I’ll never forget standing in that little office in Indiana, holding a recording contract in one hand while knowing twenty young interns were waiting for me to teach them the Bible in the next room. That moment defined everything about how I understand God’s vision today. You see, I thought I was going to be a famous musician. I was convinced of it. But sometimes your passion is just your hobby, not your destiny.
When I tore up that contract and chose to invest in those young lives instead, I learned something profound about Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” This scripture has been misinterpreted and manipulated by preachers for years, often to fulfill their own selfish ambitions. But I’m here to tell you the truth about what happens when we lose sight of God’s vision for our lives.
Understanding Prophetic Vision Through Heaven’s Eyes
The Hebrew word “chazah” means “to see,” and in the Old Testament, it was always connected to prophets who served as intermediaries between God and His people. These prophets would visually receive divine revelations and then speak them to Israel. But here’s what I need you to understand: if a church ever ceases to exist, it’s because somewhere there was a misalignment with the will of Christ.
I’ve seen too many churches implode because they were founded on a man’s vision rather than Jesus’ vision. That’s why from this pulpit at V1 Church, I want to make it crystal clear: It’s not about fulfilling my vision as lead pastor, but about discerning His vision and all of us coming together to fulfill it. Jesus said to Peter, “Upon this rock, I will establish my church and not even the gates of hell will prevail against it.”
The Golden Calf Syndrome: My Own Journey Through Chaos
Let me paint you a picture from Exodus 32:25. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, Aaron let the people “run wild” below. From a distance, Moses thought he was seeing revival. As he got closer, the horror set in — golden calves, rampant promiscuity, complete abandonment of everything holy.
I’ve lived this personally. Fifteen years ago, I was an alcoholic wandering the streets of Northwest Indiana, completely drunk out of my mind. My wife Julie was calling all my friends: “Where’s Mike? I know he relapsed. We’ve got to find Mike.” When I finally stumbled home, she barricaded our door with our baby in her arms, refusing to let me leave and self-destruct.
I fought her, telling her God could never use me, that I was a failure, that she should just let me die. But Julie looked at me and said, “No, Mike. No.” She was fighting for my future when I had given up on it. That’s when I learned that vision is proof God is fighting for your future, even when you want to quit.
The Blinders Principle: Why Restraint Is Actually Freedom
When you take a carriage ride in Central Park, you’ll notice the horses wear blinders. These don’t completely blind them, but they strategically limit peripheral vision to keep them on the path. God isn’t trying to blind you either. He’s trying to bring focus.
Some of you shouldn’t have Instagram. I’m serious. You aren’t ready for it, and you can’t control what you’re seeing. Delete the app before God deletes you.
Here’s the truth: without vision for your sexuality, you’ll do whatever with it. Without vision for your finances, you’ll waste them. I love burritos. I’m confessing my own sin here. My wife Julie loves shopping at Ross. If I had your bank account, I’d turn it into burritos. Julie would turn it into discount clothes. But Warren Buffett would turn it into millions. The problem isn’t your money; it’s your vision.
Jesus: The Game-Changing Vision
Hebrews 1:1-2 unlocked everything for me: “In the past, God spoke through the prophets, but in these last days, he speaks through his Son Jesus.” This changes the entire equation. Where there is Jesus—the real Jesus, not the Republican Jesus they use for votes, not the Democrat social justice warrior Jesus, but the authentic Yeshua who walked Galilee—people put on restraint and are blessed.
I had 15,000 concurrent viewers on my YouTube live stream recently. My friend asked how I did it. I told him I prayed in tongues for an hour, then went live from my laptop with no production. When the numbers peaked, I preached the gospel unapologetically, and hundreds got saved. Because it’s not about building our kingdoms. It’s about His.
Fighting for Others’ Visions: The Multiplication Effect
When I started V1 Church with 18 people, I began seeing visions for others. I met Edwin Perez, disenfranchised and wounded by church hurt. I told him, “I see you starting a theological school.” I met Jocelyn and said, “I see you in ministry with your husband.” I met Exikha running from her calling and said, “You’re going to be a pastor.”
I met Chris Wrigley when he was addicted to drugs and vaping in our venue (almost got us kicked out when the fire alarm went off). I told him, “I see you sober, leading recovery groups, playing in stadiums.” They all thought I was crazy. But you know what? You met the Chris from the picture God gave me, not the Chris I first encountered.
Breaking Your Alabaster Box: The Cost of Vision
For seven years, I saved every penny just to have the down payment for our first building. We’ve loaded in and out of venues, spent hundreds of thousands on rentals, all because we believed in a vision bigger than ourselves.
I learned that V1 (going “all in” with no plan B) means if you have a plan B, that’s always the one that happens. But if you only have a plan A, and that plan is God’s vision, it’s irrevocable.
When Julie’s voice was destroyed after surgery and she couldn’t sing anymore, it was my turn to barricade the door spiritually. I prophesied over her: “You will sing again.” She sang flat, and sharp, and it hurt, but she kept going. Now in theaters across America, people hear her singing “You Said It, I Believe It.” We had to come into alignment with heaven’s picture.
Your Vision Moment: Agreeing with Heaven
God’s vision for your life is the proof that He’s fighting for your future. He has not given up on you. In your darkest Judas moment when you betrayed Him, in your Peter moment when you denied Him, He said, “I still love you. I’m not giving up on you.”
When I look at what God has done—2,015 people discipled, 760 baptized, 6,636 fed, 73 million reached online—I remember our first baptism at Jones Beach where the waves kept knocking us over. We had no idea what we were doing. But God saw the picture of what could be.
Don’t despise small beginnings. What seems little today is only defined by how far God plans to take you tomorrow. Some things that seem so big now will seem so small as God changes your altitude.
I’m still fighting for your future, and I believe God has a vision for your life that’s bigger than you can imagine. Join us on The Breakers App or consider supporting this ministry as we continue bringing heaven’s vision to earth.