Mainland Lighthouse
Good Stewards
“As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same
one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
- 1 Peter 4:10
February 2013
Volume 13, issue 2
By Pastor Dean Bult
The Holy Scriptures say in I Peter 4 and verse 10 that “As every man hath received the gift, even so
minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Salvation is a gift
from the Lord and also all the access to many other graces that flow to us as His children. Peter is
saying that we should take that which the Lord has given to us and minister to others. The word
steward refers to a manager of a large estate. As a young man I would visit a large farm and be
amazed at how well the farmer had to manage what he had in order to live. It was a multi-faceted task.
It is also a multi‑tasked (manifold) responsibility to manage well the gift of the grace of God and the
many gifts that come with salvation. Our lives have been bought with a great price through the Lord
Jesus Christ; and while we did not work for our salvation, we can use our transformed life to serve Him
as a thank you gift, which is our reasonable service.
Our loving and merciful God has graciously bestowed to every believer special gifts, talents, skills, and
abilities. The Lord has gifted each individual in some way or another. Some people possess higher
intellectual capacity than others; some are physically stronger than others; some possess superior
musical, athletic, or artistic abilities than others; some believers have been entrusted by God with
greater riches or more abundant worldly possessions than others. Yet regardless of the quantity or the
types of gifts given to us by the Lord, we are responsible to use them for His glory. We must never
boast in our own talents or abilities. Rather, we need to remember that our Lord is the One who gave
us these gifts in the first place. The apostle Peter reminds us that we must exercise our gifts “... as
good stewards of the manifold grace of God”, because these gifts are a token of God’s grace to us. We
are mere stewards of our time, our treasure, and talents. Will you ask God to help you be a good
steward as you minister the same one to another?
Upcoming
Events
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.9
2.13
CBA-GSACS Spelling Bee
Men’s Breakfast
Teen Superbowl Party
Discipleship Class Begins
Vineland Distribution
Absecon Manor
2.14
2.15
2.17
2.18
2.18
Pastor & Deacons Meeting
Keenagers
Teen Winter Trip
Teen Winter Trip
CBA –No School
youth ministry
Stained Glass Heart
What You’ll Need:

Crayon shavings (adults can shave
crayons with a scissors or knife), Scissors,
Iron, Hole punch, A few inches of string or
ribbon, and Wax paper
Wings & Pizza after the
evening service @ the
Marchese’s House!
How to make it:




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Fold a piece of waxed paper in half. Draw half a heart with
the center of the heart at the fold.
Open the waxed paper and place it flat on your work surface.
Sprinkle/place the crayon shavings on the waxed paper. Little
ones may sprinkle randomly, while older kids may want to
make a pattern with the shavings. A light layer of shavings
works best.
Cover the waxed paper with an additional piece of waxed
paper. Put a paper towel on top of the waxed paper (this will
protect your iron), then have an adult iron the two layers of
waxed paper together on low heat.
Cut out the heart image. Punch a hole near the top of your
heart and thread a string through the hole for hanging the
heart (see photo). Hang it in front of a window so the light can
shine through.
Ski & Tubing Trip
February 17 & 18
Love-The Most Excellent
Way
Read 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
If God could be described in one word, “love” would fit the bill. The world defines this term in conflicting
ways. But for believers, understanding begins with the Lord Himself, and in particular the usage f the Greek
form agape, meaning His unconditional love. On the surface, such selfless devotion appears to be humanly
impossible, and yet Jesus commands us to love each other in this way. However, we’re promised that none
of God’s commandments are “burdensome,” because the Holy Spirit enables us to live beyond our natural
abilities (1 John 5:2-4) In essence, this passage reveal the true Spirit-filled life.
Take time to think about the following questions,
and write down your answers.
1. Clearly, love is more important to God than anything (13:13). Why do you think it’s so easy to elevate
other spiritual qualities and forget about love?
2. What traits in the passage-positive or negative-do you recognize in your own life? Ask the Lord to empower you in each area.
Reflect on this
 Jesus personified love, so it’s impossible to truly follow Him without loving others (John 13:34-35; 1 John
4:7-12)
 To genuinely love is to be other-centered and motivated by Christ alone-possible only when you’re filled
with His Spirit (1 John 4:13-21; Romans 12:9-10)
Mark your calendars
Encourage
the
Discouraged
How much do you know about the presidents of the United States?
See how many of these you can answer correctly on this Presidents
Day:
conference
1. Who was the bachelor president?
2. Who was the heaviest president?
3. Who was the oldest elected president?
March 13-15
7:00 pm
4. Which president was not born or did not die
on the 4th of July? (double points for this one!)
5. Which president was related by either blood or marriage to eleven other
presidents?
6. Which president was the youngest person to become president?
7. Which president was a tailor before he was president?
8. Who was the third left handed president? (This one is hard. Hint: He
played the saxophone.)
Guest Speaker:
Dr. Eric Capaci,
Hot Springs, AR
9. Who was the first president born outside the contiguous United States?
10. Which president established the Peace Corps?
2.2
2.4
2.5
Birthdays &
Anniversaries
2.6
2.8
2.11
Timi Aboderin
Melinda Bucci
Ed Cartlidge
Jamie Petersen
Mike Stoll, Sr.
Charisma Tigrado
Jessica Ebert
Shawn Cross
Frieda Korte
The Hillards
Discipleship Series
2.12
2.13
2.16
2.17
2.19
2.25
2.26
2.28
2.29
Happy moments,
Praise God.
Difficult moments,
Seek God.
Quiet moments,
Doris Michel
Bill Capo Sr.
Paula Powers
Marilyn Cartlidge
Scott Penman
Tom Guion
Barbara Reaves
Yvonne Saddler
Kimberly Wingate
Jamilah Ross
Vineland
John/Romans Distribution
Saturday, February 9
We will be leaving from the
church at 8:45 am.
Worship God.
Painful moments,
Trust God.
Every moment,
Starting, February 3rd @ 9:30 am
Thank God.
Sign-up sheet in the foyer.
Mainland Baptist Church
Love Described by Children
A Place to...
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”—Terri,
age 4
1) Love our God
Through Inspiring people to develop a heart for God
(Ps. 34:1-4)
“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and
she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the
taste is OK.”—Danny, age 7
“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a
friend who you hate.”—Nikka, age 6
2) Love our Family
Through Instructing people in the Word of God
(Acts 2:41-47)
Through Including people in our Church Family
(Acts 2:41 / Eph. 2:19)
Through Involving People in the Ministry
(II Peter 4:10 / Eph 2:10)
“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he
wears it everyday.”—Noelle, age 7
3) Love our Community
Through Impacting people locally with the Gospel
of Jesus (Matt. 28:19-20 / II Cor. 5:19-20)
“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are
still friends even after they know each other so well.”—
Tommy, age 6
4) Love our World
Through Impacting people world-wide with the
Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20 /
II Cor. 5:19-20)
“My mommy loves me more than
anybody. You don’t see anyone else
kissing me to sleep at night.”—Clare,
age 6
“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy
the best piece of chicken.”—Elaine, age 5
Our Purpose
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come;
‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.
-words from Amazing Grace
(President’s Day Trivia Answers from pg. 3) 1. James Buchanan, 2. William Taft, 3. Ronald Reagan, 4. All except Calvin Coolidge, John Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe., 5. Franklin D.
Roosevelt, 6. Teddy Roosevelt, 7. Truman, 8. Bill Clinton, 9. Barack Obama, 10. John F. Kennedy
Kim Wingate credits God for strategically placing people in her life. Her Aunt Fran “was the one who brought me to her
church.” Saved at 7 years of age, this Yeadon, Pennsylvania native lived in places like Japan, Virginia and North
Carolina with her Marine husband George, before settling in south Jersey. Kim walked into Mainland Baptist Church on
an August, 2012 afternoon, first speaking with Carol Middleton. The following Friday evening, this mother of three young
adults, having “struggled with self-worth and food addiction,” attended her first Reformers
Unanimous meeting. Not long after that, George started coming out to RU and the couple, having
been scripturally baptized years ago, became members of Mainland Baptist on Dec. 23, 2012.
These two can be seen faithfully cleaning the church on Saturday mornings and are excited to see
God using them. God continues to bring even more Christians into Kim’s life, helping her to see the
forgiving and healing love of Jesus Christ. Kim, whose favorite verses are Philippians 4:13 and John
15:5, 7, is “so grateful” to the Lord for directing her to Mainland Baptist and Reformers Unanimous!
512 S. Pitney Road ~ Galloway, NJ 08205 ~ 609.652.7507 ~ www.mainlandbc.com