Dreaming God’s Dreams!
4-part series of stand-alone sermons
You might be asking, what does it mean to dream God’s dreams for our lives? Well, we know from the Bible that God has very specific dreams (i.e. visions, purposes, plans) for us – individually, as families and as a church. In addition, we also know that there are times when we struggle to dream God’s dreams by creating self-imposed glass boxes or ceilings for ourselves (i.e. comfort zones we have created for ourselves that are outside the will of God). So, this series is all about breaking some glass, so that we can once again Dream God’s Dreams.
Breaking Free of Comfort Zones Motivated by Fear (Esther 3 & 4 – specifically 4:11-16) – Comfort zones motivated by fear can keep us from experiencing God’s dreams for our lives. To help us break free from this fear that often confines us, we’re going to look at the life of a very interesting woman in the Bible – Queen Esther. In the process we’re going to discover how she overcame her fears, dreamed God’s dreams, and lived a life of victory!
Breaking Free of Comfort Zones Motivated by our Past (Acts 10:1 to 11:18) – Although there is much about the past that is good to embrace, sometimes our past influences and traditions (i.e. family, cultural, educational and religious) can become comfort zones – dangerous barriers that hinder us from experiencing what God desires for us today. Peter, the apostle, once discovered that. By examining a story from his life, we will learn how to put aside unhealthy past practises and traditions that are keeping us from dreaming God’s dreams.
Look for Daily “God Sightings”! (I Samuel 16:1-13; 24:1-13; Psalm 57) - In order to dream God’s dreams for our life we need to be able to see God in the “every day”. By looking at an example from King David in the Bible, we want to discover how to look for and recognize God's presence in our daily lives – and then also dream God's long-range dreams (plans) for our lives as well.
Becoming a Restorer! (Luke 6:6-11, Mt. 12:9-15, Mk. 3:1-6, II Cor. 5:18-20) – In the story of the man with the withered hand, we discover Jesus, the Restorer. Through this story we will discover three types of Christians, only one of which is the kind of restorer that Jesus is. Through this fascinating biblical story, we will discover how to truly be a restorer - an ambassador for Christ; one who represents the qualities, traits, or habits of the One we have been called to emulate.