VOUS Church

Rich Wilkerson Jr. with Mike Todd & Chad Veach — VOUS Conference 2019: Scared But Prepared

Stepping out to lead can be a scary thing. And that's OK, so long as fear doesn't hinder our progress in leadership.

During VOUS Conference 2019, pastors Rich Wilkerson Jr., Chad Veach, and Mike Todd collaborated on the message "Scared but Prepared."

Fear of being stuck in place, fear of an uncertain destination, or fear of missing out are few compelling reasons leaders take a step back. Yet, when we listen to God’s promises we can rest in the fact that he has already gone before us.

As we develop as leaders our trust in God must turn to action. Focus on the craft and make it even stronger through practice. Seek out mentorship and never neglect the impact our example can have on others. Those are key ways to beat back the fear that would keep us in the shadows.

Leadership is God’s will for our lives. He prompts us to walk by faith, not by sight. So let's prepare by living as though we are already in the place we want to be. As we value our role God will maximize our efforts, elevating us in due time. And that will far outweigh the fear.

DawnCheré Wilkerson — VOUS Girl: She Knows

With innovation around just about every corner, knowledge has become one of the most accessible commodities. However, there are still things we do not know. There are moments of uncertainty where we can’t find any answers.

In this VOUS Girl message, "She Knows," Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson reminds us that in times of fear and doubt, the Lord gives us strength and endurance. And contrary to popular thought, God's power isn’t always shown by our sudden breakthrough, but by our ability to stand firm.

As did Moses, David, and Isaiah, we can remember that God is our strength and our song, even in moments of weakness. He is with us every step and time after time he is our salvation. Whether in our doubts, in our mistakes, or in our thinking we're not enough, God meets us where we are. But he doesn't leave us there.

We need only to be still and hold on to God's loving presence. When a winning strategy isn't clear, a VOUS Girl knows one thing for sure—he is God. And with him, no journey is impossible to walk.

DawnCheré — VOUS Conference 2019: Living The Dream

Have you ever wanted something so bad and when you got it, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be? Many times how we dream things will happen and how they play out is very different. But even when it's uncomfortable, we need to let the scene play out before we give up.

Pastor DanwCheré Wilkerson challenged us during VOUS Conference 2019, with her message, "Living the Dream."

Sometimes we are disappointed by our reality. It can even seem worthless to dream and believe in those dreams. But we need to come to terms with the fact that living the dream is a lot different from dreaming the dream. God gave us the ability to dream and imagine the impossible, but it is when we center our lives and dreams around Jesus that we experience his promises in ways we couldn't even imagine.

As we walk out our identity in Christ, we realize that we have been living the dream all along.

Rich Wilkerson Jr. — Anytime Anxiety Comes

Anxiety is one of the many struggles that plague our lives. Though it may not seem obvious, anxiety can stem from a lack of prayer and consistent communication with God.

 In a message titled “Anytime Anxiety Comes,” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. encourages us to use prayer as our main tool in combating anxiety.

 There are many examples in the Bible where we see how our triumphs will be the direct result of our prayers. Even a simple and straightforward prayer can make all the difference, take the prayer of Jabez for instance.

We must remember that when we become crippled or overwhelmed by emotional stressors, going to God in prayer will be like an umbrella in the rain. Making you feel safe and protected while you face the challenges of the day.

Lecrae — Surviving Life’s Deserts and Storms

"Why is this happening to me?" is a question we can find ourselves asking amid tough situations. We try to run away from the storms, believing that hiding will make them cease. Instead of avoiding our problems or striving to solve them with our own effort, we can go to God to find out what we should learn from them.

Delivering a powerful message to kick off our 21 days of prayer and fasting, Grammy award-winning artist and renowned communicator Lecrae encourages us to run to God during chaos in “Surviving Life’s Deserts and Storms.”

Like Jonah the prophet, we will encounter various storms. Whether they're caused by self-infliction, the broken world we live in, or God's hand serving as a wake-up call, we should never view what must we go through as punishment.

God allows the obstacles to prepare us for the future, to align us with the blessings he has for us. While it’s easy to believe we’re alone in hard times, God is never far away. He is always right by our side. Walking with us through trials and challenges, God is ready to step in as our deliverer.

Dakota Duron — Hebrews: Unshakeable Kingdom

Rich Wilkerson Jr. — Hebrews: You Are Surrounded

When we’re frustrated with our circumstances, we may become discouraged in our faith. We can be triggered by simple distractions that hinder us from our destiny. These are all challenges that tempt us to quit, run back, and just give up completely. 

In the fifth week of the collection of talks “Not Going Back” from a study of the book of Hebrews, Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. reminds us of what great faith looks like in his message titled “You Are Surrounded.”

The journey of faith will require us to persevere, and we must always consider our reward, Jesus, who has provided the ultimate sacrifice for us to live by faith through his grace. 

Remember that no matter what, we are never alone, and when we surrender, we are surrounded with love and strength. We can look to those who have already crossed the finish line, providing us with valuable examples on how to stay encouraged, push through, and run until the end. We must not back down, but remember God has given us everything we need to keep going.

Rich Wilkerson Jr. — Hebrews: Once and For All

In our day-to-day, it is easy to get consumed with ourselves and the many avenues by which our worldly troubles affect us. Viewed through the lens of the law, our sins and imperfections are on full display, almost to the point of distraction. Our faith journey can become burdensome if we turn to the law looking for forgiveness.

In “Once and for All,” a talk from our Book of Hebrews study “Not Going Back,” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. tells us to shift our focus from ourselves to Jesus, the perfect one who paid the ultimate price.

The enemy tries to keep us in bondage by pointing out that we can never measure up. It is a constant assault that seeks to prevent us from moving forward in true freedom. 

But remembering Jesus is the fulfillment of the law gives us what we need to withstand those old tactics. Staying fixed on the new mercy and grace of Jesus sets in us the truth that our sins⁠—past, present, and future⁠—have been forgiven once and for all.

Luke Barry — Hebrews: I’m Not Letting Go

Everyone wants a better life, but what do we mean by better? Usually, we define better as being whatever's most convenient to us. But that's not what God has in mind.

Diving deeper into our study of the book of Hebrews, Luke Barry shares the message ”Not Letting Go,” the third talk in the “Not Going Back” collection.

Christianity isn't exactly known to make life easy or comfortable. So, why be a Christian if it appears not to fit our definition of better? The decision to live a life set apart doesn't come from a place of convenience, but of conviction.

The events of the Bible aren't metaphors to be applied to life, rather they're moments that happened in order to change our lives. The most pivotal of all being the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. The anchor of our faith.

History cannot be rewritten. It reveals "his story," the truth of Jesus. We must hold on to that truth. While Jesus did all that was needed to be done for us, he didn’t do everything that needed to be done by us. The better life we desire requires us to stand firm in faith and belief of God’s promises.

Rich Wilkerson Jr — VOUS Conference 2019: No One Else Is Coming

What if the hope of the Gospel was on the shoulders of a singular people? What if no one else was coming to deliver the Gospel? We are that hope. We are that people.

Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. kicks off VOUS Conference 2019 by laying the groundwork to this year’s theme, "No One Else is Coming." In it, he speaks on Jesus’ final prayer before the cross for believers to come together as the body of Christ.

As Christ followers, we need to bring the broken home. To complete our mission we need unity but comparison, competition, criticism, and character flaws hinder us.

The Church needs a new narrative. One that speaks of a community helping those with problems, loving beyond mistakes, and caring without judgment. The Church where people can belong before they believe and behave.

We cannot wait for others to spread the good news because no one else is coming. Let us rise to the challenge, showing the world that Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, but rather to love and save us.