What if God is not watching from a distance, but actively coming toward us? In Week 2 of Abide, we explore the surprising truth that God has always taken the first step. From lost sheep to uncomfortable places like Samaria, Jesus reveals a God who pursues with vulnerability, not judgment. This message invites us to stop hiding, receive grace, and discover how God's love often reaches us through other people.

When you need to reset, do you usually prefer time alone or time with others? Why?

Luke 2:8-20 reframes Christmas peace as not a feeling, political calm, or inner tranquility, but shalom- the objective, God-given wholeness that comes through reconciliation with Him in Christ. The angels announce that through Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the war between God and sinners is over, restoring our wonder as we receive -rather than earn- the greatest gift of Christmas: peace with God.

In Week 2 of our Advent series, we turn to the Song of Zechariah in Luke 1:67-79 -a song born out of silence, disappointment, and unexpected mercy. Zechariah is a priest who has carried years of unanswered prayer, infertility, and doubt. But when God breaks 400 years of prophetic silence, He does it not through the strong or the spiritually elite - but through an old, weary couple who feel overlooked. This sermon explores the radical reversal at the heart of Christmas: God doesn't stay distant. He gets on the floor with us. He visits us in our doubt, our waiting, our burdens, and even our unbelief. We'll look at: 1. Why the "horn of salvation" is an upside-down picture of God's war on sin and death 2. How God answers both personal and cosmic prayers at once 3. Why silence is not punishment, but preparation 4. The good news that Christmas comes to "those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death" If you're weary, waiting, doubting, or carrying a heavy burden-this song is for you. Scripture: Luke 1:67-79 Series: A Weary World Rejoices - Advent 2025: Theme: Visitation, reversal, mercy, hope, new songs arising in silence

In this Advent message, we explore the Magnificat in Luke 1 and the surprising way God chooses to work in the small, hidden, and ordinary places of our lives. Mary's song reveals the upside-down nature of God's kingdom and invites us into holy waiting - not the waiting of delay or frustration, but the waiting where God forms us, stretches us, and prepares us for the life Jesus is bringing. If you are tired, longing for hope, or feeling overlooked, this message is for you. Join us as we begin our Advent series, A Weary World Rejoices.

How do you follow Jesus when your faith stops making sense? This sermon explores deconstruction through Scripture, psychology, and personal story - without fear, shame, or clichés. We look at Moses crisis in the desert, the temptation of cynicism, the science behind distrust, and the invitation of Jesus to turn aside and encounter God again. Whether you're deconstructing, rebuilding, or walking with someone who is, this message offers hope, grounding, and a way forward. Jesus is not threatened by your questions - He may be the One leading you through them.

Psalm 88 teaches that even the darkest seasons of a believer's life-when God feels absent and nothing improves-can become places of deep wisdom, grace, and spiritual growth. Because Jesus entered ultimate darkness on the cross and was truly abandoned, our darkness is never absolute, and we can bring our raw, honest prayers to a God who will not forsake us.

That question sits at the center of our anxious, performative culture-- where we're told to build our own identity, define our own purpose, and find our own belonging. In this teaching from Branches Church explores how Scripture offers a different story: Identity isn't something we build-- it's something we receive. We were loved before we ever had a chance to prove it. Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:26-27 Genesis 3:7-10 Matthew 16:13-19 Luke 15:11-24 Ephesians 2:10 1 John 4:18 Luke 3:22 Big Idea: Identity is not achieved through performance but discovered through relationship with the One who names us beloved.