Discovering Your Dream – Part 4 Series

INTRO: Call up volunteer and ask him or her to unfold the rose without ruining it.

It is only a tiny rosebud, A flower of God’s design; But I cannot unfold the petals With these clumsy hands of mine. The secret of unfolding flowers Is not known to such as I. God opens this flower so sweetly, When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud, This flower of God’s design,

Then how can I think I have wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?

So I’ll trust in Him for His leading Each moment of every day.

I will look to Him for His guidance

Each step of the pilgrim way. The pathway that lies before me, Only my heavenly Father knows.

I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose.

Think of it, if I can’t unfold a rose (simple compared to my life) why would I ever trust myself when I’m trying to unravel something so important?

TS: This is why it is so important to find out God’s purpose for your life. So we’ve been going a series on discovering your dream (purpose, destiny).

-We’ve learned we are God’s workmanship (where we get our word poem).

-We’ve looked at some things that can hold you back (fear, failure, over-satisfaction).

-Last week we talked about giving it away. We are to give away love (an unlimited resource). We are to cast our bread upon the water for after many days we will find it again.

TITLE: Discovering Your Dream – Part 4 TEXT: 2 Kings 4:1-7

I. Opening thoughts. Have you ever run out of time? Have you ever run out of options? Have you ever run out of resources?

A. Here is a person who was experiencing these things. 1. List some of the difficulties.

-She had lost her husband. Back then he was the source of income, it wasn’t like today when women can go out and get a job.

-She had debts. These debts were so bad the creditors were on their way to take her two boys as slaves to pay the debt.

-This woman literally was at the place where she was losing everything. And to top it all off, this family knew the ways of God.

-In fact the man was from the company of prophets, a righteous man who helped proclaim the ways of God. Now she’s broke and destitute. The attitude that could have easily come to her is "How come God is not helping?"

2. The good news is that she came to the right place. -She came to seek God.

Today: If you’ve come to the end of your rope, your ability, your resources, open your heart and expect a miracle, believe that God is going to move on your behalf.

-Philippians 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

TS: Important verse—verse 2.

II. "Tell me, what do you have in your house?"

A. This woman responded, "Your servant has nothing except a little oil."

1. We need to realize something—your dream always starts with what you have.

2. Excuses don’t make good foundations, really all they do is help keep you right where you’re at. -An excuse has been defined as the skin of reason stuffed with a lie.

-Excuses are only a waste of time and so is making a list of what you don’t have.

Today: Is your focus on what you don’t have or is your focus on what you believe God is going to do?

3. Everybody has something. Don’t believe the lie that you have nothing to offer.

-Everybody has something even if it’s an idea, a strong body for labor, or a seemingly minor skill.

B. Small things can do marvelous things.

1. Before Jesus fed the crowd of thousands he asked his disciples how much food they could round up. They found a pitifully small amount of fish and bread but it worked.2. When God commissioned Moses to lead the people out of Egypt Moses expressed doubt and asked,

"What if they don’t believe or listen to me?" God replied to Moses, "What is that in your hand?"

He was referring to Moses’ staff. God called attention to that small everyday object that Moses may never have considered. From that day on, Moses used that staff to perform many miracles.

3. I could talk about David, the young teenager who had only a few smooth stones and a sling against a giant. David was victorious.

4. I could talk about Gideon who lived in a small town and came from a small tribe that was least likely to lead. He took 300 men and conquered an army too numerous to count.