Branch Church

In Acts 5:17-42, the apostles are imprisoned and threatened because they continue to preach Jesus to the Jews in Jerusalem. In verse 41 the apostles felt it was "worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus." This message looks deeper into that understanding and helps us consider how we can grow in joy even in the midst of pain and persecution.

In Acts 5, we see the first "mishap" in the first church in Jerusalem. The lie of Ananias and Sapphira cost them their life and teaches us a valuable lesson about the freedom in generosity. Generosity is not a matter of force and law but of freedom and love.

In Acts 4:23-31, the church did not ask God to remove the threats from the religious leaders. Instead, they prayed for boldness to continue to complete God's mission. There are times when God will put us in situations we cannot control to show us that He's in control.

In Acts 4:1-22, Peter and John answer to the Jewish Sanhedrin concerning the miracle they performed on the crippled man. With boldness, they proclaim Jesus to the same men who handed Jesus over to be crucified. This message teaches us that God can take ordinary people with an extraordinary mission and help them be bold to fulfill their calling.

In Acts 3:12-19, Simon Peter explains who was responsible for healing the crippled man earlier in chapter 3 - JESUS. As Simon Peter addresses the crowd, he shares 5 truths about Jesus.

God knows our needs better than we do! In Acts 3:1-11, Peter and John encounter a paralyzed man who felt his greatest need was financial but God knew his greatest need. This message reminds us that we must trust God's plans for our life, not our own plans.

In Acts 2:42-47, Luke gives us a glimpse of what church community was like in the beginning after Pentecost. He paints a vivid picture of what marked the very first church – what held those believers together after Jesus left them on earth, what inspired them to leave everything behind for His sake and what sustained them in the face of horrible opposition and persecution. Our prayer is that we wo...

In Acts 2:14-41, Simon Peter stands up and preaches a "Spirit-filled" sermon. This message looks at how Simon Peter took the unusual circumstances of the "pouring out of the Holy Spirit" and used the Bible to interpret the experience.

In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit is introduced and the church is launched on the same day - the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit gave power to the disciples and manifested Himself in ways that people marveled at what they saw. As Christians, the Holy Spirit empowers us to advance God's Kingdom. Don't allow fear, doubt or excuses paralyze you from doing great things for Jesus!

Before Jesus ascends to heaven - His last words were WAIT. They are waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. Faith to wait is often more difficult than faith to move.

Just as Jesus had foretold, Simon Peter deserted Jesus to face the cross alone. That Friday and Saturday was filled with shame and pain for Peter. But that all changed Sunday when Mary Magdalene said the tomb was empty. The resurrection of Jesus is the most significant event in history because it represents HOPE! It's an invitation to experience HOPE & GRACE and not SHAME for our past, mistakes an...

Jesus spent His last day alive with Simon Peter and His disciples in the upper room. In the upper room, Jesus stood up and washed each of His disciples feet. This act of service was done by Jesus as an example. We are to love and serve others as Jesus loves and serves us.

In Matthew 16, Jesus shares His ultimate plan and purpose for leaving heaven for earth - DYING FOR OUR SINS. Simon Peter rebukes Jesus' plan and is quickly rebuked by Jesus. Peter had created his own idea of who Jesus should be. It's so easy to think like Peter and not see God's perspective in life.

Jesus introduced "the church" to Simon Peter and the disciples for the first time in Matthew 16. It was clear that Jesus was going to build HIS Church and nothing was going to stop it.

Simon Peter was brave enough to get out of the boat and walk on water with Jesus during a storm! When he took his eyes off of Jesus he sank. This incredible event in Simon Peter's life shows us that we can count on God’s faithfulness even when we are unfaithful.

So many people relate to Simon Peter’s calling because most of us feel FLAWED, UNQUALIFIED, UNWORTHY, TOO BROKEN, or BEYOND REPAIR for God to use in any significant way. Simon's YES to Jesus was an act of faith.

In Ephesians 6:1-4, the Apostle Paul gives instructions for parents and their children.

Ephesians 5:21-33 is some of the most misunderstood and abused passages of scripture. These verses containing the roles and responsibilities of the husband and wife reveal the deepest meaning of marriage - the relationship between the husband and wife is related to Christ's relationship to His bride - the Church.

How comfortable are you in the dark? Ephesians 5:8-14 encourages us to "live as people of the light." Part 2 of our series "Home" looks at 5 signs our home has gotten dark.

In Ephesians 5:1-6, the Apostle Paul encourages us to "imitate God." As God's kids we imitate God just as our kids imitate us. We have a real life example of God in human flesh - Jesus.

In John 15, Jesus gets out of the dirt and places our focus on the growth that is happening above ground. He uses the analogy of a vine, its branches and the fruit it bears. As Christians, we "flourish" to bear fruit.

The condition of your soil matters in how you flourish! In Luke 8, Jesus compared SEEDS to the Gospel and SOIL to the condition of the heart. He describes how the condition of the soil is what determines what the seed will do and the type of spiritual growth that will transpire.

It’s amazing how much “growth” happens in the dark! This message encourages us to look at our seasons of pain, heartache and suffering with a Godly perspective. God is working deeper than you can see.

How can I flourish when I feel like I’m failing most of the time? How can I thrive in the middle of struggle? We often think of the words - beautiful, flowery or polished when we think of the word "flourish." But maybe we have the wrong picture of what it means to “flourish.” Life is messy, and it hurts. But that is the point, because flourishing requires dirt! And dirt is not clean – dirt is mess...

Jesus left us with a gift but we long for our reward – HEAVEN! This message looks at 3 reminders from Philippians 3:20 about heaven.