Oasis: College & Young Adult Ministry

37. The Holy Spirit

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!

MESSAGE: The Power of the Gospel

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

36. Forgiving Others

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!

35. How Jesus Models Friendship

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.

34. Redeeming the Body

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!

33. What is Grace?

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!

MESSAGE: The Parable of Belief

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

32. Faithful in Finances with Devan Schaeffer

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.

MESSAGE: The Kingdom of Grace

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

31. The Art of Celebration

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!

MESSAGE: The Parable of the Faithful

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

30. The Purpose of Sunday Part 2

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.

MESSAGE: Faithfulness in the Flood

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

MESSAGE: Pathway to Peace

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

29. The Purpose of Sunday Part 1

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!

28. The Voice of Shame

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.

MESSAGE: Creation Reveals God

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

27. Purpose in the Waiting

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.

MESSAGE: When Is Jesus Coming Back?

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

26. Created to Work

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.

MESSAGE: Why Am I Here?

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

25. Church Growth

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.

MESSAGE: What Happens After I Die?

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

24. True Beauty with Alex Bisson

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.

MESSAGE: What Do I Do Now?

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

23. Baptism

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!

MESSAGE: Who Am I?

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.

22. Assumptions on Discipleship

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.

MESSAGE: Where Do We Go Now?

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

21. Intentional Worship with Jaena Gormong

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!