Ever been told you’re hard on yourself? Ever have trouble believing the nice things people say about you? When something doesn’t go as planned, do you assume it’s probably your fault? Is part of you always wondering when it’s all going to fall apart? Ever realize that not everyone else thinks this way? Why is that? How do we come to believe the thi…

It’s easy to assume Christian maturity is following the strictest rules, memorizing the most verses, and meeting the highest standards. We can tend to think the less joy we exude, the more spiritual we are. But Jesus didn’t seem to share this perception. He was less concerned with the rules people followed then the health of the relationships they …

Christians have a reputation of acting as if the world is doomed and their main objective is to complain about it, survive it, and eventually escape it. They seem to believe hope is reserved for heaven, and the only thing available on earth is pessimism. Jesus called His followers the “light of the world”, but many people experience them as a dark …

Many people walk away from church because they felt as if they were surrounded by hypocrites—people who said one thing but did another. And honestly, they’re not wrong. The church IS full of hypocrites because it’s full of people, and people are often inconsistent. The problem we have is not that people make mistakes, it’s that they won’t admit to …

If you ask an outsider what they think of Christians, they’re likely to say, “They’re judgmental and think they’re better than everyone else.” And there’s a good chance their answer is based on personal experience. Some won’t set foot inside a church because they’re convinced all eyes will be on them, staring them down as if they don’t belong. They…

If you're new with us, let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill out an online Connect Card by visiting https://southhillschurch.churchcenter.com/people/forms/91550 — If you are looking for what is next for you, we invite you to fill out an online “Next Steps” card by visiting https://southhillschurch.churchcenter.com/people/…

If you're new with us, let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill out an online Connect Card by visiting https://southhillschurch.churchcenter.com/people/forms/91550 — If you are looking for what is next for you, we invite you to fill out an online “Next Steps” card by visiting https://southhillschurch.churchcenter.com/people/…

If you're new with us, let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill out an online Connect Card by visiting https://southhillschurch.churchcenter.com/people/forms/91550 — If you are looking for what is next for you, we invite you to fill out an online “Next Steps” card by visiting https://southhillschurch.churchcenter.com/people/…

We’re told that what God wants to do in the world is for everyone everywhere and we’re all part of His plan. But, ever feel like that can’t be true of you? Ever feel like you have nothing worthwhile to offer or contribute? Ever feel like when God built the kit to rescue the world, He threw in a couple of spare parts for good measure…and that’s you?…

Everybody knows that just like a road trip isn’t complete without music, a church service isn’t complete without worship. We may not know why that is. But we know that it is. It’s obvious there’s something powerful about music, but why do we need to huddle together and sing love songs in the dark to someone who’s invisible. It’s weird. Why has this…

Life is busy and shows no signs of slowing down. That means doing a lot of our life on-the-go: looking over a proposal while in another meeting, taking a phone call at your kid’s soccer practice, eating alone in your car. A lot of us have a hard time being fully present with the people in front of us—not multitasking, thinking about what’s next, or…

If you're new with us, let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill out an online Connect Card by visiting https://southhillschurch.churchcenter.com/people/forms/91550 — If you are looking for what is next for you, we invite you to fill out an online “Next Steps” card by visiting https://southhillschurch.churchcenter.com/people/…

The last thing any parent wants their kid to be is a spoiled brat. But, in today’s culture, that’s tricky to avoid. It’s hard enough for adults not to become preoccupied with their own wants and desires. Especially when we’re all told that we deserve better. We’re entitled. How do we keep from being demanding and dissatisfied? Is it something we ca…

So much of what we think we need is dictated by what those around us have. We feel the pressure to keep up with and occasionally one-up our neighbors. But social media has expanded our community of comparison to everyone in existence. Which is a little overwhelming. Why is so much of our self-worth tied to what we have, and why do even those who ha…

Statistically, most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, barely making ends meet regardless of how much they make. It’s easier to make money than to make a plan for your money. We tend to just spend what we get on whatever we need in the moment, not realizing that some of our needs may just be wants in disguise. How can you tell the difference? Is …

Most families don’t talk about money, especially to their kids. Which is a shame because money is a big part of life. A lot of us leave home without much of a financial compass. What we do know we’ve cobbled together from peers, commercials, and social media. Most of that advice leads us to crave what we don’t have and spend what we haven’t earned.…

Getting started with something new is tough enough but sustaining a habit long-term is even harder. To create lasting life-change, make what’s important easy to do, and what’s unimportant hard to do. So, how do you do that? If you're new with us, let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill out an online Connect Card by visiting…

It’s not enough to know what’s most important; you have to say no to what’s not. Most of us are aware we should say no, and maybe even what or who we should say no to. But we’re nervous about the repercussions. So, how do we courageously navigate no with the least amount of collateral damage? If you're new with us, let us know how we can be praying…

Of all the things we feel like we could or should do, what takes priority and where do you start? Knowing what to do is about clarifying what’s most important to you. So…How do you do that for yourself in this season? If you're new with us, or looking to take a next step, or even to let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill o…

Our culture attempts to convince us we can be, do, and have it all—all at once. But often, the more we do, the less fulfilled we are. Why is that and what do we do about it? If you're new with us, or looking to take a next step, or even to let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill out an online Connect Card by texting "WHATSN…

If you're new with us, or looking to take a next step, or even to let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill out an online Connect Card by texting "WHATSNEXT" to 94000 or visit https://southhillschurch.churchcenter... — To give with us select the Give tab on the Church Center App or visit www.southhills.org/give and select the…

Whether you laugh or cringe, we’re all familiar with fictional NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby’s prayer to “Dear 8lb, 6oz newborn infant Jesus.” When he said “I like the Christmas-Jesus best,” he said out-loud what many of us think internally. Christmas-Jesus is adorable, cute, and easy to imagine. We keep the Jesus of our faith small and contained, like…

The gifts that the wisemen gave Jesus were deeply meaningful, symbolic and extravagant. Those gifts, according to many, were the impetus for the Christmas tradition of gift-giving. While there is nothing wrong with gift-giving, gift-buying has become an increasingly large focus for many. Christmas for many just means consumerism, debt, and wish-lis…

Every nativity play we’ve seen has the grumpy innkeeper who turns Mary & Joseph away. We imagine a heartless man slamming the door in the face of a pregnant woman. Scripture actually says almost nothing about who this person was, or why they turned the young couple away. But what we do know is that, whether it was intentional or not, there was an u…

Because of his murderous campaign to kill every boy child under 2 years old, Herod is the obvious villain of the Christmas story. He’s also the easiest villain to look down on, because his actions are so evil we can only compare them to something from a movie. But, while his actions are unimaginable, his motivations are much more familiar to us. Ki…

There’s nothing like the feeling of finally getting on top of something you’ve been battling for a while. Compulsions are hard to kick. And our tendency, when we get a taste of freedom, is to boldly announce, “I’m never going back there! I’m not going to let that have a hold on me like that again!” And we mean it. But for most people, freedom from …

For the most part, our mindset is, “I should be able to do whatever I want, as long as I’m not hurting anyone.” And most of our indulgences don’t seem to be. Who cares if you add more clothes you don’t need to your closet, or sneak an extra piece of cake in the breakroom, or lose sight of your other obligations during NFL season? Although, if what …

Ever have something you don’t like about yourself that you wish you could change? And you think, “I’m just going to do this on my own. Nobody needs to know about this. I can figure it out.” But it ends up being WAY more difficult than you thought. You start to think you might need help, but you hate the thought of asking for it. Others may not feel…

We all have little things we can’t imagine life without—online shopping, Monday night football, after dinner ice cream. They’re bright spots in our day; stuff that makes us happy and enables us to push through. But sometimes we come to lean on it a little too much. We move from liking it to needing it. In fact, we get really upset if we have to go …

Family members aren’t always going to get along. That’s a given. With different personalities come different preferences and perspectives. We’re bound to disagree and get on each other’s nerves. Obviously, we can overlook the small stuff, but what about the big stuff? What happens when someone says or does something deeply wounding that they can’t …

We all know people who didn’t grow up in a great family but made their way through life leaning on their “chosen” family. These are people they’re not biologically related to, but who love, support, challenge, and encourage them to be their best selves. They needed these extra influences because they didn’t have access to a built-in family. But doe…

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Family first!” What does that mean though? Is the family unit more important than the individuals in it? Does being a part of a family mean letting go of your personal identity? What if what’s good for them is bad for you? The Bible seems to talk a lot about sacrifice. Is that God’s expectation—that give up our goals an…

We all have a high need for belonging; to feel like we fit with a group of people. We want to be known, loved, and accepted for who we are. But when it comes to family, it can feel like we have pick one or the other. Like we can either be honest OR accepted, but we can’t be both. Why do some of us feel least comfortable with those we should have th…

We all want to be happy. We design our lives around it. We want to have fun, be carefree, and enjoy our day to day. And obviously, we want the same thing for our family. Few things make us sadder than seeing those we love unhappy. But sometimes they are. Happiness is a hard state to sustain. Expectations go unmet, preferences clash, and feelings ge…

Nobody likes feeling out of control, but for some of us, uncertainty keeps us up at night. It’s our constant preoccupation. We want to know that everything is going to happen the way we want it to when we want it to. Almost at any cost. The issue is—there are so many uncontrollable variables in so many areas of life. We end up deciding, “If you wan…

Ever fantasize about having enough money not to work? You could just relax. That’d be the dream, wouldn’t it? Work sometimes feels like an annoying interruption to what we want to be doing and the life we wish we were living. Ever just wish you could walk away? It’s hard to hate your job but need the money. Life can start to feel like a survival cy…

It's natural to want to be liked, fit in, and feel like you belong. But is it possible to become too preoccupied with the opinions and approval of others? What happens when your worth feels directly tied to being understood, admired, or respected by certain people? When any sort of disagreement or rejection feels like a death blow? When you find yo…

If you're new with us, or looking to take a next step, or even to let us know how we can be praying for you, we invite you to fill out an online Connect Card by texting "WHATSNEXT" to 94000 or visit https://southhillschurch.churchcenter... — To give with us select the Give tab on the Church Center App or visit www.southhills.org/give and select the…

It’s easy to look around our nation (at all the disagreement, debate, angst, and anger) and wonder: Is it all hopeless? The chaos of our current political climate can make you sick to your stomach. And before you know it, you find yourself in a full-on panicked fight for your side—because what’s at stake feels way bigger than a single election, can…

When our values feel threatened, our impulse is to fight back. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with that, but does it ever go too far? Where are the lines? Are there any? Some of us get so preoccupied with defending our politics that we end up driving people from our faith. Our loyalty to Jesus takes a backseat to our loyalty to a party or poli…

We’ve all looked at someone with an opposing view and wondered, “How could they think that?” We’re genuinely baffled. We’re become even more confused when the person who came to such a different conclusion claims to be a Christian. How is that possible? We assume it’s not. You can’t be a Christian and think like that, vote like that, or support tha…

These days everything feels political and everything political feels like a fight. There are no neutral topics or people. Everything is either red or blue. And anyone who doesn’t agree with you is out to get you. So, we tiptoe through life knowing we could end up at war with almost anyone over anything at any time. And that fight may be the end of …

We might expect God to speak through a Bible verse, worship lyric, or sermon quote. These things feel sanctified, sacred, safe. But where else might we find the voice of God? What about a romance novel, superhero comic, R rated movie, or explicit song? Should we look for God in these places or avoid them altogether? Are there certain things God nev…

Most of us aren’t great at stillness. We’re always on-the-go, multitasking, earbuds in, distractedly doing one thing while worrying about not having time for the next. A lot of us can’t stand silence. Even more of us can’t sit still. Our lives are busy and noisy, our minds even more so. Ever have someone nudge you and ask, “Did you hear me?” And yo…

If you’ve ever visited a place where you don’t speak the language, having a reliable interpreter is a lifesaver. You need someone to translate what’s being said into words you can understand. But everyone’s who’s gotten a message through an interpreter has also wondered, “Is that really what the other person said?” Trusting someone to translate tak…

Some people say the Bible is the ‘Word of God’; like it’s somehow His way of speaking to us. But it wasn’t written to us. It was written to people who lived a really long time ago, in another part of the world, and spoke different languages. And yet, some people read this ancient book and say things like, “that spoke to me” or “that was just for me…

We all know stories or have seen documentaries about people who claim to have heard from God. Most of them weren’t just convinced God wanted them to know something, but DO something, and the ‘somethings’ are all over the place—adopt a baby, launch a non-profit, fight an addiction, pass a law, start a commune, or bomb a building. Most of us have our…

Everyone eventually asks themselves, “What do I do with my life?” And a lot of the cultural answers to this question don’t end up being all that satisfying. We all know people who have made lots of money, acquired lots of power, and had lots of sex, but feel hollow and unhappy. It turns out, humans aren’t content to simply be alive, we want somethi…

There are few things as painful as feeling like nobody gets you and there’s no one you can turn to. We are meant and made for relationships—with each other and with God. The people part can be difficult but is somewhat intuitive. But a lot of us don’t think of God as relational. And to be fair, through most of human history, He wasn’t. For the most…

Ever felt like there was something between you and someone else? Like something was off between you. Maybe you weren’t even sure what it was, but it was clear there was something there. Almost every relationship has these moments. But it wasn’t meant to be that way. Something happened in the story of humanity that got between us and each other, us …