Dream Centered Life Book

F O R E W O R D B Y T O M M Y B A R N E T T

L U K E B A R N E T TS E N I O R P A S T O R , P H O E N I X F I R S T

Pursuing God ‘s dream for your life

the

1

the

CENTERED

DREAMLIFE

by LUKE BARNETT

P U R S U I N G G O D ’ S D R E A M F O R Y O U R L I F E

23

Copyright ©

2015 by LIFE TOG

ETHER

ALL RIG

HTS RESERV

ED

Published by:

Copyright and use of the curriculum

template is

retained by Brett Eastm

an.

Unless otherw

ise noted, all Scripture quotes are taken from

the HO

LY B

IBLE, N

EW IN

TERNATIO

NA

L VERSIO

N®. C

opyright 1973, 1978, 1984 and 2011 by B

iblica, Inc.® Used by perm

ission. A

ll rights reserved worldw

ide.

ISBN

Printed in the United States of A

merica

conten

tsINTRO Endorsem

ents

00A

cknowledgem

ents

00

Foreword by Tom

my B

arnett

00W

elcome

00U

sing This Workbook (Read This First)

00O

utline for Each Session

00

SESSIONSSession O

ne: Everything Starts with a D

ream

00

Session Two: The Pit Stop

00

Session Three: Fatal Distractions

00Session Four: D

ream D

ungeon

00Session Five: From

Dream

to Destiny

00Session Six: D

ream A

gain

00

APPENDICESFrequently A

sked Questions

00

Small G

roup Agreem

ent

00

Small G

roup Calendar

00Spiritual Partners

00

SMALL GROUP LEADERSH

osting an Open H

ouse

00

Leading for the First Time

00Leadership Training

00Prayer and Praise Report

00Sm

all Group Roster

00N

otes

00

PURSUING GOD’S DREAM FOR YOUR LIFE.

45

ENDORSEMENTSall G

roup Cale since the 1500s, w

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ale since the 1500s, when an unknow

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67

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSTo m

y wife, A

ngel, whose C

hrist-like love and compassion inspires m

e more

and more every day. Thank you for your support and for partnering w

ith me

in ministry and life.

To my children, A

ubrey and Annalee. I love you both so m

uch and I have enjoyed w

atching each of you mature into w

omen of G

od. I can’t wait to see

the dreams that G

od will spark in your hearts, and I am

excited to see the lives that w

ill be changed as a result of what you w

ill do for His Kingdom

.

To my parents, Tom

my and M

arja Barnett. D

ad, you encourage me daily w

ith your passion for G

od and your desire to see the impossible m

ade possible through H

im. You inspire m

e to dream big and to never give up on the

dreams G

od places in my heart. M

om, I thank you for all of the w

ays you have supported m

e through the years. Your gentle strength has been my

rock.

To the staff of Phoenix First. Your comm

itment and dedication drives this

ministry, and your hard w

ork lines the path. Thank you for linking arms

with m

e. I look forward to seeing G

od bring our dreams for this m

inistry to fruition, even as H

e ignites new, bigger dream

s for the glory of His nam

e!

To Brett Eastm

an and the Lifetogether team. It has been an honor to w

ork alongside you. Thank you for your belief in The D

ream C

entered Life, and for nurturing this vision w

ith your generosity and guidance.

To the Phoenix First congregation, for whom

this book is written. I hope it

will encourage you to dream

bigger than you have ever dreamed before.

Imagine how

this church could impact the w

orld if each and every one of us w

alked within the prom

ise of our God-given dream

s! Thank you for allowing

me to be your pastor. I enjoy every m

oment of our journey together and I

can’t wait to hear your stories about the dream

s that came true because you

dared to dream them

.

89

FOREWORDEverybody has a dream

, and every dream is built on som

ething. Is yours built on the shifting sands of an uncertain w

orld or on the solid rock of God’s prom

ises?

When w

e allow our dream

s to be shaped by circumstances w

e limit them

to what w

e can see and hear, but w

hen we open our eyes to the possibilities of an infinite, unchanging, and

omniscient G

od, we leap into the supernatural. That is w

here you can begin to dream beyond

your wildest im

agination, and where the im

possible becomes possible.

The Dream

Centered Life, by Pastors Luke and A

ngel Barnett of Phoenix First, com

bines key com

ponents for discovering and cultivating your God-given dream

s. It includes daily devotions to guide your personal prayer tim

es throughout the week, along w

ith an opportunity each w

eek to meet w

ith others and watch a video teaching, discuss G

od’s Word and share your

experiences. You will be blessed as you grow

together and dig deep to mine the dream

s that G

od has already placed inside each of you.

There are songs not yet composed, books not yet w

ritten, businesses not yet started, and m

inistries not yet developed. The potential resides in you, but don’t let it stay there! Only G

od can m

ake a God-sized dream

come to fruition and only G

od can broaden your vision to help you see w

hat you cannot yet fathom.

My prayer for you is that this study w

ill ignite a powerful dream

that will change you, change the

people around you, and ultimately change the w

orld. You will be encouraged to dream

bigger than ever before and to believe G

od for the impossible as you take this journey from

dream to

destiny. Get ready, because you’ll never be the sam

e!

TOM

MY

BA

RNETT

1011

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passages, and more recently w

ith desktop publishing softw

are like Aldus PageM

aker including versions of Lorem Ipsum

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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page

when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem

Ipsum is that it has a m

ore-or-less normal

distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, m

aking it look like readable English. M

any desktop publishing packages and web page editors now

use Lorem

Ipsum as their default m

odel text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum

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any web sites

still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometim

es by accident, som

etimes on purpose (injected hum

our and the like).

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem

Ipsum is not sim

ply random text. It has roots in a piece of

classical Latin literature from 45 B

C, m

aking it over 2000 years old. Richard McC

lintock, a Latin professor at H

ampden-Sydney C

ollege in Virginia, looked up one of the m

ore obscure Latin w

ords, consectetur, from a Lorem

Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the w

ord in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem

Ipsum com

es from sections

1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum

et Malorum

” (The Extremes of G

ood and Evil) by C

icero, written in 45 B

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1213

USINGOUTLINE EACH SESSION

WORKBOOKth

isof

Tools to Help You Have a Great Small Group Experience!A typical group session for The Dream-Centered Life study will include the following sections. Read through this to get a clear idea of how each group meeting will be structured:

Notice in the Table of C

ontents there are three sections: (1) Sessions; (2) A

ppendix; and (3) Small G

roup Leaders. It will be helpful for you to get to

know the A

ppendix sections. Some of them

will be used in the sessions.

If you are leading or co-leading a small group, the section for Sm

all Group

Leaders will offer som

e hard-learned experiences of others that will

encourage you and help you avoid many com

mon obstacles to effective

small group leadership. M

ake sure you take some tim

e to read through the m

aterial – it will be a great help in your preparation.

Use this w

orkbook as a guide, but put the needs of the group first. If you think of a better question than the next one in the lesson, ask it. If you sense that the m

embers of

your group want to spend som

e extra tim

e in a particular section, do it. Don’t

measure success by how

much m

aterial your group covers; Jesus did not say, “G

o therefore and complete

the curriculum.” The goal is to

have holy mom

ents and to go deeper into com

munity.

The best way to prepare

for a great group experience is to pray. Pray for every group m

ember and w

atch your heart for the group grow

. Bring

great expectation for G

od to show

up in your group. B

e specific in your prayers for w

hat you are expecting G

od to do. If you aim

for nothing, you’ll hit it every tim

e.

INTRODUCTION. Each lesson opens with a brief thought that w

ill help you prepare for the session and get you thinking about the particular subject you w

ill explore with your group. M

ake it a practice to read these before the session. You m

ay want to have the group read them

aloud.

SHARING TOGETHER. The foundation for spiritual growth is an intim

ate connection with G

od and His fam

ily. You build that connection by sharing your story w

ith a few people w

ho really know you and w

ho earn your trust. This section includes som

e simple questions to get you talking—

letting you share as much or as little of your story as

you feel comfortable w

ith. Each session typically offers you two options. You can get to know

your whole group by

using the icebreaker question(s), or you can check in with one or tw

o group mem

bers, your spiritual partner(s), for a deeper connection and encouragem

ent in your spiritual journey.

GROWING TOGETHER. In this section, you’ll read the Bible and listen to teaching in order to hear G

od’s story—and begin to see how

His story aligns w

ith yours. When the study directs you to, you’ll pop in the D

VD

and watch

a short teaching segment. You’ll then have an opportunity to read a passage of Scripture, and discuss both the

teaching and the text. You won’t focus on accum

ulating information but on how

you should live in light of the Word

of God. W

e want to help you apply the insights from

Scripture practically and creatively, from your heart as w

ell as your head. A

t the end of the day, allowing the tim

eless truths from G

od’s Word to transform

our lives in Christ

should be your greatest aim.

SERVING TOGETHER. Jesus trained his disciples to discover and develop their gifts to serve others. God has

designed you to uniquely serve him in a w

ay no other person can. This section will offer suggestions for using your

God-given design and your unique dream

to serve others in your group and beyond.

PRAYING TOGETHER. This is a time to cem

ent what you’ve learned and ask G

od for help in applying it as you move

forward. If you’ve never prayed aloud in a group before, no one w

ill put pressure on you. Instead, you’ll experience the support of others w

ho are praying for you. This time w

ill knit your hearts in comm

unity and help you surrender both your hurts and your dream

s to the One w

ho knows you best.

STUDY NOTES. This brief section provides additional comm

entary, background or insights on this week’s teaching.

DAILY DEVOTIONS. Each week on the D

aily Devotions pages, w

e provide scriptures to read and reflect on between

sessions. This provides you with a chance to slow

down, read just a sm

all portion of Scripture each day, and reflect and pray through it. You’ll then have a chance to journal your response to w

hat you’ve read. Use this section to

seek God on your ow

n throughout the week. This tim

e at home should begin and end w

ith prayer. Don’t get in a

hurry; take enough time to hear G

od’s direction.

1234

1415

one

SESSIONEVERYTHING STARTS WITH A DREAM.

In his famous speech at the M

arch on Washington, M

artin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “I

have a dream.” Steven Spielberg, one of the best film

directors of his generation, said, “I don’t dream

at night, I dream all day; I dream

for a living.” And of course W

alt Disney, w

ho has created m

agical places for the dreams of children, once said, “ A

ll of our dreams can

come true, if w

e have the courage to pursue them.”

We can learn a lot from

what leaders like these have to say about our dream

s, but if we

really want to live dream

-centered lives we need to learn from

the Creator of the universe

and the Creator of every good dream

. Today we’ll learn w

hat it means to have a G

od-sized dream

and how w

e can imagine the future w

ith Him

.

FOLLOW YOUR

DREAMS

1617

SHARINGGROWING

togeth

ertog

ether

Each of us has a story. The events of our life—

good, bad, wonderful or

challenging—have shaped w

ho we

are. When w

e share our stories with

others, we give them

the opportunity to see G

od at work. W

e also real-ize w

e’re not alone—others share

our fears, doubts, and feelings, and can understand w

hat we’re going

through. Take a few m

inutes to answ

er these questions, either with

the entire group as an icebreaker or one-on-one w

ith another person in the group.

Watch the D

VD

for this session now. U

se the Notes space provided

on page __ to record key thoughts, questions, and things you want to

remem

ber or follow up on. A

fter you finish watching the video, have

someone read the discussion questions below

and direct the discussion am

ong the group. As you go through each of the subsequent sections,

ask someone else to read the questions and direct the discussion.

WHAT ARE YOU DREAM

ING ABOUT DOING, BECOM

ING, OR EXPERIENCING? W

HY ARE DREAMS SO IM

PORTANT?

PASTOR TOMM

Y SAYS THE REAL JOY OF DREAMING

IS CLIMBING TOW

ARD THE DREAM, NOT NECESSARI-

LY ACHIEVING IT. DO YOU AGREE? WHAT DOES THIS

MEAN FOR YOUR DREAM

?

IS THERE A DREAM “IM

PRISONING” YOU?

WHY DO DREAM

S BEGIN ON THE INSIDE?

IS YOUR DREAM BIGGER THAN YOU? W

ILL IT TAKE GOD TO M

AKE IT HAPPEN?

WHY IS THE ROAD TO A DREAM

SO OFTEN FULL OF TW

ISTS AND TURNS?

AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU DREAM

OF BEING W

HEN YOU GREW UP?

1819

MORE IMPORTANT THAN REACHING

YOUR DREAM IS TO HAVE A DREAM

BECAUSE THE REAL JOY OF DREAM-

ING IS THE CLIMBING.

TO

MM

Y

BA

RN

ET

T

2021

READ

Gen

esis 37:5

-11.

5 Joseph had a dream, and w

hen he told it to his brothers, they hated him

all the more. 6 H

e said to them,

“Listen to this dream I had: 7 W

e w

ere binding sheaves of grain out in the field w

hen suddenly my

sheaf rose and stood upright, while

your sheaves gathered around m

ine and bowed dow

n to it.”

8 His brothers said to him

, “Do you

intend to reign over us? Will you

actually rule us?” And they hated

him all the m

ore because of his dream

and what he had said.

9 Then he had another dream, and

he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream

, and this tim

e the sun and moon and

eleven stars were bow

ing down to

me.”

10 When he told his father as w

ell as his brothers, his father rebuked him

and said, “W

hat is this dream you

had? Will your m

other and I and your brothers actually com

e and bow

down to the ground before

you?” 11 His brothers w

ere jealous of him

, but his father kept the m

atter in mind.

SERVINGtog

ether

What did you see w

hen Pastor Luke asked you to envision your dream? H

ow did that vision m

ake you feel—

anxious, excited, overwhelm

ed, encouraged? Take a few m

inutes for each person to share their dream

with the group (and if you’re not sure about your dream

yet, or not ready to share, that’s okay!). As

each person shares, focus on affirm

ing statements. This is not the tim

e to give advice or share reasons their dream

might be diffi

cult. Simply listen and encourage!

Take a look at the Circles of Life

diagram and w

rite the names

of two or three people you

know w

ho need to know C

hrist. C

omm

it to praying for God’s

guidance and an opportunity to share w

ith each of them.

Perhaps they would be open to

joining the group? Share your lists w

ith the group so you can all be praying for the people you’ve identified.

ONCE YOU’VE DISCOVERED YOUR DREAM, YOU CAN

BEGIN IDENTIFYING ACTION STEPS TO MAKING IT

A REALITY. WHAT’S ONE THING YOU CAN DO THIS

WEEK TO M

AKE PROGRESS IN YOUR DREAM? HOW

CAN YOU HELP SOMEONE ELSE IN THE GROUP TAKE

A NEXT STEP?

WHAT ARE SOM

E WAYS YOU CAN ENJOY THE JOUR-

NEY TO YOUR DREAM? HOW

CAN YOU HAVE JOY ON THE W

AY TO YOUR DESTINATION?

FAMILY(immediate or extended)

FAMILIAR(neighbors, kids, sports

teams, school, and so forth)FUN(gym, hobbies, hangouts)

FIRM(work)

FRIENDS

2223

PRAYINGSTUDY

togeth

ernotes

You’ve now heard the dream

s of your group and possibly shared your ow

n dream. This w

ill be a key prayer focus for the next six w

eeks. As a large group or in sm

aller teams of tw

o or three, spend som

e time praying for each person: that they w

ould hear from G

od w

hat they need to hear during this study and that they would be

open to what G

od has for them on this journey. C

lose with a prayer

of thanks for each person and the dream G

od has put in their heart.

Several years ago, Stephen Covey published his groundbreaking

book The 7 Habits of H

ighly Effective People. Each one of these habits or life skills could be helpful as you pursue your dream

, but habit #2—

“Begin w

ith the end in mind”—

is especially important.

This habit “is based on the principle that all things are created tw

ice,” Covey w

rites. There is a mental (first) creation, and a

physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the

mental, just as a building follow

s a blueprint. If you don’t make a

conscious effort to visualize who you are and w

hat you want in

life, then you empow

er other people and circumstances to shape

you and your life by default. It’s about connecting again with your

own uniqueness and then defining the personal, m

oral, and ethical guidelines w

ithin which you can m

ost happily express and fulfill yourself. B

egin with the End in M

ind means to begin each day,

task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and

destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to

make things happen.”

Just like Pastor Luke says, our dreams begin in our m

ind and heart before they can find outw

ard expression. Take some tim

e this w

eek to not only consider your dream, but to think about w

hat it w

ill ultimately look like. B

e as specific as possible—and then m

ake choices tow

ard your dream that align w

ith that destination you have im

agined.

2425

DAY

DAILYdevotionals

DAYDAY

DAYDAY

DAYon

efou

rtw

ofive

three

sixRead Matthew 6:33

But seek first his kingdom

and his righteousness, and all these things w

ill be given to you as w

ell.

Respond: In all this talk of dream

s, it’s im

portant to remem

ber that our first goal in life is to seek G

od. If w

e do this, He w

ill be faithful to w

ork in all the other areas of our lives.

Read Matthew 19:26

Jesus looked at them and

said, “With m

an this is im

possible, but with G

od all things are possible.”

Respond:This w

eek we talked about

having a dream so big that only

God can do it. Is your dream

G

od-sized?

Read Proverbs 16:3

Com

mit to the Lord w

hatever you do, and he w

ill establish your plans.

Respond:W

hether you are considering a brand-new

dream or pursuing a

dream you’ve had for decades,

take some tim

e today to comm

it it or re-com

mit it to the Lord.

Read Numbers 23:19

God is not hum

an, that he should lie, not a hum

an being, that he should change his m

ind.D

oes he speak and then not act? D

oes he promise and not

fulfill?

Respond: If G

od has spoken a word to

you or given you a dream, you

can trust Him

. Thank him for H

is faithfulness!

Read Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the Lord, and he w

ill give you the desires of your heart.

Respond:W

hat does it mean to delight

yourself in God? H

ow does that

relationship with H

im influence

what your heart w

ants?

Use the follow

ing space to write

any thoughts God has put in

your heart and mind about the

things we have looked at in this

session and during your Daily

Devotions tim

e this week.

2627

two

SESSIONTHE PIT STOP

A journalist once found a set of identical tw

ins who grew

up in a home w

ith an alcoholic father. O

ne of the twins grew

up to be an alcoholic herself, and the other one never touched a drop of alcohol. The journalist w

anted to investigate this—how

could two people

with exactly the sam

e genetics and environment grow

up to be completely different?

When she interview

ed the twin w

ho had become an alcoholic and asked w

hy she had developed a drinking problem

, the young wom

an said, “What do you expect from

the daughter of an alcoholic?” A

nd when she interview

ed the twin w

ho totally abstained from

alcohol and asked why she had never started drinking, that tw

in said, “What do you expect

from the daughter of an alcoholic?”

Life throws all of us into the pit som

etimes. W

e all have to deal with diffi

cult struggles and discouraging situations. B

ut we get to choose how

we w

ill respond to our time in

the pit—w

ill we allow

it to make us better or w

ill we choose to get bitter? O

ur temporary

circumstances do not have to determ

ine our future! Today we’ll see how

Joseph responded to the pit in his ow

n life, and how G

od used it to bring him closer to his dream

.

YOU DETERMINE YOUR

OWN FUTURE

2829

SHARINGGROWING

togeth

ertog

ether




ho we

are. When w




od at work. W

e also realize w

e’re not alone—others share our

fears, doubts, and feelings, and can understand w

hat we’re going


inutes to answ




Watch the D

VD




remem







HAVE YOU EVER BEEN JEALOUS OF SOM

EONE’S ELSE DREAM OR

ACCOMPLISHM

ENTS?W

HY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO GOD THAT W

E HAVE A DREAM

?

HOW DO PRESSURE AND “HEAT” TRANSFORM

OUR CHARACTERS?

HOW DOES IT M

AKE YOU FEEL TO KNOW YOU W

ILL HAVE TROUBLE IN LIFE?

REFLECT ON _____’S STORY. WHAT IS THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DREAM

FROM GOD AND A

DREAM BASED ON OUR PLANS?

WHAT VALUE DO STRUGGLES AND TRIALS PLAY IN

OUR GROWTH? HOW

DOES THAT HELP US PURSUE OUR DREAM

?

HOW DO W

E KEEP A PIT STOP FROM BECOM

ING A “PIT STAY”?

WHAT’S “IN YOUR HAND” THAT YOU COULD GIVE TO

GOD AS A WAY TO GET STARTED ON A DREAM

?

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SCRIPTURE THAT SUSTAINS YOU DURING DIFFICULT TIM

ES? SHARE IT WITH THE GROUP.

30

THE PIT-STOP DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A PIT-STAY.

YOU CAN’T HELP THE PIT-STOP, BUT YOU CAN

KEEP FROM MAKING IT A PIT-STAY.

LU

KE

B

AR

NE

TT

3233

READ

Gen

esis 37:17

-2

0,

23

-2

4

So Joseph went after his brothers

and found them near D

othan. 18 B

ut they saw him

in the distance, and before he reached them

, they plotted to kill him

.

19 “Here com

es that dreamer!” they

said to each other. 20 “Com

e now,

let’s kill him and throw

him into

one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious anim

al devoured him.

Then we’ll see w

hat comes of his

dreams.”

23 So when Joseph cam

e to his brothers, they stripped him

of his robe—

the ornate robe he was

wearing—

24 and they took him

and threw him

into the cistern. The cistern w

as empty; there w

as no w

ater in it.

SERVINGtog

ether

Joseph’s issue was not that G

od gave him a dream

or that he had leadership potential; it’s that he did not yet have the m

aturity of a leader or the character to keep from bragging about these dream

s to his fam

ily. Make sure that as you pray about and pursue your dream

, that you are walking hum

bly with G

od, and definitely avoid “pulling a Joseph” and boasting about your dream

before you’ve even done any-thing! A

s you continue to share your dreams w

ith each other as a group, give others permission to speak

into your journey and even to address areas where you need to grow

as a person. Your group loves you and w

ants to see your dream com

e true—so risk vulnerability and accountability as you m

ove forward

together.

____ TALKED ABOUT LEADING PRAYER MEETINGS IN

HIS HOME, AND HOW

GOD USED THAT AS A TRAIN-ING GROUND FOR THINGS HE W

ANTED THEIR FAMILY

TO DO DECADES LATER. IF YOU’RE IN A PIT STOP TODAY, W

HAT ARE SOME W

AYS GOD MIGHT BE US-

ING THIS TIME TO PREPARE YOU FOR W

HAT’S NEXT? BREAK INTO SM

ALLER GROUPS AND DISCUSS THIS. HOW

DO YOUR GROUP MEM

BERS SEE GOD WORKING

IN YOUR LIFE?

WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM

THE “PITS” YOU’VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST? W

HAT LESSONS COULD YOU LEARN IF YOU’RE IN THE PIT RIGHT NOW

?

BESIDES BASIC JEALOUSY, WHY DO YOU THINK

JOSEPH’S BROTHERS WERE THIS THREATENED BY

HIS DREAMS? DO YOU THINK THEY SUSPECTED

THOSE DREAMS W

OULD COME TRUE?

IF THE PIT CONTAINED WATER, JOSEPH W

OULD LIKELY HAVE DROW

NED. HOW DOES THIS SM

ALL DETAIL SHOW

GOD’S CARE FOR JOSEPH?

3435

PRAYINGSTUDY

togeth

ernotes

When w

e’re in the pit, it’s easy to feel very alone. That’s one reason it’s so great to travel this journey w

ith a group! To close this session, ask anyone in your group w

ho feels like they’re experiencing a pit stop to sit in the center of the group. Place your hands on them

and pray for them, either silently or out loud. A

sk G

od for wisdom

for each one of them, pray that they w

ould be strong and faithful w

hile they live through this time, and even be

bold and offer prayers of thanks for the ways G

od is being good despite this tem

porary pit stop.

Invite group mem

bers to share other prayer requests, as well, and

write them

on your Prayer and Praise report on page ___.

In this week’s teaching, A

ngel read that well-know

n verse from

John 16: “In this world you w

ill have trouble. But take heart! I have

overcome the w

orld.”

We typically read the w

ords “take heart” as a comm

and. We

interpret it as Jesus saying to us, “Do this! B

e brave! Don’t

be afraid!” And there are certainly plenty of tim

es in scripture w

hen God tells his people to be strong and courageous. B

ut som

e scholars believe, based on the original text in the original language, that Jesus w

as speaking not to the disciples in this passage, but to their hearts. In other w

ords, Jesus was saying,

“Hearts of these m

en—don’t be afraid!”

God is not only the D

esigner of our dreams, he’s the C

reator of our hearts. W

hatever you’re facing right now, know

that God can calm

your heart and give you peace.

3637

DAY

DAILYdevotionals

DAYDAY

DAYDAY

DAYon

efou

rtw

ofive

three

sixRead Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those w

ho are crushed in spirit.

Respond: G

od hadn’t forsaken Joseph during his tim

e in the pit, and he hasn’t left us alone either. If your heart is hurting today, reflect on this verse and thank G

od for being close to you.

Read Romans 15:13

May the G

od of hope fill you w

ith all joy and peace as you trust in him

, so that you may

overflow w

ith hope by the pow

er of the Holy Spirit.

Respond:A

re you in need of hope today? A

sk God to fill you w

ith hope by the pow

er of the Spirit.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are hard pressed on

every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck dow

n, but not destroyed.

Respond:W

hat part of this passage espe-cially resonates w

ith you? How

can w

e experience difficulty

without despair?

Read Romans 8:31

What, then, shall w

e say in response to these things? If G

od is for us, w

ho can be against us?

Respond: G

od is for you today! Thank him

for his blessings and his care for you no m

atter what is

happening in your life.

Read 1 Peter 1:6-7

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now

for a little while you

may have had to suffer grief

in all kinds of trials. 7 These have com

e so that the proven genuineness of your faith—

of greater w

orth than gold, which

perishes even though refined by fire—

may result in praise, glory

and honor when Jesus C

hrist is revealed.

Respond:Trials are tem

porary, but the faith and m

aturity they create in us last for a lifetim

e—and be-

yond!

Use the follow

ing space to write





Devotions tim

e this week.

3839

three

SESSIONFATAL DISTRACTIONS

We’ve all experienced distractions. Perhaps you have a co-w

orker who insists on talking

to you all day, every day—even after you put on your noise-canceling headphones! M

aybe your kids scream

and yell and sing at the top of their lungs from the back seat every tim

e you drive. O

r maybe the distractions are your ow

n fault—have you checked your sm

art phone w

hile reading this?

Today we’re going to talk about m

ore serious distractions—situations in life that threaten to

take our focus off God. Let’s learn w

hat the story of Joseph has to teach us about resisting distractions and focusing on our dream

s.

WE’VE ALL EXPERI-

ENCED DISTRACTIONS

4041

SHARINGGROWINGtog

ether




ho we

are. When w




od at work. W

e also real-ize w



hat we’re going


inutes to answ




Watch the D

VD




remem







PASTOR LUKE SAYS THERE ARE ALMOST ALW

AYS TW

ISTS AND TURNS ON THE WAY TO OUR DREAM

S. W

HY DO YOU THINK THIS IS? HAVE YOU EXPERI-ENCED THIS?

“BEING FAITHFUL AND FRUITFUL TODAY SETS US UP FOR OUR DREAM

TOMORROW

.” WHY IS IT SO IM

-PORTANT TO W

ORK HARD EVEN WHEN W

E MAY HAVE

SO LITTLE TO WORK W

ITH?

WHY DOES THE W

IND OF RESISTANCE BLOW THE

STRONGEST WHEN YOU’RE AT THE TOP?

WE LAUGH AT THE BASEBALL IN HEAVEN STORY,

BUT ACTUALLY THERE IS ALMOST ALW

AYS GOOD AND BAD IN EVERY SITUATION. ON THE JOURNEY TO YOUR DREAM

, WHAT’S THE GOOD NEW

S RIGHT NOW

? WHAT’S THE BAD NEW

S? HOW CAN YOU KEEP

THE BAD NEWS FROM

BECOMING A FATAL DISTRAC-

TION TO YOUR DREAM?

HOW CAN YOU FIND JOY BEFORE YOU REACH YOUR

DREAM?

PASTOR LUKE SAYS THE MORE W

E FOCUS ON A TEM

PTATION, THE MORE OUR POW

ER GOES THAT DIRECTION. HAVE YOU FOUND THIS TO BE TRUE IN YOUR OW

N LIFE?

togeth

er

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM

JOB?

WHAT IS A FOOD THAT YOU SIM

PLY CAN’T RESIST, NO M

ATTER HOW UNHEALTHY IT

IS?

4243

BEING FAITHFUL AND FRUITFUL TODAY SETS US

UP FOR OUR DREAM TOMORROW.

LU

KE

B

AR

NE

TT

4445

READ

Gen

esis 39

:7-12

.

Now

Joseph was w

ell-built and handsom

e, 7 and after a w

hile his master’s w

ife took notice of Joseph and said, “C

ome to bed

with m

e!”

8 But he refused. “W

ith me

in charge,” he told her, “my m

aster does not concern him

self with anything

in the house; everything he owns he has

entrusted to my care. 9 N

o one is greater in this house than I am

. My m

aster has w

ithheld nothing from m

e except you, because you are his w

ife. How

then could I do such a w

icked thing and sin against G

od?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph

day after day, he refused to go to bed w

ith her or even be with her.

11 One day he w

ent into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants w

as inside. 12 She caught him

by his cloak and said, “Com

e to bed w

ith me!” B

ut he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

SERVINGtog

ether

Consider how

you could make the best of w

hatever negative circumstances or situations you’re dealing

with right now

. What w

ould it look like to “bloom w

here you’re planted”? Do you need to w

ork hard, like Joseph did? D

o you need to change your thinking about something? D

o you need to improve a skill,

pour into a relationship, spend more tim

e in prayer? Talk about your ideas with the group and get their

feedback about how you can “im

prove your bloom.” If you’re brave, ask another m

ember of the group to

hold you accountable for this!

IT’S SO DIFFICULT NOT TO GIVE IN TO THE “SOME-

DAY SYNDROME.” ARE THERE CIRCUM

STANCES THAT NEED TO CHANGE OR GOALS YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE BEFORE YOU THINK YOU CAN BE HAPPY? TALK ABOUT THOSE W

ITH YOUR GROUP. HOW CAN YOU

EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF THE LORD NOW?

HOW DO YOU KNOW

WHEN TO FIGHT TEM

PTATION? HOW

DO YOU KNOW W

HEN TO FLEE FROM IT?

WHAT REASON DOES JOSEPH GIVE FOR REFUSING

POTIPHAR? (VERSE 8-9) JOSEPH DIDN’T JUST SAY NO TO HER ADVANCES, HE REFUSED “EVEN TO BE W

ITH HER” (VERSE 10). W

HAT DOES THIS TEACH US ABOUT DEALING WITH

TEMPTATION?

4647

PRAYINGSTUDY

togeth

ernotes

The higher Joseph rose in power and responsibility, the stronger

the winds blew

against him. The sam

e can be true for us—the

closer we com

e achieving the dream G

od’s given us, the more

resistance and temptation w

e’re likely to experience. Take some

time to share how

this is playing out in your own journey. If

you’re just beginning to chase after your dream, talk about the

distractions you think could come your w

ay down the line. If you’re

in the thick of it, share honestly about the temptations or struggles

that are pushing back against your dream. Then take som

e time to

pray for each other, that every mem

ber of the group would be able

to stand strong.

Invite group mem


write them


A recent W

all Street Journal article confirms w

hat the story of Joseph teaches: that the best w

ay to resist temptation is to avoid it

completely.

In one study, “53 subjects ages 18 to 60 w

ere recruited to take an online intelligence test in one of tw

o formats: a standard black-and-

white version or a stylized version w

ith artwork on both sides of the

screen,” the article reports.

“The subjects were told the artw

ork would change frequently and

might be distracting. Participants’ self-control w

as rated on the 13-point scale. O

f those with relatively low

self-control, 43% picked

the standard version and 57% picked the stylized version. B

ut am

ong high-self-control subjects, 67% chose the standard version

and 33% chose the stylized version.”

Those with low

er self-control chose the option with distractions

more often than those w

ith higher self-control. In other words,

those who eventually tested as m

ore able to resist temptation w

ere those w

ho proactively chose a test option with less tem

ptation!

Consider areas in life w

here you know you w

ill be tempted to sin,

to lose focus, or to do less than your best. How

can you follow

Joseph’s example and avoid those situations?

4849

DAY

DAILYdevotionals

DAYDAY

DAYDAY

DAYon

efou

rtw

ofive

three

sixRead Luke 4:13

When the devil had finished all

this tempting, he left him

until an opportune tim

e.

Respond: The m

ore we resist the devil,

the more he w

ill leave us alone. Rem

ember that Jesus know

s w

hat it means to be tem

pted and can help you resist!

Read Matthew 6:13

And lead us not into tem

ptation,but deliver us from

the evil one.’

Respond:Jesus taught us to pray for strength to resist the tem

ptations we face. A

sk him

for that strength today, and thank him

for the way H

e delivers you.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No tem

ptation has overtaken you except w

hat is comm

on to m

ankind. And G

od is faithful; he w

ill not let you be tempted

beyond what you can bear. B

ut w

hen you are tempted, he w

ill also provide a w

ay out so that you can endure it.

Respond:W

hen we face those headw

inds, it’s easy to feel that no one has experienced a challenge like ours. B

ut we share com

mon

struggles. How

can your group provide encouragem

ent and support so you can endure?

Read James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, m

y brothers and sisters, w

henever you face trials of m

any kinds, because you know

that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its w

ork so that you m

ay be mature and

complete, not lacking anything.

Respond: If you’re struggling right now

, rem

ember that G

od can use these trials to build your character—

and that strong character rooted in C

hrist enables you to overcom

e every distraction.

Read Luke 16:10

Whoever can be trusted w

ith very little can also be trusted w

ith much, and w

hoever is dishonest w

ith very little will

also be dishonest with m

uch.

Respond:Joseph rose in pow

er and authority because he w

orked hard at every job, no m

atter how

small. W

hat are some sm

all tasks you’re tem

pted to skip over? C

an you comm

it to doing them

with excellence?

Use the follow

ing space to write





Devotions tim

e this week.

5051

four

SESSIONDREAM DUNGEON

We serve a G

od of surprises.

Abraham

waited years for the son G

od promised, only for G

od to comm

and him to kill that

son—and then provide an anim

al substitute at the last minute.

Moses m

urdered a man, then ran aw

ay from Egypt—

but years later God called him

to lead the entire Israelite nation to freedom

.

And Jesus w

as crucified on a Roman cross—

and then raised to life three days later.

You can’t read much of the B

ible without noticing that G

od often does the opposite of what

we expect. W

hile He is alw

ays faithful to His people, H

e usually does things differently than w

e would—

and waits a little longer than w

e’d like!

When you follow

God, trials and diffi

culties still come. H

owever, as w

e learn from our study

of Joseph today, God is alw

ays present in those struggles and working for our good. Even

when w

e’re in a dungeon of doom, our dream

may be right around the corner—

and it may

surprise us.

A GOD OF SURPRISE

5253

SHARINGGROWINGtog

ether




ho we

are. When w




od at work. W

e also real-ize w



hat we’re going


inutes to answ




Watch the D

VD




remem







PASTOR LUKE REMINDS US TO LOCK IN ON W

HAT WE

KNOW. W

HAT ARE SOME TRUTHS YOU KNOW

ABOUT GOD THAT YOU CAN CLING TO DURING DIFFICULT TIM

ES?

WHY IS PATIENCE SO IM

PORTANT WHEN W

E’RE IN THE DUNGEON?

BRAD SHARED THAT THE GREATEST DREAMS ARE

OFTEN BIRTHED OUT OF OUR GREATEST HURTS. W

HAT ARE SOME HURTS THAT GOD M

IGHT BE ABLE TO—

SURPRISE!—TURN INTO A M

INISTRY OR A DREAM

IN YOUR LIFE?

WHY ARE W

E SO QUICK TO “FOLLOW W

HAT WE

FEEL”? HOW DID JOSEPH M

ODEL A DIFFERENT WAY

TO LIVE?

WHERE IS THE FOG CROW

DING INTO YOUR LIFE? W

HERE DO YOU NEED CLARITY SO YOU CAN FOLLOW YOUR FAITH INSTEAD OF YOUR FEELINGS?

“IT’S NOT ABOUT ME.” HOW

CAN THIS ATTITUDE CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIVING IN THE DUNGEON?

togeth

er

THINK OF A SITUATION IN WHICH IT

SEEMED GOD W

AS NOWHERE TO BE

FOUND. IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE,

SHARE IT (BRIEFLY!) WITH THE GROUP.

WHO HAS BEEN AN ENCOURAGER TO YOUR

DREAMS?

5455

GOD IS NOT NOWHERE.

GOD IS NOW HERE.

LU

KE

BA

RN

ET

T

5657

READ

Gen

esis 39

:20

-2

3.

Now

Joseph was w

ell-built and handsom

e, 7 and after a while his

master’s w

ife took notice of Joseph and said, “C

ome to bed w

ith me!”

8 But he refused. “W

ith me in charge,”

he told her, “my m

aster does not concern him

self with anything in the

house; everything he owns he has

entrusted to my care. 9 N

o one is greater in this house than I am

. My

master has w

ithheld nothing from m

e except you, because you are his w

ife. H

ow then could I do such a w

icked thing and sin against G

od?” 10 And

though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed w

ith her or even be with her.

11 One day he w

ent into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants w

as inside. 12 She caught him

by his cloak and said, “C

ome to bed w

ith me!” B

ut he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

SERVINGtog

ether

Joseph used the dungeon to develop his gifts. Before you can conquer the dungeon or fulfill your dream

, you need to identify your ow

n gifts and talents. Turn to page __ to discover a list of spiritual gifts men-

tioned in the Bible and consider w

hich ones you have or think you might have. C

onsider asking other group m

embers for feedback!

PASTOR LUKE SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOT ONLY

DISCOVER OUR GIFTS, BUT TO DEVELOP THEM. ARE

THERE GIFTS AND TALENTS YOU NEED TO SHARPEN? ARE THERE W

AYS YOU CAN DEVELOP THOSE TAL-ENTS BY SERVING THIS GROUP?

WHAT REASON DOES JOSEPH GIVE FOR REFUSING

POTIPHAR? (VERSE 8-9) JOSEPH DIDN’T JUST SAY NO TO HER ADVANCES, HE REFUSED “EVEN TO BE W

ITH HER” (VERSE 10). W

HAT DOES THIS TEACH US ABOUT DEALING WITH

TEMPTATION?

HOW CAN YOU BE A “DREAM

RELEASER” FOR SOME-

ONE ELSE IN YOUR GROUP?

5859

PRAYINGSTUDY

togeth

ernotes

You’ve probably already shared some of your ow

n “dungeon stories” w

ith each other in the course of your discussion, but before you close this session m

ake sure that anyone who w

ants to has a chance to briefly share w

ith the group. Then break into sm

aller groups of two or three people and pray the follow

ing for each other:

• That we w

ould experience God “now

here” in our pain• That G

od would give us the perspective and the strength to sail in

the right direction with H

im• For patience and peace as w

e wait for H

im to act

• For the discipline to sharpen our skills so we can serve H

im better

Invite group mem


write them


The Indonesian language has no word that m

eans “privacy.” While

in our country we value our personal space, our “alone tim

e,” and our independence from

others, in Indonesia this is not a cultural value. Instead, w

hen someone finds him

self in a private location, the Indonesian w

ord means “a place w

here he feels lonely.” Being

alone automatically equals loneliness, and is to be avoided at all

costs!

In day-to-day life you probably value your privacy, but when

it comes to our relationship w

ith Jesus, we can relate to the

Indonesian perspective. We definitely don’t w

ant to be in a lonely place in life w

here we have no connection to H

im. This w

eek’s study rem

inds us that there is no place or situation in which w

e have to experience this kind of loneliness. Rom

ans 8 reminds us:

Who shall separate us from

the love of Christ? Shall trouble or

hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or

sword?...... N

o, in all these things we are m

ore than conquerors through him

who loved us. For I am

convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor dem

ons, neither the present nor the future, nor any pow

ers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, w

ill be able to separate us from the love of G

od that is in C

hrist Jesus our Lord.

HE IS WITH YOU, NO M

ATTER WHERE YOU ARE AND NO M

ATTER WHAT

YOU FACE TODAY!

6061

DAY

DAILYdevotionals

DAYDAY

DAYDAY

DAYon

efou

rtw

ofive

three

sixRead Romans 8:28

And w

e know that in all things

God w

orks for the good of those w

ho love him, w

ho have been called according to his purpose.

Respond: This verse doesn’t say only good things w

ill happen to us if w

e follow G

od, but that He

can bring good out of all things. In w

hat part of your life do you need to claim

that promise

today?

Read Psalm 143:8

Let the morning bring m

e word

of your unfailing love, for I have put m

y trust in you. Show m

e the w

ay I should go, for to you I entrust m

y life.

Respond:Rem

ember, G

od is the power in

your sails, but you get to decide the direction. A

sk God to help

you know the w

ay you should go.

Read Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am w

ith you;do not be dism

ayed, for I am

your God. I w

ill strengthen you and help you; I w

ill uphold you w

ith my righteous right hand.

Respond:G

od reminds us over and over

in his Word that he is “now

here.” Spend som

e time praying

through this verse, asking God

to help you have courage and to have insight on how

He is

working in your life.

Read Proverbs 29:25

Fear of man w

ill prove to be a snare, but w

hoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

Respond: H

ow does w

orrying about other people’s actions trip us up? Is there som

ething you need to entrust to G

od today?

Read Matthew 1:23

“The virgin will conceive and

give birth to a son, and they w

ill call him Im

manuel” (w

hich m

eans “God w

ith us”).

Respond:The very nam

e of Jesus means

that He is w

ith us! No m

atter w

hat you are going through today, take com

fort in knowing

that Jesus is walking you

through it.

Use the follow

ing space to write





Devotions tim

e this week.

6263

fiveSESSIONFROM DREAM TO DESTINY

“When G

od closes a door, he opens a window

.” This popular saying is not from

the Bible, although w

e’ve heard it and said it so much

it may seem

like the gospel! But it’s a w

ell-known saying because

it contains a nugget of truth—although the journey to our dream

s is usually not a sm

ooth path without any problem

s, we can count

on God to m

ake a way even w

hen our next step isn’t obvious. Just because a door closes doesn’t m

ean the dream is over—

it just m

eans God’s got a better plan in m

ind!

Today we’re talking about seizing those w

indows of opportunity.

What does it m

ean to be ready for our dream, and how

do we

deal with the problem

s we encounter along the w

ay? The story of Joseph continues to be a m

odel for us as we m

ove forward on this

journey from dream

to destiny.

SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

6465

SHARINGGROWING

togeth

ertog

ether




ho we

are. When w




od at work. W

e also realize w

e’re not alone—others share our

fears, doubts, and feelings, and can understand w

hat we’re going


inutes to answ




Watch the D

VD




remem







HAVE YOU EVER MISSED OUT ON A GREAT

OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T ACT IN TIM

E? HOW

DOES KNOWING YOUR DREAM

IS FROM GOD

GIVE YOU SECURITY IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS?

HOW DO W

E GET READY TO “SEE AND SEIZE” OUR W

INDOW OF OPPORTUNITY? HOW

DO WE STAY

READY IF WE HAVE BEEN W

AITING ON GOD FOR A W

HILE?

WHY IS IT SO IM

PORTANT TO NOT ONLY FIND PROBLEM

S, BUT ALSO IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS?

JOSEPH WENT THROUGH A NUM

BER OF UP AND DOW

N EMOTIONS AND EXPERIENCES ON THE W

AY TO HIS DREAM

. PASTOR LUKE NAMED SEVERAL:

EXCITEMENT, PAIN, DISILLUSIONM

ENT, HOPE, AND EVEN DESPAIR. W

HICH EMOTIONS HAVE BEEN PART

OF YOUR DREAM SO FAR? W

HAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM

JOSEPH’S LIFE THAT CAN HELP YOU DEAL W

ITH THOSE EMOTIONS?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETW

EEN REMEM

BERING THE PAST AND DW

ELLING ON IT?

HOW OPEN ARE YOU TO TAKING RISKS?

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, WITH ONE

BEING “I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE M

Y HOUSE!” AND TEN BEING “I’M

UP FOR ANYTHING!” HOW

WOULD YOU RANK

YOURSELF?

66

WHEN YOU GET A GOD-SIZED DREAM, YOU HAVE

TO BE READY FOR THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

TO OPEN BECAUSE THE WINDOW ISN’T ALWAYS

OPEN... YOU NEED TO BE READY TO SEE IT,

AND TO SEIZE IT.

AN

GE

L

BA

RN

ET

T

6869

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM

THAT JOSEPH IDENTIFIES? W

HAT IS HIS SOLUTION?

RE-READ VERSES 39-40. WHAT CAN W

E LEARN FROM THESE VERSES ABOUT PURSUING OUR OW

N DREAMS?

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT PHARAOH’S QUESTION

IN VERSE 38?READ

Gen

esis 41: 2

8-4

0.

28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has show

n Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great

abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of fam

ine will follow

them. Then

all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the fam

ine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in

the land will not be rem

embered, because the fam

ine that follows it w

ill be so severe. 32 The reason the dream

was given to Pharaoh in tw

o forms is that the m

atter has been firmly decided by G

od, and God

will do it soon.

33 “And now

let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise m

an and put him in charge of the land of

Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint comm

issioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are com

ing and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of fam

ine that will com

e upon Egypt, so that the country m

ay not be ruined by the famine.”

37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his offi

cials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “C

an we find

anyone like this man, one in w

hom is the spirit of G

od?”

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has m

ade all this known to you,

there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge

of my palace, and all m

y people are to submit to your orders. O

nly with

respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

SERVINGtog

ether

Are you read for your dream

to come true? If not, w

hat steps do you need to take? As a group, discuss

what each of you need to do to be ready for the w

indow of opportunity to open. H

ow can you help

someone else in the group to get ready? H

ow could others help you?

Reflect on ____’s story about obeying the call of God, m

oving from Kansas C

ity to Phoenix, remaining

faithful during hard years, and ultimately finding a m

inistry and a husband at Phoenix First. God had

so many good things for her, but she had to take a risk! Som

etime our w

indows of opportunity w

ill be obvious and open right into our com

fort zones, but often they will require us to step out in faith. D

iscuss this idea as a group. W

hich of you are facing potential risks on the way to your dream

? How

do you know

whether they are opportunities from

God?

“Every problem is really an opportunity to com

e up with a solution.” N

o doubt some m

embers of your

group are facing significant problems on the w

ay to their dream. Take som

e time to brainstorm

solutions. D

on’t limit yourself—

in fact, dream about how

these problems m

ight be solved! Who know

s—perhaps

this can be the breakthrough for a mem

ber of your group.

7071

PRAYINGSTUDY

togeth

ernotes

Are you struggling w

ith any “baggage” like bitterness or unforgiveness that is holding you back from

enjoying your dream?

As a group, set aside a few

minutes of silence to think about this

individually. You might w

ant to write dow

n a list of things that are w

eighing you down, or w

rite a prayer giving them over to G

od. A

fter this time of silent reflection, com

e back together as a group and spend the last few

minutes of your gathering talking about

what you identified. This m

ight require a high level of vulnerability, so m

ake sure no one feels any pressure to share. Close in prayer.

Invite group mem


write them


In this week’s video, Pastor Luke rem

inded us that just as one small

seed can produce a plant full of fruit, so our lives can be multiplied

when w

e give them to G

od.

You’ve probably seen this for yourself—if you’ve ever grow

n a tom

ato plant in your garden, you know how

one small seed can

grow into a huge vine full of tom

atoes. But think about this: not

only does that one seed lead to perhaps 50 tom

atoes during a grow

ing season, each one of those tomatoes has m

ore than 50 seeds. A

nd each one of those 50 seeds can grow

another plant…..

with 50

more tom

atoes…..each of w

hich have 50 m

ore seeds.

Pretty soon the number of potential plants and size of the total

crop gets bigger than we can com

prehend! And that’s how

it is w

hen we give our dream

s to God. In M

atthew 17:20, Jesus says,

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a m

ustard seed, you can say to this m

ountain, ‘Move from

here to there,’ and it will

move. N

othing will be im

possible for you.” Even the biggest God-

sized dream begins w

ith small seeds and sm

all steps. Whatever

dream G

od has put in your heart, keep planting and believing that H

e will som

eday produce a harvest bigger than you can imagine.

7273

DAY

DAILYdevotionals

DAYDAY

DAYDAY

DAYon

efou

rtw

ofive

three

sixRead 1 Timothy 4:12

Don’t let anyone look dow

n on you because you are young, but set an exam

ple for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Respond: Joseph w

as just a young m

an, but he was a person of

character who knew

what it

meant to follow

God. N

o matter

what your age, G

od has a dream

for you!

Read 2 Timothy 1:7

For the Spirit God gave us does

not make us tim

id, but gives us pow

er, love and self-discipline.

Respond:A

s you take risks on the way to

your dream, it’s tem

pting to be afraid. Spend som

e time today

asking God for boldness!

Read Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;

consider its ways and be w

ise!It has no com

mander, no

overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in sum

mer and

gathers its food at harvest.

Respond:Just as the ant is m

otivated to w

ork hard and prepare for the future, w

e must be ready for the

window

s God w

ill open. How

can you prepare for w

hat’s next in your dream

?

Read Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in

affliction, faithful in prayer.

Respond: This verse gives us three great steps w

e can take as w

e get ready for our window

of opportunity: hope w

ith joy, endure struggles w

ith patience, and pray faithfully.

Read Mark 12:25

And w

hen you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them

, so that your Father in heaven m

ay forgive you your sins.”

Respond:W

e are comm

anded to forgive! W

hat old hurts or resentments

do you need to let go of in order to m

ove forward and enjoy your

dream?

Use the follow

ing space to write





Devotions tim

e this week.

7475

sixSESSIONDREAM AGAIN

Over and over, w

e’ve watched the m

oments on television: the football team

wins the Super

Bow

l, the baseball team w

ins the World Series, or the O

lympian grabs the gold m

edal. Suddenly the cam

eras arein the winners’ faces, and the interview

er asks, “What are you

going to do now?”

You know w

hat comes next: “I’m

going to Disney W

orld!”

It’s a brilliant marketing strategy on D

isney’s part, but the reality is that all of us who have

reached our dream are faced w

ith that question: what now

? I’ve accomplished w

hat I set out to accom

plish. I’ve achieved what I w

anted to achieve. I have what I w

ant, or I’ve done w

hat I want, or I’ve becom

e what I w

ant. What do I do now

?

Whether you are just beginning to seek your dream

or your dream has already com

e true, the question for all of us today is the sam

e: what’s next?

I’M GOING TO DISNEY

WORLD!

7677

SHARINGGROWING

togeth

ertog

ether




ho we

are. When w




od at work. W

e also real-ize w



hat we’re going


inutes to answ




Watch the D

VD




remem







HAVE YOU ALREADY ACHIEVED ONE OF YOUR GOD-GIVEN DREAM

S? IF SO, HOW

DID IT FEEL TO ARRIVE AT THE DESTINATION?

“YOU SHOULD NEVER CATCH UP TO YOUR DREAM.”

REACT TO THIS STATEMENT. DO YOU AGREE?

WHY DOES TESTING ACTUALLY VALIDATE OUR

DREAM?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETW

EEN A DARING DREAM

AND A DAYDREAM? HAVE YOU SETTLED FOR

DAYDREAMS?

HOW DOES QUITTING ONCE M

AKE IT EASIER TO QUIT THE NEXT TIM

E?

HOW ARE OUR DREAM

S PART OF THE MEANING OR

PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES?

WHY IS IT SO IM

PORTANT NOT TO COMPARE YOUR

DREAMS W

ITH OTHER PEOPLE’S?

DO YOU HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT CAN CHEER

YOU ON AS YOU PURSUE YOUR DREAM? IS SOM

EONE IN THE BALCONY OF YOUR LIFE? IF NOT, IS THERE SOM

EONE IN THE GROUP YOU COULD PARTNER W

ITH? CONSIDER ASKING ANOTHER GROUP MEM

BER TO BE AN ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENCOURAGEM

ENT PARTNER FOR THE NEXT M

ONTH OR THE NEXT THREE M

ONTHS—W

HATEVER FEELS COMFORTABLE

FOR THE TWO OF YOU. THEN COM

MIT TO PRAYING

FOR EACH OTHER DAILY AND CHECKING IN WITH

EACH OTHER ONCE A WEEK.

WHO HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGERS IN YOUR

LIFE?

78

WITHOUT THE PEOPLE, THE DREAM PERISHES.

GOD USES PEOPLE TO CARRY OUT HIS DREAMS.

THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY GREAT DREAMS IF

THERE WERE NOT DREAM-MAKERS HERE... THESE

ARE THE PEOPLE THAT PUT LEGS TO THE DREAM.

TO

MM

Y

BA

RN

ET

T

8081

READ

Gen

esis 3:12

-14

.

12 Not that I have already obtained

all this, or have already arrived at m

y goal, but I press on to take hold of that for w

hich Christ Jesus took

hold of me. 13 B

rothers and sisters, I do not consider m

yself yet to have taken hold of it. B

ut one thing I do: Forgetting w

hat is behind and straining tow

ard what is ahead, 14 I

press on toward the goal to w

in the prize for w

hich God has called m

e heavenw

ard in Christ Jesus.

SERVINGtog

ether

Your group has experienced a lot together during this study. You’ve grown closer to each other as you’ve

shared your dreams and pushed each other to follow

God even if you’re in the pit or facing distractions.

Now

it’s time to dream

together. What is next for your group? H

ow can you harness the dream

s of each m

ember to do som

ething greater than you could alone? How

can you continue to support each other’s dream

s?

Take a few m

inutes to dream bigger about your ow

n dream. Perhaps turn to the notes pages on __-__

and journal about your dream. W

hat would it look like for you to dream

bigger? Be audacious. W

rite dow

n something you think could never, ever happen. Then be brave—

share those wild ideas w

ith the group!

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU DURING THESE SIX W

EEKS? WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT W

ILL CONTINUE TO W

ORK IN YOUR HEART DURING THE WEEKS TO COM

E? WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU STILL HAVE?

VERSE 12 SAYS THAT JESUS “TOOK HOLD” OF US BECAUSE HE HAS THINGS FOR US TO DO! HOW

DOES THIS CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON W

HAT IT M

EANS TO DREAM?

WHY IS IT IM

PORTANT TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE INSTEAD OF THE PAST?

8283

PRAYINGSTUDY

togeth

ernotes

Pastor Luke reminded us that G

od can do more than w

e can ask H

im for or even im

agine. So now that the group has dream

ed together about w

hat might be next, take som

e time to ask G

od for H

is vision and dreams to becom

e real. Ask H

im for insight

into next steps, the faithfulness to take those steps of faith as He

reveals them, and the passion to follow

as He does m

ore than you can dream

of. Then—celebrate! End w

ith a time of praise and

thanksgiving for all He has done in your group and for H

is love, pow

er, and grace in your lives.

Invite group mem


write them


Marathon runners like to say that running is 10

% physical and 90

%

mental. C

ertainly it requires a huge amount of physical training to

prepare for such a long race, but those hours of preparation must

also include mental conditioning.

“Science has confirmed that perform

ance at the end of an endurance event has as m

uch to do with psychology as

physiology,” writes M

ichelle Ham

ilton in Runner’s W

orld magazine.

Paul knew this—

that’s why he w

rote about “straining” toward

what’s ahead and “pressing on” to reach the goal. There’s nothing

easy about enduring, but our perspective on the challenges can determ

ine how w

e run the race—and how

much joy w

e have along the w

ay.

Dream

s can be like a marathon. They often take m

onths or years to com

e true. Pastor Tomm

y says it might take five years! W

hat do you need to focus on as you endure, strain, and press on during this tim

e? It can make all the difference in reaching your dream

.

8485

DAY

DAILYdevotionals

DAYDAY

DAYDAY

DAYon

efou

rtw

ofive

three

sixRead Proverbs 21:5

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Respond: B

ig mom

ents of breakthrough happen occasionally, but m

uch of success is daily hard w

ork. H

ow can you be m

ore diligent and consistent in w

orking tow

ard your dream?

Read Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is w

ith you,the M

ighty Warrior w

ho saves.H

e will take great delight in

you; in his love he will no longer

rebuke you, but will rejoice over

you with singing.

Respond:Take a few

minutes today to

remem

ber that the great God of

dreams is also a loving Father

who delights in you. Rest in H

is presence and H

is peace.

Read 1 Timothy 4:8

For physical training is of some

value, but godliness has value for all things, holding prom

ise for both the present life and the life to com

e.

Respond:To continue the race m

etaphor, how

can you be training for godliness as you pursue your dream

? Ask G

od to grow your

character and maturity as you

seek His w

ill.

Read Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in a

person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Respond: A

s we w

rap up this study, rem

ember that w

e are to work

hard at identifying and working

toward our G

od-sized dreams—

but that ultimately H

is purposes w

ill come to pass. A

nd those plans are bigger than you can im

agine!

Read Habakkuk 2:3

For the revelation awaits an

appointed time; it speaks of the

end and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it; it w

ill certainly com

e and will not

delay.

Respond:If you are still w

aiting for God

to reveal His dream

for you, do not be discouraged! C

ontinue to ask H

im to reveal his revelation

to you. It will certainly com

e!

Use the follow

ing space to write





Devotions tim

e this week.

8687

appen

dices

8889

FREQUENTYLYasked

QUESTIONSLike all fun things in life—

have a party! A “get to know

you” coffee, dinner, or dessert is a great w

ay to launch a new study. It w

ill also help people feel com

fortable and welcom

e. You may w

ant to review the G

roup A

greement (page 76) and share the nam

es of a few friends you can invite

to join. But m

ost importantly, have fun before your study tim

e begins.

This can be troubling, especially for new groups that have only a few

people or for existing groups that lose a few

people along the way. W

e encourage you to pray w

ith your group and then brainstorm a list of

people from w

ork, church, your neighborhood, your children’s school, fam

ily, the gym, etc. Then have each group m

ember invite som

e of the people on his or her list.

No m

atter how you find m

embers, try to stay on the lookout for new

people to join your group. A

ll groups tend to go through healthy attrition–the result of m

oves, releasing new leaders, m

inistry opportunities, and so forth–and if the group gets too sm

all, it could be at risk of shutting down.

If you and your group stay open, you’ll be amazed at the people G

od sends your w

ay. The next person just might becom

e a friend for life. You never know

!

It’s totally up to the group. Most groups m

eet weekly. W

e strongly recom

mend that the group m

eet every week for tw

o six-week sessions.

This allows for continuity, and if people m

iss a meeting they aren’t gone

for a whole m

onth.

At the end of this study, each group m

ember w

ill decide if he or she w

ants to continue on for another study. Some groups launch relationships

for years to come, and others are stepping-stones into another group

experience. Either way, enjoy the journey.

Absolutely! This m

ay sound crazy but one of the best ways to do a study

is not with a full house but w

ith a few friends. You m

ay choose to gather w

ith one other couple who w

ould enjoy going to the movies or having a

quiet dinner and then walking through this study. Jesus w

ill be with you

even if there are only two of you (M

atthew 18:20).

You’re not alone! This could be the result of a personality conflict, life stage difference, geographical distance, level of spiritual m

aturity, or any num

ber of things. Relax. Pray for God’s direction, and at the end of

this six-week study, decide w

hether to continue with this group or find

another. You don’t buy the first car you test drive or marry the first person

you date, and the same goes w

ith a group. Don’t bail out before the six

weeks are up–G

od might have som

ething to teach you. Also, don’t run

from conflict or prejudge people before you have given them

a chance. G

od is still working in you too!

Most groups have an offi

cial leader. But ideally, the group w

ill mature and

mem

bers will rotate the leadership of m

eetings. We have discovered that

healthy groups rotate hosts/leaders and homes on a regular basis. This

model ensures that all m

embers grow

, give their unique contribution, and develop their gifts. C

hrist has promised to be in your m

idst as you gather, w

hich means that ultim

ately, God is your leader each step of the w

ay. That should give your group (and w

hoever may be leading each w

eek) confidence.

Very carefully, as this can be a sensitive issue. We suggest that the group

spend some tim

e openly brainstorming solutions. You m

ay try one option that w

orks for a while and then adjust over tim

e. Our favorite approach

is for adults to meet in the living room

or dining room, and to share the

cost of a babysitter (or two) w

ho can be with the kids in a different part of

the house. That way, parents don’t have to be aw

ay from their children

all evening when they are too young to be left at hom

e. A second option

is to use one home for the kids and a second hom

e (close by or a phone call aw

ay) for the adults. A third idea is to rotate the responsibility of

providing a lesson or care for the children either in the same hom

e or in another hom

e nearby. This can be an incredible blessing for kids. Finally, the m

ost comm

on idea is to make your ow

n arrangements for child care.

No m

atter what decision the group m

akes, the best approach is to talk openly about both the problem

and the solution.

What do w

e do on the first night of our group?

Where do w

e find new

mem

bers for our group?

How

long will this

group meet?

Can w

e do this study on our ow

n?

What if this group is

not working for us?

Who is the leader?

How

do we handle

the child care needs in our group?

9091

SMALL grou

pAGREEMENT

OUR time

TOGETHER

Group A

ttendance

Safe Environment

Respect Differences

Confidentiality

Encouragement for

Grow

th

Shared Ow

nership

Rotating Hosts/Leaders

and Hom

es

To give priority to the group meeting. W

e will call or em

ail if we w

ill be late or absent. (C

ompleting the G

roup Calendar on page 78 w

ill m

inimize this issue.)

Refreshments/m

ealtimes be provided by:

The arrangement for childcare w

ill be:

When w

e will m

eet (day of week):

Where w

e will m

eet (place):

We w

ill begin at (time):

We w

ill do our best to have some or all of us

attend a worship service together. O

ur primary

worship service tim

e will be:

Date of this agreem

ent:

Date w

e will review

this agreement again:

To help create a safe place where people can be heard and feel

loved.

To be gentle and gracious toward people w

ith different spiritual m

aturity, personal opinions, temperam

ents, or “imperfections” in

fellow group m

embers. W

e are all works in progress.

To keep anything that is shared strictly confidential and within the

group, and to avoid sharing improper inform

ation about those outside the group.

Accept one another as w

e are while encouraging one another to

grow.

To remem

ber that every mem

ber is a minister and to ensure that

each attender will share a sm

all team role or responsibility over

time.

To encourage different people to host the group in their homes,

and to rotate the responsibility of facilitating each meeting. (See the

Group C

alendar on page 78.)

OU

R PURPO

SE:To talk about w

hat it means to live a G

od-first life with a few

friends.

9293

Planning can help ensure the greatest participation at every m

eeting. At the end of each m

eeting, review this calendar. B

e sure to include a regular rotation of host hom

es/leaders, and don’t forget birthdays, socials, church events, holidays, and m

ission/m

inistry projects.

DATE

LESSON

HO

ST HO

ME

REFRESHM

ENTS

LEADER

Monday

Jan 15

1Bill

Joe

Bill

Week 6 Week 5 Week 4 Week 3 Week 2 Week 1

OU

R P

LA

N

My N

am

e:

Sp

iritual P

artn

er’s N

am

e:

OU

R P

RO

GR

ES

S

SMALL grou

pCALENDAR

SPIRITUAL partn

ersCHECKIN

9495

sma

ll grou

p

leaders

9697

If you’re starting a new group, or if this is your first tim

e leading a sm

all group, you should consider planning an “open house” before your first form

al group meeting.

Even if you only have two to four core m

embers, it’s a

great way to break the ice and to consider prayerfully

who else m

ight be open to join you over the next few

weeks. You can also use this kick-off m

eeting to hand out study guides, spend som

e time getting to know

each other, discuss each person’s expectations for the group, and briefly pray for each other.

A sim

ple meal or good desserts alw

ays make a kick-off

meeting m

ore fun. After people introduce them

selves and share how

they ended up being at the meeting,

have everyone respond to a few icebreaker questions,

like: “What is your favorite fam

ily vacation?” or “What is

one thing you love about your church/our comm

unity?” or “W

hat are three things about your life growing up that

most people here don’t know

?” Finally, ask everyone to tell w

hat he or she hopes to get out of the study. You m

ight want to review

the Small G

roup Agreem

ent and talk about each person’s expectations and priorities.

You can skip this kick-off meeting if your time is limited, but an open house can help set your group up for success.

Sweaty palms are a healthy sign.The B

ible says God is gracious to the hum

ble. Remem

ber who is in control. Those w

ho are soft in heart (and sw

eaty palmed) are those w

hom G

od is sure to speak through. God w

ants to use you exactly as you are to lead your group this w

eek.

Seek support. A

sk your co-leader or a close friend to pray for you and prepare with you before the session. W

alking through the study w

ill help you anticipate potentially difficult questions and discussion topics.

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. G

o through the session several times prior to m

eeting. If you are using the DV

D, w

atch the teaching segm

ent. Consider w

riting in a journal or fasting for a day to prepare yourself for what G

od w

ants to do.

Ask for feedback so you can grow. Perhaps in an em

ail or on cards handed out at the study, have everyone write dow

n three things you did w

ell and one thing you could improve. D

on’t get defensive; instead, show an openness to learn and

grow.

Share with your group what God is doing in your heart. G

od is searching for those whose hearts are fully his. Share your struggles and your victories. People w

ill relate and your w

illingness to share will encourage them

to do the same.

HOSTING an

OPEN HOUSELEADING forTHE FIRST TIME

9899

Thank you! You have responded to the call to help shepherd Jesus’ flock. There are few other tasks in the family of God that are as challenging, rewarding, and humbling as this. As you prepare to lead – whether it is one session or the entire series – here are a few thoughts to keep in mind. It might be helpful for you to read these and review them before each session.

1. Rem

ember that you are not alone. G

od knows everything about you, and he knew

that you w

ould be asked to lead your group. God prom

ises, “Never w

ill I leave you; never will I forsake

you” (Hebrew

s 13:5). Whether you are leading for one evening or for the w

hole study, you will be

blessed as you serve. It might be helpful to enlist a co-leader to help you lead the group. This is

your chance to involve as many people as you can in building a healthy group. A

ll you have to do is call and ask people to help; you’ll be surprised at the response.

2. Just be yourself. Your group needs you to be you! G

od wants you to use your unique gifts and

personality. Don’t try to do things exactly like another leader; do them

in a way that fits you. A

dmit

it when you don’t have an answ

er, and apologize when you m

ake a mistake. Your group w

ill love you for it, and you’ll sleep better at night!

3. Prepare for your m

eeting ahead of time. Review

the session along with the leader’s notes, and

write dow

n your responses to each question. Be sure you understand how

an exercise works,

and bring any necessary supplies (such as paper and pens) to your meeting. If the exercise

employs one of the item

s in the appendix, be sure to look over that item so you’ll be fam

iliar w

ith it. For encouragement, look up each of the five passages listed below

. Read each one as a devotional exercise to help equip yourself w

ith a shepherd’s heart. If you do this, you will be m

ore than ready for each m

eeting.

Matthew

9:36 | 1 Peter 5:2-4 | Psalm 23

Ezekiel 34:11-16 | 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 11-12

4. Pray for your group m

embers by nam

e. Before you begin your

session, go around the room in your m

ind and pray for each m

ember by nam

e. You may w

ant to review the prayer list at least

once a week. A

sk God to use your tim

e together to touch the heart of every person uniquely. Expect G

od to lead you to whom

ever He

wants you to encourage or challenge in a special w

ay. If you listen, G

od will surely lead!

5. Learn the rhythm

of asking questions. When guiding the discussion,

always read aloud the transitional paragraphs and the questions.

This will help the group to transition to a tim

e of reflection and response. You can read them

yourself, or you can ask for a volunteer, and then be patient until som

eone begins. Be sure to

thank the person who reads aloud.

W

hen you ask the group a question, be patient. Someone w

ill eventually respond. Som

etimes people need a m

oment or tw

o of silence to think about the question, and if silence doesn’t bother you, it w

on’t bother anyone else. After som

eone responds, thank them

and then ask if anyone else would like to share. B

e sensitive to new

people or reluctant mem

bers who aren’t ready to say, pray

or do anything. If you give them a safe setting, they w

ill open up over tim

e.

6. B

e attentive to the needs of the group. If your group has more

than seven people, it might be a good idea to gather in discussion

circles of three or four people during the DISC

USSIO

N or

APPLIC

ATION

sections of the study. With a greater opportunity

to talk in a small circle, people w

ill connect more w

ith the study. A

small circle also encourages a quiet person to participate and

tends to minim

ize the effects of a more vocal or dom

inant mem

ber. Sm

all circles are also helpful during prayer time. People w

ho are unaccustom

ed to praying aloud will feel m

ore comfortable trying it

with just tw

o or three others. When you gather back w

ith the whole

group, you can have one person summ

arize the highlights and prayer requests from

each circle.

7. Rotate leaders w

eekly. At the end of each m

eeting, ask the group w

ho should lead the following w

eek. Let the group help select your w

eekly facilitator. You may be perfectly capable of leading each

time but you w

ill help others grow in their faith and gifts if you give

them opportunities to lead. If you and your group prefer, you can

use the Small G

roup Calendar to fill in the nam

es of all meeting

leaders at once.

LEADERSHIPTRAINING 10

1

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Dream Centered Life Book