Importance of vision casting

Well, It's true. I'm learning how important it truly is to continue to cast vision. Why are we here? I ask this almost daily. I wish I answered it daily. I am coming to learn that simply saying vision doesn't work. Vision, vision, vision, vision, vision, vision and VISION. Did that inspire you? Me neither. Too many church/missional authors are screaming vision without unpacking it. Stetzer, Hirch, Mancini, Stanley and Groeschel are helping us a lot. But,,,.....

Well, it comes down to this.....vision..jk..knowing Christ radically and serving Him the same. Stop critiquing the text (scripture) and allow it to critique you. Stop attempting to apply the Word to your life and allow the Word to apply you to life. (Wow I can't believe God just said that through me...sorry I get a little beside myself when I KNOW God is speaking!) My model of ministry has always been to apply the Word to my life and situation. Pray, plan, prepare and push the Word into my context. (Sounds familiar doesn't it). That's what our dad's have done, our schools and denominations have taught us. I believe the theological terminology is incarnational ministry. The contextualization of the Gospel. I believe these ideaologies fall short. I have attempted to create a hermenuetic for my culture, discern my culture and apply the Word with biblical integrity. All to feel as if I have fallen short. The result always pushes us to DO more. Learn more, study harder, etc. Truth is we can't do it. We can't make it happen. Pray harder...what are you going to agrue, beg or earn enough favor with God to get Him to do what you're asking? There is nothing I can do to make Him love me any more. There is nothing I can do to make Him love me any less. I truly believe the answer to clarifying our vision, casting our vision, remembering our vision, contextualizing the gospel is......Allowing the Word to apply us to life. Chew on that for a while and I'll unpack my thoughts on it later.

By the way, our vision is coming together. I have been praying and thinking and studying (yes, some of the things I said didn't necessarily matter...they do help though :) ) Roughly.. Empowering people to become what God has planned for them to BE. Let me know your thoughts.