VOUS Church

Pastor DawnChère Wilkerson spoke hope into our hearts as she continued in the collection of talks, "An Anchor Called Hope," designed to encourage all during this season through our anchor found in Jesus. She landed on a passage in Romans 4:18-21 where Abraham, against all hope, in hope believed in the promise given to him by God that he will be the father of many nations. Abraham did not weaken his faith or waver in unbelief, but rather grew in his faith knowing that God had the power to do what He had promised. Many of us are believing for great things and are hoping for our promises to be fulfilled but may not be seeing them instantly come to pass. So how do we, like Abraham, against all hope, in hope believe?

We can all feel like a canoe sometimes ... enjoying the surf or river water, fighting the waves, and looking for an anchor; sometimes we don’t want to be anchored, just wanting to drift away even when it’s still and the waters are calm. Pastor Rich Wilkerson, Jr. reminds us that as children of God we don’t have to drift or waiver or wander, nor do we have to ever wonder whether God's promises for our life will be fulfilled; we have Jesus Christ, and he is an anchor for our soul!

Rich Wilkerson, Jr. sits down with Joel Houston from UNITED during Art Basel in Miami, FL to talk about the perspective and influence of art on culture and embracing the process of creating good art.

See video of the full conversation here.

Have you ever felt as though you are insignificant? Often our perception of ourselves is shaped by our interpretation of God and the world around us. Pastor Joel Houston took a moment this weekend to challenge our perception of who God is, the value that each life holds, and the moments that truly make a difference in our short lifespan.

God is more than a figurehead, or a powerful being. He is more than a story or an idea. His word is deep and expansive, full of infinite possibilities. God, the most powerful and constant thing in this universe is interested in the personal. He’s intrigued by the fabric that makes us who we are. There are Infinite possibilities with God as he can do so much though impossible. 

 

In the eyes of God, we are like children. Even the most civilized and wisest us of all are still growing and changing as we get to know God and his Word better. We are His children on a spiritual journey that allows us to mature and grow in Him. God made no mistakes when we were designed. Each and very one of us was created with a purpose. God, a masterful artist and creator, created us: his masterpiece. He beautifully reconfigures and transforms the ugliest, and messiest things about us into beautiful works of art.

During our final Creative Collective of 2016, Pastor Rich Wilkerson, Jr. shared a message called Heaven On Earth. In it, he challenges us to step away from the passive approach of waiting to go to Heaven and opt instead to step into an active faith of bringing Heaven to earth. As creatives, we have an opportunity to show the world the mysteries of God through our art, whatever form it takes.

Every decision in life has a cost. Whether financial, psychical, or emotional our choices can affect the course of our lives. Not understanding the cost of something can be dangerous. Not understanding what following Jesus means is no different. As Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr explains, following Jesus has a real cost and even challenges our most basic needs. It involves trusting him with our fears, our finances, our trials, our loved ones, and even our lives. Trusting that our lives are best when in his hands.

In the Kingdom of Heaven we have a high status and calling to be ambassadors for Christ. But what are we doing with that power? Pastor Carl Lentz explains that taking on the weight of the role could begin with a simple greeting: “It’s nice to me you.”

It is in times of uncertainty that we can be confident in our citizenship, our place of permanent residence and our ultimate destination: heaven. Jesus gave us a glimpse of heaven so that we can find purpose for today. Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson encourages us with a beautiful picture of our future– not just our immediate future, but our ultimate future, the promise of heaven.

Vision is the why of everything that we do. Every person should have a vision because it gives purpose to the pain we experience as we walk towards our purpose. Every vision starts with a seed, but no seed can give fruit unless it's planted. The only way to see the fruit of our seeds and to see the progression in our lives is by adopting God's vision for our lives.

Is your personal mission more important than God’s mission? In Matthew 28, Jesus gives clear instruction that as his church, we’re called to go, make disciples, and teach people the gospel. In this installment of our series of talks, “The Church,” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. speaks to us about the bold mission we've been given. Regardless of what we do to make a living, we're called to live a life for God.