REVELATION 3:1-6
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
REFERENCES: JAMES 1:22, JOHN 15:-11
Trees are meant to grow, produce and branch out. But in order to do so they must be well rooted. A tree that bears no fruit defeats its purpose. In the same way as followers of Christ we must be rooted in Him to produce good fruits and ultimately branch out these good fruits to those around us. We can’t just look “Christian,” we must actually live out what His word says. And to do so, we must abide in Him, who is the vine. If our faith isn’t challenged by the values of the world, our works can become dead. Ultimately, the challenges we face allow us to connect to the source of all that is good.
Fruit without God is empty
Jesus makes it clear that those who are not united in Him resemble a branch that has been removed from the root. Drawing our lives to Christ and building a relationship with Him is the same way a branch draws its life from the root of its vineyard and becomes fruitful.
As Jesus gave His correction to the church of Sardis, He reminded them to remember and keep what they had already heard. Jesus’ instructions are simple yet powerful. Sometimes we don't need a new word, but rather a renewed conviction to obey the word we’ve already received. Today, He calls us to remember the Gospel and action out our love for God and others.
The church of Sardis is an example of what can happen when we're not rooted in Christ. We can easily drift from what we are called to do and be deceived by our circumstances. Jesus warns us that he can remove His protection and provision if we're not careful. We must be proactive as followers of Jesus by continually building His church and developing the fruit of the spirit. It is a lifetime process to be obedient to God. His blessings for us must be guarded and protected until the day we get to spend eternity with our Lord and savior.
Show your love to God and his people by serving your community this month. It is a time for Thanksgiving for provision and blessings Jesus has entrusted you with. Find a few ways you can serve and give back.
Here's some examples to start:
We’re in week two of Pray First and there’s still time to join! Prayer is where intimacy with God begins—it aligns our hearts with His will and unlocks Heaven’s power in our lives.
Let’s grow closer to God together. Don’t miss this opportunity!
Join us for Pray First by texting "PRAY" to 30596.
Monday - Friday
Zoom Prayer @ 6:30AM
vouschurch.com/zoom
Monday - Saturday
IG Live @ 12:00PM
Wednesday - 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Prayer Rooms - Miami Gardens
Wednesday, January 15 - Pray First Gathering
7:00PM Pre-Hang
7:30PM Service
SoMi, Miami Gardens, Design District
For all gatherings information and resources on Pray First, please click here!
We are having baptisms this Sunday, January 19th, across all of our locations, and on the beach.
To sign up for baptisms, please click here.
Heart & Soul will be taking place on Wednesday, January 22nd. This is a night for anyone who loves VOUS with worship, community, and a stakeholders message from Pastor Rich on where we're headed in 2025.
This SZN, we will be holding Heart & Soul at VOUS City!
RSVP here to let us know which location you will be joining us at. This is a night you do not want to miss!
This month's spotlight initiative is human trafficking awareness. We aim to bring light to this critical issue by partnering with organizations working to prevent trafficking and support survivors.
We will meet at our South Miami, Design District, and Miami Gardens locations on Saturday, January 25th at 10:30am to gather and serve at an outreach throughout the city.
To sign up for an outreach at one of our locations or an Off-Site outreach, please click here.
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