Dare to Dream Personal Commitment

Note: This page describes a sermon series presented at St. Matthew during the Summer of 2003. This project combined Sunday sermons with email messages delivered several times during the week.

It is archived here as a resource for your use.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Many of us had dreams of being astronauts or movie stars or doctors or baseball players. What happened to those dreams? Some of us continued dreaming, even though our dreams changed. But others were scarred by the disappointment of those lost goals, or we grew comfortable and complacent, and we stopped dreaming.

God also has dreams, or plans for us, but many Christians have stopped dreaming. Maybe once they imagined their lives could be pure and powerful, energized by God's Spirit. But they smacked into barriers - their own pain or doubt or laziness or blindness. When we stop dreaming, something dies inside us. And when we stop dreaming God's dreams for us, we find our emotions, decisions, and relationships sapped of spiritual vitality.

In this Summer Sermon Series you will be invited to dream again. It will take some courage. Dreams open you up to disappointment, perhaps even ridicule, but they can also bring great joy and satisfaction. Worship with us and dare to dream!

Pastor Notes: This series uses primarily the 50 Day Spiritual Adventure entitled, “Daring to Dream Again”. A multitude of other resources are also available, dealing with the meaning and purpose of life. A final bibliography will be posted at the end of the series from the weekly readings.

Dare to Dream Sermon Series Outline

Introduction

July 6—Jim preaching

Sermon title: Expect a dip before an advance
Character: Joseph
Texts:
Genesis 37:1-11: Joseph Dreams of Greatness
Matthew 26:36-46: Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

Synopsis: There are far too many believers whose present spiritual condition is fairly drab compared to the spiritual transformation that God wants for us. God places dreams in our hearts, like God did in Joseph’s heart, and God calls us to be bold and filled with courage as we embrace those dreams. We begin this series with an overview, and the importance of daring to dream!

Email Message: Joseph's Dream

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July 13—Eric preaching

Sermon title: Let God heal your painful past
Character: Gideon
Texts:
Judges 6:11-24: The Call of Gideon
Luke 15:11-24: The Parable of the Prodigal

Synopsis: Gideon certainly never pictured himself as a mighty hero. He had heard accounts of God working in earlier generations, but his negative experiences had become a barrier to Gideon's ever dreaming such dreams for his day. Taking on a healthy new identity required some healing and some getting used to, but in the end, he performed his role admirably. What negative experience have brought you pain or shame and prompted you to shelve the spiritual desires you once had? Whether the problem was of your own making or the fault of others, it's time to let God heal those wounds.

Email Message: Gideon's Dream

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July 20—Eric preaching

Sermon title: Discover God’s involvement in your life
Character: David
Texts:
2 Samuel 7:18-29: David’s Prayer
John 17:1-5: Jesus Prays for His Disciples

Synopsis: David was a young man when the prophet Samuel anointed him for future leadership. As the years passed, someone less spiritually mature might have assumed God wasn't interested in him any longer, because David spent most of his time running for his life. Even so, he wrote about numerous ways God made his presence known, which kept the dream alive. Does God ever seem far-removed from you? Most of us would admit there are days and weeks when we just don't feel his presence. At other times, it's amazing to see how God provides and protects. But if we're not looking, we can miss these "sightings" or think of them as mere coincidence.

Email Message: David's Dream

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July 27—Marcia preaching

Sermon title: Discover Godly goals for your future
Character: Judas
Texts:
Philippians 2:1-11: Imitating Christ’s Humility
Matthew 26:6-16: The Anointing at Bethany

Synopsis: As the months of following Jesus passed, Judas came to realize that his dreams and Christ's dreams were different. Money and power were not bottom-line concerns in the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, this member of Jesus' original Twelve set aside godly goals and let the barrier of self-centered desires prompt him to make a tragic mistake. Goals, whether stated or unstated, need to be regularly checked to see if they are consistent with Christ's desires.

Email Message: Judas' Dream

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August 3—Jim preaching

Sermon title: Empower your life with prayer
Character: Hannah
Texts:
1 Samuel 1:9-20: Samuel’s Birth and Dedication
Matthew 14:22-33: Jesus Walks on the Water

Synopsis: Hannah's barrenness had made her life miserable. In her desperation, she came to see God as her only hope. At Shiloh she dared to dream again, making a bold offer to the Lord: "Grant me a son, and I will give him back to you." The Lord responded with a miracle child she called Samuel, which meant, "heard by God." With the birth of Hannah's special son, her offering him back to God for a lifetime of service, and then watching him grow in his work for the Lord, she must have felt she not only knew God's will for her life, but that her greatest dreams had come true. Unfortunately, many Christians do not experience the same sense of satisfaction. Hannah’s prayer is intended to help you in the process of personally partnering with God and recognizing his blessing on all you do.

Email Message: Hannah's Dream

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August 10—Eric preaching

Sermon title: Confront your prejudices
Character: Peter
Texts:
Acts 10:1-16: Peter and Cornelius
Luke 9:51-56: A Samaritan Village Refuses to Receive Jesus

Synopsis: Peter had restricted his preaching of the gospel to a limited audience. God helped him overcome the barrier of ungodly prejudice so that the message of forgiveness through Christ could be heard beyond Jewish settings. Peter needed to learn that God's dream for everyone required this servant's widening his circle of unlikely friends. Here's how you can do that, too.

1. Identify a group of people you have shut out of your life.
2. Examine the reasons behind your prejudice.
3. Select a person from the group and begin praying for that individual.
4. At an opportune time, let the person know that he or she has been in your prayers.
5. Consider how your own behavior might need to change.

Cornelius' Dream

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August 17—Eric preaching

Sermon title: Identify with God’s heart for the world
Character: Jonah
Texts:
Jonah 3:1-4:11: The Conversion of Nineveh
Matthew 28:16-20: The Commissioning of the Disciples

Synopsis: Jonah didn't like the Assyrians and resisted preaching repentance in their capital city. When God called him to hold this crusade, Jonah bolted. To get his prophet to fulfill his desires for Nineveh, the Lord overcame numerous barriers. Even then, Jonah proved less than world-class, missing the ripe harvest and failing to identify with God's heart for the world.

Email Message: Jonah's Dream

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August 24—Jim preaching

Sermon title: Move with God beyond your comfort zones
Character: Mary
Texts:
Jeremiah 29:10-14: Jeremiah’s Letter
Luke 1:26-38: The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Synopsis: Mary must have gulped when the angel announced she would give birth to the Messiah. Still she replied, "I am willing to accept whatever (God) wants." Her life was hardly one of comfort, especially as she watched her son being crucified. But she moved with God's desires, overcoming obstacles and playing a critical part in establishing the dream of the kingdom. Not many Christians are like Mary in moving beyond their comfort zones. Instead of trusting God and saying, "I'm open to whatever you want," their quick response is, "I can't do that." An internal voice seems to blurt out: "I can't learn another language. I can't overcome this temptation. I can't go back to school. I can't make new friends. I can't change my job. I can't make this marriage work." Dare to dream with God, and move with God beyond your comfort zones!

Email Message: Mary's Dream

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August 31—Marcia preaching

Sermon title: Believe that with God all things are possible
Texts:
Hebrews 12:1-3: The Example of Jesus
John 20:24-31: Jesus and Thomas

Synopsis: Jesus knew that with God all things are possible, even resurrection from the dead. This was such a part of his thinking that he rarely focused on the negative aspects of his mission. In his great concern for us, he overcame all the barriers we face and made it possible for us to dare to dream again. It would be too bad to complete this summer of “Daring to Dream" and not have the risen Christ open your eyes to what could unfold as you follow him more closely. Now it's time to believe that with God all things are possible. Begin dreaming again!

Email Message: Jesus' Dream

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