Southside Baptist Church Podcast

Depending on how you count it, the Apostle Paul was arrested, tried and imprisoned anywhere between 3 to 5 times. Paul’s determination in the face of opposition is remarkable. Where did Paul gain the strength to endure so much persecution and suffering and what does his example teach us today? Join us for part eleven of Journey to the Ends of the Earth, as we consider what it means to be captive to the call of Christ.

Oftentimes, we ask the Lord for guidance when we have already made our own itinerary. We pack what we believe is important, set our own expectations, and establish our personal measures for success. In part ten of Journey to the Center of the Earth we look at what things we must set aside to truly embrace God’s direction as we cling to the essentials.

In part nine of our series, Journey to the Ends of the Earth, we look at the way in which we should challenge cultural idols while still maintaining an individual faith built on the truth of Jesus.

As a good Jew, Paul woke up every morning and prayed a traditional Hebrew prayer that went something like this, "God, I thank You that You have not made me a Gentile, a slave, or a woman..." Ironically, the first three converts in the city of Philippi were, a wealthy woman, a poor slave girl, and a Gentile prison guard. Join us for Part Six of Journey to the Ends of the Earth, where Pastor Gary explores how the Gospel blows down social barriers and welcomes those some may be tempted to overlook.

Paul was not only a prolific church planter and evangelist, he invested deeply in the lives of younger men whom he would put in charge as pastors of the churches he was planting. The church in America is facing a crisis of leadership. Only three out of ten pastors will “finish well,” meaning that seven will wither burn out or fail out of ministry prior to retirement age. Clearly, we need individuals like Paul who will invest in young leaders and equip them for the long haul of ministry. In Part Seven of Journey to the Ends of the Earth, we will learn how Paul invested in the lives of young leaders and hear about an exciting new ministry initiative called the Center for Pastoral Resilience.

The road of life is full of unexpected twists and turns. How we respond to those unforeseen detours says a lot about our faith. The Apostle Paul’s journey was certainly full of a lot of unanticipated diversions. Beginning with the Road to Damascus, Paul was constantly changing course, but rather than growing discouraged, Paul’s faith seemed to deepen with each change. What did Paul know that we need to understand as we face the unimaginable bends in the road ahead? Join us for part six of Journey to the Ends of the Earth, as Pastor Gary tries to answer the question, “What do you do when the circumstances of life take an unexpected turn?”

Do you ever feel like someone keeps moving the goal post? You thought you understood what you had to do, how far you had to go, how much you had to pay, only to discover that more was required? Many of the early Gentiles Christians must have felt this way. Paul had told them that Jesus had accomplished everything required for their salvation. But other religious leaders came along and told them that they also had to follow a long list of Jewish customs and laws. From the very beginning, the church was faced with the cancer of legalism. Join us for a message by Pastor Gary looking at the events of Acts 15 and how those events signal the end of legalism and religion as we know it.

Throughout time and in every culture, there is evidence that humans have always sought out heroes. From the mythical gods of the Greeks and the Romans to the sports and entertainment stars of modern America, people are constantly seeking and making heroes to worship. In part four of Journey to the Ends of the Earth we see this principle at work as a crowd of gentiles try to make Paul and Barnabas their gods. In this message Pastor Gary explores why we have this universal longing and how it points us to Jesus.

The church in Antioch was the first church to give Paul a significant leadership position, it was also the church that sent Paul on his first missionary journey, a journey that would lead to churches springing up throughout the entire Roman Empire. This was a church that truly changed the world! Join us for week three of Journey to the Ends of the Earth as Pastor Gary explores six characteristics of a church that changes the world.

Other than Jesus Himself, there has been no more influential person in the development of the Christian faith than the Apostle Paul. He authored a majority of the books that make up the New Testament, carried the Gospel throughout Asia and into Europe, defined and defended a new understanding of God’s covenant, and built the framework for Christian theology. But a closer look at Paul also reveals him as the most unlikely champion of Christianity. His encounter with the resurrected Jesus transformed him from one of the church’s most zealous persecutors to its greatest defender. What can we learn from this man of faith and how can his example help us on our journey to discipleship? Join us this Sunday as Pastor Gary Webber kicks off a summer-long sermon series exploring the life and times of the Apostle Paul.

The #metoo movement has impacted every arena of our society from entertainment to government and everything in between. The church has not escaped scrutiny as some have used religion as a weapon to control and manipulate women for their own selfish motives. But Jesus and the early church were radical in their understanding of the value and equality of women in first century Rome. Join us as Pastor Gary Webber explores what the Bible says about women and their unique and vital role in the Church.

Every transition in life requires a certain amount of change: when we finish school and start our career or move from single life to marriage or from a childless existence to parenthood. Nothing will ever be the same again. There is no turning back. And yet, old habits die hard. But if we are going to thrive through all the changes of life, we must embrace the sacrifice each new reality requires, be sensitive to God’s activity, and be totally dependent on Him. In the final message of the Breakout series, Pastor Gary Webber explores Acts 12 to discover the three requirements of a breakout faith.

It has been said that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America. But if the message of the Gospel is love and reconciliation, why do our churches not reflect greater diversity? In Part four of Breakout, Pastor Gary Lee Webber looks at three specific forms of discrimination and how the Gospel can break us out of each of them.

When was the last time you found yourself disgusted? Maybe it was something you saw on television, or something you found rotting in the fridge, or the smell coming from your son’s gym bag. Disgust is a natural reaction designed to keep us from things which might be potentially dangerous to our well-being, but the disgust response can also be triggered by things we find morally repulsive. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He often offended the religious crowd by engaging those people they found disgusting. In part 5 of Breakout, Pastor Gary Webber explores Acts 10 as we learn how God is calling His Church to breakout of moral superiority in order to follow Jesus.

Westerners are addicted to “quick and convenient.” We don't like to wait and we don't want to expend any extraneous effort or money unless it will make our life more comfortable, and yes, convenient! The Bible is a record of people whose lives were interrupted by God. While the stories are all different, one thing they have in common is how inconvenient it was for these men and women to do what God asked them to do. In fact, everyone who answers God’s call must first be willing to breakout of their comfortable and convenient lives. In part two of Breakout, Pastor Gary Webber will explore the story of one man who went way out of his way to follow God.

We live in a consumer driven society. What once defined our understanding of economics and commerce, now describes how many people understand the church. For some, church is a place we go to get our spiritual needs met. We come hoping to have our tank filled so we can make it through another week. If a church fails to meet our needs, we may begin “shopping” for one that will. Join us for part one of Breakout as Pastor Gary Webber describes how the life of one of Jesus’ earliest followers challenges us to Breakout of a consumer brand of Christianity by following Jesus.