Southland Weekend Message Series (Audio)

The Bible claims that based on the beauty and order we find in creation there is no excuse for failing to worship our Creator. Unfortunately people often choose not to acknowledge or worship Him. No other philosophy has created more death and destruction than the belief that there is no God. Acknowledging and worshiping our Creator brings humility and accountability to our lives.

Jesus liked parties and special events. We find him feasting, celebrating, and rejoicing throughout the Bible. One thing’s for sure: He knew how to live. In this message we’ll look at a wedding he attended in Galilee and how it brought life, joy, and hope to everyone else who was there and how it was a shadow of a future feast.

The statistics on death are quite impressive: one out of one people die. It requires wisdom to know how to prepare for death; it requires faith too. In this message we’ll learn how to cope with the reality of death and dying.

Every living thing changes. Even clocks constantly reset themselves. We do one of two things with change: we can either embrace it, or try to ignore it. The healthy approach is adaptation and maturity, which includes accepting the necessity of change. In this message we’ll learn how change makes us stronger and wiser.

All farmers know that without good soil nothing grows to its potential. What’s true in plants is also true in people; there’s no maturity without growth. In this message we’ll talk about steady growth in a world bent toward confusion and chaos.

The Bible says, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Few things are more helpful than an encouraging word. Solomon said, “There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors.” In this message we will examine how giving and receiving truth spoken in love can bring healing into our lives.

The Bible has a lot to say about eyes. In fact, the things we look at can affect all our thoughts and interactions with God and others. Jesus said, “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” This message will consider how to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of all types of media.

Of all the most important things in life, good friends and laughter would be near the top of the list. Neither is complete without the other; they’re “emotional” twins. In this message we’ll look at the blessings of laughter and friendship.

Sometimes the best thing we can do in the midst of our chaotic lives is to just take a nap! Rest, whether brief or prolonged, rejuvenates us mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. In this message we’ll look at the benefits of resting well.

Food involves celebrating, entertaining, nourishment, hospitality, and community. There are dangers to both overeating and under-eating. The key is balance and nutritious food. In this message we’ll look at a healthy approach to healthy eating.

Avoiding the truth can hurt us in countless ways. That’s why we need friends who don’t just tell us what we want to hear, but what we need to hear. In this message we will learn the value of being humble enough to receive correction.

One of the best gifts we can give someone we care about is to pray for them on a daily basis. Inviting God to help the people we care about exposes them to a power source they cannot generate on their own. In this message we will learn how to talk to God in a conversational way.

We never outgrow our need to learn new things. One of the beautiful blessings in being a member of God’s family is we have so many people to tap into when we need help, perspective, counsel, encouragement, and correction. In this message, we will explore who to turn to when we want to grow in a specific area of our lives.

From divorce to cancer to bankruptcy to addiction there are a lot of heavy burdens that can keep us up at night. The emotional weight of life’s challenges are often too much for one heart to bear. In this message we will learn how to carry pain and who to share it with so we can heal.

It’s never easy to forgive someone when they’ve hurt you. We tend to replay the mean things they said and did to the point that it can become a consuming and unwelcome memory. In this message, we will learn how to forgive others and the benefits that come when we walk away from the desire to retaliate.

In this life sometimes we live as if the world revolves around us, and we have to constantly remind ourselves that it’s not about us. It’s about Jesus. But in Heaven, we will see reality as it really is and we will never have to correct our thinking, because we will not see ourselves as the most important thing. God made us to love Him and to love others, and Heaven will be our living these two calls perfectly.

When God does what God has promised to do, His people always celebrate!

Waiting on God is difficult. He doesn’t always do what we want when we want it. The people of God went through generations of waiting and it often challenged their faith. In the middle of the dark night, there is always hope that light will dawn. The challenge is learning how to hold on to that hope.

God’s promises are something we need to know and build our lives on. There has been no greater promise than the one that God would send His own Son to restore and redeem His people. That promise was for everyone, including you.

Young parents learn early on that it’s sometimes difficult to love our kids. We also learn that unconditional love is a choice, not a feeling. The Biblical doctrine of justification is about God’s choice to eternally love us and free us from the punishment we deserve as law-breakers.