After a year on GCR and the NAMB presidential search, I have been staying close to home for the last five months. February is quite busy in SBC life and I have been in some state convention evangelism conference meetings. I really enjoy these gathers of Baptists. This week I traveled to Ohio and South Carolina. It was great to connect with old friends and make new ones. Southern Baptists are great people.
Do not be deceived. God ordained the local church for missions, not conventions. Conventions are wonderful cooperative efforts but the church is God’s tool to proclaim the Gospel. Let us never think a denomination is going to do what the church has been assigned. Olive has a job to do. We invest in cooperative work in Florida and the SBC, but we have a mandate to go into all the world and make disciples.
Our denomination is in a time of transition with new leaders on several fronts. Only time will tell if we are going to make needed changes to impact the world with the Gospel. I will continue to do my part in assisting Southern Baptists in our work. However, there is no place like the local church. And for me that is a place called Olive.
Pastor Ted Traylor
Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love. As we look across our world, we see many people speaking. They often hold a principle seen as true. Yet, often we hear screaming and shouting. Sometimes this enters the church. Very little is accomplished with this tone.
America is all but void of spiritual strength and responsibility. If you are going to speak you need to be honorable. Child-like temper tantrums do not get very much done.
As the struggles mount in our culture we see the need for spiritual revival all around us. Jesus followers should display the Sermon on the Mount attitudes. Today I encourage you to speak truth but remember the call the love and responsibility.
Pastor Ted Traylor
The search team looking for the new president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention has announced their nominee. Dr. Tom Elliff will be presented to the trustees for election in March. For months we have prayed for this committee as they looked for God’s man.
Tom Elliff is a great man. He has been a godly leader and missionary. He has served Southern Baptists as SBC President. He has pastored great churches. The IMB will get a man of experience and wisdom.
Since Dr. Elliff is 66 years old the question will be asked, “How long will he serve? Will this be an extended interim for the IMB?” No one knows the answer to these questions, but they will be in the minds of many. It is our job to pray for the trustees and for Dr. Elliff as the process moves forward. We must also be poised to give sacrificially to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. Our team of missionaries around the globe needs a great leader. They also need our prayerful and monetary support. These are days to do both.
Gods bless you, Tom, as you lead in days to come.
Pastor Ted Traylor
Today’s Guest Blogger: Bennett Traylor
Sunday night was the Upward Basketball Awards Night. The event is a special night for me because it is my unofficial anniversary of working at Olive. After nineteen weeks of work, I’m glad that all it took was me getting ollied over by pro skater Tim Byrne for fifty-nine kids to receive the Lord Jesus Christ!
All of our coaches, referees, score keepers and volunteers were instrumental in the salvation of those kids. We could not have done it without such a wonderful support group around use. My heart especially goes out to Brenda Hiatt. She is the Team Sports Administrative Assistant and has been by my side every step of the way as we both made sure that, this year, everything we did was spirit-minded and mission-oriented.
From the smoke machine at games beginning, to the music choices for our Awards Night presentations, we made sure everything we did was to ignite excitement in the kids and even show them that, especially in music, you can bang your head, jump around, and get pumped without sacrificing a great message of hope and love in the music.
God has put a new fire under us in the Team Sports department at Olive. We are not just a gym attached to the end of a church. We are an extension of the church and fifty-nine young men and women, and possibly more that only God knows about, can truly attest to that.
Bennett Traylor
This is The Year of the Family at Olive Baptist. God has impressed upon me the urgency for men to step up and lead out in the faith. It’s time for maturity, boldness, and a deepening relationship with Holy God. My priority this year is to spend time helping men to become spiritual leaders in their homes, community, and here at Olive.
Living by the Playbook begins Thursday morning from 6:30-7:30am in Passmore Hall. Bring your Bibles and get ready to dig into the truths and blessings God has for men today. Their is much to learn in our quest to become godly servants.
Pastor Ted Traylor
“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” -John Wooden
Brett Favre was idolized as a Green Bay Packer. When he left the team in 2008 everyone questioned, “Who could possible replace a legend? Who could follow in those footsteps?” That role went to Aaron Rodgers – the man who had served as back-up quarterback to Favre since 2005.
Fast forward to the 2011 Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburg Steelers and won the MVP award for the championship game. Some might say he has risen to the top of his game and no longer has to worry about following a man of legendary status.
But Aaron Rodgers does follow someone else but it is not an earthly example of excellence and success. He is the ultimate example-Jesus Christ. I encourage you to watch this news profile of his Christ-centered life and testimony of faith.
Pastor Ted Traylor
Several weeks ago I got an idea from church planter Nelson Searcy. During one of his webinars he mentioned the Invest and Invite card. It is really very simple. But I think it gives us a fresh way to remember our involvement in the Great Commission. I will have one of these cards for every person at Olive this Sunday.
There has arisen a mindset that we cannot engage people about the Gospel and faith. It is born out of fear, political correctness and slothfulness. No serious follower of Jesus can deny that Christ gave us a commission that we are to we are to make disciples. That includes evangelism.
To do evangelism we must believe in the Gospel and its power. We also need a burden for souls. And in an ongoing life pattern, we need to invest in people we invite to the Gospel and to the meetings of our faith family. This Sunday I will endeavor to help us with this.
This week has been a fruitful time of visiting and sharing for me. Monday night I met a great couple who recently moved to our area. They are believers and love Olive. On Wednesday afternoon I was in the offices of three different prospects. I went there on purpose to visit and talk about Jesus. Doors were opened. In the wake of all that I meet a fourth. All of these told me they would be at Olive Sunday.
Statistics tells us 70% of those you invite will come with you to church at least once. Invest in someone’s life and make the invite. You might be surprised what Jesus does.
Pastor Ted Traylor
In December the Olive family entered forty days of prayer and fasting leading to Sunday night’s Solemn Assembly. At 5:00pm we met in small groups throughout the Olive complex. The 8:00 and 9:30am connection groups met together in the rooms they share. This proved to be a very valuable time of interaction and intercession. New friends were made (one report came to me of two departments joining for a service project in 2011). At 5:45pm the first blast of the ram’s horn called us to the worship center. The second trumpet was to call us to Solemn Assembly at
6:00pm.
The worship time was sweet and five were baptized to begin the evening service. I read from Joel 2 to call us to gather and pray. We then enter four calls to prayer. The first was a call to humility. We sat in silence for four minutes after Liz sang Search Me, Oh God. The second call was to holiness. Many stood to give testimony of the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. The third call was for the family. Spiritual leader laid hands on their family members and many cries out for the lost and backslidden members of their families. The fourth call was from Jeremiah 33:3. We were seeking God’s will. The sick were anointed and prayed for. Others sought the mind of the Lord. Five people came forward answering the vocational call to ministry. Others were saved. When the evening ended the 2000+ in attendance rejoiced!
I have spent most of Monday discerning what happened at Olive Sunday evening. No doubt there was the beginning of a breakthrough for the church. Many got right before God. The Spirit of the Lord was among us and there was liberty.
When we hunger and thirst for righteousness we will be filled. The church was filled Sunday night. I am not speaking of a building filled with people, but the people filled with the presence of God. Olive saw a new beginning and a new potential of what we can be if honest before our King. A new hope was kindled in the camp.
Pensacola needs the Gospel and only a church full of Jesus can do that work. We must be that church. Sunday evening God gave us a glimpse that we can be if we rely on Him and deny our self-sufficiency.
God was good to Olive at Solemn Assembly. Praise be to His name!
Pastor Ted Traylor
