Christmas is now the most wonderful time of the year, but it is important for us to understand what the first Christmas was really like.

What happens when we glorify things above God? The answer might surprise you more than you think.

You might hear the term, "God is with us" around this time of year. It's in songs, feels like a mantra...it is even one of Jesus' titles. However, when you look around you might not be expecting to see God. But 2000 years ago, a highly improbable yet promised event took place in a little village called Bethlehem, setting us up for an expected Christmas.

The Bible is full of wisdom, and people love to quote their favorite scriptures—not always accurately. A little tweak here, a bit of fudging there...we find ourselves in a world of Godly wisdom that is...twisted.

What happens when we begin to focus on the created rather than the creator? Where does it lead when we dedicate our lives to things that are dying with us instead of that which will last forever? Find out this week as we explore what happens when trust is twisted.

It is said the Devil is in the details...but do you realize how true that statement is? One of the greatest weapons the enemy uses against you is the details...with a twist.

Branches is focused on the work God is doing in our community, but there are people all over the world who have never heard about Him. This weekend, we have the opportunity to hear from Nik Lehnert who has traveled all over the world telling people about Jesus. As we wrap up Be Rich, we have the opportunity to hear about the kingdom work taking place all over the world.

You could be forgiven for seeking the easy way out, the shortcut, the loophole...and in some areas of life that's okay, even encouraged! But what about relationships with our family? Coworkers? Friends? Neighbors?...God?

You're getting a 2-For today! In the second week of the Be Rich generosity campaign, you'll have the opportunity to volunteer for specific projects and opportunities with our non-profit partners. As a bonus, we have a guest speaker this week who will bring a powerful word about who God says you are.

One of the most damaging assumptions we can make, to ourselves and to others), is the assumption that everything that comes into our hands is for our consumption. As we start our annual Be Rich campaign focusing on generosity, we want to learn how we can be rich to our community and beyond!