Oasis: College & Young Adult Ministry

97. Seasons of Life

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!

MESSAGE: The Parable of the Sower

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

96. Do Miracles Still Happen?

When you read through the Bible, there are 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 (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on walking and talking in the Bible.

95. Church Hurt

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. 

94. How to Read the Bible

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

93. Finding Christian Friends

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.

92. Summer Recap

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. 

MESSAGE: From Absence to Presence

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

MESSAGE: Extraordinary in the Ordinary

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

91. Year-End Reflections

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!!

90. The Hillsong Documentary

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. 

89. Comparison

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

MESSAGE: Sent People

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

88. People Pleasing

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. 

MESSAGE: God in the Darkness

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

87. The Sacraments

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

MESSAGE: The Priority of Peace

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

86. How to Find a Church

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

85. Joy Vs. Happiness

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

MESSAGE: Peace in Perspective

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

MESSAGE: Fighting for Peace

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

84. Manifestation Gifts of the Spirit

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

 

83. “Software Update” Sneak Peek

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. 

82. Interview with Cellest

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!

81. Loneliness

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

MESSAGE: Full Surrender

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

MESSAGE: Money Matters

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

MESSAGE: Raising the Bar

*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

80. Devotionals

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. 

79. Modesty

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.