Oasis AZ: Recent Episodes
Oasis AZ
Welcome to the Oasis podcast, brought to you by the Oasis, a network of home churches in Tucson, Arizona. Weekly messages are brought to you by Pastors David Gainey and Dustin DeJong. For more information on the Oasis, visit us at oasisaz.com.
God calls us to submit to and serve one another in marriage in the same way that Jesus submitted to and served the Father.
We honor God by submitting to one another. For children, this includes obedience to our parents. For adult children, this includes honoring them. Because we honor God and our spouse first, however, there are times when we'll offend our parents.
God calls all of us to a season of sexual purity. Sexual purity includes focusing on friendships with mature believers and leaving one another better off than we found them. Unfortunately we ran into an issue near the end of the service and lost our...
God created us male and female. Race, color, nationality, sexual orientation, height, shape, and language are temporary. Our biological sex, on the other hand, is part of our God-given identity; so choosing to live into our identity honors God. That...
Outsiders will treat us the way they treated Jesus. So, expect persection for loving Jesus--just be sure you're being persecuted for loving Jesus and not for being unloving and offensive. When you're embraced, it's Jesus they're embracing, so...
We must remain in Jesus by keeping his commands. If we do, he'll call us friends, prune us, make us fruitful, and give us what we ask.
When Jesus leaves, he will send the Holy Spirit to encourage those who love him. In that way, Jesus will never truly leave those who follow him.
Jesus is the way to the Father. To know Jesus, is to know the Father. We have access to the Father and his eternal kingdom through Jesus, who gives us permission to ask for anything in his name.
Jesus calls us to love one another as Jesus loved us. It will be expensive, but loving one another draws the world to Jesus.
Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope we can be forgiven, we can change, and we can live forever.
Jesus washed the feet of the apostles to demonstrate his love and death, and to challenge them to serve one another as he served them. True leadership means putting the needs of those we lead ahead of ourselves. Leaders serve by doing the stuff no...
To reject Jesus is to reject the Father, and to receive Jesus is to receive the Father. Jesus invites those who receive him to do so publicly and proudly, regardless of the cost.
If we want to follow Jesus, we must be willing to lay down our lives for his sake. Our life is found in dying to ourselves and living to his purposes and goals.
Jesus is the promised king of Israel--the Messiah--who will rule the world with gentleness and love. Some recognize him as king. Others don't.
God appointed Jesus a scapegoat for sins, so all who believe might become his children. Therefore, we should preserve the unity of Jesus' family by seeking restoration with other believers who hurt us.
Jesus reveals the glory of God to those who believe. So, believe, watch, and join Jesus in what he’s doing around you.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life. If we trust in him, we'll escape the second death and live forever. In Jesus, we find a life of joy and meaning that conquers even death.
God's timing is perfect. Jesus left for Bethany at just the right time, after Lazarus had died, but with plenty of time to raise him from the dead. The apostles worried Jesus would be executed, but Jesus knew if he followed the Father's leading, no...
Jesus’ good works prove he’s the Jewish Messiah, the Son of God. Those who belong to Jesus recognize this. They follow him and he keeps them safe forever.
Jesus is the leader our hearts desire. He offers us what no one else can because he's powerful and kind--so kind he'll die that we may live.
Jesus is the strong and loving king who will lead God's people in peace. He will return to annihilate evil and create the perfect world we long for. We prepare for his return by submitting to his leadership now.
God uses the faithfulness of ordinary people to do great things. He used the faithfulness of Boaz, Ruth, Mary, and Joseph to fulfill his purpose of bringing our Redeemer into the world.
God uses the faithfulness of ordinary people to do great things. He used the faithfulness of Boaz, Ruth, Mary, and Joseph to fulfill his purpose of bringing our Redeemer into the world.
God sees us--our past, present and future. He knows us and our story and he's committed to care for us in ways we cannot always see. As God cares for us, he uses us to care for others.
Even in great misfortune, God is there, offering a taste of hope and redemption. Even when we cannot see it, God's working all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Hope lives because Jesus...
The most dangerous response is to hear the truth but ignore it; for that makes us guilty of a greater sin than ignorance. To whom much is given, much is required. We are responsible for what we know.
We are witnesses of what we have seen, heard, and experienced. Others may argue with who Jesus is, but no one can contradict the change he's made in our lives. So, we boldly tell the truth and let Jesus take care of the results.
Jesus gives sight to the blind. As the light of the world, Jesus helps us see the truth about ourselves, God, and the people around us.
Jesus is God in human flesh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We can choose to follow him and know life or reject him and face the consequences; but we must do something with his audacious claim.
We are slaves to our rebellious nature. Only through Jesus can we be set free from our addictions and experience the freedom we long for. Otherwise, we will remain slaves to our sin and to the evil one.
The good news is controversial, but the whole world desperately needs it. As witnesses, we share what's been shared with us and leave the results with God.
Jesus is the light of the world. Through him we can know the Father, eternal life, and true joy. Knowing Jesus is the key to knowing everything worth knowing.
We stand before God because of grace alone. Therefore, we extend God's grace to those around us.
Jesus provokes hostility. If we follow Jesus, we should expect some measure of hostility, too.
Consider carefully who Jesus is, because if we choose him, we will receive the Holy Spirit and become a source of life to others.
Practice true discernment, which comes only when we obey God, examine our motives, and reflect on Scripture.
Jesus is a different kind of King—one who sought the Father’s approval over popularity, God’s timing over his own, and truth over convenience. Do we share his values?
Jesus is the source of life, but following him is hard. Apart from the power of God, none of us can follow Jesus for long.
Jesus is the bread of life. Those who feast on his death by faith will live forever. We'll do communion.
As Creator of the universe, Jesus has power over the elements. All creation submits to him. If Jesus knows no limits, we have nothing to fear.
Jesus provides all we need, so we can trust him to take care of us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
The Father has delegated judgment to his Son, so each of us will answer to Jesus sooner or later.
Jesus’ compassion and power can overcome any barrier, including superstitious victims who have no faith in him and legalistic rules of Jewish leaders that prohibit healing and carrying mats on the Sabbath.
I give my life to Jesus because he forgives me, shows mercy, removes my disgrace, rescues me from trouble, and guides me.
When God is the center of our lives and our greatest love, He often showers us with blessings and privileges many people will never know.
When God is the center of our lives and our greatest love, He often showers us with blessings and privileges many people will never know.
Life is fragile and finite, but the kingdom of God is unfolding into eternity all around us.
All people, whether young or old, weak or strong, healthy or handicapped, have infinite worth in God’s eyes, because we are the only creatures on Earth who can obey God’s will with love and devotion.
We prepare our children for adulthood by recognizing our responsibility to provide appropriate consequences. The purpose of discipline is to save lives by training our kids’ hearts to choose God’s path. If we do it well, we transfer...
Parents have the power to define their children. Unfortunately, we use that power to damage them. But God invites us to see them as image-bearers and point our children to God through the power of our example and words.
Parenting is hard because we and our kids have illegitimate goals. As a result, we're passive, controlling, or permissive. Instead, we should establish healthy authority in our homes.
Hope and I give generously to Oasis because we believe in the mission, love our community, trust our leaders, want to obey Jesus, and long to store up a treasure in heaven that won't pass away.
We can exchange God's stuff for an eternal reward that won't pass away. To do so, we must choose to give God's stuff away now.
Easter changes everything because it give us hope we can be forgiven, we can change, and we can live forever! So, put your hope and trust in Jesus, the risen King.
Jesus has the power authority to heal from a distance. He healed a dying boy with nothing more than a word. The father believed Jesus and discovered his trust was well-placed. If Jesus had that kind of power on earth, what kind of power does he have...
We share with others how Jesus changed us, because our stories are powerful. Our stories lead others to discover the truth about Jesus for themselves. When others come to faith, they in turn share with more people. We create a chain reaction that...
Our highest vocation is to obey God by finishing what he started. The unfinished work of Jesus is to make him known to every human being. That's why our home churches work together to bring friends to Jesus, we invite friends to Alpha, we support...
As the Messiah, Jesus offers real life to all who worship the Father in Spirit and truth. This is the kind of person the Father seeks, regardless of background, identity, or sin. So, let go of your preconceived ideas, opinions, and preferences, and...
Because Jesus is the Son of God, we exist to bring him glory. He's the point of everything, so we're delighted to know him, serve him, and point others to him. He must become greater while we become less because it's not about us.
We must be spiritually reborn to enter the kingdom of God. Spiritual birth takes place when Jesus is lifted up and we choose to trust in him. Otherwise, we already stand condemned for choosing darkness instead of light.
Because Jesus is zealous for his Father's house, he purified the temple of all who sought to make money at the expense of genuine worship. People had turned God's house into a mall, making it impossible for many--especially Gentiles--to worship God...
By changing water into (fine) wine, Jesus demonstrated he has the power to transform ordinary things into extraordinary things. Jesus can transform us, our jobs, and our lives into the extraordinary if he give him permission to do with us as he...
Jesus sees into our hearts. Like he did with Nathaniel, he looks within us and knows who we really are. Jesus knows our true identity, our potential, and our flaws. So, we cannot hide. Therefore, come to him without shame and let him expose...
Because Jesus is the Lamb of God, He's the only source of life and truth. So, we follow him, and--like John the Baptist and Andrew--we invite others to follow him, too. Bringing others to Jesus is the greatest service we can perform for another.
Jesus is God's Chosen One, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He will baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit. Jesus has the power to forgive our sin, remove our shame, and transform us into the people we long to be. We're all...
Jesus is greater. John knew his place: He was the voice in the desert inviting people to prepare for the coming Messiah. John knew he wasn’t worthy to perform slave duties with Jesus. Neither are we. What Jesus wants to do is infinitely more...
Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and God in human flesh. He created us and he exposes us. The Son of God became a human being to reveal God to us. We can reject him as the world does, or we can trust in him and become God’s children.
Because God cares for us and restores our fortunes, we care for broken people so they learn to care for other through Jesus Christ. We do so by developing leaders, submitting to God and Scripture, sharing our lives with one another, and generously...
Our destiny is determined by our habits. So take time to reflect on 2021, the direction you're headed, and where you want to be in the future. What is God inviting you to do differently to prepare for the future he longs for you to experience?
Jesus is the strong and loving king who will lead God's people in peace. He will return to annihilate evil and create the perfect world we long for. We prepare for his return by submitting to his leadership now.
In his own way and time, God will restore the fortunes of those who follow Jesus. So, recognize every drink of water as a gift and down payment of the well of living water God has prepared for all who love him. And let us wait patiently for our...
God is rational, but we cannot possibly understand why God created a world where suffering is real and pervasive. We can try, but we'll always fall short of grasping what God is doing because his ways are higher than our ways. In the end, all we can...
Even when we suffer, God is just—though his ways are mysterious. Job put God on trial, revealing his own self-righteousness. How can any of us compare our justice to God’s justice? God doesn’t answer to us, nor does he fit into our tidy boxes....
God requires obedience, including integrity, purity, compassion, faithfulness, and hospitality. But our obedience never requires God to give us what we expect or demand of him. God alone is God. He keeps his promises to us, but he owes us nothing....
The most precious possession on earth is wisdom--the ability to make good decisions and nurture healthy relationships. Real wisdom is elusive, unless we learn to obey Jesus.
God doesn’t always rescue the innocent from suffering. That’s a fact. It isn’t fair and makes zero sense. But it isn’t the whole story, either. God loves us dearly and works behind the scenes to care for those he loves. We cannot judge God...
Justice is sometimes served here, but ultimate justice awaits. The righteous and wicked often receive what the other deserves this side of heaven. So our incentive for following Jesus cannot be material reward (or we’ll fall away), but the...
We assume that if we do what’s right, life will work, but that’s a myth. God is just, but he doesn’t guarantee our lives will work if we follow Jesus. We suffer because we live in a fallen world where we suffer sometimes for no obvious reason....
We live because of God's mercy and power. Apart from God, we would perish at the hands of our Enemy. But God provides boundaries evil cannot cross. God sustains us until he brings us safely home. We may experience evil, but even then God will never...
God delights in our desire to please him. Our obedience is uneven and broken, but God takes pleasure in our longing to obey him, even as we fail. When we respond to hardship and suffering by grieving with God --even in anger-- God enjoys us. But we...
We prepare our children for adulthood by recognizing our responsibility to provide appropriate consequences. Therefore, the purpose of discipline is to save lives by training our kids' hearts to choose God's path. If we do it well, we transfer...
We are most prepared for the battle when we're aware of our weakness and our need for God's strength.
Parenting is hard because we and our kids have illegitimate goals. As a result, we're controlling, permissive, or passive. So the Bible should be our guide as we establish healthy authority in our homes. Let's parent our kids like God parents us.
God created us male and female. Race, color, nationality, sexual orientation, height, shape, and language are temporary. Our biological sex is part of our identity and living into our identity honors God.
God commands us to honor our parents. When we're under their authority, we obey them unless what they tell us to do clearly and directly violates God's rules. When we're no longer under their authority (i.e., neither emotionally nor financially...
Everyone's called to celibacy--at least for a season. For some, it's a long-term calling to free up our lives for whatever God calls us into. God invites the single person to channel their sexual desires in a healthy way that builds up others.
God hates divorce because it denies the sanctity of marriage (Mal 2:16, Mat 19:4-8). He allows us to divorce (but doesn't require it), however, only when our spouse breaks the marriage covenant (Mark 10:11-12, Mat 5:32, Mat 19:9). God permits...
We love our spouses by seeking their best. We seek their best when we fully offer ourselves to them.
God's purpose for marriage is to bring us into a richer friendship with him as we point one another to God. God uses marriage to refine our character by challenging our selfish spirit. A healthy marriage is a salt block that makes us more thirsty...
Dating is cultural, but purity is biblical. As singles, our focus should be on friendship, rather than romance. Submission to the other means leaving one another better off than you found them, because they don't yet belong to you. So, tread...
Jesus is coming soon, so make sure you're ready to meet him. If you don't know him, take the free gift of life today. If you do, carefully examine yourself. Be sure you won't be ashamed when Jesus returns. Live every moment in a state of...
God is preparing us for an eternity with him where he will remove all our pain, shame, and disappointment, and replace them with everlasting joy, love, and intimacy. God will be our god, and we will be his people forever and ever. This is the ending...
Each of us must stand before God one day and give a full account of our choices. God--the perfect Judge--will determine our eternal destiny based on our response to Jesus. Our eternal destiny will be based on our faith, which will be demonstrated by...
Jesus' resurrection gives us hope that we can be forgiven, we can change, and we can live forever.
The King is coming for his bride. God's been preparing us for that moment when Jesus comes back for us to take us home. We've also been preparing our hearts for the moment Jesus will declare victory over all creation and wrap up this world with a...
The End is Near: Since God will judge the wicked, those who love Jesus must be careful not to compromise their faith and share in the judgment of the wicked. We're often tempted to compromise our faith in order to escape pain or experience heaven...
God Never Forgets: In the end, God will condemn those who persecute his people. There may be a delay, but his justice is perfect because he will never forget what the wicked have done to the righteous. In fact, the wicked will bring judgment upon...
God's Vengeance: Because God's vengeance is just and sure, we can leave revenge to him. Instead of paying back those who wrong us, we pray for those who wound us and seek their welfare. We share the good news with those who oppose us and trust God...
God's Glory Revealed: God is glorified by his perfect judgment. His mercy toward the righteous displays his patient compassion. God's judgment of the wicked reveals his justice. Whether we live or die, God gets the glory. So, how will you glorify...
Perfect Judgment: God's judgment is perfect and just. He will reward those who remain faithful, paying them back a hundred fold for all they lose for the sake of Jesus. God will also punish those who harm his children, who worship the enemy, and...
Counterfeit Prophets: False messiahs imitate the true Messiah. But they serve as pawns of the enemy, rather than God. They mislead people to a poor shadow of the power, joy, and hope that Jesus alone offers to those who forsake this world for the one...
For a season, God permits the enemy to succeed. Satan uses government, power, and other means to win people over to himself. He mocks God and enslaves God's people for now. The enemy becomes a substitute God for many. Therefore, we must be patient...
Satan, our enemy, is filled with fury and knows his time is short. Therefore, he seeks to destroy all that God loves. We know, however, his reign is short-lived and that God, who hurled him from heaven, will protect his people from the enemy's...
We believe that one day Jesus will return and usher in the new heavens and new earth where God will reign forever. When that day comes, God will punish the wicked and reward those who love him. Every choice we make today, we make in light of that...
God will protect us physically until we fulfill our mission and spiritually until we arrive safely home. So, don’t be afraid of what humans can do. Instead, boldly share God’s love without shame.
The spiritual discipline of remembering helps us grow and heal from the past as we think forward to the future.