by Clarence E. Stowers | Feb 6, 2012 | regular
I’ll admit, as a leader it’s quite easy to get caught up with a vision. It’s natural because as leader’s we’re encouraged to look out for opportunities and then take the lead in making things happen. But sometimes we find ourselves alone out front, and wonder what happened to the people we’re leading? Why aren’t they with us?
GOING FISHING – WHO’S IN?
Take a scenario of a group of people going fishing on a lake. Typical leaders get the vision, jump in the boat, and are off to fish. However, the rest of the group may take a different approach. As the leaders look back, they find that half the people are still on the river bank.
Some are still prepping their fishing gear. Some are just starting to launch their boats. Others are on the water but are heading in the opposite direction. Some are going in circles and still others haven’t yet even decided if they feel like fishing after all. That’s when you realize that only leading from the front doesn’t always help facilitate the transition.
John Maxwell in his book “Winning With People” admits that patience is not one his strengths. He says: “When I was younger I constantly cast vision for the people in my organization and then left them behind – not a good thing for a leader.”
In 2011 we experienced many exciting changes at Mars Hill Baptist Church. Regardless of how exciting the vision of the 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.
Mars Hill Baptist Church – Before
Here’s FIRST humbling lesson learned:
BUILDINGS HOUSE MEMORIES – DON’T ERASE THEIR SIGNIFICANCE
Mars Hill has been part of the community for more than 35 years. Families have celebrated many memorable weddings. Parents have introduced their children to the church and sat Sunday after Sunday in the pews together. Others have said goodbye to loved ones and those last few words in that place were significant.
Mars Hill Baptist Church – After
Today, this happens in a place that looks totally different. Walking through the front door no longer triggers those memories. Memories hold significance and give people a sense of belonging. When everything looks so different it’s easy to understand how the memories won’t seem quite as real and people feel left out. As leaders we dropped the ball because we didn’t take the time to understand the significance of these memories, and that for some, made the transition more difficult.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Feb 3, 2012 | regular
NEW SERIES: RESET
Sunday, February 5, 2012 (8am or 10:30am)
Mars Hill Baptist Church
2012. It’s a new year filled with new and hopeful opportunity!
Yet for many…it will be another year of feeling stuck. Stuck in unhealthy relationships, dead-end careers, faulty finances, and a life filled with frustration.
Reset. Sometimes you just need a fresh start.
Reset is all about fresh starts and APPLYING our second chances. It’s about opening ourselves to new and better ways of thinking, dreaming, and loving others, ourselves, and God.
This series will transform your life for the better, bringing you guaranteed financial results. But it will do more than that, it will change every area of your life: marriage, family health and relationships.
Why? When God changes your heart from selfishness to generosity, every part of your life-journey is affected. If all believers followed the practical guidance of God’s Word, every church could be built, every nation would have an abundance of missionaries – and all would reap the benefits of having a generous heart.
With humor, passion and clarity, it’s my goal to share the keys to living a blessed life both financially and spiritually.
Start well & finish well by joining us at Mars Hill for a new practical, yet hard-hitting series that will challenge us in some of the most important areas of our lives.
Join us & bring a friend on Sunday, February 5, 2012 (8am or 10:30am).
by Clarence E. Stowers | Feb 1, 2012 | regular
Los Angeles police say ‘Soul Train’ host Don Cornelius dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers responding to a report of a shooting found Cornelius at his Mulholland Drive home at around 4 a.m., police said. According to the Associated Press, “He was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.”
Photo credit: AP | FILE – In a Sunday, June 28, 2009 file photo, Don Cornelius is seen at the 9th Annual BET Awards, in Los Angeles.
Facebook, Twitter, and the news feeds are all talking about Don Cornelius’ suicide. Furthermore, Christians are talking about his death & wondering if he’s in Heaven or Hell. As a pastor, I’m compelled to share a Christian’s view to suicide.
The Bible mentions six specific people who committed suicide: Abimelech (Judges 9:54), Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), Saul’s armor-bearer (1 Samuel 31:4-6), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri (1 Kings 16:18), and Judas (Matthew 27:5). Five of them were wicked, sinful men (not enough is said regarding Saul’s armor-bearer to make a judgment as to his character).
However, some consider Samson an instance of suicide (Judges 16:26-31), but Samson’s goal was to kill the Philistines, not himself. The Bible views suicide as equal to murder, which is what it is’self-murder. God is the only one who is to decide when and how a person should die.
According to the Bible, suicide is not what determines whether a person gains entrance into heaven. If an unsaved person commits suicide, he has done nothing but “expedite” his journey to hell. However, that person who committed suicide will ultimately be in hell for rejecting salvation through Christ, not because he committed suicide.
What does the Bible say about a Christian who commits suicide? The Bible teaches that from the moment we truly believe in Christ, we are guaranteed eternal life (John 3:16). According to the Bible, Christians can know beyond any doubt that they possess eternal life (1 John 5:13). Nothing can separate a Christian from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). If no “created thing” can separate a Christian from God’s love, and even a Christian who commits suicide is a “created thing,” then not even suicide can separate a Christian from God’s love. Jesus died for all of our sins, and if a true Christian, in a time of spiritual attack and weakness, commits suicide, that would still be a sin covered by the blood of Christ.
Suicide is still a serious sin against God. According to the Bible, suicide is murder; it is always wrong. Serious doubts should be raised about the genuineness of faith of anyone who claimed to be a Christian yet committed suicide. There is no circumstance that can justify someone, especially a Christian, taking his/her own life. Christians are called to live their lives for God, and the decision on when to die is God’s and God’s alone. Although it is not describing suicide, 1 Corinthians 3:15 is probably a good description of what happens to a Christian who commits suicide: “He himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
What do you think? What’s your view of suicide?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 30, 2012 | regular
One of the questions that is often asked of me by pastors, church leaders, and business leaders is, “Where do you get your vision?”
My answer usually seems to frustrate them because…well…it’s simple. Leadership (and vision) is as easy as listening to God.
- Vision does not come through a committee. Good ideas may come that way. Much needed discussion may come out of a meeting like that…but not vision.
- Vision does not come through a conference. You may get INSPIRATION…but not REVELATION. I think of of the sad things in conference world today is pastors will attend a conference, go home & then try to be EVERYTHING except for what God called them to be.
- Vision does not come out of books. Once again–excellent ideas do. Wisdom comes from reading. You can seriously be challenged and stretched by reading…but vision isn’t in the pages of the next best seller.
- Vision does not come from trying to repeat what has been successful in the past…that’s not vision, that’s the leader being a victim of previous success.
I still say that passionate, white hot, hell charging, world changing & people inspiring vision comes from intentional and uninterrupted time with Jesus…in HIS Word, seeking HIS face through prayers–staying connected with HIS Holy Spirit throughout the day.
So when people ask me, “Where do you get your vision?” My answer is always the time…I meet with God & I don’t move until He tells me to move…but WHEN He tells me to move I go until He tells me to stop.
Leadership is as easy as listening to God. I always advise pastors and church leaders to get on their face and stay there until God says otherwise. I have NEVER made a bad or wrong decision when I clearly heard from God and followed–EVER!
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 27, 2012 | regular
Mars Hill is the kind of church men would love to attend.
Every Sunday, church pews fill up with despondent women who are forced to worship without the men in their lives. A recent survey by Ellison Research found that 31% of men never attend church even on holidays believing that church is for women, weirdos and wimps.
This sad statistic prompts parishioners and ministers alike to ask: “Where are the men?” While it’s true that several men spend their Sundays satisfying their vices for sports, beer, and sleep, men who don’t attend church usually have more substantial reasons for not attending.
However, I’d like to share five reasons why I believe Mars Hill is a church men would love to attend.
- You won’t hear: “Be Innocent as Doves” – You’ll be encouraged to be wise as serpents: “This type of language handcuffs & robs men of power and strength. The same word for ‘wise” that Jesus used can also be translated as shrewd and cunning. Jesus commends shrewd behavior as found in the Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16). We largely condemn shrewdness and think it’s synonymous with criminal behavior. Other churches want nice men. Jesus, according to his own words, wants shrewd ones.
- You won’t be encouraged to be “Avoid Anger” – You’ll be encouraged to “Manage” It: Scriptures reveals how Jesus was angry. If you read the Gospels carefully, we would say that Jesus was a bad Christian man because he got angry so much. Most men have not been shown a better way…how to properly handle this primary emotion for guys since unresolved anger can lead to depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and even impotency.
- We don’t beg – We Take One Offering – PERIOD: God doesn’t want your money – He wants YOU! If He did, He’d take it all & not ask for your permission. With rising unemployment and a higher cost of living the last thing any man wants to see when he goes to church is a pastor with his hand out asking for more than his fair share of his income.
- Our Services are not long – We worship God, hear His Word, Give & Go Home: Going to some churches interferes with your leisure time. Once the announcements, singing and long sermon is over for some it is half-time at the Bulls or Bears game that they planned to watch at home…Not so at Mars Hill!
- We won’t beat you down – You’ll be empowered: Some churches are unsympathetic to what men experience. Since many men attend church to mend their battered egos, they get upset when the minister adds insult to injury by attacking them in his sermon….NOT AT MARS HILL. We’ll encourage you through inspiring – life-giving preaching that’ll challenge & empower you to make a difference in life.
Man up & join us!
