Laurelbrook’s 2018 Graduation Weekend began with newly married Angela Kent* leading the song service, accompanied by her new husband Mark Kent on the piano. Songs included “Be Thou My Vision” and “Take My Life and Let It Be” and “Live Out Thy Life Within Me.” The opening hymn was “I Need the Prayers”.
Rich Sutton, Laurelbrook’s president and senior class sponsor, had prayer and read Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” He welcomed everyone to the campus.
The graduating class paid tribute to their parents with a short message and pinned flowers on them.
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Dyaine Falkenhagen – thanked her family that took her in at a young age and showed the love she needed. She also thanked her sister, Rachel, for all she means to her.
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Bake Whited – Thanked his parents for caring for him and how much they love him. He thanked them for putting up with him.
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Citlali Huerta – Thanked all the people that helped her through. Thanked her family who taught her to never give up. She then translated her thanks for her mom to understand it in Spanish.
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Josia Tonhauser – Thanked his parents for seeing that he got a good education even when it got more expensive. Then he translated it in German so his parents could understand.
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Sarah Carpenter – Thanked her parents for all their support and encouragement.
Then Jara Tonhauser had special music by singing and playing the piano “Thank you Lord for making me the object of Your love”. Becky Owens, wife of Larry Owens, a beloved Laurelbrook pastor, gave the consecration address titled “I Hear Knocking”. [The senior class aim and motto was a quote from Ellen White, Prophets and Kings, p. 486 – “God gives opportunities; success depends upon the use made of them”]
Following are some notes from the consecration address:
- Gave a visual illustration about not missing an opportunity when you ask Jesus to be with you. Jesus shows up, but you don’t want Him.
- What lies on the other side of the door?
- John 10:9 “And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.”
- There’s a key in the door – on our side. This means we can reject or accept Jesus.
- You really need to get to know Jesus in the Bible. He is eternal and perfect.
- We make perfection by showing love because perfect love casts out all fear.
- Luke 8 has the parable of the sower. The sower throws seed on the path, on stony ground, in the thorns, and in the good soil (100 times reproduction).
- Luke 8:8 “And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
- The seed is the Word of God, which became Jesus.
- This sower sows the seed in the wayside. The sower casts the Word in my direction. When I stay in the way so long, my heart becomes stony.
- But Jesus continues to call, but the birds catch the Word because she has been away from Jesus so long.
- So Jesus casts the seed into the thorns. He chooses to wear her crown of thorns despite all the torture He has endured on the Cross to become her Savior.
- Jesus continues to cast salvation in her direction any possible chance He has.
- Challenge – I want you to have a life of success in having Jesus. Worldly opportunities come only once, but Jesus and His opportunities come again and again.
- We shouldn’t put God in His place unless that place is our hearts.
- Ellen White says that we should spend a thoughtful hour each day contemplating the life of Christ. Then we will want to love and talk of Him.
- Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”
- Be Jesus’ mouth and feet and knock.
The senior class responded with a comment to accept the challenge and went to stand in a line to the left of the platform. Becky Owens then had the consecration prayer, and the senior class sang “Go Light Your World”.
Each senior came off the platform, lit a candle of a junior or two, and went to stand in a line at the back of the auditorium. The juniors, as they came off the platform, stood with their lighted candles at the ends of the rows of seats. As soon as all the seniors were at the back of the auditorium, they and the juniors filed out to the auditorium porch where they stood to receive comments from audience members.
Mark Kent played the recessional.
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* Angela and Mark Kent were recently married in West Virginia. Mark had been the campus IT for several years, and Angela had worked in the academy office a few months before they left to get married.