Southside Baptist Church

"How great is God's love for all who worship Him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth! How far has the Lord taken our sins from us? Further than the distance from east to west!" Psalm 103:11-12...How easily do you forgive? If you've been injured by someone, do you keep that injury as fresh as possible? Forgiveness is often puzzling. If we need forgiveness, we want it instantly. Drop in a forgiveness tablet, watch it fizz, presto...problem solved. That's what we... like when we're the ones needing forgiveness. When we need to forgive someone else it's another matter. We might be bearing that injustice to give us an excuse to stop living, or to hold a grudge, we're off the hook because we have someone to blame. Let it go...you'll be glad you did. Lord, grant me the willingness to forgive, to accept forgiveness and to let go of past injuries. Help me move forward today in love. Amen... See more

"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." 2 Corinthians 13:14...Before starting a new day, be sure to accept God's grace, love, and fellowship. How do you do that? Accepting His grace means that you accept the forgiveness and mercy that Christ offers you. You then share that forgiveness and mercy and grace with others. You rejoice in knowing how much you have been given and what a great gift it is to ...you. Accepting God's love differs from accepting your spouse's love or your parent's love. You realize that you are loved for the person you are. It's believing that you are lovable and deserve to be loved. Thank God for loving you unconditionally. To accept fellowship with the Holy Spirit means inviting Him to walk with you and share in everything you do or say. It means embracing His friendship and His direction for each step you take today. Accept all God's great blessings for you! Lord, I don't often consider the grace and blessings You give me. Enable me to receive more from You today. Amen... See more

The Countdown is on to fill up those backpacks for the Back to School Bash. Will you help fill up a Backpack with items listed below? Please have all items dropped off in lobby by July 18th.

"And now, Israel, what does the Lord, your God require of you? He requires you to fear Him, to live according to His will, to love and worship Him with all of your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord's commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good." Deuteronomy 10:12-13...If you take a supplement every day, you'll get your required daily amount of vitamins and minerals. This list tells you what you need to do to stay strong and healthy in the Lord. Somehow t...he words, "for your own good" strike a little fear because usually they imply an unpleasant process. Your mother probably said, "Take this medicine for your own good." Tell God that you really do want to do things that are good for you. Surrender your pride, stubbornness and selfishness and step aside from what you think is good. See if your can discover what God thinks is good for you. Take a closer look at His daily requirements. Lord, I don't always like the things that are meant to be for my good. Sometimes I downright resist them. Help me to seek Your will for my own good today. Amen... See more

"Be filled with the Holy spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:18-19...Have you experienced a moment lately when you knew without a doubt that the Spirit was moving your heart and soul? You were overcome with the joy of knowing God's love is in you and that you could do nothing but rejoice, sing and pray. If that's not happened to you lately, it's time to figure out why not. The Spirit ...is available to you all the time and having His Spirit move yours should be a fairly common occurrence. Stop waiting for an emotional feeling to come over you. Maybe you just need to start offering prayers of thanksgiving and singing spiritual songs to the Lord. When you do that, you're almost guaranteed to have a sense that the Spirit is moving. Go on! Sing a little and let your spirit dance. Lord, be with me today and hear me as I lift my voice in prayer and praise to You. Move within my being, Lord, and let me walk with You. Amen... See more

"When I was really suffering, I prayed to the Lord. He answered my prayer and took my worries away. The Lord is on my side, and I am not afraid of what others can do to me." Psalm 118:5-6...Do you have a dream to pursue and a goal to accomplish? Pray! Align yourself with God's will for you and He will enable you to realize your goals and dreams. Henry Ford once said, "One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afr...aid he couldn't do." Don't wait for someone else's approval, you may wait a long time. If you're waiting for ideal circumstances and conditions, they might never come. If you're unwilling or scared to proceed, pray about it and ask God to help you move forward. Do it for your own sake and for God's glory. Lord, grant me peace as I move in a new direction in my life. Help me to move forward according to Your timing. Amen... See more

"So there is a hope for your future, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 31:17 ...Henri J. Nouwen said, "Those who keep speaking about the sun while walking under a cloudy sky are messengers of hope, the true saints of our day." You know people who always go around with some sunny saying on their lips and a smile on their faces no matter what their circumstances are. You appreciate their optimism most of the time, but you wonder if they ever watch the news! Still, you wish you were... more like them. It can't be bad to be more hopeful, more certain that God is with you and that things will work out in the end. Today is your day to be one of them, one of those joy-filled, optimistic, believers in the Lord who just know He's in control and that He holds the future in His hands. God knows there's hope for your future and He wants you to know it too. Lord, it does me joy to think about a future filled with hope. Renew my hope in the future this very day. Amen... See more

"A life or moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness." 2 Peter 1:5-6...Defining morality in a world without clearly defined rules has become difficult. We claim to believe in the Commandments, yet find a reasonable excuse to make exceptions to the rules. We still go to war, and hate our brothers in other parts of the world. Making the right choices will bec...ome easier as we get to know God better. When we begin to understand real love and really love our fellowmen, we'll come to terms with what it means to love everyone simply because God created us all. Not one of you can claim to be perfect, but we can claim Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lover of our souls. Knowing this, we will continually learn from Him and grow in self-control. Lord, it is hard to understand some of the moral dilemmas we face today. Help me to live according to Your will and purpose for my life. Amen... See more

"Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts." 1 John 5:21...Name the ten most important things in your life. Arrange them in order of importance; the most important being number one. Be honest. Are your children, colleagues and best friend on the list? They should be. God wants to be on your list too. In fact, He must be number one on your list. A part of you may realize that this is right. It is however an emotional struggle not to put ...your spouse or children first. God does not want to take away your love for for your children, spouse or work. He simply wants to be sure that nothing replaces Him in your life. Today, as you share your love with your family and friends, take time to honor the One who gave them to you and who only wants the best for you. Give God first place in your heart. Lord, help me to love my family in all the ways You've given me to love. Help me love and worship You above all else. Amen... See more

"I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." 2 Timothy 1:5...A faithful grandmother can be a genuine blessing. My great-grandmother was the one who planted a seed in me that grew into a living faith. She gave me my first Bible and said prayers I heard. I was blessed to have known her and I still often think of her. You don't know what influence you may have on you...r children or your grandchildren. You may be the one who plants the seed of faith, waters it, or nurtures it into full blossom. You may not see the fruit of your labor of love, but God brings each person to Himself in His own time. He sends people to lead us and explain certain truths. Today, let's celebrate our grandmothers and those in our lives who have shared their faith and given us hope for tomorrow. Lord, thank You for mothers and grandmothers and those who have guided us on Your path. Amen... See more

"When you put on a luncheon or a dinner, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you." Luke 14:12-14...Is your heart touched by the needs of suffering people? Do you wonder what you can do? Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "God is able to make a way out of no way, and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. This is our hope for becoming better people. This is our mandate for seeking to make ...a better world." You're part of God's way to make the world a better place. You might invite the lost and the lame to sit at your table, or you might donate food to your favorite charity. Whatever you prefer to do, do it! Make a difference! Experience God's blessing for helping those who could not possibly repay you. Lord, sometimes I take for granted the warm bed I sleep in and the warm meal I enjoy at dinner time. You lavish so much on me. Help me to share all that I have with others. Amen... See more

"Some people brought Him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven.' " Matthew 9:2...Have you ever been gloomy, frightened or paralyzed by fears? Have you struggled with depression and worry? You're not alone. Friends played a big role in the life of the paralyzed man. They knew in their hearts that Jesus could heal him and that their friend would be able to walk again. Sometimes it takes the faith ...that comes from those around you to carry you until you can walk on your own again. If anything is keeping you down today, remember the Lord's words, "Take heart, your sins are forgiven." You are now free to celebrate, move around, jump up and down and rejoice through the grace of God because the clouds are moving. The sun is coming out again and it's time for you to bloom. Lord, I thank You for the friends who hold me up in prayer and keep me in front of Your throne. I thank You for blessing me and bringing me great joy. Amen... See more

We'd love to see you there!

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future He has promised to those He called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to His people." Ephesians 1:18...An inheritance is usually something that someone who loves us has left us in a will. It is set aside to be given to us at the right time. An inheritance helps to sustain our future. When Jesus left the earth and returned to heaven, He left... us an inheritance. He left us a future. He left the greatest future anyone could ever wish for. He left us eternal life. He promised us a place in the Father's house forever. In order to enjoy your inheritance He also left you with a gift. He gave you the Holy Spirit so that you can have power on earth over evil and can understand His word. He left you hope and joy and strength to keep you going amidst earthly crises. Lord, I am so grateful for all that You've done for me, not just today, but in the future as well. Thank You for redeeming my soul. Amen... See more