Vision Sunday
By Pastor Jeffrey Smith
Habakkuk 2:2 says “and the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make itplain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” To me, the Bible plainly states what we ought to do when we receive a vision. City of Life has received a vision from God and this Vision Sunday is the first time we’re dedicating time specifically to investigate our vision statement so we can all wrap our hearts around it.
To make the hope of Jesus known…
Hope is not a wimpy, flowery feeling. Hope is a warrior fighting for your future. Our aim is to shine a light on the truth of immense hope in Jesus Christ.
...by building a large, Christ-centered Church...
Some of my greatest encounters with the Holy Spirit have been in churches with less than 100 people; there is nothing wrong with a church of 25, 50, or 100 people. However, when my parents built this church, the Holy Spirit told them that it was for all people. “All people” requires that we expand our facility, increase our scope, and reach the unreachables.
...transforming culture through creativity…
Admittedly, this one is my favorite. My biggest problem, though, is when you talk about creativity, there is a group of people that feels like it isn’t for them. I’ve had people earnestly mention in conversation, “I’m not a creative.” This mindset fails to recognize the creative nature of our God. Some of the first words in the Bible state that God created. You can be creative in your workplace, you can be creative in your hobby, and we can certainly be creative in our church.
...and empowering ordinary people to lead others and live dynamic lives…
The Bible is rife with examples of ordinary people called of God. Moses was a nobody. David was a nobody. Peter was a nobody. However, these nobodies were all called to live dynamic lives. We have some of the greatest leaders on our Dream Team that are the most unassuming and humble people out there, but we strive to be a church that discerns the call of God on their lives and give them a platform to lead others.
...for the cause of God’s kingdom.
Our end goal, our purpose is to bring His kingdom to earth. It’s one of the operative forms that Jesus used when He taught His disciples to pray. We are and must always continue to understand that the kingdom of God is our destination. Everything we do is in pursuit of His kingdom and we recognize that we’ll get there one day. We spend our time on earth reflecting the Kingdom, through the Gospel message, through our building, through our creativity, and through our leadership.
