I apologize. I had a sermon drafted and for some reason I can make a new post but cannot puplish anything that is in draft. I hope to fix this for next week!
Many prayers for a Sunday filled with God, family, friends and love.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Sunday, December 13, 2009
This weeks sermon: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Opening Prayer
Our Father (Lord's Prayer)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen
Sermon: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Ever have a houseguest last minute? Take a peek into my house. I think it would go something like this.
Ah oh! Family meeting! Listen up everybody….I just got a call, a VERY important guest is coming to visit. This guy is a King…yes, I know…cool right? We all need to pitch in…yes that means shove everything in the closet…sure, just stuff dirty clothes under the beds…and for goodness sakes nobody open the back bedroom! We need to get to the grocery store, we should prepare a feast!
Okay, we don’t really stuff things under our beds. Much.
In this third week of advent I would like to talk about what it might mean to prepare for Yeshua’s return. Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” As a Christian I believe Yeshua is the Messiah or Christ, so he has already made a first appearance. What would you do if you found out the second coming was just hours away? Don’t wait for a last minute ordeal! Can you imagine-if like the Tv show V-we one day look up and see this huge face saying..”Don’t be alarmed.” Ummm Hello, alarmed we shall be!
I propose instead, to start preparing now. And I do not mean to prepare as in…stock up on water!...2012 is coming, it’s judgment day!…kind of way. Lol What I mean is that if you believe in a benevolent and loving God, what better way to honor God than by clearing out the spiritual clutter in your life.
Go back to basics, pick up the bible and read. Get inspired by writing down your favorite verses. Study passages on forgiveness, read the parables and which laws Yeshua thought were the most important. Make mind space by living abundantly and freely in the present. Most important, Recognize and LIVE, for life is a divine gift! Prepare a feast for God, not a crock pot meal. Savor inspirations God has given us such as the bible, nature and all the beauty that surrounds you.
My hope for you this week is that you REJOICE! Spend some quiet time and family time opening yourself up to God's loving presence.
Say this prayer: Yeshua we are waiting with joyful hope for your triumphant return. We ask for comfort for those with anxiety or cynicism toward the miracle of this season. Help us to welcome you into our hearts, and our homes. In Yeshua's name we pray. Amen.
I leave you with this verse that inspired me...
Matthew 1:18-23 (Young's Literal Translation)
18And of Jesus Christ, the birth was thus: For his mother Mary having been betrothed to Joseph, before their coming together she was found to have conceived from the Holy Spirit,
19and Joseph her husband being righteous, and not willing to make her an example, did wish privately to send her away.
20And on his thinking of these things, lo, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appeared to him, saying, `Joseph, son of David, thou mayest not fear to receive Mary thy wife, for that which in her was begotten [is] of the Holy Spirit,
21and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.'
22And all this hath come to pass, that it may be fulfilled that was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23`Lo, the virgin shall conceive, and she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,' which is, being interpreted `With us [he is] God.'
Our Father (Lord's Prayer)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen
Sermon: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Ever have a houseguest last minute? Take a peek into my house. I think it would go something like this.
Ah oh! Family meeting! Listen up everybody….I just got a call, a VERY important guest is coming to visit. This guy is a King…yes, I know…cool right? We all need to pitch in…yes that means shove everything in the closet…sure, just stuff dirty clothes under the beds…and for goodness sakes nobody open the back bedroom! We need to get to the grocery store, we should prepare a feast!
Okay, we don’t really stuff things under our beds. Much.
In this third week of advent I would like to talk about what it might mean to prepare for Yeshua’s return. Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” As a Christian I believe Yeshua is the Messiah or Christ, so he has already made a first appearance. What would you do if you found out the second coming was just hours away? Don’t wait for a last minute ordeal! Can you imagine-if like the Tv show V-we one day look up and see this huge face saying..”Don’t be alarmed.” Ummm Hello, alarmed we shall be!
I propose instead, to start preparing now. And I do not mean to prepare as in…stock up on water!...2012 is coming, it’s judgment day!…kind of way. Lol What I mean is that if you believe in a benevolent and loving God, what better way to honor God than by clearing out the spiritual clutter in your life.
Go back to basics, pick up the bible and read. Get inspired by writing down your favorite verses. Study passages on forgiveness, read the parables and which laws Yeshua thought were the most important. Make mind space by living abundantly and freely in the present. Most important, Recognize and LIVE, for life is a divine gift! Prepare a feast for God, not a crock pot meal. Savor inspirations God has given us such as the bible, nature and all the beauty that surrounds you.
My hope for you this week is that you REJOICE! Spend some quiet time and family time opening yourself up to God's loving presence.
Say this prayer: Yeshua we are waiting with joyful hope for your triumphant return. We ask for comfort for those with anxiety or cynicism toward the miracle of this season. Help us to welcome you into our hearts, and our homes. In Yeshua's name we pray. Amen.
I leave you with this verse that inspired me...
Matthew 1:18-23 (Young's Literal Translation)
18And of Jesus Christ, the birth was thus: For his mother Mary having been betrothed to Joseph, before their coming together she was found to have conceived from the Holy Spirit,
19and Joseph her husband being righteous, and not willing to make her an example, did wish privately to send her away.
20And on his thinking of these things, lo, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appeared to him, saying, `Joseph, son of David, thou mayest not fear to receive Mary thy wife, for that which in her was begotten [is] of the Holy Spirit,
21and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.'
22And all this hath come to pass, that it may be fulfilled that was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23`Lo, the virgin shall conceive, and she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,' which is, being interpreted `With us [he is] God.'
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Dude, where's my calling?
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those touched by the tragedy at Fort Hood.Opening Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen
This week’s sermon: Dude where’s my calling?
Do you feel you have a calling? How do you know you are doing what God has called you to do in this life?
I believe everyone has a calling! If you ask most people they can tell you at least one dream they have. For some, it’s fortune and fame and for other’s, it’s to become a teacher…or pastor. For me, I always thought that dream was unattainable. You see, as a young girl, I always felt a calling to the church. I even practiced at ten years old to become a nun (because that was the only female role in a church I could think of) by making a Nun's habit out of my bed sheets. To my disappointment, I later found out you had to be Catholic, and my parents were Babtists….so that was not happening.
Like a lot of people with a calling, I put conditions on it. I would tell myself that I needed God to send me an absolute clear sign, directing me which way to go. A nice stone tablet, with something like “TRACI MY CHILD, THOU SHALT FOR SURE BECOME A PASTOR, PROCEED THIS WAY,” would have been nice. I knew what I wanted, but instead of preparing for the answer, and the future, I would spend my time telling myself why it would not happen. Even feeling a calling from God himself, people can ignore out of human fears. Opening ourselves to receive the answers we are looking for is sometimes that first step.
Consider the story of Saul: The bible tells the story of Saul in 1 Samuel 9:1-7. So Saul’s father asks Saul to take a servant and go find the donkeys-who have apparently wandered. Here is this mundane task, really mundane, and Saul is sent wandering all over looking for these donkeys. During this event though, God calls upon Saul to do something extraordinary! Donkey duty ends up leading Saul on his divine path. In verse 5 Saul is ready to give up, he is tired, he thinks his father is probably in the midst of worrying now about Saul-it’s just not worth it to keep going, he is probably thinking. Instead, the servant tells Saul of a man of God-Samuel- who might help them, a man this servant has heard, says things that come true.
In 1 Samuel 9:15 we read how God has already prepared the way. The day before, God had spoken to Samuel. Samuel is instructed to watch for a man “from the land of Benjamin.” He instructs Samuel to anoint Saul, for God wants him to be a leader over the people of Israel. Saul ends up being the first king of Israel. From donkey duty to king is a pretty big leap, don’t you think? Only God could do something like that!
Perhaps like Paul you wonder what your purpose is and will end up running into it on an average day, doing average things. Or you’ve prayed and it’s not been answered yet. Or perhaps like me, God had been waiting for the right time. Be patient, be faithful, and continue to look for God to lead you in the right direction. It will happen.
But what if we do not yet know our calling? I believe we all will serve God in our own way. There is no right way to define your calling. For some, your job is your calling. For other’s, it is being a parent, or volunteering at the homeless shelter-or even your job helps pay for your calling. There is no calling too large or too small! If like me you have waited for a lightning bolt from the sky? It is probably going to be a very long wait! Instead, try turning off the television and the cell phone. Sit outside and try writing about what activities you have always enjoyed. Write down what made you really smile that week, or events that brought you great joy. Seek out new experiences. If you are really having trouble, new experiences might be a great help. Instead of doing the same things, day in and day out, try something new each day. Even something small like driving a different route to work, or having lunch in the park can expose you to possibilities. If you are not sure if what you found is truly your calling, ask yourself this….Is what I am doing blessing other’s, or the environment, or helping a cause? And is it making me happy?
Can we compromise with our callings? I believe we can, in a way. For instance, let’s say you have always loved football. You’ve wanted to be an NFL coach your whole life. But through life circumstances you feel it is too late to go back to school. Most likely you know in your heart you are not going to make it happen. Instead, a compromise might be to coach a little league team. Someone with a teacher’s heart might tutor disadvantaged children. If you are willing to compromise, look into volunteer situations that can be just as fulfilling. You might find that this compromise was indeed your calling all along.
Finally, I encourage everyone to pray and ask Gods help in whatever you do. We all need help, and most true callings are something we could use help from our creator.
Say this Prayer: God, I ask you to reveal your plan for me. Help me to recognize the opportunities you put into my life, to lead me on my path. Open my eyes to the possibilities in my everyday life. In Yeshua’s name we pray. Amen.
I’ll leave you with this verse that inspires me…
As Mordecai said in Esther 4:14, "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Our Heavenly Father is calling individuals to do a special task and fulfill a special mission. Is that your desire—to be used in a powerful way for His purposes?
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Services
God is in the process of designing this church as he sees fit. As soon as a place of worship is shown to me, we will begin services. We would greatly appreciate prayers that God reveals this place, whether it is a park, coffee shop or a place of our own-or even this blog.
In the meantime sermons will be posted here every Sunday at 5:00am central time.
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In the meantime sermons will be posted here every Sunday at 5:00am central time.
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How we worship:
We worship in a casual relaxed way-all together as one family.
We begin with a reciting of The Lord's Prayer-as we feel this prayer was a gift from Jesus. He taught us exactly how to pray~!
Next we sing a couple of fun and uplifting songs with our children. Feel free to dance, sing and clap along with your children. We believe God finds it pleasing when we use these gifts.
We have a short interactive lesson with the younger children where we use lessons that relate to today's world. We often have all the children participate in these.
We follow with a question or two for older children and young teens. We try and allow children to voice their opinion without trying to form their thoughts. Older children are encouraged to memorize a bible verse for the next service.
At this time children may play quietly or sit or stand with us adults as we have our own time with worship music.
Next, we have a short Sermon and closing prayer. We end our services with a time of reflection. We give you a chance to sit and pray or voice aloud any thoughts you had. These can relate to our sermon or not. We ask everyone to respect other's opinions...you do not have to agree, just be willing to listen.
If you have any questions, comments or a prayer request, send them to Pastor Traci Flores at JTCFchurch@gmail.com
What we believe
Christianuniversalist.org
Note: While JTCF Church has the same beliefs as CU we are not yet affiliated with them.
Note: While JTCF Church has the same beliefs as CU we are not yet affiliated with them.
What we ask of you...
What we won't ask you to do:
We won't ask you to change who you are. Be who you are. We love tattoos, ripped jeans or you fashion forward people! It is humans who judge what other's wear, not GOD!
We won't ask you to follow blindly. If you have a differing point of view...share it! Ideas expressed respectfully are always welcome. We encourage you to study scripture,prayer or use your intuition.
We won't ask you to give more than you can. We will not pass around an offering basket. Rather we will have one in a designated area where you may give if you feel led. If you do not know what to give, pray about it. God will lead you on the right path!
About Children:
We are not a "sit down and be quiet" kind of church. Feel free to bring a sketch pad and pencil for your littlest church goer-or even a soft toy. Nurse or bottle feed your baby where you are. If you can bring a swing or bouncy seat to keep them comfortable, feel free to do so. Our children worship with us, and will have opportunities to grow and lead in the services.
What we will ask you to do:
We ask you to try and create profoundly spiritual relationships with members of the church, and not perfunctory.
We ask that you make a personal invitation to your family,friends and neighbors to join you at services. It's hard to go to a new church alone!
We ask that you volunteer when you can to help with the church, and with community services.
We ask you to stay after services, and break bread together occasionally. There is nothing like building community by sharing a meal together!
We ask you to make a plate for an elderly or handicapped neighbor to take home. We want to share with those in need.
Note: Please never bring items with tree nuts or peanuts. We want anyone with allergies to be safe. If you have a family member with an allergy let us know.
We ask that if you can, to stay and play a game of kickball, or other sport. We want to pray and play together.
What WE won't do:
We won't bog you down in scripture. I use verses that inspire me, not to pick and choose to suit my own agenda.
We won't call you, or visit your home unless you ask.
We won't force you to do anything your uncomfortable with. If your unsure about something, seek counsel with your pastor, other church members and especially with prayer to God.
We won't force our views on you. We fully expect and want questions. We should never stop seeking in our spiritual journey.
We won't treat you as a round peg, and try to fit you into a square hole. We encourage individuality, personality, looks and spirit.
We won't require you to do anything to be a member. Once you attend a service, you and your family are members of our church!
We won't ask you to change who you are. Be who you are. We love tattoos, ripped jeans or you fashion forward people! It is humans who judge what other's wear, not GOD!
We won't ask you to follow blindly. If you have a differing point of view...share it! Ideas expressed respectfully are always welcome. We encourage you to study scripture,prayer or use your intuition.
We won't ask you to give more than you can. We will not pass around an offering basket. Rather we will have one in a designated area where you may give if you feel led. If you do not know what to give, pray about it. God will lead you on the right path!
About Children:
We are not a "sit down and be quiet" kind of church. Feel free to bring a sketch pad and pencil for your littlest church goer-or even a soft toy. Nurse or bottle feed your baby where you are. If you can bring a swing or bouncy seat to keep them comfortable, feel free to do so. Our children worship with us, and will have opportunities to grow and lead in the services.
What we will ask you to do:
We ask you to try and create profoundly spiritual relationships with members of the church, and not perfunctory.
We ask that you make a personal invitation to your family,friends and neighbors to join you at services. It's hard to go to a new church alone!
We ask that you volunteer when you can to help with the church, and with community services.
We ask you to stay after services, and break bread together occasionally. There is nothing like building community by sharing a meal together!
We ask you to make a plate for an elderly or handicapped neighbor to take home. We want to share with those in need.
Note: Please never bring items with tree nuts or peanuts. We want anyone with allergies to be safe. If you have a family member with an allergy let us know.
We ask that if you can, to stay and play a game of kickball, or other sport. We want to pray and play together.
What WE won't do:
We won't bog you down in scripture. I use verses that inspire me, not to pick and choose to suit my own agenda.
We won't call you, or visit your home unless you ask.
We won't force you to do anything your uncomfortable with. If your unsure about something, seek counsel with your pastor, other church members and especially with prayer to God.
We won't force our views on you. We fully expect and want questions. We should never stop seeking in our spiritual journey.
We won't treat you as a round peg, and try to fit you into a square hole. We encourage individuality, personality, looks and spirit.
We won't require you to do anything to be a member. Once you attend a service, you and your family are members of our church!
About me
I believe I have a calling to be a spiritual leader, in the form of a church pastor. My personal spiritual journey has been long and difficult.As a young girl I became a Christian Universalist after a healing experience. It changed my life forever, but raised many, many questions. I had a difficult time coming to terms with the benevolent God I knew in my heart, with the damnation and hellfire God I'd learned about in church. I could never merge the two, and just quite trying after a while. I always, always kept my spirituality and love of God though.
Now that I've experienced life as a wife, and mother of six, I've gained some life experience, that God is now trusting me, to call me to my place of service.
I'm not your cookie-cutter pastor though. In fact, I'm seriously outside the box! :)
John 15:16 says
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
I have a heartfelt desire to serve God, and my fellow man. Here are some scripture I am committed to keeping...
1Timothy 5:20 says
A person who desires to oversee a congregation desires a good thing.
1Timothy 3:1-7 says
But he must not think he is going to be "someone important" and rule his brethren.
Matthew 20:25-28 says
Starting a congregation is a commitment to serving, not a "higher spiritual status."
I am a wife to Robert and mom to Matteo, Nicko, Zander, Zoie, Lilly, Xane. I like to joke around, I'm an avid romance reader and love watching Spongebob, I'm not winning any bible memorization contests. I'm a real person who makes mistakes. I'm imperfect, and not a likely candidate for being a pastor. I think that is exactly why God chose me for this mission. I look forward to serving you in this role. :)
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