Por encima de todo
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Above It All
What Did You Expect?
Above It All
What Did You Expect?
Por encima de todo
¿Que esperabas?

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

This Is a Battle You Can’t Lose

Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.

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

[Romans 8:31-39, NIV]

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Additional Scripture References:

Matthew 12:37, Psalm 139:14, 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 8:37, Mark 1:11, Romans 8:1

Main Idea

The world celebrates getting ahead, beating your opponent, and doing whatever it takes to win — but the truth is, in the Kingdom of God, restraint is strength. In Romans 8, we are reminded that God is on our side, working on our behalf and for our good. Paul says, “Do not grow weary in doing good,” because the greatest temptation isn’t the fight itself, it’s the lie that the fight doesn’t matter. That you can’t win. The good news? If you are in Christ Jesus, this is a battle you cannot lose. Whether reflecting on God’s past faithfulness or looking to His future provision, all of Scripture points to Jesus’ victory. History says He won. Prophecy says He wins. The cross settles it once and for all: God is for you.

If God is for you, why not live for Him?

1. No One Can Condemn Us

In the courtroom of heaven, the verdict has already been rendered: Not guilty. Case closed. Romans 8:34 reminds us that Jesus, not only crucified but risen and reigning, is actively interceding for us. The voices of condemnation, whether from the enemy, others, or even ourselves, have no legal standing in God’s Kingdom. Condemnation means to pronounce complete disapproval, to declare someone guilty. But conviction is different, it’s the Spirit’s loving correction that leads us back to life. In Jesus, we’re not just forgiven, we’re adopted, defended, and forever free from the lies that say we’re not enough.

For your additional study: “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34 NIV)

God doesn’t speak death sentences; He speaks life declarations
Condemnation is a counterfeit gospel that leads to death, while conviction leads to life
If you’re convinced of God’s love, you’ll be convicted by His truth and confident in His victory

Jesus is a defender, not a prosecutor

What’s one lie you’ve believed about yourself that God’s Word has replaced with unshakable confidence?

2. Nothing Can Separate Us

The cross settled the question of our worth. We are so valuable to God that He paid the ultimate price for us with Jesus. In Romans 8:35–36, Paul asks a bold question: What can separate us from the love of Christ? Then lists real, raw experiences, such as persecution, famine, and danger. These aren’t poetic exaggerations; they are battle scars of the early church, proof that pain doesn't equal abandonment. Paul wants us to know: suffering is not separation — trouble may come, but Christ’s love never leaves. Like a magnet that can't be pulled apart, God's love holds tight through every push, pull, and storm. Moses faced the Red Sea, Joshua faced the walls of Jericho, and David faced Goliath. What God has done is the receipt of what He will do.

The presence of opposition doesn’t mean the absence of God’s favor
Suffering doesn’t mean separation from His love
Confidence in His love steadies me in every battle

God’s past faithfulness is proof of His future provision

As we celebrate and reflect on the past 10 years of VOUS Church, how have you seen God’s faithfulness over the last few years in your own life?

Summary

We are all engaged in a spiritual battle, but in Christ we are more than conquerors. We don’t fight for victory, we fight from it. This isn’t survival, it’s overflow — not just standing after the battle but worshipping through it. Romans 8 begins with no condemnation and ends with no separation, a crescendo of confidence for every believer. If you are convinced of God’s love, you will live convicted by His truth, and that conviction produces confidence in His victory. As VOUS celebrates 10 years, we remember: God has been faithful in the past, He is present in our battles today, and He will be faithful in the future. This is a battle you cannot lose.

Call To Action

Let this truth shape the way you walk this week: in Christ, you are justified, adopted, and deeply loved. The verdict is already in; victory is yours. Live not condemned but convinced.

  • Reflect: Ask God to remind you of His truth over your life.
  • Respond: Choose one way to speak life and declare God’s promises this week.

Prayer Prompts

PRAYER PROMPTS

As you reflect on Sunday’s message, here are some guided prayers and scriptures you can use over the next week. If you're looking for ways to grow deeper in this specific area, let these words cover, challenge, and encourage you along the way.

1. Prayer for Conviction in the Battle

Lord, when I feel weary or tempted to quit, remind me this is a battle I cannot lose. Strengthen me with conviction that your Spirit is fighting for me and my struggle is not in vain.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9)

2. Prayer for Assurance of God’s Love

Father, convince me again and again that nothing can separate me from your love. On the days I feel distant or unworthy, let your love hold me steady, stronger than every lie of the enemy.


“For I am convinced that neither death nor life… will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans 8:38-39)

3. Prayer for Courage in Opposition

Lord, when I face hardship, persecution, or resistance, help me see it not as proof of your absence but of your favor. Remind me that suffering does not mean separation, and you are always with me in the fight.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37)

4. Prayer for Freedom from Condemnation

Jesus, thank you that there is no condemnation for those in you. Silence the lies of the enemy in my life. Teach me to speak words of life over myself and others, walking in the freedom you purchased for me.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Announcements

Care Request Form

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

VOUS 10 Year Celebration

This Sunday, September 28th, VOUS is celebrating its 10 year anniversary!! Anniversary Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness over the last 10 years of VOUS. Come and celebrate at any of our locations and services happening all day Sunday!

Bricklayers Entrepreneur Breakfast

On Thursday, September 25th, we’re hosting our Bricklayer Entrepreneur Breakfast — a morning designed to connect, encourage, and inspire the entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders within our VOUS Church family. It’s a space to build real relationships, hear from other leaders, and be refreshed in the calling God has placed on your life.

You’ll also hear some exciting updates about the future of our South Miami Building Project, and ways you can continue to be part of what God is building through VOUS.

To RSVP,  click here

When: Thursday, September 25th

Where: VOUS Design District  Time: 7:00AM – 8:30AM  

Address: 77 NE 40th St, Miami, FL 33137

Preview Day at VOUS College

Step into the VOUS College experience for a day designed just for you. This is a moment for you to get a firsthand look at what it’s like to be a VOUS College student. Meet our staff, connect with current students, explore ministry tracks, and discover how VOUS College can be the place where you grow in your calling and step into your future.

‍To register for Preview Day,  click here

Where: VOUS Miami Gardens

When: Thursday, October 9th

Time: 12:00PM-3:00PM

Address: 17801 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33169

Sundays at VOUS

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

10:30AM / 12:30PM / 5PM Español

Growth Track

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

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

What Did You Expect?

Pastor Luke Barry

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

Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Additional Scripture References: John 11:32; Job 13:15; John 11:5; Matthew 14:31

Main Idea

Life often doesn't meet our expectations, leading to frustration and disappointment. We may hope for one outcome, only to be met with something entirely different, creating a gap between what we expected and what we experienced. This gap can lead us to question God, our faith, and our hope. But through stories like that of Lazarus and Job, we learn that God isn’t in the business of just meeting expectations, He’s in the business of exceeding them.

God’s power to perform exceeds our ability to ask

1. Hope and Expectation

Faith grows through hope and trusting God’s timing. Positive expectations can fuel faith, while unmet expectations can lead to disappointment. Often, we expect something specific from God but find ourselves limiting Him to only a particular outcome. When we don’t see Him come through just as we expected, we can find ourselves frustrated and disappointed — where was God? The truth is, God is always at work. We may not always see Him moving, or understand His plan, but He has something greater in mind.

Disappointment can tempt us to give up on expectations, but it’s an opportunity to strengthen our faith
God’s plans always exceed our expectations
Don't allow your expectations of what God was “supposed” to do get in the way of what He wants to do

If God always met your expectations, how could He ever exceed them?

What areas of your life are you waiting for God to show up? How can you operate from faith in the present as you hope for the future?

2. Endurance and Enjoyment

Job’s story is a powerful example of enduring pain and disappointment without losing faith. Even in his suffering, Job declared, “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” Despite the immense loss, he continued to trust God, showing us that our hope can remain, even in the midst of struggle. Endurance is the ability to trust that God is working, even when we can’t see it.

Endurance strengthens our faith through trials
God hasn’t called us to merely endure life, He’s called us to enjoy it
Enjoying life is appreciating the little, it’s not a pain-free life, but a grateful one

We can say: “God, I don’t understand everything but I trust you in everything”

How has a difficult season strengthened your appreciation for God’s blessings?

Summary

Possibly the greatest source of frustration in life is unmet expectations. The difference between what we expected versus what we experienced often leads us to stop expecting. But there’s an invitation of faith amidst the frustration. Don’t lower your expectations; lift your faith. Give God something to exceed. God can do it, the question is: can you believe it?

Call To Action

Identify areas where you may be limiting God by expecting a specific outcome. Practice finding gratitude by celebrating the little things.

Announcements

Care Request Form

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

VOUS 10 Year Celebration

This Sunday, September 28th, VOUS is celebrating its 10 year anniversary!! Anniversary Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness over the last 10 years of VOUS. Come and celebrate at any of our locations and services happening all day Sunday!

Bricklayers Entrepreneur Breakfast

On Thursday, September 25th, we’re hosting our Bricklayer Entrepreneur Breakfast — a morning designed to connect, encourage, and inspire the entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders within our VOUS Church family. It’s a space to build real relationships, hear from other leaders, and be refreshed in the calling God has placed on your life.

You’ll also hear some exciting updates about the future of our South Miami Building Project, and ways you can continue to be part of what God is building through VOUS.

To RSVP,  click here

When: Thursday, September 25th

Where: VOUS Design District  Time: 7:00AM – 8:30AM  

Address: 77 NE 40th St, Miami, FL 33137

Preview Day at VOUS College

Step into the VOUS College experience for a day designed just for you. This is a moment for you to get a firsthand look at what it’s like to be a VOUS College student. Meet our staff, connect with current students, explore ministry tracks, and discover how VOUS College can be the place where you grow in your calling and step into your future.

‍To register for Preview Day,  click here

Where: VOUS Miami Gardens

When: Thursday, October 9th

Time: 12:00PM-3:00PM

Address: 17801 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33169

Sundays at VOUS

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

10:30AM / 12:30PM / 5PM Español

Growth Track

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

Sign Up for a Crew ->