Yesterday I shared with our church the DREAM OUT LOUD CHALLENGE. As some of you may know I was in Phoenix Arizona attending Pastor Tommy Barnett's Pastor's School at Phoenix First Assembly of God. What an overwhelming, amazing, crazy experience. If you have ever gone to Pastor's School you know what I'm talking about. If you have never gone let me give you a quick snap shot of Pastor's School. Before I go on just know that this is going to be a long post...sorry but I got to get it out of my system:)
First of all, Pastor's School starts off on Monday night with some amazing time in worship followed by the parade of ministries. Phoenix First has over two hundred ministries going on at any given time. So for about an hour and a half you see hundreds of people walk across the stage with banners, motorcycles, signs, trains, and anything else you can imagine excited about their ministries. After the parade Pastor Tommy interviewed several people from various ministries. Finally the night ends with more incredible worship.
Tuesday morning starts off with worship followed by a speaker and then a work shop. After lunch there are a couple of more work shops. After dinner we head back to the church for the evening service. It's starts off with worship, usually this is the night Pastor Tommy does an illustrated sermon. This year it was a musical comedy. Personally I not into musicals but it was alright. Also the church buses in people from the community for the evening service. After the sermon there is a massive altar call and hundreds of people get save. VERY COOL!
Finally, Wednesday is pretty much like Tuesday except they have the PRAISE PARTY during the evening service. It's a night filled with worship...it was a great way to close out the conference. Afterwards, Pastor Barnett asked everyone to met him at the prayer chapel and prayer mountain for a time of prayer. I will never forget seeing hundreds of people in the chapel and on the mountain prayer and seeking the Lord...WOW! I still get goose bumps just thinking about it.
So that's pretty much what Pastor's School looks like. But let me finally share with you what the DREAM OUT LOUD CHALLENGE is all about. During Pastor's School Pastor Tommy share the story about the LA Dream Center. I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about but if you don't know about the LA Dream Center go here to get more information. Anyway, I knew that Pastor Barnett was going to ask us to give towards the Dream Center honestly I was really to give a good offering but than something happened.
Even before they passed out the commitment envelopes I began to have this little discussion with the Lord. I told the Lord that I thought $1000 was a good offering and we would be able to give that amount to the Dream Center. Suddenly the Lord began to tell me that He knew that we were able to do $1000, He also knew that we could do $5000 both amounts good offerings but (why is there always a but) what amount could HE do that we could not do by ourselves. I knew exactly what amount He was talking about. As I opened the envelope I saw the amount of $10,000. The Lord told me that if I would DREAM OUT LOUD with Him, He would do what I couldn't do. I don't know about you but $10,000 is a chunk load of cash for me and my church. At first I was a little intimated by the amount especially since we average 40 -50 people on a Sunday morning at this point but then I remembered 2 Corinthians 9:6
(English Standard Version)The Cheerful Giver
6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
I love how the Message version states it:
(The Message)6-7Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
You see as I listened to the testimonies and saw the videos, I couldn't help but hear and see Dahlonega's story. Countless lives stuck in the ruts of drug abuse, alcoholism, emotional & physical abuse, poverty, hopelessness, financially crippled, and etc. I believe with all of my heart that if I want to see Dahlonega Assembly of God's dreams come true we must be willing to invest into the dreams of others first. I'll be honest with ya'll, can DAG use $10,000 to finish projects and reach lives in our community...HECK YEA! But I am not going to miss this GREAT OPPORTUNITY to become a LAVISH PLANTER.
So yesterday I asked our church to DREAM OUT LOUD with me, to lock arms with me as we raise $10,000 for the LA DREAM CENTER. I 'm so jacked up about this that I think my head is going to explode!
DAGer's thank you so much for not looking at me like a crazy man but for DREAM OUT LOUD with me. I realize that $10,000 is HUGE but as we give sacrificially God will see our faith. I'm telling you when we begin to move in this kind of faith that's when the PARTY GETS STARTED! Oh by the way, DAGer's this past Sunday ya'll gave $500 to the Dream Center! THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU...we only have $9,500 to go.
If you are not a member or a regular attender of DAG but you feel like you want to join us on THE DREAM OUT LOUD CHALLENGE please comment me or email me. We have a huge amount to raise but I believe the Bible when it say that "nothing is impossible for God".
THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
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