Discovery Dreams part 1

Discovery Dreams
Part 1
Pastor Steve Lummer

“Joseph had a dream” – Genesis 37:5

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1. JOSEPH’S NAME MEANS “TO ADD”
“She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.” – Genesis 30:24

What’s in a NAME? – Discovery

dis·cov·er – verb
1. find (something or someone) unexpectedly or in the course of a search.
“Gold miners discovery gold in at Sutter’s Mill”
synonyms: – find, locate, come across/upon, stumble on, chance on, light on, bring to light, uncover, unearth, turn up; track down

We have a vision here at Discovery Church.
Our vision is to:

LOVE GOD

CONNECT PEOPLE

DISCOVER CHRIST

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2. WE ARE THE CHURCH WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.

Our core values

1. We Value a Shared Vision
As leadership and congregation, we share and create the vision for the direction of the church, both presently, and in the future.

2. We Value Intentional Redemptive Relationships
We purpose to develop intentional redemptive relationships through Biblical teaching, discipleship, and fellowship.

3. We Value Connection With Our Community
We determine to connect with our community by consistent involvement with local needs and events.

4. We Value Edifying Worship
We strive to create and experience worship that exalts God and edifies people of all ages.

5. We Value Targeted Outreach
Our emphasis for outreach is to help people to discover and develop a new life in Christ.

6. We Value Outdoor Classrooms
We chose to use God’s creation as an opportunity for discipleship and fellowship.

7. We Value a Culture of Excellence
A culture of excellence is a movement of ordinary people attempting extraordinary things for God, and doing so, with great detail and skill.

8. We Value Biblical Integrity
As leadership, we commit to Biblical integrity by adhering to the truth and grace of God’s Word that trains people to live God’s way.

9. We Value a Culture of Servanthood
We strive to develop an atmosphere where people are not consumers but contributors to God’s work here on the earth.

10. We Value A Next Generation Focus
As leadership and congregation, we determine to reach, teach, and keep children for God’s kingdom.

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3. DREAMS ARE BORN NOT BORROWED AND START SOME SMALL HABITS THIS YEAR.

A couple of years ago, I read Malcolm Gladwell’s classic, The Tipping Point, and came across something that sociologists call “the broken window theory.”

It has been one of the most powerful and helpful tools for helping me understand why so many Christians get stuck and live the sad existence of miserable mediocrity and comfortable complacency. And for how to get out of it.

“The broken window theory” says that if want to reduce crime in a neighborhood, one of the first and most effective things you can do is to fix the broken windows. Literally. If there’s a section of town that’s run down, and violent crime, murders, and drug deals are on the upswing, sociologists have proven that by just fixing the broken windows on that block, those bigger issues are affected, and crime is diminished.

That seems preposterous to me. You’ve got this big problem, and you’re going to go waste your time doing something as simple as fixing a broken window? That’s like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as it heads toward the iceberg, isn’t it?

But it works. Apparently, it has to do with sending a signal that anarchy is no longer the rule of the day and that crime is no longer the status quo.

So what is at the heart of the “broken window theory?” If you boil it down, you essentially have two parts:

1) A big goal: reduce crime. 2) A small start: fix windows. But it’s the small start that makes the big goal possible.

From my experience, this is very true to form as far as what I’ve seen in people’s lives that don’t seem to have any traction and aren’t going anywhere. The problem isn’t just that they don’t think big enough. It’s also that they don’t start small enough. As a result, they usually give up quickly because their initial steps are too difficult. Or they never get started at all because their initial steps are too daunting.

A big dream without a small start is nothing but a daydream. God initiates the biggest changes in our lives through the little things.

You can’t have Apostle Paul’s walk with God overnight. Big dream.
But you can start praying two minutes a day starting tomorrow. Small start.

You can’t entirely mend a broken relationship overnight. Big dream.
But you can have a conversation and open the door, write the letter, make the call, say I’m sorry. Small start.

If your child or friend is far from God, you can’t bring him back overnight. Big dream.
But you could you start praying for him every day. Small start.