Austin Oaks Church

Pastor Brandon Zieske kicks off our new series "All In" with a look at the apostle Paul's testimony of what it means to follow Jesus. He didn't shy away from using some pretty strong metaphors in his day to describe what it is like to live as a follower of Christ, but he also promised that Jesus will reign victorious. Are you all in?

Sometimes it sneaks up on you little by little until you feel like an entirely different person. Other times its a fog you just can't seem to get away from. The church hasn't always been very good at addressing issues of anxiety and depression, but if you search for a bit, the Bible actually has a lot to say about times when we lose hope. This week Pastor Chad takes a candid look at depression; what causes it and how we can deal with it, all while recognizing the complex nature of who we are and what God says about us.

We all experience guilt in our lives. Sometimes it lies just beneath the surface of our lives, and other times it overflows into whole batch of bad habits and destructive behaviors. So how do we face the things that we've done, or even the things that have been done to us? Join us this week as Pastor Brandon shows us how faith holds on to what God says about us instead of relying on our own sinful tendencies.

This week marks the first message in our series "I'm (not) okay", a examination of mental health and what the Bible has to say about it. Today Pastor Brandon looks at the origins of shame and our tendency to hide from the things that we are ashamed of that we see in ourselves. If shame is a universal experience that leads us to damage our mental health, then what are we supposed to do with it?

The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most popular in all of the Bible, but what does it really mean to be a Prodigal? Is it right to call God a Prodigal? In what ways does He show us His prodigality? Join us this week as Pastor Brandon dives into this parable to show the depth of God's love for His sons and daughters.

One of the most foundational practices of the Christian life is prayer. But are we really as excited about prayer as we should be? Does it even do anything? If God already knows everything, then why do I have to pray? This week Pastor Brandon looks at Jesus's teaching on prayer in Luke 11 to see how we ought pray, and even more important, who is it that we are praying to.

If our purpose as the church is to make disciples, how are we to do that in everyday life? Well, join us this week as JJ Plasencio takes us to the parable of the sower and the seeds, and how it has impacted the way he speaks with others and shares the gospel.

Pastor Brandon and Pastor Charles begin the message by introducing Africa New Life and what they've been able to accomplish over the past 20 years and what lies in store as Austin Oaks continues its partnership with this life-changing ministry. Pastor Charles then shares about what is most important for the church to have and what our disposition should be toward each other and the world at large.

Pastor Charles Mugisha of Africa New Life shares the importance of placing Jesus at the center of our lives and how it is vital for us to continue to evaluate all we do in light of what He has done.

In Luke 9, Jesus makes some bold claims about who He is and what He has come to do. How are we to understand ourselves in light of what He reveals? Does that actually change the way I ought to live my life? Join us this week as Pastor Chad continues our journey through the book of Luke and tackles these issues of identity and priority.

It's a lot easier to praise God when our life seems to be going the way that we want it to. But what about when hardships come that we didn't plan for? What about when we've done our due-diligence and none of it is our fault, and yet it still feels like the darkness won't lift? How do we worship when we can't see what God is doing through our suffering? This week Pastor Brandon takes a hard look at Job and what God shows us through his story about how we are to worship.

Is worship something that we usually prepare for, or something we stumble into?  This week Josh looks at Exodus 19 where God shows up in a powerful way, and what it means for us to prepare to come to God in worship.

This week Pastor Brandon takes us through 2 Chronicles 20 to see how God goes before us even in our worship of Him and the power that is found in giving it offer to Him and following with all we have. We changed things up a bit for this service and participated in congregational worship throughout Pastor Brandon's message. Due to copyrights we're unable to include the music portions here, but the songs we did together were "No One Higher", 'The Stand", "Always", "Strong to Save", "We Exalt Thee", & "Build My Life". If you'd like to watch the service without the music cut out, check out the "Previous Services" section of our website at austinoakschurch.org.

For the past few weeks we've been looking at what it means to come together in worship from a biblical perspective. This week, Pastor Brandon talks with our worship leaders Seth and Mary Ellen about how we put these truths into practice and what God has been revealing to them about Himself through this series.

In John 4, Jesus says that God is seeking true worshipers. What does it mean to be a true worshiper, and what does it mean to worship in Spirit and Truth? What does that even look like us for here today? Join us this week as Pastor Brandon unpacks what it means to be a worshiper that the Father is seeking.

What is worship? Why do we gather together as a church? Isn't it just about me and Jesus? Sometimes it's hard to muster up anything more than just showing up on Sunday mornings, no matter who you are. Join us this week as Pastor Brandon takes his cues from both the Old and New Testaments to explore what it means to worship God corporately and what our response should be when we see God working in clear ways.

Followers of Jesus are called to listen to Him and do what He says. But the truth is, there are times when we find ourselves doubting what God has called us to do, and even doubting Him altogether. What do we do when we're in the middle of all this doubt? This week Pastor Chad addresses our doubt with a look at John's experience in Luke 7.

Luke 7 gives us the story of a Roman Centurion who reaches out to Jesus for help, and Jesus's response is amazement. Why is it so important to understand this story and how can we amaze Jesus today? Check out this week's sermon and find out!

One of the most well known messages that Jesus had preached was the beatitudes. But what does it really mean that we're blessed when we mourn? Are the poor really more blessed than the rich? What does that mean for us here in America? Join us this week as Pastor Chad explains what Jesus meant and how He offers us the best rewards.

At Austin Oaks Church, we're simply about Jesus. But it's easy to get sidetracked and focus on all of the complexities of life, so let's take this week to recalibrate and repent of those things that aren't about Him. Let's consider our ways, together.