Prepare

Series Intro

The Best Somethings Come out of Doing Nothing-Winnie the Pooh

Setting some big goals for our church that we want to see happen by 2020

Series about vision for our church and for our lives

Gonna dream big!

It’s not lost on us that 20-20 is perfect vision

Some of us don’t have a destination—why are you alive? what’s your reason for existing?

People without purpose die

Dr. Phil Illustration

98% of people die without fulfilling their dreams!

That’s a shocking stat---but I want you to know today, that the may be the single most unimportant, the most irrelevant stat there’s ever been

if what we’re after is a fulfilled/abundant life—there’s a high likelihood that even if you fulfilled your dreams—you really would still die, unfulfilled

The secret or the mystery of life isn’t about finding yourself, fulfilling your dreams—its finding Jesus and discovering what his purpose, plans, and desires are for you

It’s not about a career, its not about money—it’s not even about good things like friends & family---the secret, the key to life is finding Jesus and discovering what his purpose, plans, and desires are for you

And here’s the cool thing—I think when we do this, Jesus puts dreams and hopes inside of us—and those things are the BEST things ever---and those are the things that wake us up everyday—those are the things that keep us pushing—the things that we’re going to talk about these next few weeks.

Polarized Glasses

Explain what they do in Fishing

This series is going to give us a pair of Costa polarized glasses

I think we’re going to get a glimpse of what’s coming in the future of our church and what God wants to do in our lives

We’re going to look at some principles in God’s word that I think will guide us into the fishing holes He wants us to be in

Later in the series, we’re going to discuss in detail what we are praying about for the future of CITC

How You Start Determines How You Finish

Procrastinators Unite!—I’m the worse

Me preparing to go fishing-because I dont fish all the time, the gear that I do have is all mixed up

How You Starts Determines How You Finish

I spend most of my tie trying to get my fishing gear straightened out when I’m on the water

If I would take care of my stuff and look at it more than twice a year, I wouldnt have this problem

Key Question---If God gave you what it is you wanted, would you be ready to take hold of it?

Why would God give us what we want, if we can’t handle it??

Preparation and Planning Are Key!

Nehemiah Background

-Wall around Jerusalem was in ruins

-After the Babylonian Captivity (70 yrs), a remnant of the Jewish people had returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Ezra. These returned exiles had rebuilt the temple, but they were now in need of protection. The lack of fortified walls around the city left the people defenseless against enemies. Weather, wild animals, opposing people, and other opponents could easily enter and cause “great trouble” to the people.

-Nehemiah would build that wall

Brokenness is the Start of New Beginnings

Read....

Nehemiah 1:4–6 ESV

4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.

First step in preparing & planning—we must be broken or moved about something:

Sin in our lives/culture/community

A destructive way of life

A cause that’s unjust

a people that needs to be reached for the Lord

A vision is a God-given burden to see what could be and should be in a person, place, or situation, if God’s power and God’s grace were unleashed in it. It’s a preferable picture of the future. What would happen if God’s power and God’s grace were unleashed in your marriage, or in your parenting, or in your singleness, in a community or in this particular, difficult situation, or in this need? It’s a God-given burden.

You don’t need to solve the problems of the whole world, but you need to be sensitive to what’s in your heart, and when you’re close to it, and you make the most of the opportunity.

What’s God whispering in your heart?

The Plan

Nehemiah 2:4–8 ESV

4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” 6 And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.

Habakkuk 2:2 ESV

2 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.

Hab

How many of you fly by the seat of your pants?—That don’t work when it comes to finding and implementing God’s purpose and vision for our lives

So many of us never get past good intentions. Good intentions mean nothing without a plan

Plans don’t have all the details. They have all the major building blocks, and steps for how to get from where you are, to where you know God wants you to be.

Your going to see some plans soon of some new things happening prayerfully by 2020

God has given us a brain to use—and there are people in our lives that are wise—we should seek them out---and more than anything—the blueprint for our lives is found in God’s word

Your going to see some plans soon of some new things happening prayerfully by 2020

We see in verse 8—that if we prepare, if we pray, if we plan—result is God provides-God has so many resources he wants to give us!

Everything belongs to God—He is more than able to provide for the dreams and the vision He puts in our heart

Opposition/Haters

-Devil dont want you to do this

Nehemiah 2:19–20 ESV

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

Are You Prepared?

-Are you fishing in the right hole?

-What’s your vision for your home, your work, your relationships, your friends, your finances, your ministry—Do you even know?

-Tired of the same ole same ole? Sick & tired of being sick & tired?

-Whats your plan??

-We’re not guaranteed anything in this life