| Last night I met with our building team. It was a really good meeting. I was awed by their faith and vision. We made a huge decision we will soon be sharing with the Faith family. It was great to be around a group of men who were willing to pick up "five smooth stones" and take on the giant of doubt and unbelief. They inspired me in the following message that I will be preaching this Sunday morning. FIVE SMOOTH STONES
"A CHURCH NEVER ACHIEVES MORE THAN IT’S DREAMS" DREAM
17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. David had a dream to defeat the giant. May our church have a dream to be all we can be and to accomplish all that we can. DREAM CHECKLIST Is it biblical? Who gets the credit? Have we grown enough to receive it? Would others glorify God when they see the results? Would it harm our congregation if we received it? Will lost people come to Christ? Will the body of Christ be edified? --adapted from Building Dynamic Faith David’s dream resulted in energy and purpose “You don’t get a dream; a dream gets you.”
PRIORITY David made giant slaying a priority. He would not be deterred from his purpose. May our church make God's purpose our highest priority. 17:36 Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 17:37 And David said, Jehovah that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and Jehovah shall be with thee. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE Don’t listen to critics (brothers, soldiers, King Saul) Don’t give in to circumstances (armor, army) Don’t forget who you are fighting for (the Lord) PASSION I love the phrase, "David ran toward the enemy". May we as a church have a passion to defeat the enemies of our God 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 17:46 This day will Jehovah deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 17:47 and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is Jehovah's, and he will give you into our hand. 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. David’s passion came from . . . His walk with God His faith in God DREAM + PRIORITY + PASSION = ACCOMPLISHED PURPOSE
17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. “Only the church that sees the invisible can do the impossible.”
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