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TITLE:  The Future of this Church: Dreams and Hopes (2 of 5)
TEXT:  Acts 2:15-17
PROPOSITION:  This church depends on our ability to dream big dreams.
QUESTION:  How?
KEY WORD:  Dreams
SCRIPTURE READING:  Same

 

INTRODUCTION:

  1. What I am not talking about:
    1. Brain activity while you sleep
    2. Direct revelation from God
    3. Mysterious and mystical messages
  2. What I am talking about:
    1. Your imagination
    2. Ability to see the future
    3. Think about the possibilities and to create
    4. Grand things that can become reality
  3. What are your dreams and hopes for this church?

 

The case for Dreams and Hopes

  1. Nehemiah 2:11-18 – When all is bleak – get a dream of the future
  2. Luke 24:13-35 – When all is bleak – have a hope of the future

 

This Church needs a Dream and a Hope for the Future

  1. What is we don’t have a dream?
  2. Dreams of members of this church
    1. Home for aged
    2. Christian School
    3. Day Care Center
    4. Here is a short list to get you started (See below)
  3. I have my own list of dreams
    1. Develops ways to proclaim the gospel

                                                               i.      Use radio, TV, internet

                                                              ii.      Use our personal contacts, FRAN

    1. Seek the lost and working to change lives
    2. Biblical education past this building
    3. Members grow and develop, work hard, all participate
    4. Plant other congregations – US and abroad
    5. Quality of its leadership – train, equip, prepare leaders
    6. Turns on the light for people in darkness

 

Conclusion

  1. See quote below.
  2. We must clearly understand what our “business” is.
  3. Let’s do some dreaming about our future as a church.

 

Here is a list to get you started

 

  1. Confident, excited church
  2. God first in our lives
  3. Unified – of one mind
  4. Dedicated
  5. Joyful
  6. Heaven bound
  7. Known for our “walking the walk”
  8. Display the fruit of the Spirit
  9. Obeys the Bible
  10. A forgiving church
  11. A soul-saving church
  12. A praying church
  13. A church that stands for right and opposes wrong
  14. Trusts God
  15. Reaches out to the community
  16. Worshipping church
  17. Family atmosphere
  18. Makes sacrifices
  19. Strong fellowship
  20. Known for our love of each other

 

InfoWorld, Q&A section, by George Morrow –

“An article in the Harvard Business Review called “Market Myopia” talked about how some people didn’t understand what business they were in. for example, the railroad people didn’t realize they were in the transportation business; they thought they were in the railroad business. Had they realized they were in the transportation business they would have invested in the airplane. The telegraph people thought they were in the telegraph business instead of the communications business. In 1886 or so, they could have bought all the telephone patents for $40,000. So obviously these people didn’t know what business they were in.”

                “I used to think these guys were really dumb because they didn’t know what business they were in. Then I asked myself, “What business am I in?”

 


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