Oasis: College Ministry Podcast

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