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!

Wow – what a great day we had last Sunday during our 2nd Annual Missions Celebration. Josh and Amy Bowman (IMB) did an excellent job sharing their missionary adventures during our Sunday School hour and Josh challenged us from Acts 20 to “testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Continue praying for the Bowman’s as they prepare for their next assignment. Also, as part of our Mission Celebration, Cami and Andrea opened an ApParent Project Jewelry Store made up of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings made by Haitian men and women from recycled cereal boxes. Yesterday, Cami sent a check for over $600 to Haiti as payment to the artisans. We learned earlier that the cost of one necklace feeds a family in Haiti for a week. Cami has ordered another box of jewelry and the store will be open again this Sunday. This is a powerful ministry – helping to keep families in Haiti together through training and ongoing employment.
Another big part of our Missions Celebration was the continuation of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, which goes through December 26. Our church goal is $2,000 and as of Sunday, we are only $100 shy of the goal. Let’s strive to continue in our generosity towards this offering, and also our ongoing giving through Ocean Park. Let’s end this year and begin the next focused on giving generously and serving generously as the Lord leads.
This Sunday, we will be blessed by several beautiful Christmas specials and congregational singing. I will continue sharing from God’s word, The Mission of Christmas. I hope to see you then!

Many things have burdened my heart these past few weeks. Being in Haiti affected me greatly. My heart was broken in ways it has never been broken before. It wasn’t the poverty of the Haitians as much as my own poverty I discovered there. I realized anew that the securities of life are not found in financial freedom, but the freedom found only in Christ. I learned anew that the goal of life is not have more, but to give more. My heart was broken by God to remind me that all I need is Him, not more stuff. I am also greatly burdened for the beautiful people of Haiti as the Cholera outbreak continues to spread. As I write this, the death count is over 900 men, women, and children and rising. Join with me in praying every time you drink a glass of clean water and eat non-contaminated food. I pray that God will break our hearts today as we encounter numerous people all around us in desperate need of His grace and mercy.
Looking ahead, I am excited that IMB missionaries Joshua and Amy Bowman will be sharing with us on Sunday, December 12 during our Missions Celebration. The Bowman’s recently finished up eight years in Africa and will leave for South-East Asia in April 2011. They will share some of their missionary stories during the Sunday School hour and Joshua will preach during morning worship. Be in prayer for the Bowman’s and all our missionaries spreading the gospel across the world. Be praying how you will give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year to support their mission.
This past Sunday, I shared a message on Christian Stewardship. We saw in the first chapter of Ephesians that we were adopted into God’s family through the blood of Jesus Christ – We are His! All that we are and all that we have belongs to Him. In the sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote that we do not belong to ourselves – Christ bought us with His blood. This Sunday I will share how this truth should affect how we use what God has given us. I hope to see then!

Bad News, Good News

This past Sunday evening, I preached from Micah concerning the announcement of judgment on the people of Judah and Israel due to their continual sin against God. Micah did not come to warn them to stop this sin, but to tell them it was too late – judgment was imminent. Then, in chapter five, Micah shared some great news about the One who was to come years later. This One, Micah shared, was “from everlasting” and this “One shall be peace.” While he was proclaiming impending doom and gloom, Micah also shared about the coming of Jesus Messiah. Grace is the good news that comes after the bad. The bad news is we are sinners who deserve death and everlasting judgment in hell. The good news is Jesus died on a cross in our place to forgive our sins and rose again to give us eternal life in Him. To be a Christian, one must face the bad news through repentance before salvation comes through the good news of His grace.

In His Grace,
Russell

A Lasting Impression

I grew up in a parsonage right next to the church my dad served as pastor. While most other people had to drive to church, we only had to walk about fifty yards. I have many memories of growing up in that house. I guess I was around nine when the church decided to expand the house. A new bedroom was added for my parents, a family room, and a cement patio were also added. After the patio was poured, I took a stick and wrote my initials in the wet cement. Long after we moved from that house, my initials remained as a reminder of me. I made a lasting impression on that patio. How are you impacting your world? Wherever you go, whatever you do or say, you are making a lasting impression. Look around. There are people you know, like wet cement, who are waiting for someone to make a lasting impression in their lives. I pray that we leave the impression of love, compassion, grace, forgiveness, and mercy on the lives of others. Above all, I pray that we leave the life transforming impression of Jesus Christ.

In His Grace,
Russell