Connect Church
Vision Sunday 2026
  • Blessed Be Your Name
  • Overcome
  • Do It Again
  • How He Loves
  • Every season of growth—personal or corporate—demands clarity.
    Before God moves a people forward, He first brings them back to vision.
    One of the greatest dangers for the church isn’t opposition from the outside—it’s drift on the inside. Drift happens slowly. Quietly. You don’t wake up one day and decide to lose focus. You just stop paying attention to what matters most.
    Psalm 26 was written in a moment like that.
    David writes this Psalm during a season when his integrity was under attack. Though Scripture doesn’t name the exact moment, most scholars place this Psalm during a time when David was falsely accused—likely while he was being pursued by Saul or when his loyalty was questioned by those around him. David is not writing from a throne. He’s writing from pressure.
    People are questioning his motives.
    His character is being scrutinized.
    And the line between righteousness and compromise feels dangerously thin.
    In that moment, David does something remarkable:
    He doesn’t defend himself to people—he brings his life before God.
    Psalm 26 is not a prayer of pride; it’s a prayer of alignment. David isn’t claiming perfection. He’s asking God to look closely and decide whether his life still matches his devotion.
    And notice this—David doesn’t just talk about personal morality. He talks about:
    Who he walks with
    Where he stands
    What he loves
    And most importantly, God’s house
    This Psalm reveals a man who understands that vision for the future begins with faithfulness in the present.
    Church, before we talk about where God wants us to go, we must first ask:
    Are we still standing where God wants us to stand?
    Before we talk about mission, we must examine motives. Before we talk about expansion, we must talk about alignment. So let’s listen to David’s prayer—not as a defense, but as a vision statement of the heart. Not as ancient poetry, but as a mirror for God’s people today.
    If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Psalm 26
    Psalm 26 NIV
    Of David. 1 Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. 2 Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; 3 for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. 4 I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites. 5 I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. 6 I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, Lord, 7 proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. 8 Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells. 9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with those who are bloodthirsty, 10 in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. 11 I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me. 12 My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.

    1. Vision Begins with a Heart God can Trust

    David opens Psalm 26 with a bold, unsettling prayer:
    “Vindicate me, O Lord…”
    The word David uses there is the Hebrew shāphaṭ. It’s courtroom language. It means to judge, to render a verdict, to decide a case.
    David is not asking God to compliment him. He’s asking God to take the bench.
    In other words, David is saying, “Lord, You examine my life. You weigh the evidence. You decide whether I am aligned with You.”
    That’s where vision always begins.
    A church does not gain clarity by defending itself, explaining itself, or comparing itself to others. Vision comes when we stop trying to manage the narrative and instead say, “God, You judge us.”
    This is uncomfortable—because God’s judgment exposes motives, not just actions. It examines why we do what we do, not just what we do.
    David understood something we often miss: Before God gives direction, He establishes alignment. Before God reveals the future, He evaluates the present. If we want God’s vision for this church, the first step is not strategy—it’s surrender. Not planning—but positioning.
    So the question of Psalm 26:1 is not, “Are we successful?”
    The question is, “Are we standing in a place where God can honestly say, ‘This pleases Me’?”
    Vision begins when God is invited to judge—and we are willing to accept His verdict.
    As a church we need to ask ourselves a couple of questions. Each of us has to be honest with ourself. God will never entrust His mission to a church that won’t submit its motives to Him. Ask these questions:
    Are we doing church for comfort or for calling? And…
    Are we protecting traditions or pursuing obedience?
    If we truly want God’s vision, then we must be willing to be searched by God.

    2. Vision is Shaped by Who We Walk With

    David continues in Psalm 26:4–5
    Psalm 26:4–5 NIV
    4 I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites. 5 I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.
    David is not claiming sinlessness. He is declaring alignment. He’s saying, “There are places I won’t sit, voices I won’t follow, and values I won’t adopt.”
    Vision is always shaped by association. Who you walk with determines where you end up. Who you listen to eventually determines who you become.
    For David, integrity wasn’t just about what he avoided privately—it was about where he positioned himself publicly.
    And this matters deeply for the church.
    We cannot look like the world and expect to lead people out of it. We cannot adopt the values of culture and still reflect the heart of Christ. When the church blends in too well, it stops standing out for anything that matters.
    Now, hear this clearly—David is not promoting isolation.
    Jesus ate with sinners. Jesus loved the broken. Jesus moved toward the lost. But Jesus never allowed sin to define Him.
    There is a difference between engagement and endorsement. Between influence and imitation.
    The church is called to be in the world, but never owned by it. We are sent into culture as salt and light—not as mirrors.
    So vision requires intentional alignment:
    Who shapes our thinking?
    What voices guide our decisions?
    What values drive our priorities?
    If we want to see where God wants to take this church, we must first be honest about who we’re walking with right now.
    Because direction is not determined by intention—it is determined by association.

    3. Vision Requires Clean Hands and a Unified Worship

    David says in Psalm 26:6–7
    Psalm 26:6–7 NIV
    6 I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, Lord, 7 proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
    There is intentional movement in David’s words—and it matters.
    Clean hands → God’s altar → public praise
    That order is not accidental. It’s theological.

    1. Clean Hands: Repentance Before Worship

    “I wash my hands in innocence…”
    In Scripture, clean hands symbolize repentance, surrender, and readiness. David is not claiming moral perfection—he is acknowledging personal responsibility before God. True worship never begins with music. It begins with repentance.
    When repentance is removed from worship, worship becomes performance. When repentance is ignored, worship becomes noise. This is why vision collapses when worship becomes casual. A church cannot hear God clearly when it refuses to deal honestly with sin. God’s vision has always required a clean people—not perfect, but submitted.

    2. God’s Altar: Unity Around His Presence

    “…and go around Your altar, O Lord…”
    David doesn’t wash his hands and go to the crowd. He goes to the altar.
    The altar represents:
    God’s presence
    God’s covenant
    God’s authority
    The church does not gather around a preacher, a style, or a preference. We gather around God’s presence.
    Vision fractures when the altar is replaced with opinions. Vision weakens when preferences matter more than presence. Unity in the church does not come from agreement—it comes from shared surrender. When we all kneel at the same altar, pride loses its voice.

    3. Public Praise: Testimony That Magnifies God

    “…proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all Your wondrous deeds.”
    Worship was never meant to be silent or private only. David speaks of declared praise—thanksgiving that can be heard. True worship tells a story—but it’s never our story.
    It’s the story of:
    God’s faithfulness
    God’s mercy
    God’s power
    When worship becomes centered on how we feel, vision fades. When worship proclaims what God has done, vision sharpens.

    Why Worship Determines Vision

    Vision dies when worship becomes routine instead of reverent. A church can still sing and still be drifting. A church can still meet and still be empty. God’s vision for the church has always included:
    Repentance before worship – hearts aligned
    Unity around the altar – people gathered
    Testimony that exalts God – glory directed upward
    Remove any one of those, and worship becomes hollow.

    A Defining Line for the Church

    A church without worship becomes a nonprofit—well-meaning, busy, and powerless. A church with worship becomes a witness—alive, surrendered, and God-directed. Worship is not a segment of the service. Worship is the engine of the mission.
    If this church is going to walk in God’s vision, it will not be because we planned better. It will be because we knelt lower, repented quicker, and praised louder—not for ourselves, but for Him. Because vision is sustained where worship is sincere.

    4. Vision is Rooted in Love for God’s House

    Psalm 26:8 NIV
    8 Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
    This is the heart of the Psalm.
    David doesn’t say:
    “I love the music”
    “I love the structure”
    “I love the tradition”
    He says, “I love where Your glory dwells.”
    Vision for the church is not about preserving a place—it’s about hosting the presence of God. If God’s glory leaves, the building is just a room. If God’s glory stays, the church becomes a beacon.
    What is the purpose of a beacon or what we know as lighthouses?
    A lighthouse is to stand along dangerous coastlines to shine when it matters most. Sailors don’t need them on calm, clear days. They need them in fog, in storms, when the shoreline disappears.
    During World War II, many lighthouses were ordered to turn their lights off at night so enemy ships couldn’t use them to navigate. But something tragic happened. Friendly ships—supply boats and rescue vessels—began running aground. Not because the shore had changed, but because the light was gone.
    The danger didn’t increase.
    Visibility disappeared.
    A lighthouse doesn’t chase ships. It doesn’t move with the storm. It simply stands and shines. And when the light is off, the lighthouse still exists—but it no longer saves anyone.
    That’s what happens when the church loses its vision.When the church dims its light to blend in…softens truth to avoid offense… or values comfort over calling… It doesn’t stop being a church—but it stops guiding.
    God didn’t call His church to hide until the storm passes. He called it to stand firm and shine bright.
    Because in a dark world, people aren’t looking for a building. They’re looking for a beacon.

    5. Vision Keeps Us Standing and Moving Forward Together

    Look at how David finishes up this Psalm.
    Psalm 26:11–12 NIV
    11 I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me. 12 My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.
    When we are following the leading that God has for us, the vision gives us stability.
    One of the clearest signs that a church is walking in God’s vision is stability.
    Not flash.
    Not hype.
    Not constant reinvention.
    But Stability.
    When David says, “My foot stands on level ground,” he is not saying life is easy. He is saying his life is anchored. Something beneath him is solid, even when everything around him is uncertain.
    This Psalm has taken us on a journey:
    From inviting God to judge the heart
    To choosing alignment over compromise
    To centering the church around worship
    To becoming a beacon in the darkness
    And David ends by telling us what all of that produces: steady footing.

    Why Stability Matters for the Church

    Vision without stability becomes noise.
    Activity without stability becomes exhaustion.
    Growth without stability becomes collapse.
    Stability is what allows the church to:
    Remain faithful when culture shifts its values
    Keep preaching truth when it becomes unpopular
    Stay generous when resources feel small
    Continue loving people when results are slow
    A church without vision reacts to every trend.
    A church with vision stands firm and keeps walking.

    Stability Is Not Standing Still

    Notice David doesn’t say, “I stand and stop.”
    He says, “I walk.”
    Stability is not stagnation.
    It’s movement without compromise.
    Vision gives the church permission to move forward without panic—because it knows where its footing is. When you know what you stand on, you don’t have to rush every decision or chase every new idea.

    Stability Is Built Through Daily Obedience

    Vision is not sustained by big announcements or special moments.
    It is sustained by:
    Faithful worship
    Honest repentance
    Consistent integrity
    Shared mission
    Stability is the fruit of a church that keeps choosing obedience—even when no one is applauding.
    When a church knows:
    Who it answers to
    What it stands on
    Why it exists
    It becomes a place people can trust.
    In a world that is constantly shifting, God is still looking for churches that provide level ground—a steady place where the weary can stand, the lost can see clearly, and God can be glorified.
    That is what Psalm 26 shows us.
    Vision leads to stability.
    And stability makes the church a lasting witness.
    I want to close this morning by us coming together for communion. Communion is a form of us fellowshipping together. I want all of us to move to the two middle sections if we can.
    If you have not been served the emblems, raise your hand.
    Psalm 26:11 says
    Psalm 26:11 NIV
    11 I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me.
    There is no more level ground than the communion table.
    At this table, we don’t stand on our success or our failures.
    We stand on grace.
    The apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 11:28
    1 Corinthians 11:28 NIV
    28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
    Communion invites us to do what David did—bring our lives honestly before God. Not to be condemned, but to be realigned.
    The bread reminds us of Christ’s body, broken so we could be made whole.
    The cup reminds us of His blood, poured out so we could stand forgiven.
    At this table, integrity is restored.
    At this table, worship is renewed.
    At this table, the church becomes one body again.
    Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 10:16–17
    1 Corinthians 10:16–17 NIV
    16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
    Communion is not a private moment—it’s a corporate confession that Jesus is enough.
    So as we receive the bread and the cup today, we do so with grateful hearts, standing on level ground, blessing the Lord together—because of Christ.

      • Psalm 26NLT

      • Psalm 26:4–5NLT

      • Psalm 26:6–7NLT

      • Psalm 26:8NLT

      • Psalm 26:11–12NLT

      • Psalm 26:11NLT

      • 1 Corinthians 11:28NLT

      • 1 Corinthians 10:16–17NLT

      • Proverbs 3:9NLT

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