The Greater Houlton Christian Academy held its second annual National Honor Society induction on Jan. 31 at the Military Street Baptist Church.
Inducted into the NHS group were Allison Little, daughter of Gene and Kelly Little of Littleton; Sara Hemingway, daughter of Jim and Cathy Hemingway of Hodgdon; and Ashley Grenier, daughter of Peter and Heather Grenier of Danforth.
“With the honor and accomplishment in life also comes the responsibility to serve and honor the Lord,” charged NHS adviser Dan Angotti to the members of the honor society.
To open the ceremony, GHCA Board Chairman Peter Holmes said absent from the NHS qualities of Scholarship, Leadership, Character and Service was the word Reputation.
“There is a difference between your reputation and your character,” he explained. “Reputation is what others see when they look at you. Character is what you do when no one is looking. These characteristics you’ve developed will mean the most to those who know you the best throughout your life.”
A 1976 NHS inductee, guest speaker Rev. Randall Burns connected honoring God with how each person lives their life.
“You and I get to bring honor to God by how we live out our lives,” he said to the NHS inductees, members, parents and school body. “Think about how the Bible refers to what it is to honor, to be honorable and to live honorably.”
According to scripture, Burns spoke on honoring your father and mother.
“This one command mentioned a number of times is not always easy,” he said. “It doesn’t always seem natural. It doesn’t even sometimes seem right to us. But, God has given that one command as most of us know, with the promise, that it may go well with you. Take that promise all the way to eternity because God never breaks any promises.”
He charged that not one student would live in a way that their parents or God would have a reason to be ashamed.
“Never give your parents a reason to say, ‘Oh, how that child breaks my heart,’” he added. “Your behavior, your choices, your lifestyle, your morality and your commitment to Jesus Christ are qualities of how you live and serve God and others will never be a shame to your parents. Because if it is not a shame to your parents, it will never be a shame to God either.”
The second commandment given by Jesus was to “love they neighbor as yourself.” Burns related the verse to being in an honor society called Christianity.
“Live it hour by hour by living and following Christ, we gain honor,” he explained. “Lift up those traits because they are rare today, but in the body of Jesus Christ, they are standard. You’ve been noticed as young women who are outstandingly honorable; sustain and embrace that to the core of your hearts not only today, but how you are going to live out the rest of the days God has for you.”
Burns noted that God calls us to be good stewards of the gifts he gives to each of us.
“Think about how easy it is for us to simply honor somebody by acknowledging him or her,” he said. “Continue to acknowledge you are not the top of the pile, and you don’t have to be, those who are the first are the last in kingdom of God; continue to look as others more honorable than ourselves. In that process, you are going to breath life and bring hope to folks who don’t’ have hope.”
Burns then looked at the candles representing Scholarship, Leadership, Character and Service and said when a candle’s flame is lit, darkness can’t stay.
“Jesus said ‘I am the light of the world and if you follow me, you are the light of the world’,” he said. “Those who follow me, aren’t ever going to walk in darkness again. You get to do the same for people who don’t have clue that God cares.”
“Honoring is doing your best,” Burns added. “Resolve to live each day by getting the most and best of it.”
In application to Scholarship, Leadership, Character and Service, Burns said the following:
Scholarship: “May the study and application of what you learn continue to honor your Heavenly Father. Honor your earthly parents and yourself in a way that your light will lead others to also know and follow God.”
Leadership: “May you be those who lead by how well you follow Jesus Christ,” he added.
Character: “Let your light shine as those, who the Apostle Paul described Philippians 3:14-15: “Do all things without murmuring and arguing; so you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation in which you shine like stars in the world.”
Service: “May your light shine and honor Jesus Christ as those who are like Him did not come to be ministered unto but to minister — not to be served, but to serve — whoever serves me, must follow me, where I am my servant will also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
Editor’s note: Rev. Randall Burns is his 21st year of ministering at Military Street Baptist Church and is the father of two GHCA alumni.
