Southside Baptist Church Podcast

We love surprise endings. From the revelation of Darth Vader’s true identity to the shocking ending of The Sixth Sense, Hollywood has made a fortune blowing the minds of moviegoers. While the end of John’s first letter isn’t the script for any major Hollywood motion picture, it can have the same effect on its reader. Join us for the conclusion of 1 John where we learn the secret to understanding God, our true identity, and living life in Christ.

Some people say we are living in the “age of skepticism.” From social media spin doctors to outright fake news, there are certainly many reasons to be skeptical. How do you distinguish those who use religion and faith to manipulate and mislead from those who are proclaiming the truth? This is not a new problem for the Church. From the very beginning of the Christian faith, there have been those who have distorted and perverted the teachings of Jesus. Jesus Himself warned His followers about “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” The Apostle John wants a new generation of Jesus’ followers to know the difference.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” We gaze into mirrors to see the reflection of the only face we cannot see directly – our own! Some are fascinated with their own reflection (Narcissus), some play the comparison game (Snow White’s evil queen), and some avoid self-reflection all together. As followers of Jesus we are called to be transformed into the image of Christ, but how, exactly, does that happen and what does it look like? Join us for week three of Love Letters where we discover the importance of reflecting on the person we want to become a reflection of.

John is calling the Church to walk and live in the light and love of Jesus Christ, so they can witness to the world and help bring them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. John calls his community not to sin but lets them know if they do, there is grace. However, the goal is not to sin. John lets us know that the only way to live in the light of Christ is by being in Christ. If we are in Christ, we will be obedient, will not hate our neighbor, and will not love the world. This is a mirror for the church to hold to our faith to see if we are in Christ, not a litmus test for the world.   

How do we know what we know? This may seem like a simple question, but it is one with which philosophers and theologians have wrestled for centuries. It is even more complicated when we talk about things like faith and spirituality. John wanted to assure his readers that what they believed about Jesus was true. As one of the last living witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection, he was uniquely qualified to offer that assurance. Join us for part 1 of Love Letters as we take a look at chapter 1 of First John to meet the messenger, hear the message, and learn why it matters.

Jesus said to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers to the field” – the “field” was the mass of humanity – the city – that was coming toward Him. Later, Jesus wept as He overlooked the city of Jerusalem, before issuing His final directive to His disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Join us as Pastor Gary shares three major changes we must make if we are going to be a church that is For the City.

The thought of impacting the city can seem overwhelming. Rather than allowing the size of the task to paralyze us, we must recognize that the city begins when we cross the threshold of our house. We change the city by doing for one what we wish we could do for all. The person you stand behind in the line at the coffee shop or the cashier who serves you at the grocery store may be a person in whom God is doing a deep and important work. Following Jesus means joining Him in the work He is already doing. In part seven of For the City, we will see how Jesus applied this principle and how His simple encounter with one person changed an entire community.

Being in the city comes with unique opportunities and challenges. Jesus called His followers to be salt and light. How are believers called to influence the city by standing out in it? Join us for part six of For the City where we will explore a famous Bible story about three young men made the risky decision to stand up against the culture of their city.

It is often said that Christians are to “be in the world, but not of it,” but what, exactly does that mean? How immersed in culture should Jesus’ followers be? How effective would we be if we completely isolated and insulted ourselves from the culture around us? Would we stand out as salt and light if we completely embraced culture? Join us for part five of For the City where we explore God’s directions to the Babylonian exiles and consider what we might learn about relating to our own city.

When the Apostle Paul went to Athens, he was entering one of the largest most influential cities of his time. As he looked around that impressive city, his heart was broken by the lostness of the people. But believing God had called him there to share the gospel, Paul engaged the philosophers and city leaders, challenging their world view and inviting them to rethink their concept of God. As our own city grows and changes, we must ask ourselves if we are prepared to approach Jacksonville the way Paul approached Athens. We can choose to ignore what’s happening in our city. We can become isolated and resist the changes, or we can embrace these changes as being from God. How can we expect non-believers to change their hearts and minds if we are unable to change our hearts and minds to embrace them?

Have you ever felt a holy discontent? That sense that things could and should be different? This divine displeasure will either move us to action or cause us to grow callous and blind to the needs around us. When Nehemiah was confronted with the living conditions of the people living in Jerusalem, he was moved to act and rushed toward the city. Join us for part three of For the City where we will learn how moving toward the needs of our community will bring us nearer to the heart of God.

When God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, he responded by running in the opposite direction. God’s call always leads to a crisis of belief that requires faith and obedience. We cannot stay where we are and go with God. Join us for part two of For the City where we explore the challenge of answering God’s call and our temptation to run in the opposite direction to a place of comfort and security.