Oasis: College Ministry Podcast

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