20260118 Vision 2026: Unleashed! (3)

The call to grow sets a fixed target in front of God’s people and refuses the rabbit-chasing life that makes crooked rows. First Peter cries out like a newborn, “crave” the pure milk of the word so that salvation is not only received but grown up into. That craving is not casual; it is an insatiable hunger that changes a person’s appetite, because God’s word is not just a rulebook but a relationship that draws the heart to the One who speaks.

The word of God presents itself as the answer key and the cheat code, a supernatural book breathed by God, written across centuries, languages, and continents, and preserved at great cost. Second Timothy insists that Scripture teaches, rebukes, corrects, and trains in righteousness so the servant of God is thoroughly equipped. The human heart will offer its own truth and the world will catechize with its own scripts, but the God-breathed word resets the compass and fits a person for the good works already prepared.

Ephesians 4 pictures Christ fitting the whole body together as each part does its own special work. Speaking the truth in love grows the church into the Head, like a team where every player does the job assigned. Isolation is the enemy’s first move, so the saints refuse the lone-ranger story, return to the huddle, and move the ball downfield together.

Joshua 1:8 hands a clear rhythm for real change: study continually, meditate day and night, obey faithfully, and then succeed surely. Study is the playbook work, not a drive-thru devotional. Meditation is chewing the cud until the word moves from paper to patterns. Obedience is the proof of love, not a buffet where a person picks blessings and skips commands. Then success lands, but on God’s terms, not the world’s—measured by the advancement of his kingdom, held with an eternal perspective that waits to hear, “Well done.”

The pillar of gather matters because lions hunt stragglers and the Shepherd still leaves the ninety-nine to go get the one. But the pillar of grow presses further: fix the eyes on the stationary target of God’s word, crave it, train under it, and do what it says. God calls his people masterpieces in Christ, equips them through the word, and knits them into a body that grows healthy, strong, and full of love. With that target in view, this year does not drift; it matures.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Fix your eyes on a target A steady aim makes straight rows. Distraction bends a life into squiggles, because desire keeps drifting to the noise by the fence. Growth begins when the heart chooses a stationary goal and refuses every hopping rabbit. God’s word gives that fixed point and keeps the line true. [40:09]
• 2. Crave Scripture like a newborn First Peter does not invite nibbling; it commands a craving. Milk makes a baby grow without anyone coaxing, and the word does that in the soul that keeps drinking. Hunger is a grace to be stewarded, and appetite can be trained by daily coming back to the Source. [41:03]
• 3. Submit to Scripture’s correcting work God-breathed words do more than inform; they re-form. Teaching without rebuke leaves pride unchallenged, and correction without training leaves habits unchanged. Righteousness is learned under discipline, and freedom comes when truth is allowed to tell a person “no.” [46:51]
• 4. Work the Joshua 1:8 rhythm Study continually, meditate daily, obey faithfully, then succeed surely. Study is learning the playbook so the assignment is known in real time. Meditation turns words into reflexes. Obedience proves love and unlocks what God already planned, while buffet faith keeps blessing at arm’s length. [62:55]
• 5. Measure success by kingdom fruit God defines success by the advance of his reign, not by a highlight reel or a car note. A life can be full of trophies and still come up empty if it never served the King’s purpose. The eternal perspective steadies contentment now and saves celebration for the “Well done.” [72:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [17:11] - Not here by accident
• [31:52] - Bring a physical Bible
• [33:40] - Unleashed vision for 2026
• [34:44] - Pillar One Gather recap
• [36:51] - Beware isolation and the lion
• [38:37] - Crooked rows, wrong targets
• [41:03] - Crave the word like milk
• [46:51] - All Scripture is God-breathed
• [53:42] - The body grows together
• [60:52] - The cheat code within the cheat code
• [62:55] - Joshua 1:8 road map
• [67:07] - Obey faithfully, not buffet faith
• [72:05] - Success defined by God’s kingdom
• [76:28] - Make space to meet with God

1. According to Joshua 1:8, what four actions are required for “prosper[ing] and succeed[ing]”? How does the sermon compare studying Scripture to a “playbook” ([01:03:27])?
2. In 1 Peter 2:2, craving spiritual milk is compared to a newborn’s instinct. What examples from the sermon illustrate how this craving changes a person’s spiritual appetite ([41:42])?
3. Second Timothy 3:16–17 lists four purposes of Scripture. How does the sermon contrast “buffet faith” with faithful obedience ([01:07:07])?

1. Why might “craving” Scripture (1 Peter 2:2) be more transformative than casually reading it? How does this relate to the idea that God’s Word is a “relationship, not a rulebook” ([52:57])?
2. The sermon warns against letting the world “catechize with its own scripts.” How does Scripture’s role in “correcting and training” (2 Timothy 3:16) guard against cultural lies?
3. Joshua 1:8 ties success to obedience. Why might God’s definition of success (“kingdom fruit”) clash with worldly measures like wealth or status ([01:12:05])?

1. The rhythm of study, meditate, obey (Joshua 1:8) is called a “cheat code” ([01:00:52]). What practical step could you take this week to prioritize one of these habits (e.g., setting a phone reminder, journaling insights)?
2. “Buffet faith” means picking blessings but skipping commands ([01:10:45]). Is there a specific area of obedience (e.g., forgiveness, generosity) you’ve avoided? What makes it hard to surrender this to God?
3. How could you “reset your compass” using Scripture when facing a decision where your heart’s desires conflict with God’s truth ([46:51])?
4. The sermon says isolation makes us prey for the enemy ([36:51]). Who in your life can you ask to hold you accountable to studying Scripture or serving in community?
5. Success is measured by “advancement of [God’s] kingdom” ([01:12:05]). What does this look like in your workplace, family, or friendships? How might this shift your priorities?
6. Meditating on Scripture is compared to “chewing the cud” ([01:05:50]). What verse or phrase could you reflect on daily this week, and how will you remind yourself to do this?