by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 4, 2008 | Christian, Christianity
At Mars Hill, I often brag on our members because we have some of the most sincere people on this side of heaven. Additionally, they are some of the smartest people I’ve ever met. Often, I receive emails on various topics that get my attention. This week I received an email from a member who asked, "Can the people in heaven see us?" Man, what a profound question!
Hebrews 12:1 states, "Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…
"Some understand the
"cloud of witnesses" as being people looking down on us from Heaven.
That is not the correct interpretation. Hebrews chapter 11 records many people
whom God commended for their faith. It is these people who are the "cloud
of witnesses." They are "witnesses" not in that they are
watching us, but rather in that they have set an example for us…they are
witnesses for Christ, and God, and truth.
Hebrews 12:1 continues, "…let
us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and
let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
The Bible does not specifically say whether people can look down on us who are
still on the earth. It is highly likely that they cannot. Why?
1) They would
sometimes witness us sinning.
2) They would sometimes see things that would
cause them grief.
3) People in heaven are so occupied with worshipping God
and enjoying the glories of Heaven that they truly have no interest in what is
happening here on earth.
The very fact that they are free from sin, in heaven,
and in God’s presence is enough for them to be happy. While it is possible that
God allows people in heaven to look down upon their loved ones, the Bible gives
us no reason to believe this actually occurs.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 4, 2008 | Empowerment, Leadership
2. PUTTING PROJECTS BEFORE PEOPLE. Ecclesiastes
7:18 says, "The man who fears God will avoid all extremes."
This is
one of those areas where we need to embrace the tension between relating with
people and accomplishing the mission/getting the job done. Ask specifically: "Is there anything I can do for you?"
You communicate how much you value someone by simply asking the question. Sometimes it’s nice to do something for another person without them asking or surprising them. But if you’re not a good guesser and you don’t have psychic abilities, just ask. Often, when I get home from work, I know there are two things I can say that will encourage my wife:
1) I’d really like to hear about your day,
2) Is there anything I can do for you?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 2, 2008 | Music, Preaching, Religion, Worship
I am almost positive that I do not have the words to describe what has
taken place this year at Mars Hill. God has BLOWN ME AWAY…there is no way that
any one person OR group of people can take credit for what we’ve
seen…only Jesus could have done this.
Here are some of the highlights
from today…
1. We honored both our "Founding" Members & "Pioneer" Members today with an "All-Access" VIP Pass to our 45th Anniversary Celebration Events. We shot a commemorative DVD which chronicled the history of our church’s three locations: 3311 W. Roosevelt Rd, 2809 W. Harrison St, and 5916 W. Lake Street. People laughed and wept as they saw how our church struggled during our early years.
2. Personally, I thought the music today was INCREDIBLE! The choir was outstanding and allowed God to use them to minister. The band was OFF DA CHAIN – I believe we have the BEST BAND in the world. If you don’t believe me, just come and experience it for yourself.
3. I kicked-off a new series called "Gametime." A series is designed to help those interested in discovering God’s personal will for their lives. Today, I taught how God’s will involves three spheres:
GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL WILL (things He’s going to do regardless)
GOD’S MORAL WILL (the do’s & dont’s clearly outlined in Scripture)
GOD’S PERSONAL WILL (what He wants to do through us specifically)
God wants a yes first!
by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 2, 2008 | Empowerment, Leadership
3. TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN THE PROCESS. A problem is an obstacle which makes it difficult to achieve a
desired goal, objective or purpose. Furthermore, it refers to a situation,
condition, or issue that is yet unresolved. In a broad sense, a problem
exists when an individual becomes aware of a significant difference
between what actually is and what is desired.
Although pastoring has many positives, problems run parallel on twin tracks. Trying to fix the problem rather than the process is like continuing to change diapers instead of potty-training your children.
May I offer you a piece of unsolicited advice:
You can either continue to react to the problem, or you can fix the process. 90% of the time it’s a systems-problem rather than a people-problem.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Feb 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
4. DELEGATING TASKS INSTEAD OF RESPONSIBILITY. In my humble opinion, the most overused and overrated buzzword in
ministry today is “excellence.” As a pastor
of a thriving urban church, I am committed to excellence in my life and the
life of Mars Hill.
Because of my commitment to excellence, I can become obsessed about every
detail. I’ve noticed how I’ve made my expectations clear to our team and now they tend to obsess about every detail. However, it
didn’t take long for the team to realize that their interpretation of
excellence might not be the same as mine. Consequently, the team began to bring every decision about every detail
to me, their leader. They didn’t want to run the risk that they might not “get
it right.” Over time, I found myself in a challenging predicament. I became overwhelmed
because I had to touch everything. Furthermore, what’s frustrating is how I
became responsible for generating every new idea.
"If you try to control things, that’s self-limiting,” said Michael
Dell, chief executive officer of Dell. “The easiest way to think about this is
that if all the decisions inside an organization had to roll up to the center
of the company or to one person, it’s a massive bottleneck to progress.” (Check
out the
rest of the interview.)
In the end, I learned that sometimes values collide. My commitment to excellence wasn’t the
problem. Control was the problem. My obsession
with getting it right became a roadblock to progress. I discovered the need to empower the team with
broad responsibilities to fulfill Mars Hill’s mission while still holding them
accountable to the overall vision and values. I needed to let the team take risks…and
sometimes fail.
