Southside Baptist Church Podcast

It has been over 2,000 years since the earthly ministry of Jesus, and yet, He is still the single most well-known individual in human history. The enormous ripple effects of His life, death, and resurrection have washed over successive generations and have expanded across the planet. Join us for the final message in Ripple Effects where we explore how Jesus’ followers can continue to make waves for generations to come.  

Initiation rites are a part of many organizations and institutions. For example, a wedding is a kind of initiation rite into marriage. People joining sororities or fraternities often participate in a selection and initiation process known as “rush.” Every president of the United States has stood with his hand on a Bible and sworn an oath of office that signifies his initiation into the presidency. Join us for part three of Ripple Effects to learn how baptism is a sign of our adoption and a beautiful initiation into the family of God. 

Belief is important, but belief alone is not evidence that someone is actively walking with Jesus. The ritual of baptism is, therefore, more than a sign of believing, it is also a tangible sign of a person’s willingness to follow Jesus in acts of obedience. Join us for part two of Ripple Effects where we explore the differences between a religious ritual and a life changing encounter with God.

A watermark is a faint design embedded in some papers and is used for branding, as a mark of authenticity and a sign of quality. Look closely at the currency in your wallet and you will find a watermark that ensures that what you hold is real and will be backed by the government. Throughout the ministry of Jesus and the history of the church, Baptism has been the watermark of a true disciple. Join us for week one of Ripple Effects where we learn how Jesus lead the way into the waters of baptism.

When we accept God’s love for us, we are still faced with the question: Why would a loving God allow bad things to happen? One answer might be that He is not able to stop them. But the very idea that God is not able is incompatible with the very existence of God. There is a difference between being able to do something and a willingness to do it. Most people are far more capable than they are willing. This must also be true of God. Join us for the final message in Questioning Jesus, where we see the evidence of His ability, the effect of His humility, and the consequences of His call. 

Critics of religion often say that if there is a god, he cannot be both all-powerful and all loving. An all-loving God would not allow the terrible suffering we see in the world, and an all-powerful God would surely be able to stop it. Therefore, God is either not all-powerful, not all-loving, or simply doesn’t exist at all. Join us for part two of Questioning Jesus as we hear His own disciples ask, “Jesus, don’t you care?” 

Discouragement and disappointment often lead to serious questions about the character and nature of God. Even Jesus’ greatest advocate faced a moment of significant doubt as he was confronted with his own death. Join us for part one of Questioning Jesus as we hear John the Baptist ask Jesus, “Are You the One or should we be looking for another?” 

A collaboration between the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board, Send Relief is here to help you make a difference in your community and the world around you — because compassion ministry opens doors to the gospel.Sharing the love of Jesus is central to everything we do at Send Relief. Whether it’s responding to natural disasters, caring for refugees and displaced families, fighting human trafficking at home and abroad, supporting adoption and foster care efforts and strengthening communities facing economic and physical crises, our goal is the same.With your help, we have raised millions of dollars to serve vulnerable people across the globe. By equipping you and your church at ministry centers and working with international partners, you help bring the hope of the gospel to dozens of countries, and, because of your generosity, hundreds of community development projects are completed every year.But the need is still great! Pray, give, and serve alongside us to reach the nations with

The Great Commission was given to Jesus' followers to share God's love to the entire world. That would be a BIG dream or goal. It can seem even more daunting because the Great Commission is actually a command to achieve. How is that possible? Where do I begin? Join us in a one-off message on how Paul modeled for us a way to make disciples of all nations in Romans 10.

How would you finish this statement, “A woman’s place is ______________”? Depending on when this is asked, who answers, and the culture in which the conversation takes place, there is no limit to the number of possible responses. But the very idea that there is a “place” for women is something Jesus challenged in one of His most revealing comments about women and their role in His movement. Join us for the final message in Glass Ceilings, where we see what happened when a woman entered the circle of Jesus’ male disciples. 

Ancient historical documents contain little information about or by women. Because of this, it can be difficult to develop an accurate picture of women throughout much of human history. One startling exception is the Bible which contains numerous pictures of women in the ancient world. Luke, a first-century physician and historian, was especially committed to recording the names and stories of women in the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Join us for part four of Glass Ceilings where we consider the group of women who ministered with and to Jesus. 

Cultures throughout history have always had specific social hierarchies. Still today, there are groups and classes of people who benefit from simply being born into a certain family or because of the language they speak or the color of their skin or because of their gender. But Jesus consistently leveled the playing field by recognizing the faith and value of all people. Join us for part three of Glass Ceilings where we will see Jesus’ response to the interruption of a desperate woman. 

Since the time of Adam and Eve, there have been obvious double standards for men and women in almost every area of life. Luke frequently pairs stories of men and women together to highlight Jesus’ love and mission to redeem all of God’s creation. Join us for part two of Glass Ceilings where we see how the response of a Roman Centurion and a prostitute demonstrate Jesus’ radical grace and His universal offer of salvation for everyone regardless of who they are or what they’ve done.  

There is a special connection between mothers and sons. As Jesus encountered a grieving mother in the town of Nain, He performed one of His most miraculous signs by raising the widow’s dead son. This not only brought the son back to life, it rescued this poor woman from a life of certain destitution. It’s not hard to imagine Jesus envisioning His own mother on the day of His crucifixion as He responds compassionately to this hopless widow. Join us for the first sermon in the Glass Ceilings series as we consider Jesus’ compassion for the least of these and how His actions should set a pattern for our lives today. 

It has been said that everything we really need to know in life was taught in kindergarten. The basic fundamentals of being human are so simple a child can understand them, yet so profound that we spend our entire lives trying to live them out. Jesus’ directions for how to be human are shockingly simple, abundantly clear, incredibly memorable and profoundly practical. But even after more than 2000 years, Jesus’ directions are still rarely applied. G.K. Chesterson put it best, “The Christian faith has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” Join us for the final part of How to Be Human where we will explore Jesus’ four fundamental rules for being human.  

Part of what makes “human-ing” so hard is that we have to do it with other humans. The world teaches that the best way to deal with other people is to respect their humanity by not doing to them what we wouldn’t want them to do to us. In fact, this is the basic principle of the modern justice system and our basic concept of human rights. But a world built solely on what we “don’t” do is not a very compassionate world. Jesus’ most radical instruction for being human is perhaps His simplest, most known, and yet most difficult command. Join us for part three of How to Be Human where we learn the secret of dealing with other humans. 

#Blessed has become synonymous with material wealth and personal wellbeing. Even the sincerest believer will describe financial security, health, and a good reputation as “a blessing.” But Jesus’ definition of blessings and curses are very different from what people describe as blessings today. Join us for part two of How to be Human as we explore Jesus’ counterintuitive instructions for living our blest life now and later. 

Medical science has concluded that a lack of sufficient rest can be responsible for everything from heart disease to certain types of cancer. The Bible was way ahead of medical science. Embedded in the earliest pages of the Old Testament, the Creator invites His creation to take a day off every week. By the time Jesus came on the scene, religion had weaponized this gift and made it a burden. Join us for part one of How to be Human as we consider Jesus’ instructions on how to live in rhythm with God and His creation. 

There is a shadow of doubt over almost every aspect of our lives. From economic uncertainty and political instability to questions about environmental sustainability and global health, we are regularly confronted with conflicting theories about what to believe and how we should respond. At the end of the day, every choice we make requires a measure of faith. The question is not whether or not we have faith, but in what or whom we will place our faith. Join us on Easter Sunday morning as we see how an empty tomb transforms our doubts into hope and gives us a faith that goes beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

Even as Jesus was dying on the cross, He proved to be a friend to sinners. Jesus was crucified between two other men who had also been condemned to die. Both of these men were guilty. Both had been convicted. Both men would be dead within a few hours and both men were in close proximity to Jesus. But only one would accept Jesus’ offer of friendship. Join us for part five of Jesus Friend of Sinners as we consider Jesus' universal offer of friendship and what it means for us to accept that offer.