by Clarence E. Stowers | May 5, 2010 | Christian, Christianity, Empowerment, Preaching
I’M BACK! I took a much needed break from blogging to focus on our Easter Weekend Worship Experiences and it was AWESOME! I just put the finishing touches on my new series: “Supernatural.”
Read on…
What you see is not all there is. The Bible says, “We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world…” (Eph 6:12, NLT). Scripture says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons that we fight with are not the weapons of the world.” Though we live in a physical world, there is another world.
The Lord’s Shifting…Are You Spiritually Ready?
There is a spirit world, where there is a war raging. There is the Kingdom of Light versus the kingdom of darkness. And when we engage in the spiritual battle, we don’t fight with the weapons of this world. Tonight during Bible Study I’ll share a preview of my forthcoming series “Supernatural.”
Here’s a brief overview:
Is the third Person of the Trinity a distant Mystery, a vague cosmic Force?
Many believers acknowledge Him as a component of faith – but perhaps not as a reality in their daily spiritual walk. Yet the Bible is clear: the Holy Spirit is a vital, equal part of God, promised by the father to all Christians
In “Supernatural – Walking in the Spirit,” I’ll reveal the inner workings of the Spirit with simple, straightforward wisdom. During this series you can better experience this awesome gift of God and learn how the Holy Spirit helps us during this war.
You’ll discover:
Spiritual Warfare
Angels & Demons
What Holiness is – and is Not
Seven Works of the Holy Spirit in Your Life
Three Potentials God Desires You to Develop
How to Remain Full of the Holy Spirit
Four Great Questions to Ask God Everyday
If you are faltering, or easily fall prey to temptation, maybe you’ve forgotten to rely upon the Power of the Holy Spirit and begun to rely only on yourself. The Christian life is meant to be increasingly dependent on His power working within you.
Are you spiritually prepared for warfare?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 2, 2010 | Christian, Christianity, Easter Weekend, Prayer, Preaching, Sunday Worship Experience, Worship
Wow! There’s something INCREDIBLE going on @ Mars Hill! It’s in the atmosphere & all I can say, “It’s a move of God!” We’re busy attending to last minute details in order to offer THREE excellent worship experiences for the broken, battered, & bruised! Please join us and experience “Resurrection Power” this Easter!
Good Friday Worship @ Mars Hill!
Friday, April 2, 2010 @ 7pm
Mars Hill Baptist Church
5916 W. Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60644
www.marshillchgo.org
Good Friday is the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is celebrated traditionally as the day on which Jesus was crucified. Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good!
Tonight’s message: “One Tough Week”
Come Alive This Easter @ Mars Hill!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
SERVICE TIMES:
8:ooAM
10:30AM
Mars Hill Baptist Church
5916 W. Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60644
www.marshillchgo.org
I’m starting a brand new series this Easter called, “Cheaters.” Why the title “Cheaters?” Everyday, we face a variety of responsibilities and opportunities: work..family..hobbies…sports leagues…community events…the list is endless. Each of these things competes for out most valuable resource, OUR TIME. To give each of these the time it deserves or demands would require more time than we have. So, we cheat. We give up something in hopes of gaining something else of greater value. So, we cheat! Come hear a life changing message that’ll cause you to reevaluate everything you do! As a matter of fact, grab three friends and bring them with you and discuss how you’ll “cheat.” Trust me, this series will CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
Sunday’s message: “What’s My Number?”
What are your plans this weekend?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 30, 2010 | Christian, Christianity, Family, Preaching, Relationships, Sunday Worship Experience
WE ALL ARE CHEATERS!
Now that I have your attention…the fact that you decided to continue reading after insulting you is an indication that you are a person of profound courage. For almost everyone, the words “cheater” or “cheating” has negative connotations, especially if you’ve ever been cheated. Students cheat in school. Adults cheat on their income taxes. Husbands cheat on their wives. Wives cheat on their husbands. Most of us at one time or another has cheated!
When we cheat, we chose to give up one thing in hopes of gaining something else of greater value. As I stated before, we’re all cheaters. Daily we make decisions to give up one thing in order to gain something else. Everyday we face a variety of responsibilities and opportunities: work…family…hobbies…fraternities & sororities…social clubs…sports leagues…the list is endless. Each competes for our most valuable resource, OUR TIME. But to give each of these the time it demands or deserves would require more time than we have. So we cheat.
I invite you to join us this Easter as I begin a new series called “Cheaters.” Trust me, you will not want to miss a single weekend!
WEEK ONE (Easter Weekend)
MESSAGE: “What’s My Number?” (Psalm 90:10; Proverbs 3:5-6)
This message seeks to remind people that the time with their children and loved ones will pass before they know it. Therefore, it is wise to prioritize our time and spend it with the people who matter most! We will have special giveaways for those in attendance.
Our Services:
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 @ 7pm
Good Friday, April 2, 2010 @ 7pm
Sunday, April 4, 2010 @ 8am
Sunday, April 4, 2010 @ 10:30am
See you there!
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 27, 2010 | Communication, Empowerment, Leadership, Networking, Preaching, Self-Leadership
How do you stand out in a world where people are OVERWHELMED?
Two ways: SIMPLIFY and CLARIFY!
Recently, I accompanied Shauntai (my wife) to the grocery store and was quickly overwhelmed with how many brands and types of toothpaste there were. In the typical Target store, you confront rows of over sixty options, including pastes with whitener, tartar control, breath-freshening, baking powder, tube and pump, in over a dozen different brands (what ever happened to just plain ole Crest) .
Let’s be honest: We all FEEL overwhelmed. Our DVD players have more functions that we can learn. When something goes wrong, few of us know what to do.
Additionally, we ARE overwhelmed. Everyone you deal with is overwhelmed. Whatever you want to communicate to them, you must learn to do it simply and clearly.
The first rule in communication is:
Communicate so that you cannot be misunderstood.
Clarity inspires trust. We worry about the opposite: we fear that people we do not understand may be concealing something. We suspect the confusion might be a smoke screen, intended to keep us from the truth.
Clarity inspires faith. We assume, as jurors assume when they hear expert witnesses, that a person who communicates clearly understands her subject. I remember reading somewhere where a leading jury conslulting firm discovered that people regard “clarity” as the signal trait of a true expert!
Here’s The Point:
Make yourself clearer, and people will think you’re an expert.
What tips do you have to share that’ll help others to simplify and clarify their message/product/service?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 6, 2010 | Communication, Leadership, Preaching
Quick: Explain Sunday’s message in three sentences to your eight-year-old niece or nephew (scroll down to the end if want to see my explanation).
Why: The point here is to test your ability to communicate complex ideas in simple language.
In my opinion, the problem with preaching is that most preachers try to be deep instead of being effective. I know many preachers who are thrilled to spend precious time explaining the syntax and morphology of a word while people are one decision away from moral, financial, relational, & marital ruin.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Jun 29, 2009 | Decisions, Empowerment, Leadership, Preaching, Success, Vision
The BlackBerry Bold (my preferred device), Apple iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre, and a host of other smartphones all promise to help us accomplish more. Unfortunately, we live in an age where we’re encouraged to purchase gadgets that allow us to do many things at the same time. It’s called multitasking and, in my opinion, it’s overrated and may be the greatest leadership lie ever told! That’s right, I said it!
Multitasking is the ability of a person to perform more than one task at the same time. When you’re going back and forth between complicated projects, it is impossible to focus properly on each one. “Researches call this task switching, an action, that, itself, requires time and energy. Depending on how many tasks you’re juggling, you could be losing 20 to 40 percent of your time, because you have to reengage your focus and thoughts.” (“Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching,” Joshua S. Rubinstein, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City, NJ; Journal of Experimental Psychology – Human Perception and Performance, Vol. 27, No. 4).
I’ve discovered both life and ministry require a certain amount of juggling. Few days play out in an orderly, linear sequence. Speaking on the phone to a member, client, or colleague while you’re reading a report or typing an e-mail might not cost you that much. But, doing so while you’re preparing a report or message might. At the very least, it will slow you down and result in sub par work. To increase your focus and performance when concentration is critical, cut down on multitasking.
A few suggestions:
- Turn off your e-mail alarm (who needs to be alerted to spam or useless facebook updates). Check it regularly when it’s convenient for you – not when it interrupts you.
- Block out time for projects that require intense focus such as sermon preparation, budget forecasting, vision/planning, writing, drafting a presentation, or conducting analysis.
- Forward your calls to voice mail and close your door if necessary. Let people know that you’re working on a project. If you don’t have a door, put up a sign.
- When possible, schedule important phone conversations when you know you’ll have no distractions.
- Never work on something else while you’re on the phone. The person on the other end knows when you’re writing an email while you talk, and it’s probably irritating him or her.
Organize your work so that you can do ONE THING at a time and do it well. The payoff will be substantial!
