Gary Lee Webber public
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Located at the heart of Jacksonville, Florida, Aspire Church is engaged with God in His mission to make all things new. Aspire Church is not what you might expect. While the Corinthian columns and stained glass windows may lead you to believe you know what this place is all about, don't make your decision until you meet the people. At Aspire we believe it is the people, not the building, that is the church. We believe it is our privilege to represent Jesus in San Marco by creating ministry e ...
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In a busy world with so many voices clamoring for attention, it would be easy to feel lost in the crowd. Does anyone see me? Does anyone hear me? Does anyone care? And if there is a God, does He see me or care about my life? Join us for part 3 of The Pursuit of God, where we will learn how God sees us even when we can’t see Him.…
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Studies have shown that more than half of those who use GPS ignore the directions they get from it. It is probably no surprise that men ignore the directions far more than women! Ignoring directions may not be a big deal when navigating to a new restaurant or assembling furniture from Ikea. But it can have serious consequences when the directions c…
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There is a Chinese proverb that says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The same can be said about our pursuit of God. A single act of faith is the key to finding God, His purpose, and His ways. Join us for a series from Genesis 11-25 about Abraham and Isaac and how their pursuit of God reminds us that those who seek God …
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Unlike any other organization or institution, the church does not exist primarily for the benefit of its members. The Church is not about us; it’s about Him. And because God has called us to make Him known to the ends of the earth, the church must also be about “them” – those who have yet to be reached with the message of the Gospel. Join us for th…
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Celebrity culture is a billion-dollar industry. Social media influencers and celebrities rely on public exposure (good and bad) to maintain their power. Jesus was a celebrity in first-century Palestine. Religious and political leaders knew His name, and thousands flocked to hear Him teach. But Jesus never relied on His celebrity. In fact, He was wi…
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Henry Ford is often credited with the creation of the modern assembly line. This simple concept revolutionized industry around the world. Assembly lines are great for products but terrible for people. Whether it is the automated voice system answering your calls or the self-check line at your favorite big box store, we have all experienced the frus…
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They exist everywhere. Little contradictions that are sometimes humorous and sometimes downright disturbing. From driving on a parkway and parking in a driveway to the endorsement of slavery by a nation whose founding document states that all men are created equal. But what happens when the message of the Gospel is contradicted by the church that i…
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Twenty years ago, no one had a smartphone, and few had social media accounts. Twenty years before that, no one had heard of e-mail or the Internet. One hundred years before that, people relied on a horse and buggy for transportation. Technology and culture continue to change at an accelerated rate. With all that has changed, how has the church endu…
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Companies and organizations measure their success and report it to their stakeholders. How much did we make (or lose)? What was our quarterly growth (or decline)? Did we come in on time and under budget (or is someone getting fired)? The institutional church also has a set of metrics it uses to measure its success. How many people were in worship t…
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When Jesus gathered His disciples in the Upper Room, they were confronted with the price He would pay for their redemption. After the Resurrection, Jesus again met His Disciples in the Upper Room, and it was there that the church was born. Join us for part two of This is Us, where we will discover that Jesus-centered communities are built by people…
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From the fall in Genesis to the final scene of Revelation, the Bible tells the story of how God is building a new kind of community—a people He set apart for His glory. But from its very beginning, controversy has surrounded the Church. People throughout history—insiders and outsiders alike—have struggled to understand the Church and its mission. J…
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Long before His arrest, Jesus told His disciples that if they wanted to follow Him, they would have to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. It is doubtful the disciples fully understood what Jesus meant. Even two thousand years after His crucifixion, understanding what it means to bear Jesus’ cross can be difficult. Join us for a s…
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Long before His arrest, Jesus told His disciples that if they wanted to follow Him, they would have to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. It is doubtful the disciples fully understood what Jesus meant. Even two thousand years after His crucifixion, understanding what it means to bear Jesus’ cross can be difficult. Join us for a s…
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We are excited to welcome home Mark and Kim Wilbanks. Mark pastored Southside Baptist Church from 1985 to 2002. During the Dr. Wilbanks’s 17 years of leadership, Aspire experienced significant growth, a prolonged season of health and vitality, and a massive expansion and renovation of our facilities and property. After leaving Aspire, Mark pastored…
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Silence can be deafening, especially when you’re used to living amidst the clamor and commotion of our noisy world. But what happens when God is silent? Join us for the final message in The Care and Feeding of the Human Soul as we discuss the dark night of the soul to see how it can draw us closer to God.…
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Today, we welcome our guest preacher, Dr. Mark Searby. Mark is a native of Illinois, where he completed his college and seminary education at Lincoln Christian University and his Doctor of Ministry degree at the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. After serving over 20 years in pastoral ministry, he taught at Lincoln Christian Seminary for ten y…
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For advertisers to sell their products, they must generate a sense of need. They often do this by exploiting feelings of dissatisfaction in their potential customers. Advertisers recognize what many of us do not, that the human soul needs satisfaction. Join us for part 6 of The Care and Feeding of The Human Soul, where we will discuss the dangers o…
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From medicine to technology, plastic surgery to space exploration, humans have been on a constant quest for meaning and eternal life. From the moment we were exiled from the Garden and lost access to the Tree of Life, all striving has been an effort to regain eternity. Why? Because our souls need a future. Join us for part 5 of The Care and Feeding…
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Sinkholes cost Floridians an average of $300,000,000 every year. This threat goes largely unseen until it is too late. Likewise, our souls might be in danger of suddenly collapsing if they are not centered on the proper foundation. Join us for part 4 of The Care and Feeding of the Human Soul, where we will learn to recognize the dangers of a soul n…
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“Who is responsible for that?” This is the question asked about everything from cleaning the kitchen to paying the national debt. In a world where it seems like we are encouraged to take responsibility for less and less, it is no wonder that so many have failed to take responsibility for the care and feeding of their soul. Join us as we learn three…
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You’ve heard it, probably said it, and have certainly been it at some point. What do we mean when we say someone is a “lost soul”? Join us for part two of The Care and Feeding of the Human Soul, where we’ll talk about the condition of our souls and the only remedy for their healing.By Gary Lee Webber
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A recent study found that the average American spent $722 on health and beauty products and services in 2023, with Gen Zers spending more than double that at $1,754. While our society pursues eternal youth and beauty, another part of our human being goes largely ignored – our souls. The evidence of this oversight is obvious when you consider the gr…
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If I could see the world like you, I would think and act differently. Our perspective on life and truth is limited, but what if we could access God’s perspective? What if we had directions on how to live life according to the author of life Himself? Join us for the final sermon of 2023 and the kickoff to 85 hours in the Word.…
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The greatest expression of love the world has ever known arrived with little recognition and no fanfare. Jesus was born in a barn and laid in a manger. He never wrote a book, held political office, or traveled more than 200 miles from where He was born. He never did any of the things that we associate with greatness, yet because of His death and re…
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Ask any gardener and they can tell you about the curse of weeds and thorns that infest the ground. It will require work if you want to grow flowers, vegetables, or a beautiful yard. The things we don’t want will grow without effort, while the things we want require constant attention. This is the nature of sin in our lives and the world. Join us fo…
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If Luke were writing his Gospel today, his version of the Christmas story might very well be a Broadway musical! In chapter one, Luke shares the songs of Zechariah and Mary, and in chapter two, all heaven breaks into song as the angels announce the birth of Jesus. But this Broadway production wasn’t performed for the elite, but for those the world …
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We sing it every year, “Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come!” But what does that mean? With war, injustice, and division all around, how can Christians believe that a baby born two thousand years ago has brought joy to the world? Join us for part two of Joy to the World, where we will discover God’s conspiracy to overturn the corruption of this wor…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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? …
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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, w…
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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. …
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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. Sinc…
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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 b…
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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…
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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…
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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 e…
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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 come…
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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…
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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 Augus…
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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 fut…
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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 …
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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 …
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