Branch Church

Branch Church
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Branch Church exists to connect people to Jesus and each other through the Truth of God’s Word. Each week we come together for authentic worship rooted in biblical teaching. Our name comes from John 15:5 when Jesus said, “I am the vine, YOU are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We are excited you’ve discovered our weekly messages and hope you’ll join us for regular in-person worship gatherings and events. Find out more and plan your visit at https://branchchurchmn.org

  1. Aug 30

    Acts: Vision for Church Planting

    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: the church is built up and strengthened, matures in order to be sent, and strengthens other churches through multiplication. Church growth is not ultimately about filling more seats in one building, but about forming disciples who are ready to be sent into new communities. The message also calls every person at Branch to consider their role in what God is doing next. As Branch prepares to launch Branch Church Waconia, the invitation is simple: pray, serve, and trust God for the immeasurably more He has ahead. Key Takeaways God is faithful to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.A healthy church is built up and strengthened so that it can multiply.The measure of a church is not just its seating capacity, but its sending capacity.The work ahead requires laborers who are willing to serve.Contact Info For more information about Branch Church and the new Waconia location, visit:branchchurchmn.org Chapters (00:00) Looking Back at God’s Faithfulness(02:00) The Calling to Plant a Church(04:00) Five Years of “Immeasurably More”(07:00) Trusting God for What Comes Next(08:00) Church Planting Throughout the Book of Acts(09:00) Built Up, Strengthened, and Multiplied(12:00) The Church Matures in Order to Send(14:00) Sent Into the Communities Where We Live(15:30) Churches Strengthen One Another(17:00) The Vision for a New Branch Location(18:00) What Will It Take? Laborers and Servants(21:00) A Call for Everyone to Serve(23:00) Dependence on Jesus and the Holy Spirit(25:00) The Announcement: Branch Church Waconia(28:00) Building a New Church Community(30:00) Preparing to Launch and Serve(31:00) October 11 Launch Day(34:00) Trusting God for the Next Chapter(35:00) Commissioning Sunday & What’s Next(36:00) Jesus Is the Vine(37:00) Closing Prayer Keywords Branch Church Waconia, church planting, Acts, Book of Acts, church multiplication, church growth, church planting movement, Acts 9, Acts 13, Acts 15, Ephesians 3, John 15, immeasurably more, Christian service, serving the church, discipleship, sending, missions, Holy Spirit, Jesus is the vine, Branch Church, Minnewashta Church, Waconia Minnesota, Christian podcast, Minnesota church, biblical teaching

    Acts: Vision for Church Planting

  2. Aug 23

    Acts: Community as Discipleship

    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 gathering in the temple and from house to house, Scripture shows us that Christian community is more than friendship or social connection. It is the environment where disciples are formed, new believers are strengthened, leaders are developed, and people learn to follow Jesus together. This message challenges us to move beyond isolation and comfortable relationships, choosing instead to pursue authentic, multi-generational community. Branch Homes are designed to create that kind of space: people learning Scripture, sharing life, bearing burdens, confessing sin, encouraging one another, and becoming more like Jesus together. Key Takeaways We need both community and discipleship. Community without discipleship becomes social connection without transformation; discipleship without community becomes information without the relationships needed to live it out. The next generation belongs in the life of the church. Parents and the church community share the responsibility of teaching children to follow Jesus and live out biblical truth. Following Jesus is something we do together. A disciple is not simply someone who learns about Jesus, but someone who follows and apprentices themselves to His way of life. Contact Info For more information about Branch Church and Branch Homes, visit: branchchurchmn.org Chapters (00:00) Welcome & A Pause in the Acts Series(02:00) Celebrating What God Is Doing Through Branch Homes(05:30) Community for the Purpose of Discipleship(06:00) Acts 2: The Early Church’s Model of Community(09:00) Community Fosters Unity(12:00) The Importance of Multi-Generational Community(13:00) Community Has a Rhythm(15:00) The Church’s Response to Isolation and Individualism(17:00) Community Addresses Friction(19:00) Community Grows New Believers(21:00) Community Strengthens Disciples and Grows Leaders(23:00) Why Branch Homes? Community for Discipleship(24:00) Discipleship and the Next Generation(26:00) What Discipleship Looks Like in Real Life(28:00) What to Expect in a Branch Home(30:00) A Call to Get Into Community(32:00) Ephesians 3:20–21: Expecting God to Do More(34:00) Prayer for the Coming Season Keywords Acts, Book of Acts, Acts 2, Acts 4, Acts 5, Acts 6, Acts 11, Acts 14, Christian community, discipleship, Branch Homes, Branch Church, spiritual growth, church community, small groups, multi-generational church, Christian fellowship, making disciples, disciples who make disciples, church leadership, biblical community, Christian relationships, next generation, Ephesians 3, prayer, Minnesota church, Christian podcast

    Acts: Community as Discipleship

  3. Aug 16

    Acts 16: Worship in the Midnight and the Gospel That Breaks Bondage

    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 an earthquake opens the doors and loosens chains; Paul prevents the jailer’s suicide, and the jailer asks how to be saved. Paul answers, “Believe in the Lord Jesus,” and the jailer’s household believes, is baptized, and cares for Paul and Silas. Paul later insists the magistrates acknowledge their illegal treatment as Roman citizens, then encourages believers at Lydia’s house. CONTACT INFO Branch Church Website: ⁠https://branchchurchmn.org⁠ If this message stirred something in you — whether you're carrying something that needs God's healing power or you're ready to give your life to Jesus for the first time — we'd love to pray with you. Visit our website to connect with our prayer team or take your next step. CHAPTERS (00:00) Welcome and Setup (02:12) Why This Passage Matters (03:26) Prayer and Scripture Reading (07:28) Slave Girl Delivered (11:30) Gospel Confronts Exploitation (13:45) Beaten and Imprisoned (16:36) Honesty and Freedom (19:34) Midnight Worship Witness (23:58) Earthquake and Jailer Saved (27:27) Justice and Church Protected (29:11) Closing Challenge and Prayer Keywords: Acts 16, Lydia, slave girl, demonic spirit, injustice, persecution, Paul and Silas, worship in suffering, earthquake, Philippian jailer, salvation, belief in Jesus, baptism, church encouragement.

    Acts 16: Worship in the Midnight and the Gospel That Breaks Bondage

  4. Aug 9

    Acts 15–16: God’s Mission Advances Through Conflict, Closed Doors, and Ordinary Conversations

    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 through mess. In Acts 16:1–5, Paul recruits the young Timothy and circumcises him as a missionary strategy to remove barriers with Jewish audiences, distinguishing godly flexibility from gospel compromise as the churches strengthen and grow. In Acts 16:6–10, the Holy Spirit blocks preaching in Asia and redirects the team to Macedonia, teaching that closed doors can be God’s steering. In Acts 16:11–15, Lydia’s heart is opened by the Lord, she and her household are baptized, and her hospitality models gospel fruit, prompting application questions about conflict, redirection, evangelism, and hospitality. CONTACT INFO Branch Church Website: ⁠https://branchchurchmn.org⁠ If this message stirred something in you — whether you're carrying something that needs God's healing power or you're ready to give your life to Jesus for the first time — we'd love to pray with you. Visit our website to connect with our prayer team or take your next step. Chapters (00:00) Welcome and Setup (02:02) Jerusalem Council Recap (04:29) Pray and Read Acts 15 (05:58) Paul and Barnabas Split (10:57) Timothy Joins the Team (16:21) Flexibility Not Compromise (18:18) Spirit Redirects to Macedonia (20:26) Closed Doors Personal Story (26:32) Philippi and Lydia Converted (31:29) Hospitality and Final Challenge Keywords: Acts 15, Acts 16, Jerusalem Council, salvation by faith, Paul, Barnabas, John Mark, Silas, Timothy, circumcision, godly flexibility, gospel compromise, Holy Spirit, closed doors, Macedonia, Philippi, Lydia, baptism, hospitality

    Acts 15–16: God’s Mission Advances Through Conflict, Closed Doors, and Ordinary Conversations

  5. Aug 2

    Acts 15: Don’t Add Barriers

    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 heart, the shared gift of the Holy Spirit, purification by faith, the impossibility of bearing the Law’s yoke, and salvation by grace through faith. James concludes the church should not make it difficult for Gentiles turning to God, instead asking them to avoid practices that would hinder community. The message calls believers to avoid adding barriers, resist judgmentalism, and come to communion renewed in God’s mercy. CONTACT INFO Branch Church Website: ⁠https://branchchurchmn.org⁠ If this message stirred something in you — whether you're carrying something that needs God's healing power or you're ready to give your life to Jesus for the first time — we'd love to pray with you. Visit our website to connect with our prayer team or take your next step. Chapters (00:00) Welcome and Setup (01:11) Side Yard Football Metaphor (02:44) Acts 15 Conflict Explained (08:05) Modern Barriers to Faith (11:54) Jerusalem Council Begins (12:56) Peter Anchors in Grace (19:13) James Says Dont Hinder (22:26) Why the Four Requests (25:34) Unity Discernment and Joy (28:27) Communion Mercy Battery (32:01) Prayer and Sending

    Acts 15: Don’t Add Barriers

  6. Jul 19

    Acts 14: Power and the Kingdom of God

    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 the power of the Holy Spirit working through weakness. Most of us assume power is a simple battle between good and evil. Acts 14 shows something messier and more honest: a wide middle ground of human, institutional, and cultural power that we're all swimming in every day. This message challenges us to get honest about what's actually steering our decisions, our fears, and our sense of worth. Is it what other people think? Is it a system or structure that's slow to move? Is it a cultural narrative that sounds true but leads away from Jesus? Or is it the Holy Spirit? Wherever you land, this is an invitation to draw from the power that's already living in you if you've said yes to Jesus. KEY TAKEAWAYS - God's kingdom power consistently works through weakness, not strength. - We are called to recognize the difference between kingdom power, enemy power, and human institutional power in our own lives. - Institutions aren't evil, but they will resist anything that threatens their control, even good things. - True worship flows from love, not from fear of getting it wrong. - Following Jesus means the road will be hard, but the Holy Spirit never leaves you to walk it alone. CONTACT INFO Branch Church Website: https://branchchurchmn.org If this message stirred something in you — whether you're carrying something that needs God's healing power or you're ready to give your life to Jesus for the first time — we'd love to pray with you. Visit our website to connect with our prayer team or take your next step. CHAPTERS (00:00) Welcome and a Branch West Update (02:15) Standing in Front of Great Power (02:45) A Rushing River in the Beartooth Mountains (03:45) The Rodeo of Champions and Uncontrolled Power (05:00) The Real Struggle Behind All Power (06:15) What Power Is Driving Your Life? (06:45) Reading Acts 14 Together (10:30) A Framework for Three Kinds of Power (11:00) Kingdom Power: Strength Made Perfect in Weakness (12:30) Enemy Power: Naming What Opposes the Kingdom (13:30) Human and Institutional Power: Not Evil, Not Neutral (15:00) Example One: Institutional Power Turns the Crowd (17:00) Example Two: The Lame Man Healed in Lystra (19:00) A Pause to Pray for Healing (21:00) Example Three: Mistaken for Gods (25:00) Eight Cultural Narratives That Lead Us Astray (28:00) Stoned, Left for Dead, and Getting Back Up (29:30) Many Hardships on the Way to the Kingdom (31:00) The Beatitudes and the Upside-Down Kingdom (33:00) Eugene Peterson on Faith and Suffering (34:00) From Acts 14 to the Letter to the Galatians (36:00) The Closing Question: What Power Is Driving You? (37:00) A Prayer to Give Your Life to Jesus KEYWORDS Acts 14, Kingdom of God, Holy Spirit power, power in the Bible, Paul and Barnabas, Lystra, Iconium, Derbe, Galatians, healing prayer, institutional power, cultural narratives, moral therapeutic deism, postmodernism, weakness and strength, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Sermon on the Mount, Beatitudes, Eugene Peterson, spiritual formation, discipleship, Branch Church, Branch West, Christian podcast, Minnesota church,

    Acts 14: Power and the Kingdom of God

  7. Jul 12

    Acts: Know the Story

    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 leaders because He cares, and He is true to His word. He emphasizes that Jesus was God’s plan all along and calls believers to know the gospel as transformation, not mere information, so they’re prepared to share it. The passage shows varied responses—curiosity, widespread interest, jealousy and persecution—teaching not to equate delayed results with failure, to be sensitive to openness, and to move on when needed, relying on the Holy Spirit’s power to witness to the ends of the earth. CONTACT INFO Branch Church: ⁠https://branchchurchmn.org⁠ If you're exploring faith, considering baptism, or looking for a place to grow in community and purpose, we'd love to connect with you. Whether you're taking a first step or your next step, there's a place for you at Branch. Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Acts Setup 01:39 Your Favorite Life Story 03:40 Paul Tells the Gospel 07:28 What We Learn About God 13:11 Seeing Jesus Clearly 17:51 Know the Story Share It 20:12 Responses and Opposition 21:24 Four Takeaways for Witnesses 27:22 Closing Worship and Prayer Keywords Acts 13, Paul, Barnabas, Pisidian Antioch, synagogue, Israel’s history, God’s faithfulness, promises fulfilled, Jesus, resurrection, forgiveness, justification, freedom from sin, Holy Spirit, witnessing, evangelism, perseverance, curiosity, jealousy, persecution, Gentiles, grace

    Acts: Know the Story

  8. Jul 5

    Acts: His Great Mission

    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—showing what the gospel produces before mission begins: unlikely people united in Jesus. The church prays again and releases its best leaders, modeling that the church fuels the mission. Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark minister across Cyprus, where “90 miles” of faithful, unseen work prepares them for confrontation with Bar-Jesus/Elymas before Sergius Paulus, who believes, amazed not by the miracle but by the Lord’s teaching, leading into reflection and communion. CONTACT INFO Branch Church: ⁠https://branchchurchmn.org⁠ If you're exploring faith, considering baptism, or looking for a place to grow in community and purpose, we'd love to connect with you. Whether you're taking a first step or your next step, there's a place for you at Branch. Chapters 00:00 Welcome And Reading 03:47 Ordinary Room Spirit Speaks 05:34 Meet The Antioch Leaders 10:09 Sending The Best Away 11:57 Cyprus Mission Begins 14:02 Ninety Miles Faithfulness 17:24 Paphos Power Encounter 18:46 Opposition And Blindness 24:04 Amazed By The Teaching 25:02 What Makes A Listening Room 28:41 Communion And Reflection

    Acts: His Great Mission
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Branch Church exists to connect people to Jesus and each other through the Truth of God’s Word. Each week we come together for authentic worship rooted in biblical teaching. Our name comes from John 15:5 when Jesus said, “I am the vine, YOU are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We are excited you’ve discovered our weekly messages and hope you’ll join us for regular in-person worship gatherings and events. Find out more and plan your visit at https://branchchurchmn.org

Information

  • Creator
    Branch Church
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    139
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Branch Church
  • Show Website
    Branch Church