2220 NW Military Hwy | San Antonio, TX 78213 | (210) 377-3030
Our Vision
.jpg)
Life Groups
.jpg)
Our Vision
One Blinding Vision
“We exist for the glory of God to follow Jesus by delivering people, multiplying disciples, and building bridges.”
— James Shupp
Years ago I read a cover article in “U.S. News & World Report” entitled, “History’s Hidden Turning points,” (April 22, 1991). Daniel Boorstin’s thesis in the article was this: The watershed events of human history are “seldom spotted” and remain “hidden” to most observers.
What caught my attention was Boorstin’s top vote for the least acknowledged hinge moment in human history. It was, “The Momentous Mission of the Apostle Paul.” I was stunned that a non-religious magazine had given this Biblical character so much credit for changing the face of the globe. I copied the article, dropped it in a file, and spent the next decade and a half reflecting on the significance of what he wrote.
What preoccupied my mind over the next few years were these types of questions: What was the turning point in Paul’s own life? How did he sustain his passion over the course of decades in the face of outrageous opposition to accomplish what he did? Can a single Christ follower or a supercharged group of them radically alter the course of human civilization today?
It was obvious to me that precise moment of Paul’s dramatic change happened on the Damascus Road. He was on a journey to exterminate the followers of Christ and wipe the memory of their heretic leader from every heart. But then he met Jesus in a brilliant flash of light and in a vision that literally blinded him. In an instant, Paul’s life changed course. He never looked back. He did more to advance the cause of Jesus Christ than any other man. The world will never be the same.
I was haunted for years by the thoughts that Boorstin’s article provoked in my head. Most people I know want to live an extraordinary life. We want to change our world. Is there something we can learn from the example of Paul that will enable us to make as big a difference for the glory of God and the love of Jesus Christ as the apostle did?
Then reality set in. If we could see Jesus they way that Paul did, then all this could and should happen again in our lifetime. The world desperately needs for it to happen again. So a few years ago, I embarked on a study of the New Testament to rediscover the essential truths about Jesus Christ. I stripped away all my presupposition and pre-conceived ideas about what I thought I already knew. I set out to find the most important, irreducible focal points in the mind of Jesus Christ. I tried to imagine as I read the gospels with fresh eyes that I was actually listening to Him and following Him throughout His three year ministry.
I discovered that there were three major emphases in the life of Jesus. In fact, I believe everything He said and did can be placed within these three categories. If you look at the Apostle Paul’s life closely enough, you can see him doing these same things.
DELIVERING PEOPLE
Jesus delivered people from the crisis of their physical condition and the darkness of their sinful condition. Crisis and darkness are not our greatest threats, but our greatest opportunities to demonstrate the compassion of Christ.
MULTIPLYING DISCIPLES
The heartbeat of the Great Commission is to make and then multiply disciples. We seek to do this by living in community with our fellow believers. We invite others to join us in the life-transforming experience that comes from following and abiding in Christ.
BUILDING BRIDGES
In the High Priestly Prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17, He asks us to be one with our brothers and sisters in the faith. He desires for us to experience unity as He does in the Trinity. Our unity demonstrates to the world that Jesus is the Son of God. Therefore, we seek to build bridges of fellowship between believers of different cultures, classes, and age groups.
.jpg)
Do you want to see Jesus more clearly? Did you ever have a gnawing feeling in your gut that the main thrust of His life has been lost in the noise of religionand the traditions of men? Welcome to "One Blinding Vision." It's more than a book. It's a visionary movement of God birthed inside the heart of James Shupp. After serving as lead pastor for over twenty years, he came dangerously close to walking awayfrom vocational ministry. He was within moments of giving up on the church entirely. But during that painful season, hewas drawn to the Bible to take one final look at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. He dove deeply into the message of the Man from Galilee. He searched desperately to find the heart and passions of the greatest Rabbi to ever live. Then he wrote about his journey in a style that is both creative and challenging. James blends the interpretation of Scripture with his gift of storytelling in a way that is surprisingly transparent. From start to finish, "One Blinding Vision" is about capturing a fresh vision of Jesus Christ and having the guts to follow Him in this generation. Listen to this book at your own risk!
Click here to download the Multiplying Disciples portion of One Blinding Vision.
Click here if you would like to download through iTunes. (Don't have iTunes? Click here)
Click here if you would like to download each chapter individually through our RSS.
