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

Small Faith: When The Storms Rage

Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson

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

Mark 4:35-41

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

REFERENCES: PSALM 56:3; PSALM 131:2 ESV; 1 TIMOTHY 1:7; JOHN 14:2

Main Idea

Even through the darkest clouds, heavy winds, and the unbearable downpour all you need is a little bit of faith. Small faith in God has the ability to speak to the largest fears. Although his presence may not always be blatant Jesus is in the midst of every storm, and with a single word, he has the authority to command the winds to calm. But will we trust him? The disciples had seen Jesus perform many miracles, yet in the middle of the sea, they still doubted. As Christians, we have a conscious awareness that walking with Jesus doesn’t exclude us from storms, but it affords us the opportunity to have faith in a God that can speak to our storm. Let’s stay focused, prepared, and ready to confront the storms of life because no matter where we find ourselves, God is there in the midst of it all. The same minuscule faith that we see in the scripture from over 2,000 years ago is the same faith that will allow us to face the challenges of today.

It’s not a matter of if you will go through a storm, its when.

1. Jesus Confronts Your Fear

While the disciples were in the boat, they had a lot of fear but not a lot of faith. God says when we are in the middle of our storm, “There is more.” Living a life of faith is understanding that storms will constantly be on the rise, but we don’t have to fear because we have a God that walks with us.

Your fear will never stand if you confront it
Some of the greatest lessons you will learn from Jesus are taught in the middle of a storm
Trust him. God will take you to the other side

A whole lot of fear can not compare to a little bit of faith

What are some lessons you have learned in the middle of the storm?

2. Jesus Focuses Your Faith  

Often it’s easy to pray and believe for others without carrying that same level of faith for our own struggles. Jesus develops the confidence in us to believe. Remembering his faithfulness from the past gives us confidence in his faithfulness for our future.

In the midst of the storm, Jesus was there, but disciples still lacked faith
It’s faith in Jesus that sustains you
We can have confidence in Jesus because we’ve seen his faithfulness

When the storms rage, the savior always saves.

How has your faith been more focused in this season?

Summary

As we face the storms of life, know that going through them doesn’t make us any less Christian. Being a believer doesn’t mean that the storms won’t come. No, in fact, we can expect them. But having the love of Jesus ensures that he is in the boat with us. We can redirect our focus from the rage of the wind and waves to the one who controls them all. Jesus has the power to quiet the storm and to repair all the damage. Getting to the other side isn’t about the strength of the storm, it’s about the belief we have in our savior.

Call To Action

Create a Storm Preparation kit. Assemble a list of encouraging Bible verses, sermon links, and other content to help encourage yourself and others when storms arise.  

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 ->