🎯 Before You Give Up: Real Talk on Faith, Pain, and True Healing

Happy Hump Day Reader,

Welcome to another uplifting week together!

Whether you’re joining us from your living room, kitchen, or anywhere else, we want you to feel right at home. Mars Hill Anywhere isn’t just a church; we’re a family spread across many places, united by faith and love.

This week, we’re sharing updates on upcoming events, ways to get involved, a short devotional to lift your spirit, and some important reminders to keep you connected. No matter where you are, we want you to be part of what God is doing in our community.

Here’s what to expect this week:

• Updates on upcoming services (In-person & online) and ways you can get involved.
• An overview of last Sunday’s message: Before You Give Up
• Deep Dive Podcast Overview
• Important reminders to help you stay connected.

Let’s grow together.

We’d love for you to join us for worship this week!

Everyone is welcome, whether you prefer to gather with us in person or from the comfort of your home.

Join Us This Week! 🗓️

Sunday Worship – November 17, 2024,

Two Ways to Connect:

🖥️ Online Service

• Time: 10:30 AM Central
• Platform: Mars Hill Anywhere (YouTube & Facebook Live)
• Perfect for our digital family joining from home

🏢 In-Person Gathering

• Time: 10:30 AM Central
• Location: 7941 47th St, McCook, IL 60525
• Join us for live worship and fellowship

Ways to Participate:

• Set a calendar reminder to join us online
• Share the service link with friends and family
• Connect with other members in the live chat
• Submit your prayer requests before the service
• Prepare your heart for worship with our weekly playlist

Quick Tips for the Best Online Experience:

• Log in a few minutes early to test your connection
• Have your Bible ready for note-taking
• Keep your device charged or plugged in
• Use headphones for better audio quality

Whether you join us online or in person, you’re essential to our Mars Hill family. We can’t wait to worship with you!

Before You Give Up: Dealing With Post-Election Blues

This week’s sermon, “Before You Give Up: Dealing with Post-Election Blues,” focuses on spiritual bypassing—using clichés to avoid real emotions, which hinders true healing.

Instead of dismissing pain with phrases like “God’s got it,” we are encouraged to acknowledge our emotions and bring them to God. It may be uncomfortable, but it’s key to genuine healing.

The sermon will:

• Define spiritual bypassing and its dangers.
• Explore the balance of trusting God while being honest about pain.
• Use David in Psalm 34 and Jesus in Gethsemane as examples of facing pain openly.
• Offer steps to move past bypassing, like acknowledging pain and seeking support.

Key Scriptures: Psalm 34:18, Psalm 23:4, Matthew 26:38, Psalm 147:3

Closing Thoughts: God’s love holds both our pain and our faith. Be honest with Him to find real healing.

Before You Give Up Podcast

If you’re grappling with difficult emotions after the election and find yourself masking your pain with spiritual platitudes, check out this week’s podcast episode, “Before You Give Up: Dealing with Post-Election Blues.”

This podcast examines the concept of spiritual bypassing, a term coined by John Welwood to describe the tendency to use spiritual ideas and language to avoid confronting difficult feelings.

I encourage listeners to be honest with God and themselves about their pain, drawing inspiration from the examples of David in Psalm 34 and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Furthermore, this episode provides practical steps for moving beyond spiritual bypassing and experiencing genuine healing. It reminds listeners that God’s love is vast enough to encompass both their pain and their faith.

How to Support Mars Hill

Your support helps us spread hope and share God’s love with our community and beyond. Here are some ways you can get involved:

1. Give: Your financial gifts make a difference. You can give online through our secure website or use our mobile app.
2. Serve: We have many opportunities to serve, both in-person and virtually. Check out our website for current needs.
3. Pray: Please keep our church, leaders, and community in your prayers. Your prayers are powerful!
4. Invite: Do you know someone who might benefit from our message? Invite them to join us online or in person this Sunday.
5. Share: Help spread the word by sharing our social media posts or forwarding this email to a friend.

Your generosity keeps Mars Hill thriving and helps us reach more people with God’s love. If you feel led to contribute, here are some ways you can support our ministry:

1. ​Online Giving: Visit our website to securely set up one-time or recurring donations.
2. Text-to-Give: Text MHGIVE to 33777 and follow the prompts.
3. Sunday Offering: Drop your gift in the offering basket during our in-person services.
4. Mail: Send checks to:

Mars Hill Baptist Church
PO Box 6159
River Forest, IL 60305

Remember, every gift, big or small, makes a difference. Your support allows us to:

• Maintain our temporary church home
• Fund community outreach programs
• Provide resources for Life Groups
• Expand our online ministry
• Invest in equipment, tools, cameras, and software to grow our online campus.

We’re grateful for your partnership in spreading the Gospel and serving our community in person and online.

Please consider giving today and help us grow in faith and impact.

See you Sunday!

Here to help you win,

Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.

P.S. Don’t forget to join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM Central for our online service. Set your reminder now! ⏰