Oasis: College & Young Adult Ministry: Recent Episodes
GracePoint Wesleyan Church
Messages and conversations from Oasis, the College and Young Adult Ministry at GracePoint Wesleyan Church in Brookings, South Dakota. Find us on Instagram and Facebook.
The third week of the "Last Words" series centers on the story of the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, revealing how an encounter with the resurrected Jesus transforms confusion into clarity and despair into hope. As the disciples walk in disappointment, Jesus meets them where they are—even before they recognize Him—showing that He pursues us first in our doubt and uncertainty. Through Scripture, community, and the breaking of bread, Jesus gradually reveals Himself, opening their eyes to the truth of His resurrection. Ultimately, the encounter leads to a response: their hearts are awakened, their direction is changed, and they run to share the good news. In the same way, encountering the risen Jesus invites each of us to move from passive belief to active response.
Note Guide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/658038/notes
The second week of the “Last Words” series focuses on Jesus’ final words in the Gospel of Mark, revealing the depth and purpose of His suffering on the cross. Centered on His cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, the passage highlights not only the physical pain Jesus endured, but the emotional, relational, and spiritual weight He carried in fulfilling His mission. By echoing Psalm 22, Jesus’ words connect His present suffering to God’s redemptive plan, showing that even in apparent abandonment, God’s purposes are being accomplished. Ultimately, these final words are not just an expression of anguish, but a declaration of fulfillment—revealing that through His suffering, Jesus has secured victory and made a way for redemption for all people.
Note Guide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/654416/notes
The first week of the “Last Words” series explores Jesus’ final words in Matthew, revealing that we were not created to spend our lives chasing things that fade, but to participate in work that lasts for eternity. By tracing the story from creation to the fall, we see how sin turned meaningful, life-giving work into exhausting toil, leaving us striving for fulfillment that never satisfies. But through Jesus and the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven, our purpose is restored—not just to receive redemption, but to join in it. In His final words, the Great Commission, Jesus invites us into this renewed purpose: to labor alongside Him in making disciples and bringing His love to the world. Ultimately, true fulfillment is not found in success, security, or achievement, but in living as sent people—using our everyday lives to invest in what will never fade and has eternal impact. Note Guide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/650099/notes
This week of the “Don’t Be Dumb” series explores Speaking & Silence, revealing that both our words and our restraint carry the power to bring life or death. Drawing from Proverbs and the life of Jesus during Holy Week, the message shows that wisdom is not just about what we say, but when we speak and when we remain silent. Careless words can wound deeply, while wise restraint can prevent harm and create space for truth, healing, and restoration. Jesus models both—speaking boldly when truth is needed and remaining silent when words would only fuel conflict—demonstrating that both speech and silence must flow from a transformed heart. Ultimately, through His death and resurrection, Jesus redeems our failures in both, inviting us to live with intentionality so that our words and our silence reflect His life-giving grace.
Note Guide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/630874/notes
In this standalone message, Pastor Brennen Schmitt shares his 3 things that he desperately wants all college students and young adults to know: 1. Love & live the Bible, 2. Go all in on Jesus, and 3. Your discipleship is on you.
Noteguide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/630873/notes
In this standalone sermon, Pastor Jacob Engen teaches on God’s heart for all nations and our role in sharing the gospel with the world. Grounded in passages like Romans 10 and the Great Commission, he emphasizes that a barrier to people believing in Jesus is their access to hear about Him. The responsibility to share the gospel has been entrusted to Jesus' followers. With billions still unreached, the call is both global and personal: to pray for the nations, to engage the diverse people around us, and to go wherever God leads, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Whether across the world or in our own community, missions is not optional but central to God’s plan, inviting us to participate in His work of bringing people from every nation, tribe, and language into His kingdom.
Note Guide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/630872/notes
The fourth week of the “Don’t Be Dumb” series explores Wisdom in Dating, showing that healthy relationships are built not merely on attraction or emotion but on wisdom shaped by God’s Word. Drawing from Proverbs, the message emphasizes that lasting relationships begin with the right foundation—character over charm—and require becoming the kind of person capable of sustaining a healthy relationship. Wisdom also invites others into the process through godly counsel, encourages clear boundaries that protect purity and trust, and calls us to guard our hearts carefully rather than giving them away too quickly. Ultimately, the goal is not just finding the right person but becoming the right person, allowing God’s wisdom to shape how we pursue, protect, and grow in relationships.
Note Guide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/630854/notes
The third week of the “Don’t Be Dumb” series focuses on Generosity, revealing that money is not just a resource but a powerful competitor for our hearts. Through Jesus’ teaching in Mark 12, the message contrasts outward generosity with inward surrender, showing that God values not the amount we give but the sacrifice and trust behind it. While the wealthy gave from abundance for recognition, the widow gave everything in quiet dependence on God, illustrating that true generosity is an act of faith, not finance. Ultimately, the call is not about giving more money, but about trusting God more deeply—choosing Him over security, control, or status. In this way, generosity becomes a pathway to freedom, where surrendering our resources leads to a life shaped by trust, not by what we have or lack.
Note Guide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/626890/notes
The second week of the “Don’t Be Dumb” series centers on Direction, showing that our lives are shaped less by big moments and more by small, daily decisions. Rooted in Proverbs 3:5–6, it contrasts trusting God with leaning on our limited understanding, revealing how subtle drift—not obvious rebellion—often leads us off course over time. Wisdom calls us to surrender our direction to God by resisting fear, seeking wise counsel, and choosing faithfulness over what simply looks good. Though trusting God doesn’t guarantee ease or clarity, it leads to a life formed by steady, surrendered steps rather than slow, unintentional drift.
Note Guide: https://gpw.churchcenter.com/episodes/622599/notes
Week two of the series, "The Lord's Prayer" explores the meaning and structure of the Lord’s Prayer within Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing prayer as the central hinge of Christian life and discipleship. Jesus contrasts genuine, humble prayer with performative religiosity and teaches prayer as relational communication with God rather than rote recitation. The Lord’s Prayer is a progression from adoration (“Our Father in heaven”) to surrender (“Your will be done”) to provision (“Give us today our daily bread”), and stresses that prayer should be communal, rooted in daily dependence on God, and reflective of trust in His provision. We are invited to adopt prayer as a daily rhythm of relationship, humility, and reliance on God.
Message Delivered: 10/5/25
How do we pray? For many of us, we’ve tried, but we’re not even sure if we did it right. The disciples felt the same way. Out of everything they could have asked Jesus, they asked Him to teach them how to pray. In Matthew 6, Jesus gives His followers a framework we now call the Lord’s Prayer. The first two verses center on adoration and surrender — reminding us to adore the Father first, so we can boldly pray for His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.
Message Delivered: 9/28/25
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been invited to take big steps in our relationship with Jesus. As we wrap up the series, the question is: will we choose to live all in for Him? Will we join God in the incredible work He’s doing in the world?Pastor Aaron Cloud reminds us that the mercy of Jesus isn’t something to just admire—it’s something that calls us into action. Saying “yes” to Jesus isn’t about going halfway, it’s about going all in! And when we do, our lives overflow with joy, transformation, and a story of God’s grace for the world to see.
Message Delivered: 9/21/25
How do we begin to live differently because of Jesus? This is the question Paul raises in Romans 6:1–2. The grace of Jesus is not permission to keep sinning—it’s an invitation to transformation. It’s an invitation into unity with Christ, to step out of slavery to sin and step into the new life he has given us. The real question is this: will we decide to live fully devoted to him?
Message Delivered: 9/14/25
How good are you at solving problems? Most of us can figure out everyday challenges pretty well. But there’s one problem we can’t fix on our own: we are broken people, weighed down by the reality of sin. No matter how hard we try to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, we can’t escape it in our own strength.The good news is that God didn’t leave us there. Out of love, He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the debt we could never pay and to offer us new life. Through faith in Jesus, we find redemption and the only way to the Father. And that’s an invitation extended to you.
Message Delivered: 9/7/25
Will I make it? This is the question many of us are asking right now as new seasons begin—work has started, classes have started, and the weight of responsibilities feels heavy. In Romans 8:28, Paul reminds the church that God is working all things together for good. Even when circumstances look uncertain, God is not distant—He is actively at work in this very moment. And the promise we hold onto is this: the same God who began the work will be faithful to finish it.
Message Delivered: 8/31/25
Our decisions shape the direction of our lives, and that’s the focus of our new series, I Have Decided. As we step into a new year, we’re invited to make one of the most important choices we can—living unashamed of the Gospel. In this message, Brennen unpacks Paul’s words in Romans 1:16, showing how Jesus must become our top priority, the foundation of our identity, and the one who truly satisfies our deepest desires. Together, let’s choose to live each day boldly and unashamed of the Gospel!
Message Delivered: 8/24/25
What are the marks of a spiritually healthy community? In Galatians 6, Paul gives us the answer. From accountability and support to self-awareness, confidence, ability, and celebration, these qualities help us grow together in Christ—learning to carry each other’s burdens, speak truth in love, and rejoice in the work God is doing among us.
Message Delivered: 8/10/25
What does it really mean to be free, and why do so many of us live like we’re not? In this sermon on Galatians 5, Emily unpacks the kind of freedom Christ has secured for us, not just from sin but for life with God. This message explores how we often trade that freedom for pressure, performance, or self-reliance and reminds us that true freedom is rooted in the voice of the Father, the work of the Son, and the leading of the Spirit.
Message Delivered: 7/27/25
Matt Aspinall unpacks Galatians 4, exploring the deep meaning of freedom in Christ. Paul diagnoses the difference between bondage in freedom, drawing on key Old Testament accounts of God's people. Freedom isn’t just a one-time release from bondage—it’s a way of life God invites His people into. The Galatians had a daily choice: to keep walking forward in freedom or to turn back to the familiarity of bondage. This same choice stands before us today—to resist the pull of rule-keeping and instead live fully in the freedom Christ has already secured.
Sermon Delivered: 7/13/25
In Galatians 3, Paul confronts the Galatian church for drifting from the true gospel—one centered on faith, not works. In this message, we explore how salvation doesn’t begin with our effort, but with the Spirit’s power. Drawing from the story of Abraham, we see how God’s promise has always been fulfilled through faith, not law. This sermon unpacks the freedom we have in Christ, the purpose of the law, and how the Holy Spirit continues to transform us today.
Message Delivered: 6/29/25
Galatians 2 gives us a bold reminder of the Gospel’s simplicity and power: that through faith in Jesus—who paid the full price for our sins—we are made right with God. That’s it. That’s the Gospel. But as Paul writes to the early church, he confronts a dangerous distortion: leaders adding requirements to a message meant to set us free. This week, we dive into Paul’s challenge and uncover the beauty of a Gospel that doesn’t need our additions—just our belief.
Message Delivered: 6/15/25
Galatians is Paul’s urgent letter to a church losing sight of the truth. In chapter 1, he calls them back to the real Gospel: Jesus gave His life, rose again, and offers us full forgiveness. We don’t earn God’s love—we receive it. In Christ, we’re already enough. That’s the message Paul refuses to let go of—and it's the message we're invited to cling to!
Message Delivered: 6/1/25
In our final episode of the school year, the Oasis staff looks back on some of the best moments from this past year. From powerful Sunday nights and unforgettable events to inside jokes and favorite snacks, we’re wrapping it all up with stories, laughs, and a few surprises. Don’t miss this celebration of everything God has done—and everything we’ve loved—this year at Oasis!
At our final Oasis of the year, Brennen preaches from Acts 3—where Peter doesn’t just heal a lame man, he opens the door for worship. This is the church in motion: bold, powerful, and people-focused. It’s not about buildings or organizations—it’s about removing barriers and meeting real needs so others can encounter Jesus. Acts 3 shows us that the Church is the people of God, empowered by the Spirit, to remove barriers and invites others into relationship with Jesus.
Message Delivered: 5/4/25
What do you look for in a church? Most of us start with preferences—worship style, preaching, or size. But what if we began with Christ’s priorities instead? In this episode, we explore five essential traits every church should pursue. No church is perfect, but when we focus on what matters most, our preferences find their proper place.
One of the greatest supernatural moments in history happens right in Acts 2. God's people have been told that one day, the Holy Spirit would come dwell with them and lead them on the right paths. Yet in Acts 2, we see this day arrive. The Spirit is poured out in abundance and equips the apostles to preach the Gospel to a crowd in Jerusalem. Over 3,000 people respond and receive God's gracious salvation, signifying the start of the early church. What the Spirit ignited is a movement that is still happening today. We are people who are filled and equipped by the Spirit to continue living out our call to go and make disciples of all nations.
Message Delivered: 4/27/25
As Jesus ascends to heaven, the disciples stand staring at the sky—until they’re reminded to go and share the good news. Acts 1 marks the moment the Church is called to align with God’s mission. Empowered by the Spirit, we’re sent to make more followers of Jesus. So what does it look like for you to partner with God in His work of restoration?
Message Delivered: 4/20/25
Have you ever felt like God was silent? Like your prayers were hitting a wall or your faith was just… dry? In this episode, we’re talking about spiritually dry seasons—the ones where it feels like nothing is growing, and yet, something deeper might be happening beneath the surface. We’ll unpack the symptoms of these seasons, explore what God might be doing in the silence, and offer practical ways to stay rooted when your soul feels weary. Whether you’re in a dry season or walking alongside someone who is, this episode is for you.
All of us have influence! No matter how many people you know or the number of followers you have, you have influence! Whether it’s the group chat, the walk to class, or those late-night heart-to-hearts, your presence and consistency matter more than you think. In this episode, we’ll unpack what influence really is and help you spot the everyday spaces where God’s already using you!
Beneath the surface of our lives lies an iceberg of unspoken dreams, buried hopes, quiet disappointments, and hidden struggles. Over time, we’ve become skilled at concealing what’s really going on inside. But in the life of Jesus, we see a different way—through the practice of solitude. Solitude is where Jesus faces his pain honestly, brings his emotions before the Father, and surrenders His desires for the will of God. In the same way, solitude invites us to meet with a Father who sees us fully, hears us deeply, and brings healing to the hidden places within.
Message Delivered: 4/13/25
Feeling overwhelmed by all the spiritual disciplines out there? You’re not alone! In our Practicing the Way series, we’ve explored four key disciplines— scripture, sabbath, solitude, and fasting. But knowing them isn’t the same as living them. Join us as we dive into real, practical ways to build lasting rhythms that challenge, transform, and lead to a lifetime of fruit with God!
Fasting is a way we offer our bodies to God, setting aside food and drink to make space for Him. As we step away from instant comforts, the Spirit gently uncovers what’s hidden in us—and meets us there with healing, freedom, and truth. Through fasting, we see God’s heart more clearly: a heart that longs for all people to know His redemption. And we’re reminded—sin is already defeated. Jesus has won. Fasting doesn’t transform us because we get it right, but because God’s grace always does.
Message Delivered: 4/6/25
Jake Thurston joins the podcast today to talk about one of his favorite topics, friendship! We are people specifically designed to be in community, yet so many of us experience loneliness and isolation. As college students and young adults, our communities are constantly changing. Yet, what is friendship is more than just satisfying ourselves, but a key way God is inviting us into discipleship? Spiritual friendship is a key spiritual discipline, an avenue in which God transforms us and uses us to help transform others. If you're someone who is struggling with community or looking how to build intentional relationships, we highly encourage checking out Jake's book, You Need Friends!
In our series, Practicing the Way, we look at core spiritual disciplines that keep us connected with God. Tonight, Brennen digs into the ancient practice of Sabbath. Sabbath is an invitation from God to stop, rest, delight, and worship for one day each week. As crazy as that sounds, we can trust God that he will provide us with everything we need to follow him in this way. While it might be difficult, Sabbath is a worthwhile, life-changing practice.
Message Delivered: 3/23/25
Your 20s are a season full of unique and exciting timelines. Some are stepping into marriage and family life, others are pursuing education, and many are navigating a path somewhere in between. While it’s natural to notice where others are in their journey, this can sometimes lead us to compare our lives in ways that either build pride or stir insecurity. At its core, comparison often reveals deeper struggles—like discontentment or misaligned desires. Join us today as we explore how to shift our focus from comparison to contentment, learning to align our hearts with God’s perfect timing and desires.
In our new series, Practicing the Way, we are looking at core spiritual disciplines that keep us connected in relationship with God. Tonight, Brennen digs into the practice of reading and meditating on scripture. God's Word is a source of life for Christians and invites us to live in his blessing. As you hear this message on how to consistently engage with scripture, you'll be encouraged with three things. First, start small. Start with a few minutes a day and grow from there. Second, think subtraction before addition. Rather than adding another thing to our plate, where can we cut to give ourselves more time to be with God. Lastly, change comes through diligent repetition.
Message Delivered: 3/23/25
In today's episode, we’re getting real about failures, growth, and what Jesus is teaching us! Emily is learning to rest well, realizing that tiredness is an invitation to be filled (John 4). Brennen is reflecting on longevity in faith and life, learning to count the cost (Luke 14) and run with perseverance (Hebrews 12). We’re sharing our journeys to encourage you in yours, knowing that we’re all continually growing. So, what is Jesus teaching you?
Pastor and missionary Carl Gilles shares what God is doing in the French speaking countries of the world. The gospel is being proclaimed, lives are being transformed, and Carl has a front row seat in helping people around the world find and follow Jesus. Yet, this isn't just a calling for Carl. All of us are called to make disciples, and some of us, are called to make the glory of God known all around the world. As Carl shares, you'll hear that God loves all of his people, and plans to use his people to make his glory known!
Message Delivered: 3/16/25
If you could describe Jesus in one word, what would it be? For Dallas Willard, pastor and author, this word is relaxed. Jesus lives slow and relaxed, much different from our hurried and anxiety driven world. Hurry is the greatest threat to our spiritual growth. It hinders our ability to hear from God, build deep connections with friends, and eventually leads to a dry and exhausted soul. Join us as we look at how we can step into the unhurried and relaxed pace of Jesus!
Does truth exist? Does God exist? If so, who is He? These are the big questions Brennan explores as we close our series on God’s healing. Our ability to think critically comes with responsibility, yet many struggle to believe that Christianity is true. Jesus was a real person who lived, was crucified, and rose from the dead. This isn’t just a claim in Scripture—it’s backed by eyewitness accounts from the first century. Because Jesus is true, everything He says is true. So what does this mean for us? It means we keep pursuing health and, most importantly, keep pursuing the One who brings our healing.
Message Delivered: 3/2/25
It's incredibly well known that social media has been one of the leading causes for our generation's mental health crisis. But it's also this incredibly powerful tool that allows us to share the gospel, encourage others, and stay connected with our friends. Join us as we wrestle with this tension and look at practical ways we can use social media well!
What if our wounds from others are places where God can reveal his transformative power? Pastor Aaron reveals that forgiveness is one of the main ways in which God redeems and restores us. Forgiveness is not forget, weakness, or immediate trust. Rather, forgiveness is releasing the offense and choosing to walk in love. It is costly and it is difficult, but forgiveness stops cycles of evil and represents the power of the gospel.
Message Delivered: 2/23/25
Today, we’re joined by two incredible guests, Laura Bogue and Ellie Colbeck! As students at SDSU, they exemplify what it means to live out their faith—both by being poured into and by pouring into others. In this episode, they share where they’ve seen God move on campus and where they’re praying expectantly for His Spirit to break out. No matter where you are in your journey, remember—you’re not walking alone!
Our generation has grown extremely calloused to our mental health crisis. We settle for managing symptoms because we don't believe that full healing is possible. Yet in Luke 10, we see that Jesus offers emotional wholeness to Martha. Martha is anxious and worried about many things, but she is invited to sit at the feet of Christ and receive what the world can't give her. The peace Jesus brings isn't just the absence of chaos, but the total and complete restoring of who we are as people.
Message Delivered: 2/16/25
To follow the design God has for sex can feel like swimming upstream, all alone. We are constantly surrounded by shows, books, and media that claims we don't need to adhere to God's design for sex. This attitude is slowly killing our discipleship to Jesus and slowly harming our generation from the inside out. It's time we redefine what it means to follow Jesus when it comes to sex. To follow him and trust him with our bodies is more than blind obedience to a few rules, but a way of life that offers true redemption.
Being a single young adult is anything but easy. But it's a season of witnessing God do incredible things. As Jaena and Emily share some of their real life experiences of being single, you'll hear that it's a journey full of ups and downs. Singleness allows to partner with God in ways that others can't. It's a season to lean into not run away from. Join us as we discuss ways we can participate with God through the gift of being single!
God values our bodies and trusts each one of us with a body. But most of us struggle to understand why our physical body really matters. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reveals Jesus became like us that he might redeem all of who we are. As our bodies eventually break down, we cling to the hope that Jesus is powerful even over death. There is nothing our physical body experiences that can't be healed by the power of Jesus.
Message Delivered: 2/2/25
There's something so amazing about marriages that last a lifetime! But what makes them last? To answer this question, we have to start with why God created marriage. In Genesis 2, we see that God creates marriage for the purpose of friendship, working together, sexuality, and family. When sin enters the world, the marriage relationship becomes even harder, yet we see God using this relationship to transform his people into his image. How we practically do this will look different for all of us. But for all of us, we're invited to cling to God's beautiful design for his people.
How do we become and remain healthy followers of Jesus? This is the key question we're answering in our series, Out of the Ashes. Brennen starts this series by examining Luke 5 by examining our history and hiddenness. First, the gathering of God's people has always been the gathering of broken people. All of us have been or will experience hurt in the church. Yet it is God's redemptive power that calls the church beautiful and can redeem our history with the church. Secondly, Jesus calls out the places of ourselves we try to hide. We walk in the light by acknowledging our sin and confessing to God. In confession, God invites us to walk in his light of freedom.
Message Delivered: 1/26/25
Understanding who God is directly influences how we see the world. But God in his holiness can be hard for us to understand. He is three persons in one. He is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, united together by perfect love. Today we're talking about one of the persons of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Join us as we talk about who the Holy Spirit is and what he does in us and the world!
Mark 5 is a powerful text revealing the power of Jesus and the opening of the gospel for all people. Jesus crosses physical and cultural borders to redeem a man who is alone and tormented by demons. From just getting out of the boat, the power and authority of Jesus is revealed. This text is a reminder that the gospel has power. The enemy will discourage us by reminding us of our limitations, but we cling to the power of Jesus and the truth of what he's done for us.
Message Delivered: 1/19/25
Forgiveness is a command for every follower of Jesus. No matter who has hurt us or how, we are commanded to forgive. But what does this actually look like? Forgiveness is releasing someone from the debt of their wrongdoing. It is a beautiful demonstration of the gospel message in which we extend what Jesus has freely given us. Forgiveness is not excusing habitual behaviors or letting someone off the hook. It is a beautiful and oftentimes challenging invitation for us to trust that God will bring about justice in his time and his way. Join us as we look at how we can be a community that forgives others!
What does it look like to grow our intentionality in our friendships? This is one of the main questions we're answering on the podcast today. The life of Jesus reveals the layers of intentionality. Jesus has the 3, the 12, and the 72. These spheres of influence invite different levels of healthy boundaries and roles as a friend. Yet in all of these relationships, Jesus shows characteristics of love, service, presence, and prayer for those he is in community with. Jesus' life reveals to us how we can take continual steps in growing our friendships.
Our body is intentionally included in God's redemptive plan. The whole life of Jesus reveals the goodness of our bodies. From conception, to death, to his resurrection, he gives dignity to the human body. As he rises and ascends into the heaven, he makes it possible for our bodies to be temples of the Holy Spirit. Though we experience the frailty of what it means to be human, his resurrection points to the good news that God redeems all things. Join us as we discuss how we can steward our bodies for God's purpose!
Grace is a word that we use a lot, it's even in our church's name and mission statement. But what does it actually mean? On a basic level, grace is the undeserved kindness of God that empowers his people to live holy lives. But the beauty of grace is that it is a gift that is seen across our entire lives. Grace is at work to prepare our hearts to receive the good news of Jesus. Grace empowers us to believe and take steps in our faith journey. And grace transforms us as we continue to follow Jesus. Wherever you're at, grace is at work in your life right now. Join us as we look at how we can participate in God's grace!
How well are you at waiting? As followers of Jesus, we live in his victory through his death and resurrection, yet we are still waiting for him to redeem all things. In Jesus' parable of the talents, he reveals two different behaviors that come in seasons of waiting. Jesus reveals that how we wait matters, because how we wait is directly tied to our belief in the one we're waiting on. Our belief directly influences our behavior and our actions. The reward is not just greater responsibility, but a relationship with the master himself.
Message Delivered: 12/8/24
Devan Schaeffer, a financial planner, joins us to discuss how he's seen money be a tool that can build the kingdom. How we manage our finances directly reveals the condition of our hearts. It reveals who we trust and what we value. As college students and young adults, we might not have much right now. But Devan joins us to share how we can be faithful with the little we have and set ourselves up for future generosity.
In Matthew 22, Jesus is teaching one of his last parables about a wedding banquet. This banquet is a feast of grace. The invitation to join is freely given, but to stay, guests have to put on the right garments. Jesus uses this teaching to proclaim the arrival of a kingdom of grace against the systems of works and complacency the religious leaders have built. Yes, grace is freely given to all. But God gives each person to make the daily choice of how they will respond to his grace.
Message Delivered: 12/1/24
Celebration is a practice of honoring God for what he has done and is doing in our lives. It's not just noticing his grace, but it's noticing the one who has poured out his grace on us. Celebration is a powerful practice that involves our past, present, and our future. It starts with recalling God's works, even the ones that were not always the most positive. In the present, we position ourselves to see how God is continuing to work in our lives, and we are then encouraged in our faith for the future. No matter who you are or what you're week has entailed, we invite you to join us as we celebrate what God has been doing this semester!
Parables are stories that reveal deep, spiritual truths. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus frequently used parables to illustrate the mystery of his kingdom. In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of a a faithful widow to illustrate the power of prayer. Day after day, this widow comes to an untrustworthy judge to voice her request for justice, until one day, the judge is so annoyed, he grants her the request. If this is how a poor judge reacts, then what about the Father? Jesus uses this parable to reveal the power of bringing our requests to the Father. Even if it's been years of unanswered prayer, the Father is listening and is working in our prayers.
Message Delivered: 11/24/24
Last week, we looked at what happens during the Sunday service and why. This week, we're looking at how we can participate in the service a devoted worshippers. As you listen, you'll hear that our participation is a balance of giving and receiving. We give our worship to God first, then we receive what he has for us. The quality of Sunday worship isn't based on how great something sounded or what we got from the message. The quality of Sunday comes from what we bring as a pleasing offering of worship.
The story of Noah and the flood is more than a fairytale with cute graphics. Genesis 5-9 is an inside look into the character of God and the state of humanity. Since Adam and Eve's sin, humanity continued to live according to their sinful desires. God's grief over the brokenness of creation led him to cleansing the earth through the flood. But God spared Noah and his family because of Noah's faithfulness. Noah's obedience is fuel for our obedience. Wherever we are, we have the opportunity to walk faithfully with God, even when it feels like we're alone.
Message Delivered: 11/17/24
In Genesis 3, the beautiful picture of God's creation starts to change. Adam and Eve question God's word and ultimately, carry out the one action they were told not to do. The consequences of sin is not just contained to Genesis 3. Pastor Serenity reveals the generational and long lasting effects of sin and how it tears us apart. Yet, healing and peace has generational effects as well. By God's grace, our repentance has a powerful influence not just for us, for the generations and generations of people who come after us.
Message Delivered: 11/10/24
When the church worships, the whole body has responsibility, not just the volunteers or staff that help lead. But sometimes, what we do can be confusing or we may not know how to participate. Join us as we look at the way the local church is designed to worship through gathering, hearing the word proclaimed, responding to God, and being sent back out into the world for another week of ministry!
Shame is a powerful voice that shapes how we see ourselves and others. Instead of saying we made a mistake, shame tells us we are the mistake. But this voice is a lie. Through Jesus, we have the opportunity to walk in freedom and leave the voice of shame in the grave. Join us as we discuss how we can live in freedom by confronting this voice with truth.
Waiting is hard and frustrating, but waiting is never void. God is always working around us and in us as we navigate seasons of waiting. In these seasons, we can either become people that look more and more like Jesus, or we can become people that stray from his image. Join us as we look at how we can partner with God in the waiting.
Pastor Steve invites us to look at Matthew 24 where Jesus instructs his disciples about when he will return and what the signs will be. Steve invites us to see how many of these events have been occurring already. Wars, famines, and destruction has been happening all around us and have been the birth pains that point to the return of Jesus. Yet, Steve also encourages us that our response is not to get wrapped up in every detail, but to continue to expectantly watch and wait for the when Jesus will come again to restore all things.
Message Delivered: 10/27/24
When God created us, he didn't just make a reflection, but he created people who extend his reflection to the entire world. In other words, God created us to work. He created us to partner with him in building beauty all around us. Whether it's homework, an office job, taking care of others, or even just the everyday responsibilities that come with life, we're here to encourage you to keep creating beauty even when it feels mundane.
God created us to live in a specific design and that design is worship. Yet sin convinces us that our best life is lived when we fill ourself with other created things. But to do this is to commit idolatry. Idolatry not only dishonors God, but it dishonors ourselves. It always promises to deliver something it never can, and in the process we become worthless. But God doesn't leave us in this. He not only creates us to worship, but equips us. He sends us his very presence to empower our worship and gifts us gifts, skills, experiences, and interest that are all used to reveal his glory to others.
Message Delivered: 10/20/24
The local church comes in all different shapes and sizes. Some are filled with large congregations, others have a few mighty members, and some rest in between. No matter what the local church looks like, one of the marks of obedience as disciples is growth. Church growth is not a bad thing, it's actually often a sign that the body is obeying the command to go and make more disciples. Join us as we look at the marks of healthy church growth and how we can participate in building the church.
What happens when we die? This is a question many of us try to avoid, but it's a question that we don't need to be afraid of. God created us with a soul that never disappears, even when our bodies experience death. A day is coming when we will experience God's judgment, but this judgment is the fulfillment of his loving justice in the world. Jesus alone will decide if we believe in him, and if we do, we will join him in blissful paradise. Yet even still, God will not leave our dead bodies in the ground, but he will completely restore them as we join him in paradise. Though we may be afraid to ask questions about death, it's an invitation for us to witness that God will completely redeem all things.
Message Delivered: 10/13/24
What does it mean to be beautiful? This is the core question we're discussing in today's episode with our special guest, Alex Bisson! Alex shares lessons on beauty she's learned through her time as an athlete, as Miss South Dakota, and even as a news anchor. Whether you feel beautiful and handsome, or you're overwhelmed with insecurity, Alex's story is an invitation for us to remember that a beautiful God created us in his beautiful image.
What do we do when we follow Jesus? We serve! Our response to God's gracious salvation is serving his kingdom. It's the very reason why we are saved. Looking in the New Testament, Jesus calls his disciples to be active participants, not just passive bystanders. In this participation, his disciples are trained to become more and more like Jesus himself so that they can be sent into the world to fulfill his mission. No matter where we are, God is inviting us to participate in the kingdom right here, right now.
Message Delivered: 10/6/24
Baptism is a beautiful sacrament of the church, but it comes with a lot of gray areas. Whether you've been baptized before, or you have questions about baptism, this episode is for you! Join us as we walk through what happens in baptism and how we can live as a new creation after baptism!
In our Question Mark Series, we're asking the big questions that come with faith. Ben walks us through our first question, who am I? Ben reveals that our identity impacts our habits and how we perceive our reality. We act upon who we believe we are. Yet God in his goodness has given us an identity that we can freely receive. Being a child of God is not an identity we have to achieve, but one we embrace.
When we choose to believe in Jesus, we become a disciple. Yet, this broad word often brings a lack of clarity on why discipleship matters and how it actually occurs. Join us this week, as we break down some of the assumptions that hinder our growth, and how we can keep following him in freedom.
These past few weeks, we've witnessed God in so many miraculous moments. But where do we go now? Brennen asks us this question as he dives into John 6. Jesus has just miraculously fed a crowd of thousands, but this moment is an invitation to join the movement of what God is doing. When we God's faithfulness, it's an invitation for us to step into the day by day movement of following him.
Message Delivered: 9/22/24
This week we're hanging out with one of our favorite pastors, Jaena Gormong! Jaena leads worship Sunday nights at Oasis, but most of us don't see the intentional planning and preparation that happens behind the scenes throughout the week. Join us as we discuss what Jaena has been learning and leaning into in order for us to participate with intentional purpose in our worship!
Do you want to get well? This is the question Jesus asks a paralyzed man in John 5. But rather than saying yes, this man brings four excuses to why he can't be well. This man blames his community, ability, surroundings and competition for the reason why he is not well. Yet even in the midst of this, Jesus still heals him. This healing is an invitation for the man to participate in the healing work that Jesus offers. Our healing is an invitation for us to participate in what God is doing. The question is, do you want to get well?
Message Delivered: 9/16/24
Salvation is the word we use to describe the saving work God has done to rescue us from sin. From beginning to end, scripture is filled with the good news that we are saved through faith alone, not by any work that we could do. Join us as we discuss the past, present, and future reality of salvation, and why this is news is truly good!
What do you need? As Brennen dives into John 3 and 4, we clearly see that we all need God's grace. Nicodemus reveals that God's grace is given to those who are burned out on religion. It's given to those who have checked all the boxes and have tried to earn his favor. The Samaritan woman reveals that God's grace is given to the forgotten. His grace is freely given to those who feel overlooked. No matter who you are, God has extended his grace as a gift for you to freely receive.
Message Delivered: 9/9/24
How can I hear from God? How can I be sure that it's his voice? These are the guiding questions in today's episode. We don't control when or how God may speak to us, be we can position ourselves to hear from him. Join us as we share the ways God has spoken to us in the past and how we are called to respond to his voice.
The greatest question we answer is, who is Jesus? How we live is directly influenced by who we believe Jesus to be. John 2 gives an in depth look into the fullness of who Jesus is. His justice and mercy are not two separate ideas, but they are united together by perfect love. John 2 invites us to wrestle with what it looks like to be transformed into a community of people who show justice and mercy.
Message Delivered: 9/1/24
What does it mean to be planted? This is the question we're asking as we take a quick dive through Psalm 1. The psalmist describes two kinds of people; those who plant themselves in God's truth, and those who plant themselves in what fades. Join us as we look at simple ways we can position ourselves to keep building deep roots in our walk with God.
Who is Jesus? This is the most important question we could ask ourselves, because who we believe Jesus to be directly impacts how we live. Brennen opens up the introduction John 1 to guide us to see who Jesus is and how we respond. John's introduction reveals how we can either reject Jesus or accept who he is by wholly following him.
Who do you believe Jesus is? What holds you back from fully following Jesus? Message
Delivered: 8/25/24
The book of Kings ends with the story of hopelessness. It feels like God's people are too far gone and their sin is too great. But in this hopelessness, God calls the prophet Ezekiel to proclaim that God can bring life and restore the hearts of his people. 400 years later, we see God starting to unfold his plan by sending his son, Jesus. Jesus not only frees us from sin, but makes it possible for us to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to worship.
What in my life feels like a valley of dry bones? How is God asking me to keep playing for the right team?
Message Delivered: 8/18/24
Hezekiah is one of the best kings of Judah because of his vision. He allows the truth and character of God to shape his desires and dreams. His vision invites the nation of Judah to be restored in relationship with God as a community. Near the end of his life, Hezekiah's vision starts to fade as the blind spot of pride impairs his sight. His story shows us the influence that clear vision can have in our communities and the importance of regularly meeting with God to restore our sight.
How do you respond to foggy vision? What rhythms are in your life to regularly meet with God and have your vision restored?
Message Delivered: 7/28/24
What do you cling to when chaos confronts you? The story of the kings becomes a downward spiral into chaos. Rehoboam and Jeroboam will try to control God's people by clinging to idol worship and their own power. But God never left the chaos and will invite the kings to work with him through the chaos.
Message Delivered: 7/14/24
Solomon, known for his wisdom and the building of the temple, is typically regarded as a great king of the Old Testament. But a look at his life reveals the complexity of his worship. In order to save face, Solomon builds shrines and altars to false gods that will remain for over 200 years in Israel. His decisions allow Israel to participate in idol worship for generations. Solomon reveals that what we worship and how we worship matters.
What dead things in your life do you try to breathe life into? What does it look like to make the one decision each day to worship God?
Message Delivered: 6/30/24
David is the humble shepherd that God chooses to be the second king of Israel. Yet, as David's power increases, his humility decreases. He fails as a king and tries to cover up his sin. But when confronted with his sin, David is willing to lose everything to be made right with God. Pastor Matt reveals how God desires humble hearts more than impressive deeds.
Where is my heart with God? What does it look like to have a heart that is fully committed to God?
Message Delivered: 6/16/2024
The kings of Israel are responsible for leading God's people into further obedience. Saul, the first king of Israel, is given the choice to faithfully lead God's people. Yet, he continually disobeys God because of his own insecurities as a leader. Saul's failure reveals that obedience is more than checking boxes off the list. True obedience is the natural response of a heart that knows they are loved by God.
How is God inviting you to take one step in faithful obedience? Why does obedience flow from love?
Message Delivered: 6/2/24
Summertime always brings around transitions, whether it's moving home, starting a new job or even saying goodbye to friends. How do we end and begin well? As we wrap up our final episode for this semester, we'll look at how we can say goodbye all the while stepping into what God has for us in new seasons. Our podcast will return with more episodes in the fall!
In our last message of the school year, Brennen closes our series by encouraging us to practice what we have learned. Over the past year, we have been learning through Sunday nights, small groups, and even our own personal times with God. Yet, this summer, we get the opportunity to lean in, and do the things we have been taught. The goal isn't perfection, but progress in becoming more and more like Christ.
What are three things that you can practice this summer? Who can keep you accountable in these?
Message Delivered: 4/28/24
Rest is more than just taking a nap, although naps are amazing! Rest is the process of being renewed so that we are prepared to jump right back in. Even in seasons of busyness, we can take the time to stop and be renewed. Join us as we look at practical ways we adopt a rhythm of rest in our life.
The brain is one of our greatest gifts from God yet, it can be our greatest enemy. Jaena explains how our brain can be a place in which we pursue Christlikeness or we pursue sin. Our thoughts are important, and what we think about affects how we live. As Jaena looks at Pauls encouragement in Philippians 4:8, she explains 8 words that are to describe the thoughts that lead us towards Christlikeness.
Why is our thought life important? What is one thing God is asking you to surrender in order to pursue Christlike thoughts?
Message Delivered: 4/21/24
We are created to worship God, but what does this actually mean? Worship is more than singing in church, it's a way of responding to who God is and what he has been doing. Join us as we look at ways we can worship God wherever we may be!
How do we surrender our emotions to Jesus? In Philippians 4:6-9, Paul reveals that we can't control what thoughts and emotions we have, but we can control what we do about them. We can choose to pray and connect with the Father. We can choose to ask the Father for help. And we can choose to practice thanksgiving. No matter what high or low we may experience, we have access to presence of God and his peace.
What does it look like to surrender your emotions to God? What are five things in life that you're grateful for?
Message Delivered: 4/14/24
Conflict is hard and messy, but it's an incredible invitation to seek unity. Most of us alternate between the extremes of avoidance or aggression when it comes to addressing the issues at hand. Join us as we look at how we can prayerfully step into these conversations and seek to live in unity!
How can we follow Jesus in everything? This is the question we're answering in our new series, In Everything. Diving into Philippians 4:4-9, Brennen begins this series by discussing what it looks like to rejoice in the hard seasons and live a life of gentleness.
How good are you at rejoicing in hard seasons? How do people describe you?
Message Delivered: 4/8/24
The Bible is a collection of books, written by multiple authors, from contexts that are so different from ours today. It can be incredibly confusing, yet the Bible is one of the central places where we can dive into God's truth and his presence. Join us as we look at how we engage with the Bible well, not just reading it, but engaging with what God is speaking to us.
Easter Sunday is a delightful celebration of what Jesus has done for us. But then Monday hits and we're right back in the swing of things. How do keep living as a transformed creation on Monday? Emily digs into 2 Corinthians to see how Paul encourages this church to continue living transformed in the midst of brokenness.
What does it mean to live centered on the resurrection? What challenges do you come across in trying to publicly live transformed?
Message Delivered: 3/31/24
In part 2 of our discussion on relationships, we're looking specifically at engagement and marriage. 90% of people will journey through these two major transitions while they're in their 20s. Join us as we look at how God can use these seasons to keep forming us towards Christlikeness and how we can support those who are navigating these seasons as well.
The sacraments can often be confusing to understand, and in our last week of this series, Brennen explains the beauty of baptism and how it involves all of us together. Baptism is a sacrament that symbolizes a dying to self and a rising to new life in Christ. It is a public declaration of faith and the welcoming into the family of Jesus. Take a listen to hear how you can participate in this sacrament!
Message Delivered: 3/24/24
90% of people in their 20s will navigate through the major life transitions of single, dating, engaged, and married. In this episode, we'll answer questions specifically about singleness and dating. Join us as we share some wisdom on what it means to navigate these transitions well.
For many of us, communion is an obscure act that we do at church. We know it's important, but we're not quite sure what it really means. In this message, Brennen explains what communion is, why it's important, and how we can faithfully practice this sacrament.
What has your experience with communion been like in the past? How has your perspective changed?
Message Delivered: 3/17/24
There is a real, spiritual battle that we face every single day as followers of Jesus. Yet God has already won the war and has provided us the armor to withstand Satan's last attempts to grasp power. Take a listen as we dive into Ephesians 6 and the pieces of armor we can wear everyday to stand our ground.
The Gospel is more than a message of Jesus dying for us. The Gospel is the story of God seeing us in despair, making a way for us to be free, and giving us the opportunity to extend that freedom to others. Join us as we discuss the depths of the Gospel and how we participate in it's present reality today.
Finishing our series on Habakkuk, Brennen reveals how the prayer of chapter 3 is one of remembrance. As Habakkuk waits, he recalls the ways in which God has been faithful in the past. He praises God in the waiting because he knows how God is. Habakkuk models faith that waits for God's plan.
How has God shown his faithfulness in your life? How can you praise God in the waiting?
Message Delivered: 3/3/24
Many of us have heard that God has given us spiritual gifts. But what are they and how do we use them? Join us as we discover how God has gifted us and how we can use those gifting for his glory!
Ben Gietzen continues our series in Habakkuk by examining what it looks like to be faithful in the waiting. In the waiting, we prepare for God's response, we remember what God has done, and we heed the warnings of God. We can trust God in the waiting because he is in control and knows what he's doing.
In the waiting, where do I turn for security? How can I worship God and God alone?
Message Delivered 2/25/24
As college students and young adults, it often feels like we don't have much. For some, generosity seems like something we should do in the future once we have more to give. But here's the thing, God has already given us time, treasure, and talents that can be used for his glory! Join us as we discuss the simple ways we can be generous with the little that God has given us!
Brennen kicks off our new series going through the book of Habakkuk. This book is just a small 3 chapters in the OT, but invites us to wrestle with some big questions. Habakkuk is a prophet who sees injustices all around him and speaks to God to ask why God is allowing these to happen.
How does God use the Babylonians to bring about something good? What is a question you need to bring to God?
Message Delivered: 2/18/24
Lent is a season the church practices to prepare for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet, a lot of us have a range of experiences when it comes to Lent. Whether you've practiced this season every year, or you're just hearing about it for the first time, we invite you to journey with us as we discuss simple ways we can prepare ourselves for Easter!
We are created in the image of God, but what does this actually mean? And how does sin affect this image? Join us as we look at a few ways that we have been created to extend God's goodness to others and how God continues to restore his image in us!
Our culture has given us a skewed image of who Satan is. Brennen invites us to understand the reality of who Satan is and the power he still has, while recognizing that his power and authority will never, and has never been greater than the power of our God. Satan's authority is coming to an end, and we get to rest in the promise that God will heal all the brokenness he has caused.
What do you normally think of when you hear the name, Satan? How does the temptation of Jesus teach us how to find victory over Satan's schemes?
Message Delivered: 2/4/24
All of us are called to a life of making disciples, but this is often easier said than done. Join us as we look at practical ways we can minister to others, right where we already are!
Our villains for this week are the Pharisees. The Pharisees began as a group that desired to bring God's Word to the people. Yet, their blindness to who God is grew into a corrupt system. As Emily dives into Mark 8, it becomes clear that blindness is in all of us. Redemption from our blindness comes when we surrender to Jesus and allow him to help us see.
What is a blind spot in your life? How is Jesus inviting you to surrender?
Message Delivered: 1/28/24
Am I called to ministry? This is a question many of you have wrestled with this past semester. All of us are called to minister to others, yet some of us are called to do this within the local church. Join us as we look at what it means to be called to pastor in the local church, and stay tuned next week as we dig into everyone's call to minister where they are.
In our new series, Villains of the Bible, we're looking at real people who make real mistakes. Brennen opens our series with looking at Judas, a disciple of Jesus who sold him out. Yet, even in Judas' incredible act of betrayal, God still brings beauty from brokenness.
Have you ever been disappointed by Jesus or the Church? How can you bring your disappointment to God?
Message Delivered: 1/21/24
The New Year is here and so are countless goals that we have set for ourselves. Join us as we look at the ways we can create God glorifying goals for 2024.
In our first episode back, we are looking at how we can face the challenges of forging and keeping our community. Whether you've moved, transitioned in and out of school, or navigating conflict, we'll look at some practical ways to keep and invite more people into our circles.
In our first Oasis of 2024, we get to hear from our dear friend, Jake Thurston! Jake looks at the very beginning of the Sermon on the Mount to examine how the Kingdom of God views blessedness. In God's kingdom, blessedness isn't about immediate relief from our circumstances, but what God can do through those circumstances.
What is an area of your life where you don't feel blessed? How is Christ making you good through your unblessedness?
Message Delivered: 1/8/24
Emily wraps up our final Oasis of the year with a look at the Christmas story. In Luke 2, the angels are worshipping God because he is entering the middle of the story, he is entering the mess of humanity. Our response to this news, is to behold, and take notice of what God is doing.
What does it mean to behold? How can you behold God's faithfulness?
Message Delivered: 12/10/23
In the last week of our series, Dear Father, Brennen lands the plane by looking at David's coronation. Rather than entering as a king, David enters as a humble and lowly servant, whose aim is to bring prayer back to the people of God.
How does David's coronation exalt God rather than himself? What rhythms/habits/practices do we need to keep prayer at the center of our life?
Message Delivered: 12/3/23
Ben walks us through the heart, soul, mind, and strength of intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is founded on love and is based on our understanding that we can't, but God can. Ben challenges us to see how the greatest act of intercession is praying for the lost to be saved.
Do you believe your prayers matter? How can we pray for the lost with courage and boldness?
Message Delivered: 11/26/23
Praying without ceasing can be a daunting phrase to hear. Brennen breaks down what this idea means, to continually come into the presence of God. When we organize our prayer life into fixed moments, we are fueled to live a life of spontaneous prayer.
How would you describe your prayer life? What does it look like to commit to a fixed prayer rhythm in your life?
Message Delivered: 11/19/23
Brennen digs into the first line of the Lord's Prayer; our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Jesus reveals the character of the Father in both his relational nearness and his eternal power. Jesus reminds us that our prayers are to be attached the character of who God is.
If you knew God loved you, how would that change the way you pray? What piece of God's character is the easiest to believe? What is the most challenging to believe?
Message Delivered: 11/5/23
Brennen kicks off our Dear Father series examining four false beliefs we have about prayer. Whether we struggle to find the time, or struggle to believe that God hears and works through our prayers, we are invited to listen and learn how we can step into the presence of God today.
What is a false belief I have about prayer? How does access to God's presence change/modify the way I see him?
Message Delivered: 10/29/23
Aaron Cloud finishes our Storyline series by inviting us into see the mission of Oasis; to encounter grace, grow in grace, and be grace givers. Aaron reminds us that giving to grace to others starts with prayer. It does not equip us for the greater work, it is the greater work.
Who is close to me and far from God? Where do I have influence? Who can I pray for this week?
Message Delivered: 10/22/23
Continuing our Storyline series, Brennen reveals what it means to be truly generous. Generosity is part of who we are, and it starts with a love for God that flows to a love for others.
When was a time you experienced generosity? How do we pursue active generosity?
Message Delivered: 10/15/23
What would you do if you lived during a key moment of history? Brennen shares that we are in a key moment, a Christian revival is happening and we have the invitation to be part of the harvest. Yet, this harvest does not belong to us, but to the Lord.
Why do we start with prayer? Who are the sheep I have compassion towards?
Message Delivered: 10/8/23
Starting our Storyline series, Ben shares how the command to remember gives us hope and an eternal perspective of how God is working. As Ben remembers the story of Oasis, he invites us to celebrate what God has been doing and how we can continue to participate in his story.
What has God done in my life that I can remember? How does remembering God's work give me an eternal perspective today?
Message Delivered: 10/1/23
Wes Smith joins Oasis to share the story of Job, but more importantly, the story of who God is in the midst of Job's suffering. Transformation doesn't come from a change in Job's circumstances, but through the greater understanding of God's amazing love in Job's life.
How has God shown me his amazing love? How can I love someone else the way God does?
Message Delivered 9/24/23
Finishing our "I AM" series, Brennen preaches from John 8 about how Jesus is the light of the world. Not only is Jesus the light, but he also calls us to be the light.
How does light show up in the scriptures? How can we live as the light? Why does our world need light?
Message Delivered: 9/17/23
Week four brings the question, "Who is God?" With that, Jesus responds to both Thomas and Philip in their doubt as he teaches that "He is God." He does this by declaring, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."
Who is God? Why is Jesus the way? What should I do with that?
Message Delivered: 09/10/23
Week 3 of "I Am" brings us to John 15 where Jesus says, "I am the vine." In that, he refers to his Father as the gardener and us as the branches. However, it's what all of those do together that transformation is.
How do I be the best me? What is transformation? How does Jesus change us?
Message delivered: 09/03/23
Week two of our series "I AM" takes us back to John 10 where Jesus declares, "I am the good shepherd." He challenges the beliefs of thieves and robbers while encouraging us to follow him.
Who are the thieves and robbers? Why is Jesus the good shepherd? Why should we follow him?
Starting our series "I AM," Brennen is teaching about how Jesus is "The Gate." This whole series is for us to try and better understand who Jesus is and how we can follow him.
What does Jesus as "the gate" mean? How does he provide? What is true life?
Message Delivered: 08/20/2023
In the last week of our summer series, Audree looks at how God can use both our strengths AND our weaknesses for his Glory!
Have you ever struggled to talk to someone about your faith? It can be hard!
This week, Brennen leads us through Acts 17 where Paul provides a way to talk about faith with people who don't follow God.
This message is part two with part one being found over on GracePoint's YouTube page. That message is called "Context in Communication."
Who is God? Who am I? What do I do now?
Message Delivered: 07/09/2023
Have you ever tried to read scripture but just don't know how to start? We feel that. That's why Jaena takes us through the book of 1 Peter while breaking down how she reads scripture.
Who is the author? Why was this written? What does it mean for me?
All that and more when you listen to this month's message - "How can I read Scripture?"
Message Delivered: 06/04/2023
In the last Oasis Podcast for the year, we talk on rememberance, something that has been mentioned a few times throughout this semester but hasn't been given full attention. So why do we remember? Is it really that important? All that and more on this week's episode of the Oasis Podcast.
This week on the Oasis podcast, the Oasis Staff answer the question "How do you make the most of your summer?" With the change of pace coming for everyone, we have the opportunity to make some changes that have a real impact on our walk with Jesus. So tune in and make the most of this summer.
In the last Oasis of the school year, Brennen brings the word on why we must first experience Jesus before participating in the Great Commission. Taking a different look at Matthew 28, we look at the important moments between the resurrection and the commissioning of the disciples and how we are invited into a relationship with Jesus to "come and see" so that we can go and make disciples.
In the second week of our new series "The Greatest", guest speaker Andrew Florestano, the leader of the Navigators on campus at SDSU takes a look at John 17 and shows us what's at stake when concerning the unity of the Church and also how we can participate in the great collaboration.
If you've ever stepped foot in a church, you've probably heard them talk about getting involved. But why do we talk about it so much? This week the Oasis Staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) talk about why it really is important to be involved in your church community.
Why does the Bible have lists of so many names? And why are they so hard to say? This week the Oasis Staff talk about genealogies and why they do matter. From the stories of transformation and of God's faithfulness found in each individual person, and to desire God's work in our own genealogy.
In the first week of our final series of the year "The Greatest." Brennen takes us through Matthew 22 and the dialog between Jesus and the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians. Through which Jesus give us the Great Commandment: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Easter has come and gone on another year, and the celebrations were great. But, now what? Every year we celebrate the resurrection and then return to our regular everyday lives. So how do we live in light of the resurrection? And how can we continue that not only on Easter but through these next 365 days? Join the Oasis Staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) as they talk about living in light of the resurrection.
In our final week of Toxic Theology, Brennen talks about the common response to hard times; "Everything Happens for a Reason." But is it true? Sometimes. Is it False? Sometimes. It all depends on if we have the right perspective of God. So does everything happen for a reason? Find out in the final week of Toxic Theology.
To be honest, silence is kind of awkward. But in a world of noise and chaos, it can be incredibly helpful in our walk with God. So what does silence and solitude look like? Why should we practice it? What can I expect? All this and more on this weeks episode of the Oasis Podcast.
This week on the Oasis Podcast, not only did we get a new space, but we're talking about how we can go about studying the Scriptures. The Oasis Staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) talk through the C.I.A. approach to reading scripture and how using that can help us better understand God and the complete story of the Bible.
In week four of "Toxic Theology," Brennen walks us through the brutal reality of Jesus' life. The persecution, the suffering, and the pain. Being a Christian means following Jesus and the goal of the Christian is to be formed into the likeness of Christ. Therefore, when hardship, suffering, and persecution come believing the lie that Christianity is the Easy Life, will only lead to disappointment. The Christian life isn't about ease, it's about Jesus and Jesus alone.
This week on the Oasis Podcast, Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan chat about what books they've been reading and give a short preview of the ones they'd recommend. So whether you're hungry for a new read or looking for some good books to help you grow in your faith, this is the episode for you!!
In week three of our series "Toxic Theology" Dylan walks through the problem of sin that has influenced our understanding of having fun and how through Jesus we can live in the instruction of Paul to Timothy. That despite our youth, we are to be an example to all believers.
This week on the Oasis Podcast, Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan sit down and just talk about the things that God has been teaching them recently. So join us this week as we talk about the importance of prayer, focusing on formations, and understanding yourself better.
We have to live and relationships with people, and since we are broken people, we are bound to get hurt at some point. Sometimes we have to set up boundaries to keep ourselves and the ones we love healthy. So how do we go about them? Aren't Boundaries selfish? All of this and more on this weeks episode of the Oasis Podcast.
Unfortunately due to some technical difficulties we could only save part of the message but, in week two of our series Toxic Theology Pastor Aaron walks us through the saying "God won't give you more than you can handle." As Aaron brings us through Exodus 3 and 4 we see that God will give us more than we can handle, but never more than he can handle.
Asbury University, a college in the small town of Wilmore, Kentucky is having thousands of people flock to its campus to be apart of what is being called revival. So is it revival? What is really happening there? Should we do anything about it? Tune in this week as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan) dive into what is happening in Kentucky.
In week one of our new series "Toxic Theology", Brennen leads us into what toxic theology is. It's statements usually said with good intention but end up being more hurtful than helpful. Then we address the common saying "follow your heart" which when lived out can be incredibly harmful as our hearts are broken and marred by sin. But through Jesus we can be given a new heart, and as we follow Him and His ways, our heart can stay clean.
In our final week of our relationship series XOXO, Jaena brings the word on what it means to love ourselves. When it comes to self love, people can fall into two camps, but God desires us to find the middle ground. In that we can forgive who we were, love who we are, and desire the person God wants us to be.
Intimacy is kind of a weird word honestly, but this week we are talking about intimacy with God! Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan sit down and talk about how we can grow in intimacy in our relationship with God, address a lie we may believe about our relationship with Him, and what it looks like to involve God in every part of our day. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks episode of the Oasis Podcast.
When talking about creativity most people count themselves out because they're not artists. But, that's not wholly what it means to be creative. In this episode of the Oasis Podcast, the Oasis Staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) sit down and address some of the misconceptions about creativity, lead us through what the biblical understandings and examples are about creativity, and hopefully, encourage and empower you to be creative in all parts of life for the Glory of God.
Continuing with part 3 of our series "XOXO," Ben is bringing a word on how to love our families. Sometimes the people we are born into relationships with can be the hardest to love. But Jesus cares about them and calls us to love them too.
Check out this week's message to learn how to love your family from Colossians 3!
This week on the Oasis podcast, the Oasis Staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan) sit down and discuss how we can experience change. Because of our faith in Christ, we must be changed. But, change can be incredibly difficult. So how do we go about it? What are some of the best ways I can invite change into my life? All this and more on this weeks episode of the Oasis Podcast.
It's week two of our relationship series XOXO and Brennen is bringing the word on friendships. We walk through three stories in scripture to find that loving friends stick together, point towards Christ, are present, and forgive.
The Oasis Podcast is back! In our first week back of the new year, we take a deeper dive into social media and how we as Christians should use or not use it. We discuss both sides if you want to stay or if you want to leave. So tune in as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) sit down and talk all things social media.
Kicking off our brand new series "XOXO," Brennen is covering the topic of dating. While the Bible doesn't explicitly talk about dating, it does hold wisdom we can apply to our romantic lives. From why to who to how, we are covering it all in this week's message "Love in Dating."
Message Delivered: 01/22/23
In our first week back for the new year, Ben kicks us off with one of the most talked about characteristics of God, His love. And by walking through Hosea 11 we can understand five pieces of the love of God.
It's that time of year! After finally getting into a rhythm or maybe just crawling to the end of this year. So when going home for the holidays, how do we do it well? In this week's episode of the Oasis Podcast, the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) work through 5 points on how to handle the changing of seasons.
To close out our series "Green Pastures" Pastor Dave Hopewell walks us through the last few verses of Psalm 23, verses 5-6. In it, we look at verses 5 and 6 from two vastly different perspectives: a shepherd and a king. We've seen Jesus as the Good Shepherd in the previous weeks, but now we see Jesus reigning as King. We get to see God's love for us in his preparation, promises, provision, and protection.
Message delivered: December 4, 2022
In week two of our series through Psalm 23, Pastor Brennen walks us through verse four and shows how sometimes, the right paths might be through the dark valleys. Although, because we have the Shepherd leading and guiding us through the inevitable dark valleys in life, everything changes. We're reminded that in the dark valleys God is not only present but also prepared. All that and more can be found in this week's message from "Green Pastures".
Message delivered: November 27, 2022
With the Bible easily available to us in so many different ways (physically, bible app, google) what good does it make to memorize it? Is the work I put in worth the benefits of memorizing scripture? Should all Christians practice scripture memory? This week on the Oasis Podcast, the staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan) sit down around the podcast table and talk about the often-overlooked spiritual practice of scripture memory.
Oh marriage, a topic that seems to be on every young adults mind. But the looming question... Am I even ready to be married? Marriage is a huge decision and of course we want to make the right one. So listen in this week as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) talk through what it means and what being ready for marriage looks like.
In week one of our new series "Green Pastures" Brennen leads us into a three-week look at the most famous Psalm. Psalm 23. As we look at the first three verses of Psalm 23 we learn the cultural context of this Psalm and understand that we must follow the perfect shepherd, Jesus.
Message delivered: November 20, 2022
This week on the Oasis Podcast we are privileged to have local Brookings Author, Melissa Vande Kieft with us! Listen in as the Oasis staff (Brennen and Jaena) talk with Melissa about her book "Living in the Wait" and how to use delays in life differently.
We use words a lot but, have you ever thought about the underlining meanings or motives of your words? Most likely, this isn't a regular occurrence. So this week on the Oasis Podcast, the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan) talk about why what you say matters.
To finish up our series on identity, Ben is stepping in to let us know that we are part of something bigger than just ourselves. While a huge piece of who we are is individual, it's not the only piece. You are part of something bigger when we are a part of God's church.
What does it mean to be a part of something large? How do I fit in? Who are we as God's people?
Find all that and more when you watch this week's message - "You Are a Part of the Whole"
Message Delivered: 11/06/22
A huge part, if not the biggest, of the Christian faith is a life marked by prayer. We love and serve a relational God who desires to speak and have conversations with His children. But prayer is a huge task and can easily become overwhelming. Where do we start? What are some good prayer practices? What may be important in prayer? Take a jump into the conversation of our prayer lives this week with the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan).
In week two of our series, "you are ____." Pastor Brennen Schmitt, the lead pastor of Oasis, speaks on how as God's creation, He is the only one who can give us identity. Brennen walks us through the Scriptures as we learn that we are redeemed. All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "You Are Redeemed." Message Delivered: 10/30/2022
In week one of our new series, "you are ____." Pastor Brennen Schmitt, the lead pastor of Oasis, speaks on how as God's creation, He is the only one who can give us identity. Brennen walks us through the Scriptures as we learn that we are children of God. All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "You Are a Child of God."
Message Delivered: 10/23/2022
Creation vs. Evolution is a long and heated debate. It can seem so little but also has much larger implications. Because of this conversation, we get the questions:
Where did we come from? How did we get here? Why do we exist? Why do we matter/have value? What’s our purpose/do we have a purpose?
This week on the Oasis Podcast, the staff (Brennen, Jaena, Ben) open up the conversation on this topic to help you discern creation/evolution.
Bitterness is so easily found in today's world, and so destructive to our relationships if left unchecked. Same with cynicism, a prolonged being of bitterness.
What is bitterness and cynicism? How do we fight it? Why does it even matter?
All this and more on this week's episode of the Oasis Podcast as the staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan) talk bitterness and cynicism.
In week three of our series "God is..." Pastor Brennen Schmitt, the lead pastor of Oasis, speaks on how God is in control in every season. Through the story of Mark 4 where Jesus is found sleeping on the boat in the midst of the raging storm, we see how God is in control. What does it mean that God is in control? How do we know He is in control? How do we have faith to trust Him in the chaos? All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "God is In Control." Message Delivered: 10/16/2022
In week two of our series "God is..." Pastor Steve Norby, the lead pastor at GracePoint, came to speak about how God is love. Through the book of John and the creation account in Genesis, we see how God is love.
How do we know God is love? What does it mean for us if he is? How should we live in light of that?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "God is Love."
Message Delivered: 10/9/2022
Obedience can be a tricky word, with many different understandings of what obedience is, it's important to understand what it is so that we can live it out. Obedience is a major part of the Christian faith so how do we obey the words, ways, and wisdom of Jesus? What does obedience entail? Does it matter if we are obedient? How do we address others that are disobedient? All this and more as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) discuss what it means to be obedient.
Work is hard. That's obvious, the statistics show that people struggle with work. So how do we handle work? How do we stay resilient? What do we struggle with in work? How can we fix that?
This week the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan) talk about how to become resilient in work and provide some reflection questions to help understand struggles in work.
Starting a brand new series called "God is..." Ben is starting with where God often starts, his holiness. When God is described in the Old Testament, the word that is often used first and most frequently is "holy." While we may have assumptions of what that means, we are looking at an encounter Joshua has to see what God has HOLY really means.
What is God like? What is holiness? How does that affect us?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - "God is HOLY"
Message Delivered: 10/02/2022
With a world seemingly more at odds, unity in the Church has never been more needed. As the Church, although we may have our differences, we must be unified around one person. Jesus.
What is unity? Why is it important? How do we get there?
All of this and more as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, Ben) talk unity in the Church.
With a world seemingly more at odds, unity in the Church has never been more needed. As the Church, although we may have our differences, we must be unified around one person. Jesus.
What is unity? Why is it important? How do we get there?
All of this and more as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, Ben) talk unity in the Church.
Closing up our mini-series "From Damascus to the World," Brennen is focusing in on Paul's Ministry. In Acts 18, there's another example of "The One" where Paul is ministered to by Priscilla and Aquila. Also, there's a look into Paul's Ministry Model where he balances evangelism and discipleship.
How can we serve "the One"? What is evangelism and what is discipleship? How do we build God's Kingdom?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Paul's Ministry"
Message Delivered: 09/25/2022
Closing up our mini-series "From Damascus to the World," Brennen is focusing in on Paul's Ministry. In Acts 18, there's another example of "The One" where Paul is ministered to by Priscilla and Aquila. Also, there's a look into Paul's Ministry Model where he balances evangelism and discipleship.
How can we serve "the One"? What is evangelism and what is discipleship? How do we build God's Kingdom?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Paul's Ministry"
Message Delivered: 09/25/2022
Deconstruction is an incredibly hot topic that can easily be found thrown around culture. It can also be used with many differing definitions. So how do we go about this? What even is deconstruction? Do I need to deconstruct? How do I do so healthily? Listen into this weeks conversation as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) talk all things deconstruction.
Deconstruction is an incredibly hot topic that can easily be found thrown around culture. It can also be used with many differing definitions. So how do we go about this? What even is deconstruction? Do I need to deconstruct? How do I do so healthily? Listen into this weeks conversation as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) talk all things deconstruction.
Starting our new series "From Damascus to the World," Brennen is opening up the story of Saul's conversion and looking at how "The One" plays a major role in that. In this year's vision series, we are looking at how God wants to continue to grow his Kingdom one person at a time through the faithfulness of many.
How did Saul/Paul become the greatest missionary ever? How did Jesus change and pursue Saul? How can we partner with Jesus in this?
All that and more when you watch this week's message - "Saul's Conversion"
Message Delivered: 09/18/2022
Starting our new series "From Damascus to the World," Brennen is opening up the story of Saul's conversion and looking at how "The One" plays a major role in that. In this year's vision series, we are looking at how God wants to continue to grow his Kingdom one person at a time through the faithfulness of many.
How did Saul/Paul become the greatest missionary ever? How did Jesus change and pursue Saul? How can we partner with Jesus in this?
All that and more when you watch this week's message - "Saul's Conversion"
Message Delivered: 09/18/2022
HAPPY 100!!! Christian life should be one of many celebrations; throughout scripture, we see a lot of celebrations. Richard J. Foster even goes so far as to say that the discipline of celebration is what ties all the other disciplines together.
So how do we practice the discipline of Celebration? With others?As the Church?
Find all that and more as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) celebrate 100 Oasis Podcasts.
HAPPY 100!!! Christian life should be one of many celebrations; throughout scripture, we see a lot of celebrations. Richard J. Foster even goes so far as to say that the discipline of celebration is what ties all the other disciplines together.
So how do we practice the discipline of Celebration? With others?As the Church?
Find all that and more as the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) celebrate 100 Oasis Podcasts.
Finishing up our series "Secrets of the Kingdom," we are diving into another classic - The Good Samaritan. While the lawyer asks multiple questions, Jesus seems to answer a question of his own.
How are we supposed to be a neighbor? How do we see, love, and sacrifice for others? Who is the true Good Samaritan?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "The Good Samaritan"
Message Delivered: 09/12/2022
Finishing up our series "Secrets of the Kingdom," we are diving into another classic - The Good Samaritan. While the lawyer asks multiple questions, Jesus seems to answer a question of his own.
How are we supposed to be a neighbor? How do we see, love, and sacrifice for others? Who is the true Good Samaritan?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "The Good Samaritan"
Message Delivered: 09/12/2022
With week three of "Secrets of the Kingdom," Ben is covering two parables! These two parables are tied together in just 3 verses but have profound meaning on how to live in God's kingdom. Not only that, these parables challenge our priorities too.
What is the Kingdom of God? Why is it so valuable? What should I give up to get it?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl"
Message Delivered: 09/04/22
With week three of "Secrets of the Kingdom," Ben is covering two parables! These two parables are tied together in just 3 verses but have profound meaning on how to live in God's kingdom. Not only that, these parables challenge our priorities too.
What is the Kingdom of God? Why is it so valuable? What should I give up to get it?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl"
Message Delivered: 09/04/22
Testimonies are frequently talked about around the church. Maybe you're asking the questions: What is a testimony? Do I have one? How do I share it? Why is mine important? The Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan) talk all this and more this week on the Oasis Podcast.
Testimonies are frequently talked about around the church. Maybe you're asking the questions: What is a testimony? Do I have one? How do I share it? Why is mine important? The Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, Dylan) talk all this and more this week on the Oasis Podcast.
Sometimes pastors can feel like these far-off and distant people. They speak into your spiritual life and you know them through the stories they tell but they probably don't know you.
So this week we ask the question, how do you connect with your pastors?
Listen to what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) have to say about getting connected!
Week two of the "Secrets of the Kingdom" series and we are running with a classic. The story of the Lost Son is so powerful in how it depicts the love of a Father. This week, we answer the question - "What is God like?"
How does God pursue lost people? How does God see me? How can I come to God?
All that and more when you watch this week's message - "The Parable of the Prodigal Son"
Message Delivered: 08/28/2022
Everyone is in a season of life right now whether you know it or not. Different seasons can have a huge impact on the way we live and see life. It's important to understand where you're at and what to do in each season.
What are seasons of life? What kind of seasons are there? What do I do if I'm stuck in a bad season?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis Staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) have to say about seasons of life!
It's a brand new year and with that, a brand new series at Oasis!! In week one of "Secrets of the Kingdom," Brennen is leading us through the Parable of the Sower where Jesus answers the question "Why do some people believe and are transformed by Christ while others aren't?"
What's up with these parables Jesus tells anyway? Who is the farmer and what does he do? What are the four soils?
All this and more when you listen to this week's message - "The Parable of the Sower"
Message Delivered: 08/21/2022
When you read through the Bible, there’s miracles all over the place! In the Old Testament and the New Testament, God’s moving in miraculous ways, but does he still do that today?
Do miracles still happen? If not, why? If yes, where are they?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff has to say on walking and talking in the Bible
Church hurt is a term that’s been used A LOT lately and we want to talk about that! If you’re someone who has been hurt by someone in the church, we grieve alongside you. Our biggest hope is that you find healing and forgiveness in Jesus!
What is church hurt? What should I do if I’ve experienced it? How can I heal from it?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on broken people as the bride of Christ.
For a lot of people, the Bible can be hard to read! For others, it might have just gotten dry and boring to them. In both of those cases, we’ve got some advice for you!
Why should I read the Bible? How long and how much should I read? What can I do if the Bible is dry to me?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) has to say on the 75-hour book called the Holy Bible
When it comes to friends, you need to have other Christians in your community! While it's important to have influence and relationships with non-Christians too, it's essential to have Christian friends. Here are some tips on how you can connect with them!
Why are Christian friends important? What should Christian friends be like? How can I connect with them?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen and Dylan) with guest Nathan have to say about the BEST of friends.
WE ARE BACK!!! After taking a couple of months off for the summer, we are back! We can't wait for all that God is going to do in this next year of ministry.
To kick things off, we are doing some summer recap and talking about all the stuff we've been up to and what God's been teaching us. From summer camps to prayer topics, we're covering it all.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) has been doing this sunny season.
With week two of Pastor's Picks, Dylan stepped in to lead us through Exodus 16 and the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. In that, he focuses on what it means to trust God and practice presence.
Is Jesus enough? How do we trust God in the waiting? What does it mean to "be present"?
All of that and more when you listen to this week's message - "From Absence to Presence"
Message Delivered: 07/17/2022
Kicking off our summer series of "Pastor's Picks," Brennen is preaching from the book of Acts. In Acts 3, something extraordinary happens in the middle of a seemingly ordinary day. That should cause us to examine our ordinary and begin to expect the extraordinary.
What's your everyday look like? What made that "ordinary" day of Peter and the Lame Beggar so different? How do we live with expecting the Spirit to move?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Extraordinary in the Ordinary."
Message Delivered: 06/05/2022
As the ministry year comes to a close, we wanted to spend some time reflecting with you all! The end of something always presents opportunities for reflection and changes to be made and this time of year is no different. From the moments that made us laugh to some that made us cry, we're covering it all.
What did you learn this year? What was a difficult moment for you? What questions should you be asking yourself?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) has to say on buts and community.
The podcast will return in June!!
Hang in there because this one got a little long on us, but we wanted to jump into the conversation many are having right now. What's going on with Hillsong and what should we do about it? Whether you've seen the documentary or not, this conversation broaches a bunch of big church scandal topics that can help you in your local context as well.
Are megachurches bad? How should churches handle finances? What's a healthy volunteer culture?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say about our fav worship group and LLCs.
Comparison - it's something we almost all struggle with. It can be just so easy to see other people's lives (or our own past) and dive into comparison. This very thing will steal from us the life, joy, and peace God desires us to have.
Where do we struggle to compare? Why is comparison bad? How do we overcome it?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on haircuts and the Church
As the year comes to a close, we want to be intentional about how we finish this year and start the summer. With that, we need to recognize we are people sent on a mission by God. However, we have a choice whether we engage in that mission or not.
What's the mission anyway? How does God look to accomplish this important task? How do we partner with him?
All of that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Sent People"
Message Delivered: 05/01/2022
Most of us have struggled at some point to gain the approval of another person. But is that bad? The problem becomes when we let other people set our identity or worth. If we find ourselves loving and serving others, but only for our own gain, we are in dangerous waters.
Why is people pleasing bad? How should we serve Jesus then? What about that person who just doesn’t like me?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on our forgiveness and red solo cups.
We are finishing up our series "Software Update" with one last week focusing on the struggle of depression in mental health. Through scripture, we see numerous accounts of people struggling with depression-like symptoms such as the author of Psalm 88. Opening up this Psalm, along with Ben's personal experience, we are looking at depression in the midst of faith.
Can Christians struggle with depression? Why would God let us feel that? What should we do?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "God in the Darkness."
Message Delivered - 04/24/2022
Ever heard of the sacraments? This can be a church idea that many people do, but don't really know about. Baptism and Communion are the sacraments of many Protestant churches that can be deeply impactful in the life of a believer. We want to just scratch the surface of what these truly are.
What is a sacrament? Why is baptism important? Does communion really matter?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) has to say on the best lake food
Week 3 of our series "Software Update" brings a timely word from the gospel of Luke looking at the sisters, Martha and Mary. These two are drastically different people but with different priorities too. In those differences, a lot is revealed about life, following Jesus, and anxiety.
What is anxiety in the Bible? Why do priorities matter when it comes to being anxious? How do I choose the "One thing"?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - The Priority of Peace
Message Delivered: 04/10/2022
It's getting to be that time of year again... the time when it seems like everyone packs up and ships off. Whether you are a senior graduating from college, a young adult moving to new places/opportunities, or a college student just leaving for the summer, this podcast is for you! It is VITAL we know how to find and pick a church. We want to help you do that.
Do my preferences matter? What should I be looking for? Can I shop around?
If you know where you are headed and want some help with suggestions, reach out! We'd love to connect with you.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on the best/worst part of Oasis
To partner with our current series, we wanted to circle around to a topic we covered a while ago - Joy. Joy can be this seemingly allusive and confusing thing. As Christians, we are supposed to have Joy. Yet, we often confuse that with happiness. Let's talk about that.
How is joy different than happiness? Where does joy come from and how do I experience it? Can I have joy in hard situations?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on happy moments and eternal joy
Week two of our series "Software Update" is here and Ben is going to take us through an INCREDIBLE teaching from Jesus in his famous "Sermon on the Mount." Opening Matthew 6, Jesus helps us find peace from anxiety by putting our worries in perspective. From there, he gives us even more tools to "reprogram" our thinking patterns.
What does God promise me? How should I deal with anxiety? What's it mean to put God's will first?
All of that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Peace in Perspective"
Message Delivered: 04/03/2022
Kicking off a brand new series, we've got Brennen taking us through Paul's teaching in Philippians 4. In this message, we address anxiety from the perspective of the Bible and start to learn real, tangible steps for healing.
What is anxiety in the Bible? Should we really pray about it? What's healing really look like here?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Fighting for Peace"
Message Delivered: 03/27/2022
Manifestation... Ummmm, what in the world is that?? When it comes to the Holy Spirit's gifts, they can be sorted into three major categories - ministry, motivation, and manifestation. Out of these, we want to spend some time focusing on the last ones!
When it comes to miracle healings, speaking in tongues, or even faith, how does the Spirit work? How do we know what gifts we might have? Can we seek after certain gifts?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on life and the best gifts ever
Oasis is starting a new series this week and oh.my.goodness - does God have something in store for us all. We are addressing the topic of Mental Health from God’s word, but it might look different than you are thinking. Listen here to see what we mean!
What does the Bible say about mental health? What is biblical “anxiety”? How does that connect with depression?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) has to say on the battle between our ears.
Back with another interview, we’ve got Cellest Peterson joining us! Cellest has an amazing story of God speaking and leading her in different seasons of life. We can’t wait for you to hear how God speaks through her!
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen and Jaena) and a special guest has to say on faithfulness and God’s voice!
Loneliness seems to be on the rise everywhere, especially, with young adults. It can be really, really hard. But let's not forget, God's got healing for it too. If you are or someone you know is struggling with loneliness, we pray this conversation can help!
What is loneliness? Why are we seeming to struggle so badly? How do we get out of it?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on being alone and feeling alone
Finishing up our series "Cultural Quicksand," Pastor Aaron Cloud is talking us through the renewal of our minds. But to get there, we need to first look at what it means to fully surrender to Jesus.
Is God trustworthy? Am I going to miss out? How do I renew my mind?
Find all of that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Full Surrender"
Message Delivered: 03/06/2022
Week 2 of “Cultural Quicksand” and we are talking about MONEYYY. Not as excited as we are? That’s okay. Money can be a tough conversation to navigate, but God has a way for us to find freedom and healing there too.
What does culture teach we should do? Does God agree? What’s the point?
Find all of that and more when you watch this week’s message “Money Matters”
Message Delivered: 02/27/2022
Sorry for the delay! We are a week behind here, but better late than never!
Week one of our new series "Cultural Quicksand" brings with it the topic of morality. In a culture that sets the bar pretty low for what morality is, we are looking at the Sermon on the Mount to get Jesus's view.
What does culture call morality? Does Jesus agree with that? If not, how does he call us to live?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Raising the Bar"
Message Delivered: 02/20/2022
Today, we are talking Devos! From the little books we read to the idea of prepping one yourself, we pray this conversation leads you closer to God through his word.
What’s a devotional? How do I know if I need one? How do I prep one myself?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on funny words and deep thoughts.
Modesty seems like a straightforward topic, butttt it's a bit more complicated than we often make it. We want to chat about how to glorify God with our inner attitude and our outward decisions.
Is this only a "girl" conversation? Does modesty go beyond just clothes? How do we live with modesty?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on Target and LuLu Lemon.
Wrapping up the "Bad Blood" series, Brennen is looking at marriage. When it comes to marriage, one of the toughest things we are experiencing is divorce. Our generation is being plagued by it either directly or indirectly and God's not okay with that. Let's look at what marriage is supposed to be so we can begin to heal again.
What's God's design? How does that help us today? What's culture saying?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "The Dark Side of Marriage."
Message Delivered - 02/06/2022
We are trying something new! There are a bunch of amazing people who used to be Oasis leaders that are now full-on in young adult life. These people, including Jesse Aalberts who we interview here, have incredible insight into college life, transition seasons, and young adult struggles.
Where are they now? What did they learn here that they still cling to? Any advice to give?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen & Jaena) plus a special guest has to say on young adult living!
Oof, are we really going to go there?? Yep, yep we are. This debate can get super passionate, but we want to come at it from a biblical lens and with Christ-like hearts. God gets to have a say in all of life and in all of our views so let's talk about it!
What is the argument for both sides? Is the Old Testament teaching still viable today? What would/did Jesus do?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on this controversial debate.
Apologetics is like finding a treasure chest. Don't get it? Well, you better check out this week's podcast! Really, apologetics is answering questions about faith.
Should we practice apologetics? Why would we not? What are some of the big questions people ask?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) has to say on the goodness of God and circumcision
Week 2 of our series "Bad Blood" and we are talking about dating! But this isn't just your routine dating message... Ben covered breakups, betrayals, and boundaries. You're gonna want to hear this.
How do we break up well? Is there healing for the hurt that I've experienced in dating? Why are boundaries important?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "The Dark Side of Dating"
Message Delivered - 01/30/2022
It's January which we all know by now usually means resolutions! Some of the most popular resolutions are about physical health. Because of that, and how much the Bible has to say about our bodies, we want to chat about it!
Why do Christian and physical health overlap? Is my body really that important? What should I change or do now?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on the weights and twinkies.
You can now find the podcast in VIDEO on our YouTube channel - "Oasis: College and Young Adult" (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg8KcLbxkG0D5tTRcjh3VjQ)
We are firing up for Week One of our new series "Bad Blood"! This week, we are covering the hardships that can be felt in seasons of singleness. Loneliness, comparison, and fulfillment are serious struggles in singleness so let's talk about it!
When I feel alone, am I really alone? Why am I single when THAT person has a significant other? What if I never get married?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - The Dark Side of Singleness
Message Delivered: 01/23/2022
2022 and we are back with another new Oasis sermon series - "Bad Blood: The Darkside of Relationships." In this series, we are covering singleness, dating, and marriage buttttt not quite like we usually do. We want to look at the dark side, the hard stuff, the difficulties of relationships in order to uncover the lies and strengthen our lives.
What's hard about singleness? Why do we date so poorly? Is marriage really that hard?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen & Jaena) has to say on the worst season of relationships
PS - Listen in to get an extra piece we WON'T cover in our series... (engagement)
Brennen and Jaena had the chance to take a trip down to ATL last week to attend Passion 2022! Not only that, but they got to take 11 of our Oasis leaders with them. It was an incredible time of fellowship and learning and we want to clue you in on what God was teaching us!
Why did we go? What did we learn? Is there anything negative about a conference like Passion?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen & Jaena) has to say on God among the 60k
Life throws us some pretty big questions, but not many come bigger than "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" To start 2022, we wanna talk about these big questions with you! Thankfully, Zacchaeus and Jesus combine to give us some answers.
Who are you? Why are you here? What should we do with that?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - "Who and Why"
Message Delivered: 01/09/2022
With the end of the year right ahead of us, we wanted to come back to the idea of goal setting! It feels like you hear about this a lot growing up, but oftentimes, it still feels hard to do or simply overlooked. Let's chat about that!
What are good ways to try and keep a goal? Are there bad goals? What are pitfalls you see when it comes to goals?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brenen and Jaena) with a special guest has to say on 2022!
Mentorship goes beyond just our Church context, but there are important things to understand within Christianity as well. If you've been mentored or have mentored others before, you probably have some opinions of what works and what doesn't. We'll chat about some of ours too
What is mentorship? Is it necessary? How should I do it?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on influential celebrities and stuff
Mental health is on the rise and most of us feel that.... like deeply. But why? We are going to look at what we think are some causes in our world right now.
What role does social media play? Are people less religious? Okay, COVID?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on the "other" epidemic
Those sounds that come out of our mouth, they matter. We don't always treat them like they do, but our words have power. They disclose who we are and direct where we are going.
Why do our words have power? How do our words disclose or direct? How should we use our words?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on palindromes and aggressiveness.
Closing out our series "Grace and Truth," Brennen is wrapping up the book of Jude. After looking at why we need to contend for our faith last week, we are finding out HOW to contend for our faith! That's where the 4 P's come in.
Why do we need to fight for our faith? How do we do it? What hope is there when life is hard?
All of that and more when you listen to this week's message - The 4 P's of Perseverance
Message Delivered: 12/05/21
Did you know that the Bible comes in about 50 main English versions today?? If other languages are included, there are thousands of Bible translations. Let's chat about why that is.
Why do translations exist? What are some? What makes them different? Which is the best?
All of that and more when you listen to the Oasis staff (Brennen, Dylan, and Ben) chat about Greek and genuises
It's part three of the series, but we've changed books! It's time to dive into Jude and learn all about TRUTH! As Jude writes to this church, he wants to say one thing, but instinctively needs to address something else. There are false teachers and that's not okay.
Why should we fight against them? What's it mean to be called? How do we respond to God's calling?
All of this and more when you listen to this week's message - Why You Gotta Fight.
Message Delivered: 11/28/2021
Worship can be a confusing term. Sometimes we just equate it with the songs we song in church, but what if it's suppose to be something more than that? Let's look at what it means to live our whole lives as worship!
What is worship actually? How do I do that in every day?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen and Jaena) plus a special guest has to say on Way Maker and Work
Week two of "Grace & Truth" brings us to the close of Philemon! After Paul spends most of the letter prepping Philemon for the request he has, he finally gets to the question. Will Philemon forgive Onesimus and welcome him as a brother? If he does, what does that really mean for his future?
What are the "harms" of forgiveness? Are their benefits? How do I get there?
Find all of that and more when you listen to this week's message - Freedom in Forgiveness.
Message Delivered: 11/21/2021
5s, 10s, 15s.... wait, sorry. That's the wrong type of denomination. We are diving into Christian denominations in the Church! Whether you're Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, or anything, this conversation can be beneficial to you!
What are denominations? Why do they exist? Should they exist? What is the right one?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on ice cream flavors and coins
Kicking off a brand new series, Brennen is starting us in the book of Philemon! Located in the heart of the New Testament, Philemon is a letter all about GRACE. With that, Paul, the author, writes this letter in an attempt to convince Philemon to do something really hard. This might sound familiar to some things God might ask us to do as we follow him.
What hard questions does God ask us? Who is Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus? Why is their conflict important to us?
Find all of this and more when you listen to this week's message - The Tough Ask.
Message Delivered: 11/14/2021
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about Heaven so we knew we had to chat about Hell too. Again, we don’t have all the answers, but we sure have a lot of questions!
Is hell real? What’s it like? How can God be good when something like hell exists?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on the place no one should go
Tired, overwhelmed, frustrated, and so much more? Maybe, you are experiencing burnout! Too much stress and commitments can lead people through a process of dissatisfaction and negative emotions. Let's talk about that!
What is burnout? Why does it happen? How do we prevent it?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on fire and Jesus
Closing out our "Ghost Stories" series, Pastor Steve Norby, the Lead Pastor at GracePoint, is stepping up to talk about all things spiritual gifts! In this message, he covers the three different groupings of spiritual gifts and what those can look like for you!
What are the different groupings? What gifts do I have? Are there some gifts that are better than others?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - M&M Gifts
Message Delivered- 10/31/2021
Back with one of your favorites - it's all things LOVE and ROMANCE! Young adults are interested in relationships, who would've guessed?? So, we are diving into four major categories of Romantic Relationships - Singleness, Dating, Engaged, and Married.
What does the Bible say in each of these areas? What practical advice would we give? Does any of our experiences translate to help you?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say about wedding planning and so much more!
Last week, we looked at WHO the Holy Spirit is. This week, Ben looked at WHAT the Holy Spirit does IN you! He moves in our lives in so many ways, but God had Ben communicate those through the 5 Cs - Consecrates, Councils, Convicts, Comforts, and Commissions.
Find all of that and more when you listen to this week's message - 5 Cs of the Spirit
Message Delivered: 10/24/2021
Pornography is everywhere and becoming all the more normal in our culture. It's not something a ton of people love talking about, but we'll cover all kinds of ideas in this episode!
Is it really that big of a deal? What are the harms? How can I get help?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on those videos...
This week, we started a brand new series called "Ghost Stories" which focused on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost is one of the three persons of the Trinity, yet we often don't know much about him. This can be a huge issue in the church because if we don't know who he is, we will fail to live with him.
So who is the Holy Spirit? Where is he in the Bible? What does all of that mean for me?
Find all of this and more when you listen to this week's message - Who is the Holy Spirit?
Message Delivered: 10/17/2021
Closing our short series, Ben opens up Luke 15 to teach through the parable of "The Lost Coin" and how that impacts "The One"
How does God search for the Lost One? What does that mean for us? Are we the lost coin or are we the one searching?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - The Lost Coin
Message Delivered: 10/10/2021
Is winter coming too soon or what the heck is Cold Evangelism? Well, evangelism is a common word thrown around in churches to talk about spreading the Gospel message. This is just one spin on that idea.
What is Cold Evangelism? Am I supposed to do it? What are the benefits/harms?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen and Jaena) and a special guest has to say on the temperature of the gospel
You asked so we'll answer! Here are the staff's book recommendations for you! We hope that you are able to find one or two that you can read through. Reading is learning and we want to always be readers!
What is your favorite book? What's the last book you read? What do you hope to read in the future?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on the lost art of novels
A brand-new two-week series called "The One" coming at you fast!! In this message, Brennen looks at church growth and where God is taking Oasis in the future. Yet, the message might be a bit different than you'd expect so check it out!
How do we love "The One"? What do people need? Are we supposed to meet those needs?
All that and more when you listen to this week's message - Seen, Heard, Belong
Message Delivered: 10/04/2021
Guest speaker Wes Smith brings the word this week. Wes is the District Superintendent of the Northwest District of the Wesleyan Church. He has a heart for building God's Kingdom and especially, for young people in church. This week, he wants to explain how God builds a BOLD heart.
Are there certainties in following God? What do we do with criticism? How do we take steps of faith?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - How God builds a BOLD heart
Message Delivered - 09/26/2021
As Christians, our hope is HEAVEN!! We will get to spend eternity there, but what really is it? We are taking a deep dive into some theology of Heaven from the scriptures!
Where is it? What do we do there? What's it like? How do I get there?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on New Jerusalem
If that's not a jarring title, I don't know what is! You might be thinking, what the heck are they talking about this for? Orrrr, you might be thinking, finally, I'll get these questions answered. Either way, we've got some interesting passages of scripture to talk through in this one.
Does the Bible value women less than men? Does it look down on women? Does the Bible value one race more than others? Does the Bible support slavery?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on these touchy subjects
Do you ever wonder why the gathering of the church is important? Like, why do we meet up every Sunday to worship together? Well, Jaena's got you covered! Corporate/Congregational is the last piece of discipleship in our pyramid.
What did the early church do when they gathered? Is what we do similar to that? How do the pieces of a Sunday service become discipleship? What am I supposed to do with all this?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Why We Gather
Message Delivered: 09/19/2021
Gratefulness is often overlooked in our culture today. Some people are prone to entitlement or pride when it comes to this area, but the Christian should always be grateful. Let's look at how to do that.
Why is gratitude so important? How do I increase my thankfulness? What does it do for me?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Dylan) has to say on thanksgiving.
Cruising through the Framework series, we've got another aspect of what discipleship is. This week, we are doing Personal and Communal Discipleship. You might be confused by what that means right now, but after you watch this, we hope you are drawn to discipleship in community!
What is personal and communal discipleship? Why is it important? How did Jesus do it?
Find all of that and more when you watch this week's message - PC Discipleship
Message Delivered: 05/12/2021
With week two of Framework, we are diving into how we are discipled! It's crazy, but there are so many ways God wants to form us into his image. The first one we are chatting about is through our PRIVATE relationship with Him. Now, this is not just Bible reading or prayer, this is COMMUNION with God.
What is our posture towards God? How does that impact what we think our purpose is? How do I experience communion with God?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Life with God
Message Delivered: 09/05/2021
Maybe, fasting is something you've heard of, but is it something you practice? A lot of times, it isn't a common discipline of Christians, but that can change! We think fasting holds so many spiritual benefits.
What is fasting? Why should I do it? How can I do it? Tips and tricks?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on hotdogs and discernment
Kicking off the year and our first series, we are talking discipleship. Butttt, we can't first talk about discipleship without talking about Jesus. If we want to be more like Christ, we better understand who he is and what he did.
What is discipleship? Who is Jesus? What did he do? What does that mean for how I should follow him?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - God's calling
Message Delivered: 08/29/2021
Everybody needs somebody. We are never meant to live this life alone and we definitely aren't supposed to walk this faith alone. So, let's learn about how we live life with others!
Why is community important? What do we do in community? How do I get community?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say about their best friends
Coming in hot, we got a brand new series starting this SUNDAY NIGHT at Oasis!! You aren't going to want to miss this series called FRAMEWORK. We are taking a look at all things discipleship.
What even is discipleship? How should I do it? What can I hope to learn from this series?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on picture frames and the Christ.
With the first week back, Ben and Brennen shared the mic and both tell their story of how God brought them to where they are now. There's some change happening in the Oasis staff, but it's all going to be so good!
What's God calling you to? Are you ready to go all-in with him?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - God's Calling
Message Delivered: 08/22/2021
People all over the world need your prayers. Yes, yours! Not just in the really bad times either. Right now with the suffering in Afganistan and Haiti, the Christian world is praying. But at all times, Christians need to pray for others
How do we pray for the world? What should we pray for the world? Is prayer enough?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say about the ball we live on.
Back again and here to bring you some TRUTH! We are chatting on how the truth of God is often twisted in our cultures and cultures past. The prosperity gospel, the social justice gospel, Gnosticism, and more!
What is a/the Gospel? Why do false gospels appear? What are they today? How do I protect myself from them?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on Good News and boats.
With Jaena gone this week, we found a fill-in! Us three guys got the chance to sit around and chat about all things marriage. From best to worst, we've got stories and advice for you
What's the purpose of marriage? How did you know when they were "the one"? What's the hardest part?
Tune in to hear what some of the Oasis staff (Brennen and Ben) plus a special guest have to say on life-long commitment
Ummm, what are they talking about??? Yeah, we know it's a big word, BUT it's an important one. Beyond just being "saved," God calls us to something more. We're talking all about that using a bunch more "big" terms.
What is sanctification? How is it different than salvation? What does it look like in real life? How do I pursue it?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say with big fancy words.
Christians should be different than the world in a lot of different ways, but one of those should definitely be our JOY. As we look at it, we see joy comes from God but we still need to choose it. So, how do we do that??
What is the difference between joy and happiness? Why do I have to choose joy? Where does joy come from? What if I don't feel joyous?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on the smile on your face and in your heart
The Bible should have THE say in our lives, but why?? This 2000-year-old book is commonly called God's word. Nearly every episode we do has the Bible in it. If Christians say it's so important, let's chat about it.
What does authority mean? Why does the Bible have authority? What does that mean for me and my life?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on the Good Book and all things life
Are you judging others or are you just holding them accountable? Many times, we may mean one but are really doing the other. We want to make sure as Christians, we are acting as Jesus would want us to.
What is the difference? How do you do accountability? Does the Bible have things to say on the difference?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on what to say to others
Are Angels and Demons like a real thing? Great question! We've got that and a whole bunch more in this episode. Tons of questions and we'll give you answers all from the Bible!
What do Angels do? What are they like? Are demons real? If so, what do they do and where do they come from?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on Tom Hanks and spiritual beings
Does God still speak? If he does, why does it feel so hard to hear him? Today, we're talking about this and so much more! We believe God is speaking!! Now, we just need to be listening.
How does God speak? How do I make sure it's God's voice and not my own or someone else's? Why should we want to hear from God?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on the still whisper and the thundering boom.
We are back and we've got a BALLIN' topic for ya. In this episode, we cover temptation and sin. These two are different, but both can play a role in the lives of believers.
What is temptation? What is sin? Is temptation sinful? How do we fight against temptation?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on Jesus in the wilderness and you in your bedroom
Coming off the end of our last series, this topic fits right in! Jesus calls us to a simple life. One that is free from hustle, complexity, and worry. Yet, to get to that, we probably have to make some pretty serious changes.
What is simplicity? How is that different than minimalism? How do I decide what is right for me in simple living?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on TVs and shoes
Closing out our series and the school year, Ben brings a timely message on the Seventh Day, otherwise known as Sabbath. While this practice may seem like something that is old and outdated, in reality, it's never been more needed. From Genesis to today, we've always needed the Sabbath. Let's learn how to embrace it again.
What is Sabbath for? How do we do it now? Is it really that important?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Sabbath
Message Delivered: 05/02/2021
When it comes to the summertime, there are a lot of awesome perks! Nice weather, more free time, vacations. But, there are also some struggles that can come with it...
What struggles are common? How can I overcome those? What are our go-to summer suggestions?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on sunshine and silly struggles
Week Two of our series had Brennen bringing a message about Silence and Solitude. This practice of Jesus is one our culture has lost in the busyness of life today, but we don't have to stay that way. If we are willing to slow down, be silent, and get away in life, then we can begin to rediscover a presence to ourselves, to others, and to God.
What really are the practices of silence and solitude? Why are they important? What do they do for me? How do I practice them?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Rediscovering Presence
Message Delivered: 04/28/2021
Kicking off our new and last series of the semester, Ben starts to push back against the hustle and hurry culture we find ourselves in. Are you tired, worn out, burned out? The way of Jesus isn't supposed to be like that. Jesus changed the whole world in his time on Earth, yet he never seemed to be overly busy. So, let's learn how to slow down to love and live like Jesus did.
How does hustle culture impact me? Does Jesus really speak about something like that? How can I change to be like him?
Find all that and more when you watch this week's message - Slowing to the Pace of Love
Message Delivered: 04/18/2021
When it comes to the Bible and Christian life, there are definitely some things that are black and white. Butttt, there are also some things that are grey and we want to talk about that!
What are some of these grey areas? How do we decide what God would have us do? How do I invite others into the process? Should I help other people discern their convictions?
7 Questions for Grey Area Discernment:
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Is there negative long-term effects?
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Does it cause harm to my body?
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Does it bring guilt or shame into my life?
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Will it cause other people to stumble?
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Does it hurt my witness to others?
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Are there benefits to myself and others?
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Does it glorify God?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on that shade between black and white and life with Jesus.
Closing our Bridge to Becoming series, Brennen brings it home with the vice of greed and the virtue of generosity. Yet, to get to generosity, we must take the bridge that is Hope. Hoping in God leads us to a place where we can be generous with all we are and have as Christians.
What actually is greed? Where does it show up in our lives? How do I deal with it? What does it mean to be generous?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Greed to Generosity
Message Delivered: 04/11/2021
Ever heard of self-love, self-care, self-worth, self.... the list goes on and on. But, are these all beneficial? Many times culture is teaching one thing when the Bible is teaching another.
Are all of these self-... important? How do the Bible and culture differ? Do they overlap? Where do we go from here?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on you how you think and treat yourself
After hitting Work in episode 37, we wanted to fill you in on the other side of life - Rest. Resting can be weird and hard for us as people. Often times we struggle to know if we need a nap, a snack, or something totally different. In this, we are looking at the whole array of rest.
Why is rest important? Is rest just physical? How I rest well? Am I believing a lie about rest?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on Netflix and napping
B2B Week 6 here with a guest speaker! Pastor Aaron Cloud is stepping in to knock out the vice of Pride and the virtue of Humility. Through the life of King Uzziah, Aaron shows how God brings low the proud and exalts the humble.
What is pride? How does it show up in different ways in our lives? Where does the Spirit show up to move us to humility? Now, how do we live as different people?
Find all that and more when you listen this week's message - Pride to Humility
Message Delivered: 03/28/2021
Bridge To Becoming is still rolling with Week Four and the vice of Gluttony and the virtue of Self-Control. Some aspects of our lives are just pivoted towards gluttony, so how can we change that and be people of self-control.
What is gluttony? How does it impact us? How does the Spirit move us to self-control? What does this look like in actual life?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Gluttony to Self-Control
Message Delivered: 03/21/2021
This week, we are opening up the Bible in order to pray through it! Using two different passages of scripture, we want to teach you about how sections of the Bible can be a template for prayer!
How is the Lord's Prayer a template? Does Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 work like that too? Are there other sections of the Bible that are like that?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about God's word linking with ours
Week four of B2B is live and you should give it a listen! Ben brought us the vice of Envy and the virtue of Kindness this week. Envy sneaks into our lives and hurts us and those around us.
What is envy? How does it impact us? How do we move to Kindness? What's healing look like?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Envy to Kindness.
Message Delivered: 03/14/2021
Like Ben, we hope this title triggers songs to flow (Work, work, work...). But really, work's been around forever and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. The Creation account gives us work and Paul refines that. So, let's get to work.
Where does Work come from? Why can it be such a bummer? How are we supposed to go about working now? Does Rest play into this at all?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about songs from 2016
Here's the thing, we are always finishing things! Big or small, that's just what we do. You probably finished a school or work assignment recently or you maybe even finished a commitment or job. In all of that, we want to FINISH WELL. So, let's learn how to do that.
What does finishing well mean? Why is it important? How do you finish well?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about finishing school or quitting your job
It's week three of Bridge to Becoming and we aren't slowing down. This week, Brennen is leading us through the vice of Anger to the virtue of Patience. The question is "Are you an angry person?" While you might initially answer no, you might want to listen to this first.
Do I struggle with anger? Where does that anger come from? How can we fix our anger problem?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Anger to Diligence.
Message Delivered: 02/28/2021
Everybody has a different family dynamic, but because of that, we can learn from each other. We hope with this episode, you can learn from some of our stories!
Why is family important? How can I serve and love them better? What advice would we give to our people about interacting with their family?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on those people you are stuck with
Week Two of Bridge to Becoming takes us to the vice of Laziness and the virtue of Diligence. Many of us would not label ourselves as lazy, but what's our definition of laziness? This week's message will challenge you to go deeper in your relationships and walk with Jesus.
Where do I see laziness in my life? Do I make excuses to get out of hard things? How do we get from laziness to diligence? What's it mean to have courage?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Laziness to Diligence.
Message Delivered: 02/21/2021
The classic Church calendar has a period before Easter that is commonly referred to as Lent. Some churches strictly follow this, while others do nothing with it. GracePoint and Oasis fall somewhere in between that. So, let's talk about that!
What is Lent? Where does it come from? Why should we practice it? How do we practice it?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on a couple week's without Sundays.
Opening up our new series, Ben uses Valentine's Day to talk about Lust. One of the seven deadly sins that we are called to move away from. However, we are not just moving away, but moving towards Purity. Through it all, the Holy Spirit is moving in us to bring us there by LOVE.
What is lust? Is it just sexual desires? How do I live a pure life? Is love really the answer?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Lust to Purity.
Message Delivered: 02/14/2021
Unfortunately, grief is one of those things we probably will all experience in this life. However, faith in Jesus can play a role in that too. Tune in as we talk about that!
What is grief? How are Christians supposed to navigate it? Are there any helpful tips or tricks? What about dos and don'ts?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on some of life's hardest moments.
Idolatry is something we see all through the scriptures. From Genesis to Revelation, there are times where idols can be seen impacting peoples' relationship with God.
What are idols? Do we still have them today? How do I know if I struggle with idolatry? If so, how can I fix it??
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on stone gods and house fires.
To close out our series "True or False," Ben brought the truth that Jesus is THE way to God. Our culture wants to believe many paths lead to God, but Jesus says otherwise. Jesus was about loving people and he did that with his life, death, and teachings.
Is Jesus really the only way to God and Heaven? Is that unloving for Christians to say? What about other religions and their claims about God?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Jesus is THE way.
Message Delivered: 01/31/2021
In the second week of our "True or False" series, Brennen stepped in to ask some questions about evil in the world and the goodness of God.
Is God even good when so many bad things happen? Are bad things always going to happen? Is there any hope?
Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - God is Good.
Message Delivered: 01/24/2021
If you've ever come to Oasis, maybe you noticed the people giving high-fives at the door or the people at the info desk, or maybe even the people behind the scenes making the coffee. Well, those people are all serving Jesus! Yep, all of them!
Do you have to serve in church? Are there bad sides of serving in church? What kind of jobs could I even do to serve?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about you getting into the game
Kicking off our new series "True or False," Ben wades through the seemingly rocky relationship between science and Christianity. The two camps can feel worlds apart and look to butt heads, but are they and do they?
Does science oppose faith or is there a way the two can work together?
Big questions are going being discussed in this series, so you should tune in to hear on this week's message - Science and Faith.
Message Delivered: 01/17/2021
Starting Jan 17th, Oasis is doing a new series called "True or False"! At its core, this is an apologetics series where we seek to answer difficult questions about faith. Soooo, in this podcast, we are giving you a behind-the-scenes look as to why we chose this series!
What is apologetics? Why is it important? How have we experienced it apart from our ministry jobs?
The three topics we will address in our series are God and Evil, Science and Faith, and World Religions.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on defending your faith against the toughest of questions.
Ben opens up the first Oasis of the year with a challenge to pursue being uncomfortable...
The American church has often simplified Christianity to only the title of Christian. However, Jesus and the Word call us to something much deeper and greater. We are called to walk with Jesus and live life as he did. This path is anything but comfortable, yet so very worth it.
What does comfortability look like in faith? Why should I be uncomfortable? How do I choose to be uncomfortable for Jesus?
Find these answers and more as you listen to this week's message - Uncomfortable Christianity.
Message Delivered: 01/10/2021
There are over 30,000 verses in the Bible that paint the picture between God and us. Out of those 30,000, some are more popular than others. Some people even memorize a chunk of those 30,000. But, should you?
When it comes to scripture memorizing, most people stop after one (John 3:16) or maybe two (Philippians 4:13) verses. While both of these are great to have in your mind, the Bible holds a lot more for us to think about.
Why is this important? Where should you start? Are they tips to help you better memorize everything you want to?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on "the sword" and mind tricks.
GOODBYE 2020!! And hello, 2021. Now, for those New Year's Resolution ideas. Let's talk about that.
Why are these so emphasized in our culture? How do we approach these in a healthy and helpful way as Christians? Are there things we need to avoid or watch out for when it comes to this goal setting season? All these questions and more on this week's episode!
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on turning the calendar and changing your life.
With Christmas just right around the corner, we wanted to talk about all those gifts you asked for! Don't worry, you can still ask for them, just think about this first...
What the heck even is materialism? What does Jesus and the rest of the Bible teach about material possessions? Is there practical advice we'd give when it comes to this topic?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on Apple products and Santa deliveries.
Music is everywhere! So, we better talk about it.
First, we talk all about music as it plays out in the Christian walk such as musical worship! Praising Jesus is so much of what we do! Then, we move to answer some questions about other types of music.
Should Christians listen to only Christian music? Should they listen to secular music too? Maybe, even rap???
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on spitting bars with our Savior.
With only one message for Christmas this year, Brennen focuses in on the story of Joseph!
Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, has an incredible story of faithfulness that we can learn from today! Through his young adult years, Joseph struggles with some of the most prominent things we struggle with today - Relationships and the Future. Yet, he consistently listens to God's voice and faithfully obeys him. Even more powerful is that through his faithfulness, God brings fulfillment.
Should I stay where I'm at? Should I go somewhere else? How do I live faithfully in everyday life?
Find these questions and more as you listen to this week's message - Faithfulness to Fulfillment.
Message Delivered: 12/06/2020
In this episode, we are going to answer some common questions starting with "Can Christians...?" Many times, we just want a straightforward "yes or no" to these questions, but it's not always that simple.
The questions are - "Can Christians get tattoos?" "Can Christians use marijuana?" and "Can Christians wear leggings?" However, just because we answered only three doesn't mean there aren't a million more. If you have a "Can Christians...?" question, hit us up on Instagram or Facebook and we would love to chat about it.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on ink, drugs, and sex.
Listen in to the Oasis staff get into a HUGE fight!! Jk, we are just chatting it up about conflict in this episode. With our lives and the Bible as our sources, we take about how to have conflict as a Christian.
Can't I just avoid conflict? What are some of my bad conflict habits? Is there a way I can get better at conflict?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on flipping tables and flipping out.
It's the last week of our "Mosaic" series, and Ben is finishing it up with the Gospel of John!
John, being the last gospel, takes an intimate dive into the life of Jesus. "The one whom Jesus loved" takes us into how we find our source of LIFE in Jesus. Ben goes on to lead us through the 4 aspects of that LIFE.
What does LIFE with Jesus mean? How do I find it? What am I supposed to do with it?
Find these questions and more as you watch this week's message - Mosaic: Part 4 - The Gospel of John
Message Delivered: 11/22/2020
There's this big chunk of books in the first half of your Bible Christians always call "old." Let's talk about those. With some fast facts and some questions, we are diving into why the Old Testament is important for us Christians today!
Is the Old Testament real people and real stories? Are these stories reliable and accurate? Am I really supposed to read all of that? Do I miss anything if I just read the "new" stuff?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on the words before Jesus shows up.
With week three in our "Mosaic" series, Jaena brings us the Gospel according to Luke!
Luke brings us the most comprehensive of the four gospel accounts by traveling around and researching the story of Jesus. He tells stories of Jesus's teaching and miracles, but he does so in a way that is understandable to the common gentile.
Who is the Gospel for? How does Luke show that through Jesus? What does that mean for me today?
Answers to these questions and more as you listen to this week's message - Mosaic: Part 3 - The Gospel of Luke.
Message Delivered: 11/15/2020
So, what's the deal with women pastors? Yes, that does sound like the bad opening line to a stand-up comedy routine, but really it's the conversation we are having today!
Can and should women hold leadership positions in the church? What about if women can and should preach? Why do we not see that many women in these roles? Lastly, and most importantly, what does the Bible say about this topic of church and gender roles?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about the XX chromosome bunch and the church.
Continuing in our series "Mosaic," Brennen moves to week two with the Gospel of Mark!
Mark writes down Peter's story and leads us through the life of Jesus in a new way! How does the "Ladder of Success" show up in Mark's book? Through the actions of Jesus, then the Authority of Jesus, we get to Jesus's idea of success.
What does success in the Kingdom of Heaven look like? What is the cross Jesus is asking me to carry? How do I lay my life down in service to others?
Dive into these questions as you listen to this week's message - Mosaic: Part 2 - The Gospel of Mark.
Message Delivered: 11/08/2020
We are back again with an episode about one of the spiritual disciplines and how we can best follow Jesus. However, confession seems to be one of the disciplines often neglected in many Protestant churches.
We want you practicing confession! But first, let's answer some questions - What even is confession? Do I have to do it? Who do I do it with? Am I really supposed to tell someone all the things I struggle with? Find these answers and more when you tune in to this week's conversation.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on airing out your dirty laundry to glorify Jesus.
Opening up our new series - "Mosaic," GracePoint's Student Ministry Director kicks off week one with the Gospel of Matthew!
Matthew, one of the disciples, writes his account of Jesus's life as a Jewish man to a Jewish audience. In all that, he desires to show us how Jesus is the fulfillment and the Messiah. He is what is predicted, promised, and desired.
Who do you say that Jesus is? Answer that question as you listen to this week's message - Mosaic: Part 1 - The Gospel of Matthew.
Message Delivered: 11/01/2020
'Tis the season... the political season! On this episode of the podcast, we are talking about how politics and Christianity can mesh together.
Do you have to vote? Should you vote conservative or liberal? What about being a single-issue voter? Or, just want to find out who Ben is voting for?? All that and more on this week's political conversation.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on elephants, donkeys, and the US of A.
In the last week of "Let's Talk About..." we are bringing up the topic of sex!
Listen in as Ben outlines God's design for sex and breaks up some of the myths surrounding sex in our culture!
How do we navigate relationships and sex as followers of Jesus? Get all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Let's Talk About... Part 4: Sex and Dating.
Message Delivered: 10/25/2020
SPOOKY SEASON is heeeerrrreeeee! The month of October brings with it the Halloween season, and we want to talk about that. As Christians, should we celebrate Halloween?
Do you know the background of Halloween? Have a costume picked out for this year? Already have plans for the 31st? We have some tips, opinions, and advice you should check out before you candy-overdose this year.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on the spiritual war and Kit-Kats.
Check-in here with WEEK 3 of "Let's Talk About.." In this message, Ben unpacks HOW Christians should date!
When we follow Jesus, everything about us and what we do changes. This even includes dating! So using 7 points, Ben will give us some insight into how Jesus helps us date BETTER!
How do we keep God in our relationships? What does purity look like in dating? Is there a thing as getting too deep in a relationship? Get all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Let's Talk About... Part 3: The How.
Message Delivered: 10/18/2020
Fitting into our new series of messages (Let's Talk About...), we're bringing you a conversation on Singleness! Really, this is PART ONE of the series, but we had some technical difficulties, and we unable to post the video/audio to our YouTube or Podcast.
Based around Brennen's message - "The Gift," we see what Paul is talking about in 1 Cor 7. Most of you might be thinking, singleness as a gift?? You have got to be kidding, right?? But, we are here to tell you, singleness is a good gift but only if YOU let it be.
Through the purpose, benefits, and expiration of "The Gift," the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) talk about what you should do if you don't have a significant other in the mix.
We've got WEEK 2 of our new series - "Let's Talk About..." Unfortunately, week one will not be available due to some technical difficulties (however, you can find a variation of it in this week's podcast - Singleness). In this dating series, Ben is diving deep into WHO are you supposed to date!
During young adult life, there are so many things we are all trying to figure out, and one of those things can be dating! As Christians, we should date differently (and better) than the rest of the world. That all starts with WHO you choose to date.
Should you have a list? What should be on the list? Are there non-negotiables? What about if they are like really, really cute? Get all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Let's Talk About... Part 2: The Who.
Message Delivered: 10/11/2020
Maybe, you're familiar with the term "Pro-Life"? Maybe, you're also familiar that this is something many Christians put a lot of political emphasis on? Well, this isn't your typical Pro-Life conversation. In this, we want to talk about that and a lot more, while incorporating a whole bunch of the Bible.
Is God "Pro-Life"? Does that mean what we think it does? Which lives are counted under the political umbrella of "Pro-Life"? All great questions you can find the answers to on this week's episode.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on God's people inside and outside the womb.
After a week off, we are back with the topic - "Are all sins are equal?" When it comes to sin, there's a lot of discussion about what it is and how it affects us, but there are different ways to look at that. However, we believe one way is more correct than others.
As people, do we view all sin the same? Or better yet, does God view all sin the same? What even is sin? All great questions you can find the answer to on this week's podcast.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on the comparison of white lies and murder...
It's the final week of our Dry Bones series, and Pastor Aaron, the Lead Development pastor at GracePoint, stepped in to walk us into God-given purpose.
One of life's biggest questions is, "Why am I here?" If you haven't thought about that yet, it was coming eventually. Aaron's here to answer that question. God created you with a purpose. You have a purpose. Now, as Christians, let's step into what we are made to do.
What is life about? What am I supposed to do and focus on? Is there any point in all of this? Get all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Dry Bones Pt. 4: Restored Peace.
Message Delivered: 09/20/2020
Well, this is a big one! What can we say about Prayer?!
While we don't cover it all, we do cover a ton in this episode. How to pray, when to pray, what to pray, where to pray... We even do a section on the most commonly asked questions when it comes to prayer. For this one, you pretty much just gotta listen to soak it all in.
Ben, Jaena, and Brennen even give some sneak peeks into their prayer lives with hopes you can learn from their experiences too.
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on talking to GOD... yep, that's a big one.
With part three of our Dry Bones series, Ben talks us through restoring peace in our daily lives.
All of us have moments of stress, anxiety, or worry to deal with in our lives, but what does God say about those moments? By breaking down "CAST," Ben gives us practical, biblical, and godly advice on how to live a peace-filled life.
We pray this blesses you in whatever season you find yourself, and that you find the peace of God (Philippians 4:7) wherever you are. Listen to the whole thing here with Part 3 of Dry Bones!
Message Delivered: 09/13/2020
It's part two of our series Dry Bones, and Ben is opening up three things God wants to restore in young adults. To start, God is looking to restore our identity back to Him.
Many times, there are labels that we, or others, associate with ourselves. But is that who you are? Are you a student at your core? Or what about a business person? A boyfriend or girlfriend, a husband or wife?
Well, Ben has some insight into what God wants you to rest in for an identity. Listen to the whole thing here with Part 2 of Dry Bones!
White claws, Busch Light, and ... Jesus? Wait, what? On this episode, we start a conversation on how to be a Jesus-follower and navigating the world of drinking.
We definitely don't answer all the questions, but we hope we gave you a good start in the right direction. When it comes to just drinking, a lot of times it comes down to personal conviction (fancy talk but listen to the episode to learn what that really means). However, there are some hard and fast rules you can find here!
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on John 2 and La Croix (jk).
Seems like a simple enough question, but in our culture and time, does it really mean what we think?
Many people are quick to respond to this question without knowing the whole context of what it is asking. We hope this conversation can lead you and others to better know what it means to "Be a Christian." Listen, maybe listen again, then talk to someone you love about this eternal topic!
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on simply what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Kicking off our fall semester and a new series, Pastor Ben opens up Ezekiel 37 to show God's resurrection power! In this, God brings the dry bones of an exiled Israel to life through the vision of Ezekiel. In the same way, God is resurrecting the broken parts of our lives for his glory and our good.
Listen to the whole message here and see what God bringing dry bones to life can mean for you!
Whaaaaa, another personality test. What even is the point?
Well, we are here to walk through this specific personality system and teach why it can be super beneficial to Jesus followers! But, are there any negatives to this circle, One through Nine system? Don't worry, we've got you covered there too.
Looking to find your number, check out this link for some help: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about how a simple number combined with a perfect savior can help you live daily life.
Will you be willing? When it comes to following Jesus, God is looking for willing people.
In John, the disciple Philip shows up four times unlike in any other gospel. Through those occasions, Pastor Ben leads us to four points about being willing.
Be willing to come and see. Be willing to look past the impossible. Be willing to ask for help. Be willing to know Jesus. Find out the rest when you listen to this message - "Be Willing"
YOU'RE CANCELLED! Jk, we sure hope you aren't. But if you don't get the joke or do and just want to hear what we have to say on it, check out this week's episode!
Is there bad stuff that comes from a movement like Cancel Culture? Or, better yet, is there anything good that can come from it?? But, what about free speech or empowering minorities with a voice? Where do those weigh into the complex situation?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about this trendy topic and the far-reaching societal implications.
Wrapping up our summer Oasis series, Brennen stepped in and took us through "Walk Humbly" from Micah 6:8.
When it comes to the word "humbly," there are a thousand different definitions to look at it. But, Micah takes it a very specific direction as he speaks to the nation of Israel. With the help of Paul and James, Micah's definition of humility starts to take root in our lives as well. Find out the rest when you listen to this message - "Walk Humbly"
One of the most thrown-around Christian phrases, but what does it actually mean? Using the classic: who, what, when, where, why, and how, we break down what it means to live this daily practice.
All Jesus-followers should spend time each day with Him. Just like any relationship, it takes intentionality and time to grow in your faith life. We hope this helps you start or continue that in a big way!
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about the Bible and how you spend your mornings.
In a culture saturated by celebrities, the Christian community isn't excluded. Famous people are all over the Christian world and is that okay?
From pastors to worship leaders and singers to actors, there are celebrities who follow Jesus. With the rise of social media, youtube, and even podcasts like this one, you can now see and follow all of these famous people. Is that dangerous? I guess you'll have to listen to see!
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about JBeibs and Gucci Pastors.
With PART 2 in our summer Oasis series, Pastor Jaena focused in on "Love Mercy" from Micah 6:8
Is it enough to just "do" or is God calling us to something deeper? Through the story of Jonah, Jaena demonstrates our responsibility to not only act but to act with love in our hearts. Jonah eventually preached what God wanted to the Ninevites, but he did it with contempt and disdane for the people receiving his message. That was a problem for him and could be a problem for us. Get the whole picture when you listen to this message - "Love Mercy"
Message Delivered: 07/19/2020
Have you ever thought about what advice you would give to yourself 5 or 10 years ago? Well, we just did and we recorded it just for you. Despite at the time thinking we had it all figured out, as we look back we all wish we could tell ourselves a little something.
As you listen to what God has taught the Oasis staff in our years (some longer than others ;)), we hope you learn from our stories while reflecting on your own!
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say to less old, less wise, and less cool versions of themselves.
This one is a bit different for you all! In this episode, we are chatting all about short term mission trips! We dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly side of this church practice.
Ever been on a trip like this? Listen through what we are talking about and see how it applies to your experience!
Never been on a trip like this? Find out the dos and don'ts for a future trip we hope you take!
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on planes, painting, and a whole lot of people stuff.
Who am I? One of the most asked and seemingly difficult questions to answer. Or is it?
Am I a father, son, worker, boss, friend, student....? How do I get the best identity possible? Well, we might argue these are all a bit off and you should listen why.
Tune into this week's episode to see how the Oasis staff (Brennen, Ben, and Jaena) breaks down the question all people ask themselves at some point.
Money, money, money... MONEY! We are diving in to talk about it this week. Everybody in the world knows what money is, but do we all use it the way we are supposed to?
From plans to debt to generosity, we move through a conversation about money. But, is the conversation REALLY about just money?? Or is there a bigger topic at hand?
Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on that really important green stuff people are always talking about.
In the first summer Oasis for the year, Pastor Ben started our series on Micah 6:8 - "Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with your God"
How did Jesus respond to the injustices of his time and what does that tell us about our response to injustice today?
Jesus addressed topics on women, race, class, and much more in the Sermon on the Mount, but we often don't read it as such. Listen to Ben unpack the middle-eastern context of Jesus in this message!
Message deliver: 6/21/2020
Ever had friends change? Friends changing right now? Friends might one day in the future change? Yep, that should cover everybody. Well, this episode is for you!
There are a ton of reasons you might change friends in your life from moving, season of life, or even conflict. As Christians, we should do all of it with grace and love.
So, tune in to see what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on some of their experiences and transition dos and don'ts.
What does God want? As young adults, there can be a lot of big decisions to make and directions to choose. Seems daunting, but God has the best way to navigate it all.
What career should you have? What should you do for school? Where are you supposed to live? The questions go on and on...
Tune in and see what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on your life combining with God's purposes
What role does social media play in our lives? Our parents and grandparents never had to deal with it. But, here we are. So, let's talk about it.
With Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and more, we are a generation denoted by screen time. Is that okay? What would Jesus say about that?
Tune in to see what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on posting, liking, and Jesus-ing.
Never thought of yourself much as an influencer, huh? Well, let's see about that.
What even is "influence" today? Do we have it or how do we get it? What do we do with it? These are questions we ask on the very first episode of the Oasis podcast!
Tune in and see what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on one of the culture's current catch-words.
The Oasis podcast is back and with some changes! New to the podcast will be weekly conversations between the Oasis staff about all things Christian life and young adults. Then, the Sunday night messages will also be posted to this channel starting in the fall! Check out this intro snippet to hear more about what’s to come.