The Cause

My little brother and his wife, Kyle & Liz, are starting a new church in Kansas City, KS. Check out his video below and if you know anyone in that area that needs a great church... send them to The Cause!

Find Your Cause from The Cause Community Church on Vimeo.

Charlotte ONE

I recently had lunch with David Hickman of CharlotteONE. Sarah and I attended their Tuesday night gathering in Uptown Charlotte at the beautiful 1st United Methodist Church. There were around 500 young adults in attendance for worship. By the way, Grayson and Tori Berkowitz are helping lead worship at these events.

We were so touched by what God is doing through David and CharlotteONE that we decided to become a partner church and help UNITE CHARLOTTE...

Central to the mission and vision of CharlotteONE is the prayer that Jesus prayed for the church in John 17:23 when He prayed, “May they become perfectly ONE, so that the world will know that you sent me and love them even as much as you love me.” CharlotteONE is a unified movement of currently 40 local churches whose sole mission is to reach young adults (18-35) in Charlotte for Christ and connect them to a local faith community.

The Branch can get behind a vision like that!

God is Good - God is Here

I hear lies about God all the time. "He put sickness on me to teach me a lesson. He caused that car accident so that I would slow down. He is hiding Himself from me so that I will draw closer to Him." If you think that God is schizophrenic then confusion will dominate your life and you will call bad good and good bad. Knowing that God is Good and God is Here will change everything! Listen online @BranchChruch or download the podcast on iTunes.

The Branch Family Church

God is Good - God is Here

Get Planted

God is Good

James 1:17 - There is nothing deceitful, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle in God.

Galatians 5:22 - Goodness is God's character.

Hebrews 11:6 - Believe that He is a rewarder.

Grow Strong

God is Here

Matthew 1:23 - Jesus is "God with us"

John 16:7 - The Holy Spirit is "God with YOU"

Branch Out

You’re Here to Do Good

3 John 1:11 - God's children do good not to get God's approval, but because of His approval.

Hebrews 4:14-16 - Grace and Mercy are available when you need... Come boldly based on what Jesus did!

Romans 8:27-30 - My job: Love God. His job: Cause all things to work for my good.

Peace Beyond Understanding

We had a great service this Sunday! One of those services when you abandon all and where God's peace is felt. Listen online to my message or download the Podcast on iTunes. And if you want to experience Jonathan David Helser again you can watch his video here.

The Branch Family Church

Peace Beyond Understanding

Get Planted

Psalm 34:11-14 – Search and Work for peace.

Grow Strong

Philippians 4:6-7 - Give up your need to understand everything.

Isaiah 41:9-10 - God speaks this to you... Today!

Philippians 4:8-9 - Fix your thoughts. You don’t even have to be good at it, but start practicing it.

Branch Out

Psalm 139:23-24 - Let this be your prayer... Today!

Luke 7:36-48 - Let Jesus be your only audience.

Colossians 3:15-17 Message - Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Jonathan David Helser at The Branch

This week at The Branch we welcome special worship guest Jonathan David Helser.

Jonathan and Melissa Helser are worship leaders, songwriters and photographers whose dream is for a generation to see who God really is and to worship him with every sound, color and beat of their hearts. They live in Sophia, N.C. at "A Place for the Heart" where they lead summer camps and schools centered on worship and creativity. They have two amazing children and have just released a new worship album titled "Walk Through the Walls."

Check out a preview of Sunday on the video below:

Peace in your Finances

This is my friend DaVon and his beautiful wife Stacy. DaVon is the campus pastor of our new Ballantyne location. This Sunday he came back to the Mallard Creek campus for both services. Listen online @BranchChurch or download the podcast @iTunes.

Peace in Your Finances

DaVon Alexander

Get Planted

Peace is the will of God for you

John 10:10 – Jesus came and brought us abundant life

Proverbs 10:22 – The blessing of the Lord makes one rich

Psalm 35:27 – The Lord takes pleasure in my prosperity

Grow Strong

God desires peace and prosperity in every area of your life

3 John 2 – God desires that we prosper

Joshua 1:8 - When is then?

Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 17-18 – Be careful when you enter the land of abundance

Branch Out

Peace works best in giving and receiving

Malachi 3:8-12, Matthew 23:23 - Tithing gives God first place in our lives

II Corinthians 9:6-10, I Corinthians 16:2 – Give generously

Proverbs 19:17, 28:27, Galatians 2:9-10 – How can you help the poor if you're poor?

Branch Ballantyne

I am so excited by what God is doing at our new Ballantyne campus. But especially this week because my Mom will be speaking there. You guys are in for a real treat. I am a pastor because I have a praying Mom! Check out her bio:

Linda Turner is an anointed minister of Truth. She will challenge you to rise to a new level of true spiritual maturity. In more than 35 years of teaching God’s Word in over 100 nations, Linda has a rare combination of Love, Joy and Strength.

She is dynamic in her presentation and compassionate in her heart for people. Linda and her husband Mark pastor The Life Church in Bartlesville, OK. They have served on staff with Pastors Billy Joe and Sharon Daugherty at Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, OK; Pastors Casey and Wendy Treat at Christian Faith Center in Seattle, WA; and Pastors Art and Kuna Sepulvada at Word of Life Church in Honolulu, HI.

Linda and Mark have four children and four beautiful granddaughters.

You may laugh, cry, or both, but you will not be the same after Linda has ministered. She will challenge you, and you will grow stronger as a result of her ministry.

So, with Mom at the Ballantyne campus that means that DaVon Alexander, campus pastor @ Ballantyne, will be speaking at our Mallard Creek campus in both services. You don't want to miss it!

Thanks Mecklenburg County

I took this picture last Sunday while having this thought... Isn't it amazing that Mecklenburg County would build this facility just for us to use on Sunday?! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Peace in your Relationships

We are all different. When you magnify differences in others negatively the result is conflict. But view those same differences through the filter of love and they become unique strengths that can result in great friendships. Peaceful relationships take work. This week Sarah and I teach together on how you can cultivate deep-spirited friendships. Listen online @BranchChurch.org or download the Podcast on iTunes.

The Branch Family Church

Peace in your Relationships

Get Planted

Psalm 34:11-14 – Search and Work for peace. KJV says seek peace and pursue it.

Grow Strong

John 10:10 - Jesus came to bring abundance to our relationships.

Galatians 5:13-15 - Loving yourself is vital to loving others.

1 John 4:18 - Fear will cripple peaceful relationships.

Proverbs 18:24 - Want a friend... Be a friend. Be a life giving friend to have a life giving relationship.

Relationships should...

• Encourage
• Listen
• Sharpen
• Build the Kingdom
• Bring Joy
• Never control (Colossians 2:18-19 Message) - Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - No Isolation. Self-pity is destructive

Branch Out

Philippians 2:1-4 Message - If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Colossians 3:15 Message - Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness.

Snow Day

Hey Branch Family Church! Thanks to the rare Charlotte snow storm we are not having Sunday services at Mallard Creek or Ballantyne. So stay home, watch the video below and be the Church. Hope you stay warm and toasty... see you next week!