Oasis: College Ministry Podcast

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.

The story of creation is the story of God's character. What God creates and how he creates reveals who he is. Yet this story is also a declaration that our God is truth. He creates out of love, to share his loving presence with his creation. His voice is powerful and is the designer that all creation listens to. He works to sustain creation by being actively involved in the world. Because God is loving, powerful, and just, creation responds with praise. They admire who God is and what he does, all the while inviting us to join their song. Message Delivered: 11/3/24