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:
All of you that are already in our database will receive a text this upcoming Thursday from our new text platform. It isn’t spam, it’s really us! This will become a primary way for us to resource, equip, and update you. We encourage you to save this number and opt in for more updates.
VOUS High is youth community of VOUS and we are creating a space for middle schoolers to gather for service every Sunday.
Students will start with worship in the main auditorium and then be dismissed to their junior high space. This will be a moment to connect with other students, hear a message, and then discuss in small groups.
For more information and to RSVP your student, click here
Join us at the annual ILMC Thanksgiving Bash to distribute meal kits and turkeys. Also, bring a chair and cheer on your favorite team at our annual VOUS Bowl.
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 23rd
Time: 9:00AM - 12:30PM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
1350 NW 50th St
Miami, FL 33142
Ready to kick off Thanksgiving with a burst of energy and community? Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Whether you're a runner, a walker, or somewhere in between, this is a chance to start your day with some fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! See you at the starting line!
To sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 28th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
2820 McFarlane Rd.
Miami, FL 33133
On Sunday, December 1st we're bringing our annual Tree Lighting tradition to both our SoMi and Miami Gardens Locations! Sign up to serve and join us for a night of fun! Invite your friends and let's welcome the Christmas season together!
Please note: There will not be a 6PM service at VOUS City. Instead, join us at VOUS Miami Gardens for the 6PM service, followed by the tree lighting celebration.
Date: December 1st
Time: 7:30PM
Location:
VOUS Miami Gardens
17801 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33169
VOUS SoMi
6767 Sunset Dr
South Miami, FL 33143
To serve, 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