Dear BCA Family,

We have just begun a new teaching series entitled Faith Factor—6 Factors God Uses to Build Your Faith. These factors are Dream, Decision, Delay, Difficulty, Dead-end, and Deliverance, which we will study in more detail in the coming weeks. The first faith factor is to Understand God’s Dream For Your Life. Nothing happens until you start dreaming. In fact, it is hard to over-estimate the importance of a life dream. We shape our dreams and then our dreams shape us. It is imperative that you know where you are going in life and why God put you here on this earth. Not only does a dream shape your destiny, it also determines your dignity. In fact, no dream equals low self-esteem.

Can you succinctly state God's purpose for your life? He will have a purpose for you in many areas, including your faith, family, finances, fitness, friendships, and future. He will also have something He wants you to fulfill as you go through life. Jeremiah 29:11—For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future! Notice there is a personal, individual plan for your life. And it is a positive plan: to prosper you, to give you a hope and a future.

Let me give you 5 principles that will help you find God’s DREAM for your life.

1. D—DEDICATE MY LIFE TO GOD.
Romans 12:1,2 (GN)—Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service…Do not conform to the standards of this world, but let God transform you… Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good…pleasing…and perfect.

Let’s unpack Paul’s instructions in this verse in Romans. How will I know God’s Dream and Will for my life? I need to dedicate my all to Him… my time, talent, and treasure. What will it be like? It will be good, without regrets, with a tailor-made fit for me. How do I discover it? I offer myself as a living sacrifice to God, doing His will instead of my own. Why do so many miss it? They are trying so hard to conform that they lose sight of their unique, God-given characteristics and become resistant to God’s transforming power.

You have a choice to make--whether you’re going to give your life for the American dream or for God’s dream. You can’t do both at the same time. Both require a 100% commitment. You decide: the American dream or God’s dream; good life or great life; materialism or ministry; rat race or God’s race. When you decide to follow after God, you must throw off the excess baggage that doesn’t really matter, and won’t last. Heb. 12:1(LB)—Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back and run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. What do you need to shed that is holding you back? Some things are not necessarily wrong, but they are just not necessary. Dedicate 100% of your life to God.

2. R—RESERVE TIME ALONE WITH GOD.
To get God’s Vision, turn off the television…and listen. Job 37:14(GN)—Pause a moment and listen! Consider the wonderful things God does. God wants to spend time with you and show you His dream for your life; but most people are too busy. Their attitude is "Not now, God." Pascal said, "The problem of man…most of them come from our inability to sit still.” Ten people in the Bible who got God’s dream for their life are Abraham (Gen. 15:5), Moses (Ex. 3:1-10), David (Ps. 5:3), Nehemiah (Neh. 1:4), Paul (Gal. 1:17,18), Jacob (Gen. 32:24-29), Gideon (Judges 6:11-14), Elijah (I Kg. 19:11,12), Habakkuk (Hab. 2:1, 2), and Jesus (Luke 5:16). They had one common denominator: they all got God’s dream for their lives while they were alone…in the desert, on a mountain, or at night. This just illustrates the need to get alone and spend time with God.

Have you ever taken an entire day to spend alone with God? To read the Bible; pray; be quiet; reflect, evaluate; talk; listen; see big picture. If you have not done this, maybe that is why you are confused, and God’s Dream is unclear to you. God speaks to people who listen. Having said that, I don’t want to mislead you; it’s not a one-time shot. You need the discipline of solitude: a regular quiet time with God on a daily basis, where you sit down and re-group and reconsider and read the Bible and pray and let God talk to you in the silence.

3. E—EVALUATE MY ABILITIES.
Eph. 2:10—For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ to devote ourselves to the good deeds for which God has designed us.

The word "handiwork” here is from the Greek word poema, from which we get the word "poem". So this can be translated that you are God’s poem. You are a creative work of art!! Don’t ever let anyone put you down. You are God’s handiwork. The verse also says that we should devote ourselves to good deeds for which we were pre-designed. Ask yourself these questions: What am I good at doing? What do I really like to do? What do others say I’m good at doing? God gave you spiritual gifts, heart passion, abilities, personality, and experiences as indicators of where He wants to take your life and how He wants to use you to bless others. Some like to work with people, things, or figures. Some people are mechanical, musical, theoretical, or practical. Some see the big picture while others are best at taking care of details. God has a plan for all of us and wants to show it to us.

You say, "Rob, I’m a Christian now…now that God has me…what is he going to do with me?" The Bible is very clear…we were saved to serve. There is more to life than getting up in the morning, going to work, watching TV, going to bed, retiring, and dying. I Peter 4:10(LB)—God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other. We are to give our lives away.

Rom. 12:6(GN)—We are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. Notice he says "gifts". When somebody gives you a gift, it is unearned. Have you ever thought about the fact that your natural inclinations, your abilities, your talents, your personality, and your special skills are all gifts to you? Don’t get proud…God chose it. Don’t compare…God chose it. Fulfillment comes not from being somebody else…but from being who God meant you to be.

4. A—ASSOCIATE WITH GODLY DREAMERS.
Why should we associate with godly dreamers? Because dreams can be caught, and vision can be shared. Did you know that both dreams and discouragement are contagious? As a pastor, I realize that the church is a hospital. We are to bind up the broken-hearted and care for the hurting. However, I am deeply concerned, because the church is also to be an army, powerfully advancing the cause of Christ. And yet so many believers, so many of our soldiers are wounded and defeated…mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. And there is a shutting down, and a closing in, and a focusing on self and survival.

Get around people of faith: those people who say, "Sure our problems are big - they’re incredible! But my God is bigger and more incredible!" The people you hang out with will either help you find God’s dream for your life, or hinder you from pursuing it. Nobody is neutral. Proverbs 27:17—As iron sharpens iron, friend sharpens friend. I love to be around great dreamers; they’re contagious! I want my kids exposed to godly dreamers. And I want to be around people who are seriously trying to make a difference for God. I Cor. 15:33 (JB)—Bad friends ruin the noblest people. It’s that old saying…if you want to soar with the eagles…you can’t run with the turkeys.

5. M—MAKE THE DREAM PUBLIC.
Announce what you intend to do with your life, whether you have 5 years or 50 years left. Why does God want you to do that? Because it demands faith; you put it on the line when you announce it. Heb. 11:1—What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. This verse in the NIV reads "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Faith is believing the thing is so, even when it isn’t so, in order that it might be so. It is seeing with spiritual eyes. It is saying…I don’t see it yet…but I’m announcing it…this is my dream that God has given me.

You see, this is how God works. First you see the dream, then you sense the dream, and then you state the dream publicly. You visualize it, and then you verbalize it: "This is what God wants to do with my life." Why? Because goals are simply statements of faith. When you announce what you are going to do, it gets you started, enlists support, and releases God’s power. Others will jump on board as you step out in faith. I have learned that great people are ready to help me at the right time. I won’t give up because I don’t have the help; I will trust God to provide it. Ps. 37:5—Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. God has resources to help you that you have not even considered.

Once you have discovered God’s DREAM for your life, you need to arrange your entire life around it. You say, "That’s pretty radical." Yes... but that’s what you were created to do. Can you imagine a pencil not being used for what it was made for? Can you imagine a cup not being used for what it was made for? Can you imagine a human being not being used for what it was made for? We will never find meaning or true fulfillment until we abandon our own plans and submit ourselves to our Creator’s plan for us.

One purpose we all have is that we were saved to serve; so we commit our lives to it, and determine that nothing is more important that fulfilling it. Acts 20:24(GN)—I reckon my own life worth nothing to me, in order that I may complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do… This is the secret to greatness…single mindedness. This focus is what is needed today; men and women of character and conviction who are willing to put God’s dream first in their life. Those who will say, "This is going to be the most important thing to me. I am committed to a cause larger than myself. And I’m choosing God's dream that is eternal over my total focus on the American Dream that is temporary." D.L. Moody said it like this: "I am only one. But I am one. I can’t do everything. But I can do something. And that which I can do by the grace of God I will do." With that simple commitment to God’s dream, D.L. Moody impacted the moral climate of two nations, America and England, in his lifetime. That’s the power of commitment to a dream.

What are you dreaming about? You might like to pay off the house; retire; maybe travel… but is that all you want? What are your dreams in the light of eternity? Have you dedicated yourself completely to Christ? That’s where real significance comes from! John 3:3—except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven. Only one life will soon be past, and only what’s done for Christ will last. Are you serving the purpose that you were born to serve? Acts 13:36(GN)—David served God’s purpose in his generation then he died. That is what life is all about. I want to dare you to dream great dreams for God; don’t be satisfied with second best!

Another very important part of developing our faith is Factor #2 – Learn to Make Wise Decisions. When we seek the answer to the question "What does God want?" it will keep us on track and save us time, energy, and pain. Also, it’s wise to learn from experience, but it’s wiser to learn from the experience of others. Proverbs 20:18(GN)—Get good advice and you will succeed. God takes imperfect people, in imperfect situations, and uses them to accomplish incredible, impossible tasks as they face their fears and move ahead. We’ll study this together on Sunday – hope to see you there!

Isn’t it exciting to serve the Creator of the Universe?

Blessings,

Pastor Rob