When God gives you a DREAM

CityChurch Charlotte

Media App

When God gives you a DREAM

May 5, 2024 • Mark Bailey • Genesis 37:1–35

Give

We have heard a lot about the “American Dream” or building the “House of our dreams” or even finding the “Person of our dreams” etc. What about God’s dream for our lives? There’s something beautiful that happens when God gives you a dream. It re-affirms the reality that He is interested in your life and that He has good plans for you.

Many people have lost the ability to dream, they’ve had some disappointments along the way and now they don’t look ahead with expectation anymore. May I remind us that one of God’s greatest dreams was to reconcile humankind back to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus. God is a God of destiny and purpose and He wants us to engage with Him in this regard.

As we start this “Living the Dream” series, we want to invite you to come with an open heart to encounter God and His heart for our lives. This series will also be very helpful for our unchurched friends – seeing that many need to find a fresh sense of destiny and hope in these times.

Changing the Narrative

June 23, 2024 • Mark Bailey • Genesis 48

We all have a story to tell, these stories often define us and set the tone for our future. The dream will always consist of both battles and blessings, the question is what will we focus on the most? We might be living the dream, but we are still carrying the pain of past experiences. While these realities are true, they don’t have to consume the story of our lives. We know that God took Joseph from pain to promise and from brokenness to beauty. There’s something beautiful that happens when our lives are marked with God’s faithfulness and His goodness and that’s what we emphasize without denying the hard times. This is our last part of the series and it has been so enriching to journey through the last 14 chapters of Genesis.

Blessing and Honor

June 16, 2024 • Marie Bailey • Genesis 49:22–26, Genesis 50:1–5

Living the Dream comes with special privileges. Joseph’s life was a shadow pointing to Jesus Christ. Just like Joseph honored and appreciated his father, we know that Jesus honored and appreciated our heavenly Father. Joseph eagerly desired the blessing of his father and so Jesus also walked in the blessing of our Father. The beauty of this reality is that all of us can have that close relationship with our heavenly Father. We can honor Him, prioritize Him and desire His blessing. Our heavenly Father loves us deeply and His words are life to our soul. Unlike Joseph’s father, our Father is not weak and He will never leave us or forsake us.

How to Handle Success

June 9, 2024 • Mark Bailey • Genesis 44, Genesis 42, Genesis 43, Genesis 45

Jim Carey famously said that he thinks everyone should become rich and famous so that they can see that it’s not the answer. Many people want the dream, but they don’t want the responsibility that comes with the dream. We dream about having kids, getting promoted, leading in the church or serving with a non-profit etc. All of this calls for the empowering Grace of God – it’s one thing to see the dream fulfilled, it’s another thing to acknowledge that God made it possible. While living the dream, we need to extend mercy instead of revenge, acceptance instead of rejection, humility instead of pride and vulnerability instead of pretense. Join us as we open our hearts to God as He shows us how to handle success.