Oasis Church Birmingham: Talks

This week, Alice shares some reflections on her time working in Nepal. What's God been teaching her whilst she's out there, and why is Jesus good news for us too, whatever our circumstances or situations?

On Resurrection Sunday, Jesus walked out of the tomb and changed everything, for everyone, everywhere. This week, Adrian explores a little more what that amazing truth means for each of us, for our community, and for our world!

This week, on Palm Sunday, Mike explores Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and compares the shouts of 'Hosanna' celebrating his arrival with the shouts of 'Crucify!' demanding his death just a week later.

What does a good leader look like? This year, Oasis is exploring the life of King David - a leader in the Bible who was known as "a man after God's own heart". Ultimately, David's story is one which shows us that God is overflowing with kindness and generosity, that human frailty can’t derail his plans and his purposes, and that the one David’s life is pointing to even in his flaws and failures, the true King, Jesus, really is enough. This week, Adrian looks at 'the secret to success', which, as it turns out, is actually nothing to do with success at all! Together, the invitation is to consider three characters and three attributes in the story: Jonathan and his celebration in others, Saul and his heart that constantly compares, and David and his humility, and to see how the truth that Jesus changes everything upends the way in which we are to treat our own success and the success of others.

What does a good leader look like? This year, Oasis is exploring the life of King David - a leader in the Bible who was known as "a man after God's own heart". Ultimately, David's story is one which shows us that God is overflowing with kindness and generosity, that human frailty can’t derail his plans and his purposes, and that the one David’s life is pointing to even in his flaws and failures, the true King, Jesus, really is enough. This week, Adrian zooms in on the personal implications of David's battle with Goliath - focusing on the section of the story where David tries on Saul's armour and finds that it doesn't fit. Together, he invites us each to look at the 'giants' in our lives, and take comfort and courage from Jesus's life, death and resurrection, and the promise of the presence of the Holy Spirit with us.

What does a good leader look like? This year, Oasis is exploring the life of King David - a leader in the Bible who was known as "a man after God's own heart". Ultimately, David's story is one which shows us that God is overflowing with kindness and generosity, that human frailty can’t derail his plans and his purposes, and that the one David’s life is pointing to even in his flaws and failures, the true King, Jesus, really is enough. This week, Mike explores the 'big picture' implications of David's battle with Goliath - delving into the themes in the story which represent some of the big themes across the whole sweep of the Bible. Together, he helps us to look at how this story reveals that the coming Shepherd King, Jesus, is the one we ultimately need; the one who comes to fight the ultimate battle and win for us freedom, hope, and life.

What does a good leader look like? This year, Oasis is exploring the life of King David - a leader in the Bible who was known as "a man after God's own heart". Ultimately, David's story is one which shows us that God is overflowing with kindness and generosity, that human frailty can’t derail his plans and his purposes, and that the one David’s life is pointing to even in his flaws and failures, the true King, Jesus, really is enough. This week, Adrian continues the series by exploring God's focus on the hearts of two individuals - Saul and David - and how important it is for us to tend our hearts well in learning to live centred on Jesus.

What does a good leader look like? This year, Oasis is exploring the life of King David - a leader in the Bible who was known as "a man after God's own heart". Ultimately, David's story is one which shows us that God is overflowing with kindness and generosity, that human frailty can’t derail his plans and his purposes, and that the one David’s life is pointing to even in his flaws and failures, the true King, Jesus, really is enough. This week, Rich kicks off the series by tackling some of the context behind the request from the people of God in the Old Testament to have a king in the first place. In it, he looks at the differences between "the king we want" - which always comes with unexpected consequences - and "the king we need" - who comes in unexpected ways in the person of Jesus Christ.

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.