Family, let’s talk straight. We don’t need more noise; we need spiritual vision. Not just information or better angles, but sight from God that helps us see Jesus clearly, choose wisely, and build a life that actually lasts.
This Sunday, while Ps Larry and Ps Mandy enjoy a well-earned staycation, Kurt Jackson led us into this very word… with clarity and courage.
When eyesight isn’t enough
In Matthew 16:1–12, the religious leaders could read the weather but missed what God was doing right in front of them.
Jesus called it out: you’ve got eyesight, but no vision. “You know how to interpret the sky… but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:3) Vision is not cleverness; it’s revealed by God and received by a humble heart. And when He opens your eyes, you don’t just see differently, you live differently.
What spiritual vision really is
Scripture says, “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint.” (Proverbs 29:18) Without God’s sight, we drift. With it, our choices tighten, our pace steadies, and our lives align.
But HOW do we get this vision? Not by grind. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord (Zechariah 4:6). Vision is revealed when we co-operate. That’s legacy: sight → steps → staying power.
Guard your lenses: the “leaven” that creeps in
Jesus warned the disciples about leaven. It is a subtle influence that puffs up and distorts. In our world it looks like: legalism that kills joy, skepticism that mocks faith, and secular cynicism that chips away at hope.
Kurt reminded us: it’s not about forgetting bread; it’s about what’s shaping your inner world. Which voices set your view: is it news feeds or Good News? Group chats or Scripture? Habits that look spiritual but don’t produce love and obedience?
Jesus wants to be your Teacher. “The anointing… abides in you… and teaches you.” (1 John 2:27) “The Helper… will teach you all things and remind you.” (John 14:26). Stay teachable; let Him recalibrate your lenses.
South Coast vision in everyday life
We’re South Africans. We juggle loadshedding, petrol prices, school runs, sick notes, and WhatsApp chaos. Spiritual vision won’t magic those away, however it changes how we move through them.
- At work: Before the 7 a.m. school run, or that difficult client call, pause and pray: “Holy Spirit, give me Your sight.” Watch how conversations soften, ideas land, and integrity stands firm.
- At home: When the budget is tight, remember the baskets left over. He has been faithful; He will be faithful again. Make the honest call, cut the waste, keep generosity alive.
- In conflict: Don’t be discipled by outrage. Let the Word set your tone: be slow to speak, quick to forgive. Vision sees the person God is forming, not only the pain they caused.
- In weariness: Vision tells you why you keep going. You’re not just surviving; you’re sowing a legacy: beliefs, values, and practices that will outlive you.
Three simple moves for the week
1) Name your mountain and answer it with grace. Jesus reminded the disciples of the leftovers—they had history with Him. So do you. Speak grace to that mountain, then take the next obedient step. (Zechariah 4:6)
2) Curate your inputs. Starve the leaven. Feed on Scripture. Swap one doom-scroll for a psalm. Pick a proverb for the day and practise it. (Matthew 16:6)
3) Abide, don’t perform. “Abide in Me… neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4).
Ten honest minutes with Jesus will do more for your soul than an hour of anxious hustling.
For those who feel stuck
Some of us feel like the disciples, slow to understand, easily distracted.
Jesus didn’t discard them; He taught them. Pray the oldest, bravest prayer: “Lord, open my eyes.” “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things from Your law.” (Psalm 119:18).
When you walk in the light you have; more light will meet you on the road.
A family note about our name
Over the next season you’ll hear more about our emerging name, 3C Ramsgate. Nothing essential changes; same leaders, structure, and heartbeat to Consolidate, Disciple, Send.
Think of 3C as a banner over who we already are: Community, Character, and Courage. We’ll share details as we go, and we’ll walk it together…one Spirit-led step at a time.
Prayer for this week
Lord Jesus,
Where we’ve lived by human sight, give us spiritual vision.
Expose the leaven that distorts our hearts. Teach us by Your Spirit, remind us of Your Word, and steady our feet.
Open our eyes to Your nearness, in our homes, at work, in our city, and build in us a legacy that honours You and blesses generations.
Amen.
