Branches Humboldt

The END of Acts...or is it really the end? It turns out, this is one of those great books that invites us to step into the unfolding story and create the next chapter together! As our series "Origin Story" comes to a close, though, we reflect on what God has been stirring up in us - what He's been challenging us with through the epic book of Acts. Where's the story headed for you...

Cliffhangers! Love 'em or hate 'em, they're the reason we keep coming back. Binge watching your favorite show is so tempting because we all have a deep desire to know the end of the story. We want closure. We want it all wrapped up in the end. But a life of faith is not like that at all. Our path toward God is a journey. The book of Acts doesn't wrap up with a tidy bow; it leaves u...

"Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!" Could this lyric from Psalm 43 be relevant for us today? Where are you feeling discouraged or sad? Are there circumstances in your life that cause you to feel trapped, or at a dead-end? I'm sure Paul and Silas felt just like that as they were beaten and thrown int...

The internet and technology have brought the world “closer” together, yet why do we still often feel so far apart - from each other? It turns out that only God has the real power to unite people across cultures, and we see it happening in big ways in the book of Acts! This boundary-crossing, culture-clashing, line-blurring work of God's Spirit starts at Pentecost in the 2nd chapter and continu...

MOTHER'S DAY...and Saul??? What does his miraculous encounter with Jesus in Acts 9 have to do with our thankfulness and appreciation for the care-givers in our lives? Could there be a connection in there somewhere? Do you think Saul's mom was praying for him all along? How about us - how do we trust God with the care and nurturing of our loved ones? What about the nurturing of our own live...

SO MANY STORIES "God works in mysterious ways." He surprises us around every corner, and after spending time in Acts 1-8, its seems He's always been doing that! The book of Acts invites us to not merely be spectators in the epic story of God, but to actually step in as  participants  in the grand mission of redemption. This Sunday, we'll hear from three voices in our community (E...

THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET REAL Where is God in suffering? Why do bad things happen to good people? These are some of the deepest questions of the human soul. Pain shapes us. The ancient Greek poet Hesiod (c. 700 BC) wrote:... ”But before the road of Excellence the immortal gods have placed sweat. And the way to it is long and steep and rough at first. But when one arrives at the summit, then it is e...

Challenges must be faced in every hero's journey. Nobody truly lives, truly grows, without trials, without opposition. Have you faced some big challenges? Have you felt like giving up? You're not alone. The first faith community formed in Acts 2, starts off with a bang and has an (initially) positive, wide-ranging impact. But it's not a "Utopia" story; it's a real story....

Have you noticed that there are moments when "heaven" seems to break into our earthly reality - when we get a glimpse of the divine in our every-day? These might be often brief for us; like the beauty of nature or the innocent smile of a child, but this was the kind of experience (in a more dramatic, supernatural way) that God used to catapult the early Church into a world-changing movem...

So, RESURRECTION! But then what? Our story, the Church’s origin-story, began around a table...Have you ever had some good, life-changing conversations over a meal, around a table? Sometimes it’s not even what’s said exactly - it’s almost more like a feeling, a rich, colorful memory. In the days after Jesus rose from the grave, He had many conversations with His followers, imparting last words of a...

Have you ever had that feeling of just wanting to get out of town? To just hit the road and start over? It's that feeling of promise, of hope, that something ahead could somehow be better than what's behind. And this is the message of God's grace during Easter. Paul says this in Romans 6:3 (MS) “We’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there...

In the steps of Jesus... This "Palm Sunday', we follow the steps of Jesus as He begins to make His mission clear. Miguel Montiel takes time to consider His actions with us as Jesus expresses His passion for others in Matthew 21. His steps begin to take Him toward the cross - the moment He gives His life, making a way for us to be forgiven friends of God. We had our own "palm branches...

In the steps of St. Patrick... This Sunday, Saint Patricks Day, we take time in our gatherings to consider what being "on mission" really means. We'll see and hear from an outreach team on mission in Niger and also get to know a local outreach team right here at Cal Poly! Sundays - Arcata Veterans Hall - 9 & 11 AM

There's lots we can learn as we pause to reflect on what's behind us; where we've been and what's been stirring in our hearts. We take a deep breath this Sunday and look back on the last couple months: "Changes That Change Us" (the life of Daniel) and "Surrender" (the life of Joseph). We'll hear from our community and take time to ponder the ways God has bee...

Guilt is something we can carry for a long, long time. We can think that our past mistakes could never be forgiven. And even if others do forgive us, forgiving ourselves is sometimes the hardest part. Rueben, Joseph's oldest brother, knows a thing or two about guilt. His regret and shame around his treatment of Joseph haunts him for almost two decades. He imagines it's something he'll...

Surrendering to God's plan for redemption can lead to unexpected blessings - the good things of God we could have never imagined. God has the ability to redeem and restore the most broken situations. But it's hard to trust, to wait. Not only is God’s timetable difficult for us to anticipate, God’s methods may be difficult for us to even recognize! When we surrender to God's way of &quo...

Have you ever been accused of something that you didn’t do? And no matter how much you try to explain yourself or argue your point, it falls on deaf ears? Have you ever tried to do the right thing, against all odds, and things still didn’t go in your favor? There’s some things in life that are just completely out of our control. How do you deal with that? Do you clench your fists, tense up your sh...

Surrender... What an interesting word. Is it positive? Is it negative? When is surrendering good for us and when is it not? If Bono's new, best-selling book, his "one story", is about surrender, what does that mean? Here's how he describes it: "'Surrender' is a word I haven't yet fully grasped or fathomed, if I'm honest. I was born with my fists up, metaphori...

Have you ever clicked on one of those videos; "Top 5 CEO Life-Hacks!" or "What Billionaires Do Everyday That You Can Try Today!” When we see someone successful at something, we want to know their secret! What’s Daniel’s secret to his courage, his ability to stand firm in such challenging situations? How do WE stand firm and confident in the midst of difficult choices and the pressur...

Tom Petty once said... "Well I know what’s right, I got just one life in a world that keeps on pushin’ me around but I’ll stand my ground, and I won’t back down" There will never be a shortage of troubles, pressures, or challenges in life that tempt us to give up or give in. Daniel's friends faced their greatest life-and-death test in a dramatic way, and their story has a lot to enco...

WHAT IF... you had a 4-Step process for handling any situation, any conflict, any scenario you can imagine? What if there was a helpful sequence of steps described in the Bible for navigating tough things that life throws your way? Well - there is! As we look through the life and decisions of Daniel, we find just such a description in Chapter 2. This graphic points to the four steps, and it'll...

Are you ready to make some positive changes this year? Looking for some inspiration from the best source in the world - how about the Bible? This Sunday, we'll kick off our new message series "Changes That Change Us" and look at the decisions and choices made by one of the great heroes of the faith; Daniel. “Obedience to God in the pressures and stresses of day-by-day living and trus...

Christmas can be such a whirlwind of activity - we can miss the most profound moments of it. This Sunday, Chris Simon and Erin McCann help us wrap up our message series on Jesus' birth and what it means for us. This LAST Sunday of the year also gives us a unique opportunity to reflect on the year behind us and pray toward the next. Let's open our hearts to what God wants to teach us in thi...

Jesus came all the way down to earth - “moved into the neighborhood” - to show us the love of God. How does Jesus coming down to earth show us what God’s love is like? I know there are times when we’ve felt NOT really loved… been hurt in the “name of love”... Are there some ways that people “love” you that don’t feel like love? Have you thought that maybe God’s love for you is kind of like a cold,...

Jesus came all the way down to earth for us. Why has he come? In order that we might come to him . On a road, a journey of faith… Life with God is not static: he has delivered us from the broken desert of our lives so that we can participate in his life, healing, and character in a progressive, ongoing way. God has come to us and day by day makes it possible for us to walk with him closer and clos...