Vision Sunday 2026 - Strengthened for Service
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Isaiah 40:28-31
Vision Sunday is a day where we look back with gratitude and look ahead with faith.
Last year we carried the theme, “Strength for Today, Bright Hope for Tomorrow.”
God has been faithful to give strength for the days we faced and hope for what we could not yet see.
Now as we step into 2026, the Lord is giving us a clear emphasis.
Our theme for 2026 is “Strengthened for Service.”
This is not a call to drive the faithful few harder.
This is a call to depend on the Lord more deeply so the whole body can serve more joyfully.
Some of our people are stretched.
Some of our volunteers are tired.
Some of our workers have been carrying a load that was never meant for one or two shoulders.
And yet, God has blessed our church with some wonderful strengths.
We have a faithful core of people that shows up.
We have a great kids ministry.
We have a great choir.
And we believe the Lord wants to grow us again, not only in attendance, but in workers.
So here is what we are praying for in 2026.
We are asking God to renew our strength as we wait on Him.
We are asking God to deepen our walk with Him beyond “just attending.”
We are asking God to grow our church in both number and workers so the load is shared by many and not carried by a faithful few.
We are asking God to strengthen our families so our homes help our faith instead of draining it.
We are asking God to build a stronger culture of invitation and witness so more people hear the gospel and feel the love of Christ through His people.
We are asking God to help us serve with joy and endurance.
Our three priorities for 2026 are simple.
Walk
Work
Witness
We want to walk with God in the Word, prayer, and faith, because strength that lasts comes from abiding, not just attending.
We want to work in ministry so every member finds a place to serve, because ministry is too important and the harvest is too great to watch from the sidelines.
We want to witness to others through invitation, gospel conversations, and loving follow-up, because people rarely come to church unless someone cares enough to bring them.
We are trusting God for three key wins this year.
We are praying for every member serving somewhere.
We are praying for a monthly fellowship that strengthens relationships and encourages unity.
We are praying for a renewed outreach spirit where we pray for one and invite one.
I would like this year to encourage the church to get involved in one of the ministries of the church:
We are not neccesarily asking for you to volunteer for every week service, but if you can volunteer to help once a month, or for a six week portion, etc. it would help!
The first area of need is our kids ministry programs
Both Sunday School and Kids for Christ.
We need some teachers, but also helpers
We are forming a security team
We need men who will stand in the lobby on a rotating basis so everyone can have opportunity to take part in the service.
There is some work that needs to be done on the building to make sure we are safe if something were to happen.
All of this is being headed up by William Frick, who the board has asked to be our Head of Security.
He has volunteered to help us with this.
The next area is outreach and invitation
I want to encourage every member to have a goal of inviting someone to church once a month!
When everyone does a little, a lot gets done!
Last year I had the vision of a pastoral visitation and encouragement team.
a team of people that will visit the church members
Help pastor with encouraging the members
not as a replacement for the pastor, but as a help.
Lastly I would like to bolster family discipleship
My goal is to have family discipleship plans availble for the church attenders to take home to talk about and continue thinking about the sermons throughout the week.
This will be for families of one person or 21 people.
We are also going to keep fellowship in front of us in a sustainable way.
In January we already have our annual business meeting and soup supper.
In February we already have our “I Love My Church” potluck and a project offering I would like to talk about possibly using that to help us improve our livestream.
We need a better camera system, and better lighting to help people feel more at ease with watching with us.
In April we are already full with Easter weekend, Good Friday, and the Easter breakfast.
In June we are busy with VBS.
In July we are busy with camp week.
In October we have Trunk or Treat.
In November we have the Harvest Banquet and the missionary Christmas offering.
In December we have the cantata.
So our plan is simple.
Some months fellowship will be after Sunday morning.
Some months it will be on a Sunday evening.
Some months it will be a Saturday activity.
Some months it will be a serve-together-then-eat-together night.
The goal is not a calendar full of events.
The goal is a church full of strength, love, and shared service.
Now here is the heart of Vision Sunday.
We cannot do any of this in our own strength.
If we try, we will burn out the willing and discourage the faithful.
But if we wait upon the Lord, He promised to renew our strength.
And when God renews strength, that strength turns into a deeper walk, a stronger work, and a bolder witness.
Isaiah 40:31 is not a slogan, it is a promise.
Isaiah 40 was written to people who were weary and tempted to believe God had forgotten them.
Verse 28 says, “The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary.”
That means your strength may fail, but God’s strength never does.
Then Isaiah says in verse 29, “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”
That means the weary are not disqualified, because the weary are the ones God loves to strengthen.
Verse 30 reminds us the secret isn’t in getting the youth to do the work… “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall:”
So today we are going to take this verse the way God gives it.
Let’s first see what is meant by…
I. Waiting on the Lord
I. Waiting on the Lord
Isaiah 40:31 begins with these words, “But they that wait upon the LORD.”
Waiting is not … doing nothing.
Waiting is refusing to move in the flesh while calling it faith.
Waiting is choosing God’s strength over your own strength.
A. Waiting Means Dependence, Not Delay
A. Waiting Means Dependence, Not Delay
14 Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord.
Wait on the Lord - Song
If your heart is weak, the answer is not more pressure, the answer is deeper dependence.
Remember Jesus said in John 15:5
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If we serve without abiding, we may stay busy, but we will not stay strong.
B. Waiting Means Seeking, Not Sitting
B. Waiting Means Seeking, Not Sitting
25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Waiting on God is active faith that keeps seeking God even when the feelings are low.
The next verse in Lamentations says,
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Quiet waiting teaches the soul to trust God when life is loud.
C. Waiting Means Obedience, Not Excuses
C. Waiting Means Obedience, Not Excuses
Isaiah 40:31 is not a promise for people who simply admire the Lord from a distance.
It is a promise for people who will wait upon the Lord in real dependence and obedience.
Because waiting on the Lord is not passive—it is faith that listens to God’s Word and then follows it.
That is why James said,
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
In other words, if I only hear God’s Word and never obey it, I can talk like I’m trusting God while actually living in my own strength.
But when I wait on the Lord—seeking Him, trusting Him, and doing what He says—God renews strength, because obedience is where faith becomes real.
The Word renews strength when we obey it, not when we only agree with it.
Most of us understand this when we think about our phones.
A phone can look fine for a while, but if it is not connected to power, it is slowly dying.
Some Christians try to live on yesterday’s charge.
God is calling us to plug back in.
Waiting on the Lord is where the strength comes from.
II. Renewed Strength from the Lord
II. Renewed Strength from the Lord
Isaiah 40:31 says, “shall renew their strength.”
God does not simply demand strength.
God supplies strength.
A. God Renews the Weary, not the Worthy
A. God Renews the Weary, not the Worthy
Isaiah 40:29 says, “He giveth power to the faint.”
So you do not have to pretend you are fine to qualify for help.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
When you feel weak, you are not at the end, because you are at the place where Christ’s strength shines.
B. God Renews the Inward Man, not Just the Outward Schedule
B. God Renews the Inward Man, not Just the Outward Schedule
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
God’s renewal is not just energy to do more, because it is strength to be more like Christ while you serve.
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
God can put joy back into service that has become heavy.
C. God Renews Perspective, not Just Pace
C. God Renews Perspective, not Just Pace
God doesn’t just give you energy to do more; He lifts your eyes so you can see life and ministry from His viewpoint again.
When your perspective is renewed, discouragement loses its grip, and you can keep serving with faith instead of fear.
Isaiah 40:31 says, “they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
That picture is not about showing off, because it is about rising above discouragement and seeing life from God’s view again.
It’s about doing what Hebrews 12:2 says
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
When our eyes get back on Jesus, our strength begins to return.
The next verse in Hebrews says: Hebrews 12:3
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Weariness often begins in the mind, and renewal often begins when we look to Christ again.
Hudson Taylor is often credited with saying, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”
That is the kind of confidence God wants us to have in 2026.
If this is God’s work, then God will provide God’s strength and God will raise up God’s workers.
III. Running without Weariness
III. Running without Weariness
Isaiah 40:31 says, “they shall run, and not be weary.”
There are seasons where ministry feels like running.
There are seasons where the needs come fast and the pace is real.
God does not deny those seasons.
God promises strength for those seasons.
A. Running Means Serving with Endurance
A. Running Means Serving with Endurance
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
When you are tempted to quit, remember that faithful service has a promised harvest.
God isn’t looking for brief moments of excitement or attention.
He’s calling us to steady, dependable faithfulness over the long haul.
B. Running Means Sharing the Load as One Body
B. Running Means Sharing the Load as One Body
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The church is not built on a few doing everything, because the church grows when the whole body does its part.
Paul told us that…
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
God has a place for you, and the body is stronger when you are in it.
C. Running Means Stepping into Your Spot
C. Running Means Stepping into Your Spot
This is where “Work” becomes a faith step.
In 2026, we are praying that every member serves somewhere.
Not everyone can do everything.
But everyone can do something.
Some can serve weekly.
Some can serve monthly.
Some can serve behind the scenes.
Some can serve up front.
But the goal is shared joy and shared load.
Just like running a relay race.
One runner carrying the baton for the whole race is not heroic, it is foolish.
The race is won when the baton is passed, the load is shared, and each runner runs their stretch.
One of the healthiest things we can do this year is pass the baton well.
That means training helpers.
That means building teams.
That means raising teachers.
That means inviting new workers into meaningful roles.
IV. Walking without Fainting
IV. Walking without Fainting
Isaiah 40:31 ends with, “and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Most of life is not sprinting.
Most of life is walking.
Walking is steady obedience in ordinary days.
A. Walking Means Daily Faithfulness with God
A. Walking Means Daily Faithfulness with God
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?
A humble walk is not loud, but it is strong.
Walking daily in God’s Word give us direction in our path.
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.
The Word keeps you walking when you cannot see far ahead.
B. Walking Means Discipleship in the Home
B. Walking Means Discipleship in the Home
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Family discipleship begins when the Word is in us, not just around us.
then verse 7 says,
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
A strong church is built on stronger homes, and stronger homes are built on God’s Word.
Joshua 24:15 We need families who will determine to say, as Joshua challenged the Israelites “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Serving the Lord is not only a church building thing, because it is a home thing too.
C. Walking Means Power for Witness
C. Walking Means Power for Witness
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
God gives power not only to endure, but also to speak.
Jesus commanded us to…
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Your life can open a door for your lips to speak about Christ.
Peter tells us to always be ready to give an answer…but first he says…
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
A ready witness does not require a perfect speech, because it requires a willing heart.
This is where “Witness” becomes practical.
In 2026, we are praying for a renewed outreach spirit.
We are praying for one and inviting one.
I don’t want to pressure people with guilt.
We are trying to fill our mouths with love for Christ and compassion for souls.
D. L. Moody is famously associated with this idea: “The world has yet to see what God can do through a person fully surrendered to Him.”
That is not a call to pride.
That is a call to surrender.
God can do more through a church that is surrendered than through a church that is simply busy.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah was not in rebellion, but he was exhausted and he was discouraged and depressed.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
That is what weariness sounds like when it gets deep.
But God did not crush Elijah.
God fed Elijah.
God let Elijah rest.
God met Elijah with His presence.
And then God sent Elijah back with renewed purpose.
That is what God wants to do for many of us in 2026.
God wants to renew strength in weary hearts.
God wants to restore joy in tired servants.
God wants to raise up more workers so the load is shared.
God wants to strengthen our homes so our walk is steady.
God wants to open doors for witness so souls are reached.
If you are weary, your first step is not to quit, because your first step is to wait on the Lord.
If you have been attending but not serving, your next step is to ask God to show you where your spot to serve is and take one step of obedience.
If you have been silent in witness, your next step is to pray for one opportunity and invite one person, trusting God to use a simple invitation.
If your home needs strengthening, your next step is to put the Word back at the center and start small but stay steady.
And if you are already serving faithfully, your next step is not to carry the whole load, because your next step is to help train others and share the work.
Closing prayer for 2026.
Lord, renew our strength as we wait on You.
Lord, deepen our walk with You.
Lord, raise up workers so the load is shared.
Lord, strengthen our families.
Lord, give us power and compassion to witness.
Lord, help us serve with joy and endurance.
