Oasis Church Birmingham: Talks

This week, the Oasis community joined together in the joy of celebrating baptisms! But what exactly is baptism? In this podcast, Adrian explores that very question under two headings: baptism is a sign, and baptism is a seal.

Oasis has begun 2024 with a real focus on prayer; learning to lean into God with thanksgiving. This week, Adrian and Uduak encourage the community to continue to press into prayer, beginning with Jesus's desire for the temple to be a "house of prayer for all nations" and exploring what it looks like to draw close to god and pray with confidence and clarity.

Everyone faces times of waiting in their lives. So how we wait really matters - whether we wait begrudgingly or with anticipation, closed off to God's leading in those moments or open to what He wants to do in our lives. This week, Guest Speaker Charlene Frammingham, from the King's Arms Church in Bedford, explores how God meets with us in our waiting and encourages us to see these times as vital and valuable opportunities for spiritual growth.

In early 2024, the Oasis community is undertaking 25 days of prayer - beginning the year together by coming to God with thanksgiving and worship. This week, Sarah explores some of Jesus' most famous teaching on prayer - commonly known as Lord's Prayer - looking at how it is an invitation into the whole of Jesus' message of good news for a world that desperately needs it.

This week was Vision Sunday - the point at the start of every new year where Oasis takes an opportunity to reflect on all that God has done amongst the community in the previous year, and to look ahead to all He might want to do in the year ahead and beyond. The focus passage this year is from Psalm 100:4-5, tying into the overall vision of 'Legacy: Living Thankfully' "Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation."

In the first message of 2024, Adrian explores how to live centred on Jesus - introducing different FOUNDATIONS to live from, RHYTHMS to live with, and PRACTICES to live exploring. This year, Oasis has also launched a brand new weekly podcast called 'Living Centred', to help us learn from one another about how to live with Jesus at the centre. Find out more about that here: https://medium.com/oasis-church-birmingham/living-centred-podcast-d678a5317b2f

Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘appearing’, and is an annual season for engaging with the reality of the ‘time between’ the comings of Christ. It is not simply the ‘build up to Christmas’, as if we pretend Jesus has not yet been born and then celebrate his birth. Rather, it is ‘forward leaning’ and engages with the unseen forces at work in the world, facing the darkness, embracing the light, and encouraging us in how to wait patiently whatever situations we are living with. In this third and final talk, Mike explores Luke 1:57-79 - taking a deep dive into the character of Zachariah, and exploring what his song of joy about the birth of his son (John the Baptist) reveals about the one who is to follow, Jesus, the saviour.

Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘appearing’, and is an annual season for engaging with the reality of the ‘time between’ the comings of Christ. It is not simply the ‘build up to Christmas’, as if we pretend Jesus has not yet been born and then celebrate his birth. Rather, it is ‘forward leaning’ and engages with the unseen forces at work in the world, facing the darkness, embracing the light, and encouraging us in how to wait patiently whatever situations we are living with. In this second talk, Rich explores Luke 1:39-56 - Mary's journey to visit her relative Elizabeth, and her song of praise to God; known throughout church history as 'The Magnificat'.

Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘appearing’, and is an annual season for engaging with the reality of the ‘time between’ the comings of Christ. It is not simply the ‘build up to Christmas’, as if we pretend Jesus has not yet been born and then celebrate his birth. Rather, it is ‘forward leaning’ and engages with the unseen forces at work in the world, facing the darkness, embracing the light, and encouraging us in how to wait patiently whatever situations we are living with. In this first talk, Alice unpacks Luke 1:5-38 - the story of the birth of John the Baptist, and the appearing of the angel Gabriel to Mary.

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Adrian wraps up the series by reflecting on all that Paul has shared through this letter - how Jesus is enough because he is the one who is with us, sustains us, defines us, transforms us, satisfies us, unifies us, makes us shine, and brings us hope. Jesus is enough, full stop!

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Lucy (with the help of Chika and Davina) unpacks two instructions and a promise from Philippians 4 - exploring how Paul's encouragement to not worry (1) and to pray (2) and grounded in the promise of peace that Jesus offers.

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Adrian looks at how Jesus is enough when we fall out - recognising that as humans, there will be times when we disagree with one another and time when we hurt one another. In those moments, we need to know that Jesus is enough to sustain us as a community, and that his desire is for us to be reconcilled and reunited in the joy of the unity that he has for us.

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, in an all-age service, Adrian explores Paul's encouragement for everyone who seeks to follow Jesus to live like runners and citizens - two metaphors for the Christian life that can help each of us journey with God in all we are living with. As it's an all-age meeting, there are a number of points where the congregation got into smaller groups to discuss questions - the gaps have been removed, but don't be afraid to pause the recording at those moments and consider your answers before moving on!

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Mike asks the question of what we are each rejoicing in. The Apostle Paul's status, in his culture, was untouchable - he was everything anyone could want to be, and he did everything he was supposed to have done. And yet, none of that was worth anything to him any more. Jesus had changed everything, and this new way of living, utterly tansformed, is one that we are each invited to enjoy and embrace.

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Adrian explores the invitation to "shine like stars" - that living knowing that Jesus is enough (full stop), means that we don't have to live as if we are carrying around heavy weights of obligation. Instead, there is a way of freedom and lightness which God is longing to see characterise our lives, and shine out to others.

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Rich explores how a life lived knowing that Jesus is enough, full stop, means an invitation to be part of a new community, a new humanity, and a new world. This is the context behind the great poem of Philippians 2 - it's all about the Jesus who is both the foundation of this new community, and the model for this new community.

This week, it was Birthday Sunday at Oasis (24 this year!) and the community celebrated by baptising two individuals in the church. During the morning, Adrian shared about how baptism is like moving house - a celebration of a move from an old life to a new - and unpacks the key features of the new life in the new house that all are to enjoy in Jesus.

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Alice continues the series by posing the question: "What am I living for?". This question helps us understand Paul's comments in this chapter as he ponders whether (as he awaits a sentencing which may lead to his execution) it would be better for him to die and be with Christ, or to live and continue in his work.

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Adrian continues the series by exploring how the truth that Jesus is enough (full stop) means that God is committed to working in our lives to bring transformation.

Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from the depths of a Roman jail, awaiting sentencing for preaching the good news about Jesus that might end in his execution. Despite that though, Philippians is a book full of joy, comfort, warmth, and connection. The key, as Paul reveals, and as Oasis will be exploring through this series, is that Jesus is enough, full stop. This week, Adrian introduces the series, unpacking the foundation of grace of peace that characterises Paul's life and shapes everything he is about to talk about in this letter.