Tracy Talk

Sermon Podcast: I Did It My Way (1 Samuel 15)

August 29, 2010

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Preached on August 8, 2010 at Hillsdale Baptist Church in Tampa, FL

I Did It My Way: King Saul

1 Samuel 15

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We need leaders of character and integrity!

August 14, 2010

Hi, I’m John Tracy. I am a Christian conservative, a small business owner, and a community servant. I have spent my life pouring myself into families while on staff at two local churches and three summer camps. I’ve had the opportunity to mentor and counsel hundreds of young people and parents. I was a classroom teacher on the elementary, middle, and high school levels and I know the joys and the frustrations of our teachers in Pasco. In fact, both of my parents were teachers and I consider excellent teachers to be among our nations heroes! Currently I do a lot of private music teaching at a Fine Arts Academy where I am also the director. It is my privilege to serve as the president of the Faith and Family Values Republican Club of Pasco County and I am on the campaign team, as the Pasco church outreach leader, for my friend, Marco Rubio, in his US Senate campaign.

I believe in school safety, student equality, fiscal responsibility, and family values. I’m for smaller government, fewer taxes, and basic freedoms.

I’m only one voice, just like you. I don’t have all the answers, and I can’t fix all the problems by myself. But I promise that I will work hard to do my part, I will listen to the students and parents, I will be a team player with my fellow board members, and I will be a voice for conservative families. Join me, and together we can make a difference.

I invite you to get to know me by visiting http://www.JohnTracyForSchoolBoard.com. I would also appreciate your help in spreading the word. The biggest thing that I need right now is simply to make contact with as many residents of Pasco County as possible in order to spread our conservative message to likeminded friends. If you find that our values are closely aligned, would you please forward this email to all of your Pasco friends and family. Thank you!

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What I think about…Separation of Church & State

February 10, 2010

Separation of Church and State

The First Amendment of the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .” The two parts of that statement, formally known as the “establishment clause” and the “free exercise clause”, provide the foundation for the Supreme Court’s interpretations of the “separation of church and state” doctrine. The First Amendment, as it reads, is in line with the teaching of Scripture. God has ordained the government of the church as well as civil government. Each has a distinct sphere of operation. The purpose of civil government is stated in Romans 13:1-7. The purpose of the church is declared in Matthew 28:19-20. As stated in the First Amendment, I do not believe that the government should control the church. Neither do I believe that the church should be in power over the affairs of civil government.

Unfortunately, the First Amendment is often interpreted in a way that attempts to drive religious principles and morals out of government and even to limit the role of religious individuals, particularly pastors, from being involved in civil government and community service. I believe that every individual American has a responsibility to seek to have as great of an influence in society as possible for the good of the nation. A church employee (i.e. a pastor, priest, rabbi, mullah, etc.) should be no less engaged in current affairs and community service individually than a person representing any other profession. What should not take place is for a particular church or denomination to be placed in a position of power in government. In other words, I do not believe in a theocracy, where a particular religion is required for all citizens. That is an entirely different matter from that of an individual Christian (regardless of profession) who serves in a political office, and is the exact concern of the First Amendment.

I believe in religious freedom. Religious belief is a personal matter of the heart. What you and I believe will certainly influence our decisions, or morals, our judgment, and our behavior, all of which will bear specific consequences. You cannot separate one’s beliefs (religious or other) from their actions. The one will inevitably influence the other. It is for this reason that I believe that people with character and Christian beliefs and values are exactly the kind of people that are needed to lead our nation. They are the ones who founded our nation. Almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as most every Founding Father graduated from orthodox Christian teaching seminaries and were pastors, church elders, and church officers. Here is a sample:

Samuel Adams: Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Father of the Revolution, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Hancock: First signer of the Declaration of Independence, Acting President of the United Sates, Started the “Minutemen,” commissioned George Washington as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, Governor of Massachusetts, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Quincy Adams: Sixth President of the United States, Vice-President of the American Bible Society, Vice-President of the Massachusetts Bible Society, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Robert Treat Paine: Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Military Chaplain, Helped write the Massachusetts Constitution, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Rufus King: Signer of the Constitution, Selected as manager of the American Bible Society, Signer of the Constitution, Ratifier of the Bill of Rights, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Bushrod Washington: U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Vice-President of the American Bible Society, Vice-President of the American Sunday School Union, Attended William and Mary (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Lowell: Revolutionary Officer, Member of the Continental Congress, Member of the Society for the propagating of the Gospel among the Indians and others, Authored Article I in the Massachusetts Constitution of 1779 and insisted that it be adopted into the Bill of Rights—“All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties…”, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Jonathan Trumbull: Governor of Connecticut, Ordained Pastor, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Timothy Pickering: Revolutionary General, Secretary of State, His ideas formed the Northwest Ordinance, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

William Samuel Johnson: Signer of the Constitution, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Zephaniah Swift: Author of America’s first legal text, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

James Bowdoin: Governor of Massachusetts, Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

James Kent: Father of American Jurisprudence, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Joel Barlow: Diplomat under Washington and Adams, Chaplain in the American Revolution for three years, Did not become liberal until 1794, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Cotton Smith: Governor of Connecticut, U.S. Congressman, Puritan Minister, President of the Litchfield County Foreign Missionary Society, First President of the Connecticut Bible Society, President of the American Bible Society, President of the American Board of Foreign Missions, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Treadwell: Governor of Connecticut, Member of Continental Congress, Member of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

These men, and others, are the same ones who declared that all Americans are free to practice religion in whatever way that we deem best. Our country was founded by religious men, but they recognized that government cannot require religion or disallow it, it can only protect religious freedom. Who better to do that, than those who are religious?

In Romans 13:1-3 the Bible also uses similar terms to make it clear that a Christian individual seeking to be an influence in politics is not the same as a denomination or group of churches running the government. Thus, I do believe in the separation of church and state as originally presented in the First Amendment of the Constitution. I do not believe that statement to in any way be in conflict with my personal desire to serve my community and country in the realm of politics. My beliefs and values certainly shape the decisions that I make, and have led me to my current role of a minister. Those values and beliefs have also driven me to step out and lead in the arena of politics. Again, I believe strongly that religious people with character and integrity should not be excluded from political leadership, but I do not believe that religion should be regulated by the government whether it is done so in a positive sense by requiring a particular system of belief, or done in a negative sense by denying religious freedoms. Both are an infringement upon Constitutional rights. I will not seek to use any political platform to regulate religious belief and practice. At the same time, I will stand up for religious freedom and the individual’s right to make whatever religious choice that he deems best, so long as it does not hinder another’s equal rights and freedoms.

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John Tracy Campaign in the St. Pete Times

October 01, 2009

St. Petersburg Times:
-Click the links below to read the full articles.

September 30:

Pastor announces bid for Pasco School Board

John Tracy, president of the Faith and Family Values Republican Club of Pasco County, announced on his blog late Tuesday that he will seek to replace Kathryn Starkey on the…

St. Petersburg Times:

October 1:

Republican Club president and pastor posts desire for Pasco school board seat…

LAND O’LAKES — The seat isn’t officially open for another three years.

But candidates for Pasco County School Board District 4 are popping up now, with incumbent Kathryn Starkey having announced her plan to resign next summer to…

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I’m Running for Pasco County School Board

September 29, 2009

To learn more about my School Board Campaign, please visit www.JohnTracy.me/schoolboard

Hello. My name is John Tracy, and I am running for Pasco County School Board, in District 4. I am a firm believer in quality education. I would not have the opportunities that I do today apart from the training that I received in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. I have a deep appreciation for education at all levels.

I believe that learning is something that continues beyond the completion of a degree. Our childhood education should give us the tools necessary to be students for the rest of our lives. Reading, studying, growing, and learning are skills needed by any productive member of society throughout his or her life.

Education has always been a focal point of American culture. The first schools of the colonial era, the compulsory education of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the formation of the Ivy League colleges in the 17th and 18th Centuries boast early American commitment to quality education. The organization and advancement of public schools by Horace Mann in the late 1800s and the efforts by educational innovators like John Hughes, Catherine Beecher, Booker T. Washington, John Dewey, Linda Thompson, and Jose Gutiérrez have all played a part in the educational system that we experience today.

The school board serves a vital function in Pasco County by ensuring that every child has access to a quality education that provides training and tools for a productive lifetime of learning. I believe that all children should be viewed as being equally important and valuable. That American spirit that offers everyone an equal opportunity should be fostered and encouraged in our schools. Of course, that does not mean that everyone will get equal results. Some will work harder than others. Some will have greater skills. Some will succeed and achieve and some will inevitably fail, but our goal should be to give every student the greatest possible opportunity to accomplish much in the school environment. I believe that the school board must be approachable and must encourage open dialog with parents, staff, students and the community at large. The school system serves the community, and thus, so does the school board.

As a father of two children, I know firsthand the desire to provide the best possible opportunities to the next generation. At the top of that list is an excellent education. Much of my life has been devoted to serving children, teenagers, and college students in one capacity or another. I have been a teacher, counselor, pastor, and friend to numerous young people through my work in schools, camps, churches, and music groups. I believe in the strength of the family and have a record of standing up for family values. As the President of the Faith and Family Values Republican Club of Pasco County, I have stood and fought on the front line for family values.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

I believe that there is a battleground raging in our schools for the hearts and minds of our children. As a school board member I intend to protect the innocence and morals of our kids. I plan to work hard to see that the education they receive is historically accurate, excellent in quality, applicable in subject matter, and delivered in an optimal learning environment. Parents must know that their kids will be safe physically, intellectually, and morally. Students of every race, religion, and economic background should be confident that they will be treated equally by their administrators, teachers, and peers. Anything we can do to remove prejudices of any type will aid in a child’s success. A public school should not be a political stage, nor should it be a place to perpetrate religious and social dogma. It needs to be neutral ground. At the same time, all subjects, American history in particular, must be presented accurately without any attempts to soften or change factual information in order to reflect a differing political, social, or religious bias. Students should learn of our nation’s founding fathers and of our most important documents, like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, that assert and protect our freedom and make us unique in the world.

My goal as your District 4 Pasco County School Board Member is to be a man of integrity and honesty who works hard for families. In simple terms I am for God, Family, and Country. I believe in smaller government, fewer taxes, and basic freedoms. By working together we can continue to provide the kind of quality education for the next generation that has always fueled the American spirit. Will you stand with me for family values in Pasco County?

For America,

John Tracy

NEW John Tracy Podcast!

To subscribe to John's podcast, please click the link on the right side of this page.

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Tracy in Tampa Trib “Faith warrior urges others…”

July 20, 2009

Tampa Tribune Logo

Thanks to Tom Jackson for featuring me and the FFV Club in his Tampa Tribune column on Sunday, July 19, 2009:

“Faith warrior urges others off sidelines.”

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

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Sermon Podcast: Lord of All (Colossians 1:15-18)

June 07, 2009

NEW John Tracy Podcast!

To subscribe to John's podcast, please click the link on the right side of this page.

Preached on June 7, 2009 at Hillsdale Baptist Church in Tampa, FL

Lord of All

Colossians 1:15-18

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Hillsdale Baptist Church – Live Video Broadcast

May 23, 2009

God has given me the great privilege of serving as the Music and College Pastor of Hillsdale Baptist Church in Tampa, Florida. It is truly an honor to serve our Lord in the ministry. Hillsdale is an incredible church with many unique ministry opportunities and outreach programs. We would love for you to join us on your computer for a service or a Bible study via our live internet video broadcast. I lead the music in each of the Sunday services. Return to this page during any of the broadcast times listed below to view the live feed.

The regular broadcast schedule is as follows:

SUNDAY – 10:30AM – Morning Worship Service; 6:00PM – Evening Family Service
TUESDAY – 6:30AM – Men’s Genesis Bible Study
WEDNESDAY – 6:45PM – Lifesteps Classes (Practical Life Application Classes)

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