Menu
Close
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— 3 “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
7 And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
REFERENCES: MARK 1:1-11, GENESIS 1:1-2, LUKE 4:18-19
Break down the elements of an invitation. You have a great event, a date, time, and place. Essential to the entire invite is who it’s shared with. Simple enough, right? But then imagine being at the event and knowing absolutely no one. It is here you’d want the validation of the invite to come through by way of an introduction. Without it, you’d be aimless and wonder why on earth you were asked to show up. It’s at this point, the moment of introduction, that we land in the book of Mark, an invitation to witness the divinity of Jesus. We can be encouraged by the truth that once we meet Jesus, everything changes. It is just that we get to choose whether or not the life of Jesus will mark us for the better. The prophetic voice of John the Baptist cries out, a brawl over change is about to break out, and it’s between our old selves and our new identity in Christ. It’s spiritual and it’s personal. All that we believe about our identity hangs in the balance. Everyone changes, but not everyone improves.
You can’t meet Jesus and not change.
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. —Mark 1:1
Everything you believe about Jesus will determine what you believe about yourself. If you believe Jesus came to save you, then you know you are loved. If you believe Jesus is God, then you know you are never alone. That’s the good news of Jesus.
Repentance might sound like a fighting word because in part it is! It takes a lot to recognize and face our wrongs. Fortunately, Jesus is the one we turn to. And the good part is, he doesn’t fight back. He welcomes us with the open arms of forgiveness ready to transform our hearts.
You’re invited! To a cosmic event. Right where you are. Right now. It’s the opportunity to be part of God’s work and it’s Jesus who has sent you the invite. Will you respond? Responding yes will take some effort on your part. There will be the necessary outfit change. You’ll have to be clothed in righteousness, and that takes repentance. But Jesus has the garments prepared for you, so come as you are, he will take care of the rest. Dark, formless, and void are not the final state of affairs for your life. God has a plan to transform you with the fire of his Spirit. He speaks light and life. He wants to create something new and good through you. Won’t you declare it with him? His Spirit hovers over your life like a dove in anticipation of the sound of your faith.
Create a motto for your life that you will repeat daily as a declaration of affirmation and encouragement.
VOUS SoMi
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
10:30AM / 12:30PM
VOUS Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM
Church Online
10AM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
You’re invited to worship night with new VOUS Worship music! All are welcome.
Sunday, May 26
6:00PM
VOUS SoMi + VOUS City
We’re less than 50 days away from VOUSCon! Gather with thousands of like-minded leaders. Be equipped and empowered for the journey ahead.
June 20-22
Miami, FL
As we create an atmosphere that glorifies God, we create space for Him to move. As servant leaders, we carry the culture. Because we value Con, we invest in it.
