Branches Humboldt

Hope. What stirs in you as you hear that word? Does your heart leap with expectation and comfort, or has your hopes been dashed so many times that you’ve practically given up “hope"? When we hope for good things to come from the uncertain elements of our lives, we really have no way of knowing what will happen... Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "We must accept finite disappointment, but ne...

We’re thankful that God’s love and grace came DOWN TO EARTH in the form of Jesus. Because of Jesus, God’s “present” with us (now)! To help us carve out meaningful moments of reflection this Christmas season, we’ll be taking time each Sunday to consider why Jesus came, what His arrival was all about, and what it means for us today. As we open our hearts to this hope, joy, peace and love come ‘down...

Time to take a deep breath this Sunday... We finally made it to the end of the 12th chapter in Romans, and there's so much to unpack and process! What has stuck out to you these past few weeks? What questions have come up? This is our final Sunday in the series "This Is The Way", and we take time to share what God has been stirring up and prompting us with. Whether you've been fo...

How do we deal with those who antagonize us? What do we do with our temptation to get even, to get revenge when we're wronged or treated poorly or unfairly?  Our walk through Romans chapter 12 is almost coming to a close, and there's a few last encouragements that God wants to leave us with. Could there be a way to live in peaceful community with others that are different from us and not l...

Getting along...is sometimes hard, right?! Even the most devout Jesus followers have been disagreeing with each other for thousands of years…conflict in community is nothing new. Social media has exasperated it, but it’s always been there. When Romans was written, the first Christians were arguing about eating meat, celebrating certain holidays, and drinking wine… What issues do Christians debate...

WE MADE IT!!! This Sunday, we celebrate ONE YEAR of meeting together on Sundays at the Veterans Hall in Arcata! It's been an amazing journey from the beginning and a wild ride since our Grand Opening last October. Come reflect on the experience and join us in the celebration of all that God is up to here at Branches! We find out how Romans 12:9-10 highlights our vision and passion as a church,...

ART, ROMANS 12, AND MATT BEARD Could it be that all these things have something in common? Is it a stretch? Probably, but we're still so excited to have a renown artist with us this Sunday as we continue looking into the truths and encouragements found in the twelfth chapter of Romans. We'll take a look back at the verses we've covered so far; 1-8. What has God been stirring up in you?...

Being part of a team and having a positive impact on others' lives is an unparalleled experience. If you've felt it before, you understand the significance. Here at Branches, we're passionate about helping every person discover their unique, God-given talents. It turns out God has a very special interest in the natural skill-set He's woven in to each of us. And, He even wants to im...

The passage we looked at this Sunday; Romans 12:3-5 passionately wants us to see the truth of ourselves, in connection to God, and in relationship to one another. And this truth is good news: You are a treasure, created to be a gift to others. Can you believe it? Join Justin and guest musician-poet Andy Squyres as they attempt to describe the mystery of this truth and invite us all to respond. Sun...

"God brings the best out of you..." Could that be true? Have you experienced something like that in your life? If Romans 12, verse 2, has anything to say about it, God seems to be in the transformation business - and everyone's invited to this work of grace! This Sunday, we'll look at God's "Three Move" prescription for our own personal growth. If you've ever de...

Have you ever been so lost, you wondered if you’d ever make it back alive? When daylight is fading and your phone is dying, and that sinking feeling of panic begins to surround you... All of us have this longing for clear direction in life; where to go, where to find the "good life" we’ve always wanted. We’re going to see in this new series based on Romans 12 that the Creator of the Univ...

Does God speak to us today? Could He speak to you? Would you know it was Him if He did? “We often miss hearing God's voice simply because we aren't paying attention," Rick Warren says. Could that be the case in your life? If prayer is a conversation, then it follows God must must have something to say to us, as well... Psalm 85:8 declares, “I listen carefully to what God the Lord is s...

What is PRAYER all about? What does it do? How do we engage with prayer in the most helpful ways? Stop #4 on the ROADMAP takes us to this familiar, yet often misunderstood and mysterious practice; having a conversation with God. The invitation to talk to a God who hears us changes everything. But sometimes, even the most frequent pray-ers forget the real meaning behind it. We can get caught up in...

Stop #3 on our ROADMAP is "fasting", a practice and exercise where we're invited to take a thoughtful break from something (like a meal, social media, work, TV, shopping, etc...), so we can connect with God in a clear, unobstructed way. The Bible's examples center around taking a break from food for spiritual purposes, so we'll dive into that in detail and find out that the m...

If there was a map, a path to travel, that led you to the good life - a place of peace, emotional and spiritual health, and growth - would you take it? In this new message series Road Map, we explore exactly what practices and habits make the most difference in our lives. Last week we looked at the Bible and how to engage with it in a way that not only informs us, but forms us - and this Sunday we...

Every great summer adventure requires a good map to the best spots and most beautiful vistas... If there was a "map", a path to travel, that led you to the good life - a place of peace, emotional and spiritual health, and growth - would you take it? In this new message series, we explore exactly what practices and habits make the most difference in our lives. What can we do that really c...

The grand scopeof life... the ultimate "road trip" you might say... It's difficult to get a perspective on the entirety of our lives at a sweeping glance, from beginning to end, the journey of a lifetime. Could it be that God has a plan in mind for our lives all along? Could it be that He sees it all, and is determined to be with us through it all? Psalm 23, one of the most famous so...

Some of the best songs are sad songs… why? "For me, singing sad songs often has a way of healing a situation. It gets the hurt out in the open into the light, out of the darkness." (Reba McEntire) But we’re not very good at lament in our time and culture. There are no highs and lows…just a prosaic ‘middle’, stoic, calm, and collected… Maybe if we’re not doing “good”, there must be someth...

Truth has the power to completely change our connection with God. It makes all the difference. Being truthful with God and others, doesn't hurt relationships - it strengthens them! Confession has the ability to bring us closer to God, because He already knows everything about us. St. Augustine prayed, “In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself, not myself from You.” This S...

Have you ever felt... that you were beyond reach and maybe just too messed up for God to RESTORE? God thinks different about you! Have you ever felt that you needed to do the right things to be made RIGHT with God, jump through the hoops, be "good enough"? Jesus came to make you right instead! Have you ever felt in your life that RESCUE would be out of reach, that no one could help you,...

We had the incredible privilege of a visit from Jeff Woodke. He's the captured missionary we prayed for on Sunday, March 19. After almost 7 years of captivity, he was released the next morning! What an incredible faith-building experience for all of us, and this Sunday, we got to hear from him and pray for his continued health and strength. We also consider how the Psalms; God's songs in t...

Pastor Justin's dad, a retired professor from Cal Poly Humboldt and father of five grown boys, shares his reflections and encouragements. Our laughter lifted our hearts, and the reminder that God is here to help us in the toughest of times inspired us all!

To be deeply known - and fully loved. Is it even possible? We often act as if it’s one or the other; We hide and cover because we think if people really knew us, they’d think less of us - they wouldn't like us as much. We put our best foot forward in order to impress others. Or, we decide to just completely be ourselves, and if people don’t like it, well…you know, who cares - screw ‘em anyway!...

We're kicking off the summer at Branches with a collection of songs in the Bible called "Psalms". These are songs inspired by God Himself, and they reveal a lot about who He is, who we are, and how He's intended for us to experience life. They're full of wisdom, celebration, grief, love, and despair. They're honest, messy, and real, and they have the ability to shape us i...

Isn’t it interesting to go back in history and discover the origins of things? These firsts help us understand and uncover the original meaning or purpose of a thing; Why was it invented? Why did it start? What was the motivation? What empowered it in the first place? How about the first church ever? Why did it start? Who started it? How did they do it? Thousands of believers, around the world, ma...