3 Simple But Supernatural Implications For Life

I recently spent some time in the Fayetteville Prayer Room (FPR). I challenged my LIFE group to spend every Friday morning in prayer for a month. So, every Friday morning at 6:45 we would meet and pray for 30-45 minutes. Through out this process God began to reveal 3 things that were simple, but yet supernatural in the way I live my life today. It all comes from Psalm 25

1. TRUST. Psalm 25 opens with this verse. “To you, O Lord I lift my soul O my God, in you I trust. So simple, but yet so difficult for many people. As I began to read, I thought? What does the word trust mean? The more I studied the word, the more I realized that trust is expressing confidence in God. Again, so simple but so difficult.  Growing up I was a huge Chicago Bulls fan. Mainly because of a particular player named Michael Jordan. I had confidence in him! I knew that when it came down the a last second shot he would be the guy that would be trusted with ball in his hands, and for some reason I never doubted that he wouldn’t come through. Isn’t it funny how we can put our confidence and trust in a man, but have so little confidence and trust in an all-knowing God! So here has been my prayer after reading Psalm 25.. “God, break me from me.” This is my encouragement to you “Break you from you” and put your trust and confidence in God.

2. Wait. I hate waiting! There is nothing worse than hitting the internet explorer button six times and waiting for it to pop up. (Of course I don’t have that problem anymore because I use a Mac.) Waiting is so difficult for us. Verse 3 of Psalm 25 says “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.” The word “wait” here means to “desire guidance“. Seriously God, you mean when I’m waiting on you It means I desire guidance? Think about that next time you hit your internet explorer button 6 times.   “Waiting is not a spiritual gift, but it can be a spiritual awakening!” Try it! When is the last time you really waited on God? When is the last time you just sat in Gods dwelling place? The bible says that when you wait you won’t be put to shame, so TRY IT! (With impatience in my voice.)

3. Learn. Verse 4-5 of Psalm 25 says this. “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me.” If your asking God to teach you something then you better be willing to learn something. Here’s what I’ve learned. Gods ways are not your ways. Isaiah 55:8-10 says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thought than your thoughts.” So here is my thought… God doesn’t think like us, He doesn’t act like us, and if He did he wouldn’t be God! All he’s asking us to do is Trust, Wait, Learn.

Lead Like Christ

10 Ways to Pray For Your Spouse Daily

As you know last month was Valentines day! My Wife (Amanda) did something incredible for me. She made a list of 10 ways that she would promise to pray for me daily. I thought I would share them with you.

1. I pray for your relationship with God

2. I pray that God will bless you

3. I pray that you will be the spiritual leader for our family

4. I pray for your to love me deeply

5. I pray for you to have a loving heart for our children

6. I pray you to make wise choices

7. I pray for your emotional, mental and physical health

8. I pray you prosper at work

9. I pray for you have the power to resist sexual temptation

10. I pray that I will always show you respect, grace, and kindness

“Little things make big things happen”

In the book Pyramid of Success John Wooden states “it’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” Over the past couple of months I have thought and studied and have come to this conclusion, an obvious one. TRUTH!

Lets pick up with the story of Jesus. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus comes across some fishermen. He tells them come follow me and they do! So, Jesus begins to spend time with these guys. They see him heal people with unclean spirits. They see him preach, they watch as he heals a paralytic, they ask him questions about fasting, He heals more people, and great crowds begin to follow. What Jesus is doing with the three followers is equipping them. As they (disciples) grow, so does the amount disciples. In chapter three of Mark there are twelve disciples appointed. If you move onto chapter six Jesus sends the disciples out two by two. Skip to the book of  Luke and you will see that the disciples have multiplied to seventy! After the book of Luke is the book of Acts. In Acts chapter two you see one hundred and twenty people in the upper room. After the coming and power of the Holy Spirit three thousand people come to Jesus, in one day!

Here are a few of my “little” thoughts on how it happened then and how it could happen today.

So, How do little things make big things happen?

1. Selection. Selection is the key to any success of an organization. I’ve heard said “You are only as good as the people that you have around you.” Jesus wasn’t concerned with programs to reach multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow. He started with three “rag tag” dudes and invested in them. Investments pay huge dividends when invested into the right stock.  An investment in the right people, will create long term success. An investment in the wrong people, could create short term collapse. Make sure your are selecting the right people for the job and always remember… “not everyone is fit for the journey.”

2. Demonstration. Don’t ask people to do something that you are not willing to commit to yourself. In other words, “live by what you do.” If you want people to see the vision, then you are going to have to live the vision. Jesus understood this. The only teacher the disciples had to teach them was Jesus, who practiced what he expected them to learn.

3. Reproduction. The growth of anything starts somewhere and usually that somewhere is small. Multitudes matter, but can only happen when men and women know Christ out of their personal experience, when men and women see his vision and feel his passion, and when men and women are willing to be nothing so that “HE” might be everything. The best way to reproduce other followers of Christ starts with YOU becoming nothing.

The importance of a dad

The next few days will be rough for my family and myself. It’s been almost a year since my dad passed away. He taught us so many things along the way. So, I thought I would take some time and share a few things that I learned from Cecil Sugg.

1. Everyone Matters. My dad taught me the value of people. People mattered to him. He didn’t have a hidden agenda to get them attend his church and he wasn’t trying to build his congregation (even though he did). He just loved people! We live in a time where the value of people is great, if they can give us something in return. So, here’s my take. “If you value God in anyway, then you will value people.” People matter to God and they should matter to you.

2. Work Hard. The book of Proverbs says “Hard work and careful planning lead to prosperity.” I watched my dad work a full time job and be a full time pastor my entire life. He worked hard! Everything he did, he did it to his fullest. I am a father now and realize all the work my dad did for us was not in vein. It was for the betterment of his children. It was like a sermon without ever having to preach it from the pulpit. Dad once told me “Exceed your limitations, don’t fall short of your expectations.” this was a result of his hard work. Dad exceeded every limitation that people had put on him. He set goals and did everything he could not to fall short of what he expected for himself.

3. Love wins! No this statement is not from “Rob Bell” my dad had no clue who he was. It is a true statement though. I’ve told people this before. “I don’t think I can tell you a specific sermon my dad preached, but I watched a lot of them.” I can guarantee you that my dad lived out every sermon he ever preached. I love what pastor Matthew Barnett says. “Love is the greatest sermon anyone could here.” Love was in everything I watched my dad do. I watched my dad give with and open hand for nothing in return, I watched him sing to the elderly, I watched him do funerals with love, I watched him do weddings with conviction, and the most important thing I watched him do was love.

GOD WHY?

Have you ever felt like God was against you? This week has been a crazy week. I went to take a test for the Praxis and didn’t pass it ($80 down the drain), we had floods all throughout NWA (Northwest Arkansas), my mom’s apartment flooded, and today I went back to my house twice for things, such as my wallet and baby formula. Only to find out my wallet was in my wife’s car. I had no identification, money or anything like that. I had to stop by the bank that my mother-in-law works at because she was the only person who could identify me and give me money. To top it off when I got to our daycare I had a flat tire. As I’m typing this it is still raining in NWA! It has been one crazy week!

Okay… enough of me rambling. But really? Have you ever thought GOD WHY?! I know the Israelites thought this after they wondered in the wilderness for forty years. They even asked Moses if he brought them out into the wilderness to die! This relates so much to our lives. What happens when we go through a dry spell? Most of us begin to complain and gripe. RIGHT? I love what Job had to say after he lost everything and his awesome wife (sarcasm) said “You should curse God and die.” His response is “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” JOB 2:10 NLT. This passage really makes me think about my complaining and grumbling towards God. It’s so true! Should we only accept good things from God? Life can be so crazy. Things can happen… Good and bad, but one thing we have to remember as people of great faith is this. Put you faith in the faithfulness of God! As you read on through the story of Job he remains faithful to God and because of his faithfulness to God he gets in return  twice as much as he had before! WOW!  Think about it like this…?? God allowed all this to happen to Job. What if God is in the middle of your suffering? What if he’s saying, You have to go through this to understand what I’m telling you? The book of James says “Count it all joy when you’re faced with various trials.” All I’m saying is that God can be in the midst of what we are going through and we can be to busy complaining that we miss what he is trying to teach us.

Listen I can’t tell you why things happen? They just do. Here is what I do know. John 16:33 says NLT “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart I have overcome the world!” This tells me that no matter what we go through or how we go through it that we can have peace in every situation because we know that Jesus has conquered sin on the cross! Job 13:15 ESV says this “Though he slay me, I will hope in Him” Life may be difficult at times, it may get you down, it may even make you doubt God, but one thing I can guarantee is that God is faithful, He is limitless, He is big, He is strong, He loves, and He has OVERCOME!

Lead like Christ

Mitch Sugg

The Scouting Report

Have you ever had to scout your competition? Playing sports in high school and in college allowed me to scout the opponent that I was about to play. Maybe your a guy or girl and your scouting the competition for dates? I don’t know? This morning as I was reading through the book of Number… That’s right the book of Numbers, I came across a portion of scripture that I thought was very interesting.

Moses, the leader of Israel, sent twelve men to explore the land of Canaan. This was the land that God had promised the Israelites. After these men explored the land for forty days the men returned to Moses with this information. “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. ²⁸ But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! ²⁹ The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.”

I know your thinking?… What does this have to do with me? Have you ever had something in your life that God had promised to you, and when you saw what it was your thought…? God that’s impossible! I find it interesting that God often promises things that will make us have to totally depend on him. After all, isn’t that what our faith is about? The things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen? God promised the Israelites the land of Canaan, but knew they would have to put there entire faith in Him! This is often how our lives play out. God tells us to do something He tells us that He has a plan for us, but often in those plans it takes us taking audacious steps of faith. I made this statement in a recent sermon. “If you’re not having to depend on God for the miraculous then, is it really faith?” This is where the Israelites were at in their faith. They said “we even saw giants there” as you read through the rest of the chapter they even say “we can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” The Israelites new that what God wanted them to do was crazy! But, He (God) made a promise that this would be their land.

So what is it for you? What giants in your life do you need to overcome? How does your scouting report look? Does it look like there are things that you can’t overcome? What is God asking you and telling you to do? Is it crazy? Because if it’s crazy then it’s probably of God. I hope this helps you with something today!

Mitch Sugg

Lead Like Christ

I’ve Got the Power!!

I really don’t know why, but I felt the need to share some things from last nights sermon. I was preaching out of Matthew chapter 10 and came across some things that I feel we as college/20-somethings need to understand. Here are a few things from my notes from last night. I hope it helps.

1. You’ve Got the Power! Now I’m not the kind of person that says that you should seek power… But I do believe that the bible has something to say about authority, in spiritual terms. Here is what the beginning of this passage says. Matthew 10:1 “And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” The  term “authority” in the Greek means. Physical and, or mental power. We have authority over things in spiritual realms. We can see people healed of disease and affliction. I feel like that we as young people don’t walk in this authority anymore. It’s like we only believe that those things are for people in the bible. The reality of it is that we are given that same authority, but only through Jesus. “Your Authority comes from Jesus and operates through Jesus.” and that is how we should live. All we have comes from Jesus and we get to see him perform the miraculous when we operate in that authority.

2. Fear is not an Option! 2 Timothy 1:7 says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” Fear is saying “God you can’t” The word fear in the Greek means “to be afraid, to be seized with  alarm.” I don’t think God has called us to be fearful people. He has given us authority in Jesus name! Some of you may be fearful of starting a ministry or going into full-time mission. If God is calling you to do something then FEAR IS NOT AN OPTION!

3. Lose your life…that’s when your life will really begin. Matthew 10:39 “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Your life begins when you are willing to have a spiritual crucifixion on a daily basis. What we have to realize is that it is not about us! Basically what Jesus is telling us is this. Die to self-will, take up your cross and embrace Gods’ will. This is how you find Jesus… LOSE YOUR LIFE!

I hope this helps someone out there today!

Mitch Sugg

Lead Like Christ

How not to loose your faith while In college

At a rapid rate students that are Christians are having their faith challenged in colleges all over America. Statistics will tell you that 80% of students who are “Christian” will either turn away from God or doubt their salvation. That’s CRAZY! I think the biggest reason for this a lack of Theological teaching in the church. A recent poll done by George Barna stated that the church had “Less theological literacy.” “Barna says the basic truths of the faith are largely unknown to today’s Americans, especially to young adults. For example, most Americans cannot associate Easter with the resurrection of Christ, a majority see the Holy Spirit as a symbol rather than a living entity, and few see their faith as the central focus of their lives. “The theological free-for-all that is encroaching in Protestant churches nationwide suggests the coming decade will be a time of unparalleled theological diversity and inconsistency,” the report said.”

If you are in college or about to attend a university please think about the things that I’m about to write. What I have done with the help of Boundless.org is compile a good way to keep you from loosing your faith in God.

1. Find and join a good church. This is task number one. In fact, if there’s opportunity to influence the list of prospective students, it’s wise to first pick the cities with strong churches and then consider schools nearby. Why should someone neglect their spiritual lives for four or more years simply because they’re going to college? Now you will be tempted to make a  para-church ministry your church. There is nothing wrong with ministries that are campus ministries. As a matter of fact, I think they are great to be involved in but, a good church is one where the exposition of the Scripture is central to the preaching and the life of the congregation. It’s a place where membership is practiced; that is, where pastors take seriously their responsibility for overseeing souls in their care and members submit to that care and care for each other, in part, by officially joining the church.

2. Choose your friends with biblical criteria in view. Proverbs 12:26 says “A righteous man is cautious in friendship.” In order to have a healthy college experience, a healthy set of friends is near essential. Campus Christian fellowships are a good place to start (InterVarsity, Campus Crusade, etc.). This is why I believe that campus ministries can be good. You can now also find ministries that church’s have that are geared for college/20-somethings. We have one at my home church. It’s called theLIFE. It’s a great place to meet and hangout with new friends that are walking with Christ. Also, don’t be afraid to keep an eye out for older students of the same gender, Christian graduate students. They’ll offer both friendship and mentorship, having already passed through undergraduate school and picked up a measure of skill, responsibility, and mature outlook.

3. Remain sexually pure. 1st Corinthians 6:18 says “Run from sexual Sin!” Be aware of the temptation and the danger before it comes. It’s difficult to develop character in a pinch. Develop it in prayer and other disciplines before the temptation comes. Never place yourself in an intimate setting (dorm room or apartment) with a person of the opposite sex. Simply mark some places as “off limits” and avoid them like the bird flu. In courting or dating relationships, establish clear boundaries not to be crossed. Seek transparent accountability with those trusted friends you’ve made at the good church and campus fellowship you’ve joined. Spend the lion’s share of your free time with families from church instead of in undirected peer groups. Adopt an older couple as surrogate parents, invest in them and let them invest in you.

I’m going to stop with these 3 things. There are many more things that could be written about on this particular subject. A lot of my info came from Boundless.org. I recommend it for students and anybody who needs biblical guidance. It’s a great place to find good information.

Mitch Sugg

Lead Like Christ

 

 

Evangelists a dying breed?

In the coming weeks I will be starting a series at theLIFE called “REVIVED”. This series is something that I feel is necessary for church’s and college/20-somethings. I grew up in church my entire life. A couple of times a year we would have an evangelist that would come in to our congregation, and host what we would call a “REVIVAL.” The older I became the more I wondered why the church had to wait on some man to come and preach the so-called “FIRE” down on us. Hear me out… I’m not out to get traveling evangelists, MOST are very Godly men. Here is what I am saying. If the church is doing what they should be doing evangelists would be out of a job! We shouldn’t have to wait on some man to come in and get us excited about JESUS. We shouldn’t have to wait for him to give us a “WORD FROM THE LORD!” If the church is living out the Gospel and preaching the great commission revival will come. You don’t have to wait for it, it could happen now. We should long for revival as the prophet Habakkuk did. Habakkuk 3:2 says “Lord I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of our deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them know.” Here is where I want my heart to be! Renew us God today!

I believe there are 5 keys to revival that might help your church or any ministry that is apart of your church.

1. We must recognize that there is a desperate need for spiritual awakening

2. We must humble ourselves before God.

3. We must confess our sin and repent.

4. We must continually and earnestly pray.

5. We must call others to join with them to meet the prerequisites.

Here is an account of “REVIVAL” written by John Wesley during an event called “LOVE FEAST” “about three in the morning, as we were continuing in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch  that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground (overcome by the power of God). As soon as we recovered a little from the awe and amazement at the presence of His majesty, we broke out with one voice, We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be Lord.” WOW!! Powerful stuff!! You see, this event started on the campus of Oxford University. It happened because John Wesley and three other students fasted, prayed, and longed for revival on their campus.

So, what is revival to you? Do you need an evangelist to experience it? I love the way J.I. Packer says it “Revival is a work of God by His Spirit through His word, bringing  the spiritually dead to living faith in Christ and renewing the inner life of Christians who have grown slack and sleepy,” We must see the need for it.

Lead like Christ

Mitch Sugg

Santa Real? or Fictional?

Well it’s been a long time since I last wrote. My wife Amanda and I recently had a baby girl. She has been a gift from God. Since having a baby I have been thinking more about Santa Clause. Now I’m not going to be one of those parents that doesn’t allow my children to believe in Santa Clause, but I do feel that when the time is right that I will explain to my kids who St. Nick really is. So, who was St. Nick? Was he the man that we see sliding chimney’s, stuffing stockings, and eating cookies? Or was he a God-fearing man that understood what it mean when Jesus said “sell what you own and give the money to the poor?”

St. Nick was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Nicholas, his real name, understood what it meant to give and the impact that it would have on the lives of others. St. Nick used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships. A little different from the story than what most of us were raised to believe. Again, I’m not one of those don’t believe in “Santa” people, but I do think that it’s important to know and inform your children, family, and friends about this man.

So what’s this Christmas going to be about for you this year? St. Nick gave his everything. His life was not about him. It was about honouring God  by impacting the lives of others. A couple of years ago I decided that theLIFE (College/20-somethings ministry) would take a page from the life of St. Nick. Each year around Christmas we find a single mom with children and we give Christmas to them. It’s something that I feel God has called us to do as a ministry. Yes it’s sometimes tough. Let’s be honest… college/20-somethings don’t have a lot of money, but I believe in impacting someone else’s life! Finances may be rough, the budget may be tight, but when we as Christians live like St. Nick then we will live lives that will impact other for the kingdom of God. St. Nick gave despite the opposition, despite the situation. He even gave while suffering! Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled, and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. Crazy huh?! He impacted despite the situation and his story will live on forever!

So I’m calling you out… I dare you to bless someone this Christmas, I dare you to give, I dare you to suffer so that someone else can be blessed! What story are you going to be sharing? One that consumed with gifts for yourself? or a story that will open up a door for you to share the name with Jesus with someone? It’s your choice. What story are you sharing this CHRISTMAS!

Mitch Sugg

Lead Like Christ