In the next part of our advent series, Will explores some of the names given to Jesus in Isaiah 9. What does it mean for him to be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace? As we unpack these together, the invitation is to see Jesus again as the gift - given to us, given for us - and allow ourselves to be shaped by that more and more.

Advent 2021: Gift - Will Mckemey

An ancient monastic practice, this track leads you in a reflection through Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God". The reflection begins with the entire phrase, then leaves a pause, before reading the phase again with one or two words removed from the end each time - continuing until we are left simply invited to "Be". As you listen, spend the time allowing God to meet you in the stillness and silence, to draw your attention to particular parts of the verse, and to speak a fresh word to you.

This version leaves a gap of one minute between each reading.

Be Still Meditation - 1 Minute Pauses

In the Gospels, Jesus had some of his most profound encounters with different individuals whilst sharing a meal. What do these encounters teach us about Jesus, his invitation to us, and the opportunity to open our tables to others?

This week, Will explores Jesus at Mary & Martha's house - looking at Jesus is someone who is always fully present with His Father and with those around Him. His invitation to us is to be those who act the same, present to God and present to those around us.

5. A Meal to be Present - Will Mckemey

In this second talk from our three-part 2022 series exploring Advent, Mike continues to unpacks Isaiah 40:1-11 - exploring the darkness of our world and the promise of the light drawing near.

2. Advent 2022: Waiting for the Light - Mike Blaber

The Apostles' Creed is an ancient statement of faith that has united generations of Christians from different times, different places, and different traditions as an essential guide to the basics of Christian belief. It's full of rich truth to explore and dwell on together - which is exactly what Oasis will be doing in this series over the coming months!

This week, Mike kicks off the series by looking at the first two words, "I believe"; giving some background to the Creed and exploring why it is good news, and how it opens conversations that draw us to Jesus and help us to live in the good of all He has done.

1. I Believe - Mike Blaber

The Apostles' Creed is an ancient statement of faith that has united generations of Christians from different times, different places, and different traditions as an essential guide to the basics of Christian belief. It's full of rich truth to explore and dwell on together - which is exactly what Oasis will be doing in this series!

This week, Rich begins by looking at Jesus' descent into hell. Why is this ancient truth, which sounds strange to our modern ears, good news? As we explore more of what Jesus did in descended, we then look together at the resurrection - how the one who allowed himself to go to the grave could never have been contained there - and all that means for us today.

5. Descended, Rose - Rich Bowpitt

The Apostles' Creed is an ancient statement of faith that has united generations of Christians from different times, different places, and different traditions as an essential guide to the basics of Christian belief. It's full of rich truth to explore and dwell on together - which is exactly what Oasis will be doing in this series!

This week, Alice explores what it means that Jesus is ascended, seated at the right hand of the Father, and will return one day as judge. In it, we look at how Jesus, through his life, death and resurrection, becomes "the judge, judged in our place", who enables us to live together with him free from condemnation.

6. Ascended, Seated, Returning - Alice Gray

The Apostles' Creed is an ancient statement of faith that has united generations of Christians from different times, different places, and different traditions as an essential guide to the basics of Christian belief. It's full of rich truth to explore and dwell on together - which is exactly what Oasis is doing in this series!

This week, David explores 'I believe in the Life Everlasting'. The Bible is more interested in Eternal Life as a quality of life not a quantity of life that goes on forever.
 1. Eternal Life is experiencing and knowing Jesus 
2. Eternal Life is what we all need
3. Eternal Life starts now

12. The Life Everlasting - David Gooding

Honour - a word often treated in our culture with a range of reactions from indifference to confusion to cynicism - is central to the culture of 'home' that Oasis is building together. It's all about how we are each invited to live seeking to build others up, rather than tear them down; bringing dignity rather than shame. The 'Building a Culture of Honour' series is all about how, as a community, we learn to live knowing that we have been honoured by God, living in the good of that honour, and showing that honour to others.

This week, Alice looks at how we are invited to live knowing honour and showing honour as a community because of, rather than in spite of, our differences. Each of us is unique, and that matters! God isn't looking for identikit followers, and He has crafted each of us individually so that together we might reveal something of the wonder of who He is in a way that each of us by ourselves could never do.

2. Honouring Our Differences - Alice Gray

Honour - a word often treated in our culture with a range of reactions from indifference to confusion to cynicism - is central to the culture of 'home' that Oasis is building together. It's all about how we are each invited to live seeking to build others up, rather than tear them down; bringing dignity rather than shame. The 'Building a Culture of Honour' series is all about how, as a community, we learn to live knowing that we have been honoured by God, living in the good of that honour, and showing that honour to others.

This week, Rich looks at the twin themes of how we honour others by standing with them through the ups and downs of life, and celebrating others for who they are. Together, we explore how honouring flows from the foundation of how God has honoured us, draw on what we can learn from the way Jesus honoured others, and consider some practical steps to honouring one another by opening ourselves to how the Holy Spirit might want to encourage someone.

4. Honouring Through Standing With & Celebrating - Rich Bowpitt

Honour - a word often treated in our culture with a range of reactions from indifference to confusion to cynicism - is central to the culture of 'home' that Oasis is building together. It's all about how we are each invited to live seeking to build others up, rather than tear them down; bringing dignity rather than shame. The 'Building a Culture of Honour' series is all about how, as a community, we learn to live knowing that we have been honoured by God, living in the good of that honour, and showing that honour to others.

This week, Mike looks at Spiritual Gifts. As a body, we come together to share the gifts we've been given, recognising that not everyone has every gift, but that everyone is needed. Mike unpacks from 1 Corinthians 12 how gifts are given to draw attention to Jesus as Lord, be for the common good, get presented as gifts not impositions, and should come with humility (recognising that they are from God, not us).

5. Honouring Spiritual Gifts - Mike Blaber

Honour - a word often treated in our culture with a range of reactions from indifference to confusion to cynicism - is central to the culture of 'home' that Oasis is building together. It's all about how we are each invited to live seeking to build others up, rather than tear them down; bringing dignity rather than shame. The 'Building a Culture of Honour' series is all about how, as a community, we learn to live knowing that we have been honoured by God, living in the good of that honour, and showing that honour to others.

This week, Adrian explores how all of this impacts the shape of our church gatherings - how each of us, when we come, has something to offer, and how we can increasingly honour one another as we meet together.

6. Honouring As We Gather - Adrian Hurst

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.

Waiting On God - Charlene Frammingham (Guest Speaker)

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 looks at the promise in the Old Testament that the light is coming, the arrival of the light through the life of Jesus, and how the light coming changes everything for us and for our world.

Advent 2024: The Light Has Come - Rich Bowpitt

In the first message of 2025, Adrian explores how to live centred on Jesus - introducing different PRINCIPLES to live from, PATTERNS to live with, and PRACTICES to live exploring.

Living Centred Together - Adrian Hurst

Vision Sunday is a service at the start of every new year to look back at what God has done amongst the community and beyond, and to look forward to what He might do in the months and years ahead! This year, Adrian reflects on 2024 (with the help of some friends), and looks again to the Oasis Vision for 2025 - Legacy: Multiplication - based on the passage below.

MATTHEW 14:15-20
15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

17 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

18 “Bring them here,” he said. 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers.

Vision Sunday 2025 - Adrian Hurst

This week, Rich continues our focus on prayer by exploring what it means that Jesus is among us in a particularly unique and significant way when we gather together - based on Matthew 18:19-20:

“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (NLT)

Among Us - Rich Bowpitt

In a world which seems to be becoming increasingly polarised, fractious and bitter - when life feels like a battle - how are those who have centred their lives on Jesus to live?

Paul's encouragement to the church in Ephesus is to shift their perspective; remembering that people are not the enemy, but that there is a spiritual battle going on which can be easily missed. In light of that reality, what's needed is supernatural support, and that's what God gives to His people in the form of a spiritual armour which gives the strength to stand.

This week, Sarah concludes the series by picking up on Paul's encouragement to "pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion"

9. Pray in the Spirit - Sarah Bowen

Easter is a season that reminds each of us that God is a LIVING God - someone we are invited to encounter every day in His power, His kindness, His wisdom and His grace. What Jesus does by coming as a human, living, dying, and rising again, changes everything because it means that the presence of God isn't for a select few. He is for everyone!

This week, Mike begins the series by exploring the story of Jesus raising Lazarus to life.

1. The Tomb - Mike Blaber

Easter is a season that reminds each of us that God is a LIVING God - someone we are invited to encounter every day in His power, His kindness, His wisdom and His grace. What Jesus does by coming as a human, living, dying, and rising again, changes everything because it means that the presence of God isn't for a select few. He is for everyone!

This week, Adrian explores the Palm Sunday celebrations - Jesus coming to Jerusalem as King...but a very different kind of King from the one who had been expected!

3. The King - Adrian Hurst

Easter is a season that reminds each of us that God is a LIVING God - someone we are invited to encounter every day in His power, His kindness, His wisdom and His grace. What Jesus does by coming as a human, living, dying, and rising again, changes everything because it means that the presence of God isn't for a select few. He is for everyone!

On Resurrection Sunday, Rich explores Jesus's encounter with Mary at the tomb, connecting her experience with that of those being baptised during the service.

4. The Sign - Rich Bowpitt

Easter is a season that reminds each of us that God is a LIVING God - someone we are invited to encounter every day in His power, His kindness, His wisdom and His grace. What Jesus does by coming as a human, living, dying, and rising again, changes everything because it means that the presence of God isn't for a select few. He is for everyone!

In the final week of the series, Alice explores Jesus' encounter with his disciples in the upper room - particularly, the way that he meets Thomas and brings peace.

5. The Room - Alice Gray

'Rebuilders' delves into the journey of an Old Testament figure whose heart for prayer, service, compassion and the presence of God brought transformation to his community, city and nation. It's an ancient story that speaks powerfully into this modern moment and into each of our stories today!

In this first week, Adrian introduces the series and explores Chapter One - Nehemiah discovers the extent of Jerusalem's ruin, and cries out to God for renewal.

1. The Rebuilder's Heart - Adrian Hurst

'Rebuilders' delves into the journey of an Old Testament figure whose heart for prayer, service, compassion and the presence of God brought transformation to his community, city and nation. It's an ancient story that speaks powerfully into this modern moment and into each of our stories today!

This week, Rich explores Nehemiah's encounter with the King of Persia - looking at how his perspective shapes his response in a moment of opportunity.

2. The Rebuilder's Perspective - Rich Bowpitt

'Rebuilders' delves into the journey of an Old Testament figure whose heart for prayer, service, compassion and the presence of God brought transformation to his community, city and nation. It's an ancient story that speaks powerfully into this modern moment and into each of our stories today!

This week, Adrian looks at the story of Nehemiah inspecting the walls of Jerusalem, and the invitation within it to live understanding the reality of the world around us.

3. The Rebuilder's Reality - Adrian Hurst

'Rebuilders' delves into the journey of an Old Testament figure whose heart for prayer, service, compassion and the presence of God brought transformation to his community, city and nation. It's an ancient story that speaks powerfully into this modern moment and into each of our stories today!

This week, Alice (plus a few friends!) explores how each of us are called to help build out part of the wall - recognising that no individual can do it all themselves, but that we all have a unique role to play in building today for the kingdom that will endure.

4. The Rebuilder's Hands - Alice Gray

This summer, we are releasing Adrian Hurst, who leads the Oasis Team, for a three month sabbatical from the beginning of June until the end of August.

This is a fantastic opportunity for him to recharge after helping to lead the community through a period of significant transition over the past few years — including the move to South Street, it’s renovation, restoration and purchase, and the COVID pandemic. 

This week, Mike takes some time to unpack the Biblical basis for sabbatical, as well as honouring Adrian, Lucy and the Hurst Family for the significant role they play in the life of Oasis.

Sabbatical - Mike Blaber

This week, Oasis welcomed Jonathan Bell from Churchcentral Birmingham as a Guest Speaker for the morning. Jonathan and Helen moved to Birmingham in 1996, just a couple of years before Oasis began, and together they have become great friends of Oasis over the past quarter-century.

Jonathan has an incredible gift for unpacking the Bible in a way that is both profound and accessible, and his talk explores how the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.

The Kingdom of God - Jonathan Bell (Guest Speaker)

'Rebuilders' delves into the journey of an Old Testament figure whose heart for prayer, service, compassion and the presence of God brought transformation to his community, city and nation. It's an ancient story that speaks powerfully into this modern moment and into each of our stories today!

This week, Rich looks at how to deal with opposition, challenges and interruptions - and how we are invited to see them as moments to encounter God's presence with us as we respond in prayer, truth and unity.

5. The Rebuilder's Challenges - Rich Bowpitt

'Rebuilders' delves into the journey of an Old Testament figure whose heart for prayer, service, compassion and the presence of God brought transformation to his community, city and nation. It's an ancient story that speaks powerfully into this modern moment and into each of our stories today!

This week, Alice looks at how Nehemiah 8 encourages us to receive the word of the Bible with joy - allowing it to redirect our gaze, cause us to look out, and cause us to look up.

6. The Rebuilder's Gaze - Alice Gray

'Rebuilders' delves into the journey of an Old Testament figure whose heart for prayer, service, compassion and the presence of God brought transformation to his community, city and nation. It's an ancient story that speaks powerfully into this modern moment and into each of our stories today!

This week, David wraps up the series by recapping where we've been, and exploring a passage at the very end of the story. His invitation is for each of us to sit with the sadness of the broken walls, embrace the hope of restoration found in Jesus and press on even within the reality of the work never being finished.

7. The Rebuilder's Work - David Gooding

This week, Oasis was joined by a Guest Speaker - our friend Jon Tattersall from St John's Church in Harborne. He brought a message centred around Exodus 33:7-11, with an invitation to 'linger longer' in the presence of God.

Linger Longer, Dwell Deeper - Jon Tattersall (Guest Speaker)

In the next part of our new series, "Recalibrate", which explores how small adjustments can make a big difference in our walk with Jesus, Adrian looks at the topic of simplicity. How can we declutter our lives from all the 'stuff' that gets in the way; making time for God and for others?

Oasis Church B'ham: Talks

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