VISION2020

Dearly Beloved in Christ,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let me take this moment to wish you all a very blessed 2020. Last year, I cast a vision of PEACE for 2019. I truly am convinced that God gave us PEACE in many areas of our lives. The vision God gave me for PEACE as an acrostic was:

¡ Purposeful in Worship and Passionate for God

¡ Empowered and Equipped with the word of God

¡ Aligned and Anointed by the Holy Spirit

¡ Christ Centered and Committed to People

¡ Evangelistic and Eternity bound through all Endeavors

With that in mind, as we enter into another decade, I am reminded of Y2K. With uncertainty looming over lives as we entered into the new millennium 20 years ago, I spoke about a 20/20 Vision. 20 years later, God reminds me that we are now in 2020, the year of 20/20 vision, the year of perfect visions.

So, with the special counsel of God and with a vision that I received during our fasting prayer, I am casting VISION2020, the Perfect Vision for Assembly of God Dallas for 2020. As I searched the word for a message, the Lord led me to no other place than 1 Chronicles 20:20. It reads, as paraphrased in the Message Bible, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Listen Judah and Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! Believe firmly in God, your God, and your lives will be firm! Believe in your prophets and you’ll come out on top!”

VISION 2020 stands for:

· Victorious in Life

· Intimate with God

· Submissive to Authority

· Innovative in Strategy

· Open hearted in Outreach

· Nurtured to Maturity

On this first day of 2020, may I submit to you, just as we experienced PEACE in 2019, we shall see the fulfillment of VISION in 2020 if we Believe in God and Stand Firm in Him. If we Believe in His Prophets, or paraphrased, in the servants of God, we shall see the fruition of our Vision without fail.

1. Victorious in Life - 1 Corinthians 15:57

· To Live in Victory, we must think Victorious

· To Live in Victory, we must get our eyes off of Circumstances

· To Live in Victory, we must never accept Defeat

2. Intimate with God - Matthew 6:6

· Bring People Along our Journey

· Show up During our Devotional Time

· Have an Honest Conversation and a Heartfelt Focus Shift

3. Submissive to Authority - 1 Peter 2:21-25

· Peter says that we are called to submission. (Priority)

· Peter defines a submissive life by the example of Jesus (Path)

· Peter points out that the object of our submission is God.

· The purpose of submission -Jesus endured His suffering for us.

4. Innovative in Strategy

· We need a theology of innovation

· We need a creative atmosphere

· We need to stay joyful

· We need the freedom to fail

· We need to think big

· We must do something that matters

5. Open hearted in Outreach

· Our hospitality blesses other people (Luke 14: 12-14)

· Our hospitality strengthens our community (Romans 12:13)

· Our hospitality opens doors for the gospel (1 Thess 2:8)

· Our hospitality reflects our love for Jesus (Matthew 25: 34-40)

6. Nurtured to Maturity

· Grow in fellowship and hospitality

· Grow in Church involvement

· Grow in Personal Discipleship

As John the beloved wrote in 3 John 4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” That is my prayer for you in 2020. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Arise and Let us Build Together.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Leslie Verghese

Pastor

01/01/2020