.     We are living in an entitlement society in which we act as masters of our lives, commanding God to do our biding.
7.     When someone makes something, he/she takes out a copyright or patent on his/her creation. God wants to do the same.
8.     God’s trademark is different – God uses a day – the Sabbath. Exodus 20:8-11  “8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates: 11 For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
9.     Isaiah 58:13-14 “13 ¶ If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words: 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].”
10. The Sabbath is for furthering our relationships with God. God wants us to exercise our choice in tandem with His will. God still wants to be very involved with the life He has given us.
11. How shall we worship on the Sabbath? Psalm 100:1-5  “1 ¶ «A Psalm of praise.» Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he [is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name. 5 For the LORD [is] good; his mercy [is] everlasting; and his truth [endureth] to all generations.”
12. Every week the Sabbath reminds us that we were created and supposed to be living our lives for Him by His direction. We would not exist were it not for God.
13. Because He has created us, He can fly our “planes”. He wants us to be happy.
14. God has chosen each of us by creating us, the God who keeps the universe going but is interested in each one of us He has created.
15. This world is not perfect. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God sent His son so we can have everlasting life.
16. The death of Jesus gives us a connection with heaven – a wonderful thing.
17. Revelation 5:9 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”
18. 1 Corinthians 7:20-23 “20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 21 Art thou called [being] a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use [it] rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, [being] a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, [being] free, is Christ’s servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” The fact that Jesus died for us and gave us hope should tell us that God should be the One to guide our lives.
19. The Sabbath is a reminder of this.
20. Matthew 25:14 “For [the kingdom of heaven is] as a man travelling into a far country, [who] called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.”
21. Each servant – and we are servants – was given a certain number of talents. Those given more did more with their talents.
22. Matthew 25:24-25 “24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, [there] thou hast [that is] thine.”
23. Ellen White says that men excuse their lack of development of their talents because they feel that God is a tyrant. But everything we have is really His because He has created us. He already owns every gift He has given us.
24. The master in the parable had provided ways to develop the talents he had lent the servants. God makes allowances for our imperfections.
25. Ellen White says opportunities we could have used for God’s service will be counted against us in the Day of Judgment. Even if we don’t lose our souls, we will realize in eternity the loss we had when we didn’t develop our talents.
26. We should not think of failure or do less than we should lest we neglect the talents He has given us.
27. God sometimes selects the humblest instrument so the display of His power will be more manifest.
28. Whatever our burdens, God is honored by our cheerful assumption of these burdens.
29. The Sabbath is a sign that we don’t own ourselves.
30. True baptism and communion and the Sabbath are all reminders of Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s willingness to communicate and help us.
31. 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”