Southside Baptist Church Podcast

Aspire Church San Marco will celebrate 85 years of ministry in 2024. With a tremendous legacy behind us, a compelling mission ahead of us, and a faithful Savior leading us, how should Aspire Church San Marco members faithfully run the race set before us? Join us as we begin a year-long journey Back to the Future.

The Bible tells us to rejoice always, but is that realistic? Given the real problems we face personally and globally, how can God expect His people always to be filled with joy? Join us for the final message in our Philippians series, where we will learn the three essential elements of relentless joy and why we need it now more than ever. 

We see it in almost every institution. Our government is paralyzed by it. Schools, corporations, and media are defined by it. Our courts are overrun because of it. The fracturing and division of our society can make it seem as if everything is coming apart at the seams. Then what is the Church’s answer? Unfortunately, too often the same division we see in the world has also infected the Church. Join us for part 10 of our Philippians series, where we will learn that the unity of the Church is essential to the mission of the Church.

Looking at old pictures can be embarrassing. Things we thought stylish eventually become dated. Time eventually sees the passing of every fad. What’s true about fashion and hairstyles is also true about more essential things such as beliefs and ways of living. Join us for part 9 of Philippians: Relentless Joy, where we will discover how the mind of Christ changes how we understand our past, future, and other people. 

Perhaps you grew up singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know,” but do you believe that? Would you care so much about what others think of you if you did? Would you work so hard to impress your boss, your girlfriend, or your parents? What drives you to achieve and accomplish things? What is behind your insatiable appetite to consume? Join us for part 8 of Philippians: Relentless Joy, where we will explore the two ways to live.

Throughout the fall, you see it – faces painted, flags waving, fight songs sung with pride. Football fans loudly cheer on their favorite teams. We’ve come to accept this harmless form of tribalism as a part of our culture. Fans pulling for opposite teams on Saturday are the best of friends on Sunday. But what happens when our faith becomes tribal? Join us for a message from Philippians 3, where we will see the dangers of tribalism and how Jesus overcomes our tribal religions. 

Your favorite barista took another job. The person who cut your hair for years retired. The manager who hired you and became a friend and mentor resigned suddenly. Personnel changes are disruptive. Sometimes, they result in minor inconveniences, and sometimes, they lead to a tidal wave of change. Join us for part 6 of Philippians: Relentless Joy, where we will see how God uses personnel changes to accomplish His work in our lives.

JimBo Stewart is a follower of Jesus, Audrea’s husband, and father of three Stewart Littles. Professionally, JimBo serves as the Associate Director of Replant at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and as the Replanting and Revitalization Strategist for First Coast Churches in Jacksonville, FL. He is also the co-founder of replantbootcamp.com. He holds a D.Min. in Church Revitalization and an M.Div. in Urban Missions, both earned at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. JimBo also loves exploring new places and playing disc golf with his kids. We are grateful for Jimbo’s contribution to the Kingdom and are excited to welcome him today as our guest teacher at Aspire Church San Marco.

Aspire Church is pleased to welcome home one of our own! Pastor Blake Bennett and his wife, Cierra, were high school sweethearts who grew up in Jacksonville and now live in San Marco with their two children, Eloise and Ezra. Blake joined the staff of Aspire Church in 2015 as a church planter sent by Aspire to start TheCity.Church at San Marco. Since 2015, TheCity.Church has expanded to include three additional congregations: TheCity.Church at Bartram Park, TheCity.Church at Riverside, and TheCity.Church at the Highlands. Blake’s leadership and passion for the local church are a blessing to our city. We are delighted to welcome Pastor Blake as our guest teacher this morning.

One of the most famous mug shots in American history is that of Dr. Martin Luther King after his arrest in Birmingham, Alabama. But what should have symbolized the humiliation and destruction of Dr. King’s legacy became a sign of his cause. Join us for a message from Philippians 1:27-30 where we learn that sometimes the very thing that appears to be for our destruction is really for our salvation. 

One of the most repeated arguments against the existence of God in general and the truth of Christianity in particular has come to be known as “the problem of pain.” The argument goes something like this: “How could an all-powerful, all-loving God allow the kind of pain and suffering we experience in this world?” Even if you believe in God and call yourself a Christian, you’ve probably wrestled with this question. Join us for part two of our series through the book of Philippians where we learn how Paul addressed the problem of pain.

We all have unfinished projects. From that home improvement project you started last year to the novel you began in school. Every unfinished task is ultimately a race against the clock. Will you run out of time before your projects are finished? But what if time was not a factor? What if you had eternity to finish everything you’ve started? Join us for part one of a new sermon series from the book of Philippians, where we will learn that the eternal God always finishes what He begins.

We’ve all made exchanges. Whether it was a product purchased, a career change, or even a change of mind, most people have made the conscious decision to make an exchange. But what happens when someone wants to exchange their entire life for another? Is such an exchange even possible? Join us for the conclusion of Summer Palms Mixtape vol. 2 as we explore Psalm 30 and the joy that comes when we exchange our life of sorrow for an eternity of joy.

Many people assume that joy doesn’t come from serving but from being served. But the reality is that humans were designed to serve something. Whether it is power or wealth, pleasure, or fame, we all live our lives in service to someone or something. Join us for part three of the Summer Psalms Mixtape, where we will learn from Psalm 96 that joy comes from serving the One we were created to serve. 

The call to “be joyful” or “rejoice” is repeated more than 300 times in the Bible, making it one of the most repeated commands in all Scripture. But how are we supposed to be “joyful in all circumstances” when so many of them are bad? Does God cause or allow challenging circumstances to come into our lives, and if so, why? Join us for part 3 of the Summer Psalms Mixtape, where we will learn that joy doesn’t come from changed circumstances but through a changed perspective.  

The Psalms are the hymns of ancient Israel. Jesus and His disciples would have sung them in worship and as they traveled the dusty roads of ancient Palestine. Their words were even on the lips of Jesus as He hung on the cross. The lyrics that brought so much hope and joy to Jesus continue to inspire His followers today. Join us each Sunday in August as we listen to a mixtape of Psalms that call us to aspire for joy.

Some Christians have been accused of being so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good. Others seem to deny the reality of heaven and live as if this world is all there is. The Gospel is a guardrail preventing us from making either mistake. Join us for the final sermon in the Essentials series, where we will learn how our beliefs about the future shape our lives today.

The Church is always a work in progress. From the missteps and mistakes of Jesus’ disciples to the latest church scandal, humans have continuously brought our brokenness into the church. Yet, despite our failures, Jesus said He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Join us for part 8 of Essentials to learn how the church is God’s plan and the front line of Heaven’s invasion of Earth.  

We use the word “saved” to refer to everything from someone recovered in a heroic rescue operation to the money we save through a discount code. But when the Bible talks about being “saved,” what exactly does that mean? What are we saved from? Who saves us, and how do they do it? Join us for part 7 of Essentials, where we will learn that salvation is not about what we do but what Jesus has done.

What defines your value? Do you find value in your roles and responsibilities in your family or job? The human condition is tied to the value God has placed on us and the value we see in Jesus’ death on a cross. This death communicates to us the reality that we are infinitely valuable and devastatingly broken. The value you place on Jesus’ death affects the value you place on yourself and others around you. This is why it is fundamental to Christian belief.