Occasionally, someone will ask, “Russell, what do you do all week?” I usually just smile and give a quick summary of an average week in the life of a pastor. After all, pastors do take on many roles of ministry and service. We can become very busy with ministry planning, leadership development, administrative details, visiting, making phone calls, counseling, performing funerals and weddings, attending denominational functions, and several other meaningful, yet time consuming pastoral tasks. If I am not careful, I can allow these vital roles to squeeze time away from the most important pastoral functions – prayer and preaching. I go back to Acts 6:4 quite often as a reminder of why I am ultimately here. Christ has called me to give myself “continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Quality times of prayer and focused study of Scripture are essential before I can ever effectively preach His Word. I am so very thankful for the opportunity to serve Christ in this way, here with you, at Ocean Park.

There will be fliers and posters for our Health Fair outreach available this Sunday. Please consider taking a few to your favorite local restaurants, stores, and other places you frequent. You can also share some with neighbors in your community and take some to work or school. Please be in prayer as we seek to reach out to the Beaches Community. Pray that lives will be saved through the health screenings and more importantly, through the sharing of the gospel.

I hope to see you this Sunday as we worship our glorious King and open our hearts to His word as we continue our study of Christianity According to Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7.

In His Grace,
Russell

We are truly living in challenging days. Parts of the world are in political upheaval and others are facing equally dismaying issues. Food, fuel, and other costs are steadily rising while incomes have either stagnated or declined. Haiti has lost over 3,000 people to cholera and continues to deal with governmental corruption. Many around us are facing serious health issues, family struggles, and financial devastation. It would be so easy to throw our hands up in frustration and discouragement, but let’s not forget that God is sovereign. He is still in control. As dark as things may appear, His light still shines brighter. We need to keep our eyes focused on Him as we go through these days. We, as believers, have such a great opportunity to share the hope that is found only in Christ Jesus. This is a great time for Ocean Park Baptist Church to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we share and show His love around Jacksonville Beach and beyond.
As I write this, the new church sign is in the process of being set up between the Ed. Building and the Sanctuary. Thanks go to Mike Rawson and Jerry Benton for their labor and to everyone who contributed financially. The sign is just one way we hope to connect with our community. We also seek to connect through ongoing ministries, like Angel Food Ministries, and evangelistic outreaches, like our upcoming Beaches Community Health Fair on April 9th. I pray we will continually seek ways to connect with our community so members of our community will hear how they can connect with God through Jesus Christ.
I look forward to gathering with you once again to worship our Lord this Sunday. We will continue our focus on Christianity According to Jesus as we look verse by verse at the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7.

In His Grace,
Russell

I am so thankful to have been able to attend the 25th annual Pastor’s Conference at FBC Jacksonville this year. The theme of the conference was Endurance and all the seminars and sermons dealt with various aspects of enduring in ministry. I was greatly encouraged and renewed as a pastor and a Christian. Every once and a while, we all need to be reminded of why we are here on this earth. God has called us to endure - to keep on serving, keep on reaching, keep on praying, and keep on growing. He has called us to stay faithful to Him as He has been so faithful to us. I am thankful for FBC Jax and all they do to help pas-tors through this wonderful conference.
As I walked the campus of FBC and sat in the massive auditorium, several things ran through my heart and mind. I remember sitting in the auditorium that seats thousands and hearing the choir made up of hundreds of voices, accompanied by a beautiful sounding orchestra. I met several staff members who led many different impacting minis-tries. As great as FBC Jax is, it is not Ocean Park. I am so thankful I serve in this fellowship of believers. We have been given a task that no other church, no matter the size, has been called to. We may not be as big in number as some churches, but we are just as big, if not bigger, in heart. Don’t compare Ocean Park with other churches and feel discouraged. Instead, confidently know that God has a purpose for this church and praise Him because you get to be a part of it.
I look forward to worshiping our great God and King with you this Sunday. We will continue our focus on Christianity According to Jesus as we look verse by verse at the Sermon on the Mount.
In His Grace, Russell

This past Sunday, I preached from Matthew 5:13-16, where Jesus tells us we are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” As salt, we are to act as a preservative in this world by living the life Christ died to give us. In our obedience to Him, we prolong the decaying and rotting process this world is going through due to sin and rebellion against God. Also by sharing the gospel, we make people thirsty for the living water that comes only from Jesus. As light, we are a reflection of His light to a world fumbling about in spiritual darkness. Christ has called us to dispel darkness by shining our light wherever He has placed us. In verse 16, Jesus says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” The ultimate goal is to glorify God by living as He has called us to live. So, are you salty? Are you preserving the world through holiness or are you aiding in the decay through disobedience? Is your light shining? Are you standing out for Christ, or have you hidden in the shadows of the world? These are important questions for all of us to prayerfully consider.
A few months ago, a team was assembled to begin planning a spring outreach to our surrounding community. I am pleased to share that the planning process is nearly complete for the Beaches Community Health Fair, April 9th at the South Beach Community Center. The fair will feature various health screenings and information booths. We are very ex-cited to have Baptist Beaches and many other health associations participate with us. Along with health information, we will also be sharing Christ through a Gideon Bible distribution and our Ocean Park booth. Many volunteers will be needed, so please prayerfully consider helping when the call goes out.
I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday as we continue our focus on Christianity According to Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Next Sunday, January 30, we will celebrate Baptism and Lord’s Supper. Let me know if you have a question about Baptism.
In His Grace, Russell

From January 3, 2011

Greetings from the year 2011!! Part of beginning a new year is reflecting on the past one. As I look back at 2010, it is easy to see what God has done in the life of our church. Last year we ordained two deacons, learned how to Share Jesus Without Fear, PrayerWalked our community and distributed nearly 1,000 Bibles, participated in a Lay Renewal Weekend, became an Angel Food Ministries host site, took a large group to youth camp, doubled our VBS attendance, baptized five teens, ate some awesome fish at our Holy Mackerel Fish Fry, went on a mission trip to Haiti, sent over 40 shoeboxes through Opera-tion Christmas Child, and exceeded our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal by over $1,000. I look forward to what God is going to do in and through Ocean Park Baptist Church during 2011 as we live out His mission here in Jacksonville Beach and beyond.
I know you will join with me in welcoming Shawn Rawson and Chelsey Sears as members of Ocean Park. Shawn joined by statement and Chelsey by transfer of letter from a sister church. I was privileged to meet with them before morning wor-ship. Shawn shared that he wants to be a part of the ministries here at Ocean Park – he said he just wants to be used by God. Wow – that is what it is all about. I pray that all of us here at Ocean Park will share Shawn’s desire.
Come join us this Wednesday as Mike and Bonnie Snider, directors of the Cabaret Baptist Children’s Home in Haiti, share and this Sunday as we begin two new sermon series. In the mornings we will discover Christianity According to Jesus (Matthew 5-7) and in the evenings we will focus on Praying God’s Way. Also, this Sunday we will vote concerning the forma-tion of a Senior Adult Director position and the proposed 2011 Church Budget. I look forward to seeing you then!