Aspire Church Podcast

Many in our society still stigmatize depression and mental illness, but some of the greatest heroes of the Bible struggled with bouts of severe depression. Join us online for part 6 of Pause where we consider the story of Elijah to learn how we might avoid or overcome depression and how, if we are willing to recognize Him, God offers to meet us in the midst of our anxiety to comfort and transform...

Aristotle said, “Nature abhors a vacuum,” meaning that every space in nature needs to be filled with something. This isn’t only true about black holes; it is true of the human soul. Jesus identified this truth by telling a strange story of an exorcism gone bad. But upon closer examination, we discover that Jesus’ warning is about much more than exorcism. He is warning us about the empty spaces in...

Most people don’t like silence. Even those who claim to crave it, grow weary of it if it lasts too long. In a world filled with noise, silence can be deafening, even disturbing. We especially don’t like it when God is silent. We may even assume that God’s silence means that He is absent. But there is evidence throughout the scriptures that God often chooses to work through the silent seasons of ou...

Letting go is hard. When Mary first realized that Jesus was alive, she wanted to grab hold of Him and never let Him go. Jesus, however, told Mary that she couldn't hold on. She had to let go. Jesus wasn’t going to stay, and things could never go back to the way they were before. We often try to cling to the past when God is inviting us into His presence. A presence that will lead us to a futu...

We do everything we can to avoid painful realities. There are two techniques that have proven especially effective, however. These are hyperactivity and sedation. On one hand, we keep ourselves so busy that we stay ahead of the painful realities of our lives, and on the other, we sedate ourselves so we can sleep through the pain. We rush around all day until we finally crash, only to awaken to sta...

Best thoughts and ideas about jump starting or boosting your prayer life during the “pause”... The Papa Prayer: https://www.sanmarcobooksandmore.com/... Prayer: https://www.sanmarcobooksandmore.com/... Celebration of Disipline: https://www.sanmarcobooksandmore.com/... The Practice of the Presence of God: https://www.sanmarcobooksandmore.com/... Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: https://www.sanmarc...

The world has come to a standstill. Schools are shut down, businesses have closed, travel has slowed to a crawl, the economy is tanking, and even churches have been forced to close their doors. The novel coronavirus (or Covid-19) was designated a pandemic by the World Health Organization, forcing everyone to take extraordinary precautions in order to slow the spread of this deadly disease. Many pe...

Join us as Pastors Gary Webber, Todd Kornahrens, and Darren Sides respond to your comments and questions about the Losing My Religion sermon series.

In this, the final installment of Losing My Religion , we also consider how religion led to Jesus’ crucifixion and how His death on the cross marks the day religion died. Pastor Gary will discuss the surprising similarities between religion and secular humanism and how both fall short of their promises to bring us peace. 

We all carry many identities: mother, son, doctor, student, American, Refugee, white, black, conservative, progressive, Southern Baptist, Atheist. The list can go on and on. In a culture that is increasingly divided by our identities, we must recognize the need to rest our identity in Christ. Only when our identity is in Christ can we transcend our tribal identities and truly love our neighbors. J...

The people of God are routinely warned against profanity. From Proverbs in the Old Testament, to the words of Jesus in the Gospels, and throughout the New Testament, believers are constantly warned about the dangers of an untamed tongue. So what could possibly have driven a man who wrote the majority of the books in our New Testament to cuss? Join us for part 6 of Losing My Religion where we look...

On April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as the cathedral at Notre Dame burned. Estimates for rebuilding the cathedral are now approaching 2 billion dollars. The secular French government has committed to its reconstruction, “no matter the cost.” For many, Notre Dame and buildings like it stand as a representation of their religious traditions. For others, it is more about national pride and...

The word “religion” stirs all kinds of emotions in us. They may be positive emotions associated with faith, traditions, and our connection with God. Or, they could be negative memories of manipulation, hypocrisy, or abuse. You might expect the Bible to offer a purely positive definition of “religion,” but in reality, the Bible offers more warnings about the dangers of religion than a positive defe...

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. It is considered by many to be the foundation of two major world religions. It has been used by all kinds of people to justify all kinds of good and bad things done in the name of religion. But what if the Bible is not primarily a religious text, but a record of the failure of religion? What if the Bible is not the treasure, but merely the map pointi...

Recent surveys have revealed that a growing number of people no longer identify with any religion. They do not claim to be protestant or catholic, they are not affiliated with Islam or Hinduism, they simply claim no religious affiliation. They have come to be known as “nons.” If this group were its own religion, it would be the fastest growing in America. Jesus was a friend to the irreligious. He...

A crowd of gentiles wanted to approach Jesus but were not sure if they could since they were not Jewish. Cultural and social barriers still get in the way of the message of the Gospel today. Join us for part four of Go Fish! and see how Andrew responded to the crowds’ request to see Jesus.  

Southside is not a building, not an institution. We are a community of believers, moving toward a life fully devoted to Jesus. Our deacons are those who look to serve our community. We have a number of new deacons and we'd like to introduce them to you so you can get to know them a little better.

When we think about becoming fishers of people, we can become overwhelmed by the need. There are literally billions of people on the planet and the task of sharing the good news with all of them seems impossible. Jesus’ first disciples faced a similarly overwhelming situation when Jesus told them to feed a crowd of more than 5,000 people. Philip became overwhelmed, but Andrew focused on one small...

Southside is not a building, not an institution. We are a community of believers, moving toward a life fully devoted to Jesus. Our deacons are those who look to serve our community. We have a number of new deacons and we'd like to introduce them to you so you can get to know them a little better.

Talking to other people about faith is a scary thought. The fear of rejection and damaged relationships often keeps us silent on issues of faith and our deepest held beliefs about God. Join us for part two of “Go Fish!” where we see how two of Jesus’ lesser known disciples boldly shared their new found faith in Jesus and those acts of courage changed the course of eternity.

Southside is not a building, not an institution. We are a community of believers, moving toward a life fully devoted to Jesus. Our deacons are those who look to serve our community. We have a number of new deacons and we'd like to introduce them to you so you can get to know them a little better.

Jesus’ call to discipleship includes the promise of a career change. His first disciples all left their jobs when they answered Jesus’ call. Some left their tax booths, others left their fishing nets, but everyone who followed Jesus gave up one job for something new. What kind of career offer did Jesus make these guys? Did He call them to become great theologians, or teachers, or Military leaders?...

Southside is not a building, not an institution. We are a community of believers, moving toward a life fully devoted to Jesus. Our deacons are those who look to serve our community. We have a number of new deacons and we'd like to introduce them to you so you can get to know them a little better.