VOUS Church

God Dream: Don't Take The Bait

We all have hopes and dreams for our future. Our lives are a series of decisions that can either propel us forward or hold us back from them.

 

God dreams sometimes take time to come to pass, but no matter how different our present may be from our dream, we need to learn to not give in to the bait of sin or bad decisions that can trap us, and stop our future from being all that God has envisioned for us.

 

This week, Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. continues our collection of talks, God Dream, with a sermon titled, “Don’t Take The Bait.” As we look into Joseph’s life at a point where he had to overcome temptation, we realize that in order to see God’s vision for our life come true, we have to learn not to give in to the appetite of the flesh. From Joseph’s example, we learn to realize the cost of temporary satisfaction. We can resist the urge to give into temptation by understanding that a little bit of pain now will produce a much greater reward in the future. As we wait for our dreams to come true, we know that we are going to have to make difficult decisions, but those decisions in full context create a more permanent satisfaction as we experience God’s dream for our life come to pass.

God Dream: There's More To "No"

If you’ve ever had an encounter with God, you know that it can change your life forever. It doesn’t matter if you’re 17 or 107, God has a plan for your life. When God places a dream in your heart, it can be the word that propels you into your destiny. God gives us a dream for tomorrow to help us face the pain of today, so that we don’t settle for what we see directly in front of us. A lot of us are prepared for the potential of our lives to do something great, but we’re not always prepared for the price. 

If we expect to live lives of significance, we can certainly expect to face rejection. In a sermon titled “There’s More To No,” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. starts his collection of talks on the life of Joseph by reminding us that our dreams must face the test of rejection. Although it’s easy to get discouraged when we face rejection, it’s important to realize that rejection is often God’s direction in our lives, pointing us toward His dreams for us. By surrounding ourselves with the right people, and remembering that rejection creates resilience, we can keep moving forward in the face of NO, and realize the God dreams for our lives.

VOUS Year’s Eve: Highlights from 2017

The best is yet to come. It’s a phrase that we say often and whole heartedly believe at VOUS Church, in particular when it comes to approaching a new year. As 2017 comes to an end and 2018 is upon us, we’re expectant and excited for all of the new opportunities, experiences, and promises that God has in store for each and every one of us. While looking ahead is important, sometimes, it’s also important to look behind and celebrate the wins and the blessings God’s given us so far. That’s exactly what we did at VOUS Church this New Years Eve, as we took a look at some of the most profound sermons and moments of 2017. From our study of Jonah at the start of the year, to a little flub confusing Jonah for David as a murderer, to some incredible words from our “guests,” who may as well be family, we have had some incredible moments as a church this year. Take a look back with us as we celebrate the wins, and look expectantly towards the future.

Christmas Eve - God With Us

Have ever been in a situation where you needed God? Maybe you found yourself in some kind of trouble, or felt lonely, or just had one of those days where the only thing you could say was, “God help me.” This Christmas Eve, Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. reminds us of the greatest news of the Christmas story - God is with us. There’s not a moment that passes where God is not present with each and every one of us, even when we don’t notice Him. The story of Jesus’ birth in Matthew chapter 1 assure us that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. By believing that Jesus is God and recognizing His presence with us, we can experience the power of the Holy Spirit this Christmas, and in every season of our lives.

One More Night With The Frogs

In the story of Moses, as the Egyptians are being pelted with plagues, Moses comes before the Pharoah and offers him a chance to rid his people of the frogs that have infested their land. Pharoah, upon being given the choice of when to act on the offer simply answers, "Tomorrow."

Pastor Rich Wilkerson, Jr. leads us to see that frogs actually represent unwanted and often toxic issues in our own lives, and shows us that when we are presented with the opportunity to change, we often have the same response of, "Tomorrow."

We are challenged to take a hard look at ourselves and make changes now rather than later. Don't put another delay on something you can change today. Don't spend one more night with the frogs.

Terrance Wilson — Separated, Sent, Scared, Shocked

Often, when we find ourselves stuck in life, we tend to look to our ability, what we’re equipped with, to find the way out. As pastor Terrance Wilson of Trinity Church reminds us, it’s not in our ability but in God’s ability where the answer is found. Maybe it’s a matter of perspective we need to gain, instead of thinking that our circumstance is a curse, it could be an assignment we are called to overcome. 

VOUS Basel: Conversation with Rich Wilkerson, Jr. and Brant Cryder

Rich Wilkerson, Jr. sits down with Brant Cryder of Yves Saint Laurent to talk about the role of faith in business, fashion, and his number one church pet peeve.

Miracle In Motion: Living for Legacy

Everybody wants to matter. We all want to believe that what we do with our time on earth will leave an impact after we’re gone. We build businesses, name children after ourselves, and sow our time into charitable organizations, all in the hopes of creating a legacy.

This Sunday in a message titled “Living for Legacy,” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. of VOUS Church illustrates another way that we can be part of building a legacy - generosity. As we close our series of talks around the idea of Miracle In Motion, we learn how legacy transfers our blessing from generation to generation. When we make an internal investment into God’s kingdom, we make an immediate investment that not only affects our lives, but the lives of others, and perhaps others we’ll never know on this side of eternity. When you remember that you can’t take it with you, and ask yourself if you control your money or if your money controls you, you learn that prosperity has a purpose. Find out how that purpose can be part of God’s eternal legacy today.

Miracle In Motion: The Art of Bothering God

Have you ever met someone who just, really annoyed you? We can all admit that at some point or another, someone has annoyed us so much, that we’ve reacted. Whether it was giving in to a child who wouldn’t stop asking for candy, or agreed to do something just to get someone off your back, when something or someone bothers you enough, you’re pushed toward action. God is the same way. This week, in a sermon titled “The Art of Bothering God,” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. challenges us to begin to get a little bothered, and begin to bother God. Luke 18 tells the story of a woman who pestered an unjust judge to the point that he finally gave in to her requests. If an unjust judge was moved to action on her behalf, how much more will a just and loving God be moved to action on our behalf when we continue to persist? God is never truly bothered by us. Persistent prayer honors God, and when we refuse to give up, no matter how long we’ve been waiting, God will give us an answer. Persistence produces miracles, and when we learn that sometimes “no” is just part of the process, we can learn to bother God enough to see miraculous changes in our lives and in the world around us.

DawnCheré Wilkerson - The Path to Freedom / VOUS Girl

Home is always a journey and the path to freedom becomes closer with each step. What is freedom? There are some acts of so-called freedom that actually destroy freedom. They hide in darkness, whispering lies that limit our sight and inhibit our hearts. Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson reminds us that true freedom comes when we allow God to remove our record, our regret, and our resistance.