Dream On

Dream On! Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

READY: "Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, 'Listen to this dream I had: There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.' "'Are you really going to reign over us?' his brothers asked him. 'Are you really going to rule us?' "So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said." -Genesis 37:5-8 SET: When I was 8 years old, I did a lot of dreaming. My dad would take me to watch college lacrosse games, and I would stand down by the field, trying to get as close as I could to the big, strong athletes who were living out their dreams. I would say over and over again, “One day I want to play on that field!” Looking back, I now realize that there is incredible power in dreams. My dream drove me for 10 years until I finally had the opportunity to see it fulfilled. When I was 18, I stepped onto that exact field to live my dream as a college lacrosse player. Not only did my 10-year-old dream come true, but also the dream that God had for me, which I didn't even realize was bigger than my own. I was dreaming just college lacrosse, but God was dreaming professional lacrosse. After college, I was drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Thunder. I continued my career for four years playing professional indoor lacrosse. God allowed me to use my athletic gift to reach thousands for Him because of a dream He had for me! At age 17, Joseph also had a dream, but his dream was not fulfilled for more than 20 years! But he stayed faithful to it, even through 13 years in prison. And his dreams eventually impacted an entire nation. Joseph understood some key principles of dreams. Below are 10 principles of dreaming that can encourage you as you dream big for Jesus: Dreams come from God. 2. God-sized dreams stretch us. 3. Dreams ignite energy, passion and drive. 4. People often make fun of dreamers. 5. There is always a season of preparation with dreams. 6. Dreams take time to be realized. 7. Be an encourager of other people’s dreams. 8. Dreams are for all ages. 9. Don’t miss the dream when it comes true. 10. Dreams should glorify God, not us. GO: 1. What big dreams do you have? 2. What dreams have you given up on? 3. How can God use your dreams? 4. Whose dream can you encourage? WORKOUT: Genesis 37