Por encima de todo
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Above It All
What Did You Expect?
Above It All
What Did You Expect?
Por encima de todo
¿Que esperabas?

Crew Leader

Introduction (2 minutes)

Use the Zoom chat feature to keep everyone connected. As people join in, ask for their first and last name, email address, and where they are tuning in from. Save the chat as an attendance record.

Reflect

Ask Crew members to share their favorite points from the talk. What phrase or moment did they relate to the most?

Icebreaker: Reflection or Conversation Starter or Virtual Icebreaker (5 minutes)

For your icebreaker, choose from the options below. Have Crew members unmute themselves to share.

Conversation Starters (Choose One)
  • What's something you did this week that you feel proud of?
  • What did you eat for breakfast?
  • Name the best book you’ve ever read.
  • What’s your morning routine?
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
  • If your life was a story, what would the title be?
Virtual Icebreakers (5 minutes)

Preaching Game - Choose random items and allow individuals to find ways to encourage others using that item. (Pick 2-3 volunteers)

Show-and-Tell - Pick an object in your home that has significance for you, something with a funny story behind it, anything unique, or something you've used to simply pass the time.

Crew Discussion

Seven: When God Knocks

Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr

Continuing the Conversation
Last Crew's Call to Action

God calls for us to forgive while maintaining boundaries necessary to steward and nurture our souls. This week, lean in to the wisdom of Solomon and study the book of Proverbs to help you develop tools for cultivating Godly relationships while asking God for the courage to forgive. Don’t forget to check out additional resources at https://www.vouschurch.com/care.

Scripture

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”


REFERENCES: JOHN 1:1-3; COLOSSIANS 4:16; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

Main Idea

Have you ever introduced yourself to someone as something that captured part of who you are but not all of who you are? In the letters of Revelation, Jesus introduces himself perfectly but differently to each church. To the Church of Laodicea, He summarized who He was in two ways: “the Amen,” which is defined as agreement with the truth, and “the beginning of creation,” where He used the Greek word for origin. Jesus simply but accurately described Himself as the true source of it all. To understand who God is means to agree with God, move with God, end with God, and never doubt God.


“If Jesus is not Lord of all, then He’s not Lord at all.”

1. Introduction

Amen is a word that was used to affirm and guarantee a statement as absolutely true and trustworthy. It means to agree with the truth. This is why we say it at the end of our prayer: “In Jesus’ name, Amen.” To know Jesus is to possess true riches, covering for our shame, and anointing for our eyes to see what He wants us to see. God’s desire is that we live a life that is either cold as in refreshing to others, or hot as in healing for others. To be lukewarm is to be distasteful to the world and not represent the true kingdom of Heaven.

True wealth lies within God’s kingdom.
Jesus is the Amen because He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, and the alpha and omega.
Because Jesus is the Amen, we can trust that He is the ultimate authority over everything and anything we will ever encounter.

“Jesus is the personification and the affirmation of the truth of God.”

Can you share about a season in your life when you doubted God’s authority? How did God eliminate your doubts?

2. Invitation

God will not break down the door to our heart or force His way into our life. The door that allows God to enter our life opens from the inside, and it is our choice to turn the knob within our heart to receive His presence.

As our loving Heavenly Father, God corrects us because He loves us.
Just as the athlete with the most potential is trained the hardest, God equips us for His blessings through challenges.
Our relationship with God becomes stronger by allowing His word to permeate our hearts.

Despite it all, Jesus knocks

Are you receptive to God’s correction or against it? How can you shift your mindset to thankfulness towards his discipline?

Summary

Jesus wants a relationship with us. Like a friend coming over for dinner, we must answer the door when we hear the knock and allow our guest to come inside our home. Jesus needs our consent to enter the depths of our soul. None of us can buy salvation, we can only receive God's grace with humility. Whether God comes to you with love and grace or truth and correction, it is our attitude towards God that allows us to receive His blessings. Answer His invitation with gratitude, acceptance, and with the understanding that He is making you better.

Call To Action

Take a moment right now to meditate on your heart. Imagine your heart as a door. Take 5 deep breaths. Picture Jesus standing at the door knocking. Take another 5 deep breaths. Now imagine yourself opening the door and inviting Jesus in. As Jesus enters the room, spend a few minutes feeling His presence. Write a prayer on how you want Jesus to work on your heart.

Announcements

Crew Leader Application

Are you interested in leading a crew? Click here to fill out an application to become a crew leader in SZN 2!

VOUS High Nite

VOUS High Nite is a night for Junior High and High School Students to meet friends, worship and encounter God. It will be taking place Wednesday, April 2nd at both VOUS SoMi and VOUS Miami Gardens at 7PM.

To RSVP, click here.

There will also be a VOUS High Nite Parent Hangout. This will be an opportunity to learn more about VOUS High, have some dinner and get to know other parents in our community.

To RSVP for the Parent’s Hang, click here.

Where: VOUS Miami Gardens & VOUS SoMi

When: Saturday, April 2nd

Address:

VOUS Miami Gardens - 17801 NW 2nd Ave

Miami, FL 33169

VOUS SoMi - 6767 Sunset Dr, Miami, FL 33143

Doors Open at 7PM.

VOUS College Preview Day

Are you looking for a place to grow in leadership, community, and culture? Join us at VOUS College Preview Day on April 3rd to learn more about program offerings, connect with students, and ignite your journey to help fulfill the Great Commission!

RSVP now at vouscollege.com/preview

Where: VOUS Miami Gardens
When: Thursday, April 3rd
Address: 17801 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33169

Easter Egg Drop

The Easter Egg Drop is a family fun-filled day, including food, games, entertainment, and the crowd favorite: a helicopter egg drop with eggs stuffed with goodies and prizes!

For more information on the Easter Egg Drop, click here

If you are interested in serving, click here

Where: Charles Hadley Park

When: Saturday, April 19th

Address: 1350 NW 50th St

Miami, FL 33142

Easter at VOUS

​​Join us for Easter at VOUS as we celebrate the power of the cross. This is a weekend for the whole family! Pick a service time and invite a friend — there's room for you.

View Service Times and RSVP

The Road to VOUSCon

Join us on the road to VOUSCon as we embark on a 40-day relay run through the state of Florida. From Jacksonville to Miami, runners from every region are invited to participate in carrying the good news. Our finish line? VOUSCon 2025. Led by a core VOUS team, we’ll link arms with partner churches along the way, spotlighting the body of Christ and championing the local church through weekly outreach initiatives.

Starting Line: Sunday, May 11
Finish Line: Thursday, June 19

Learn More

Sundays at VOUS

VOUS SoMi

8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM

VOUS City

10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM

VOUS Miami Gardens

10:30AM / 12:30PM

VOUS DD

10:30AM / 12:30PM

Church Online

10AM / 12:00 PM / 5PM Español


Growth Track

After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack

Crew Leader

Introduction (2 minutes)

Use the Zoom chat feature to keep everyone connected. As people join in, ask for their first and last name, email address, and where they are tuning in from. Save the chat as an attendance record.

Reflect

Ask Crew members to share their favorite points from the talk. What phrase or moment did they relate to the most?

Icebreaker: Reflection or Conversation Starter or Virtual Icebreaker (5 minutes)

For your icebreaker, choose from the options below. Have Crew members unmute themselves to share.

Conversation Starters (Choose One)
  • What's something you did this week that you feel proud of?
  • What did you eat for breakfast?
  • Name the best book you’ve ever read.
  • What’s your morning routine?
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
  • If your life was a story, what would the title be?
Virtual Icebreakers (5 minutes)

Preaching Game - Choose random items and allow individuals to find ways to encourage others using that item. (Pick 2-3 volunteers)

Show-and-Tell - Pick an object in your home that has significance for you, something with a funny story behind it, anything unique, or something you've used to simply pass the time.

Crew Discussion

What Did You Expect?

Pastor Luke Barry

Continuing the Conversation
VOUSCon 2023: Reflect

VOUSCon was nothing short of a miracle! We're still praising God for all He did. Reflection builds gratitude. Spend the first few minutes of Crew sharing a testimony or reflection from VOUSCon 2023.

Continuing the Conversation
Last Crew's Call to Action

God calls for us to forgive while maintaining boundaries necessary to steward and nurture our souls. This week, lean in to the wisdom of Solomon and study the book of Proverbs to help you develop tools for cultivating Godly relationships while asking God for the courage to forgive. Don’t forget to check out additional resources at https://www.vouschurch.com/care.

Scripture

Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Additional Scripture References: John 11:32; Job 13:15; John 11:5; Matthew 14:31

Main Idea

Life often doesn't meet our expectations, leading to frustration and disappointment. We may hope for one outcome, only to be met with something entirely different, creating a gap between what we expected and what we experienced. This gap can lead us to question God, our faith, and our hope. But through stories like that of Lazarus and Job, we learn that God isn’t in the business of just meeting expectations, He’s in the business of exceeding them.

God’s power to perform exceeds our ability to ask

1. Hope and Expectation

Faith grows through hope and trusting God’s timing. Positive expectations can fuel faith, while unmet expectations can lead to disappointment. Often, we expect something specific from God but find ourselves limiting Him to only a particular outcome. When we don’t see Him come through just as we expected, we can find ourselves frustrated and disappointed — where was God? The truth is, God is always at work. We may not always see Him moving, or understand His plan, but He has something greater in mind.

Disappointment can tempt us to give up on expectations, but it’s an opportunity to strengthen our faith
God’s plans always exceed our expectations
Don't allow your expectations of what God was “supposed” to do get in the way of what He wants to do

If God always met your expectations, how could He ever exceed them?

What areas of your life are you waiting for God to show up? How can you operate from faith in the present as you hope for the future?

2. Endurance and Enjoyment

Job’s story is a powerful example of enduring pain and disappointment without losing faith. Even in his suffering, Job declared, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” Despite the immense loss, he continued to trust God, showing us that our hope can remain, even in the midst of struggle. Endurance is the ability to trust that God is working, even when we can’t see it.

Endurance strengthens our faith through trials
God hasn’t called us to merely endure life, He’s called us to enjoy it
Enjoying life is appreciating the little, it’s not a pain-free life, but a grateful one

We can say: “God, I don’t understand everything but I trust you in everything”

How has a difficult season strengthened your appreciation for God’s blessings?

Summary

Possibly the greatest source of frustration in life is unmet expectations. The difference between what we expected versus what we experienced often leads us to stop expecting. But there’s an invitation of faith amidst the frustration. Don’t lower your expectations; lift your faith. Give God something to exceed. God can do it, the question is: can you believe it?

Call To Action

Identify areas where you may be limiting God by expecting a specific outcome. Practice finding gratitude by celebrating the little things.

Announcements

Crew Leader Application

Are you interested in leading a crew? Click here to fill out an application to become a crew leader in SZN 2!

VOUS High Nite

VOUS High Nite is a night for Junior High and High School Students to meet friends, worship and encounter God. It will be taking place Wednesday, April 2nd at both VOUS SoMi and VOUS Miami Gardens at 7PM.

To RSVP, click here.

There will also be a VOUS High Nite Parent Hangout. This will be an opportunity to learn more about VOUS High, have some dinner and get to know other parents in our community.

To RSVP for the Parent’s Hang, click here.

Where: VOUS Miami Gardens & VOUS SoMi

When: Saturday, April 2nd

Address:

VOUS Miami Gardens - 17801 NW 2nd Ave

Miami, FL 33169

VOUS SoMi - 6767 Sunset Dr, Miami, FL 33143

Doors Open at 7PM.

VOUS College Preview Day

Are you looking for a place to grow in leadership, community, and culture? Join us at VOUS College Preview Day on April 3rd to learn more about program offerings, connect with students, and ignite your journey to help fulfill the Great Commission!

RSVP now at vouscollege.com/preview

Where: VOUS Miami Gardens
When: Thursday, April 3rd
Address: 17801 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33169

Easter Egg Drop

The Easter Egg Drop is a family fun-filled day, including food, games, entertainment, and the crowd favorite: a helicopter egg drop with eggs stuffed with goodies and prizes!

For more information on the Easter Egg Drop, click here

If you are interested in serving, click here

Where: Charles Hadley Park

When: Saturday, April 19th

Address: 1350 NW 50th St

Miami, FL 33142

Easter at VOUS

​​Join us for Easter at VOUS as we celebrate the power of the cross. This is a weekend for the whole family! Pick a service time and invite a friend — there's room for you.

View Service Times and RSVP

The Road to VOUSCon

Join us on the road to VOUSCon as we embark on a 40-day relay run through the state of Florida. From Jacksonville to Miami, runners from every region are invited to participate in carrying the good news. Our finish line? VOUSCon 2025. Led by a core VOUS team, we’ll link arms with partner churches along the way, spotlighting the body of Christ and championing the local church through weekly outreach initiatives.

Starting Line: Sunday, May 11
Finish Line: Thursday, June 19

Learn More

Sundays at VOUS

VOUS SoMi

8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM

VOUS City

10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM

VOUS Miami Gardens

10:30AM / 12:30PM

VOUS DD

10:30AM / 12:30PM

Church Online

10AM / 12:00 PM / 5PM Español


Growth Track

After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack

Sign Up for a Crew ->