by Clarence E. Stowers | May 20, 2013 | Decisions, Encouragement, Motivation, Teamwork
What do you do when you’ve run out of options? We all have times when we feel we have no options. However, we can learn how to face these crises by remembering the children of Israel.
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided.” – Exodus 14:21 NIV
Moses knew that the way of victory was through trusting the Lord (Hebrews 11:29). Note his three commands (Exodus 13:13-31): “Fear not” for God is on your side; “stand still,” for you cannot win this battle in your own strength; “see the salvation of the Lord,” for He will fight for you. It is important that we stand still before we “go forward” (Exodus 14:15), for unless we are standing by faith, we can never walk by faith. Moses lifted his rod, and God began to work.
The children of Israel faced a stormy sea to the front and Egyptian soldiers to the rear. Talk about having no options…they truly had no way out! But, if you’ll remember, God led them from desperation to complete victory. The believer cannot go ahead in the strength of Christ until he has learned to stand still in his own helplessness. God can then place Himself between us and our circumstances and wonderfully deliver.
So what’s the point:
When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven’t.
There is no lasting defeat for children of God; He always gives us the option of allowing Him to lead us, teach us, and build our faith. If He parted the Red Sea for the people of faith, then through faith, no situation is hopeless.
Again I ask, What do you do when you’re out of options?
by Clarence E. Stowers | May 15, 2013 | Decisions, Empowerment, Goals, Motivation, Success
Life has a way of rearranging your schedule without your permission.
If you had a chance to go back and time redo life, would you? Everyone has made poor choices or done something in their past that could possibly be labeled as regrettable. But, think about it. The fact that you are now able to look back and realize that a mistake or mis-step occurred means you have learned a valuable lesson.
Some of my choices may have landed me in unpleasant circumstances, but experiencing these things certainly built my current character. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for those character-building situations.
Mistakes are stepping stones to an evolving life.
If I had to live my life over again, here’s what I’d do:
I’d take more risks. Why?
Risk taking gives us experience which, in turn, makes us wiser.
I’m not referring to death defying risks, but more willingness to take a chance without being fearful of an unknown outcome. By staying within our self-generated comfort zones, how much are we missing?
If you had to live your life over again what would you “do over?”
by Clarence E. Stowers | May 9, 2013 | Decisions, Empowerment, Encouragement, Goals, Motivation, Self-Leadership, Success
Bruno Mars is not alone when he wakes up singing,
Oh, today I don’t feel like doing anything. I just want to lay in my bed.
Let’s face it – some days it’s harder than others to drag ourselves out of bed & jumpstart our day. I call it winning “World War Me.” It’s the ongoing battle of the will within us to overcome that internal naysayer that says “just forget about it and stay in bed.”
What motivates you? What makes you wake up every day, rush to work irrespective of various problems, challenges, and setbacks?
It’s MOTIVTION!
Intrinsic Motivation
People are motivated either internally (Intrinsic Motivation) or externally (Extrinsic Motivation). People who are motivitated internally have internal desire which fuels their passion. For them, play is work and work is play. Ask someone who’s motivated internally “why do you do what you do,” they’ll tell you “it’s because I love what I do.”
Extrinsic Motivation
Just as some are motivated internally, some are motivated by external factors. Every four years the world watches the very best athletes compete for a gold medal while representing their respective countries. That’s why atheltes work hard and push their bodies to the limits hoping to win a World Series, NBA Champtionship, or the Super Bowl. The idea that he or she is the best in the world, and has the endorsements – and bling in the form of rings and medals to show for it – is the reward that comes at the end of a hard-won battle.
Are you looking to get (and stay) motivated? To get you on the right track, consider Lifehack’s following tips: (more…)
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 24, 2013 | Church Issues, Decisions, Leadership, Mars Hill Baptist Church, Servant Leadership
Humility increases our appreciation for God. To respect God’s majesty, we must compare ourself to his greatness. When we look at creation, we often feel small by comparison. To feel small is a healthy way to get back to reality, but God does not want us to dwell on our smallness. Humility means proper respect for God, not self-depreciation.
In 2011 saw some exciting changes at the Mars Hill Baptist Church. But as exciting as that vision of building was, we know now that in the process we left some people behind. There were parts of the process where as leaders we simply dropped the ball. During this three-part series, my purpose was to share three humbling lessons learned. If you missed reading Part 1 and Part 2, you can read them HERE and HERE.
(Sanctuary Renovation – 2011)
So, what did I learn? (more…)
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 22, 2013 | Christian, Christianity, Conference/Workshops, Mars Hill Baptist Church, Mind Dump
I love history! It gives you an opportunity to learn about your past and stand on the shoulders of giants. What’s more exciting than learning history is MAKING history. That’s exactly what we’re doing at the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago. We’re celebrating our 50th Anniversary with events planned throughout 2013.
Celebrating Something Old – Our Past
I serve an amazing church filled with amazing people (Ok, I’m biased). The Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago is celebrating her 50th year in ministry. On February 24, 2013, we celebrated “Something Old” by taking a trip down memory lane. We paid tribute to our founding Pastor & 1st Lady, Rev. Dr. Clarence E. Stowers, Sr., & Margaret Stowers along with our founding members. Together, we laughed, cried, and learned about our glorious past.
Our 17 Founding Members
Celebrating Something New – Our Present
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
On Saturday, April 20, 2013, we opened “The Gallery.” Ylandus Roundy came up with the concept of “The Gallery.” On display were various pictures, artifacts, clothing, and other items depicting my life. The idea was to showcase the man behind the message and show that I’m more than a pastor, teacher, and leader. Many members came and were pleasantly surprised by the many facets of my life. I want to thank our staff, Ylandus Roundy, and Bert Parker for representing Mars Hill well.
Snapshot from “The Gallery” (more…)
