Locker Room

To follow Jesus is to fish. To say yes to Jesus’ invitation is to say yes to personal evangelism. To receive the gospel is to also share the gospel; the good news. Yet, there’s an awful lot of churches and there’s an awful lot of people who sit in the boat and they don’t fish. They don’t fish for all kinds of reasons. In this episode we will zero in on some practical things to empower men to share the gospel with people in their lives. DISCUSSION GUIDE If we asked the person closest to you (wife, relative, friend) what is a fun fact they could give us about you Have you ever rescued someone or something? Think big or small rescues. Share a story of when you “saved the day”. Read Luke 19:10. Jesus made it clear: He was here on a RESCUE MISSION. He invites his followers to join him in that mission. How does it make you feel when you are told you are on a rescue mission for the Kingdom of God? Jon equated spiritual maturity with three verbs: serving, giving, & loving. Based on that measure, how spiritually m

Today's culture is attempting to push us off the path Jesus walked, and instead onto a wide road of personal preference and, “living your own truth.” We are increasingly encouraged to choose tolerance-based values and strike down our conceptions of right and wrong about sex, gender and marriage. Even the definitions of words are changing. If we take a step back, we can see how culture at large is twisting and affecting even those inside the church. Join us for this episode of Locker Room, where our goal is to talk about the importance of choosing God’s Word to be our ultimate authority, which creates a filter (worldview) for how we interact with God and the world around us. DISCUSSION GUIDE Do you have any favorite old-school rappers? What music did you listen to in your younger days? Did you watch breakdancing in the Olympics? Could you win a dance battle? The Bible tells us we have three enemies: Satan & demons, the flesh, and the World. How have these enemies affected your worldview? (Worldview defined

The Holy Spirit is aware of what’s going on in our world. He can see things that we can’t. He knows us. He knows what we need. He partners with us to encourage us. He partners with us to challenge us and even convict us of sin. He partners with us because He knows best on how to use our lives to love and serve others.  This week on Locker Room, we are continuing a conversation with Scott and Gary on the Holy Spirit. If you missed last week’s episode, be sure to listen first and then jump in with us here. DISCUSSION GUIDE Did you watch the Olympics this Summer? What was your favorite sport to watch? If you could participate in any event what would it be? Read Acts 2:1-4. This empowering of the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the ability to lead the first church. If they needed the Spirit back then we certainly need it today. Read 2 Corinthians 13:14. When you hear the word “fellowship” what comes to mind? Gary defines three levels of fellowship with the Spirit: 1. Companionship. 2. Partnership. 3. Intimacy. Whic

When we accept the grace of Jesus and decide to follow him, God desires for us to turn from our own way of thinking and live Spirit-filled lives too. Yet many of us don’t. We meet Christians all the time whose lives could be summed up in two statements: One: “Nobody’s perfect. And two: “God understands.” There’s almost a despair about those two statements. It seems that, for many, life is merely a long string of joy and sorrows, but with the hope of Heaven at the end. Here’s the problem with that. If the Christian list is merely “doing our best,” then there’s no need for the Holy Spirit in the first place. So, all we have is OUR best, not GOD’S best for our lives. I don’t know about you, but my VERY, VERY best is still FAR from being like Jesus. Join us this week as Scott and Gary Black begin a conversation about the power God provides IN us—the Holy Spirit. DISCUSSION GUIDE How would you rank the four fast food restaurants that Scott and Gary discussed at the beginning of the podcast: Chick fil a, Cane’s, Ta

We’re kicking off a new series in season 13 of Locker Room, and it’s simply called Power. We’re going to look at some key aspects and opportunities God gives us to usher His power into and through our lives. This week we’re digging out the power of rest. Jesus invites us into a healthy rhythm, where we pour out our lives for the Kingdom: pouring into our home, our work and the world around us; and then we stop and rest. We connect with the King, and allow Him to fill us and replenish us. DISCUSSION GUIDE Scott just spent a portion of his Summer on Sabbatical. What has been the longest period of time you’ve had to rest? What would you do if you had a month off of work to intentionally rest? Is it easy for you to rest? Why or why not? What does it look like for you to rest in a healthy way? “If you don’t know how to stop, life will do it to you.” Have you ever come to a breaking point where life forced you to stop? What stuck out to you when Scott mentioned the symptoms of hurry sickness? (You treat everything

We’ve covered a lot of ground together this season on the podcast. This week Scott is joined by Ian Schweitzer to review and expand on some of the biggest subjects we’ve tackled this year. We’ll also talk about an important event coming up in the fall specifically for men, 18 years of age and up, from any of our campuses—our first Men’s Retreat. October 18-20. Locker Room will be back on August 30 for season thirteen. Have a great summer! DISCUSSION GUIDE What have been the episodes from this season that you learned from the most? Who can you think of that you can send episodes to from this season? Let us know, how are you using Locker Room? Email lockerroom@southland.church Scott and Ian reviewed the whole season. Did you have an episode that you think every man needs to hear? If so, please share it with them! NEXT STEPS  If you’re wrestling with Christianity, would like to become a Christ-follower, or need help figuring out your next step, email us at lockerroom@southland.church.   Join a Group at south

In our world, sex before marriage is normal, hooking up is normal, funky sex is normal, and pornography is normal. Normal is: sex is casual and inclusive, not exclusive and monogamous. In college, having a “body count” is normal. Normal is riddled with shame and regret. Normal is broken. Normal is living in guilt. Normal is unchecked and distorted desires that make us more like animals than God’s prized creation. Normal is struggling dating relationships. Normal is struggling marriages. Normal is divorced. Normal is habitual sexual sin and sexual addiction. Let’s not be normal! Let’s stop being normal, like everybody else! God made you for love—don’t settle for lust. The gospel is about freedom in Christ—don't settle for crippling addition. “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.” — Romans 12:2(NIV) Join us this week on Locker Room as we talk about a subject

If you are a parent and have kids in your home, you are passing on something to them. Whether you’ve been intentional or not, well-meaning or not, you are building a legacy. The question is, will that legacy you are giving them be good, healthy and eternal? Or is it something else? John Sampson joins Scott on the podcast this week to talk about leaving a legacy for our kids of loving God and others, and preparing them for life as an independent adult.   DISCUSSION GUIDE We started off with some fun in the podcast, which of the Chuck Norris lines did you like the most? The role of parents is, “teaching and training our kids to love God, love people, and leave home.” After hearing that, does it change your view on what it means to be a parent? A couple of acknowledgments have been made. 1. Parenting is the hardest job on the planet. 2. There are no perfect parents, no perfect children, and no perfect families. Does that reminder release any stress you have about either being a parent or potentially being a pare

Phones, technology and social media are simply tools for communication. The effects of using a tool depend on the purpose for which it is used, but the tool itself is neutral in origin. It’s similar to having a hammer. You can build something with a hammer. You can also destroy something or hurt someone. The tools are not the problem. How something is used is the problem. The same is true with social media and smartphones. In this episode we’ll discuss how to use technology appropriately and navigating when and how to introduce technology safely into the lives of your kids. Our guest on the podcast this week is Scott Harvey. Scott has 20 years of experience in law enforcement, specializing in hostage negotiations and communication. He is also a husband and girl dad, and author of the book, Silence Kills: Communication Tactics to Speak with Confidence and Build Your Influence.   DISCUSSION GUIDE What was the first cell phone you owned? What year did you get it? What did you primarily use it for? Which tool (li

Parents work really hard to be intentional when their kids are young. In those early years we teach them so much: how to walk, talk, eat, have manners, to say they're sorry, to learn to play with others, to be grateful…all these things. But the decisions our teenagers make in middle and high school have bigger consequences. The stakes are higher; the fallout greater. The decisions they make in these seven years set up their lives in college or young adulthood, and in turn can set the tone for the next forty years of their lives. So we want to do our best to take advantage of these seven years in middle and high school. In today’s episode of Locker Room, we circle up with members of Southland’s Student Ministry: Connor Hall, Casey Whitehead and Peter Sohn to talk about some of the unique challenges facing our teens as they navigate our current culture.   DISCUSSION GUIDE What were you like in your teenage years? “Parents are primary, student ministry is secondary.” What encourages you about the partnership bet

This week on Locker Room we’re kicking off a four-part series on parenting. In this first episode we are looking at raising littles: from babies up through elementary. If you’re a dad or a parent with little kids—you will find encouragement in our conversation today. Next week we'll talk about raising teenagers (middle and high school) and we’ll navigate some really relevant topics that are on the forefront of culture right now. In week 3, we’ll look at navigating parenting with smartphones and social media in a digital world. Week 4, we’ll talk about raising girls. Our guests around the table today are from our Southland Children’s team: Jason Byerly, Kelsi Collins, and Krista McCoy Tudor. Join us as we dive into the wild ride that is parenting littles! Southland also has a Parenting Podcast that you can find at southland.church/podcasts or anywhere that you get your podcasts. Scott Nickell is leading that effort—it’s a great podcast that’s really encouraging for parents. You should check it out!   DISCUSSIO

The Bible describes David as “A man after God’s own heart”, yet his life got sideways and there was a season where David lived a double life. David wasn’t the only person on the planet that has lived a hypocritical double life as a child of God. No doubt there are some of us that are currently living a double life. We may be compartmentalizing our own sin and trying to manage our own darkness while projecting a different image towards others. Our guest Alan Chan joins the podcast this week to talk about the process of overcoming past shame and embracing the transformation of walking a new path with Christ.   DISCUSSION GUIDE If you could put together the perfect fast food meal what would it be? (Ex. Entree - Chick-fil-A chicken Sandwich, Side - Arby’s curly fries, Drink - McDonald’s diet coke, dessert - Cookout Milkshake) What was your first full-time job? How did you connect with the other employees? An invite to volleyball and Thursday night dinner connected Alan to the church. Who helped you connect to the

At some point in our lives, we all have to do battle with hard things.  We’re back this week with Chris, Edgar, and Matt to share more of their stories. We’ll share stories of navigating the pain of divorce, choosing to partner with God on mission in your daily work, and the experience of walking through faith with a family member in the last steps of life. If you missed last week’s episode, be sure to check it out first and come back here for part 2. DISCUSSION GUIDE What can we as men learn from Chris as he shared how he walked through divorce and healing from that? Chris talked about how hard divorce was and how the enemy attacked him. How can men rally around other men going through this? He talked also about how he was prepared for the hard moments going into dating and marriage again. What can we learn from that preparation even in the hardest things? Chris mentioned his non-negotiables. These are super specific and deep. What challenged you about that list? “Men, we are not our vocations.” How have y

  /* Revised version with complete episode */ Each of us has a story to tell from the battles we have faced in our life. This week on the podcast, Scott sits down with three guests to share from their experiences. Chris, Edgar and Matt share their stories: fighting legalism and its ability to trip us up in our faith, stepping up as a new believer to become the spiritual leader of our home, and making a radical change of heart to quit taking grace for granted and start chasing after the things God has for us to do. -- A quick apology to our listeners: we misfired this week and released this episode incompletely. This release is an updated version with the full content! DISCUSSION GUIDE What is the worst injury you’ve ever had? Where have you served/volunteered in the church? Where have you served/volunteered outside of the church The men discussed the impact Fight Club has made on their lives. What group or team has made the biggest impact in your life? The lie of legalism uses this equation: Salvation = Jesus

Each of us has a story to tell from the battles we have faced in our life. This week on the podcast, Scott sits down with three guests to share from their experiences. Chris, Edgar and Matt share their stories: fighting legalism and its ability to trip us up in our faith, stepping up as a new believer to become the spiritual leader of our home, and making a radical change of heart to quit taking grace for granted and start chasing after the things God has for us to do.   DISCUSSION GUIDE What is the worst injury you’ve ever had? Where have you served/volunteered in the church? Where have you served/volunteered outside of the church The men discussed the impact Fight Club has made on their lives. What group or team has made the biggest impact in your life? The lie of legalism uses this equation: Salvation = Jesus + the good things I do. Why is this so dangerous? When it comes to your faith, what do you put your pride in besides Jesus? Read Galatians 2:19-21. Legalism distorts the truth of the gospel. Speak to

The wounds we receive from our parents send a message. This message is almost always a lie. When we believe that lie, it drives a channel that confuses who we are, how we communicate and how we operate as men. The effects of these wounds include low self-esteem, a deep longing, deep emotional pain inside and a performance-orientation that makes us “doers” rather than “beings.” This week on the podcast we are diving back in with our second episode in a series called Southland Men. Our guest this week, Jordan Moody joins in for a conversation about growing up in a broken home and how God can redeem the past and give us a new path to walk, going forward.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Jordan and Scott mentioned their family to all of us. Share about your family with your group. Scott helped us understand that “wounds create trauma.” What are things we can do as men to help care for our wounds or our friends' wounds? Scott also talked about how wounds from family create 2 types of trauma. 1) The absence of good things that w

This week on Locker Room we’re pressing pause in our Southland Men series for a bonus episode to make you aware of a great resource for men and families. Dave Stone, former Senior Pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky joins us on the podcast today to talk about a special story from the heart of their church family. --- NEXT STEPS  - Join a Group at southland.church/groups - Get tickets or find out more at ordinaryangels.movie - For any other questions or comments email lockerroom@southland.church    

This week on Locker Room we are kicking off a new series of episodes and we’re calling it Southland Men. Each week we will be hearing the stories of men in our church that are in the battle, recovering ground, and walking a new path. These guys are taking courageous steps, fighting both for their own lives and the lives of their families. These men are making their lives count. Up first this week is a conversation with Addison Hughes, talking about three obstacles that many of us have struggled with in our own lives: perfectionism, idolatry, and fear. DISCUSSION GUIDE: Have you ever wiped out on the ski slopes or somewhere else? How’d it happen? What group or team has made the biggest impact in your life? Why was it so valuable? Perfectionism - Do you err on the side of perfectionism or carelessness? Why do you think that is? If you wrestle with perfectionism, what type is it? Self-oriented, expectation-driven, or others-oriented? Idolatry - What things, good or bad, have been idols in your life? Which of the

We're back this week for the second part of a conversation on six core values for living as a godly man with our guests Daniel Mercer and Ian Schweitzer. In today's episode we'll hit values 3-6 and see how applying them in our lives will reinforce our identity, drive our decisions, move us towards intentionality and bless those people in our lives. If you missed part one, be sure to check it out! DISCUSSION GUIDE: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? The guys told us their “father of the year” stories, what’s yours? If you’re not a father, what is something you've seen other fathers do that can be in the “father of the year” list? The third “H” is for “honesty.” In what ways have you seen the importance of honesty in your life? What are you doing to fight for your integrity? The fourth “H” is for “humility.” What makes it hard for men to show humility well? Why is pride so dangerous for men? What are you doing to crush pride and pursue humility? The fifth “H” is for “hungry.” Are you actually hungry for G

This week we’re wrapping up our Ethos of Godly Men series on Locker Room with the first of a two-part roundtable discussion on six characteristics that are mission-critical in building the culture of godly men. DISCUSSION GUIDE What is your worst haircut story? Looking back at your past outfits in life, what clothing choice do you regret the most? What is your biggest pet peeve? The first “H” is “Holy.” As said in the episode the words “holy” and “holiness” are used over 900 times in the bible. Why do you think it’s used that many times in scripture? The Hebrew word for “Holy” is “Kodesh” and that means “separate” or “set apart.” Does learning that meaning change your definition of what Holy means? What do you need to do to pursue Holiness? The second “H” is “Harmony.” In music, harmony is so noticeable when it goes wrong but is so great when it’s done well. Do you think it’s the same way in everyday life or in community? Where in your life do you need to seek harmony? What else from this episode did you lear