1. Inviting people to love God and others...
March
2012
The Church Spotlight
On The First Baptist Church of Vestaburg
2011 by Pastor Pete Carlson
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures
on earth…but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven…”
Matthew 6:19-20
As everyone who helped us unload the moving trucks during our move from
Berkley to Vestaburg can testify, Mary Jo and I have accumulated a lot of
Special Interest stuff over our 42 years of married life.
Articles: We disposed of some of it during this move (threw it out or put it up for a
garage sale in the future) but still have a lot to go. Letting go of some things can
From the be challenging. Some of it is for economic reasons, other is for emotional
Pastor’s Desk reasons. It’s easy to get attached to stuff that has sentimental attachment.
by Pastor Joe
Some of the stuff is what has been handed down to us from our parents. Some
Random goes back a few generations. Other is stuff we acquired while our children were
Memories at home. Like our parents did for us, we will pass some on to them.
by Lois Green I don’t think the issue Jesus is addressing in his words from his famous
Sermon on the Mount in Matthew is how much we have or don’t have. The issue
Bits from Betty to me is the value I put on them and what my purpose in having them and
by Betty Guthrie keeping them. The next verse goes on to say “For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21.Then later Jesus says “No one can serve
Ivan’s Point of two masters” which he identifies as “God or mammon (money, belongings)‖
View
Matthew 6:24.
by Ivan Palmer
What it comes down to is what my stuff does to me and what I do with it. Do
I hold on to it to make myself look good before others? Does it establish my
worth and self esteem? Do I seek the praise of others? Or do I have it to share
with others, to share the enjoyment they bring with others. Is it a means of
giving praise and glory to God for what I feel blessed with?
Our motives are what matter most. They are what determine where our
treasure is. That’s what determines whether our treasure is “gold, silver,
precious stones” or “wood, hay, straw” 1 Corinthians 3:12.
Thanks for reading my musings. I hope it made you think of your stuff. Why
1st Jacie Bissell do you have it? Why do you hold on to it? How are you using it? Who is getting
2nd Nichole Howe the praise and glory for it?
8th Justin Helton
God bless – Pastor Pete
9th Hantz Bernard
9th Zachary Johnston
17th Dakota Malek Happy Anniversary
20th Philena Johnston Troy & Valarie Johnston
25th Steve Elliot March 21st
29th Brianna Phillips
30th Helen Caris
I was listening to a lady who called a radio pastor. The pastor was a wise, grandfatherly gentleman who had that calm
reassuring voice that can melt all fear.
The lady, who was obviously crying, said, "Pastor, I was born blind, and I've been blind all my life. I don't mind so much being
blind but I have some well meaning friends who tell me that if I had more faith I could be healed."
The pastor asked her, "Tell me, do you carry one of those white canes?" "Yes I do," she replied. "Then the next time someone
says that hit them over the head with the cane," he said. "Then tell them 'If you had more faith that wouldn't hurt!"

2. The Church Spotlight
Random Memories by Lois Green
Sometime ago I mentioned in Sunday school that Andrew was my
favorite disciple. It seemed to surprise some of the people in class. So I thought I
would give the reasons why he is my favorite.
*He truly loved the Lord. He had a strong desire for others to know Jesus.
*He brought many others to Christ.
*He was a background worker. (He didn’t need to be in the spotlight)
Easy *He knew the crowd and what was happening
Pleasey It wouldn’t surprise me if when I get to heaven, I would be told that it was Andrew
Pork who knew that among the 5000 people there was a young boy with a lunch of
Chops loaves and fishes.
6 to 8 pork chops, 3/4 inch thick
1 can apple pie filling
1 package Stovetop Pork Stuffing
Mix
b its fr o m B et t y by Betty Guthrie
Salt and pepper and garlic, to taste GRANDPAREN'T ANSWERING MACHINES:
Place the pie filling, then the pork
chops in a greased 9 x 13 inch G pan. Good morning . . . At present we are not at home but please Leave your
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and
message after you hear the beep. beeeeeppp ....
garlic. Prepare the stuffing mix as
directed on the box. Spread over the If you are one of our children, dial 1 and then select the option from 1
top. Bake at 350 degrees, covered to 5 in order of "arrival" so we know who it is.
with foil, for 35 to 40 minutes, then If you need us to stay with the children, press 2
remove the foil and bake till the If you want to borrow the car, press 3
stuffing is lightly browned.
If you want us to wash your clothes and ironing, press 4
If you want the grandchildren to sleep here tonight, press 5
(I don’t normally use my own work but was
asked by several people to include this If you want us to pick up the kids at school, press 6
poem so here it is,) If you want us to prepare a meal for Sunday or to have it delivered to
your home, press 7
The Choices You Make
If you want to come to eat here, press 8
Have you ever thought about your Christian walk If you need money, press 9
and the choices you make each day?
Are they choices that honor and glorify God? If you are going to invite us to dinner, or, taking us to the theater, start
Or do they tend to lead you astray? talking we are listening !!!!!!!"
Do you listen to His Spirit within you…
telling you which way to go?
Or do you ignore the Spirit’s leading It is easy to tell when your A father wanted to read the paper, but was
and miss vital chances to grow. children are growing up. being bothered by his little
They stop asking where daughter, Vanessa. Finally, he tore a sheet out of
Have you ever thought that those choices…
they came from and start his magazine, on
you make with barely a thought
can grieve the Holy Spirit refusing to tell you where
they are going.
which was printed the map of the world. Tearing it
leaving Him overwrought. into small pieces, he
It’s like forcing Him to participate
in activities of your sin. gave it to Vanessa, and said, "Go into the other
Just so you can have your way room and see if you can
or satisfy your whim. put this together."
After a few minutes, Vanessa returned and
So the next time you make a decision,
remember Who lives within… handed him the map correctly
Don’t force Him to share your failings. fitted together. The father was surprised and
Or grieve Him with self-centered sin. asked how she had
Be conscious each day of His presence
finished so quickly.
Ask Him which way you should go
And the choices you make in the future "Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper
Will help you to learn and grow. was a picture of Jesus.
When I got Jesus in His place, then the world
Barbara Miller came out all right."
1/16/2012

3. The Church Spotlight
Missions Corner
Update from Visions’ Beyond Borders
The primary purpose of vision Beyond Borders is to serve the persecuted church by
carrying Bibles and Gospel materials to countries closed to the Gospel. In our travels we From dust you are
often see people in great need of humanitarian assistance, and we reach out to them in love, taken..to dust you shall
in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In addition, we believe God is using the ministry to return
challenge and encourage the church in America. God has allowed us to witness many A little boy came home
incredible miracles and evidences of His protection and provision for His children. We testify
from Sunday school and
to His great power, which is still at work today.
George Mulder, in his book, “Release the Power of Prayer”, talks about a church who had become
went into his room to
discouraged and burdened: a church who did not fully understand that our God is still the same change his clothes. When
living God in the Bible. His power has not diminished since times of old, yet , he saw Christians he emerged he asked his
living defeated, and desired did set before them the proof that God still answers the prayers of His mother, "Is it true we come
children, and he wrote in his book, “Since I had seen this visible proof with my own eyes. I felt bound from dust?" "Yes dear,"
to be the servant of the Church of God in the same way through which I had obtained mercy: namely, replied mother. "Is it true
in being able to take God by His word and rely upon it…Now, if I a poor man, simply by prayer and that when we die we go
faith, obtained the means for establishing and running an orphanage without asking for help from any back to the dust?" "Yes
individual, that would be something that, with the Lord’s blessing, might be instrumental in dear, that's right." The little
strengthening the faith of the children of God. Additionally, it would be a testimony to the boy ran into his room and
consciences of the unconverted to the reality of the things of God. This, then, was the primary reason came out all excited, "Mom,
for establishing an orphanage. I just looked under my bed
Similarly, we feel called to testify to the things God is doing around the world, to and there's someone either
encourage and strengthen the faith of His children! We truly serve a Living God, and He can coming or going!"
be trusted!
Some people are
A Question of Ownership
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." - Matthew 10:39 kind, polite and
Otto Koning was a missionary in New Guinea. He worked among a native tribe that had known only their village sweet-spirited ---
ways. One of those village ways was stealing from others. When Otto and his wife arrived and moved into a hut, the until you try to get
natives often came by to visit. The Konings would notice that after the natives left the missionaries' home, various into their pew.
household items had disappeared. They saw these items again when they went to preach in the natives' village.
The only fruit Otto could grow on the island was pineapples. Otto loved pineapples, and he took pride in the The good Lord didn't
pineapples he was able to grow. However, whenever the pineapples began to ripen, the natives would steal them. create anything
Otto could never keep a ripe pineapple for himself. This was a frustration, and he became angry with the natives. without a purpose,
All during the seven-year period in which this took place, Otto preached the gospel to these natives, but never had but the fly comes
close.
a conversion.
The more the natives stole, the angrier Otto became. Finally, one day Otto had a German Shepherd dog flown in Most of us spend the
from another missionary to protect his pineapple garden after other frustrated efforts failed. This only further first six days of the week
alienated the natives from him. sowing wild oats, then
Otto took a furlough to the United States and attended a conference on personal rights. At this conference, he we go to church on
discovered that he was frustrated over this situation because he had taken personal ownership of his pineapple Sunday and pray for a
garden. After much soul searching, he gave his garden to God. Soon the natives started having problems among crop failure.
their tribe. They discovered that Otto was the reason for their problems because he gave his garden to his God.
The natives saw a correlation between what Otto had done and their own lives being affected by calamities in their Quit griping about
village. When Otto gave his garden to God, he no longer got angry and was free from worry. The natives started your church; if it were
bringing him fruit from the garden because they didn't want any more calamities to come into their village. perfect, you couldn't
The light came on one day when a native said to Otto, "You must have become a Christian, Otto. You don't get belong.
angry anymore. We always wondered if we would ever meet a Christian." They had never associated Otto with the
kind of person he was preaching about because his message did not line up with his life. Otto was broken in spirit A lot of church
when he realized he had been such a failure. members who are
At the end of seven years, he witnessed his first conversion, and many began coming to Christ once he fully singing "Standing
gave his garden to God. The fruit grew so abundant that Otto began exporting it and growing other types of fruit, On The Promises"
such as bananas. His village became the most evangelized in the whole region, yet for seven years he had not one are just sitting on
convert. the premises.
Otto realized something each of us must realize: To gain your life you must lose it, along with your possessions.
It was only when he gave all his possessions to God that he became free from them. God measured back to him Every evening I turn
manifold once He had complete ownership. my troubles over to
Do you have some possessions that you need to give up to God today? Let God have all that you have. Become God - He's going to
be up all night
a steward, not an owner. You will be surprised at how well God can take care of His possessions.
anyway.

4. Kid’s Page
The Church Spotlight
Q: What do you get from an Alaskan Cow?
A: Ice Cream!
April showers bring May flowers, but what do
May flowers bring?
Pilgrims…
Yes… You’re right. The early bird does get the
worm. But the second mouse gets the cheese!
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand! Twelve Disciples Crossword
What time is it when an
elephant sits on your
fence?
Time to get a new fence.
What would you do if an
elephant sat in front of
you at the movies?
Miss most of the movie.
How do you catch an
elephant?
You hide in the grass and
An Irishman proposed to his girl friend
make a sound like a on Saint Patrick’s Day and gave her a
ring with a synthetic diamond. On
peanut. learning it wasn't real she protested
vehemently about his cheapness. He
explained that in honor of Saint Patrick’s
Day, he picked her a sham rock.
"Ice Cream Is Sometimes Good For the Soul"
Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our
heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would thank you even more if Mom gets
us Ice Cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for all! Amen!"
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with
this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for Ice Cream! Why, I never!"
Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"
As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly
gentleman approached the table.
He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."
"Really?" my son asked.
"Cross my heart." Then in theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this
whole thing), "too bad she never asks God for Ice Cream. A little Ice Cream is good for the soul sometimes."
Naturally, I bought my kid Ice Cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did
something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his Sundae and without a word walked over and placed
it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice Cream is good for the soul
sometimes and my soul is good already!"

5. The Church Spotlight
FREEZE OUT -- 2012 This past January 27th-29th the youth went to Freeze Out! This was an
awesome weekend filled with all of the things that make youth activities fun (snacks, games, snowball
fights, and asking P.J. "Are we there yet?"). But this weekend was also filled with things that were more
significant than that.
Ken Rudolph talked about "The Invisible God." How one of the key aspects about God is that we can't
see Him, leading us to the fact that we require faith to know him. "“But without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NKJV)
Broomball - On February
11th we hosted our second
Broomball event at the Mt.
Pleasant Ice Arena. We had
about 50 students from all
over attend. It was a lot of fun
with different youth groups.
Pastor Joe challenged the
students to not worry about
the future, but to just take the
next step for God.

6. The Church Spotlight
by Ivan Palmer It Seems Americans Think They Have To Know it All
Education—Home schooling Deut 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the
things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons,
and thy sons' sons; Deut 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou
sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deut 6:9
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Deut 11:19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deut 11:20 And thou shalt write them upon the door
posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
Psalms 78:5-8 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers,
that they should make them known to their children:
6
That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare
them to their children: 7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his
commandments: 8And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their
heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
A. This establishes the basic education system of a nation.
B. Establishes how Spiritual matters should be taught.
C. Notice the 24 hour a day teaching. ―When thou liest down and thou riseth up‖
D. The door post represents the keeping of records, the keeping of memorials. Pictures can do this, for example, ―The
Praying Hands‖, Jesus praying, the Last Supper, etc. These point to the Lord. They point in the right direction.
E. Public education perpetuates itself by creating a need for more. It seems to me that once this starts there is no
turning back unless the whole system collapses.
F. As our children enter public education, it does not relieve us of our responsibility to educate. I believe education
should be divided into two parts. SPIRITUAL EDUCATION should be taught at home. This part of education should
prepare a person for the spiritual battles of life, the morals, and their eternal destiny. Part two of education is
SECULAR EDUCATION. This education should prepare a person for a career. To prepare them so they can be a help to
society just as Jesus was. I think it’s important that they complement each other. I want to re-emphasize, it is the
parents job to supply an education for their child. The government can offer it to the public but the parents will have
to answer to God if they allow anyone to usurp their responsibility. When you allow someone to teach your child, you
set them in a place of influence over your child. Make sure these people are morally upright. I believe we should be
active in the public educational system.
The news media would like to educate us. They report so thoroughly on crime that it actually becomes a ―How to‖ do
it that teaches wrong values. In summation, it’s a form of the Tower of Babel. Like the people of that time, man can
get so consumed in his search to know it all that he loses sight of God.
EVER WONDER ... In Sunday School, they were teaching how God
created everything, including human beings. Little
Why the sun lightens our hair, Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him
but darkens our skin? how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs. Later
in the week, his mother noticed him lying down as
Why women can't put on mascara though he were ill, and said, 'Johnny what is the
matter?'Little Johnny responded, 'I have a pain in my
with their mouth closed?
side. I think I'm going to have a wife.'
Why don't you ever see the headline
The greatest mystery
'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
Jesus died while nailed to a crude wooden cross above Jerusalem's garbage dump. As his life
ebbed away, cynics talked smut, a thief cursed, and soldiers gambled. To passersby watching him
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
suffer and die, Jesus' claim to be the Son of the Living God must have seemed absurd. To those
who called him Master and Lord, Jesus' public execution surely must have dashed hopes that He
Why is it that doctors call what
was indeed the Savior of the world.
they do 'practice'?
As Jesus' friends took his body down from the cross that afternoon, the world scarcely took
notice. As a messiah, Jesus appeared to have been a failure. But he wasn't. He has in fact
Why is lemon juice made with emerged as the triumphant victor, the Messiah he claimed to be. His crucifixion has become one
artificial flavor, and dish washing of the pivotal events of world history.
liquid made with real lemons? Self-denial has proved to be more powerful than self-assertion. Divine love, grace and mercy had
devised a plan of salvation so radical that some still refuse to accept it. Jesus' suffering, self-
Why is the man who invests all sacrifice, devotion to principles and heedlessness of immediate consequences run contrary to all
your money called a broker? human wisdom.
But out of all that has come the greatest good the human race has ever known. Howard Culbertson