Locker Room

"In the Kingdom of God, it may not be what you did, what you achieved, or where you lived…but who you raised!" The Bible commands us as parents to teach and train our kids to grow up knowing Jesus and to walk in His way. It's important work. If you have them—it's a critical part of the mission that God has called you to.  Join us this week on the podcast as Scott sits down with Jason Byerly to discuss practical tools we can all use as parents to help our kids have roots planted in the fertile soil of a strong faith. -- Opening Questions  Summer or Winter Olympics—what event are you watching every time it's on? Where are you winning this week? Last week we asked about being more intentional as a Christ-centered parent—what did you actually try, and what happened because of it?   Discussion Questions  Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.  Where do you feel pressure to "produce results" in your kids instead of trusting God to grow them? What does it practically look like to plant and water well in your home rig

Welcome back! This week on Locker Room we are kicking off a four week series on parenting. We've got some solid guests lined up each week to tackle a different aspect of parenting. FIrst up this week, Scott sits down with our guest Tim Aulick to talk about how to raise our children from a Christ-centered perspective. We'll also talk about some of the faulty parenting methods we can easily fall into, and how we can get back on the right track. -- Opening Questions  Where are you winning this week? Last week we asked you, "What is one specific thing you could do this week to intentionally strengthen your marriage?" How were you able to do that this week?  What's something your kids have made fun of you for lately?   Discussion Questions Four different pitfalls parents slip into… Identity-bearing parents Worshiping our kids  Controlling or vicarious parents  Legalistic parenting Which of these do you see yourself drifting toward the most right now? What are some things that bring that out? Why

This week on the podcast, we have a very special guest. Scott sits down this week with his wife, Sarah Hatfield. It's a special episode. Our topic of discussion this week is how we all need to build resilience and grit into our marriages. When we talk about resilient grit in marriage, we're talking about a relationship bond with the capacity to withstand all the hard things that are going to come our way in life together.. It's the ability to weather all the intense storms that come, through the power of God, and the power of our marriage covenant together. -- Opening Questions: Where are you winning this week? Last week we asked, "What is one major takeaway from this episode that you want to apply to your marriage? When you think of the phrase, "Resilient Grit" what comes to mind?   Discussion Questions: Scott and Sarah grew up in very different families. How has your family background shaped what you think is "normal" in marriage?  Have you ever realized your wife sees something very differently b

Our topic this week is incredibly important—healthy communication. It's important in a dating relationship, and It's important in a marriage.  If there's a skill every relationship should be working on, it's learning how to better communicate with each other. Join us this week as we sit down with our guests Nate and Stefany Head to talk about how we can work together to build healthy communication into the bedrock of our relationships. -- Opening Questions  Where are you winning this week? Last week we talked about finances. What step did you take this past week to be better financially in your marriage? DISCUSSION: Nate talks about wanting to "win" arguments and mentions having an inner lawyer that wants to prove his point. Why do you think many of us approach disagreements like something we need to win? How can focusing on understanding instead of winning change the way we communicate with our spouse?   Stef talks about being on the opposite side of the spectrum in how she communicates. How do

This week on the podcast, we are talking about how to be financially wise in marriage. This topic is super important for married couples. A lot of us grew up in homes where finances were never talked about. We weren't taught how to spend wisely, or how to budget. Many of us grew up in homes that were upside down in all kinds of debt. Then we stand up on a stage in front of friends and family, say some vows and suddenly begin our new life together without the financial tools to navigate. This can put us behind the 8-ball from the very beginning. Paul tells us Christ-followers to live different than the world. We're called to a different standard. He spells it out plainly in Romans 12:2 (NIV): "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." This week on the podcast, our guests are Kurt and Lori Braun. Kurt recently retired from 20+ years at Southland, managing our chu

The path God has laid out for us in marriage is straightforward: You walk with Jesus and allow Him to transform you into the person another person is looking for. You pray for your future spouse. You date with Godly intentions; you date on purpose. You seek to keep Jesus in the middle and at some point, you take the step—and it's a daunting step—into marriage. You can do your due diligence, but at the end of the day, it's a risk…you are trusting that your spouse will go all-in and stay all-in. You're trusting that they'll partner with you to chase God's purposes and cultivate deep intimacy as you seek to live on-mission. In this episode of the podcast we sit down with our guests, Mike and Debbie Breaux, to learn more about how to live out a Christ-centered marriage.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Opening: Where are you winning this week? Last week we asked: "What is one specific way you can stand for Jesus at home, work, or with friends?" How did you live that out this week? When you think of a Christ-centered

There's something really powerful going on right now in our nation, on college campuses and in healthy, bible-based, mission-driven churches. We're seeing lots of people coming to church for the first time, people coming back to church and people investigating faith and then being baptized into Jesus. Why is this happening? One of the big reasons we've seen this significant movement of God is because the church has been under attack. It's always been under attack but over the last 5+ years we've seen a dramatic shift that's been aggressively challenging the church. The old quote has become popular again: "Comfortable times create weak men, weak men create hard times, hard times create strong men, and strong men create good times." Hard times produce great students, great men and women, great marriages, great families and great churches. Our big word for today is persecution.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Opening Question Where are you winning this week? Last week we talked about habits that keep us from God's b

In our walk following Jesus, we have enemies. But our enemy is not only Satan and demons. We have another enemy that is even closer. If you want to know the other big enemy standing in the way of what God wants to do in your life…take your finger and touch your chest. It's you. It's our flesh. We all have an inclination to buck against authority and rebel against God. We see it rooted in Adam and Eve's disobedience. It manifests itself as selfish desires, inclinations toward evil, and an inability to perfectly follow God's will. We're locked in an internal struggle between doing what we want and doing what is right, requiring spiritual rebirth through Christ for transformation. For the Godly man, it's an internal struggle between doing what we want and what is right, requiring spiritual rebirth through Christ for transformation. Our guest this week, Matt Robison has a powerful story from the trenches, fighting the battle of drug and alcohol addiction. Matt shares how choices and circumstances led him to the b

Today on the podcast we are talking about discipleship. This word is really important! It's important to Jesus, and it's plastered throughout the pages of the Bible. It's important to our church, and it should be important to us. Discipleship is the lifelong process of following Jesus, learning his ways, becoming more like him (Christ-like), and helping others do the same, involving deep commitment, spiritual growth, and active obedience to his teachings and mission.   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Opening Questions What's something you would go back and tell your 18 year old self? Where are you winning this week? Discussion Questions "Jesus didn't climb on a cross to make us simple casual church goers." When did you realize following Jesus was more than attending church, and what actually changed in your life? What does 'dying to yourself' actually look like in everyday life, not just in theory? When have you ever realized you were calling the shots instead of Jesus? What exposed that and how did you respond?

God tells us from the very beginning that he is holy and he calls us to be holy. He also tells us sin leads to death. Here's the predicament our sin puts us in with God: He loves us. He's told us of the consequences of our sin. We've sinned. God loves us so much yet sin has to be paid for. God could simply punish us and He would be right if He did. God could turn and go back on what He said because he loves us, but then he wouldn't be just. God's attributes of love and justice seem to be at odds when it comes to our condition before Him. So God figures out a way to continue to be both loving and just. The answer is found in God sending his son to put on flesh, live a perfect life and then die in our place for our sin. The cross is where God's love and justice collide. Welcome back to Locker Room. This season we're going to tackle four important series. The four series are called Big Words, Marriage, Parenting and Southland Men. This week, Scott is joined by our guests Ian Schweitzer and Gordon Walls to open u

This week on the podcast Scott sits down with Jon to reflect on topics from  this past season and talk about favorite moments from their many years of ministry. Circle up with us as we close out the season! If you're wrestling with Christianity, interested in getting baptized or need help figuring out your next step…shoot us an email at lockerroom@southland.church. Locker Room will be back in mid-January for season 16.

Every man listening has been invited by Jesus to follow Him, and be in relationship with Him. Jesus wants to be our Lord, Savior and Friend. This week on the podcast we will look at four characteristics we should have in our walk: We'll look at what it means to be fully devoted, responsible, intentional and resilient. Ross Barnette is our guest this week. Ross has been involved in leadership at Southland for many years and is currently one of our Elders.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Opening Question: Who is your favorite college basketball player of all time and why?  Where are you winning this week?  Ross (in talking about the people that impacted his life) said, "All had grace in common. They didn't treat me the way I deserve." What does it mean to treat someone in a way that they do not deserve?  Ross spoke about his story and how God was chasing him throughout his whole life. Look back in your own life. Is there anything you went through that was hard in the moment, but now--looking back--you can see how God

Today on the the podcast, we're going to talk about how we can light up the darkness in a place where we spend at least 8 hours a day, 5-days a week: our work. Some of us are fortunate to work in a place where we can freely proclaim our faith. But for many of us listening, that may not be the case. You may have some other people you work with who are Christ-followers, but for the most part you know every day when you walk in, you're walking into an environment resistant or hostile to Jesus. You're playing an away game. Today's conversation with our three guests—Matt Hall, Yancey Marcum and Jordan Heflin— is about encouraging you to do what you can to walk into your workplace and see it as your mission field. DISCUSSION GUIDE Opening Questions: What comes to mind when you hear "your work place is your mission"  The guys talked through who all they interact with on a daily basis. Spend some time talking through who you interact with on a daily basis. The guys talk about what they do every day when they ge

Jesus has changed the lives of most of us listening to this podcast. Your job is to talk about it; tell your story. Each of us needs to figure out ways to share our testimony. Your story is one of your greatest weapons!  Your testimony is simply God's rescue story in your life! And it doesn't matter what it is. Today on the podcast, Scott is joined by Aaron Ross and Clay Mossbarger. We'll get to hear each of their stories, and for those of us who haven't shared our story yet, we'll dive into how to do that, one step at a time. Outside of the Word of God and the Spirit of God, your story is one of your greatest weapons. There's power in your story. Tell it!   DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Opening Questions  Where are you winning this week? What are some of your favorite stories?  In what ways this week have you prioritized evangelism (loving lost & broken people with God's love)?  3 critical parts of our stories that make up our testimony:   What was your life like when you didn't live for Jesus? Talk a

In this series on the podcast, we're talking about the importance of living on mission and sharing the Good News with people in our lives that don't know Jesus. In this episode we'll dig deeper: providing insight and practical tools to help you understand how God has already armed us with way more than we ever realized. We can do this. We should do this. We must do this. Our hope is that the Holy Spirit will empower you to light up the darkness and share the greatest news on the planet.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Opening Questions Where are you winning this week? Did you get the chance this week to reach out to that person that came to mind during last week's episode? If so, how did that conversation go?  Who was the first person that helped you understand the gospel in a personal way? How did that impact you? Two ships were near, only one was responsive. Which ship are you? What are the next steps you need to take to be more like the Carpathia?  Read Romans 6:23 and John 14:6. How do these verses remind us of

Evangelism simply means to share good news. It’s the Greek word gospelize: to spread good news. It means to share, tell, proclaim and make known. Most of us are already good at it…we just don’t realize it. We share good news all the time without even thinking about it. We share stuff that we like, that has worked or something good that we’ve experienced all the time. We share news about sports, movies we’ve seen, books we’ve read or podcasts we’ve listened to. We just need to apply this to our own stories and share what Jesus has done for us with those around us. Today’s on the podcast, Scott unpacks three stories—three conversations—that have shaped him. “These conversations have shaped my whole life. You’re going to quickly find out this episode is extremely personal to me. I hope it encourages you!” DISCUSSION GUIDE Opening Questions Where are you winning this week? What’s some good news you’ve shared recently? (sports, food, family, etc.) Why do you think it’s easier to share things like that than t

After the resurrection Jesus gives the disciples some daunting marching orders. It’s called the Great Commission—not the great suggestion!—Jesus commanded them and He’s commanding us to embody this mission. Men, if you’re walking with Jesus, you’ve got to know the Great Commission isn’t for someone else. It’s for you. God’s put a calling on your life. He’s calling you to light up the darkness and share the good news, the greatest news with those that God puts in your life. There's a lot of us who think the Great Commission is for the paid professionals, the church staff, that’s their job! No it’s not. It’s for all of us. God’s placed you in certain places for such a time as this, to take the gospel into the places and bring hope to a world that is desperate for hope! Join us today as Scott and guest Bart Stone dig into practical ways we can share our faith story, right where God has placed us. DISCUSSION GUIDE Opening Questions What are some of your favorite beach activities?  Where are you winning? Bar

Locker Room listeners: we truly believe God wants to help us in the middle of our pain.  Whatever it is you’ve experienced. He wants to draw close. The Holy Spirit wants to comfort, heal and restore whatever it is that has caused you so much pain. Jesus wants to give you the grace and  strength as you make the decision to forgive. In this episode, we want to make sure we unpack what forgiveness is, what it’s not, and what it looks like when we make that call—the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Join us in the conversation this week with returning guest Gary Black, to talk about the healing available to us through forgiveness.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Opening Questions: Where are you winning this week?  What are some things that come to mind when you think of forgiveness? Think about two people that you have the hardest time forgiving. What comes to mind? What about forgiveness is so hard?  Unhealthy ways that Men attempt to process hurts: We ignore our hurts  We escape our hurts through

“We truly live at the mercy of our ideas.” —Dallas Willard. The ideas we believe in our minds and then let into our lives give shape to the trajectory of our souls. They shape how we live and who we become. No one talks more to you than you do! Most men would never let another man talk to them the way that they talk to themselves. You wouldn’t be friends with them! You might even fight them! Men, we’ve got to stop all this brutal talk and inner dialogue. Shut that guy up! Our guest this week on the podcast is Christian counselor Allen Connor. Allen has been in ministry and counseling for forty years. Allen was on staff at Southland for many years before leaving to focus on his counseling practice. Join us this week as we talk about the ways the enemy plays our thoughts against us, and how to fight back. DISCUSSION GUIDE Opening Questions: Where are you winning this week?  What are some things that come to mind when you think of Christian counseling?  “The enemy weaponizes thoughts in the effort to dest

Purity is a battle for most every man. It’s a consistent battle. We are constantly at war against the enemy, our own flesh. We have to stay vigilant in guarding our eyes, mind and heart because the enemy is serious about taking men out. Purity is a big weapon that he uses to destroy the work of God in men, marriages and families. We’re praying this episode will be helpful not only for you, but also for your middle and high school students—even your daughters. You know your kids and their maturity level. Listen to it and then discern if they’re ready for it. DISCUSSION GUIDE Opening Question: Got any funny fire stories? Where are you winning this week? Purity is a battle for most men. “Men: waiting until middle school to address puberty, sexuality and dating is a real problem and it puts our kids in harm's way.” Why is it important for us to take on the difficult and uncomfortable conversations with our kids? 73% of teen respondents age 13 to 17 have watched pornography online and more than half (54%) re