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Acts 12:1-11
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
Additional Scripture References: Philippians 4:4-7, Acts 12:21-23, Luke 3:4-5
It goes without saying that life is full of highs and lows. If we aren’t careful, navigating challenges can leave us feeling like life is unfair. But in the middle of the chaos is always a silver lining — just because our circumstances might be bad doesn’t mean God is not good. Every challenge is an opportunity to walk by faith and not by sight.
Sin left the world broken, but God’s grace creates a way out
Why do bad things happen to good people? Put simply, sometimes life just doesn’t make sense.
Think of Peter’s situation. At this moment in scripture, he’s chained in a prison cell surrounded by guards shortly after his friend was put to death. This isn’t the outcome anyone would expect for someone committed to preaching the Gospel. A mature church flips the scenario — instead of hating when bad things happen to good people, we can love when good people happen to bad things. No matter the situation, God works for the good of those who love Him.
When our circumstances don’t make sense, we should respond in a way that doesn’t make sense either. For example, look at Peter sitting in prison — in an overwhelmingly bad situation, we see the church praying and Peter sleeping. Out of nowhere, an angel appeared, Peter’s chains broke, and he left the prison at the angel’s command. Instead of choosing worry or fear, our response should be to pray, rest, and take action as God leads us. We are meant to walk by faith, choosing the path that doesn’t make sense.
The posture of maturity is humility. Prayer and rest position us to get low, shifting our eyes away from our circumstances and toward Jesus. It’s getting up from the low place to take action that makes us strong. Following God is often unexplainable, leading us down the road less traveled. It might not make sense to the world, but God is always pleased by our faith.
Spend time this week reflecting. In what areas of your life is God calling you to take a step of faith? Write it down and share it with a friend.
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
This isn’t just another conference. It’s a holy moment to encounter Jesus, be filled with His presence, and reset your heart around what matters most. Over three days of powerful worship, teaching, and community, you’ll be equipped to lead with clarity and live with boldness.
From curated workshops to next-level add-ons, VOUSCon is designed to meet you where you are and where you lead—whether that’s in your church, your workplace, or the middle of a major life decision. Every session is crafted to grow your faith and strengthen your voice.
For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
When: Thursday, June 19th - Saturday, June 21st
Where: Watsco Center
1245 Dauer Dr
Coral Gables, FL 33146
VOUSCon is here! On Wednesday before kicking off VOUSCon 2025 in strength and unity we are going to pray.
Don't miss the moment to join us in prayer. Please RSVP by clicking here for our FREE VOUSCon Prayer Night
When: Wednesday, June 18th
Time: 7:00PM
Where: Watsco Center
1245 Dauer Dr
Coral Gables, FL 33146
Join us on the road to VOUSCon as we embark on a 40-day relay run through the state of Florida. From Jacksonville to Miami, runners from every region are invited to participate in carrying the good news. Our finish line? VOUSCon 2025. Led by a core VOUS team, we’ll link arms with partner churches along the way, spotlighting the body of Christ and championing the local church through weekly outreach initiatives.
Starting Line: Sunday, May 11
Finish Line: Thursday, June 19
Serve Day is happening Saturday, July 12th, and we want to get ALL of our crews involved in loving our city so please sign your crew up for a Serve Day project! To see the projects and sign up, please click here! Please have your form in by Wednesday, July 2nd.
When: Saturday, July 12th
Where: All VOUS Locations
Time: 10:00 AM
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 DD
10:30AM / 12:30PM
Church Online
10AM / 12:00 PM / 5PM Español
Growth Track
After every service or join online at vouschurch.com/growthtrack
