[lead dropcap="yes"]There’s something powerful about dimmed lights and hands lifted, with the thumping of drums forming a backdrop as we worship God. We lift our voices, our cries to a heaven that has no end, to a great God of miracles as we feel the magnitude of His glory. It is in this moment that we are reminded how even in the darkest hour - victory has been declared.[/lead]

This is how we gather each week at VOUS Church. Shoulder to shoulder we declare that the best is truly yet to come. This weekend as we continued our study on the Book of James, Pastor Rich Wilkerson, Jr. delivered a strong message on developing patience and becoming resilient in any season.

Patience in Suffering

With the world so readily at our fingertips, we have created a generation that has developed a ‘patience problem’. Face it; we hate waiting! We are quick to disregard and go onto the next thing. We grunt and complain when we need to wait on anything. But in James 5:7-11, we are reminded that much like a farmer who plants seeds in the ground, patience is required if we are going to see a harvest.

In this chapter, James continues to speak over a crowd of persecuted Christians by encouraging them to not give up by having faith and trust in the Lord. He calls us to be movers even when we are faced with adversity. He reminds us to not remain stagnant in our struggle or in our wait.

Just because we are Christians, it doesn’t mean that we are free from suffering. When we feel pain our knee-jerk reaction is often fight, fright or flight. Instead, God wants us to respond differently:

1. GET A VISION

In James 5:7, it says “So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains.” James is asking not to dream a little but to dream big! To get to the finish line there needs to be patience by waiting, enduring and perseverance.

2. GET TREATMENT

As we walk out our brokenness, the real pain comes when restoration is occurring and pieces are being shifted back into place. The conditioning of our sorrows can be heavy at times. Pray like never before. Open your Bible and dig deep in the Word of God. Read about the many miracles Jesus performed, speak to others who have overcome struggles and get professional help. Use the abundance of resources that has been gifted to you.

[cta heading="Download the VOUS SOAP Journal" subtext="Join us as we study the Book of James with this 8-Week Bible journal." actiontext="Download" link="http://blog.vouschurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/VOUS-CHURCH-The-Book-of-James-—-SOAP-Journal.pdf"]

3. GET DISTRACTED

Distract yourself from the pain and focus on the promises of God instead. Complaining will only complicate the situation. Distract yourself in things that bring joy to the Lord. Whatever you are magnifying in your life will only get bigger. During our time of pain, magnify the Lord through praise and worship, serving the church and the community, through Bible study and by simply doing life with others.

4. GET SUPPORT

We are not designed to do life alone. We have to find encouragement in others since with friends the valleys aren’t so bad and the mountaintops are much better. Whatever we are dealing with, we can count on God to get us through any season of suffering and we have to apply endurance, perseverance and to just move forward.

Listen to the Full Message

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Creative Night

Want to be at the forefront of the creative expression of VOUS Church? Or maybe you’re just learning about your gifts and want to find out more. Creative Night is designed for you! We would love to meet you in Wynwood on Wednesday nights at the Miami Rescue Mission. For details about the night’s events, follow us on social media @vouschurch.

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