Live 360 with Tony Sutherland

Whenever I see someone struggling, failing, hurting, depressed, or lacking confidence I want to put my arm around their shoulder and start sharing things that will encourage them. This is that kind of podcast. I too have struggled, and I hope some of what I've learned in living over half of a century will help you. In this episode, we're going to look back at the TOP 7 podcasts of Season 2 of LIVE 360 and do a quick review of some of the key topics and points I've shared over the past 35 episodes. Strap on your seatbelt. We'll be traveling at the speed of sound for this one.

Some believe their best days are behind them, while others believe the best is yet to come. Yet, what we don't realize is that our best days are RIGHT NOW! That's right! our best days are right in front of our eyes and but we can't see it because we're distracted by the circumstances surrounding us. We need to rise above SEE level. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). After listening to this podcast, I hope you will have a better perspective of the glorious hope you have right now (Ephesians 1:18). Your best days aren't behind or in front of you. Your best days are NOW!

Satan has a strategy to discourage believers. Yet, what he doesn't know is that his typical schemes have already been figured out. While we shouldn't study the devil, we should be aware of what he is up to (Ephesians 6:10; 1 Peter 5:8). Satan's two main strategies are 1. to attack God's credibility and 2. weaken our faith. We should never be paranoid, but we should always be prepared. We all get discouraged from time to time, but we don't have to stay discouraged all the time. Take courage! God's plans always overshadow Satan‘s schemes. This episode will be just the grace lift you need.

Turning failure upward is an ongoing process. There's so much to learn and so many wounds to recover from. However, sooner or later, you're going to have to release all the regret and wrongdoing by others and yourself and get back up. Yes, it's reasonable to have hurts and disappointments, but your destiny isn't worth staying down. I'll be the first to admit, I've contemplated staying down many times in my own journey. Yet, it was at those moments that I had a choice: Would I stay down or would I get back up? I've hit rock bottom a few times in my life, but the good news is my rock bottom was always a new foundation for me to build upon. Although it felt like I would never recover, staying down was not an option for me. The same is true for you. I pray this episode will encourage you to get back up and be the better for it. Don't. Stay. Down.

Gearing up for what's next.

The best way to get to where you want to go is to GET GOING! In Matthew 28:28, Jesus didn't say, “Prepare to go into all the world.” He said, “GO into all the world.” A few years ago, after several delays in my lifetime, I finally decided to shake off procrastination and just get going. Procrastination is the path to regret. My life is proof that starting is far more powerful than being “ready.” If we fail to seize the moments, we'll never experience momentum. We must learn to actively increase our response-time to the urgency of the moments God has given us. We can delay, but the sobering truth is time does not. You will arrive at a destination, but you can choose your destination rather than allow time or others to choose it for you.

Robert Herjavek, successful entrepreneur and well known Shark Tank celebrity, best defines the word someday: “Someday isn't a real day like Monday or Tuesday. It's just another word for ‘never.'” Many sideline themselves from their future because they refuse to start NOW! Simply put, if you don't start, you've already failed.  Proverbs 6:4 NLT says, “Don't put it off; do it now! Don't rest until you do.” Sadly, some of the most innovative and breakthrough ideas are buried in the graveyard of “someday.” So, quit hitting the snooze button of your life. Your destiny is sounding an alarm deep inside. Don't settle for “not now.” Don't. Start. Someday.

In this episode, I share some thoughts from one of my latest books, LEADER SLIPS (Learning and Leading Through Failure). There is great value in looking back in order to see forward. Although we shouldn't use our past as a compass, we can use it as a reference. In spite of my many past mistakes, here I am today, still fudging and forging new adventures in life and leadership. I am continually learning that life often takes what we have so that we will have what it takes. My leadership journey has been a cycle of failing, processing, learning, proceeding, succeeding and doing it all over again and again. Many leaders are trained in the classroom, but few are developed in the clash-room. It's not as much about what we've learned to do but more about what we've learned to endure.

In this episode I share 4 negative heart attitudes that we develop when we live a life of works-based Christianity. This is taken from the story in Luke 10:38-42 where Jesus visits Martha and Mary. Here we see Jesus sharing the words of Life with Mary who is simply sitting at His feet, while Martha is fretting about trying to serve Jesus. Martha is stressed to impress. This illustrates many Christians who haven't learned the secret of simply resting in the finished work of Jesus. Are you anxiously trying to live for Jesus or are you living FROM Jesus. A huge part of living the 360 life is learning to rest in Grace.

Many Christians embrace the Old Covenant command found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 to... “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength,” and to... “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Loving God first is a heart priority for believers and understandably so. Yet, what if Jesus came with a different command? What if He offered us a BETTER way to live and a greater freedom than we've ever known before? Have you ever considered that maybe Jesus wants us to love God SECOND. I can see the question-marks popping up and the gears turning inside your mind. Jesus said, “We love Him because HE FIRST loved us.” (1 John 4:19). After this episode, I hope you get a deeper and more fulfilling revelation of God's love for you.

Before my revelation of God's Grace, I used to be one of those preachers that pulled the "fear card" with sinners. Angry, frustrated, and irritated, I'd misquote Genesis 6:3, “God won't always strive with man.” By this, I hoped to convince people that God would eventually run out of patience and give up on them. Unfortunately, this is a classic move to frighten people towards salvation and good works. Ultimately, it proves futile. Ever since Grace got a hold of me, this verse and so many others have a whole new meaning. In Biblical context with the New Covenant, this verse foretells a day when God will no longer require striving to earn righteousness. Child of God, you no longer have to strive to get close to God or make it to Heaven.

In life we are in one of three places. We're either in the middle of a wilderness, we're just coming out of a wilderness, or we're getting ready to go right back into another wilderness. I don't know about you, but many times in my journey I discovered that the mountains inspired me, but it was the valleys that matured me. In this episode, I'm going to share some encouraging thoughts that will help you get a better perspective of what's happening behind the scenes in your wilderness. I hope to expose some of the enemy's lies and help you gain a stronger determination to stay the course and complete the assignment God has given you in your wilderness. Take heart! There's a destiny in your desert!

In this episode, I share a basic summary of my daily routine that has helped me achieve a better sense of direction and energy in my life for the past 35 years. This simple process may be similar to your own daily routine. However, I wanted to offer you some insights into my personal regiment, with the hopes that it will help you make some positive changes and noticeable gains in your own life.

I ended this 4 part series in a blaze of glory! The final 6 tests I share here will put some fire in your bones. I promise, this episode will be one for the books.

In this episode, I'm slowly making my way toward 15 different tests and what they taught me. I've lived a little while, so I'm taking my time to go deep into some of what life and leadership has shown me. Be sure to catch up on the past two episodes to get some needed context for this episode. I truly hope the tests I've taken and the lessons I've learned from them will help you discover how to have peace and joy to the fullest in every area in your life.

In this episode, I'm sharing more tests that taught me lessons. We're on our way to 15 different tests and what they taught me and are still teaching me. Some lessons in life can’t be taught; they have to be caught. God has never let me out of an experience until I got what He wanted for me in it. And let me tell you, I sure needed His enabling grace to make it through those tests. I hope the lessons I've learned in these tests will add value to your life and greatly help you when it's your time to take your own tests.

In typical life scenarios, we learn lessons that prepare us for the tests. However, if you've lived any significant amount of time, you've probably discovered that life is anything but typical. In REAL life, we often learn the lessons, and then we take the tests. And the tests always teach us more than the lessons ever could. Some lessons in life can’t be taught; they simply have to be learned. God won't let you out of an experience until you get what is in it for you. You'll just have to accept this if you dare to pursue the call God has on your life. The things I’m about to share in this episode you may likely forget. However, rest assured, real life will remind you of them. The truth is, my mess is my message. Mess + Age = Message. My test is my testimony. And the funny thing is, I’ve failed at every one of these tests, but that’s how I learned the lessons.

I’m taking a week off to re-calibrate and focus on some important things that are coming in the days ahead. We’re about halfway through season 2. In the meantime, I encourage you to catch up on some of the past episodes. There are 52 episodes to choose from. That’s one full year of inspirational content. I hope this podcast is helping you discover how to have peace and joy to the fullest in every area of your life. I’ll be back with a new and powerful episode next Monday... And until then… We’ll see ya!

In this episode, I conclude with sharing some final, powerful thoughts about my Dad. At the recording of this podcast, my Father will have been gone from this Earth for almost a month and just beginning his glorious eternity with Jesus. My Dad's life made an indelible mark on me forever. You will want to listen all the way through this episode to the very end. I will share something unforgettable that will tug at your soul and hopefully will leave a mark on your life forever as well.

Recently, my Dad of 81 years sadly passed away from complications due to COVID-19. Here, I am sharing MORE things about my Dad (part 2 of 3). Though I feel his absence in a profound way, I hope what I share with you will touch your heart and make a lasting impact in your life as well. Every father, son, and daughter needs to listen to this episode.

On April 3 2021, the Saturday right before Easter Sunday (just two weeks before recording this podcast) my Dad of 81 years sadly passed away from complications due to COVID-19. It was a devastating loss to me and a complete shock to the whole family. Though I feel his absence in a profound way, I can say with assurance that my Dad had the best resurrection Easter Sunday he ever had. My Dad was major force and influence in my life. I was recently honored by my family to speak for his Remembrance of Life Service. I did my best to hold it together as I shared 13 powerful things about my Dad that changed my life and impacted me forever. I will spend the next 3 podcasts sharing these things with you. Husbands, fathers, and sons need to listen to these episodes.

In this episode, I’m traveling on the road recording straight to my iPhone. I’m always ready anytime and anywhere to share the good news of Jesus Christ. In this podcast, I share a powerful audio excerpt from my YouTube channel. Here, I debunk the common misconception often taught in John 15:1-5 that if you don't bear fruit, God will cut you off and cast you in the fire. This is NOT the heart of Jesus nor is it consistent with the New Covenant Gospel of Grace. Times are difficult enough. People don't need to be beat down; they need to be built UP. The ministry isn't for beating people. It's for feeding people. I promise, this teaching will give you just the grace lift you need.

There will always be ants in our life. You know, the tiny irritants, aggravants, and cant's that creep around us all the time. Although we can't avoid them, we can keep these little pesky ants from becoming lumbering elephants in our mind. Dr. Seuss once said, “Stop telling such outlandish tales, and stop turning minnows into wales." Look, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a MILLON times in these podcasts, STOP EXAGGERATING! In this episode (part 2 of 2), I share 5 ways we can expose the elephants for the ants they really are. It’s time to tell these elephants to pack their trunks and hit the road!

Many times we experience overwhelm by our own doing. We tend to make way too much out of nothing at all. When life brings us ants we turn them into elephANTS. What was really no big deal in the beginning has now become a major issue. We blow things out of proportion and take things to extremes. Instead of being possibilities we see problems. It’s all in our perspective. In this episode (part 1 of 2), I expose the 5 reasons why we tend to make mountains of tiny anthills.

In this episode, I share the remaining 4 of 7 life hacks or tweaks to get the most out of life. The word "hack" is a slang term for gaining unauthorized access. It also means tweaking something to work more efficiently. It's the tweaks that bring the peaks! A better life starts with quality daily decisions and developing a more consistent mindset over the long haul.

The word "hack" or "hacking in" is a slang term for gaining “unauthorized access" into something. It also means tweaking something to work more efficiently. In this episode (part 1 of 2), I'll be sharing 3 of 7 life hacks or tweaks to get the most out of life. It's the tweaks that bring the peaks. So many are looking to improve their life in one fell swoop. However, a better life starts with quality daily decisions and developing a more consistent mindset over the long haul. We all love those "big burst" moments, but those moments are only a result from how we handle the teeny-tiny moments on a consistent basis. Teeny Tiny moments > Big Burst Moments. What you do daily adds up over time. So, let's get hacking!

In this episode, I share 7 powerful things I learned through one of the most difficult years of my life in 2020. You’ll need to listen to episode 43 to get the back story and some important context. Get ready to be challenged and greatly encouraged.

Colors are very significant in the Bible. For example, God gave Noah a dazzling multicolor sign across the sky to confirm His promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. All throughout scripture, God promises to give us signs. These signs serve to encourage, confirm, and give us much needed direction. In this episode (part 1 of 2), I share a personal story about a special sign God gave to me. This sign just so happened to be all about the color GREEN. Interestingly, major interstate signs are... you guessed it... green. God used the color green as a sign to help me persevere through a very difficult year in my life. Needless to say, GREEN has now become my favorite color.

Webster’s dictionary defines the mulligrubs as, “a despondent, sullen, or ill-tempered mood." Who wants to live that way!!?? Sadly, many do. One of the best ways to be consistently happy is to find people who are happy and learn what they do. Happy people have unique habits or practices than those who are always depressed and negative. I call these practices HABITUDES: habits that shape our attitudes. The longer we live, the harder it gets because life has a way of chipping away at our happiness. That’s why we have to be very intentional and proactive about our own personal happiness. In this podcast, I'm picking up where I left off from Episode 41 as I continue to share the 8 powerful ways that will help you better access more consistent happiness in your life.

Webster’s dictionary defines the mulligrubs as, “a despondent, sullen, or ill-tempered mood." Who wants to live that way!!?? Sadly, many do. One of the best ways to be consistently happy is to find people who are happy and learn what they do. Happy people have unique habits or practices than those who are always depressed and negative. I call these practices HABITUDES: habits that shape our attitudes. The longer we live, the harder it gets because life has a way of chipping away at our happiness. That’s why we have to be very intentional and proactive about our own personal happiness. In this podcast, I share 8 powerful ways to help you better access more consistent happiness in your life.

Feel spiritually, mentally, and emotionally wiped out? Lost that excitement and enthusiasm? I totally get it. We all let the passion wane from time to time. In this episode, I'm going to conclude my 3 part mini-series showing you how I’ve learned to plug into life again. If you missed the last two podcasts, you should go back and check them out. No matter where you are in your journey, I promise, this episode will be a boost of pure rockstar energy. So, c’mon! What’re you waiting for? Let’s get your mojo back!

Feel spiritually, mentally, and emotionally wiped out? Lost that excitement and enthusiasm? I totally get it. We all let the passion wane from time to time. In this episode, I'm going to continue showing you how I’ve learned to plug into life again. If you missed last week's podcast, you should check it out. No matter where you are in your journey, I promise, this episode will be a boost of pure rockstar energy. So, c’mon! What’re you waiting for? Let’s get your mojo back!

Feel spiritually, mentally, and emotionally wiped out? Lost that excitement and enthusiasm? I totally get it. We all let the passion wane from time to time. In these next three episodes, I'm going to show you how I’ve learned to plug into life again. No matter where you are in your journey, I promise, these episodes will be a boost of pure rockstar energy. So, c’mon! What’re you waiting for? Let’s get your mojo back!

Sometimes conquering the mountain means to climb it. Some feel you have to be prepared to take the pursuit, but it’s the pursuit that prepares you. You learn on the way as you step out to scale your mountain. You have to start somewhere, start now, and start strong. So, get going! God will tell you what to do when you begin the ascent. (Isaiah 31:10)

In this episode, I share a powerful story of the time my son decided to hike to the top of the 14,000 foot summit of Pike’s Peak in Estes Park Colorado. The spirit and attitude that he possessed is so relevant to us in terms of how to face our mountains. In Joshua 14:12, Caleb demanded that God give him the highest mountain. Wow, what a spirit. Oh, that we could posses this same attitude in Caleb. We can, and we will! Let’s make the climb.

In this episode, I share 9 ways to weather the storms in your life. Don’t be afraid, but be advised that the storms are coming. All of us are in one of three place in our lives: we’re either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or going into a storm. You may be experiencing sunny days now, but clouds are forming in the distance. However, you don’t have to fear (Psalms 27:1). Jesus is your shelter of safety. All storms are unpredictable, uncontrollable and undeniable. And although you can’t control the storm, you don’t have to let the storm control you. You may not know what the future holds but you can know who holds you. Jesus is a present help in the time of trouble. So, all eyes on Jesus. “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12 NASB).

Everyone juggles with uncertainty and indecision. You’ve compared the pros and cons and reviewed all the possible outcomes a thousand times. You’ve counted the cost, calculated the risks, consulted your advisors, conferred with friends and family, and still you’re not sure. Agonizing! Yet, deep inside you know what you’re supposed to do but you are paralyzed by fear of the unknown. In this episode, I’m going to share four powerful principles of decision-making that will help you push through some of your uncertainty to the next place you know God is calling you to. Choose the uncertainty of what’s in front of you over the certainty of what’s behind you. You’ve analyzed for far too long. It’s do or die, sink or swim. It’s time to make a move or you’ll just give yourself another silly reason not to do it. So go ahead and J.U.M.P.

In this episode I’m picking up from where we left off from the previous episode. If you haven’t listened to it yet, I encourage you to go back and take it all in. Here, I’m sharing the final remaining points 3-5, and will share some truly amazing stories of people we all know who faced rejection, pushed through it, and well… the rest is history. Stay with me to the very end. It will put some needed inspiration in your life to persevere and overcome rejection.

The rejection monster stings you. Yet, once you get over the initial sting of rejection, it can actually serve to upgrade you to the next level of progress and success in your life. You have to embrace the cactus: those prickly thorns of rejection. Did you know that rejection isn’t actually a set back? It’s a set up! The first key to overcoming rejection is to know your acceptance in Christ. We’ve already talked about that in past episodes. There are actually FIVE powerful benefits to rejection. In today’s episode, I’ll share 2 of the 5: Rejection is correction and protection. You may have heard these in some form before. However, I’m going to put a powerful spin on these thoughts that you have never heard before and will certainly NEVER forget. We’ll talk about the other three benefits of rejection in the next episode.

Envy has been called the green eyed monster. It is the monster that possesses you. Envy is actually a self-defeating obstacle. Envy causes us to despise our own gifts rendering them in active and blinds us to our own promise and potential when we end the others we reject a unique insignificant thing that God is orchestrating in our own lives. Comparison ourselves to other stems from the unawareness of our own greatness. And we will cause you not only to betray others but just try your own future as well. Let’s deal with this in the monster today

God doesn’t want you to lose sight of your promotion. However, He also doesn’t want you to lose perspective of it. Sight and perspective are two different things. Sight is what WE see. Perspective is what GOD sees. For instance, promotion often doesn’t look or feel like promotion. Also, a promise of promotion can also become an idol in our lives. Ironically, God wants us to get to the place where promotion isn’t that important to us. This makes us more qualified to possess it. We’ll talk about this and more in today’s episode.

All the greats wrestle with the Me Monsters: those pesky, unruly, and even ugly character vices that surface from time to time in our lives. The concepts in this episode will help you learn how to prepare for and handle the unique challenges that come along with promotion. When you get a solid perspective of where you are and where you’re headed, it will help you to see the possibilities and side step the pitfalls ahead. Competency and charisma may get you in the door of opportunity, but it’s character that will keep you here. If you lean how to handle promotion well, you will have greater longevity at each new level.

In this episode, I’m going to share 7 vital truths about selfish ambition that will help you better understand God’s purposes in your current season of development. God wants you to bear lasting fruit (John 15:16). You don’t have to spoil before your time or have an expiration date. God desires you to be more than just a flash in the pan. To this, He promises to preserve and keep you (Psalms 121:7). God is faithful to prevent you from going down destructive paths. Thus he will allow you to go through some challenging and difficult processes that will cause you to have lasting and effective value in people’s lives. We’re diving deep. So, put on your scuba gear, and let’s jump in.

Today I’m talking about dealing with the ambition monster. This is the monster that chases you. Many spend a considerable portion of their lives running hard after things that don’t matter. It’s time to turn around and deal with some areas of our past that we have avoided for way too long out of pride and fear. God wants us to cross the finish line full instead of depleted. The Bible warns us not to do anything out of selfish ambition (Philippians 2:3-4). This is to protect us and keep us from crashing and burning. Every once in awhile, we need to slow down long enough to deal with character issues that could potentially derail us. This episode will uncover some things that will set you free from the all consuming ambition monster.

Wow! It has taken three full podcasts to share this incredible content about taking your prayer life to the next level. There is a realm of prayer beyond all your imagination where breakthrough and miracles are the norm. You’ve been born again, so quit living like your BORED again. You can start experiencing the abundant life that Christ has already given you. Quit praying prayers full of fear, anxiety, and condemnation. It’s time to break free from all the limitations and blast off into a whole new galaxy of expectancy. This session will fill up your final reserve tank and give you power in prayer like you’ve never known before.

In this episode, I go deeper into the grace filled prayer life. We don’t pray by a pattern; we pray to a PERSON: Jesus! Prayer is all about a relationship with an actual living, breathing person. When you talk to Jesus, you’re talking to a friend, someone who already knows what you’re going through and is more than able and ready to demonstrate His power in your life. Prayer is not leaning on your ability to pray; it’s leaning on God‘s ability to listen and answer. It's not about the power of prayer; it's about the power of GOD. Get ready to fill up that extra tank with more rocket fuel. This will revolutionize everything about how you relate to Jesus.

One of the greatest joys of the Christian life is learning how to talk with God. However, for many, it seems like a bore and a chore. The secrets I share with you in these next three episodes will be like rocket fuel that will launch you to a whole new universe of discovery. Once I discovered God’s grace it changed my relationship with Him and made prayer a vital dialogue. I promise you, the Grace filled prayer life will take the limits off of your faith and bring a fresh perspective into the way you relate to God. Countdown in T-minus 10… 9… 8… 7…

Your mind is too precious a thing to waste. It’s time take charge of your imagination. In this episode, I unpack Romans 12:1-2 as it relates to resetting your mind. I share 5 POWERFUL thoughts that will help recalibrate your perspective. Living a life of peace and joy requires a periodic refresh of your current mindset. We all need to regularly clean out the accumulation of negative sediment that compounds in our lives and refocus our vision. Sweep those cobwebs out of your brain [broom swoosh here].

Resetting your life means getting your mind right. In this episode, I talk about the importance of setting your mind on things above not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). There is so much truth packed into this one verse. Jesus wants to take you to places beyond your imagination. If you can’t perceive it in your mind, you won’t be able to posses it in your life. This episode is going to rock your world. Let’s go!

Do you have that constant nudge to do something BIG, and it just won't go away. That's because it’s a God-given dream, and it’s not going anywhere, anytime soon. God has placed in every person the seed of a dream in their DNA. He longs for you to fulfill His plans for your life. Everything you need to fulfill your destiny is already inside of you waiting to be discovered. In these two episodes, I’ll be talking about the 5 aspects of fulfilling your dream. I’m more excited than I’ve ever been to share these episodes with you. Let’s do this!

Do you have that constant nudge to do something BIG, and it just won't go away. That's because it’s a God-given dream, and it’s not going anywhere, anytime soon. God has placed in every person the seed of a dream in their DNA. He longs for you to fulfill His plans for your life. Everything you need to fulfill your destiny is already inside of you waiting to be discovered. In these two episodes, I’ll be talking about the 5 aspects of fulfilling your dream. I’m more excited than I’ve ever been to share these episodes with you. Let’s do this!