[whpalmer4]

The usual rule of thumb with OmniFocus is you plan in Project mode, and execute from Context mode. Certainly that is what you do in GTD—look at your next actions sorted by context and consider those available in your current context (factor 1 of the four-criteria model for choosing actions in the moment, pp. 192-193).

Sure, if you have decided that project XYZ gets all of your attention today, no matter what the contexts it requires you to occupy, then you can work it out of Project mode, but in such a case you would just work the next action until done.

The settings of the view bar do not alter the data, only its presentation in the current view. Changing the ordering in Project mode via the View bar settings has no influence on Context mode. Only using the Edit->Sort command (or dragging the actions around, or the Sort command in the contextual menu) actually changes the sequence of the actions in the database, which would then be reflected in a Context mode view. The next action shown is always the uppermost unblocked action in Project mode.