Oceanside Sanctuary

Practices of Belonging: Baptism Into a New Reality What does baptism really mean? In this week's Sunday sermon from Oceanside Sanctuary, Pastor Jason Coker explores baptism as more than an individual spiritual ritual. Drawing from Matthew 28:18–20, he invites us to see baptism as a communal practice that immerses us into a new way of living shaped by the reality of God. Through the story of Jesus' baptism, the ancient Jewish tradition of ritual cleansing, and the biblical imagery of crossing through water into freedom, we discover how baptism represents a movement from exclusion to belonging, oppression to liberation, and isolation to connection. But what kind of Christianity are we being baptized into? Rather than a faith centered on power, supremacy, wealth, or nationalism, Jesus invites us into a community shaped by peace, justice, healing, provision, protection, and love. Every baptism becomes a reminder that we're crossing into this new reality together—and an invitation to help make it real in the world around us. Join us for this week's message in our Practices of Belonging series from Oceanside Sanctuary Church in Oceanside, California. Learn more at oceansidesanctuary.org. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and Teaching Series Overview(00:01:20) - Baptism as Community Practice(00:02:43) - Reading Matthew 28:18-20(00:05:59) - Otis and the Coffee Shop Baptism Story(00:10:01) - Baptism as Immersion into Culture(00:12:24) - Jesus's Baptism and Second Temple Judaism(00:13:54) - Mikvah, Moral Hazard, and Solidarity(00:18:17) - Which Christianity Are We Baptized Into?(00:22:31) - Unpacking the Names of God(00:27:56) - What Do You Imagine When You Think of God?(00:30:24) - Baptism Motif Through Scripture(00:34:48) - Closing Prayer and Invitation

What does fasting have to do with justice? In this Sunday teaching, Janelle explores Daniel 10 and the practice of fasting as a way to make room for grief, deepen solidarity, and see the systems that shape our lives. Through a story about two parakeets and a church challenge to live on a pantry guest’s grocery budget, she asks us to consider where we hold power, where we feel constrained, and how our choices affect others. This isn’t fasting to prove our devotion or change our waistline; it’s a temporary practice that can shift our perspective, help us mourn, and renew our hope for a more just world. Learn more about us and the work we do at oceansidesanctuary.org/mission Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and Series Overview(00:01:39) - Scripture Reading: Daniel 10(00:02:42) - Opening Prayer(00:03:33) - Story: The Birdcage and the Hawk(00:08:26) - Reflection on Faith and Being Caged(00:09:29) - Who Was Daniel? Background and Captivity(00:12:22) - Daniel's Refusal of the King's Food(00:13:32) - Daniel's Rise to Power and Later Life(00:16:35) - Daniel's Mourning and Fast in Chapter 10(00:18:22) - Connecting Daniel's Vision to Our World Today(00:20:37) - Our Complicity and Benefiting From Broken Systems(00:22:17) - Joyful Bread vs. the Need to Mourn(00:23:05) - What Christian Fasting Really Means(00:23:42) - Fasting for Justice and Solidarity(00:26:15) - Walking in Jane's Shoes: A Fast for Justice(00:27:12) - Chuck's Story and Perspective Change(00:29:09) - The Power of Corporate Fasting(00:30:42) - Closing Reflection, Book Quote, and Invitation(00:32:19) - Closing Prayer and Outro

What if the simple act of breaking bread together could teach us how to build a world filled with love, peace, and joy? In this sermon for World Communion Sunday, Jason Coker continues the Practices of Belonging series by exploring Acts 2:43–47 and the early Christian community’s practice of sharing food, resources, and life together. Looking beyond the miracles traditionally associated with this passage, Jason invites us to consider three often-overlooked miracles represented by bread: love, peace, and joy. Sharing bread is a basic act of love. Working together to ensure everyone has what they need is how that love becomes peace on a larger scale. And embracing the incredible diversity of human experience is how we make room for joy. From Navajo fry bread and Mexican tortillas to croissants and cinnamon rolls, the beauty of bread reminds us that life is about more than simply surviving. It’s about celebrating the many ways we can flourish together. With a powerful message about food insecurity, economic justice, human cooperation, and LGBTQ+ inclusion, Jason challenges us to imagine a faith that doesn't just talk about good news but makes it tangible, nourishing, and delightful for everyone. Because the world is better when we share what we have, work together for the good of all, and celebrate the beautiful diversity that makes us human. This sermon is a production of Oceanside Sanctuary Church in Oceanside, California. Learn more at oceansidesanctuary.org Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and World Communion Day(00:01:40) - Reading Acts 2:43-47(00:04:31) - Opening Prayer(00:05:36) - Story: Meeting Family Over Short Rib Fries(00:08:07) - First Miracle: Sharing Bread as Love(00:09:50) - Food, Scarcity, and Violence(00:12:07) - Bread as a Symbol of Basic Love(00:14:42) - Second Miracle: Bread as Peace and Cooperation(00:17:38) - Humanity's Capacity for Peace(00:19:07) - Third Miracle: Bread as Joy(00:21:24) - The Diversity of Bread Around the World(00:23:11) - Cinnamon Rolls and the Beauty of Difference(00:24:11) - Bread as a Metaphor for Queerness and Diversity(00:25:10) - Cole Arthur Riley on Communion and the Body of God(00:27:27) - Gospel as Love, Peace, and Joy(00:29:42) - Closing Prayer and Outro

Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction to Practices of Belonging series(00:01:09) - Recommended books: Sacred Balance and This Here Flesh(00:02:55) - Bonhoeffer and mutual belonging(00:05:28) - Welcoming vs. true belonging at Oceanside(00:08:07) - Setting up Nehemiah chapter 9(00:08:37) - Reading Nehemiah 9:1-6(00:12:30) - Opening prayer(00:13:37) - Act one: Breath prayer teaching(00:15:38) - Practicing breath prayer together(00:19:26) - Act two: History of Israel's exile and return(00:21:07) - Feast of Booths and collective celebration(00:22:52) - From celebration to repentance in Nehemiah 9(00:24:01) - Remembering Israel's story of rebellion and faithfulness(00:26:54) - Is there room for repentance in a progressive church(00:29:23) - Act three: Our story vs. the Exodus story(00:30:20) - The Lord's Prayer as our collective story(00:31:58) - Food, forgiveness, and deliverance from self-destruction(00:34:13) - Goodness and peace will win in the end(00:36:01) - Church as collective breath prayer(00:36:57) - Closing prayer and thanks

What does it actually mean to be a person “after God’s own heart”? In this special dialogue episode of The Collective Table, co-lead pastors Jason and Jenell Coker reflect on the conclusion of the Oceanside Sanctuary’s teaching series After God’s Own Heart, a seven-week exploration of the stories, failures, power, and faith of King David. Together, Jason and Jenell revisit some of the questions that shaped the series: What does it mean to wrestle honestly with difficult passages of Scripture? How should we respond when biblical characters behave in deeply harmful ways? And what does it look like to interpret the Bible as a sacred text while still taking responsibility for how we understand and apply it? Their conversation explores the David and Bathsheba story, the role of power and privilege, the importance of historical and cultural context, and the ways biblical stories can challenge us rather than simply give us easy answers. They also reflect on some of the ideas that didn't make it into the original sermons, including the literary patterns in the story of David and Goliath and the idea of leaving behind our “flocks,” our baggage, and the identities others have placed on us. The episode ultimately turns the question back toward the listener: What does it mean for you to be a person after God's own heart? And what spiritual practices help you live into that pursuit? The Collective Table celebrates the intersections of Jesus, justice, and joy and is produced by the Oceanside Sanctuary Church. oceansidesanctuary.org Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcome and Dialogue Sunday Introduction(00:01:12) - Reflecting on the David Sermon Series(00:08:19) - Wrestling with Scripture and Moral Interpretation(00:13:11) - Reconsidering David and Goliath's Story(00:18:02) - Leaving Things Behind: David's Literary Motif(00:20:30) - Teasing the Next Series on Spiritual Practices(00:22:46) - Small Group Discussion Question(00:24:49) - Sharing Community Responses via Facebook(00:26:25) - Congregation Shares Reflections on God's Heart(00:31:05) - Tara's Reflection on Biblical Interpretation(00:34:33) - Closing Thoughts on Faith and Culture Today