That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
REFERENCES: PSALM 56:3; PSALM 131:2 ESV; 1 TIMOTHY 1:7; JOHN 14:2
Even through the darkest clouds, heavy winds, and the unbearable downpour all you need is a little bit of faith. Small faith in God has the ability to speak to the largest fears. Although his presence may not always be blatant Jesus is in the midst of every storm, and with a single word, he has the authority to command the winds to calm. But will we trust him? The disciples had seen Jesus perform many miracles, yet in the middle of the sea, they still doubted. As Christians, we have a conscious awareness that walking with Jesus doesn’t exclude us from storms, but it affords us the opportunity to have faith in a God that can speak to our storm. Let’s stay focused, prepared, and ready to confront the storms of life because no matter where we find ourselves, God is there in the midst of it all. The same minuscule faith that we see in the scripture from over 2,000 years ago is the same faith that will allow us to face the challenges of today.
It’s not a matter of if you will go through a storm, its when.
While the disciples were in the boat, they had a lot of fear but not a lot of faith. God says when we are in the middle of our storm, “There is more.” Living a life of faith is understanding that storms will constantly be on the rise, but we don’t have to fear because we have a God that walks with us.
Often it’s easy to pray and believe for others without carrying that same level of faith for our own struggles. Jesus develops the confidence in us to believe. Remembering his faithfulness from the past gives us confidence in his faithfulness for our future.
As we face the storms of life, know that going through them doesn’t make us any less Christian. Being a believer doesn’t mean that the storms won’t come. No, in fact, we can expect them. But having the love of Jesus ensures that he is in the boat with us. We can redirect our focus from the rage of the wind and waves to the one who controls them all. Jesus has the power to quiet the storm and to repair all the damage. Getting to the other side isn’t about the strength of the storm, it’s about the belief we have in our savior.
Create a Storm Preparation kit. Assemble a list of encouraging Bible verses, sermon links, and other content to help encourage yourself and others when storms arise.
If someone in your Crew needs care, we want to come alongside you. Our Care Response Team is designed to equip you to walk with people in different seasons of their life.Our team is committed to celebrating life’s best moments with you and offering support through its hardest ones.We would love to come around you for the following life events:
+ Marriages
+ Births
+ Deaths
+ Hospitalizations/Illness
Please submit a request at vouschurch.com/requestcare
Saying yes to Jesus marks a brand new beginning. Baptism is your next step. It's how you go public with your faith and celebrate the new life God has given you. The past is behind you, and a fresh future is ahead. This is your moment. We are having baptisms this Sunday, July 27th, across all of our locations, and on the beach.
To sign up for baptisms, please click here.
This back-to-school season, we have the opportunity to show up for our city in a meaningful way. On Saturday, August 2, we’re hosting a Back to School Bash at the Samuel K. Johnson Youth Center, located inside Charles Hadley Park. It’s a chance to serve local families by distributing backpacks filled with school supplies and making sure every student feels seen, supported, and ready to start the year with confidence.
Donate - Fill backpacks for families in need for the school year. You can purchase supplies locally and bring to a VOUS Location or donate online.
Serve - Help host our annual Back To School Bash for families in our community — distribute backpacks, check-in guests, and serve our city during a morning of fun and games.
When: Saturday, August 2nd
Where: Samuel K. Johnson Youth Center
Address: 4900 NW 12th Ave, Miami, FL 33127
Team Rally: 10:20AM
Starting Sunday, August 3rd, we will be moving to brand new service times at all of our locations!
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
The countdown is on! If you're ready to take your next step in ministry, leadership, or higher education, now is the time to apply. VOUS College application deadline is July 31st for both our degree-seeking and leadership programs. Don’t miss your chance to be part of a life-changing semester. Start your journey at vouscollege.com/apply.
VOUS SoMi
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS City
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 6PM
VOUS Miami Gardens
8:45AM / 10:30AM / 12:30PM
VOUS Design District
10:30AM / 12:30PM
Church Online
10:30AM / 12:30PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack