Branch Church Messages

Overview In Acts 19, the gospel creates a confrontation in Ephesus. As people turn toward Jesus, the idols and systems that once shaped the city are threatened. Demetrius and the silversmiths respond with anger because the gospel challenges what they value, worship, and trust. This passage invites us to look beyond the conflict in Ephesus and examine our own hearts. What do we value? What have we...

Overview In Acts 19, Paul spends nearly three years in Ephesus, and through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, the gospel begins to shape an entire city. People come to faith, disciples are strengthened, extraordinary things happen, and the influence of the church spreads throughout the region. Acts 19 gives us a picture of what can happen when Jesus' witnesses are present and engaged,...

In Acts 18, we see God weaving together the stories of ordinary people to advance the story of the gospel. Paul arrives in Corinth tired and discouraged, but God meets him through Priscilla and Aquila, a couple who had been displaced from Rome and were faithfully building a life and community in a new city. Later, we meet Apollos, an eloquent teacher whose understanding of the gospel was incomplet...

Paul walks into Athens and finds a city full of idols — literally an altar dedicated "To an Unknown God." Instead of getting angry and walking away, he uses it. He stands up at the Areopagus, the intellectual center of the ancient world, and shows a room full of philosophers exactly who that unknown god actually is. This message pulls four principles out of that moment for anyone who&#39...

Acts 17 drops Paul into two cities and gets two completely different reactions. In Thessalonica, he reasons from the Scriptures for three straight Sabbaths, people believe, and jealousy turns a crowd into a mob that riots in the streets. In Berea, the same message lands differently — people examine the Scriptures daily to test what Paul is saying, and many believe. Same gospel, same messenger, two...

In this special message from the book of Acts, Branch Church looks ahead to a significant new chapter: the planting of a second church location in Waconia. Reflecting on five years of God’s faithfulness, Pastor Brian Suter reminds us that God has consistently done “immeasurably more” than the church could ask or imagine. Using three passages from Acts, we see a biblical picture of church planting:...

In this special message from the book of Acts, we pause our study of the early church to focus on what it means to pursue community for the purpose of discipleship and spiritual growth . As Branch Church begins another season of Branch Homes, we look at the patterns of community throughout Acts and ask what God wants His church to become. From the believers being “one in heart and mind” to gatheri...

Continuing through Acts 16, the sermon contrasts Lydia’s conversion with the gospel reaching a Philippian jailer, showing Jesus is for all people. Paul delivers a slave girl from a demonic spirit, and when her owners lose profit, they falsely accuse Paul and Silas, leading to an unjust public beating and imprisonment. At midnight, Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns as other prisoners listen, and a...

We continue the church’s yearlong journey through Acts, explaining how the Jerusalem Council affirmed salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone for both Jews and Gentiles. In Acts 15:36–41, Paul and Barnabas sharply disagree over bringing John Mark and separate into two teams, showing that conflict among godly people doesn’t always have a clear villain and that God can multiply ministry throug...

Continuing a sermon series in Acts, the speaker teaches from Acts 15 where conflict arises as Jewish believers insist Gentile Christians must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses to be saved. Using a football-game metaphor, he shows how clarity can resolve friction and forge unity so the church’s mission can continue. Peter anchors the debate by recalling God’s mission, God’s knowledge of the...

Every one of us is being shaped by some kind of power, whether we notice it or not. In this message, we walk through Acts 14 to ask a simple but searching question: what power is actually driving your life? Paul and Barnabas encounter three very different kinds of power in this chapter — the power of institutions trying to protect themselves, the power of a crowd swept up in the wrong story, and t...

We continue the Acts series by reading Acts 13:13–52, where Paul preaches in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch, recounting Israel’s history and showing that God fulfilled His promises by raising Jesus, offering forgiveness, freedom from every sin, and justification not possible under the law. Brian highlights what Paul’s speech reveals about God: He is faithful though people are not, He provides l...

Pastor Josh teaches from Acts 13:1–12, highlighting how the Holy Spirit spoke during ordinary worship, fasting, and prayer in the diverse church at Antioch and called Barnabas and Saul to be set apart and sent. He emphasizes the significance of the leaders in the room—Barnabas the encourager, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen raised with Herod Antipas, and Saul the former persecutor—sh...

OVERVIEW In Acts 11:19–30, we see the birth of the church in Antioch, a city that would become a launching point for the spread of the gospel throughout the world. What makes this story remarkable is that it wasn't started by famous apostles or a carefully crafted strategy. It began with ordinary believers who had been scattered by persecution and simply couldn't stop talking about Jesus....

OVERVIEW In Acts 10–11, we reach a pivotal moment in the story of the early church. Through a series of visions, divine appointments, and acts of obedience, God makes it clear that the gospel is not just for one group of people—it is for everyone. What once seemed impossible becomes reality as Peter shares the good news of Jesus with Cornelius, a Gentile, and witnesses the Holy Spirit move in powe...

OVERVIEW In Acts 9:32–42, Peter encounters two very different people in need of restoration. Aeneas has been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Tabitha, a beloved servant in her community, has died unexpectedly. In both stories, Peter becomes a vessel through which Jesus brings healing, hope, and new life. But the miracles themselves are not the center of the story—Jesus is. Before examining...

OVERVIEW In Acts 9:1–31, we encounter one of the most dramatic transformation stories in all of Scripture. Saul, a fierce opponent of Jesus and His followers, is on a mission to persecute the church when everything changes. On the road to Damascus, the risen Jesus meets him personally, confronts him, and redirects the course of his life. What follows is a powerful reminder that no one is beyond th...

OVERVIEW In Acts 8:9–25, we see a powerful reminder that the gospel does more than inspire people—it confronts, transforms, and exposes the human heart. As Philip continues preaching in Samaria, the good news of Jesus begins breaking through spiritual darkness, drawing people into new life and freedom. At the center of the story is Simon, a man who had built influence and power through sorcery and...

OVERVIEW In Acts 8:1–8, the early church faces intense persecution. Believers are forced to leave their homes, communities, and familiar surroundings. What appears to be a devastating setback becomes the very means God uses to spread the gospel beyond Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria. This passage reminds us that God often uses seasons of disruption to accomplish His purposes. Saul, who is lea...

OVERVIEW In Acts 7, Stephen delivers one of the boldest and most challenging messages in Scripture. Standing before a hostile audience, he recounts the story of God’s faithfulness—from Abraham to Moses to the prophets—showing that God’s presence has never been confined to a place, but has always been with His people. But this is more than a history lesson. Stephen is confronting a deeper issue: th...

OVERVIEW In Acts 6:8–15, we are introduced to Stephen, a man whose life was marked by “grace under pressure.” As the early church begins to face growing opposition, Stephen becomes a powerful example of what it looks like to remain anchored in Jesus when pressure rises. Stephen is falsely accused, opposed, and publicly challenged. Yet instead of reacting in fear or defensiveness, he responds with...

In Acts 6:1–7, we see the early church growing—but with growth comes tension. A conflict arises between Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews when widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. What could have divided the church instead becomes a moment of clarity and formation. The apostles respond not by doing more, but by focusing on what God has uniquely called them to—prayer and the mi...

In Acts 5:17–42, we see a powerful contrast between two competing stories. The religious leaders, driven by jealousy and fear, are protecting their power and reputation. Meanwhile, the apostles are living boldly in the story of Jesus—proclaiming His name, even in the face of opposition, suffering, and public shame. What changes everything is not just what the apostles believe, but the story they’v...

On Resurrection Sunday, we celebrate the most defining truth of the Christian faith: Jesus is alive. What once looked like defeat on the cross was actually the pathway to ultimate victory—over sin, over death, and over every power that stands against us. In Matthew 28, the women approach the tomb carrying grief and loss, only to be met with an unexpected reality: the tomb is empty, and Jesus has r...

OVERVIEW On Palm Sunday, we remember the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem to celebration, anticipation, and hope. The crowds had been waiting for generations for a promised King, one who would bring victory, freedom, and restoration. As Jesus rode in on a donkey, it seemed like everything was finally coming together. But their hope was shaped by their expectations. They longed for a king who would o...