Philippians 1:1-11
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons[a]: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Having a positive personality makes us feel good, but having joy is not based on happiness or circumstances, it's something that we cultivate through Christ. We can cultivate joy by practicing our gratitude and remembering all the good things that God had done for us. The more grateful we are, the more joyful we can become.
God is greater than our mistakes, and His mercy is not attached to our wrong-doings. If He started something in your life, He will finish it. He is directing us to not walk in circles but always leads us to His path. Enjoy the journey loving what God is doing. Remember, when you make joy a habit in your life you’ll reflect His love.
Gratitude is the seed of joy.
When Paul was imprisoned, he taught us the art of joy by remembering what God had done for his friends in Philippi, in spite of his current circumstance. Just like Paul, we can lean into the Joy of the Lord by remembering his faithfulness.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.
Philippians 1:7
It’s always exciting to start something new and to stick with it until it’s completed. But when God starts something in our lives we don’t need to walk around aimlessly, He guides and steers us until we have a clear vision of where we are going. As we look forward to what God is doing we can encourage each other to not give up and be confident that no matter where He takes us or how long, He will complete it.
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
Joy is a weapon that can only be sharpened when we adopt a posture of gratitude for what God has done and will do. As we make joy a habit, our reflex should be to love what God is doing through ourselves and others around us. You may not always like what you’re currently going through, but loving what God is doing in your life will prepare you for His will. No matter what season of life you find yourself in, remember — gratitude leads to joy and joy leads to strength. If you're having a hard time seeing what God is doing in your life, start by celebrating what he is doing in someone else's.
Reflect on how you can practice joy in your relationship with others. Choose 3 people in your VOUS Crew that you want to celebrate and shout them out in your crew’s group chat this week.
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