VOUS Church

There are times when we face resistance and situations that we are entirely over. Ready to throw the towel in on our troubles, we can often find ourselves ready to quit the faith journey altogether. In these times, we are challenged to not go back to our old ways of relying on ourselves. 

Entering the second installment of our collection of talks from the book of Hebrews, Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. implores us to stand firm and not waver in the purpose that God has called us for in “I’m Still Not Over It.” 

When it comes to walking in our purpose, we should remain encouraged to see the process through. Since our calling is connected to people, it’s important for us to share the responsibilities with others and stay committed to where God has placed us.

Fixing our minds on Jesus, he renovates our perspectives and transforms our thoughts. Staying in his presence helps us to not get over who he is, but instead to lean completely into him regardless of the hardships as we continue on the journey of faith.

As with anything in life, our faith will be challenged. When doubts come our way, we can either set our eyes on Jesus or return to our old crutches.

Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. shares the message “Superiority Complex” a kick off to the "Not Going Back” collection of talks centered on the Book of Hebrews.

We all have a slight superiority complex. It shows up when we don’t recognize God as greater than other influences in our lives. When we don’t place God first. The problem with that is, if we don’t place him in the right order, our lives will be out of order.

 To set God first, we must hear his voice, see his example, and be pleasing him. These tasks can seem overwhelming, but we should remember our faith is quite simple. Everything begins and ends with Jesus.

By listening to Jesus’ words, looking to how Jesus led his life, and loving Jesus we confirm there’s nothing that can replace God being superior in our lives. Once we get our priorities right there’s no going back to lesser, unsatisfying distractions. Jesus is all we need.

Sometimes we forget emotions are fleeting and aren’t the best tools to live by. However, we can build our lives on a foundation of consistent joy.

Pastor Taylor Wilkerson of Trinity Church Harlem speaks on the theme of joy in an inspirational message titled “Get Your Joy Back.”

The Bible tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, but how can we be joyful in the midst of chaos life throws at us? We’ll begin to see purpose behind our pain when we understand that God equips us for the journey we’re on. It’s trust in his power to change our circumstances.

When we get discouraged, the prescription to a heavy heart is praise. Turning our focus away from our problems and toward our God in praise, unlocks our capacity to remain joyful in the face of obstacles.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. When we translate our trust into praise, the Holy Spirit restores our joy.

How would you define joy? Many would define joy as a feeling of gladness or happiness, however, joy signifies something much deeper.

Manouchka Charles encourages us to seek the joy of God with a powerful close to our collection of talks “7 Rules for Self Discovery” based on A.W. Tozer’s 7th rule, “what we laugh at.” Through the French saying “Joie de Vivre” which translates to “Joy of Living,” Manouchka explains that laughter is subjective, joy is objective. 

God wants us to find joy not only through the good times, but by being rooted in him, trusting he is always faithful. In order to find true joy we must understand God is our source of joy, choosing to stay connected to him and not just around things that reflect him. Knowing God is our satisfaction means intentionally seeking a place and time to connect with him. Realizing that God is our strength also helps us to find joy in him. Many of us try to be strong in our own power, but in reality are unknowingly walking around broken.

Joy is not situational it is supernatural. It can only come from one true source–God. You’ll find that as you continue to seek God, he will manifest true joy in your life by turning your circumstances into contentment.

Take a look around. Who is it that you see? Are you surrounded by people who will lift you up or drag you down? The company you keep is a reflective mirror on both who you are now and who you are yet to be.

“Check Your Circle” is the advice Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. gives us in this talk of the “7 Rules for Self Discovery” collection. He illustrates how A.W. Tozer’s 6th rule, the company you keep, is emphasized in the Bible, time and again. Relationships play a major part in soul discovery and the direction of our lives.

 Like oxen in a field, depending on who we’re yoked with can make the difference between going in a straight line or going in circles. When it comes to friendship, we can learn a few things from the example of the paralyzed man. His apparent good choice in friends led to his healing, forgiveness of sin, and soul restoration. They led him to Jesus, and because of their faith, he received both physical and spiritual restoration. Sometimes it takes the faithfulness of others to lead us to our fullest potential, and that’s the ultimate marker of the best relationship that any of us can have.

At some point, we all try to figure out our purpose on earth, the reason why we’re here. So we analyze the different expressions of ourselves to better understand our preferences. Along this journey to soul discovery, we also need to pay special attention to the subject of our admiration.

Our collection, "7 Rules for Self Discovery," continues as Adrian Molina speaks on the topic “Find Your Focus.” In this talk, we explore the fifth rule from A.W. Tozer, who do you admire?

 Who we look at, what we study, and how we behave are three areas to observe that can help us determine the aim of our admiration. They are all indicators of what we’re focused on. 

Zeroing in on what we hold in high esteem can show us what direction we're headed and who we'll become. For sure, we would want all we hold dear to lead us back to Jesus. With our focus fixed on God, he'll develop us into the person we want to be, so we can walk the life he's planned for us.

Foundations are important to any structure. Whether a physical building or the building of our lives, a solid base is needed for growth. Foundational work is essential to soul discovery. 

Continuing in the collection of talks “7 Rules for Self Discovery,” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. speaks on the topic “Wait Till I Get My Money Right.” 

One of the building blocks to better understanding ourselves is to determine how we spend money-the fourth of A.W. Tozer’s rules. Many times we choose to not practice generosity until we have a certain amount of money. We withhold our finances from God, trusting in our ability to do more with it. However, it’s about getting our heart right first, not attaining more money.

Where our money is spent shows what we are interested in and where our heart is invested. But God never intended for us to hold on to what he originally gave to us. To unlock the promises of tomorrow, we must release what we have received from God, focus on the eternal and believe that an abundance is waiting on the other side of our obedience.

In a Mother’s Day special, Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson continues the “7 Rules for Self-Discovery” collection, exploring the idea of what we think about the most while interviewing guest Christine Caine, evangelist, co-founder of A21 and founder of Propel Women, on how her walk with Christ influences her journey throughout her life and with her family. Christine shares with us how our thoughts can lead us astray from God’s path.

Like a train, our thoughts lead us to a destination - either positive or negative. The beauty is, we have the choice on which train we enter. If the train of thought is negative and not in line with God's word, we should let it pass us by. Instead of gravitating towards anxiety and doubt, we should cling to the promises of God, let him lead us to a fulfilling life and step into all that God has called us to.