SoMi / Online
I Have Enough
City
It's Time to Grow Up

Crew Leader

Introduction (2 minutes)

Use the Zoom chat feature to keep everyone connected. As people join in, ask for their first and last name, email address, and where they are tuning in from. Save the chat as an attendance record.

Reflect

Ask Crew members to share their favorite points from the talk. What phrase or moment did they relate to the most?

Icebreaker: Reflection or Conversation Starter or Virtual Icebreaker (5 minutes)

For your icebreaker, choose from the options below. Have Crew members unmute themselves to share.

Conversation Starters (Choose One)
  • What's something you did this week that you feel proud of?
  • What did you eat for breakfast?
  • Name the best book you’ve ever read.
  • What’s your morning routine?
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
  • If your life was a story, what would the title be?
Virtual Icebreakers (5 minutes)

Preaching Game - Choose random items and allow individuals to find ways to encourage others using that item. (Pick 2-3 volunteers)

Show-and-Tell - Pick an object in your home that has significance for you, something with a funny story behind it, anything unique, or something you've used to simply pass the time.

Crew Discussion

Icon: Stewarding a Fire

Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.

Continuing the Conversation
VOUSCon 2023: Reflect

VOUSCon was nothing short of a miracle! We're still praising God for all He did. Reflection builds gratitude. Spend the first few minutes of Crew sharing a testimony or reflection from VOUSCon 2023.

Continuing the Conversation
Last Crew's Call to Action

God calls for us to forgive while maintaining boundaries necessary to steward and nurture our souls. This week, lean in to the wisdom of Solomon and study the book of Proverbs to help you develop tools for cultivating Godly relationships while asking God for the courage to forgive. Don’t forget to check out additional resources at https://www.vouschurch.com/care.

Scripture

Leviticus 6:12-13

The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

Additional scripture references: Hebrews 12:29, Revelation 1:14, Matthew 3:11, Numbers 9:15, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Acts 2:1-4

Main Idea

You may remember a time when you gathered around a campfire with friends and family and enjoyed time together. Maybe you sang songs and toasted marshmallows as you warmed your hands by the flames. In the same way, the church gathers around the fire of the Holy Spirit, a roaring fire that sets our hearts ablaze. As Christians, we keep the fire of the Holy Spirit alive in our lives through prayer, serving, and being in God’s word. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in every season of life. Our surrender to him is how we keep the fire burning for generations to come.


Being on fire for God is more than a feeling

1. Surrendering to the Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us. Knowing the Holy Spirit means recognizing his holiness and responding with surrender. He is an all-consuming fire who leads us, purifies us, and speaks to us. We surrender to him by obeying his direction, listening to his voice, disciplining our lives to know him more, and enjoying his presence. As we surrender, he is faithful to change us from the inside out, setting us on fire with him.

Surrendering to the Holy Spirit is how we steward the fire of God
A brush with fire will mark us forever
We’re either surrendering to the Spirit or suppressing him

What is started in the Spirit, cannot be sustained in your own strength

How have you seen the Holy Spirit work in your life as you’ve surrendered to him?

2. Stewarding the Presence of the Holy Spirit

In the Old Testament, the priest would throw wood on the fire to keep the flame from going out. In the same way, our lives are meant to look like an eternal fire. God will start the fire for us, and it’s our job to maintain it. We throw wood on the fire through prayer, time in God’s word, serving, and getting plugged into Crew. As we steward the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, we can go to him as a constant source of guidance.

The Holy Spirit is a flame that never goes out
We are keepers of the flame
We can’t start the fire but we can keep it burning

We have a daily choice to surrender to the Spirit or suppress him.

How can we encourage and support one another in stewarding the presence of the Holy Spirit? What role can Crew play in fostering an environment where the fire of the Holy Spirit can burn brightly?

Summary

The ones on fire are the ones who have surrendered. As we choose to surrender to the Holy Spirit and steward his presence in our lives, we will become a blazing fire.In seasons where we find ourselves feeling tired and burned out, it’s the Holy Spirit’s fire that keeps us burning and enables us to persevere. The body of Christ is a people on fire for God. Let us never become a campfire, emitting warmth for a moment, then turning into ash. Our God is an all consuming fire that never burns out.

Call To Action

Learn more about the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of each of us by studying the New Testament: Book of Acts. Visit https://www.vouschurch.com/icon for resources to learn more about the Holy Spirit and how He connects us to the Lord.

Announcements

Sundays at VOUS

VOUS SoMi
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM

VOUS City
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM

VOUS Miami Gardens
10:30AM / 12:30PM

VOUS Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM

Church Online
10AM / 5PM Español

Visit VOUS


Growth Track

After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack

Sign Up

VOUS Worship Night

You’re invited to worship night with new VOUS Worship music! All are welcome.

Sunday, May 26

6:00PM

VOUS SoMi + VOUS City

Learn More

VOUSCon 2024

We’re less than 50 days away from VOUSCon! Gather with thousands of like-minded leaders. Be equipped and empowered for the journey ahead.

June 20-22

Miami, FL

Get Your Ticket

Serve at VOUSCon

As we create an atmosphere that glorifies God, we create space for Him to move. As servant leaders, we carry the culture. Because we value Con, we invest in it.

Sign Up to Serve

Crew Leader

Introduction (2 minutes)

Use the Zoom chat feature to keep everyone connected. As people join in, ask for their first and last name, email address, and where they are tuning in from. Save the chat as an attendance record.

Reflect

Ask Crew members to share their favorite points from the talk. What phrase or moment did they relate to the most?

Icebreaker: Reflection or Conversation Starter or Virtual Icebreaker (5 minutes)

For your icebreaker, choose from the options below. Have Crew members unmute themselves to share.

Conversation Starters (Choose One)
  • What's something you did this week that you feel proud of?
  • What did you eat for breakfast?
  • Name the best book you’ve ever read.
  • What’s your morning routine?
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
  • If your life was a story, what would the title be?
Virtual Icebreakers (5 minutes)

Preaching Game - Choose random items and allow individuals to find ways to encourage others using that item. (Pick 2-3 volunteers)

Show-and-Tell - Pick an object in your home that has significance for you, something with a funny story behind it, anything unique, or something you've used to simply pass the time.

Crew Discussion

It’s Time to Grow Up

Pastor Manouchka Charles

Continuing the Conversation
VOUSCon 2023: Reflect

VOUSCon was nothing short of a miracle! We're still praising God for all He did. Reflection builds gratitude. Spend the first few minutes of Crew sharing a testimony or reflection from VOUSCon 2023.

Continuing the Conversation
Last Crew's Call to Action

God calls for us to forgive while maintaining boundaries necessary to steward and nurture our souls. This week, lean in to the wisdom of Solomon and study the book of Proverbs to help you develop tools for cultivating Godly relationships while asking God for the courage to forgive. Don’t forget to check out additional resources at https://www.vouschurch.com/care.

Scripture

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity….” ‭

Additional Scripture References: ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭9‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬ 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Samuel‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NIV‬, 1 Samuel 16:18, 1 Samuel 17:15, ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:38-40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Main Idea

Have you ever tried to run a long distance? If you have, you know that it requires real and consistent training to achieve your goal. No matter what your intention, without training, you may find it difficult to arrive at the finish line. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. In the same way, our journey of faith is one of endurance. Training at every stage of our development is important. Time does not dictate maturity, but our training will. You can be old and immature, and young and mature. It’s not about arriving, but simply starting. We can trust that God will give us everything we need at the time that we need it. We’re not delayed, we’re destined!

If you want to win the battles of life you need training.

1. You Are Set Apart

Our becoming comes from our believing. Do you believe that you’re called? That you’re chosen? That you’re cared for by God? Securing our identity in Christ allows us to develop and mature with him. If we don’t know who we are, we will never know who we can be. You’re not like the world, you’re not like everyone else, you’re not missing out.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [1 Peter 2:9]

What God has for you is for you
You can’t be like what you are called to lead
It’s not about being more gifted, it’s about being more disciplined

You are not delayed, you’re being developed.

In what area do you find it difficult to believe what God says about you?

2. You Are Growing

You are called and chosen by God. You are anointed but may not yet be appointed. Maturity prepares you to steward what God has called you to. An untrained David could never beat Goliath. He was able to fight appropriately because he had trained for years. Spiritual maturity is the process of becoming more Christ-like in character, attitude and behavior. You can’t go where God’s taking you without maturing along the way. 

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” [1 Samuel 16:7]

Time will not dictate your maturity, your training will
The mark of maturity is not just hearing the word, but listening to what the Word says
Although you might have not walked in it yet, you are it

If you never train, you will never become

What are you doing today to mature for tomorrow?

Summary

Availability unlocks the door of maturity in our lives. King Saul was supposed to fight but David made himself available for growth. His willingness to embrace the season he found himself in and make himself available to be developed allowed him to step up when he was called upon. Are you open to maturity? Are you open to growth? Are you open to change? The world will try to put on fear, insecurity, and failure. Pick up courage, security, and peace. God’s strength is with you as you daily surrender to Him.

Call To Action

Reflect this week on how you are investing your time to mature. Commit to spend time in one of these 5 areas:

  1. Dedicated time to prayer 
  2. Time off of social media
  3. Sabbath/Rest 
  1. Reading the word
  2. Serving others 

Be prepared to share your experience at Crew next time!

Announcements

Sundays at VOUS

VOUS SoMi
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM

VOUS City
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM

VOUS Miami Gardens
10:30AM / 12:30PM

VOUS Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM

Church Online
10AM / 5PM Español

Visit VOUS


Growth Track

After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack

Sign Up

VOUS Worship Night

You’re invited to worship night with new VOUS Worship music! All are welcome.

Sunday, May 26

6:00PM

VOUS SoMi + VOUS City

Learn More

VOUSCon 2024

We’re less than 50 days away from VOUSCon! Gather with thousands of like-minded leaders. Be equipped and empowered for the journey ahead.

June 20-22

Miami, FL

Get Your Ticket

Serve at VOUSCon

As we create an atmosphere that glorifies God, we create space for Him to move. As servant leaders, we carry the culture. Because we value Con, we invest in it.

Sign Up to Serve

Sign Up for a Crew ->