3 Practical Steps to Bring God's Vision to Life

Flying 30,000 feet above sea level always brings my vision into focus.

It’s Sunday night, and I’m on a flight from Chicago to Orlando.

As usual, I bring a book—this time, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer (highly recommend!).

John writes with spiritual depth, cultural insight, and humor, challenging me to reexamine the axis of my life’s vision: Jesus, plain and simple.

But centering my habits and practices around Jesus? That’s a whole other challenge. (A story for another time.)

I strike up a conversation with the woman next to me. We chat about work and life, and she shares that she started a business and is planning to buy another.

“That’s great!” I respond, genuinely excited. Clearly, I’m not the only one on this flight reflecting on life’s vision.

I land safely in Orlando, rest well, and wake up to a full Monday.

A group of pastors from across North America has gathered for a special training event with The Center for Community Change.

Our discussions? All about church mission, mentorship, and—above all—God’s vision for our lives and ministries.

On Tuesday, we join a local church’s food drive. Every week, this church receives, packs, and distributes food—free to dozens of families in need.

I put on gloves and spend most of my time packing tomatoes. Lots of them. As cars drive by, we hand out food.

It feels good to serve.

Later, we visit another church just 15 minutes away—but it doesn’t look like a church. It’s massive, more like an industrial facility.

This is The Well Activity Center, owned and operated by Patmos Chapel.

Pastor James Doggette Sr. gives us a personal tour, and I’m in awe.

The first major space is the basketball facility—massive in scale. (This image is a composite of three frames I pulled from a video—pardon the quality!) It houses three full-length courts, ample room to move, and seating for spectators. Pastor James even mentioned that the Boston Celtics once practiced here. Impressive!

The second major space is the gymnastics facility, filled with equipment for kids and youth to use. One thing is clear—this isn’t a typical community center or church. It’s a sports complex transformed into a thriving hub for both community and worship.

Pastor James led us through a series of other rooms—a food pantry serving those in need, a professional volleyball training court, tutoring rooms, and a lounge.

Then, on the second floor, I see their worship center—seating 600 people, packed every Saturday morning.

But there’s more.

Pastor James shares that they’re expanding. Their current worship space will become a multipurpose room, and a brand-new sanctuary will be built to seat over 1,000 people.

I’m flabbergasted.

We follow him into a meeting room. He sits down, we sit down, and he speaks.

He shares the long journey of making this vision a reality—how it wasn’t easy, how there were challenges. Then, he drops this wisdom bomb: 

"If God gives you an idea, don’t die pregnant with it."

Wow.

I grab my phone and write it down in my Notes app.

For the next few days, I reflect:

"When God gives me a vision, am I doing everything in my power to bring it to life?"

Yes and no. 

✅ Yes—because I take intentional small steps each day and week.

❌ No—because I can be an inspiration junkie.

What’s an inspiration junkie? Someone who prizes inspiration over implementation.

I don’t want to die pregnant with God’s vision for my life.

3 Ways to Bring God’s Vision to Life 

1️⃣ Capture Insights
I take most of my notes on my ReMarkable tablet. When I’m in a pinch, I use my phone’s Notes app. Have a place to capture your insights. 

2️⃣ Review Insights Regularly
Every week, I set aside time for a Weekly Sync Session—a 90-minute planning time where I reflect on my insights from the past week and plan my priorities for the next. I review all my meeting notes and jot down the key insights and actions.

3️⃣ Take Immediate Action
As I review my meeting notes from the previous week, I identify the actions needed to move from inspiration to implementation. I’m learning to take action on my ideas, even if it’s just a small step. I’m prone to analysis paralysis—often overthinking without moving forward—but I’m actively working to overcome this.

When God gives you a vision, don’t just admire it. Steward it. Shape it. Start now.

Don't let God's vision for you go unfulfilled.