LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

BHAG – (God-sized vison)

Submitted to Dr. John McGinn, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the completion of the course:

SEMI 500-B02 LUO
Introduction to Seminary Studies

By

Jeffrey Michael Davis

September 18, 2014
 
BHAG (God-sized vision)

God’s plan for every believer’s life is always bigger than anything they can see and if more people would live their lives as if they couldn’t fail, more people would be able to see obstacles and setbacks as mere opportunities ordained by God. Dr. Jerry Falwell proposed, “The measure of someone is what it takes to discourage them.” Falwell believed the world is full of opportunities disguised as obstacles, so having a Big Harry Audacious Goal is mandatory in your life and your ministry.

God always has a plan for those who have a servant’s heart, are willing to submit, and remain faithful despite what God is calling them to do. God is prepared to do more through someone than they can possibly imagine and He is able to accomplish anything imaginable; sometimes all He requires is that you ask and believe. Many have not because they ask not and people get hung up here because they want to know why God would do such a thing and the only appropriate answer is because He is faithful.

The Lord is continually trying to speak into the hearts of His children, but it is only when they slow down long enough and become sensitive to that still small voice that they begin to sense where the Spirit is calling them. God is not limited by anything but faith, willingness, and imagination. He has the capacity to do exceedingly and abundantly above anything imaginable. However, faith is grown, willingness requires obedience, and imagination demands trust in God.

In order to achieve greatness, you must be happy where you are now because if you are not; you will never be happy where the Lord wants to take you. An individual’s calling directs the person where God wants to take them, but if they are not active in some form of ministry presently, they typically will not become active upon the completion of any academic degree. Past behavior is often the best indicator of future behavior.

While this writer has already achieved much in life already, he knows it is just the tip of what God has planned. Receiving a M. Div. is just one piece of the puzzle God is going to use to complete His work through my ministry. To get anywhere God is calling you requires faith and determination; without either, you will never reach your God-given destiny. The problem arises when people are just content maintaining and are not looking for God to do something bigger or better.

Falwell was a dreamer and dreaming big is a must, but the dream and vision must come from God which means spending time in His presence is paramount. Falwell also believed, “your life dream gives you energy and purpose.” The more you surrender everything to Christ, the closer you come to being in the center of His will and the clearer your vision and mission will become. The apostle Paul says to walk by faith and not by sight, essentially saying: put everything in God’s hands and trust Him. If a dream is truly from God, He will bring it to fruition in His perfect time and according to His perfect plan. God does not give you a dream only to see it crushed, so you must be willing to do whatever it takes to complete whatever dream God has placed in your heart.

My love for Christ has compelled me to become a pastor and while my primary goal is to know Christ, my calling is to share that knowledge with other people. Falwell stresses the importance of having goals which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely, but most importantly that they line up with what God is calling you to do. In order to stay on track, daily communion with God through prayer is mandatory. Without constant interaction with God, you may miss an important step in achieving His masterpiece in and through you. Without daily seeking God, the obstacles and setbacks you come across will seem impossible, but with Him, all things become possible. Falwell declared, “There is no such thing as a life without problems or obstacles … so understanding the world, the flesh, and the devil” mean to weaken your faith is crucial to overcoming them.

Sometimes, dreams do die and when they do you must dream even bigger and trust God has something even better in store. Currently, I am serving as a care pastor in a church with over one thousand members and I know this is exactly where God has called me to be. Becoming a full time pastor has been an uphill battle, but through all the struggles I have grown closer to the Lord than I would have had it just miraculously happened. I would not trade any of those days getting here for anything, but by the end of this program, I hope to be in a place where if God is calling me to another form of ministry, I will be ready. My heart breaks for people who are suffering through tragedy and trials and I feel called to minister to people as they walk through those seasons. In addition to receiving an incredible education, I hope to become even more aware of God by studying, writing, and reading about Him.

Dr. David Hirschman illustrated how Falwell continually was not afraid to do anything he was convinced God was calling him to do and this allowed him to look beyond what he could see and imagine what God could do. Currently, my local ministry is defined, but during this program I hope to broaden my national ministry and by the end of the program, I hope to have some form of a global ministry. Ambitious? Perhaps, but our faith has to be as big as our vision. To get there, I have already taken steps meeting with other chaplains, I have launched my own website where I publish a motivational and encouraging blog, and I have volunteered in local prisons as a chaplain. Having faith bigger than yourselves requires your faith be exercised daily in order for it to continually grow beyond anything you can imagine. 

Bibliography

Falwell, Jerry. Building Dynamic Faith. Dallas: Thomas Nelson, 2005