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Acts 10:1-16 NIV
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
Additional Scripture References: Acts 10:17-33, Acts 10:25-29, Acts 10:34-48, Jonah 1:1-3
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a surprise party, a thoughtful note, or an exciting trip. Whatever comes to mind, the gift was likely an unexpected and undeserved surprise. The same is true about God’s grace. Grace means unmerited favor — we don’t deserve it, and we can’t earn it, but God freely gives it. Grace is not a principle, it’s a person, and His name is Jesus.
God’s favor might come unexpectedly, but His character is consistent
In our own limited perspective, it’s easy to believe that what we see is what we get. The truth is that we never know the full extent of what God is doing. While He’s working on us, He’s also working on the people around us. Acts 10, we learn about Cornelius, a God-fearing centurion in Caesarea. With no context, God instructed him to seek out Peter. Less than 24 hours later, God instructed Peter to meet with Cornelius. Both men stepped out in faith not knowing what God was doing but trusting in His plan. No matter our circumstances, if we continue to walk in obedience, we can trust that God is working out the other side.
Sometimes God gives a promise, other times He gives a path, but rarely does He give us both. Without even realizing it, Cornelius and Peter watched God’s plan unfold step by step, leading to a transformative moment as the Gentiles heard the Gospel, repented, received the Holy Spirit, and got water baptized for the first time. Even when we don’t understand, God sets us up to encounter unexpected favor — it’s usually on the other side of what we perceive as an inconvenience.
It’s always been God’s plan to rescue and redeem us. He doesn’t need our strength, He wants our surrender. No matter how much we veer off course or try to hide from our calling, we can never outrun grace. May we learn to receive grace in its entirety so we can extend it to others.
Take time this week to ask the Lord if there are any areas where you’ve been avoiding a step of faith. Ask the Lord to show you His unexpected grace, then resolve to follow His instruction and take the next step.
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!
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 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!
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.
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
