Our annual Vision Sunday at City of Life Church marks a pivotal moment for our community, which now includes our newly relaunched Nona Campus. It isn't just another Sunday - this is a day to align our hearts with God's vision for our future, grounded in our key text from John 20:29, where Jesus declares, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

The Power of Believing Before Seeing

I often think back to my father's early days as a pastor, watching him pace the sidewalks every night, praying out loud for hours regardless of what the neighbors thought. He would declare bold visions that seemed impossible at the time - building the largest auditorium in Osceola County, creating state-of-the-art worship experiences, seeing hundreds saved weekly. What set him apart wasn't just that he was a visionary; he was, first and foremost, a man of faith. He believed before he saw anything manifest in the natural realm. His prayers weren't just wishful thinking; they were declarations of faith that God has consistently brought to pass throughout his ministry.

Understanding True Vision

Here in Orlando, we're surrounded by some of the most creative and ambitious architectural achievements in the world. But there's a crucial distinction we need to make: having big dreams or elaborate plans isn't the same as having true vision. God-inspired vision comes from one source alone: God Himself. When we learn to believe what God says, it prepares our hearts to receive the vision that only He can give. As 2 Corinthians 4:18 reminds us, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

The Battle with Unbelief

In Mark 9, we encounter a father bringing his son to Jesus, saying, "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." Jesus's response is telling: "If you can?" Everything is possible for the one who believes. The father's honest response resonates with many of us: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief." This powerful interaction teaches us about the constant tension between faith and doubt in our own lives.

The Root Causes of Unbelief

Unbelief often creeps in when we begin trusting what we can see more than what we believe. It's a subtle shift - we start focusing on bank accounts, medical reports, or circumstances rather than God's promises. This mindset leads us to rely solely on what's visible, logical, or explainable, diminishing our capacity for faith.

Another significant barrier to faith comes from the voices we allow to influence us. These voices might come from well-meaning friends, family members, or even our own past experiences. They whisper doubts and limitations, challenging God's promises with worldly wisdom.

Perhaps most devastating is when we allow past pain to cancel future possibilities. Failed businesses, broken relationships, or unanswered prayers can create emotional scar tissue that hardens our hearts against believing again. Yet God calls us to push past these barriers, to believe despite our history.

The Lesson of Peter's Faith

Consider Peter walking on water - a perfect illustration of the battle between faith and sight. When he kept his eyes fixed on Jesus, he achieved the impossible. But the moment he started looking at the waves around him, he began to sink. This mirrors our own journey with vision and faith. We must keep our spiritual eyes fixed on Jesus rather than the circumstances surrounding us.

The Danger of Wrong Voices

We have to be careful who we share our God-dreams with. The wrong voices can quickly discourage us with questions like, "What do you mean you're going to make a movie? Have you ever made one before?" or "You couldn't raise a million dollars, let alone six million!"

But then I look at members of our congregation like Andi and Tyler, who built one of the most creative and successful wedding businesses, or Frentz and Mallery with Haiti Foundation Against Poverty. These are people who believed before they saw anything manifest.  They're living proof of Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Moving Past Pain into Possibility

One of the most challenging aspects of maintaining vision is not letting past pain cancel future possibilities. I remember when my son Jude was sick, receiving one piece of bad news after another. It tested everything I knew as a Christian, as a human being, and as a father. But we can't let disappointment root itself as unbelief. Just as Job declared in Job 13:15, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him," we must maintain our faith even in the midst of trials.

The Biblical Pattern: Faith Before Sight

2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that we walk by faith, not by sight. Think about Noah building the ark before there was any rain - not a cloud in the sky, yet he believed God and acted on that belief. David declared in Psalm 27:13, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

Learning from Thomas' Example

The story of Thomas in John 20 provides a powerful lesson about believing before seeing. While Jesus didn't condemn Thomas for wanting evidence, He pronounced a special blessing on those who believe without seeing. This isn't about blind faith; it's about trusting God's character and His promises even when we can't see the full picture.

The Blessing of Pure Trust

While Jesus wasn't against Thomas wanting evidence, He pronounced a special blessing on those who believe without seeing. Matthew 5:8 tells us, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." There's something powerful about simple trust - not just faith as knowing, but trust as resting in God's character and promises.

Cultivating a Life of Vision

The journey of walking in God-given vision requires intentional cultivation. It begins with guarding your heart and mind and being selective about the influences you allow into your life. Just as a garden needs protection from weeds and pests, your vision needs protection from doubt and negativity.

Creating the right environment for vision means surrounding yourself with people who understand and support God-given dreams. These are the people who pray with you, encourage you, and remind you of God's faithfulness when circumstances look bleak.

The foundation of sustaining vision lies in staying rooted in God's Word and maintaining a vibrant prayer life. This isn't about religious routine, it's about building an intimate relationship with the Vision-Giver Himself. Through this relationship, we learn to recognize His voice and trust His timing.

Experience has taught me the importance of keeping a record of God's faithfulness. When we remember how God has proven faithful in the past, both in Scripture and in our own lives, it strengthens our faith for future victories. Each testimony becomes a building block for greater faith.

Finally, vision requires action. It's not enough to merely believe; we must step out in faith, taking practical steps toward what God has shown us. This might mean making that phone call, writing that business plan, or sowing that seed even before we see any evidence of the harvest.

A Call to Vision

As we move forward in 2025, I'm asking you: What are you believing God for this year? What step of faith is He asking you to take? Remember, the world says, "seeing is believing," but Jesus flips that thinking and says, "believe, and you will see."

Don't get discouraged if the vision God has shown you hasn't manifested in the last month or even year. Some visions are 20 or 30 years down the road, involving your kids and your family's future generations. The key is believing first, then seeing it happen because God showed it to you.

The Power of Corporate Faith

There's something special about a congregation coming together in unified faith. When we collectively believe God for big things, we create an atmosphere where miracles can happen. Acts 4:32 tells us, "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul." This is the kind of unity and faith we're cultivating at City of Life.

Your Role in the Vision

We're believing that 2025 will be marked by unprecedented growth, not just in our facilities or numbers, but in our faith and impact. God is expanding our territory. But more importantly, He's expanding our capacity to believe before we see.

Let's be a church that doesn't wait for evidence before believing. Let's be a people who trust God's character so completely that when He gives us a vision, our immediate response is, "Yes, Lord, I believe it, and therefore I will see it."

The vision always starts with belief. What do you believe God for today?

Remember, as Ephesians 3:20 declares, He "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." Let's believe Him for greater things than we've ever imagined possible.