Have you ever experienced a lost or broken dream? Maybe last year your goals got pushed aside or put on pause. However, you have a fresh opportunity now to grab hold of your God-given purpose. God still sees greatness in you, and with His help, it is possible to dream again. In fact, Lead Pastor Tim Lucas shares that there are several qualities of God-given dreams that we can learn from the life of Joseph in Genesis.

QUALITIES OF GOD-GIVEN DREAMS

#1) God-Given Dreams Direct Your Destiny: God gave Joseph a bold dream as a teenager, but Joseph faced opposition from all sides before his dream came true. Through all Joseph’s testing and all God’s delays, He kept his faith that God would provide a way to make it happen, ultimately directing his destiny. See, Joseph’s dream as a teen gave him a sense of divine purpose, motivating him to move forward in his life despite many trials and hardships. So, when God gives you a dream for your life, remember that you will likely face opposition...But, with his strength, you can move beyond that opposition into a brighter future.

#2) Your God-Given Dream Requires Patience With The Process: We all love the idea that God has a one-of-a-kind plan for our lives… But when it doesn’t materialize right away, we give up! For example, Joseph’s dream came to fruition 13 years later… and he was tested all along the way. Like Joseph, you’ll need patience for the journey - because the hardest test is time. If you’re discouraged, then remember this: God’s delays are not always God’s denials! So, press in and pray for it. You can even fast for your dream, like we’re doing as a church this January for 21-days (learn more about fasting here).

#3) Expect Setbacks: As we see in the story of Joseph, the road to God’s dream is not smooth sailing. In fact, the devil will oppose it! However, while the devil has a plot...God has a plan. As we see in Genesis, in the years leading up to Joseph’s realized dreams, God deepened Joseph's humility, strengthened his character, and forged wisdom and compassion in him on the anvil of adversity. Like Joseph, your setback may actually be God’s set up for your comeback!

So, do you have a God-given dream for 2021? What about a big, hairy, audacious goal? This week, open yourself up to God’s dream for your life. Start the new year by committing your dreams to God. To keep learning with us at Liquid Church, join us again next week for Dream Again part 2. You can catch up on weekly messages from Liquid Church on our YouTube channel or visit LiquidChurch.com/Messages.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

To learn more from Liquid Church’s Dream Again series, check out these resources:

• MESSAGE: God Can Redeem Your Dream! - In part 2 of this series, watch how God can take your lost, broken dreams and transform them into something new for His purpose.
• MESSAGE: How To Hear God Through Dreams - In part 3 of this series, look at different instances in the Bible where God spoke through His people via dreams and visions to further His overall purpose for them. And the same can happen to you! Click here to find out how.
• ARTICLE: Goal Setting As A Christian - What does it look like for followers of Jesus to set goals for themselves that please and honor God? Click here to find out.
• ARTICLE: How God Can Redeem Your Dream - This blog post goes along with part 2 in this series. Click here to read if you want to dive deeper.
• ARTICLE: How To Discern God’s Voice In Your Dreams - This blog post goes along with part 3 in this series. Click here to read if you want to dive deeper.