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A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
REFERENCES: Mark 2:6-12, Hebrews 4:12, Galatians 6:2, 1 John 3:19
“I’ve already heard that.” Have you ever been caught telling a story to someone who’s already heard it before? The Bible is full of stories we’re probably familiar with, but unlike any other book, it is alive. It is the living word of God and the more we read it the less it is the same. It may be the same story, but there’s always a new revelation. Just like a new revelation, we have the power to change for the better everyday. Jesus has called us to change but we aren’t meant to do it alone. Like the group of men who made a way for their paralyzed friend to be healed, we will have to make the radical decision to pick up our mat and walk. So let’s do just that. As we acknowledge that we don’t have it all figured out, God can make all things new through us. With God, we have the power to change.
Jesus and Jesus alone is the only companion of change.
On the surface, the paralytic needed to be healed physically. However, God — who knows our heart — knew the paralytic needed forgiveness much more than he needed to walk. Jesus also tells us, “You are forgiven.”
When Jesus freed the paralytic by forgiving his sins, the teachers of the law questioned his authority and called it blasphemy. Jewish literature that had talked about the Messiah did not anticipate that even he would forgive our sins. But when God sent his only son, they got much more than what they were looking for as he acted out of his known authority.
Truth be told, we all want transformation but we can’t change on our own. We can look to the source, Jesus, to be our companion on the journey of change. The same Jesus who can make broken bones walk again has the authority to seal
our eternity. He has given us a path to purpose, and has empowered us by setting us free so we are no longer tied down. The single most common attribute of crowds in the Gospel of Mark is that they obstruct access to Jesus. Let us be intentional about pushing past the crowd to get closer to him. Whether that’s by getting into community or diving deeper into God’s word, we can choose to not only follow Jesus’ voice but walk with him. As we walk with him we must remember we will encounter both haters and lovers. Both will shape you, but only Jesus can change you.
Spend some time getting to know the companion of change. Read through the Gospel of Mark and list the attributes of Jesus you see. The more you know about him, the easier it is to follow him.
Need a midweek reset? Join us every Wednesday at VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District in the Prayer Room for an incredible hour of prayer starting at 12PM. Make it part of your weekly rhythm!
Where: VOUS Miami Gardens and VOUS Design District
When: Every Wednesday
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Are you interested in leading a crew? Click here to fill out an application to become a crew leader in SZN 1 2026!
Make Thanksgiving special for a family in need by serving at our annual Thanksgiving Bash, a morning of distributing hundreds of meals to families in our community and watching teams compete for the VOUS Bowl Title in our spirited 7-on-7 flag football tournament.
As a Crew, fill up a Meal Kit this week and bring it to VOUS Miami Gardens or to the Thanksgiving Bash and serve together!
To donate a meal kit online, click here
To serve, click here
Date: Saturday, November 22nd
Time: 11:00AM
Location: Charles Hadley Park
Join us bright and early at Peacock Park for the VOUS 10K Turkey Trot! Start your Thanksgiving with fresh air, great friends, and all-around fun! We’ll see you at the starting line!
Sign up for the Turkey Trot, click here
Date: Thursday, November 27th
Time: 6:00AM
Location: Peacock Park
On Sunday, November 30th we're bringing our annual Tree Lighting tradition to our SoMi, City, and Miami Gardens Locations after the 6pm Services! RSVP and join us for a night of fun! Invite your friends and let's welcome the Christmas season together!
Date: November 30th
Time: 7:30PM
Locations:
VOUS Miami Gardens
17801 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33169
VOUS City
6101 NW 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33127
VOUS SoMi
6767 Sunset Dr
South Miami, FL 33143
To RSVP, click here
Sow a seed of faith and invest in legacy Sunday, December 7 at our annual Bricklayers Offering.
For more information, click here
VOUS SoMi
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
VOUS Design District
8:30AM / 10:00AM / 12:00PM
Church Online
10:00AM / 12:00PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
