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John 11:32-37 (NIV)
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Additional Scripture References: 2 Kings 20:5, Matthew 10:29, Genesis 21:16-17, 1 Samuel 1:10, Psalm 6:6-9, Psalm 56:8, Hebrews 8:12, Psalm 121:3-4, Luke 7, John 16:20, 2 Corinthians 4:17, Revelation 21:4
Understanding and believing the truth of the goodness of God is more powerful than we could ever imagine. God is still good, even if grief is a reality of life. On earth, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to know God as our savior and praise Him in spite of our suffering. God always works His purpose, for His Glory out of the worst circumstances. Jesus, who lost his dear friend, Lazarus, knew this. Being fully God and fully human did not stop him from experiencing grief upon learning Lazarus had died. Jesus not only identified with our sorrow but also modeled how to accept suffering while never losing faith. Although he wept, he firmly believed in God’s ability to make the impossible happen. As he called Lazarus out of the grave, we can see a picture of how God is in control, resurrecting even what appears to be dead.
One of the most powerful things you can do is praise God even while you grieve.
Not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from God’s notice and neither does one of your tears. Scripture tells us that God sees every tear that we cry and hears our hearts cry. In our pain, we can find peace in knowing God is well acquainted with our grief and gives us the grace to get through our suffering.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. Matthew 10:29 (NIV)
Scripture tells us not only does Jesus see our tears, he catches them. We are so loved by our Heavenly Father, not one tear shed goes unnoticed by God. Not only does he empathize with us, He is moved to compassion giving us perfect peace in our crisis.
You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Psalm 56:8 (ESV)
Our Lord, Jesus Christ understands grief. He doesn’t just see our tears, catch our tears and turn our tears, but he promises to wipe them away! He transforms tears of sorrow into shouts of joy. Believing that God will turn our tears into shouts of joy does not mean that we no longer grieve, but does mean that we cling to him through the pain, and let every calamity crash us into his arms. As we endure crisis, we will stand before our maker in heaven, every tear wiped away for eternity.
This week challenge yourself to open up to God and share what is grieving your heart. Also, find a crew that can help you learn to navigate this grieving season, whether it is a Care Crew, or a regular Crew, God can use other people’s stories to encourage you and bring hope to your future.
Need a midweek reset? Join us every Wednesday at VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District in the Prayer Room for an incredible hour of prayer starting at 12PM. Make it part of your weekly rhythm!
Where: VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District
When: Every Wednesday
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Join us for Vision Sunday! Pastor Rich & DawnCheré Wilkerson will be sharing vision and marching orders for the year ahead. Be sure to invite your friends & family and get in the room!
For more information on Vision Sunday, click here
Team Night is happening on Wednesday, November 12th across all four VOUS locations starting at 7:00 PM!
Whether you’ve been serving for years or are just getting started, your presence matters. Team Night isn’t just for a specific team or department, it’s for our locations to come together as one cohesive team and move forward as one.
Sign up for your location below:
SoMi | City | Miami Gardens | Design District
Are you interested in leading a crew? Click here to fill out an application to become a crew leader in SZN 1 2026!
You don't want to miss the chance to hang with us at VOUS High Nite on Wednesday, November 5th @ 7PM, a night for the middle and high school community of VOUS Church.
We'll be hosting a Parent Hangout during VHN – an opportunity to get to know other parents in our community. Dinner provided.
To RSVP for VOUS High Nite, click here
To RSVP for the Parent Hang, click here
Where:
VOUS SoMi @ One City Church | 6750 Sunset Drive
VOUS Miami Gardens | 17801 NW Second Ave
Make Thanksgiving special for a family in need by serving at our annual Thanksgiving Bash, a morning of distributing hundreds of meals to families in our community and watching teams compete for the VOUS Bowl Title in our spirited 7-on-7 flag football tournament.
To donate a meal kit online, click here
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 22nd
Time: 11:00AM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Start your Thanksgiving with fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! We’ll see you at the starting line!
Sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 27th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
VOUS SoMi
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
VOUS Design District
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
Church Online
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
