One of the things God has been putting on my heart lately is the concept of dreaming big. You know, reaching for the stars, going for it at all costs, walking around with your head in the clouds. Yeah, that type of stuff. So I recently came across a copy of “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkenson and decided to buy it (it was $1, can’t beat that) and give it a read. I am loving it so far as it is really challenging me to re-think my dreams and how to go for them. Anyway I really just want to share some of my thoughts on Dreaming Big.

1. We serve a BIG God, who gives BIG Dreams. - Yes, you have a big dream and it is from a big God.
2. He gives us BIG dreams so we can go out and fulfill them. - God gives us those dreams to go after, not to sit around an reminisce about.
3. He can do more with your big dream, then you can even dream. - check out Ephesians 3:20
4. People will try to discourage you from going for your dream - Weather it is in the form of doubters, criticizers, or those “just trying to protect you” from failing. Don’t listen to them!

One of the areas He has stretched me with this is the area of church growth. I have seen too many times churches that just don’t dream big and don’t have the desire to grow, because they think that they should just be content, and that God doesn’t want them getting to big for their britches. What a load!

The God I serve wants to see people come to know His everlasting Love and know the life that is found in Him. Why would he not want your church to grow. For all you church leaders out there struggling with this, know this, God did not call you into ministry to stay where you are and not experience growth. He will never think you are self serving for trying to grow your church through reaching the lost. Other pastors might, church members may, outsiders might say things mean and untrue about you, but the God of the universe will be pleased that you are reaching the lost and seeing lives changed.

Big Dreams are from God, don’t be afraid to pursue them.

With the 4th of July coming up I thought I would put out four ideas for churches looking to celebrate.

#1 Honor the Vets

Now when I say honor the vets, I don’t mean ask anyone who has served to stand up on Sunday morning. That is uncomfortable and not really doing anything to honor them. If you really want to honor the vets go to a local VA home or hospital. Visit with some of the vets, take some stuff to give away to them. Show them that you are thankful for thier service.

If you really are thankful for what they have done, go back more than just Memorial Day, the 4th, and Veterans Day.

These guys and gals have sacrificed for this country so we cn have the right to even have church. Lets be the church to them and honor them by serving them.

So I forgot to add this book to my recap of reading the other day. here are a few quick hits that I took form this book:

• Everything a church does creates an Impression, good and bad. What Impression are you making?
• If you don’t have a plan for guests they will notice and they will have a plan, to not come back.
• Marketing materials are a first impression. From the Web site on down to every printed piece in your building
• The building itself can leave an impression. Is it clean? Dirty? Cluttered? Full? Empty?
• Plan. Plan some more. Then Plan again. Make sure you are thinking of all the ways guests are going to come and plan for them.
• Put yourself in their shoes.

If you want to see why I was reading this book, check out this First Impressions Manual I put together for my church.
All in all if you are trying to do a better job with your guests this is a great read and will get your brain thinking.

G-“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me.” Acts 18:9

­R-What is it that God is saying to me?  I feel like to some extent it echo’s the word he spoke to Paul. Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! In my life I feel that God has been calling me to speak out at a lot of things. This blog is just one of the ways I feel he has called me to speak out. What is God saying to you?

O-Lord, help to me to hear what you are saying. Help me to listen and obey the words you are speaking to me. I want to follow where you are leading and hear what you have to say.

W-I need to be more attentive in listening to what the Lord is speaking to me, but I also need to be more obedient in following it.

Think about it!

G- “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you then these requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or eating the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this you will do well.” Acts 15:28,29

R- I think that as Christians we can often times put too much on the plate of new believers. we expect them to cut off every tie with their old sinful life and become everything God wants for them overnight. Well thats just not practical. The apostles faced this same dilemma in the new church. they had a bunch of new gentile converts and some of the Jews wanted then to adhere to Jewish law. I think that the church sometimes expects that of new believers and we end up pushing them away. We need to understand that they are new persons in Christ but that turning away from their old lifestyles takes time. The Apostles gave four things that I think we need to encourage in new believers

1. Do not  eat meat sacrificed to Idols(Maintaining Spiritual Purity)-obviously this keeps with the first commandment
2. Abstain from sexual immorality(Maintain Physical Purity)- keep your body pure
3. Do no consume blood(Maintain Emotional Purity)- blood was/is the thing that holds life. the heart was the center for the blood and our emotions
4. Do not eat meat from strangled Animals(Maintain Cultural Purity)- this was a big deal to the Jewish culture in the day and in following this new Christians were able to keep peace with the Jews and not create a barrier for more people to come to Christ.

These are the 4 things that we need  to be encouraging new Christians in, without expecting them to just up and change everything in their lives overnight.

O-Lord help me not only to encourage new believers to follow these four things, but also to follow them myself. Help me to give grace to those who accept you and to help them in becoming more mature in You, even as I strive daily in this myself.

W- One way I can put this into practice is to start a study for new believer in my church, helping them along, in their new faith.

THink about it!

G- “The church then had peace…. and it grew in strength and numbers. The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.”Acts 9:31

R-The Fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, hmmm. Sounds kinda like an oxymoron to me. How do I walk in both fear and comfort at the same time. Well here is my take on it. Fear of the Lord means that we respect His awesome power and strive to do what is right in His sight. In the case of Acts9:31 I firmly believe that it is speaking of outreach. the believers had a healthy fear of the Lord and because of it they preached the gospel. The comfort of the Holy Spirit was there to encourage them along in this and give them peace after the time of intense persecution they had just suffered(and the times that were to come still). I think this tell us something about why we preach gospel. We preach not beacuse it seems like it will be a good time for it. We preach the gospel because that is what the Lord’s command to us was before he ascended to heaven. Whether it is a good time or not our fear of the Lord is what drives us to do this. The Comfort of the Holy Spirit is what will keep us going when the times get rough and it seems difficult, or it feels like noone is listening, or we face persecution.

If we want to see the Gospel continue to be spread then we must learn to walk in Fear and Comfot at the same time.

O-Oh Lord, Let me learn to walk in the fear of You. let that desire to do your will completely consume me.  Let me be a man who fears the Lord. As I step out in that fear to preach your word to this world give me the comfort of your spirit and the peace of knowing that I am doing your will.

W- As I am learning almost daily, I need to be out in the world preach the GREAT NEWS to people. I need the fear of the Lord to be my motivator to get out there.

THink about it!