Fear doesn’t always show up as panic. Sometimes, it disguises itself as wisdom.
Last week, we opened the question: What will you do when fear tries to keep you stuck? And many of us saw ourselves in the freeze, paralyzed by doubt, uncertainty, or the pressure to play it safe.
But this week, the invitation shifts.
Will you stay frozen, or will you move forward?
What Will You Do: Freeze, Fight, Flight, or Fold
Part 2 of “What Will You Do?” challenges you to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start walking in faith, even when it feels uncertain.
If fear tricked you into calling inaction “discernment,” this message helps you name it for what it is and take the next right step anyway.
You’ll be reminded that courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s movement in the middle of it.
Whether you’re navigating a tough decision, carrying the weight of someone else’s expectations, or simply tired of feeling stuck, this message offers clarity, courage, and direction.
Your generosity fuels everything we do, from in-person gatherings to digital discipleship. If you’ve been encouraged by this ministry, here are a few simple ways to give and get involved:
Give:
Support the mission securely at marshillchicago.org/giving, in our mobile app, or by texting MHGIVE to 33777. You can also mail checks to:
Mars Hill Baptist Church PO Box 6159 River Forest, IL 60305
Serve:
Use your gifts to make a difference online or in person. Visit our site to see current serving opportunities.
Pray:
Lift up our leaders, our church family, and the people we’re reaching. Prayer is a powerful form of participation.
Invite & Share:
Send this email to a friend, invite someone to service, or repost something that encouraged you. Every share matters.
You’re helping us reach people with hope, truth, and love, whether they’re across town or across the country.
🔥 Your Move This Weekend
✔️ Watch the sermon
✔️ Download the devotional
✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill
✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough
With love and expectation,
Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
P.S. Don’t forget to “Log on” with us online this Sunday at 10:30 AM Central for our online service. Set your reminder now! ⏰
Texas Nat’l Guard Invades Illinois… didn’t have that in my cards.
When I heard “Plenary Authority” at lunch, I almost choked.
Then Stephen Miller froze and CNN covered for him, calling it a “technical issue.”Plenary authority means absolute power.
No limits. No checks. No accountability.
In the United States, no one has plenary authority. That’s the whole point of the Constitution.
And yet, history tells us who claimed it before:
Adolf.
Benito.
Vladimir.
Jong-un.
Whenever someone whispers “complete power,” freedom loses its breath.
What Will You Do: Freeze, Fight, Flight, or Fold
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” he wasn’t just talking about the 1960s; he was talking to us.
Today, we stand in the same tension. The world is loud, injustice is real, and fear is a familiar presence.
So the question isn’t just “Where do we go from here?” It’s “What will you do from here?”
In this message, I begin breaking down four spiritual responses: Freeze, Fight, Flight, or Fold, and reveal how each one shapes the kind of believer I become when the pressure is on.
You’ll see that God doesn’t just call us to survive moments of crisis; He calls us to respond in faith, courage, and clarity.
Your generosity fuels everything we do, from in-person gatherings to digital discipleship. If you’ve been encouraged by this ministry, here are a few simple ways to give and get involved:
Give:
Support the mission securely at marshillchicago.org/giving, in our mobile app, or by texting MHGIVE to 33777. You can also mail checks to:
Mars Hill Baptist Church PO Box 6159 River Forest, IL 60305
Serve:
Use your gifts to make a difference online or in person. Visit our site to see current serving opportunities.
Pray:
Lift up our leaders, our church family, and the people we’re reaching. Prayer is a powerful form of participation.
Invite & Share:
Send this email to a friend, invite someone to service, or repost something that encouraged you. Every share matters.
You’re helping us reach people with hope, truth, and love, whether they’re across town or across the country.
🔥 Your Move This Weekend
✔️ Watch the sermon
✔️ Download the devotional
✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill
✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough
With love and expectation,
Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
P.S. Don’t forget to “Log on” with us online this Sunday at 10:30 AM Central for our online service. Set your reminder now! ⏰
Isn’t it incredible how God is working in our Mars Hill Anywhere family? I’d love to share some exciting visions, answer your questions, and invite you to something special.
🙌🏾 Welcome to “Super Sunday”
This weekend, Super Sunday returns, and you’re a crucial part, whether you join in person or online!
What Is Super Sunday? Super Sunday is our monthly in-person gathering where the whole Mars Hill Anywhere family comes together with one purpose: to worship, connect, and move forward together.
Why Only Once a Month? We’re not shrinking; we’re sharpening. Meeting monthly lets us:
Maximize our time and resources
Deliver a powerful worship experience
Reach hundreds weekly through digital discipleship
Prevent burnout for our leaders and volunteers
What to Expect on Super Sunday
A relevant, scripture-based message for real life
Powerful worship for all, both in-person and online
Real connection with people on the same journey
Practical next steps for faith and growth
A Hybrid Experience by Design Whether you join in the room or online, you’re part of Mars Hill Anywhere. Every Super Sunday is live-streamed, so you never miss out.
What if your questions didn’t push God away but pulled Him closer?
Family, Sunday’s word Faith in the Middle of Doubt reminded us that God responds to honesty, not perfection. If you missed it or would like to revisit it, the replay is now live.
Your generosity fuels everything we do, from in-person gatherings to digital discipleship. If you’ve been encouraged by this ministry, here are a few simple ways to give and get involved:
Give:
Support the mission securely at marshillchicago.org/giving, in our mobile app, or by texting MHGIVE to 33777. You can also mail checks to:
Mars Hill Baptist Church PO Box 6159 River Forest, IL 60305
Serve:
Use your gifts to make a difference online or in person. Visit our site to see current serving opportunities.
Pray:
Lift up our leaders, our church family, and the people we’re reaching. Prayer is a powerful form of participation.
Invite & Share:
Send this email to a friend, invite someone to service, or repost something that encouraged you. Every share matters.
You’re helping us reach people with hope, truth, and love, whether they’re across town or across the country.
With love and expectation,
Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
P.S. Don’t forget to “Pull up” or “Log on” with us online this Sunday at 10:30 AM Central for our online service. Set your reminder now! ⏰
And maybe you’re just tired of pretending everything’s fine.
If that sounds familiar, take this in:
You don’t need to fake strength to stay faithful.
You just need a reset.
🧠 Scripture Rese
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” – Isaiah 26:3
That peace is not passive.
It’s the result of trusting what you can’t control to the One who never loses control.
You don’t have to silence the noise.
You just need to fix your focus.
Feeling ALONE in a Crowded World
In this message, I unpack Luke 5:17–20 and the story of a paralyzed man whose friends carried him to Jesus. It is one of the clearest pictures of what real support looks like.
Because let’s be honest. Surface connections will not hold you when life breaks down.
You do not just need people around you. You need real friends with real faith who will carry you when you cannot carry yourself.
If you have ever been let down by fake friends, if you have settled for shallow support or filtered faith, this message is for you.
📖 Scripture: Luke 5:17–20 (NLT)
🎯 Big Idea: Real healing starts with real community. But only Jesus has the power to forgive and make us whole.
Moving Forward Together: Invest in Hope, Impact, and Community
How to Support Mars Hill
Your generosity fuels everything we do, from in-person gatherings to digital discipleship. If you’ve been encouraged by this ministry, here are a few simple ways to give and get involved:
Give:
Support the mission securely at marshillchicago.org/giving, in our mobile app, or by texting MHGIVE to 33777. You can also mail checks to:
Mars Hill Baptist Church PO Box 6159 River Forest, IL 60305
Serve:
Use your gifts to make a difference online or in person. Visit our site to see current serving opportunities.
Pray:
Lift up our leaders, our church family, and the people we’re reaching. Prayer is a powerful form of participation.
Invite & Share:
Send this email to a friend, invite someone to service, or repost something that encouraged you. Every share matters.
You’re helping us reach people with hope, truth, and love, whether they’re across town or across the country.
🔥 Your Move This Weekend
✔️ Watch the sermon
✔️ Download the devotional
✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill
✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough
With love and expectation,
Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
P.S. Don’t forget to “Log on” with us online this Sunday at 10:30 AM Central for our online service. Set your reminder now! ⏰
Between texts, schedules, and endless noise, it can feel impossible to slow down long enough to hear God clearly. That is why I’m excited to share what’s coming next for us.
Coming Soon!!! New Life Group Study: Purpose in the Noise
Beginning the week of September 21 through October 26, we’ll walk through a 6-week Life Group study called Purpose in the Noise.
This study is designed to help you quiet distractions and tune in to God’s whisper again.
Whether you connect online or in person, you’ll find encouragement and practical steps to live with focus.
Moving Forward Together: Invest in Hope, Impact, and Community
How to Support Mars Hill
Your generosity fuels everything we do, from in-person gatherings to digital discipleship. If you’ve been encouraged by this ministry, here are a few simple ways to give and get involved:
Give:
Support the mission securely at marshillchicago.org/giving, in our mobile app, or by texting MHGIVE to 33777. You can also mail checks to:
Mars Hill Baptist Church PO Box 6159 River Forest, IL 60305
Serve:
Use your gifts to make a difference online or in person. Visit our site to see current serving opportunities.
Pray:
Lift up our leaders, our church family, and the people we’re reaching. Prayer is a powerful form of participation.
Invite & Share:
Send this email to a friend, invite someone to service, or repost something that encouraged you. Every share matters.
You’re helping us reach people with hope, truth, and love, whether they’re across town or across the country.
🔥 Your Move This Weekend
✔️ Watch the sermon
✔️ Download the devotional
✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill
✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough
With love and expectation,
Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
P.S. Don’t forget to “Log on” with us online this Sunday at 10:30 AM Central for our online service. Set your reminder now! ⏰
If you were in the room on Sunday, you already know—God met us in a powerful way.
The worship? 🔥
The Word? 🔥
The response? Even louder than the noise life throws at us.
And if you missed it, don’t feel left out feel invited. Because this moment is bigger than a service. It’s a shift.
Coming Soon!!! New Life Group Study: Purpose in the Noise
Life gets loud. And when it does, it’s easy to lose clarity, confidence, and direction.
That’s why we created a new 6-week Life Group experience called Purpose in the Noise to help you get anchored in what matters most.
✅ Weekly teaching videos
✅ Guided conversations
✅ Real talk for real life
✅ Free downloadable workbook
And this isn’t just a study. It’s the fuel behind our brand-new sermon series…
🧠 SERMON SERIES:Purpose in the Noise
📣 God never asked you to carry what’s crushing you.
We’re going deeper on Sundays, too. Starting this week, we kick off a raw and real sermon series tied directly to our study. If you’re tired of surface-level faith and want something that actually speaks to your life this is for you.
Here’s a preview of what’s coming:
🗓️ Week 1: “When You Don’t Have Enough”
🗓️ Week 2: “Your Circle Is Costing You”
🗓️ Week 3: “Faith Is Hard When You’re Honest”
🗓️ Week 4: “God in the Grind”
🗓️ Week 5: “Burnout Ain’t Holy”
🗓️ Week 6: “Don’t Go Back to Numb”
This isn’t just a series. It’s a shift.
Don’t miss it.
🎙️ Sermon Overview: When You Don’t Have Enough
Ever felt like you’re giving everything you’ve got—and still coming up short?
This week, Pastor Clarence shares a double dose of encouragement drawn from two powerful passages: 1 Samuel 16:6–13 and 2 Kings 4:1–7.
God sees what others miss. And He multiplies what you surrender—not what you withhold.
🔑 What You’ll Learn:
From 1 Samuel 16:6–13
• Just because people don’t see you doesn’t mean God skipped you
• Man looks at the surface. God sees your substance
• You don’t need applause to be anointed
• Your faithfulness matters—even when it feels ignored
From 2 Kings 4:1–7
• Scarcity is more than financial—it’s a mindset
• God multiplies empty vessels, not full excuses
• When you feel like you’ve run out, that’s where God starts pouring
👥 Who This Is For:
Spiritually tired but still believing
High achievers carrying quiet pressure
Anyone burned out, financially stressed, or feeling overlooked
This message hits your weekly life, not just your Sunday mood.
📖 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” Colossians 3:23–24 (NLT)
Moving Forward Together: Invest in Hope, Impact, and Community
How to Support Mars Hill
Your generosity fuels everything we do, from in-person gatherings to digital discipleship. If you’ve been encouraged by this ministry, here are a few simple ways to give and get involved:
Give:
Support the mission securely at marshillchicago.org/giving, in our mobile app, or by texting MHGIVE to 33777. You can also mail checks to:
Mars Hill Baptist Church PO Box 6159 River Forest, IL 60305
Serve:
Use your gifts to make a difference online or in person. Visit our site to see current serving opportunities.
Pray:
Lift up our leaders, our church family, and the people we’re reaching. Prayer is a powerful form of participation.
Invite & Share:
Send this email to a friend, invite someone to service, or repost something that encouraged you. Every share matters.
You’re helping us reach people with hope, truth, and love, whether they’re across town or across the country.
🔥 Your Move This Weekend
✔️ Watch the sermon
✔️ Download the devotional
✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill
✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough
With love and expectation,
Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
P.S. Don’t forget to “Log on” with us online this Sunday at 10:30 AM Central for our online service. Set your reminder now! ⏰
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Best regards,
Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
