Week 3 of The Story - Trading in Your Dreams for Another’s

We are three weeks into our incredible journey through The Story.  Max Lucado and Randy Frazee have provided some additional insights for us for each week. Here is what they had to say about Joseph.People nearing mid-life often crash into some startling and unexpected observations. For instance, we all dreamed big dreams when we were younger. But as we move at a break-neck pace through our twenties, thirties, and forties, we eventually slam head on into the realization that some of our dreams will never be realized.

That observation throws some people into a mid-life crisis. Some don’t make it that far with their aspirations, having already given them up somewhere along the way. Some run into conflict that makes them weary and they settle for less. Still others make bold decisions to trade one dream in for another.

That’s what Joseph did. Talk about dreams! He had some big ones. At seventeen he dreamed his ten

older brothers would bow down to him. It’s enough he dreamed that dream. What makes it worse is that he told his brothers about it.

The older brothers already had issues with the younger son. Their father favored Joseph. He had even given him a valuable, multi-colored coat. That’s the modern-day equivalent of a parent of four teenagers giving one an iPhone and the other three a stack of quarters each for a pay phone (assuming they could find one on their travels). The brothers banded together and tossed the dreamer in a ditch, eventually selling him into slavery at the first opportunity. The next thing Joseph knew he was waking up in Egypt.

From there his life was a rollercoaster thrill ride. One minute a slave. The next in charge of an Egyptian official’s house. The next in prison. The next in charge of the prison. Then he found himself in front of Pharaoh, called upon to interpret the leader’s dreams. With God’s help he was able to warn Pharaoh he would have seven years of abundant crops that he should be put in storehouses in anticipation of seven years of famine. Recognizing his wisdom, Pharaoh put Joseph second in command of all of Egypt.

And because of God’s personal involvement in his life, he was was able to save his family. The same family that God was building into a nation. Joseph was in position to bring his family to Egypt and give them the most fertile land to work. And it was definitely fertile. In the time they were there they were “fruitful and increased greatly” (Exodus 1:7).

Joseph could have lost his life getting caught up in the details of his life, chasing his dreams and desires.

Instead, he chose a better story. God’s story.

You can do the same. If your life’s dream has stalled, look to God. If your dream now realized is not all you thought it would be, look to God. He can give you another dream. A better one, not according to the world’s standard but God’s criterion. Just like Joseph’s. Then you’ll have a story to tell.

 

Things don't always go as we think they should and sometimes we have very little if any fault in those circumstances.  Things just don't seem to be working out.  But could it be that God is working things out, even when things don't seem to be working out.  - Romans 8:28

 

Read Chapter Four about Moses.  You actually have a couple of weeks.  We will talk about it on July 14th.

 

Keep on Reaching,

Dave

Random Thoughts for May 28, 2013

• Why do people think that they can live like hell Monday through Saturday and show up for a worship service on Sunday and it's all good?  God will not be mocked!  Galatians 6
• If you are living like there is no hell, you better be right!
• I can't believe that I get the privilege of leading people to Christ in spite of my short comings. Grace is a wonderful thing, so I try very hard not to abuse it.
• God is up to something on the Hill at Shelby Christian.  I pray that I am always aware of His leading and don't miss a single opportunity.
• The Story is going to be incredible.  I pray that we are all able to grow in our story as it fits into His Story!
• This week is going to be special as we finish our two-part parenting sermon.  I wish I knew some of this stuff before I became a parent ... or grandparent!

A Day with Granddaughters

There isn't a better word to hear than Poppy. I love spending time with my granddaughters. They are innocent and free.  I wish they never had to grow up. Adults can really mess things up.  Kids tell you what they are thinking, until they get old enough to understand how to manipulate. I wish they never learned that, but they do. They see it in adults and then they model it and eventually pass it on to people that they influence later in life.  Oh that they could stay completely innocent. Since I know that they are already growing up really fast I'll just try to enjoy simple moments.  

I'll be finishing up the sermon You Can Do This ... But Not Alone on June 2.

FROM DREAMING TO DOING

If you could do anything you wanted to do what would that be?  Do you ever just stop and dream anymore?  What would a future that you would create for yourself or someone you love or someone you don't even know look like?

 

It seems that for the majority of the people I know that they have stopped dreaming completely.  They are so caught up in the day to day monotony of life, that they have either forgotten how to dream or they have just given up on anything ever being different than it currently is for their life. I have to admit that many days, no most days, I fall into that group.

 

Either we have tried something spectacular before that didn't work or we just had the legs cut out from under us people who told us we were just being silly, we just stopped dreaming.  I find myself today wondering about a different future, and what it would take to see it fulfilled and come to be.

 

I wonder what it would be like if every child that was born got to live with their mommy and daddy until they were out of high school and then they all got to go to college.

I wonder what it would be like if there weren't any homeless people in my community, not because they didn't exist but because we took care of them.

I wonder what life would be like if every family was virtually debt free, except possibly for a mortgage.
I wonder what it would be like if everyone that I know, knew Jesus as a loving savior.

I wonder what it would be like if everyone who goes to church acted like they knew Jesus as a loving savior.

I wonder what it would be like if we never said that will never work. 

I wonder what it would be like if we started dreaming ... and then started doing ... hmmmmmm

Time To Make a Change

We have been working through a great series of messages on the Hill focusing on accepting that we are all sinners and the most of us have aSignature Sin that Satan keeps using against us over and over again.  I am so thankful to my friend Greg Johnson for sharing some of the ideas they had at Generations Christian Church as they worked through materials from Saddleback and Celebrate Recovery.  This week we put together what we called a recipe for transformation from that material.

Recipe for Transformation

1.    Tackle one change at a time.  Prov. 17:24

What is it going to be?

2.    Find victory one day at a time.  Mt. 6:9b-11

Where have you won?

3.    Depend on God’s Power! Phil. 4:13

Where have you seen God?

4.    Focus Forward. Phil.4:8

Where do you want to be?

5.    Try to do good, not just feel good.  Gal. 5:16

What is something good you could do?

6.    Find people who help you, not hurt. Prov. 27:17

Who make you feel special?

7.    Seek progress, not forgiveness. Phil. 1:6

Have you made positive changes?  Why or why not?

What I really love to see is how God is helping people to work through letting go of some Signature Sins and finding freedom that comes from turning it over to Him.  Maybe it would be good just to share a few ideas of secrets that you have learned that have helped you let go of something.   You don't have to share what it was, but maybe the principle would help others.

Until Jesus comes back, let's just keep on reaching!

GIVE the GIFT - Bring a Friend to CHRISTmas

There are certain defining moments in everyone's life.  I truly believe that this weekend could be a defining for our family on the Hill and for all who come to worship there.  Sunday morning our youth staff will be helping over 100 of our young people lead us in worship.  A special dramatic musical will share the incredible gift of God when He gave the world His presence in His Son.

Wouldn't it be awesome if every Christ believing church in the world was packed this weekend.  If you have a church that you call home please got there and worship this weekend.  If you don't have a church that you call home, this would be the perfect weekend to start looking for one.  If you live anywhere close to Shelbyville, Kentucky and don't have a church home I sincerely hope that you will join us at Shelby Christian Church.  Sunday morning we will worship at 9:30 and 11:00 with our young people leading us.

We will also have two opportunities to worship on Christmas Eve at 5:00 and 7:00.  We will have children's programming at the 5:00 service on Christmas Eve for children fifth grade and younger.

I hope to see you on the Hill.  Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and Keep on Reaching!

TWO MORE DAYS

If the Mayans were right, which why would they be when all the other doomsday/end times estimates have been wrong, then we are less that two days from eternity!  I'm not sure exactly when it is supposed to happen on 12/21/12.  Maybe they predicted that too, and I just missed it.  It would seem appropriate that the end should occur around 12:21:12 on 12/21/12, but then I don't know if it is a.m. or p.m.   Oh the madness of the end!

But what if it really were the end.  What if you knew that you had 48 hours left to live on this planet before facing your eternity.  What would you do?  Some make a list and call it their bucket list, things to do before kicking the bucket.  Some would walk into that knowledge with fear and others would face it with excited anticipation.  What would you do?

I'm guessing I wouldn't be getting my stitches out, working on my Christmas eve message, typing a blog, having strategy meetings on future plans for church and private business ventures, or finishing Christmas shopping.  All of which I intend to do before the end of the day. So what would I be doing?

Would I be more motivated to talk to every person I see today about the incredible gift of grace and eternity that Christ died to offer us?  I'm sitting in a room full of people at a well known coffee cafe in between strategy meetings in Louisville.  I wonder how many of them even know Jesus.  The computer screen across the way has a power point presentation about an evangelism strategy, so I'm guessing he knows.  What about that mom and her little girl?  What about these two guys in the business suits?  There are at least a dozen college age young people, I know they are being challenged to not believe.  I keep raising my head to be ready to speak to people but when they get to me they lower their heads.  What's up with that?  Oh yea, it's what I do when I am too busy, or too uncomfortable to initiate a conversation.

Oh my, what about my family?  What am I doing?  Why would I be anywhere but with them if I only had 48 more hours to be with them in this world?  

The bottom line is we don't know when this wonderful life will end.  The reality is for some it will end ... today!  Before they would even have the opportunity to read these or any other words.  Before they have the opportunity for a chance encounter with a pastor or any other Christ follower in a coffee place.  Before they get to hug their kids or their parents. Before they could ... ?

Life is precious.  Time is short.  Live well.