Not too long ago I had an eye exam and the goal was clear: Walk out with contacts that allow me to see with 20/20 vision. If I walked out of the office and didn’t feel I had achieved that or gotten close, I would have been unsatisfied. An eye exam is essentially trial and error where they systematically eliminate the options that don’t allow you to see clearly. It usually takes a while, then all of the sudden, out of the blue the doctor presents you with an option that is crystal clear. Mission accomplished!
Clarity in vision creates consistency in daily living.
“Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2:2
The journey forward in Central Jersey for 217church is becoming clearer and clearer every day. We know there are some specific things ahead for us and God is painting a picture of the future. I am getting really pumped because I believe God is about to reveal something HUGE to us. But how do we get more clarity? The enemy wants to confuse us, but here are a few tools we can use to get clear.
3 Ways To Achieve Clarity in Vision…
#1 Intentional Prayer – Here has been my intentional prayer over these past months: “Lord do something BIG on our behalf.” Have you ever set out on a path with a vision and THEN asked God to bless it? That is the WRONG way to do it! Failure to get the message from God first means there will be constant division in your life. You will be fighting with God in conflict. Learning to align yourself with God in prayer is a life long discipline. No matter what you are facing, IF you will pray intentionally for clarity, God will speak. There is nothing wrong with telling God what you want, just make sure you stop long enough to listen for his guiding directional changes.
- 217church Action Step: Corporate Weekly Prayer Times – Every Sunday at 9:20am in Hamilton and 10:00 am in Robbinsville we have a prayer time all are invited to. These are powerful times of seeking God and healing.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
#2 Increasing Faith – Life is about incremental growth. Some seasons feel extremely intense and other seem a bit more laid back. One thing is for sure though, the more your faith increases the clearer the vision gets. Many times we don’t achieve what God wants for us because we choose fear or facts instead of faith. Fear and facts can sometimes FOOL you into thinking you are making the conscientious decision when in reality you are just making the most comfortable one. God will increase our faith, all we have to do is ask. I’m ready! You ready?
- 217church Action Step: Meaningful Sacrifice – It’s time to believe God for a permanent home for 217church! That means we are going to GIVE BIG! Yes that means a piece of property and building for 217church! Just this week we looked at a piece of property. Do You Believe it can Happen? I do! (more on this at the Sunday Services, don’t miss it!) You can already Give here towards the building fund
Luke 17:5 “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
#3 Impacting Action – Make it happen! We are in the business of rebuilding lives one person at a time. You have to be willing to take STEP 1! No procrastination is allowed because today is a day of action! The distance between your intentions and your implementation is your integrity. Even if you aren’t crystal clear, do SOMETHING! For our church we know this means living out our value of authentic relationships. When you feel like you are fuzzy in the vision, take a step forward in what you know to be true. Here is a truth: You are a part of the Family of God. You belong in deep, transformational relationship with other Christ followers.
- 217church Action Step: Join A Transformational Small Group – I can almost guarantee if you are willing to get in a small group, the vision for your life will become clearer. You need meaningful relationships and Godly counsel in order to push forward.
James 2:14 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?.”
This vision is getting clearer, are you ready to seize it? Let’s Go!
Josh
Our Vision: Make 10,000 disciples, 1,000 small groups, 100 churches, 10 years, 1 life at a time
Our Mission: A restored family sent on mission to make disciples
217church meets at 10 AM at the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 11 AM at the Robbinsville Sharon Elementary School every Sunday morning. If it is your 1st time, we have a special gift waiting for you!
Josh is the founding pastor of 217church, a multi-site, contemporary church in Mercer County NJ. 217church is a family with small groups in New Jersey and Pennsylvania that meets Sundays in the Hamilton AMC24 Theater 10:00am and Sharon Elementary school in Robbinsville, NJ at 11:00. Our new Robbinsville/East Windsor Campus meets every Sunday. If you are looking for a church in East Windsor NJ, Lawrenceville NJ, Ewing NJ, Robbinsville NJ, Hightstown NJ, Hamilton NJ, Mercer County, Middlesex County or Bucks County, PA, we would love to have you join us. Don’t miss our weekend services. Visit www.217church.com for more information. or watch a weekend message here
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