Southside Baptist Church Podcast

Long before Bethlehem, Isaiah saw Christmas coming. In a world of gloom and darkness, he promised a great light. That hope didn’t arrive through armies or politics but through a child—a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Part one of Unto Us: The Gospel According to Isaiah reminds us that Jesus is our only hope —the light in our darkness, the child in the manger, and the King whose reign will never end.

In a world that often silences truth and mocks faith, Isaiah shows us what it means to follow God into the darkness. Built through years of listening and obedience, the prophet learns to trust the Lord when the journey becomes painful. His words point ahead to Jesus, the ultimate Servant who set His face like flint and carried the light of God’s love through the shadow of the cross. Join us for the final message in the Here I Am series, where we discover that when the world rejects the truth, God’s Word still shines in the darkness—and so must we.

In a world ruled by fear and fueled by endless headlines, God’s people are called to live differently. When the kings of the earth trembled, Isaiah heard a counter-cultural command: “Do not fear what they fear. The Lord Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy.” In this message, Pastor Gary Webber shows how faith in the face of fear becomes a declaration of hope in a despairing world—and how trusting the holiness of God can steady us amid cultural panic and personal anxiety.

When Isaiah entered the temple, it was just another day of worship—until he saw the Lord. In that moment, God's holiness revealed his sin, cleansed his lips, and forever changed his life. In this message, Pastor Gary Webber shows how God uses worship to reveal His glory, redeem our guilt, and empower us for His mission. God still calls imperfect people to proclaim His perfect message. When grace transforms our worship, our only response is, “Here I am — send me.”

Isaiah’s ministry began in a nation that looked devout but was spiritually diseased. The people performed acts of worship while ignoring justice, truth, and compassion. In this opening message from the Here I Am series, Pastor Gary Webber reminds us that before God can use us to change the world around us, He must first cleanse the world within us. Only when the “enemy within” is exposed and forgiven can we say, “Here I am, send me.”

In Luke 14:12-24, Jesus tells a story about a banquet where the invitations go to the most unlikely guests. God’s Kingdom is like that table - overflowing with grace and open to all. A Bridge to the Table calls us to extend that same invitation: to make room for one more, welcome the outsider, and reflect heaven’s hospitality here on earth. Love fills the table when we pray boldly, give generously, and serve joyfully - so that God’s house may be full. 

What kind of legacy will we leave behind? In Luke 18:15–17, Jesus turns the world’s values upside down by welcoming children and declaring that the Kingdom belongs to them. A Bridge to the Future reminds us that the church is always one generation away from becoming a museum. Our calling is to see the next generation, invest in them today, and learn from their childlike faith. Legacy is not just what we leave behind—it’s who we raise up to follow Jesus. Love builds a bridge to the future when we   pray for, serve with, and entrust leadership to those who will carry the gospel beyond us.

God’s heart has always been for the nations. From Abraham’s promise to Isaiah’s vision of a house of prayer for all peoples to John’s glimpse of a multitude before the throne, Scripture reveals a global mission. But like Israel, the church today can lose the plot when we forget who the Gospel is for. Join us for part 2 of Bridges, where we see that love crosses borders—racial, cultural, and personal. Jesus calls us to become a bridge to the nations—starting right here in our city.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows us that real love is more than sentiment—it crosses the street. In this opening message of our Bridges series, we’ll explore what it means to love our city by seeing the needs around us, showing mercy to those the world overlooks, and sharing ourselves in ways that build lasting bridges. Aspire Church is called to be more than a place of worship; we are a church that is for Christ, for the city, for good. We are called to bring God’s love across every street and into every neighborhood.

Before we begin our new Bridges series, we pause with a prayer that never fails: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). In a world tired of empty words and unanswered longings, Jesus gives us a model prayer that is always heard and always answered — not because it bends God to our will, but because it bends us to His. This message sets the stage for Bridges by reminding us that the first and greatest bridge God builds is between heaven and earth, and that our mission is to live as people who bring His Kingdom to bear in every sphere of life.

In the final message of our Grasping for God series, we reach the last chapter of Jacob’s story — not his deathbed confession of failure, but his clearest act of faith. With failing eyesight, Jacob blesses the sons of Joseph and, in a surprising move, crosses his hands to give the greater blessing to the younger son. What looked like a mistake was actually a vision: for the first time, Jacob truly saw the world through the lens of grace. This moment shows that grace is more than something we need and more than something we experience — it is the power of God that reshapes how we live, how we see others, and how we trust Him for the future.

We are honored to welcome Dr. Mark Wilbanks back to the pulpit at Aspire Church San Marco. Dr. Wilbanks faithfully served as our pastor from 1985 to 2002. During his 17 years of leadership, Aspire experienced a season of remarkable growth, good health, and significant expansion of our facilities and property. His tenure left a lasting spiritual and structural legacy that continues to benefit our congregation today. Now retired, Dr. Wilbanks brings 47 years of pastoral ministry experience, having served churches in Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Georgia and two seminary degrees, including a Doctor of Ministry. Mark is also the author of Along the Journey, a collection of essays, stories, and devotionals drawn from his life in ministry. He and his wife, Kimberly Perrin Wilbanks, have been married for 45 years. They now live in Birmingham, Alabama, and are the proud parents of Andrew (married to Lindsay, with three children) and Jordan

After a lifetime of grasping — for birthrights, blessings, and love — Jacob is finally left alone. On the eve of facing his greatest fear, he encounters his greatest opponent: God Himself. In this climactic moment, Jacob realizes that the fight was never with Esau, but with the God he’s resisted his whole life. In Part 5 of Grasping for God, we’ll see how real encounters with God are always personal, often painful, and ultimately transformative — and how sometimes, the only way to win is to surrender.

We were made for love—but we often grasp for it in all the wrong ways. Jacob thought Rachel’s beauty would heal his loneliness. Leah thought bearing children would earn her husband’s affection. Both were left unsatisfied. In Part 4 of Grasping for God, we’ll see that the love we truly long for can’t be found in romance, success, or family approval—it can only be found in the God who sees, hears, and loves us in Christ, the true Bridegroom who will never leave or forsake us.

Jacob is on the run—alone, afraid, and far from everything familiar. But in a forgotten place, with only a stone for a pillow, he has an encounter that changes everything. In Part three of Grasping for God, we see that God doesn’t wait for us to climb up to Him—He brings heaven down to us. Jacob’s dream of a stairway reveals a deeper truth: heaven is not accessed by striving, but opened by grace. What seemed like a dead end becomes a doorway. And in Jesus, the true ladder, the gate of heaven is still open.

We all long to be blessed — to be seen, named, and affirmed. But like Jacob, we often grasp for that blessing in all the wrong ways — by pretending, performing, and hiding who we truly are. In Part 2 of Grasping for God, we will examine Genesis 27 to understand the power of blessing, the problem of seeking it apart from God, and the promise of a blessing freely given through Jesus — the true Firstborn who was rejected so we could be accepted.

Legacy matters—but it’s not enough. Every generation must decide: Will we repeat the sins of our past, rely on the religion we inherited, or find a living faith of our own? In the opening message of our new series Grasping for God, we focus on the often-overlooked story of Isaac to examine how faith is handed down, reclaimed, and renewed—through trust in the God who offers living water.

Mike Domke is the Team Leader for Church Planting with the IMB for Kyiv, Ukraine. Mile and his family have served with the IMB since 2008. Before that, he served on the staff at San Jose Baptist Church from 1992 to 2008. Mike married JuliAn Swartz in 1988. They have three children: Michael, a Senior at William Carey University; Andrea, a freshman starting at William Carey University in the fall; and Joseph, who is in 11th grade at International Christian School in Budapest.

Today, we are pleased to welcome Cecil Seagle as our guest preacher. Cecil was married to Peggie Hames Seagle for 63 years. Together, they served Jesus’ Church as pastor and wife for over 20 years. Cecil led the Florida Baptist Convention’s mission division for 25 years. He also served as the Executive Director for the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana for six years before retiring to Florida eight years ago. Since then, Cecil has continued to serve churches as an Interim Pastor and guest preacher. He is, of course, best known for being Mark Seagle’s dad!

Psalm 110 is the most quoted passage in the entire New Testament, yet many people are unfamiliar with it. Listen to track 5 of Summer Psalms Mixtape, Vol. 4, as we explore how Psalm 110 points us to Jesus—the exalted King, compassionate priest, and beautifully transforming Savior. In just seven verses, David reveals a vision of the Messiah that shapes all Christian theology. Come discover why this short psalm is so important and how the Savior it describes can change your life.