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  /* 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

Tell Me More Takes Over Locker Room This week on the podcast, we’re joined by Jessica McKenney, Sarah Hopkins and Lydia Florence—the three hosts of our women’s podcast, Tell Me More—to talk about the Ethos of Godly Men from their perspective. We’ll discuss the influence of men and fathers in women’s lives, and the picture of a man’s identity in Jesus. We’ll also take a look at some of the patterns they are seeing in men in today’s culture and provide encouragement to men who are in the fight, following Jesus on mission.   DISCUSSION GUIDE What women have made the biggest impact in your life? How have they shaped who you are today? The Tell Me More crew mentioned they have time for Hot Takes in their podcast. What’s a hot take you have (an opinion that may not be popular)? We have a man problem in our world. The brokenness in our world primarily comes from an absent man or a broken man. How have you seen this be true in your life? Where have you contributed to this brokenness? The women talked about their rela

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” John 1:14(NIV) In God's Word we have the blueprint for what it means to be a Godly man in our Leader and King, Jesus. When we read the gospels, we’re not just looking at what Jesus says and the things He did. We want to look at how Jesus handles hard times and difficult people. In this episode we’ll look at how Jesus responds, what He does, how He uses His words and how He treats those who love Him and those that hate Him. We want to challenge you to pay attention to the rhythms that Jesus creates: being with His Father, and then living His life on mission with passion and purpose.   DISCUSSION GUIDE: Have you ever trained for a race or event? What was that process like? Add on to what the Scotts’ favorites were in this episode. What’s your favorite movie? What was your first concert? What’s your favorite kind of music? Who’s your favorite athlete? In a world where men are expected to shove emotions down, what does it look like to ask the question “am I

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.” — Jesus; John 15:18(NLT) If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. — 1 Peter 4:14(NLT) Scott Nickell joins us this week on the podcast for an extended conversation on one of the biggest challenges we face today as followers of Jesus: how do we navigate in the rough waters of a culture and nation that is increasingly and actively resistant to us and our faith?   DISCUSSION GUIDE What’s the craziest experience you’ve had as an away team player/fan? What makes being in an environment away from home so difficult? Do you think you would handle it well? Arguably the most controversial verse in the bible to say in today’s culture is John 14:6 where Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” How does this statement help us as Christ followers in conversations with others? Scott Nickell said, “If we are going to be hated,

Developing a healthy, intentional ethos (culture and characteristics) as a Godly man is critical. It’s about building disciplines that drive us to deeper places, move us closer to Jesus, and infuse purpose back into our lives. On today's episode we will dive into 3 things that should be non-negotiables for us as men. DISCUSSION GUIDE : Are you a person who sets goals/resolutions? What goals have you set for yourself recently? How has it been going for you? Share a funny story of when you gave up on a goal way too quickly. Challenge 1: Pursue Jesus Daily - What does it look like for you to follow Jesus on a day-to-day basis? Does reading come naturally to you? How often are you actually in God’s Word? Would you like your time reading the Bible to look different? How so? Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 & Hebrews 12:4. Based on these scriptures, why is it so valuable to be reading the Bible? If you don’t have a daily Bible reading rhythm make one now. Take a few minutes now to discuss a plan to read daily and togethe

There isn't a tougher job on the planet than parenting! At the same time, there are a ton of voices speaking into how to do it. We are releasing a new podcast for parents that focuses first on the heart of the parent because at the end of the day, you can't give what you don't have. We want so many things for our kids, but often what matters most when it comes to our parenting is the condition of our own hearts. That's what our new podcast is all about. This first episode is published here on the Locker Room podcast feed. To subscribe to future episodes, find, "Parenting - a Southland.Church podcast" on your favorite podcast platform, or listen on our website at https://southland.church/podcasts -- Episode 1: Parenting Begins in Our Hearts The most influential thing on the hearts of our children—for good or for bad—is the state of our own hearts and what comes out of us. We have all been influenced by our own individual experiences growing up. Some of us only had one parent around. Some of us didn’t have a st

If you are a Christian, you are playing an away game. There was a day when the church was a predominant influence in culture. Not anymore. In the U.S. the church has lost influence in our communities and been pushed out to the margins, and Christ-followers are no longer warmly met, but now face vitriol and resistance.  But this is nothing new. In this episode of Locker Room Scott and returning guest Kevin Comp sit down to look back into history to a time when a group of young men who followed the Lord were faced with an ultimate test of faith versus a culture that wanted nothing to do with God. Discussion Guide: Which option would you pick between truth or dare? Why?      Describe a time when you saw someone do something courageous. Where did their strength come from? What effect did their courage have on you?   Read Daniel 1:1-21. The first chapter of the book of Daniel provides context for the type of character and courage Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) possess

Eradicate Passivity | Locker Room

Our guest on this episode of Locker Room is Kevin Wirfel. Kevin and his wife Cheryl lost their son Nathan to suicide on April 9, 2021. In this conversation, Kevin shares about the profound grief they walked through as a family wrestling with this devastating loss. Kevin talks about struggles and warning signs in Nathan’s life; things we should be watching for as parents, and in the lives of our loved ones. Nearly every person that you lock eyes with has someone they care about who has either contemplated or attempted suicide, or knows someone who has taken their own life. People we come in contact with every day may be struggling themselves too. Even you who are reading this may feel trapped or hopeless too. We all need to know there is no shame in getting help and we don’t have to live on an island. Our enemy wants us to feel like we are all alone and have no hope. Don’t believe it. All we have to do is just take a step. The Suicide & Crisis hotline: 988. It’s a 24-hour hotline where someone is always av

God’s heart is to move us toward the deeper places that strengthen our faith and trust in Him, and the main way that happens is through prayer. Prayer can seem like a bit of a mystery. But in reality it's a conversation between our heart and the heart of God. Becoming intentional in our prayer life is something every man should lean into, because the stakes are too high if we don't. Join us on this episode of Locker Room as Scott sits down with Matt Williams to talk about how we can be intentional with our prayer. -- Discussion Guide Who was the first person you ever heard pray (E.g. family member, coach, teammate, character in a movie or TV show, etc.)? What do you remember about their prayer? In your own words, what does it mean to pray? What’s the importance of prayer? How would you describe your attitude towards prayer? Have you ever had a situation that drove you to pray earnestly to God? If so, what were the circumstances? Read Matthew 6:5-8. The phrase “when you pray…” is repeated three times in this p

In this episode of Locker Room, we are focusing on communication in marriage. Communication is critical.  It fuels our intimacy, allows us to be fully loving & be fully loved, fully knowing & being fully known.  Communication strengthens our relationships, and it’s what keeps vision and mission central in our marriage. We may be great at communication with our spouse or we may have a lot of work to do in this area, but with God’s help we can all improve.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Who is a communicator that you admire? What do you admire about them? How would you describe your communication style? How is it consistent or different depending on the context? When has ineffective communication cost you something? How did you respond? Read Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 15:1-2, and Proverbs 16:24. Healthy communication is vital to any relationship. The book of Proverbs has several verses that remind us to be wise with our words. Who models this well in your sphere of influence? What specific examples or situations come

Picking up from last week, Scott and Nate continue into specifics on how we as dads build into the relationships with our kids, and how to be an example of what being a godly man looks like. We’ll talk about listening well and how we can ask good questions. We’ll also talk about how to start the discipline of praying for and encouraging our children regularly.   Discussion Guide:  Who’s one of your favorite TV dads? Why are they one of your favorites?  In your opinion, what are 2-3 of the most important attributes of a father or father-like figure? Why did you select these?  Read Matthew 11:28-30. This passage is the only place in Scripture where Jesus explicitly says what His heart is like — gentle and lowly. What does it mean to be approachable? What does it mean to be understanding? Why is this important for the way we interact and engage with kids? Read Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 6:9, and 1 John 3:1. God is referred to as Father over 10 times in the Old Testament and over 150 times in the New Testament.

The most important mark that we leave on this world is the mark we leave on our kids. Raising children is important and it’s a big part of our role as men as we lead our homes. In this episode of Locker Room, Scott starts a conversation with Nate Head, who along with his wife Stefany is raising two young men. Even if you don’t have sons, you are a man, and today’s episode might help you think about how you were raised. If you are raising girls, a lot of this conversation can be transferable for us as dads, as long as we contextualize our situation.   Discussion Guide:  Share one of your favorite dad jokes.  What’s one of your fondest memories from your childhood? Why did you choose this specific memory?  The phrase “Boys will be boys…” is periodically quoted throughout our lives. What comes to mind when you hear or see this? What are certain attributes or qualities about boys that make them uniquely different from girls?  The books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel as well as some of the Psalms highlight diff

Adoption is the highest privilege that the gospel offers.‘Father’ is the Christian name for God., and our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption. All of us have been adopted into God’s family when we follow Jesus. Eric is back this week with Scott to talk about how adoption has become a part of each of their own family’s story. _______ If you had to choose between listening to a story or reading a story, which would you choose? Why?  What’s a pivotal choice you’ve made that you’ve never regretted? What led you to make this decision?  Eric and Scott mentioned that adoption is a key theme throughout the pages of Scripture (see Exodus 2, 1 Samuel 1, the Gospels). In your own words, how would you describe what it means to be chosen? How has adoption directly or indirectly impacted you?   Read Luke 4:28-29, John 6:63-67, and Luke 23:13-25. Arguably, the opposite of being chosen is being rejected. These verses highlight how Jesus experienced rejection. When have you deal