VISION 2025 THE COURSE

We will have a different speaker every night 

Jay Baughman explores life's journey through a biblical lens, outlining four key stages: starting on the "wrong course" of sin and death, transitioning to a "new course" through God's grace, recognizing that it's a "timed course" with limited time to act, and finally, focusing on the "Word of God," the "Work of God" (discipleship), and reaching the "World" through missions. It emphasizes the urgency of growth, making disciples, and engaging in global outreach, demonstrating how even small churches can have a worldwide impact by adhering to these principles.

MINISTRY MOMENT  - JOHN MARK ZIEGLER

John centered on the biblical concept of the "straight course," primarily drawing from the Apostle Paul's journeys in the book of Acts. The speaker emphasizes that following God's will requires total surrender, obedience, patience, and a willingness to accept the potential costs, including suffering and death. The sermon contrasts two types of "straight courses": Paul's obedient, God-directed journey to Macedonia (Acts 16) and his later, self-willed journey to Jerusalem (Acts 21), which led to his imprisonment. The speaker highlights the importance of heeding God's specific directions, noting how Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit from preaching in Asia despite his good intentions. This principle of sacrificial commitment is illustrated through Paul's endurance of a brutal stoning, a personal military anecdote, and the biblical examples of Esther, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Jesus in Gethsemane. The lecture simplifies a divine "calling" to be an "invitation" from God that must be confirmed through prayer and warns against getting ahead of God. A detailed analogy of making a spear is used to illustrate the necessary steps of spiritual preparation—salvation, baptism, enduring trials, and being equipped for service—before one can effectively follow God's path.

MINISTRY MOMENT DOUG PEARSON

Blade delivers a sermon centered on the theme of complete surrender and dependency on God, using 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 as the primary text. The core message is that the Christian mission requires believers to be wholly reliant on the Lord in every aspect of their lives. The speaker outlines five key areas for surrender, starting with the need for a deep conviction in the Bible's efficacy and maintaining a comprehensive prayer life. He contrasts a life of true dependency with one that relies on human strategies or personal abilities. The sermon then transitions to focusing on God's faithfulness over one's circumstances, especially when facing adversaries and trials. This involves trusting God to work not only in one's own life but also in the lives of others, replacing skepticism with confidence in God's power. The lecture concludes by emphasizing the need for a heart that is changed and captivated by God, specifically directed towards His love and the promise of Christ's return, which serves as the ultimate comfort and motivation for a surrendered life.

MINISTRY MOMENT JOSH OHORA

Matt Woods explores the Christian concept of "running your course"—living out the unique path and calling that God has assigned to each individual. Drawing from key biblical passages such as Acts 20:24, Hebrews 12:1-2, and others, the speaker emphasizes accepting one’s God-given course, running it with endurance and joy, and understanding that the ultimate purpose of every believer’s journey is to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
He highlights the importance of laying aside spiritual weights—resentment, distraction, comparison—through daily repentance, and running with patience by remembering God’s faithfulness and fixing one’s eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. Through personal anecdotes, scriptural examples, and stories of ordinary believers, listeners are encouraged to embrace their current circumstances as divinely appointed, persevere through challenges, and find joy in faithful endurance.
He stresses that every course, whether public or private, ordinary or extraordinary, is significant when lived for God’s glory. Success is measured not by recognition or comfort, but by faithfulness to the message of Christ. Believers are called to live with eternity in view, making Christ known through both words and actions, enduring sacrifices for the eternal glory of Christ and the salvation of others. The closing prayer asks for the Holy Spirit’s help to run and finish the course faithfully, shining Christ’s light in all areas of life.

MINISTRY MOMENT BLADE SBISA

Brian emphasizes that each believer has a unique race to run, which begins at the cross with salvation and involves a lifelong process of transformation, obedience, and joyful sacrifice. Using biblical figures like Paul, Peter, and Caleb, the message highlights the importance of starting the race by surrendering to Christ, running it faithfully even through difficulties, and finishing it submissively to God's will, even in inglorious final stages like illness or weakness. The lecture stresses the necessity of taking the "next right step" of obedience, managing time wisely with an eternal perspective, and letting go of earthly attachments. The core message is a call to persevere in faith, endure the cost, and anticipate the crown, understanding that the ultimate reward in glory far surpasses any worldly hardship.