by Clarence E. Stowers | Jun 24, 2008 | Bible Journey, Preaching, Religion
Trust me, this series will go down in history as one of the most innovative and controversial series at Mars Hill. What pastor do you know encourages their members to pull out their cell phones (DURING WORSHIP) and text their questions regarding the sermon. Guess what, THEY RESPONDED! The first person to respond had their question answered – LIVE!!! Additionally, they responded so well that we were overwhelmed with questions that I'll post and answer here. If you were not able to attend our services, you can view the outline here.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jun 18, 2008 | Relationships
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvQel-sIKwM&hl=en]
I’m in the process of preparing for my upcoming series “text me” where I answer questions (unedited – straight up, no chaser) from the congregation. A member of my research team sent me the following video that opened my eyes.
Sisters, is it true…if so, why?
C’mon, I can’t wait to hear your responses…
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jun 11, 2008 | Music
IMHO, history shows how music often precedes revolutions…
When God gets ready to tip history in a new direction, new music often serves as the catalyst.
Why?
Music has a way of bypassing the intellect and piercing the very core of the soul. The only element that makes Christian music what it is are the lyrics. Remove the lyrics from Kirk Franklin, Mary, Mary, Tye Tribbet, J. Moss et. al. & you'll soon feel the beat (at least I do 🙂
Again, I repeat: "Music precedes the revolution"
- It is well documented that Martin Luther co-authored hymns to the tune of pub music while guzzling brew (beer) from his Stein (beer mug). He was vilified, however, his music, heavily influenced by pub music where he often drank, preceded the Protestant Reformation. Before Luther, the preferred music was Gregorian Chant. Again, God used music to tip history in a new direction.
- Thomas Dorsey, heavily influenced by the Blues scene here in Chicago was inspired to write many gospel tunes. He's even called the father of Gospel Music. Before Gospel, the preferred music were Wesleyan Hymns et. al. all heavily influenced by the Enlightenment Period. Again, God used music to tip history in a new direction.
- Kirk Franklin, heavily influenced by hip-hop, R&B, & Neo-Soul. Before him, it was Thomas Dorsey followed by James Cleveland and The Hawkins Family. Again, God used music to tip history in a new direction to respond to this Post-modern & Post-Christian generation.
As for Bishop Love, I'm still studying this. I do believe we're at another tipping point and rarely does God do the same thing twice. Since history has moved from modernity to Post-modernity, God's tipping history again.
The bigger problem is not what Bishop Love did, it's how will pastors respond when God tips history in a new direction which requires a different skill-set to lead effectively.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jun 11, 2008 | Empowerment, Money and Finance, Vision
Today, I had the privilege to participate in my final conference call with a few multi-millionaires and guess what, they think very differently about money, life, and relationships.
Have you noticed that some people
struggle with money for years and even
decades and others seem to experience
continual success? Even when successful
people experience tough times it is
usually just a short time until they are
right back on top. The reasons for this is not rocket
science, it is a simple matter of
their beliefs and the actions they take.
I discovered millionaires become millionaires because
they believe truths about money and take
actions to build wealth.
Additionally, I also discovered the #1 reason people are in
financial bondage is because they
believe lies about money. Your beliefs control your behaviors
and your behaviors determine your
results. In order to achieve better
results in your finances you must work
on your beliefs.
I learned 10 valuable lessons while participating in these calls that I'd like to share with you. If you would take the necessary time and apply them to your life, I guarantee your outlook would change for the better.
Lesson #1: Millionaires think long-term in every area of their lives (especially finance & relationships).
A multi-millionaire explained how society is broken own into 5 groups and each thinks differently about money and life:
- The Very Poor think day to day – their goal is to survive
- The Poor think week to week – their goal is to survive as well
- The Middle-class think month to month – their goal is comfort
- The Rich think year to year – their goal is freedom
- Millionaires think decade to decade – their goal is total freedom
So, what do you think?
