Branches Humboldt

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...

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...