This Sunday we looked at Acts 15-an instructive passage for the church whenever it is facing contentious and difficult issues. As the Branch enters a dialogue around one of the most contentious issues of our day, we are committed to finding joy in what God is doing, receiving each other with delight (even when we disagree) and adopting a posture of humility. For a link to the survey mention in the message, email Mara at admin@thebranchonline.org

Chris looks at where the community of the Branch has already succeeded and where we need to move to in the future.

As the Israelites made their way back from exile they worked to resettle and rebuild.  On the one hand, it was a time of renewed spirituality, but on the other, it was a time of exclusion of the Other. Drew helps us consider what the example of the Israelites and Jesus teach us for today.

 

Exile.  This period in Israel’s history raised all kinds of incredibly difficult questions.  Why did it happen?  Was God still faithful?  What about all of God’s promises?  Christi challenges us to not only look at Israel’s time in exile, but our own as well and through them find God’s restorative movement.

Bethany walks us through the lives and choices of Ruth, Hannah, Saul and David to show that in our darkest moments and deepest needs, when we make a choice for God we see change and growth.

Chris looks at the story of the Israelites and Jericho and addresses the dissonance between the war & destruction there and the loving God we see in the gospels, settling on Jesus as the accurate depiction of God.

This week we look at the Law: what it was and wasn’t, how God called Israel to live it out and in doing so bring others to him and what it means to us today.

From Adam and Eve to Babel we see the way that humanity is prone to choose its own way.  Yet, God remains merciful, which we see ultimately in the sending and dying of Jesus.

Re-read, Re-write & Respond: Chris walks us through a method of reading the bible to better apply it to our lives.