RUSSJONES.US

A conversation I had yesterday with Betty and Pastor Tom led us to this illustration. Many people we know are in a desert. They are thirsty and they need a drink of water right NOW! But what they need is an Oasis. A place where they can find plenty of water, shade from the sun and food for strength. The point of our illustration is simple. People come to church and get a drink of water. They think "All is well"! All isn't well! You are still in the desert, your strength is still being sapped and you need more than a drink of water - you need a spring that doesn't run dry. To many Christians today are satisfied with to little. Pastors and spiritual leaders offer so much more, but often wonder why people don't take advantage of what is offered? It's simple, people don't think that they need it. Romans 13:14 Let the Lord Jesus Christ be as near to you as the clothes you wear. Then you won't try to satisfy your selfish desires. (CEV) When we t

I am in Presbytery today and enjoying one report after another. But here is something that is keeps coming up again and again. Missions I learned from someone else a long time ago. Find out what God is doing and get on board with it. What is God doing right now? Missions!! - In the Assemblies of God - giving was WAY up nation wide. - In Pen Florida BGMC gave $571,000 - BIGGEST EVER - In Pen Florida Speed the Light gave $316,000 - This year you can put a roof on one of 40 churches (in a country that I don't know if I can mention yet) that have been destroyed by social unrest for just $2,000 - Pen Florida is looking to start 6 churches in our state this year. Anyone want to make it 7? If you are between Sebastian and Boca from the coast to the Lake - CALL ME!! So to my FFWC Family. We are a mission to! The 3rd largest missions field in the world is (you got it) US! Give to WIN!!! (Hmmm, I like the sound of that. Take note staff!!! ) We are going to give to win!!

Just got back from the South Florida Fair. It was COLD but we had fun. Anneka pet every animal that would let her and rode some ponies. Today was an AWESOME day here at FFWC. It would seem that every Sunday is that way - and why not? Jesus is in the house! Deana picked a great set of worship songs this morning. I really enjoyed them. Brandon did a great job his first Sunday on the sound board. Good job Brandon!!! We are a church that is transforming. Here are a few thoughts that I didn't get to share in this mornings sermon. When you plant, you always get a larger return. I know that a lot of preachers have misused this theology to raise a lot of money, but that isn't what I am necessarily talking about. You will reap a harvest of whatever God sees fit to plant into your life. The first time that you do anything with God is always the hardest. We are not wired to change and change is what God will ask us to do. What kind of firsts will God ask of you? The first time

Last Sunday one of the points of our vision for 2011 was about Transformations. Defined, transformations means change in form, appearance, nature, or character. Paul wrote in Rom 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV) I am going to explore this some more on Sunday - but there are a few thoughts for right now. We are always being transformed by something - do you choose what is transforming you right now? Transformation can be for good or for bad - don't assume that just because you say you are a Christian that the transformations in your life are all positive. Your not only going to transform what you do but your going to transform how you FEEL about it! Churches transform too!!! (They better or they will die) So that's what I am thinking about. I am going to revisit Ezekiel 36:9 - 11 (something that has to

I used this Sunday to conclude my sermon. Some of you wanted to see it again, so here it is. It is never my intention to be careless or not care about anyone. I will always to the best of my ability deal with any and all issues as they arise - Using the Word of God as my guide and the Holy Spirit as my source of strength. I will not tolerate lies designed to destroy, defame and discredit Jesus. I will pray for my enemies and those who despitefully use me. I will use the love of Jesus, acceptance (not license) and forgiveness to bring healing into peoples lives. I will lead, as Christ leads me, to win souls, change lives, challenge hearts for Him and see the Kingdom of God built in Palm City. I will believe in children, youth, families, marriages, hope, joy, love, peace and the Power of God. I will defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ whenever and where ever I can to the best of my ability. I will not give up, I will not quit, I will not stop believing, I will not back down, I will not b

I believe that it is the greatest honor in the Kingdom of God to serve Him and others. But this is a FULL TIME job as well as a calling. Quite honestly I am overwhelmed with a LOT to do. It's all good - just A LOT! So I have to prioritize. If there is one thing that I have learned about prioritizing is this. I am going to tick somebody off. So here are a few rules I use to prioritize my time. I am married to Betty, not the church. People are more important than programs. Defending the Kingdom of God is just as important as building the Kingdom of God. Will (whatever is competing for my time) matter a week from now? God called me to Pastor. I will use His definition of what a Pastor is and not let someone else do that for me. Life is precious, don't overcomplicate it - Keep It Simple Stupid! Enjoy want you can and don't feel guilt about having to say - NO! Well there are a few of the things that I keep on my mind. They may sound tough, but think about it. Isn't

I am tired! I feel good! I like the new lighting in the sanctuary. Gideons 300 class at 9:30 a.m. is really starting to be better than I thought it was going to be. Guests from a couple of weeks ago brought guests with them. If that isn't cool I don't know what is. We have a HD Direct TV box for the Superbowl Party. BIG screen and HD - Oh yea! People are getting excited! The switch is on and the power of God is going to be running through this place!! God is Good! Good night!

What is the one word that I have to say that inspires me is - RELEASE. You might have been expecting revive or restore. True, these are good words. But the fact the of the matter is, if what you have that has been revived or restored isn't released - then what worth is it? RELEASE - The love of God from your life into others RELEASE - The hope that God gives you into other people. RELEASE - The power of God in your life into the lives of others. RELEASE - The message in your heart, from God, into the world you live in. RELEASE - The joy of the Lord into others. RELEASE - The power of something into the hearts of those who have nothing and let God be everything to a people who need something. WHAT DOES RELEASING SO? It sets people free from the bondage of sin and this world. When you release your life into the lives of others, it has a releasing effect that can make a difference in their lives. You may not think that you can do this, but Jesus can do this through you - if you

I asked this question Sunday. Who are the two greatest men of the Bible? Jesus and Moses. Without Moses there would be no Old Testament and without Jesus there would be no New Testament. Moses had a burning bush experience whereby God called him to lead the great nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promise Land. At Mount Sinai, Moses went to God and came down with the Law and the Ten Commandments. Jesus was birthed into the world as you or I. His vision for the nation of Israel and this world didn't come from a mountain, but from His heart. He brought into this world His Good News, His vision for our lives. He paid for it with His blood. So where does your vision - your faith - your dream come from? You can have a burning bush experience, even a mountain top experience that will change the rest of your life. But from the pain of your heart, you will discover that there is good news for you today. You can give into the pain and let it swallow you whole - consuming

Sacred - The dictionary defines sacred as "...dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity." When you look to the Bible you find the word Holy - To be without sin - pure - set apart. Ask yourself, just what is sacred? In India's Hinduism cows are not worshipped, but they are considered sacred. Long story. So you see cows wandering the streets of India and Hindus are not suppose to eat beef. So when you ask yourself what is sacred? Is it holy or is it a cow? Jesus is Holy - The Bible is Holy - There is the Holy Spirit - We are suppose to be holy (set apart from this world and dedicated unto God). So as you pray and fast this week - will God ask you to give up something that is "sacred" to you? I've heard people say, "Oh God would never ask me for that." Really!?! When our sacred cows mean more to us than His Holiness - you might be surprised! Hmmm! I wonder if Jesus would eat beef?

I can hear a bunch of you saying AMEN right now! But the question is - How do I do this? I don't want to suffer! - I don't want to feel hunger pains! I don't want to feel the caffeine headaches! Well here is the deal. It isn't going to get any better, right now. But it will. When your heart determines that it is MORE IMPORTANT to be in God's presence than to eat, watch TV, eat junk food or whatever else you are fasting right now - you will begin to learn the power of self discipline. Paul wrote it this way: 2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. That last one doesn't come easy - but it does happen!! When you being to learn how to discipline your heart through prayer and fasting, you discover the power to discipline yourself from the things of this world - things that would destroy your life. So hang in there. What you are doing now will pay off for the rest of your life!!

Worship was AWESOME!!!! Missionaries Steve and Dawn Robertson were great! Gideons 300 class went WAY better than I thought it would. Vision 2011 really makes even more sense to me know that I preached it. (Don't panic - God does that some times) I AM SECOND (yes, I know about the web site - cool isn't it?) IMAGINE - Better - Greater - Happier - Brighter PRAYER CHANGES THINGS WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY! I'm already looking forward to next week and I already know what I am going to preach about!! Starting a week of prayer and fasting this week. God is going to do some GREAT things this week. Let's watch God show off!!

Today starts our week of prayer and fasting. Check out my previous blog entry for more information on how to pray and fast. But what do we pray for? Pray that God will remove the obstacles from your life so that you will grow and be the disciple of Christ that He desires for you to be. Pray that God will remove the obstacles from the lives of those who don't know Jesus so they will ask Him into their hearts and lives. Pray that God will remove the obstacles for your church so that it will grow and become a bright light in it's neighborhood and city. Pray that God will do in your life what you can't do for yourself. A few words about fasting. Remember that right attitudes precedes right actions. As Samuel declared: It's better to obey than sac rifice. When we do the right thing for the wrong reason we will be perceived as liars. So decide why you are going to fast before you do it. Decide that it is more important to intercede and pray than it is to eat. That you

This Sunday is Vision Sunday at FFWC!! - First of all Gideons 300 starts at 9:30 a.m. What is Gideons 300? It's all about being the disciple of Christ that God needs you to be for today! We are NOT living in the church that existed 5 or 10 years ago. Discover how you can make a difference against insurmountable odds!!! - Secondly, in morning worship - at 10:30 a.m. - I am going to share with you what God has been laying on my heart for 2011. Many of you in the church received a light switch in the mail this week. If you didn't get one or your lost it, don't worry, I have extras. I am excited about what God is sharing with me - I would love to have the opportunity to share it with you. FYI - Here is Sunday's worship music list. If you don't know it - you can find these on iTunes. The Lord Reign by Gateway Worship Mighty King of Love by New Life Worship Surrender by Dave Lubben I See The Lord by Paul Baloche Worthy Is The Lamb by Hillsong Here are some li

This is a great illustration - just wish the guy would put a shirt on.

Top 8 blog entries for 2010 #1 - Cheap Flash Website For Churches #2 - Is The World Worth Saving #3 - Worship John:4 #4 - Tech and the Small Church / Audio Hosting #5 - I Bet You Didn't Know #6 - I Love My Church #7 - Tech and the Small Church / iPhone App #8 - Christian Rules for Facebook

I am glad we are past the holidays. Having Sunday fall the day after Christmas and New Years is a bummer. Oh hold it! It's on Sunday this year!! Oh Boy! Rachel Deegan did a GREAT job on the platform this morning singing with us!! Go Rachel! Don't forget CARPE MOMENTUM! Next week is dedicated to prayer and fasting. So this week think about how you are going to pray, when, how you are going to fast? I am challenging the church to READ through the Bible this year. Choose a Bible reading plan from youversion.com or biblegateway.com Think about how you can make a difference in someone’s life for Christ’s sake - and theirs too! Or as I said this morning. Ask yourself what you will NOT do for God and then ask God to help you do it! Vision Sunday is next Sunday and I am already pumped up!!

2010 HAS LEFT THE BUILDING! And if your like me you can say, Thank You Jesus!! What does 2011 have in store? I don't know! Will it be better or worse? I still don't know! So how can I be so happy that 2010 is over? #1 - We are that much closer to Jesus' coming back to take us home. #2 - There are new opportunities to do great things for the Kingdom of God! #3 - The Bible says that God's mercies are new everyday. Now we get a whole new year of them! My new blog look is simple and easy to navigate. I put some a slideshow on and updated a few items. Let me know what you think of it? But for now! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!