Acts 16:16 - 27
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.
REFERENCES: Acts 16:16:40
What sets your soul on fire? That which we are passionate for is what sets us aflame. Passion is more than a simple feeling, it’s a desire to persevere, an ongoing pursuit towards what we love and value. Paul and Silas were so in love with Jesus that not even the prison cell could stop their praise. Much like Paul and Silas when the enemy sees us loving God, and setting the captives free he will try to stop us. When we praise despite what is thrown at us, God breaks the prison doors. May nothing and no one deter your passion.
To pursue passion is to follow Jesus wherever he leads
When we face struggles we can always choose to praise God in the middle of them. Our worship has the power to tear down strongholds and shake us from one season to the other.
The enemy will attempt to prevent God’s will from being fulfilled by tackling His people's assignments. Our faith was built for the unexpected and to play offense against the enemy's schemes. When we build our faith brick by brick, day by day, we are training to persevere through the tough moments.
“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me…" Psalm 138:8 (ESV)
When you are faced with a challenging season, your posture should be worship. The attacks that you receive as a faithful servant are a sign that you are doing the right thing. You’ve been called to fight the good fight and persevere through storms that come your way. Your sacrifices and endurance are building a firm foundation. As you passionately fight the good fight, know that your faith was built for this.
Create a playlist of your favorite Christian #FightMusic aka worship music for times of perseverance and suffering.
Listen to Upon This Rock by VOUS Worship for some inspiration.
If someone in your Crew needs care, we want to come alongside you. Our Care Response Team is designed to equip you to walk with people in different seasons of their life.Our team is committed to celebrating life’s best moments with you and offering support through its hardest ones.We would love to come around you for the following life events:
+ Marriages
+ Births
+ Deaths
+ Hospitalizations/Illness
Please submit a request at vouschurch.com/requestcare
Serve Day is happening Saturday, July 12th, and we want to get ALL of our crews involved in loving our city so please sign your crew up for a Serve Day project! To see the projects and sign up, please click here! Please have your form in by Wednesday, July 2nd.
When: Saturday, July 12th
Where: All VOUS Locations
Time: 10:00 AM
We are having baptisms this Sunday, July 27th, across all of our locations, and on the beach.
To sign up for baptisms, please click here.
VOUS High Camp is happening July 22–25 in St. Petersburg, FL. A four-day experience for students in 6th–12th grade to grow in faith, build friendships, and have a blast. Camp includes worship, games, lodging, meals, merch, and transportation.
To sign up for VOUS High Camp, click here.
Join us for a powerful night designed just for college students and young adults. VCOM PM Chapel is where faith and community collide — a space to encounter God, connect with others, and be stirred in your calling in the community and culture of VOUS College.
To RSVP, click here.
When: Thursday, July 17th
Where: VOUS Design District
Time: 7:30 PM
Address: 77 NE 40th St, Miami, FL, 33137
VOUS SoMi
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM
VOUS Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM
Church Online
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack