Mark these Key Words: Jesus
Joan of Arc’s dream at age 16 was freedom for her homeland from English dominion. Every great person I’ve ever met, read about in history, lived their dream. They thought about their dream, fought for their dream, and sacrificed greatly for their dream. Jesus’ dream, believe it or not, was a Roman cross and His horrific death there to purchase your pardon.
Paul’s dream was to tell the world about that cross. Moses dream was the Promised Land; Edison was the light bulb and he tried over 700 elements to discover the right one. The Wright brothers’ dream was flight.
One of my heroes, Harriet Tubman, was an 1840’s slave who opened the infamous “Underground Railroad” that led hundreds of fellow slaves to freedom. She was asked, “Why do you risk it?” “Why do you sacrifice so greatly?” In Resolute Focus she said, “I realized either I was going to be free or I was going to die a slave.”
Nehemiah 2:1-9
“And it came about in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, ‘Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tomb, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What would you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my father’s tomb, that I may rebuild it.’ Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, ‘How long will your journey be, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. And I said to the king, ‘If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.’ And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.”
Nehemiah’s dream began with a broken heart. His longing, yearning heart throb was to rebuild his beloved home city Jerusalem and give up all of his personal luxuries and lifestyle of ease to risk his life day after day to accomplish his dream. Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, began his great mission to care for the starving of the world by fervently praying, “God, break my heart for what breaks the heart of God.”
What do you see in your world, your family, your life that breaks your heart and/or breaks God’s heart?
Philippians 3:10-14“…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already became perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”
When Paul says “to know Christ and be found in Him and His resurrection” is his highest aim and for that he would make it his “one thing I do,” what reaction does that kind of focus trigger in your heart?
Colossians 1:28
“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.”
Paul’s passion was reaching the lost. Describe your passion for people in your circle of friends who don’t know Christ. How do you plan to reach them?
1 Corinthians 9:26 & 27
“Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
What does this passage awaken in you about the personal discipline and passion focus required to accomplish your dreams?
Hebrews 13:4
“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
A dream of a pure marriage is truly a great dream requiring amazing amounts of self-control and focused discipline. Describe your personal passion and commitment to that dream today.
Psalm 37:4
“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
How does “delighting yourself in the Lord” cause you to become more intimate with Jesus?
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
What role does the Holy Spirit play in your life today to give you the “power and discipline” to accomplish your dreams?
APPLICATION:
How do these passages relate to me today? What changes does it bring to my life?
LOCKER ROOM:
What passion do you have that motivates you most today?
MEMORY VERSE:
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”
MY PRAYER
Adoration: Father, today I praise You for…
Confession: Father, please forgive me for…
Thanksgiving: Father, today I’m thankful for…
Supplication: Father, the people and things that I wish to pray for today are…
