Laurelbrook Academy



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Ron Oxentenko Talks About "Almosts"
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Sabbath services at the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on October 15, 2011 began with a Sabbath School song service led by Matlin (9th grader), Andrea (sophomore), and Maria (sophomore), accompanied by Lisa (senior) on the piano.   The opening song was “Love at Home”. Rachel (9th grader) welcomed everyone, Breeanna (sophomore) had prayer, and Elizabeth (sophomore) read Romans 12:9-13 “9 [Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.”

Teresa (junior) read a mission story about a girl who had to flee to the jungle and live off what they could find when war erupted.  When she made her way to a refugee camp, she ran into a group of soldiers shooting at her. She prayed to God for deliverance, and the soldiers fell asleep.  She made it to the camp, married, and had several children, but then her husband died. Eventually she came to the United States. She was admitted to a hospital with a fatal problem. She prayed to God for deliverance, and God healed her. She found the Jesus of Christianity and rejoices in the God’s truth today.  But she cannot read or write; this quarter’s 13th Sabbath Offering will help with this North American refugee problem.

Maria and Elizabeth collected the Laurelbrook Missions Offering, which helps with the expenses of those who go on Laurelbrook mission trips.  Tiffany (sophomore) played a piano solo while the offering was being collected. Tiffany (junior) played a violin solo for special music.  Nicole (senior) had a few superintendent’s remarks on the love that should be manifested in the home. Sierra (9th grader) had the closing prayer.

The group then split up into several Sabbath School classes to study a lesson on the unity of the gospel.  Clarence Brown taught the Sabbath School lesson in the church sanctuary.

After the lesson study, all the students and accompanying staff members left for the evangelistic meetings at nearby Ogden Road Seventh-day Adventist Church. These meetings are scheduled for every evening, except Thursday evening, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. now through October 31. There will be no prayer meeting or vespers in the Laurelbrook church until the beginning of November.

At 12:50 David Moses had the announcements. On October 22 and 29, there will be potluck at the Ogden church - all members are invited. There will church services in the Laurelbrook church for those two dates. Ron Oxentenko appealed to the church members present to support the Bible study and the hike scheduled for this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Tomorrow night everyone will go to the meetings first, and then Eric Magnesum will have a special star study on the hill near the Westfalls’ home. David Moses then read a card from the Faatz family thanking the church for their prayers, visits, food, and phone calls.

The church service began with an introit by Donna Kanna. Ron Oxentenko had the opening prayer. David Moses welcomed everyone and then announced the opening hymn - “Seeking the Lost”. David Moses then had the Morning Prayer and called for the offering, which was for local church budget.   Roger Westfall and Marvin Frey collected the church offerings. After the congregation sang the doxology, Clarence Brown prayed for the offering.

Clarence Brown then read Acts 26:28 “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” 

Tiffany and Cody (sophomores) told a story about a boy who cheated on his sister during a chess game. The boy refused to admit his cheating at first but admitted his cheating after a voice seemed to confront him several times about his cheating.

Kristi Brandt and David Armstrong sang “Nearer My God to Thee” for special music, accompanied by David on his guitar.  Ron Oxentenko discussed the topic “Almost”. The congregation sang “Live Out Thy Life within Me”.  Clarence Brown closed the service with prayer.

Personnel Other Than Students:

Clarence Brown – local church elder, works with restorative care at the Laurelbrook Nursing Home
David Moses – teaches freshmen Bible in the academy program and works with the Laurelbrook grounds department
Donna Kanna – director of the Laurelbrook Band, teaches music lessons to Laurelbrook students and staff members
Kristi Brandt and David Armstrong – Kristi Brandt is a Laurelbrook graduate and back in the United States after working in an orphanage in India. She is the daughter of Clayton and Beth Brandt and engaged to be married to David Armstrong. Clayton Brandt is a local Laurelbrook church elder and works with heavy equipment on campus.
Marvin Frey – administrator of the Laurelbrook Nursing Home
Roger Westfall – Laurelbrook’s vice-president for personnel, works with the housekeeping department in the Laurelbrook Nursing Home
Ron Oxentenko – Laurelbrook’s president


 
Following are notes from the sermon:
  1. Ron’s father died, leaving his mother with ten children of her own and four other children. His mother decided to go tree planting, taking Ron with her. On their journeys, the mother took Ron and his sister to nearby churches. In North Carolina, his mother took him to a lighthouse where there was a special poem. 
  2. In our hymnal, there are many hymns talking about the sea and sea travel – “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning”, for example.
  3. There had been 200 shipwrecks along the shore where this lighthouse was located.  The poem was about the sadness the sailors experienced when shipwrecked in sight of home.  They were “almost” home.
  4. Ron’s father read to the children from the Bible Stories by Uncle Arthur. One story was about Agrippa II, the great-grandson of Herold the Great, who is noted for the command to kill babies in Bethlehem.
  5. Agrippa was a rich king but not power and knew about Jesus.  He enjoyed showing off his power and authority.
  6. The Roman governor was Festus.  He had inherited Paul as a prisoner and thought it unusual that Paul wanted to be tried by Caesar.  Agrippa wanted to hear Paul’s story about Jesus.
  7. Agrippa was in rich robes, Paul in poor robes.
  8. Acts 26:1-2 “1 ¶ Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:”
  9. Paul told Agrippa about his own personal experience and the prophecies of Jesus.  Agrippa for a moment thought only about Paul was saying.  Then Paul appealed to Agrippa to be a Christian.
  10. Despite his treatment, Paul declared himself happy because of the opportunity to be a witness for Jesus.
  11. Acts 26:28 “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
  12. “Almost” was Agrippa’s answer.  “Almost” means “nearly done” or “it might have been”.
  13. Paul knew what it was like to come to a crossroads in life and know that there were right and wrong ways.
  14. Someday Agrippa will have to answer for that near acceptance of Christ’s invitation to follow Him. Paul could answer that he had accepted Christ’s invitation.
  15. Uncle Arthur titled the story “Heaven Missed by Inches”.
  16. Hebrews 11 could be titled the “Chapter of Almosts”.  Toward the end of the chapter, people did amazing things by faith. Hebrews 11:32-33 “32 ¶ And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and [of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,”
  17. Hebrews 11:39-40 “39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
  18. These people are not in heaven.
  19. Hebrews 12:1-2 “1 ¶ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
  20. We are “almost” home.  The ship is sailing into the harbor with each of us at the helm of our own personal ships.
  21. Am I going to let Jesus take over the direction of my life?  Will you? We have to finish our own course with our own ships to make it to heaven.
  22. Am I “almost” ready for Jesus to take over?