Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

A LAMP Unto Their Feet

Russ Clip Boat
Traveling up river to reach a village

Back in 2011, I had the opportunity to take a missions trip with two of my favorite missionaries – Clifford Suddeth​ & Russ Turner​ – to Panama City, Panama. This was one of the most eye opening events in my life and I can truly say that God changed my view of missions.

Missions is not just for those who have left the states to enter a different country and eat food we would never even think about putting in our mouths. Missions is a responsibility of every Christians! Period!

John Piper puts it this way,

Go, send, or disobey.

Christians should be doing everything possible to “Go” & “Send”. Notice the quote does not say that we should “Go” or “Send”. There is no OR. We must be doing both to accomplish the Great Commission.

We may not be able to “Go” to Panama City, Panama, but we can go across the street and tell our neighbors, or across the cubicle and share the love of Jesus with a coworker. We all can go!

And we all can be a part of “sending”! We can all be a part of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. The Bible says in Romans 10:14, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

There are 4 steps in this process:

  1. People will call on Jesus to save them if they believe He can do so
  2. Belief in Christ can not exist without knowledge about Him
  3. One hears about Christ only when someone proclaims the saving message
  4. The message about Christ will not be proclaimed unless someone is sent by God to do so

We need to be part of sending people to reach into parts of the world that we would never be able to reach and tell them of the great love of Jesus Christ and His Word. We need people to take the LAMP into a dark world.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 119:105 that, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”.

God’s Word gives us teaching, correction and training. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Whether you open your Bible daily or once in a while, most of us know that God’s Word shines bright, like a lamp, to guide our steps. But what about those who have never heard? How will they be reached?

russ-lynn1
Russ & Lynn Turner

Today is one of those days that you can play a huge part in “sending”. Russ & Lynn Turner (website: Reach Latin America), are trying to reach further and further into the jungles of Panama & the Amazon. They want to reach out and bring the LAMP, the Word of God, to these villages.

They are trying to raise $12,000 to purchase a 4-Wheel drive vehicle to help them reach into these village. We are asking that you pray and see what God would have you do to be a part of this great ministry. You can donate here – LAMP PROJECT.

We all need to be going and we all need to be sending. Today, let’s help send the Turners to places that the gospel of Jesus Christ has never been before! 

Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

A Very Bitter-Sweet Week

Last week was very bitter-sweet. No, not because it was the last week of 2014. No, last week was very bitter-sweet because it was the last week that one of my best friends and I would work together in our current ministry positions.

For the past sixteen year, Clifford Suddeth and I have worked hand in hand at Mile Straight Baptist Church. Clifford served as our Executive Pastor & Youth Pastor, while I served as Worship & Children’s Pastor. He joined the staff in 1998 & I in 1999. We have served through some great times and we have served through some hard times, but through it all he has remained a great friend and a faithful servant of God.

ClipSo how could this last week of us working together be sweet? Well, I am glad you asked!

This is why – Clip, Mary & Isaac Suddeth have answer the call to “go into all the world” and become missionaries. Just how awesome is that!! They will primarily be serving in Latin & Central America.

For the past several years, Clip has had a heart for discipleship and to reach & teach those who know Christ but don’t have a full knowledge of HIM.

There is an incredible need to teach and disciple pastors, and God has given us the opportunity to be involved in His kingdom through this ministry. We are honored to serve God by serving pastors, their families, their churches, their communities, and ultimately the world.

Clifford Suddeth, II

As much as I am going to miss working with Clip and having Mary & Isaac around, I know that God has some great work for them to accomplish for HIS glory.

I am asking you to pray for them as they begin this incredible journey! To find out more information about what they are doing, you can visit www.thesuddethfamily.com.

Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

Weekly Points To Ponder – June 6, 2014


Points To Ponder

Missouri principal wows crowd, angers atheists with guarded ‘God’ references – Foxnews.com

A Missouri high school principal who garnered thunderous applause and a starring role in a viral video for a commencement speech in which he repeatedly invoked God in ways to dodge First Amendment objections has atheists seeing red.

Lebanon High School Principal Kevin Lowery can be seen on a 3-minute YouTube clip reminding graduates that the nation’s motto of “In God We Trust” can be found on U.S. currency and in Francis Scott Key’s original version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Lowery also wryly noted during the May 23 commencement that even though “God is reflected in the very fabric” of the nation, it would be inappropriate to mention The Almighty at a secular ceremony.

(Read Full Article)

Mission Trends: 4 Trends for Churches to Consider – The Exchange

Despite what many think, the church in America is not dying (and no serious researcher thinks that). However, there are some challenges and changes to be considered.

When we consider missiology, part of the discipline includes considering how churches relate to their culture. Since we live in changing times, it’s worth thinking through what current cultural changes mean for future church engagement of that culture.

(Read Full Article)

Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow, Revised & Expanded [Kindle Edition] – FREE

How do I pray? How do I study the Bible? How do I worship? How do I serve? How do I become a good steward? These are the questions every Christian should be asking. The answers are what every Christian needs to know.

WHY CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT CHRIST IS TOXIC – Verge Network

Alan Hirsch says, “…Folks, Christianity without Christ: dangerous, toxic, evil even…It’s non-sense and it’s dangerous stuff. Who wants Christianity without Christ? And the only way you get Christianity with Christ is to do discipleship, because that’s how Christ gets into us.”

(Watch Video)

Fathers, Are You Blessing Your Children? – Children Desiring God

Fathers, do you and other men in your church regularly speak blessings over your children? Do you wish that you did, but perhaps need some help getting started?

Pastor David Michael started blessing his daughters every night when they were 7 and 10 years old. He had seen The Blessing, a film featuring Gary Smalley and John Trent (copyright©1991, Thomas Nelson), and was inspired and challenged to be a blessing to his family. As he considered the calling and responsibilities of fatherhood, he felt moved to pronounce Aaron’s blessing from Numbers 6 over his girls.

(Read Full Article)

Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

The Story behind “Jason”

Don’t worry, this is not a story of my entire life – so you can keep reading!

In the fall of 2011, I had the opportunity to take a missions trip to Panama City, Panama. During this trip, I was able to see things that I never thought that I would ever get to see. God used this trip to change me in many ways.

One of the coolest things that happened to me on this trip is shown in the picture below:

The "Boats"

Let me explain. Our missions trip took us to different parts of Panama, with one of those being a village that sits right on the Chagres river. The only way of getting to this village was by boat (and when I say a boat, I mean a tree trunk that had been carved out to resemble a canoe). Our trip took us 45 minutes deep into the Jungles of Panama! What an incredible experience, but most of all, what an incredible opportunity I had to take  God’s Word to these people.

When we got to the village, we were greeted warmly by the people and were escorted to the hut where we could drop our gear and get ready for our teaching time. As we were introducing ourselves to the villagers, one of the missionaries, Marianella, was holding a little child that had just been born a few weeks before our arrival. She told us that even though the child was several weeks old, they still had not named the child. I, very jokingly, told them that they should name the baby “Jason”. I said that it was an excellent name for such a cute kid – but of course I was partial.

We continued to unpack and our teaching time came and went. We were then escorted up the hill to the church and lunch was served. After several hours, as we were preparing to leave the village, Marianella came up to me and said that she would like to introduce me to someone. I was taken to the same hut where we first met everyone and there given the incredible news!

They decided to name the little boy with no name – JASON! How cool is that!

Below is a more recent picture of Marianella & Jason!

Please pray for David & Marianella Bueno, missionaries in Panama City, as they reach into these remote villages. Pray that these people would come to know Christ. I also ask that you specifically pray for Jason that one day he will come to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior as well!