Oasis: College & Young Adult Ministry

MESSAGE: God's Calling

With the first week back, Ben and Brennen shared the mic and both tell their story of how God brought them to where they are now. There's some change happening in the Oasis staff, but it's all going to be so good!

What's God calling you to? Are you ready to go all-in with him?

Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - God's Calling

Message Delivered: 08/22/2021

53. Praying for the World

People all over the world need your prayers. Yes, yours! Not just in the really bad times either. Right now with the suffering in Afganistan and Haiti, the Christian world is praying. But at all times,  Christians need to pray for others

How do we pray for the world? What should we pray for the world? Is prayer enough?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say about the ball we live on.

52. False Gospels

Back again and here to bring you some TRUTH! We are chatting on how the truth of God is often twisted in our cultures and cultures past. The prosperity gospel, the social justice gospel, Gnosticism, and more!

What is a/the Gospel? Why do false gospels appear? What are they today? How do I protect myself from them?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on Good News and boats. 

51. Marriage

With Jaena gone this week, we found a fill-in! Us three guys got the chance to sit around and chat about all things marriage. From best to worst, we've got stories and advice for you

What's the purpose of marriage? How did you know when they were "the one"? What's the hardest part? 

Tune in to hear what some of the Oasis staff (Brennen and Ben) plus a special guest have to say on life-long commitment

50. Sanctification

Ummm, what are they talking about??? Yeah, we know it's a big word, BUT it's an important one. Beyond just being "saved," God calls us to something more. We're talking all about that using a bunch more "big" terms.

What is sanctification? How is it different than salvation? What does it look like in real life? How do I pursue it?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say with big fancy words. 

49. Joy

Christians should be different than the world in a lot of different ways, but one of those should definitely be our JOY. As we look at it, we see joy comes from God but we still need to choose it. So, how do we do that??

What is the difference between joy and happiness? Why do I have to choose joy? Where does joy come from? What if I don't feel joyous?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Brennen, Jaena, and Ben) has to say on the smile on your face and in your heart

48. Authority of Scripture

The Bible should have THE say in our lives, but why?? This 2000-year-old book is commonly called God's word. Nearly every episode we do has the Bible in it. If Christians say it's so important, let's chat about it.

What does authority mean? Why does the Bible have authority? What does that mean for me and my life?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on the Good Book and all things life

47. Judging Vs Accountability

Are you judging others or are you just holding them accountable? Many times, we may mean one but are really doing the other. We want to make sure as Christians, we are acting as Jesus would want us to. 

What is the difference? How do you do accountability? Does the Bible have things to say on the difference? 

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on what to say to others

46. Angels and Demons

Are Angels and Demons like a real thing? Great question! We've got that and a whole bunch more in this episode. Tons of questions and we'll give you answers all from the Bible!

What do Angels do? What are they like? Are demons real? If so, what do they do and where do they come from?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on Tom Hanks and spiritual beings

 

45. Hearing God's Voice

Does God still speak? If he does, why does it feel so hard to hear him? Today, we're talking about this and so much more! We believe God is speaking!! Now, we just need to be listening.

How does God speak? How do I make sure it's God's voice and not my own or someone else's? Why should we want to hear from God?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on the still whisper and the thundering boom. 

44. Temptation Vs Sin

We are back and we've got a BALLIN' topic for ya. In this episode, we cover temptation and sin. These two are different, but both can play a role in the lives of believers. 

What is temptation? What is sin? Is temptation sinful? How do we fight against temptation? 

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on Jesus in the wilderness and you in your bedroom

43. Simplicity

Coming off the end of our last series, this topic fits right in! Jesus calls us to a simple life. One that is free from hustle, complexity, and worry. Yet, to get to that, we probably have to make some pretty serious changes.

What is simplicity? How is that different than minimalism? How do I decide what is right for me in simple living?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on TVs and shoes

MESSAGE: Sabbath

Closing out our series and the school year, Ben brings a timely message on the Seventh Day, otherwise known as Sabbath. While this practice may seem like something that is old and outdated, in reality, it's never been more needed. From Genesis to today, we've always needed the Sabbath. Let's learn how to embrace it again.

What is Sabbath for? How do we do it now? Is it really that important?

Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Sabbath

Message Delivered: 05/02/2021

42. Summer Suggestions

When it comes to the summertime, there are a lot of awesome perks! Nice weather, more free time, vacations. But, there are also some struggles that can come with it...

What struggles are common? How can I overcome those? What are our go-to summer suggestions?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on sunshine and silly struggles

MESSAGE: Rediscovering Presence

Week Two of our series had Brennen bringing a message about Silence and Solitude. This practice of Jesus is one our culture has lost in the busyness of life today, but we don't have to stay that way. If we are willing to slow down, be silent, and get away in life, then we can begin to rediscover a presence to ourselves, to others, and to God.

What really are the practices of silence and solitude? Why are they important? What do they do for me? How do I practice them?

Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Rediscovering Presence

Message Delivered: 04/28/2021

MESSAGE: Slowing to the Pace of Love

Kicking off our new and last series of the semester, Ben starts to push back against the hustle and hurry culture we find ourselves in. Are you tired, worn out, burned out? The way of Jesus isn't supposed to be like that. Jesus changed the whole world in his time on Earth, yet he never seemed to be overly busy. So, let's learn how to slow down to love and live like Jesus did.

How does hustle culture impact me? Does Jesus really speak about something like that? How can I change to be like him?

Find all that and more when you watch this week's message - Slowing to the Pace of Love

Message Delivered: 04/18/2021

41. Grey Areas

When it comes to the Bible and Christian life, there are definitely some things that are black and white. Butttt, there are also some things that are grey and we want to talk about that! 

What are some of these grey areas? How do we decide what God would have us do? How do I invite others into the process? Should I help other people discern their convictions?

7 Questions for Grey Area Discernment:

1. Is there negative long-term effects?

2. Does it cause harm to my body?

3. Does it bring guilt or shame into my life?

4. Will it cause other people to stumble?

5. Does it hurt my witness to others?

6. Are there benefits to myself and others?

7. Does it glorify God?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on that shade between black and white and life with Jesus. 

MESSAGE: Greed to Generosity

Closing our Bridge to Becoming series, Brennen brings it home with the vice of greed and the virtue of generosity. Yet, to get to generosity, we must take the bridge that is Hope. Hoping in God leads us to a place where we can be generous with all we are and have as Christians.

What actually is greed? Where does it show up in our lives? How do I deal with it? What does it mean to be generous?

Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Greed to Generosity

Message Delivered: 04/11/2021 

40. Self-Love/Care

Ever heard of self-love, self-care, self-worth, self.... the list goes on and on. But, are these all beneficial? Many times culture is teaching one thing when the Bible is teaching another. 

Are all of these self-... important? How do the Bible and culture differ? Do they overlap? Where do we go from here?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on you how you think and treat yourself

39. Rest

After hitting Work in episode 37, we wanted to fill you in on the other side of life - Rest. Resting can be weird and hard for us as people. Often times we struggle to know if we need a nap, a snack, or something totally different. In this, we are looking at the whole array of rest.

Why is rest important? Is rest just physical? How I rest well? Am I believing a lie about rest?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on Netflix and napping

MESSAGE: Pride to Humility

B2B Week 6 here with a guest speaker! Pastor Aaron Cloud is stepping in to knock out the vice of Pride and the virtue of Humility. Through the life of King Uzziah, Aaron shows how God brings low the proud and exalts the humble.

What is pride? How does it show up in different ways in our lives? Where does the Spirit show up to move us to humility? Now, how do we live as different people?

Find all that and more when you listen this week's message - Pride to Humility

Message Delivered: 03/28/2021

MESSAGE: Gluttony to Self-Control

Bridge To Becoming is still rolling with Week Four and the vice of Gluttony and the virtue of Self-Control. Some aspects of our lives are just pivoted towards gluttony, so how can we change that and be people of self-control.

What is gluttony? How does it impact us? How does the Spirit move us to self-control? What does this look like in actual life?

Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Gluttony to Self-Control

Message Delivered: 03/21/2021

38. Praying Through Scripture

This week, we are opening up the Bible in order to pray through it! Using two different passages of scripture, we want to teach you about how sections of the Bible can be a template for prayer!

How is the Lord's Prayer a template? Does Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 work like that too? Are there other sections of the Bible that are like that?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about God's word linking with ours

MESSAGE: Envy to Kindness

Week four of B2B is live and you should give it a listen! Ben brought us the vice of Envy and the virtue of Kindness this week. Envy sneaks into our lives and hurts us and those around us.

What is envy? How does it impact us? How do we move to Kindness? What's healing look like?

Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Envy to Kindness.

Message Delivered: 03/14/2021

37. Work

Like Ben, we hope this title triggers songs to flow (Work, work, work...). But really, work's been around forever and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. The Creation account gives us work and Paul refines that. So, let's get to work.

Where does Work come from? Why can it be such a bummer? How are we supposed to go about working now? Does Rest play into this at all?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about songs from 2016

36. Finishing Well

Here's the thing, we are always finishing things! Big or small, that's just what we do. You probably finished a school or work assignment recently or you maybe even finished a commitment or job. In all of that, we want to FINISH WELL. So, let's learn how to do that.

What does finishing well mean? Why is it important? How do you finish well?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say about finishing school or quitting your job

MESSAGE: Anger to Patience

It's week three of Bridge to Becoming and we aren't slowing down. This week, Brennen is leading us through the vice of Anger to the virtue of Patience. The question is "Are you an angry person?" While you might initially answer no, you might want to listen to this first. 

Do I struggle with anger? Where does that anger come from? How can we fix our anger problem?

Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Anger to Diligence.

Message Delivered: 02/28/2021

35. Family

Everybody has a different family dynamic, but because of that, we can learn from each other. We hope with this episode, you can learn from some of our stories!

Why is family important? How can I serve and love them better? What advice would we give to our people about interacting with their family?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on those people you are stuck with

MESSAGE: Laziness To Diligence

Week Two of Bridge to Becoming takes us to the vice of Laziness and the virtue of Diligence. Many of us would not label ourselves as lazy, but what's our definition of laziness? This week's message will challenge you to go deeper in your relationships and walk with Jesus.

Where do I see laziness in my life? Do I make excuses to get out of hard things? How do we get from laziness to diligence? What's it mean to have courage?

Find all that and more when you listen to this week's message - Laziness to Diligence.

Message Delivered: 02/21/2021

34. Lent

The classic Church calendar has a period before Easter that is commonly referred to as Lent. Some churches strictly follow this, while others do nothing with it. GracePoint and Oasis fall somewhere in between that. So, let's talk about that!

What is Lent? Where does it come from? Why should we practice it? How do we practice it?

Tune in to hear what the Oasis staff (Ben, Jaena, and Brennen) has to say on a couple week's without Sundays.