Our enemy understands the power of sin: the impact it can have on our lives and those we love. He knows if he can tempt, lie and deceive us into choosing sin—anything other than God’s best—then he can send us down a path that can really destroy our lives as men and wreck the things that matter to God.

Guests Will Briggs and Matt Williams join us this week on the podcast as we look at how we can recognize the plays of the enemy, the temptations and tendencies in our own hearts, and move forward on God’s path, breaking free of the chains of habitual sin.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

What are some of the daily habits in your life? Did these parts of your day become a habit intentionally or unintentionally?

What comes to mind when you think of the term “habitual sin.” Is it a specific sin? It is a certain memory? Is it a particular feeling or emotion?

The guys talked about how no one chooses to just blow up their life one day, but that sin begins to creep into our lives in small ways. Sometimes just a “small” lie of asking for a water cup to fill up with a coke. These “small” sins are ways that the enemy can get a foothold into our lives and a foothold can easily become a stronghold where the enemy has control over our actions. What are the “small” sins that the enemy is attempting to use to pull you away from Jesus?

Share a time when you struggled with habitual sin and the freedom you now have. What is a habitual sin that you struggle with right now? Celebrate the victory and acknowledge the struggle now.

Read Romans 6:5-7. When it comes to habitual sin, what do you believe is true? The enemy tries to convince us that we will always struggle with this and that we will never be truly free. But followers of Jesus are promised that they have everything they need to overcome this sin. Who are you listening to?

The guys mention 5 keys to overcoming habitual sin. Which of these keys have you overlooked in your struggle with habitual sin that you need to implement? 

1. Practice confession and repentance daily (Hebrews 4:16 & James 5:16). 

2. Ask God for help through prayer (Psalm 121:1-2). 

3. When we become a Christ-follower, sin is no longer our master (Romans 6:6-7 & Romans 6:22). 

4. God’s Word gives us the promise of God’s help in the face of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). 

5. We leverage the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:24-25). 

“You can’t heal from what you hide.” The Bible teaches us that we do not have to hide in our sin and our shame but we can confidently come to God in our sin so that we may receive mercy and find grace. Is there a specific habitual sin that you need to confess to God and to another follower of Jesus?

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you?  What’s God asking you to do?  What does He want to give you?  What does He want you to lay down?

NEXT STEPS 

• Take 45 minutes this week to read through and reflect on Romans 6. Bring a journal and a pen and sit with the Holy Spirit as you reflect on the truth of Scripture. 

• Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• For any other questions or comments email [email protected]

This week on Locker Room we’re starting a three-part series called Breaking Chains, looking at three things that can lock us down and stop the work Jesus wants to do in us. First up is perfectionism.

Join Scott and returning guest Gary Black as we talk about some of the downsides of perfectionism and offer practical suggestions to get a handle on it, so we can step onto the path of freedom—freedom from self-imposed guilt, needless anxiety, unnecessary pressure, and the many compulsions associated with perfectionism that can drain the joy from our lives.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Who was your favorite teacher growing up? What made them so great?

Has anyone made an impact on your life that you only met once? Who was it and what impact did it have?

What comes to mind when you hear the word “perfectionism”? Is that something you struggle with? Or are you on the other side and no one would ever call you a perfectionist?

The Dangers of Perfectionism: It destroys your initiative. It damages relationships. It destroys happiness. It leads to a rules-dominated life. It leads to constant over-analysis and fear-based decisions. Which of these dangers have you witnessed from your life or those around you?

Action Step 1: Admit you have a problem. Read Psalm 32:1-5. Is there a problem of perfectionism you need to admit today? Or anything else you need to confess?

Action Step 2: Stop demanding perfection from others. Read 1 John 1:8. No one is perfect, including you! Where do you find yourself demanding perfection from others? (Friends, coworkers, kids, wife, etc). How can you release them from those demands?

Action Step 3: Develop a realistic awareness of God’s love. Read Romans 8:38-39. Do you really believe God the Father has adopted you and loves you unconditionally? Even in the highs and lows? What does it look like to “relax and enjoy God’s love” as Gary says?

Action Step 4: Go out of your way to love others. Read Colossians 3:12-14. Who are you serving in life? Where are you serving? Where are you living out what Paul calls us to in this passage?

The best time to change is now. What will you change today to start becoming who you want to be tomorrow?

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you?  What’s God asking you to do?  What does He want to give you?  What does He want you to lay down?

NEXT STEPS 

• Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• For any other questions or comments email [email protected]

The words we speak should reflect a heart transformed by God.

Grace and truth should drive us in our conversations, whether it be with our wives, our kids, our friends, people at church, people at work, people that don’t believe what we believe, and those who aren’t fans of Christianity at all. Grace and truth, in every conversation.

Our special guests this week are two of Southland’s elders, Rob Campbell and Rob Workman.

Join us as we dive into how to speak life with our words.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

What is something you learned from the guys as they talked about the ways other men have invested in them and how they’re investing in their marriages & their kids?

Scott mentions a number of times in the Bible where the words that are said have power. God speaks creation into existence. Jesus literally speaks life into Lazarus. Jesus speaks the words “Be still!” and a storm ceases. What do these passages say about the importance of words?

Read Matthew 12:36-37. What is Jesus saying about the impact our words have?

Has there been a moment when someone has spoken life into you?

Scott and the guys talked through 4 points of how we can be better at using our words to speak life. Below are some thoughts and questions to reflect on each of these points:

(1) Bring grace and truth into every conversation.

One of the best things we can do to gauge how we use our words is to ask someone close to us what they think of the language we use. Who can you ask this week? What do you imagine they would say?

(2) Using our words to talk to people about Jesus through telling your story.

Vulnerability and authenticity lead to curiosity. When we’re talking to people who don’t follow Jesus, two of the best ways to reflect the love of Jesus to them are to be vulnerable and authentic. Is it easy for you to do these two things? What can you do to be more vulnerable or more authentic in your relationships with people?

(3) Own it when you mess up.

Who do you need to have a conversation with to own a way that you’ve messed up? Is there someone at work? Your wife? One of your kids?

If you never apologize, you cannot expect other people to apologize to you. You need to own it and take the first step in order to set the culture.

(4) Express gratitude, appreciation, and encouragement.

Encouragement means to breathe courage into people. It is easy to forget what is true. Who is one person in your life you can encourage by telling them you are thankful for or proud of them? What can you tell your wife to remind her that you love her and want to serve her? What can you tell your kid to remind them that you are proud of them? What can you tell a friend to show them you’re thankful for them?

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you?  What’s God asking you to do?  What does He want to give you?  What does He want you to lay down?

NEXT STEPS 

• Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• For any other questions or comments email [email protected]

This week on the podcast we’ve invited returning guests Jason Byerly and Kevin Comp to kick off a two-part series called Watch Your Mouth. Even though this series is short, be prepared for it to get into your business and step on your toes.

Today’s episode is about the power of our words—an area that all of us men need to work on.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

The Super Bowl is just a week away. Who are you picking to win? Who will be the MVP? Is the NFL rigged

Three important Questions: What did you learn from Kevin & Jason about how they are investing in their marriages & kids and the men that made an impact in their lives?

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Watch your mouth”? Share a story of when your words got you into trouble.

Read Luke 6:45. What would you say your heart is full of based on what comes out of your mouth?

Read James 3:1-12. How have you seen words set things on fire and cause destruction? Why do you think man cannot tame his tongue? If this is impossible for man, what are we to do?

What areas of leadership do you carry? How have you been utilizing your words in these spaces? What did you take from the challenge of Kevin and Jason?

Talk through these Biblical principles. Which of these principles do you need to apply to your life now to watch your mouth? 

• Repent, Confess, Let Jesus be Lord of this area of your life. (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:8-9, Psalm 81:13-14)

• Acknowledge the wounds that have come from those who have hurt you and ask God for healing. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

• Apply God’s Word and partner with the Holy Spirit. (Romans 12:2, Galatians 5:22-25)

• Do something drastic. Limit, eliminate or take a time out from things that are working against you. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

• Surround Yourself with Men who are on the same journey. (Proverbs 13:20)

• Praying God’s Word in our lives. (James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:29)

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you?  What’s God asking you to do?  What does He want to give you?  What does He want you to lay down?

NEXT STEPS 

• Join Fit to Fight in Georgetown

• Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• For any other questions or comments email [email protected]

Every day we have to choose between comfort or growth. Comfort may be the American Dream, but it’s not God’s heart for us. God calls us to grow, and grow up. We have to take risks, step out on faith and trust Him if we’re going to become the men He created us to be.

This week we are looking at a story found in Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John 6. It’s the account of Jesus walking on water and Peter asking Jesus to call him out to walk on the water too. Join us as Scott and our guests, Ian and Ariea break down what it looks like to push through fear and step out on faith.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Winter has been in full swing the past couple weeks. What are your thoughts on the winter season? Do you love the cold and the snow? Do you hate it because scraping off your car in the morning is annoying? Are you somewhere in between?

What is one way you’ve been winning this past week? This could be in your marriage, with your kids, with your career, or any other part of your life.

Read Matthew 14:22-32. Is there anything from this passage that sticks out to you? What does this passage say about who Jesus is? What does this passage say about how we should respond to Jesus?

When Jesus says “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” what comes to mind? Our relationship with Jesus is one where we can come to him no matter how we have fallen short or how much we have failed. Do you believe that to be true?

Read Matthew 14:29. Take a moment and imagine you are one of the disciples sitting in the boat. You see this figure walking out towards you. You hear this figure tell you to not be afraid. Then you see Peter step out of the boat and onto the water. Then you see Peter WALKING on the water towards Jesus. What would your initial reaction be? What would you be feeling?

Where in your life do you need to trust Jesus? What circumstances in your life have the chance to get in the way of keeping your eyes on Jesus? Is there anything you can be doing to best set yourself up to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus even when these circumstances come up?

As Christian, we are called to treat others as Jesus has treated us. Is there anyone in your life you need to treat with the same tenderness as Jesus treated Peter? Is there anyone you need to ask forgiveness from because you have treated them without tenderness?

Which of these applications that Scott mentioned stood out to you the most? Which of these are hardest for you to run after? 

  (1) Taking risks are necessary for growth. 

  (2) Faith in God is crucial. 

  (3) Failure is not the end. 

   (4) Overcoming fear is essential. 

  (5) Stepping out in obedience leads to life change and missional impact.

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you?  What’s God asking you to do?  What does He want to give you?  What does He want you to lay down?

RESOURCES

• If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got To Get Out of the Boat, John Ortberg.

• Oceans, Hillsong UNITED

NEXT STEPS 

• Join Fight Club in Danville

• Register for the Pre-marriage Workshop at southland.church/marriage

• Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• For any other questions or comments email [email protected]

Sometimes when we bring our pain and circumstances before God—if we don’t see results or quick fixes to our lives instantaneously—we just give up. Or we forget that we’ve journeyed off the path for years or even decades and we think we can microwave it and just instantly be better, healed or whole.

Jesus isn’t looking for you to give him the one thing that’s keeping you up at night—He wants you. He wants everything. He wants your heart. He wants all of you. He wants to build our faith. He wants to build our relationship with Him.

This week on the podcast, Scott sits down with our guests Mike Allen and Neil Gregory to unpack a conversation Jesus had with a man at a pool, when he asked, “Do you want to get well?”

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Did you grow up going to the pool? What comes to mind when someone says “Let’s go to the pool?” Share any good pool stories you have.

Read John 5:1-15. What stands out to you about how Jesus interacts with this paralyzed man?

What came to mind when the guys were discussing the prosperity gospel and churches that lean too heavily on supernatural healings & miracles? Do you have any experience with this?

How would you feel if you or someone you loved was sick for 38 years? Have there been any moments in your life where you felt stuck, hopeless, or frustrated at God like this?

Jesus asks this man “Do you want to get well?” When have you tried to “get well” in the wrong ways? When have you given up on “getting well” too easily? Is there something you need to do to “get well” that you have been unwilling to do?

What circumstances has Jesus called you up out of to get you where you are today?

What is Jesus telling you to “Get Up” from in your life right now? What do you need to heal from that can only come from God’s power?

Do you follow Jesus and have the power of the Holy Spirit? If yes, how can you listen to the Holy Spirit and what he is convicting you of? If not, what is holding you back?

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you?  What’s God asking you to do?  What does He want to give you?  What does He want you to lay down?

NEXT STEPS 

• Join Fight Club in Danville

• Register for the Pre-marriage Workshop at southland.church/marriage

• Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• For any other questions or comments email [email protected]

Welcome back to Locker Room! We’re kicking off Season 14 with a series called Encounters with Jesus. We’ll be zeroing in on some cool moments Jesus had with different people in the gospels. We’ll learn about who Jesus is, the mission he’s on and gain practical insight on who we are as men, and how we are called to live our lives.

The first encounter we’re looking at is described in Mark chapter 2, when Jesus was moved by the faith of four men who acted by any means necessary to get their paralyzed friend in close proximity to him so he might be healed. Join us this week for Encounters with Jesus: Through the Roof.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

What were some highs and lows of your Christmas season? What were the best parts? What were the worst parts?

For all the new Locker Room groups, how have you been involved with Southland? Have you gone through Fight Club? Are you part of a serving team? Do you attend Sunday mornings with your family?

Read Mark 2:1-12 with your group. Stop after each verse and discuss anything that catches your attention. What does this verse say about Jesus? What does this verse say about you? Is there anything that we can apply from this verse?

“Sometimes Jesus gives us what we need before he gives us what we want.” Presence before joy. Grace before freedom. Hard conversations before a healed relationship. Are there any ways in your life right now that Jesus is giving you what you need rather than what you want?

Jesus forgives sin. This is one of the most important messages of the Bible. Jesus has the ability to forgive sins because he is God and because he was the one who took the punishment of our sins when he went to the cross. What sins do I need to bring to Jesus and be forgiven of?

Imagine how the crowd reacted to this interaction between the paralyzed man and Jesus. How would you have reacted if you saw this interaction?

Make no mistake, the greatest miracle in this story is that this man received salvation. Have you received the salvation that Jesus offers? If so, tell your group the story of how you came to know Jesus.

How do you view the interruptions in your day? Do you find them frustrating? Are you listening for the Holy Spirit in your day to day in order to love people like Jesus loves?

Do you want Jesus to be moved by your faith? What about your faith do you need to be more intentional about? Is it the way you parent your kids? Is it the time you spend in the Word before anything else? Is it the way you intentionally spend time with your wife?

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you?  What’s God asking you to do?  What does He want to give you?  What does He want you to lay down?

NEXT STEPS 

• Groups kick off January 17th. Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• Start a Locker Room Group.

• Sign up for Fight Club at the Danville Campus - starting Monday January 20, 7-9pm.

• Sign up for the Marriage Workshop, March 7-8 at the Lexington Campus. 

• For any other questions or comments email [email protected]

We've just wrapped up Season 13 of Locker Room, but we wanted to bring you four bonus episodes from our Men's Retreat in October. We've had a lot of guys talking about it, and a lot of men who couldn't be there. We've released one each week to remind our men who attended, and to share with those who couldn't be there.

This message was from the final session of the retreat, and is called Declare War and Fight.

Locker Room will be back in the new year for season 14 on January 17.

We've just wrapped up Season 13 of Locker Room, but we wanted to bring you four bonus episodes from our Men's Retreat in October. We've had a lot of guys talking about it, and a lot of men who couldn't be there. We're releasing one each week to remind our men who attended, and to share with those who couldn't be there.

This message was from the third session of the retreat, and is called There Will Be Blood.

Locker Room will be back in the new year for season 14 on January 17.

We've just wrapped up Season 13 of Locker Room, but we wanted to bring you four bonus episodes from our Men's Retreat in October. We've had a lot of guys talking about it, and a lot of men who couldn't be there. We're releasing one each week to remind our men who attended, and to share with those who couldn't be there.

This message was from the second session of the retreat, and is called Warrior King.

Locker Room will be back in the new year for season 14 on January 17.