Locker Room

Welcome back! We're kicking off this season with a series called Lead! Leadership is crucial to every family, sports team, company, institution and organization! Everything sinks or swims because of leadership or the lack thereof. In this episode we will look at three steps we can all take to elevate leadership in our daily lives: studying the blueprint Jesus laid out for us, learning to take responsibility to carry heavy things, and walking a path for others to follow.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Get to know you questions: Name three things about yourself. Share why you jumped into a Locker Room Group. “We have a man problem.” God has put a high calling on us as men to lead and when we don’t, it has a dramatic impact on everything around us. What are some ways that you see this “man problem” in our world, or for you personally? Scott said, “Everyone ends up somewhere, but few people end up somewhere on purpose.” How can you be more intentional and deliberate about leading yourself so you can better lead those

Season 14 has been a great one for Locker Room. There have been so many stories of men and encouragement we can apply daily in our fight. This week on the podcast, Ian Schweitzer joins Scott to reflect on all we’ve learned in this season together. — We want to challenge you to ask this question over the next several months in your quiet time: Jesus/Holy Spirit: What’s my next step as a Christ-follower, husband, dad or kingdom worker? The book Scott referred to in this episode is Tempered Resilience by Tod Bolsinger.   NEXT STEPS The live version of Fight Club—the men’s group Scott leads—will be at our Nicholasville Campus in August 2025. If you’ve not jumped in with us, or know someone who needs to—get the word out. We’ll have Fight Club on the Groups Directory at the end of July or early August so you can sign up. If you want to be a Table Leader at Fight Club who invests in the men, shoot an email to Scott at shatfield@southland.church. Before we sign off for this season we ask our Locker Room family to be

Most of us know a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or someone we went to school with that is in a battle with some kind of addiction. The truth is, it may be you, reading this now. Maybe you’ve never acknowledged it. Maybe you’ve lived in denial about the daily struggle that you’re experiencing. Regardless of how this subject has impacted you, we hope that you’re encouraged in our conversation today. Our guest this week is Mike Mueller. Mike is a husband, father and coach in our community who has been a part of Southland for 13 years. On this episode Mike shares the story of how God changed his life and is now using him to impact lots of people who have struggled with some of the same things.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Have you ever coached at the youth sports level? What is your favorite story from coaching kids? Mike has served in several areas in the church (Connections, security, small groups, Men’s Retreat). What areas have you served in? If you don’t currently serve, what areas of ministry would you be bes

“I need you to know that God seems to throw me hard things. You just need to know what you’re getting into.” - Kailen Combs Taylor This week on Locker Room our guest Bryan Taylor sits down with Scott to share a powerful story of love, loss and hope. Bryan and Kailen shared five years together before they were separated by her death from cancer in 2015. In our conversation today, Bryan shares about navigating the grief that began with Kailen’s diagnosis and what life was like after she passed away. Bryan also shares how he was able to move forward, choosing hope and rediscovering life after such a profound loss.   DISCUSSION GUIDE If you had to give a title to the last 9 months of your life, what would it be and why? “War” is the title of the story that Bryan labeled such a hard period of his life. Has there been a time in your life that looking back you would label as “war?” In grief you often don’t know what to say, and sometimes people say things that aren’t helpful. What is something someone has said to yo

Providential relationships and pivotal circumstances are critical parts of great stories. Providential relationships are significant people God orchestrates to guide, support and shape our faith journey. Pivotal circumstances are events—both good and bad—that mark us, shape us and become a critical part of our story and testimonies. Our guest this week—Daniel Mitchell—has lived a life marked by many providential relationships and events. Daniel joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age seventeen, landing in Tactical Air Navigation and later becoming a SERE instructor, also serving as a Chaplain. Daniel and his wife Angela met while serving together at Southland's Lexington campus. Daniel now runs a handyman business/ministry and is also a counselor specializing in PTSD and sexual assault. Jump in with us this week as we hear Daniel’s story, pivotal moments in his life and how, with God’s help, hope can drive out despair.   DISCUSSION GUIDE If you could have any accent besides your own what would it be? (British, We

For most men, the key to our future and the quality of their life is in direct proportion with how we engage our past. We have to move towards our wounds in order to find healing. Regardless of our earthly father/step dad/absent dad, we need our good Heavenly Father to begin the work of healing us by fixing our past. Our guest this week is no stranger to a challenging past. Brian and Scott sit down at the table to share from his life story of being put up for adoption and growing up in a tough family, but then allowing Jesus and godly people to help by acknowledging his wounds and finding healing. We’ll also dive into investing in our marriages, being an intentional dad, and expanding the circle through mentoring and discipling others.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Brian takes the first 5 minutes of the episode to brag about his wife. It is so important to verbally express the things that you love about your wife. What are 2-3 things you are grateful for related to your significant other? Be sure to also express those f

Today’s episode is big topic in this Breaking Chains series: Navigating Grief. It’s not called overcoming grief, it’s not called conquering grief or dismantling grief, because—like it or not—grief is part of the story. You have to go through it. It’s not good for us to avoid it or go around it. Grief is universal. Join us In this episode as Scott and Gary walk through many different types of profound loss we may experience in life, including stories from their own experiences. Along the way, we will find wisdom and hope in God’s word on how to move forward.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Grief is a heavy topic so let’s start with a light question: Can you remember the time you laughed the hardest? (Or one of the times you’ve laughed the hardest?) Share the story with the group. How do you define grief? The podcast defines grief as feelings of great sorrow, distress and emotional pain that stems from significant loss. What significant losses have you grieved in life? The 5 stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depre

Our enemy understands the power of sin: the impact it can have on our lives and those we love. He knows if he can tempt, lie and deceive us into choosing sin—anything other than God’s best—then he can send us down a path that can really destroy our lives as men and wreck the things that matter to God. Guests Will Briggs and Matt Williams join us this week on the podcast as we look at how we can recognize the plays of the enemy, the temptations and tendencies in our own hearts, and move forward on God’s path, breaking free of the chains of habitual sin.   DISCUSSION GUIDE What are some of the daily habits in your life? Did these parts of your day become a habit intentionally or unintentionally? What comes to mind when you think of the term “habitual sin.” Is it a specific sin? It is a certain memory? Is it a particular feeling or emotion? The guys talked about how no one chooses to just blow up their life one day, but that sin begins to creep into our lives in small ways. Sometimes just a “small” lie of asking

This week on Locker Room we’re starting a three-part series called Breaking Chains, looking at three things that can lock us down and stop the work Jesus wants to do in us. First up is perfectionism. Join Scott and returning guest Gary Black as we talk about some of the downsides of perfectionism and offer practical suggestions to get a handle on it, so we can step onto the path of freedom—freedom from self-imposed guilt, needless anxiety, unnecessary pressure, and the many compulsions associated with perfectionism that can drain the joy from our lives.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Who was your favorite teacher growing up? What made them so great? Has anyone made an impact on your life that you only met once? Who was it and what impact did it have? What comes to mind when you hear the word “perfectionism”? Is that something you struggle with? Or are you on the other side and no one would ever call you a perfectionist? The Dangers of Perfectionism: It destroys your initiative. It damages relationships. It destroys happi

The words we speak should reflect a heart transformed by God. Grace and truth should drive us in our conversations, whether it be with our wives, our kids, our friends, people at church, people at work, people that don’t believe what we believe, and those who aren’t fans of Christianity at all. Grace and truth, in every conversation. Our special guests this week are two of Southland’s elders, Rob Campbell and Rob Workman. Join us as we dive into how to speak life with our words.   DISCUSSION GUIDE What is something you learned from the guys as they talked about the ways other men have invested in them and how they’re investing in their marriages & their kids? Scott mentions a number of times in the Bible where the words that are said have power. God speaks creation into existence. Jesus literally speaks life into Lazarus. Jesus speaks the words “Be still!” and a storm ceases. What do these passages say about the importance of words? Read Matthew 12:36-37. What is Jesus saying about the impact our words ha

This week on the podcast we’ve invited returning guests Jason Byerly and Kevin Comp to kick off a two-part series called Watch Your Mouth. Even though this series is short, be prepared for it to get into your business and step on your toes. Today’s episode is about the power of our words—an area that all of us men need to work on.   DISCUSSION GUIDE The Super Bowl is just a week away. Who are you picking to win? Who will be the MVP? Is the NFL rigged Three important Questions: What did you learn from Kevin & Jason about how they are investing in their marriages & kids and the men that made an impact in their lives? What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Watch your mouth”? Share a story of when your words got you into trouble. Read Luke 6:45. What would you say your heart is full of based on what comes out of your mouth? Read James 3:1-12. How have you seen words set things on fire and cause destruction? Why do you think man cannot tame his tongue? If this is impossible for man, what are we to do

Every day we have to choose between comfort or growth. Comfort may be the American Dream, but it’s not God’s heart for us. God calls us to grow, and grow up. We have to take risks, step out on faith and trust Him if we’re going to become the men He created us to be. This week we are looking at a story found in Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John 6. It’s the account of Jesus walking on water and Peter asking Jesus to call him out to walk on the water too. Join us as Scott and our guests, Ian and Ariea break down what it looks like to push through fear and step out on faith.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Winter has been in full swing the past couple weeks. What are your thoughts on the winter season? Do you love the cold and the snow? Do you hate it because scraping off your car in the morning is annoying? Are you somewhere in between? What is one way you’ve been winning this past week? This could be in your marriage, with your kids, with your career, or any other part of your life. Read Matthew 14:22-32. Is there anything from

Sometimes when we bring our pain and circumstances before God—if we don’t see results or quick fixes to our lives instantaneously—we just give up. Or we forget that we’ve journeyed off the path for years or even decades and we think we can microwave it and just instantly be better, healed or whole. Jesus isn’t looking for you to give him the one thing that’s keeping you up at night—He wants you. He wants everything. He wants your heart. He wants all of you. He wants to build our faith. He wants to build our relationship with Him. This week on the podcast, Scott sits down with our guests Mike Allen and Neil Gregory to unpack a conversation Jesus had with a man at a pool, when he asked, “Do you want to get well?”   DISCUSSION GUIDE Did you grow up going to the pool? What comes to mind when someone says “Let’s go to the pool?” Share any good pool stories you have. Read John 5:1-15. What stands out to you about how Jesus interacts with this paralyzed man? What came to mind when the guys were discussing the prospe

Welcome back to Locker Room! We’re kicking off Season 14 with a series called Encounters with Jesus. We’ll be zeroing in on some cool moments Jesus had with different people in the gospels. We’ll learn about who Jesus is, the mission he’s on and gain practical insight on who we are as men, and how we are called to live our lives. The first encounter we’re looking at is described in Mark chapter 2, when Jesus was moved by the faith of four men who acted by any means necessary to get their paralyzed friend in close proximity to him so he might be healed. Join us this week for Encounters with Jesus: Through the Roof.   DISCUSSION GUIDE What were some highs and lows of your Christmas season? What were the best parts? What were the worst parts? For all the new Locker Room groups, how have you been involved with Southland? Have you gone through Fight Club? Are you part of a serving team? Do you attend Sunday mornings with your family? Read Mark 2:1-12 with your group. Stop after each verse and discuss anything that

We've just wrapped up Season 13 of Locker Room, but we wanted to bring you four bonus episodes from our Men's Retreat in October. We've had a lot of guys talking about it, and a lot of men who couldn't be there. We've released one each week to remind our men who attended, and to share with those who couldn't be there. This message was from the final session of the retreat, and is called Declare War and Fight. Locker Room will be back in the new year for season 14 on January 17.

We've just wrapped up Season 13 of Locker Room, but we wanted to bring you four bonus episodes from our Men's Retreat in October. We've had a lot of guys talking about it, and a lot of men who couldn't be there. We're releasing one each week to remind our men who attended, and to share with those who couldn't be there. This message was from the third session of the retreat, and is called There Will Be Blood. Locker Room will be back in the new year for season 14 on January 17.

We've just wrapped up Season 13 of Locker Room, but we wanted to bring you four bonus episodes from our Men's Retreat in October. We've had a lot of guys talking about it, and a lot of men who couldn't be there. We're releasing one each week to remind our men who attended, and to share with those who couldn't be there. This message was from the second session of the retreat, and is called Warrior King. Locker Room will be back in the new year for season 14 on January 17.

We've just wrapped up Season 13 of Locker Room, but we wanted to bring you four bonus episodes from our Men's Retreat in October called Battle Ready. We've had a lot of guys talking about it, and a lot of men who couldn't be there. We'll be releasing one each week over the next four weeks to remind our men who attended, and to share with those who couldn't be there. This first message was the opening night from our retreat, and is called, Open War is Upon You. Locker Room will be back in the new year for season 14 on January 17.

This week we’re wrapping up season 13 and this Giants series with a big one: DOUBT. Men doubt God’s existence, God’s Word, His promises, making sense of the problems in our world and they even have doubts around God’s Son, Jesus. The cool thing about God is He’s not afraid of our doubts and questions. He actually invites us to bring our doubts and questions to Him. God has given us a mountain of evidence to draw us into an encounter with Him. If you’ve got doubts and questions, that means you’re normal. In this episode, we won’t answer every big question. But we’ll try and create some clarity for some of the bigger ones we run into in life. Join us this week as we sit down with guests Dusty Bailey and Kevin Comp to talk about the Giant of Doubt.   DISCUSSION GUIDE Have you ever participated in a Trust Fall? Were you the faller or the catcher? What did it teach you about trust? Doubt: the wavering between two minds or lacking confidence, assurance, or complete trust in God. How have you defined doubt in the pa

If you lead in any way, you are going to face criticism. Dealing with criticism is a part of leadership—period. One of the greatest weapons that the enemy uses for leaders is discouragement. Discouragement can often come from criticism. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, how much you care, how pure your motives and right your decisions are—criticism is coming—and you shouldn’t try to avoid it. It’s something that we all have to navigate. Join us this week as we welcome back Scott Nickell and Jon Weece to talk about how to face and process criticism in a healthy way.   DISCUSSION GUIDE What is the wildest piece of criticism you have ever received? Read John 15:18-21. There are so many areas of life where we can be criticized. We can receive criticism at work, at home, in church, from friends, from relatives, and the list just goes on and on. What are the areas of your life that you receive criticism most often? Whenever you experience criticism, what is your gut reaction? Do you get defensive? Defeated? Some