When Jesus died on the cross, the first person he escorted into heaven was a convict. Our Lord died between two thieves. One repented and one did not. The blood of Jesus purchased salvation for the one who believed. This is part of the message Eddie Echarri gave to the inmates at Fountain Prison Thursday evening in Atmore, Alabama. Eddie serves as our Director of Community Outreach. We were there for a chapel service. I preached from Ezekiel 2 and Eddie gave his testimony. Along with Eddie and myself the OBC quartet, Con4med, join us for the service. It was a great evening.

Chaplain Brian Eskelinen invited us for the visit. He is a member of Olive and this is our second trip to the prison for chapel. To begin the evening the chaplain baptized two new converts. It was a joyous occasion to see these men go public with their faith.

In Matthew 25 Jesus tells us to visit those in prison. Eddie does this day by day as a dynamic outreach of Olive. These are places I would call hard ground. Nevertheless, when an individual is persistent with the Gospel in a loving way the seed of truth penetrates even the rocky soil in due time. I thank God for people like Eddie and Chaplain Brian.

Pastor Ted Traylor

In the coming weeks I will be preaching through Deuteronomy 6. The English title for the book comes from the Greek Septuagint meaning “second law-giving”. Moses is teaching the people about passing the faith from one generation to the next and to the next. Parents and grandparents have a specific and strategic role in the teaching of chapter 6. Several times in the book we find the admonition, WATCH YOURSELF. It is in Chapter 6 verse 12 as well as 4:15 and 4:23. This will be our theme the next few weeks at Olive. We must watch ourselves carefully as we follow faithfully after the Lord.  I encourage you to be reading chapter 6 over and over as we prepare to study.
 
Easter was a big event at Olive. The Saturday evening service was again well attended. I saw many old timers back at Olive for the services. We have an army of former members who have moved away. It seemed many more than a usual number of them came back for the weekend. That is always an encouragement.  There were also scores of other guests. Praise the Lord for those who were saved and chose to be a part of the family.
 
Liz and I had the opportunity to challenge the church family to step up to the commitment line for giving to the 2020 Vision project. We are looking for 99 others to join us at the $10,000 level and meet half of the current need. Then we are asking all the others to give as they sense the leadership of the Lord and join the giving team as we march toward two million dollars. Together we can do it. Several told me over the weekend, “We’re in for 10!”  Envelopes will be available beginning this weekend at the church. They will contain a card where you can indicate your participation level. The commitments will be gathered on Sunday, May 4. That evening we will be out on the property for ice cream and a prayer walk. Ask God what your part should be.
 

Today is Good Friday and all of Christendom looks to the CROSS. Jesus, the Savior of the world, died for our sins. Take time today to reflect, remember and be thankful for the Atonement. I look forward to seeing you in one of our three Easter services this weekend. We will meet at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, and at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Pastor Ted Traylor

The 2020 Implementation Report was approved by the Olive family Sunday evening. Steve Harrod and the team did an outstanding job. An air of excitement filled the room after the Sunday night meeting. Many stayed afterwards to talk and ask other questions. A new direction has been set for the church. We have much work to get done.

The question being asked is, “What happens first?” Raising funds is the initial order. I will briefly outline a plan of action this weekend during the three Easter services. Then in short order several projects will fall into place. Renovation of Passmore Hall and demolition of the white block buildings will come quickly. Then you will see the moving of dirt for the new parking area and the Whitmire Road entrance. The Fund Development Director position will be filled and the Ministry Village will continue to expand.

Today work is continuing with the clearing of property along Whitmire Road. One neighbor told me Monday this cleanup has done more to bring the local community together than anything he can remember. It is amazing what you can see happen when people just talk to one another. Before the old two-story house could be leveled the honey bees inside had to be captured. Two of our men did that Monday. It was a fun afternoon.

Thank you for your response to the new booklet, What Is a Southern Baptist? Many came by to purchase one on Sunday. One of guests, Dr.Scott Dawson, along with his family, came by. (You will remember Scott from the great preaching he did during Harvest Weekend.) We will have the book table out again this Saturday evening for the first of our three Easter services.

Pastor Ted Traylor

It is Friday and I am on my way to North Carolina to preach in a men’s conference. My return flight is through Atlanta on Saturday afternoon. How I would love to stop in for the SEC BB tournament. However, I desire to get back to Olive for the BIG day Sunday when we will observe the Lord’s Supper during the morning worship services and present our 2020 Vision report in the p.m. service. Please pray for me as I preach in the conference and pray that I will return home on time tomorrow.

Many of you have asked about the article in the Pensacola News Journal in which I was asked about the Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change. Jonathan Merritt is the young man who did an excellent job in drafting this statement. It has drawn national attention and you can read it for yourself by going to www.baptistcreationcare.org. At Olive we seek to be good stewards of the planet. In today’s world there are a thousand schools of thought on what this should look like. The Creator told us to take dominion and oversee this, our home.

Pictured below is Dennis Wilson, our project coordinator. I was asked to pose with the excavator we are using to clear some of our property. In our planning and desire to be good environmentalists, we are leaving many of the trees standing. Some will complain that even cranking a machine like this shows poor environmental concern. Yet they are happy to see the trucks and dozers rolling in after the trees are down and the lights are out. Nevertheless, change occurs. Sometimes the hurricanes along the Gulf Coast alter our environment for us. What we are doing on our church property is making room for our Ministry Village expansion.

When you have time, take a drive out there and see the progress. We are creating an “environment of evangelism and discipleship.” By winning souls to Jesus now, we can be assured that we have helped to increase the population of the New Heaven and the New Earth that God will create one day.

Pastor Ted Traylor

In 1995-96 I had the joy and responsibility of being the president of the Florida Baptist Convention. In the president’s address I shared a message, “What Is a Southern Baptist?” That message was first in print at Florida Baptist College. I have recently edited and updated this message and with the help of office staff have printed it in booklet form and it is now ready for distribution. The price is $5 and can be purchased at the main office.

This Sunday I will have a table in the foyer. If you would like your copy signed I will be glad to do it. These booklets make great handouts to others that do not always understand who we are as Baptists. I am not saying this writing will explain all we are but it is a good beginning. I encourage you to get one or several. The money we will make on this product will help us in our mission endeavors in Romania.

Having a faithful staff helps us do the work to which God has called us. I am grateful for a faithful team. The new booklet was birthed through the Holy Spirit giving me words to say but it took form through the diligent work of several in the office. May we have ears to hear and a heart to share the Gospel both as individual Southern Baptists, and as a Southern Baptist congregation.

Olive is a great family of believers. As we get ready to adopt our new budget in a couple of weeks, I want to thank you for your support. Your weekly giving keeps this place running and I am thankful.

Pastor Ted Traylor

A few days ago a book was recommended to me. I finished it on my Texas trip this week. It will be recommended reading for anyone involved in Ministry Evangelism at Olive. If the LYNTYS training that has been offered at Olive stirs your heart, you will need to read this book. I asked Debbe Jefcoat if she had seen the book. She smiled and told me the Charis House leaders had already read it. (By the way the first two new residents of Charis House 2 moved in this week. In the next few days we expect all of our new residents to arrive.) The spirit of this book I am recommending will live on as we write our own chapter of Gospel living and telling.

Ron Horton and Denver Moore tell their true story in Same Kind of Different as Me. These men were brought together from two completely different worlds. The Gospel did a work of miraculous grace in both of them. If you have not picked up this book I challenge you to do so. I laughed through the first 120 pages and cried through the last 120. Conviction fell on me as I read. From the pages of this book encouragement and confirmation came to me for the work of leading Olive in Ministry Evangelism. To do the ministry we are embarking upon it will take people, money and determination. God wants it done and He will accomplish His work. Read this book and see where you fit into the plan. Click here for more information about this book.

Next Saturday, March 15, we are having a workday at the church. This is a great time to volunteer as a family to help us clean up and spruce up for Easter weekend. Our deacon wives are at work in Charis House 2 giving it a good cleaning before the grand opening.

The 2020 Vision is taking shape. We are building a work for years to come. During my recent trip to Texas I drove North of Ft. Worth on I-35 to hit 287 toward Henrietta, Texas. Standing tall on I-35 was North Ft. Worth Baptist Church, the church Liz and I joined during seminary. It is now in a new location. When the choice to relocate was made 25 years ago, it was not popular with some of the members. But the church was in a changing part of the city and on the decline. As we drove by Liz said, “The courageous people who made the move were smart.” I told her churches must always make decisions for the generations to come. That is what The Ministry Village at Olive does. It is not about us now; it is about 2020 and beyond.

Pastor Ted Traylor

Greetings from Texas. Liz and I are away on a short trip. We return tonight. While on this trip I have met some incredible servants. After preaching Sunday evening at Hillcrest Church in Duncanville, Texas, we checked into our hotel. Jason, the young man at the desk, was a wonderful servant. He took care of our every need. I told him if he ever needed a job to call me. He is the kind of greeter-usher leader we can use at Olive.

On Monday morning I got up to find I had a nail in the tire on our rental car. What to do? I stopped in at a Jiffy Lube. The men checked it out and pointed me toward a place to get it fixed. After diagnosing my problem there was no charge, just help. Two blocks up the road I was at Discount Tires. Mark greeted me. He quickly had the car on the rack, removed the screw in the tire and had the hole plugged. When I asked how much he said, “No charge.” Another servant. I just kept running into these kind of people and I wasn’t even at a church! Servants were all around me. That’s what Jesus has called us to be at Olive. I challenge you to look around and see how you can serve others today.

Monday evening I had the pleasure of being at a reception from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Henrietta, Texas. It is the church I pastored just out of seminary. Several members came by to say hello. It was 20 years ago Liz and I lived in the town and many dear friends still reside there. It was a joy to spend time with old friends, many of whom have been servants to us.

These 48 hours have been ones of travel, ministry and preaching. All along the way I have met servants. My prayer is for God to allow me to be one today. What about you?

Pastor Ted Traylor