When Vision Changes Everything

First, thank you. After my eye surgery, the text messages, emails, and meals from our Passionate Life Church family carried my wife Heather and me through some dark days. I'm 50 percent there, and the good news is I can see you now. Let me tell you a story.

Years ago we drove to my sister's wedding in Dallas. Coming home in winter, they closed I-70. The only hotel room left was about $500, so the lady at the counter told me about a "secret road" that would bypass the interstate. What she didn't tell me was that it went through the mountains in a snowstorm. All I could see was white. I came around a bend, saw a sheer cliff to my right, and we started sliding. My son took off his seat belt, ready to jump out. My vision was whited out.

Spiritual Vision Shows You Where God Is Leading
I'm not talking this morning about physical sight. I'm talking about spiritual vision: God speaking to us and showing us what He would have us do.

Physical Sight

• Lets us see where we are
• Can be 20/20 and still miss what God is doing
• Something we have

Spiritual Vision

• Lets us see where God is leading us
• Comes from hearing God more clearly
• Something we receive, not manufacture

Point One: God's Vision Gives Us Direction
Proverbs 29:18 in the King James says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." The NIV says that where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint, but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction. Does that sound like the society we're living in?
The lie of hell is that you're the controller of your destiny. Proverbs 29:18 isn't about dreaming bigger. It's about hearing God more clearly. I'm not talking about "I'll be a millionaire by 28." I'm talking about the vision where God says, "That person is hurting. Pray for them." God's vision is always bigger than ours, and it will take us beyond what's comfortable.

Pastor's Note: Jeremiah 29:11 says God has plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. God isn't content with just giving you hope. He has a future for you, and that means blessing in your family, your marriage, and your work.

My Personal Vision
Sometimes I drive through Littleton and Lakewood and my heart aches because I know there are other Davids out there, hurting with no answer. Jesus is the answer, and through us, we are the answer. One of my daily prayers is, "God, grow this church." Not for numbers, but because more people means more impact. What if we could plant churches in the nations of the world? Psalm 119:105 says His word is a lamp for our feet and a light to our path.

Point Two: God's Vision Changes Our Priorities
I worked for Mr. Cooper, and I was going to retire a 401(k) millionaire and sit on a beach with Heather forever. My vision changed when I prayed, "God, this is what I want to do with my life. What do You want to do with my life?" Now my priority is how many souls we can touch in this city. I still get to go to the beach, and I'm having the best fun of my life.

The Messy Middle: When I stepped away from my corporate job to become a full-time pastor, I looked at my spreadsheet, and it said I couldn't do this. The gap was large. Heather and I prayed, and I felt this was what God wanted. Matthew 6:33 says to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. I'm still traveling, still eating, and I have a place to live. God added all these things.

Colossians 3:1-2 tells us to set our hearts and minds on things above. Distraction is real. I fell down the stairs the other day because of my eyesight, and that could have distracted me all day. Most mornings I roll over and pray, "God, here am I. What do You want me to do today?" That day a gentleman rang our doorbell with no appointment, and God let me minister to him. Philippians 3:13-14 calls us to forget what's behind and press toward the goal.

What Captures Your Vision Captures Your Life
Field Note: Whatever captures your vision eventually captures your life.

There's a reason advertising works. I heard a story, and I don't know if it's true, about a company that built a factory near a village where no one wanted to work because they lived off the land. The company handed out catalogs full of cool things, and the factory filled up. Sports, betting, and all kinds of things can capture our vision. What if God captured it instead?

Point Three: God's Vision Begins With Seeking Him
James 1:5 says if any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously without finding fault. You want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans. Vision isn't something we manufacture. It's something we receive.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. It concerns me when people say, "My heart is telling me to do this." Scripture tells us the heart is wicked. This week, a lady who isn't part of our church called and asked why God hates her. As we talked, she shared that she married a man she didn't pray about and bought a house she knew she couldn't afford. If you're trusting your own judgment, don't blame God when it falls apart.

If You're...

• Not praying or in the Word before big decisions
• Ignoring God's last instruction
• Unsure what God has called you to do

Then...

• You're at risk of leaning on your own understanding
• Don't expect a bigger vision yet. Be faithful in the small things.
• Ask Him, and keep your heart open to what comes next

Faithful in the Small Things
John 10:27 says His sheep listen to His voice. I did an unscientific experiment with our dog, CeCe. My daughter, my son, and I stood in three corners of the yard, and all called her. She came to me because I'm the one who feeds her, walks her, and sits with her in thunderstorms.

God doesn't usually give bigger visions to those ignoring His last instruction. Long before I preached at a conference in Africa, I was an usher here, praying, "God, use me wherever You see fit." It was a process over years of faithfulness. If you want to start small, sign up to serve.

The Bottom Line
Here's the tough question: what has captured your attention more than God's kingdom? Whatever that is, it's an idol. I often pray, "God, what is capturing my attention more than You? What excites me more than You? If something does, I want to cut it out."

Take Your Next Step
If you need someone to pray with you about your vision, you can submit a prayer request or contact our team. We'd love to seek God with you.