Visioneering: Andy Stanley

Introduction

Story of the Wright brothers. Visioneering is the engineering of a vision. In a formula:

Visioneering = inspiration + conviction + action + determination + completion

'Everyone ends up some where in life. A few people end up somewhere on purpose. Those are the ones with vision. 

 Vision weaves four things into the fabric of our daily experience.

1. Passion

Vision evoked emotion. There is no such thing as an emotionless vision. Remember being a teenager and being captured by some vision of the good life. Whether romantic or adventurous, that vision drove us to voluntarily do all kinds of 'risky' activities.

2. Motivation

Vision provides motivation. The mundane begins to matter. Dike builders are a movitavted bunch. Saving a town is enough to keep you working through the night. But just filling bags with dirt for the sake of bag-filling will leave you looking at your watch.

3. Direction

Vision will prioritise your values. A clear vision has the power to bring what's most important to the surface of your schedule and lifestyle. People without clear vision are easily distracted. They have a tendency to drift from one activity, pleasure or relationship to another. Without vision there is no relational, financial or moral compass.

4. Purpose

A vision makes you an important link between current reality and the future. Your set of visions are unique to you. No one else will share your particular passions for what could be. Others may applaud them. They may buy into the aspects of your vision that interface with their life. And they maky work with you in the areas where you share a common vision. But your vision-set is unique to you. The uniqueness gives you purpose.

The divine element

Honouring God involves discovering his picture or vision of what our lives could and shoul be. I am God's workmanship' means God has decided what you could be and should be.

More to this life

We don't have a right to take our abilitieis, experiences and opportunities and run off in any direction we please. We lost that right at Calvary.

After chasing our own visions:

We feel like we did as a kid after all the presents were opened on Christmas morning. Is that all there is?

Building Blocks

1. A vision begins as a concern.
2. A vision doe not necessarily require immediate action.
3. Pray for opportunities and plan as if you expect God to answer your prayers.
4. God is using your circumstances to position and prepare you to accomplish his vision for your life.
5. What God originates, he orchestrates.
6. Walk before you talk; investigate before you initiate.
7. Communicate your vision as a solution to a problem that must be addressed immediately .
8. Cast your vision to the appropriate people at the appropriate time.
9. Don't expect others to take greater risks or make greater sacrifices than you have.
10. Don't confuse your plans with God's vision.
11. Visions are refined - they don't change; plans are revised - they rarely stay the same. 
12. Respond to criticism with prayer, remembrance, and if necessary, a revision of the plan.
13. Visions thrive in an environment of unity; they die in an environment of division.
14. Abandon the vision before you abandon your moral authority.
15. Don't get distracted.
16. There is divine potential in all you envision to do.
17. The end of a God-ordained vision is God.
18. Maintaining a vision requires adherence to a set of core beliefs and behaviours.
19. Visions require constant attention.
20. Maintaining a vision requires bold leadership.

Chapter One: A Vision Is Born

Visions are born in the soul of a man or woman who is consumed with the tension between what is and what could be. Anyone who is emotionally involved - frustrated, brokenhearted, maybe even angry - about the way things are in light of the way they believe things could be, is a candidate for a vision.