Por encima de todo
¿Que esperabas?
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

This Is VO[US]: My Faith Was Built For This

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

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


Main Idea

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

1.  Built to Praise

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.

In our suffering let our response be prayer and worship
We don’t worship God because our circumstances are great, we worship God because He is great
Prayer and worship are not passive, they are proactive

When you start praying and worshiping it doesn’t simply lead to your deliverance but it sets the people around you free

How can we implement worship in our daily lives, especially when going through trials?

2.  Built to Persevere

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)

We don't do the right thing because of the results, we do the right thing because it's right
The attack you are facing is less about you and more about your assignment
Facing opposition is not a sign that God has left the premises, it is a sign that you are walking in God's presence

Your faith wasn’t built to expect the worst to happen, Your faith was built for you to expect the unexpected//It's not about me, it's about the God in me

Are the consequences of doing the right thing worth suffering for? How can you change your perspective about suffering when doing the right thing?

Summary

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.  

Call To Action

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.

Announcements

Pray First

We’re in week two of Pray First and there’s still time to join! Prayer is where intimacy with God begins—it aligns our hearts with His will and unlocks Heaven’s power in our lives.

Let’s grow closer to God together. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Join us for Pray First by texting "PRAY" to 30596.

Monday - Friday

Zoom Prayer @ 6:30AM
vouschurch.com/zoom

Monday - Saturday
IG Live @ 12:00PM

Wednesday - 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Prayer Rooms - Miami Gardens

Wednesday, January 15 - Pray First Gathering
7:00PM Pre-Hang
7:30PM Service
SoMi, Miami Gardens, Design District

For all gatherings information and resources on Pray First, please click here!

Baptisms Sunday

We are having baptisms this Sunday, January 19th, across all of our locations, and on the beach.

To sign up for baptisms, please click here.

Heart & Soul

Heart & Soul will be taking place on Wednesday, January 22nd. This is a night for anyone who loves VOUS with worship, community, and a stakeholders message from Pastor Rich on where we're headed in 2025.


This SZN, we will be holding Heart & Soul at VOUS City!


‍RSVP here to let us know which location you will be joining us at. This is a night you do not want to miss!

I Love My City

This month's spotlight initiative is human trafficking awareness. We aim to bring light to this critical issue by partnering with organizations working to prevent trafficking and support survivors.

We will meet at our South Miami, Design District, and Miami Gardens locations on Saturday, January 25th at 10:30am to gather and serve at an outreach throughout the city.

To sign up for an outreach at one of our locations or an Off-Site outreach, please click here.

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 Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM

Church Online
10AM / 5PM Español

Visit VOUS


Growth Track

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

Sign Up

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

Pray First

We’re in week two of Pray First and there’s still time to join! Prayer is where intimacy with God begins—it aligns our hearts with His will and unlocks Heaven’s power in our lives.

Let’s grow closer to God together. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Join us for Pray First by texting "PRAY" to 30596.

Monday - Friday

Zoom Prayer @ 6:30AM
vouschurch.com/zoom

Monday - Saturday
IG Live @ 12:00PM

Wednesday - 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Prayer Rooms - Miami Gardens

Wednesday, January 15 - Pray First Gathering
7:00PM Pre-Hang
7:30PM Service
SoMi, Miami Gardens, Design District

For all gatherings information and resources on Pray First, please click here!

Baptisms Sunday

We are having baptisms this Sunday, January 19th, across all of our locations, and on the beach.

To sign up for baptisms, please click here.

Heart & Soul

Heart & Soul will be taking place on Wednesday, January 22nd. This is a night for anyone who loves VOUS with worship, community, and a stakeholders message from Pastor Rich on where we're headed in 2025.


This SZN, we will be holding Heart & Soul at VOUS City!


‍RSVP here to let us know which location you will be joining us at. This is a night you do not want to miss!

I Love My City

This month's spotlight initiative is human trafficking awareness. We aim to bring light to this critical issue by partnering with organizations working to prevent trafficking and support survivors.

We will meet at our South Miami, Design District, and Miami Gardens locations on Saturday, January 25th at 10:30am to gather and serve at an outreach throughout the city.

To sign up for an outreach at one of our locations or an Off-Site outreach, please click here.

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 Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM

Church Online
10AM / 5PM Español

Visit VOUS


Growth Track

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

Sign Up

Sign Up for a Crew ->