The Impossible Dream, #2: Fasting and Prayer | Mac Hammond
 
Recap
 
Pastor Mac gave the second installment of his series entitled, “The Impossible Dream.” He said, “Even though I say about every new series I teach that it is the most important message I’ve ever preached, when it comes to this message—for this day, at this time, and where we are right now—I truly believe that about this message. God has a dream for your life. And it’s not possible for you to achieve that dream without His partnership in your life.” That being said, what is God’s “Impossible Dream” for your life?
 
Dive Deeper
 
God has a dream for your life… in fact, He has a dream for everyone’s life. God’s dream for your life represents success, fulfillment, contentment, happiness in every arena of your life; you need to understand the basic parameters of how He dreams about you. Because He does!
 
1st Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
 
This scripture says God’s got a dream for you… things prepared just for you. You need to know the basic context of what that dream looks like if you’re going to be able to partner together with Him in His dream for you.
 
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV).
 
This scripture talks about the basic framework for His desire for you. It sounds like a dream worth embracing.
 
The New Testament rendering of God’s dream for us can be found in 3rd John 1:2: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
 
This verse is divinely inspired because it’s a revelation of the will of God for all believers of all ages. He says, “Beloved, I wish…” This is His dream. He’s only wishing because He’s not going to impose it on you. You’re a free moral agent. You need to discern His dream for your life and then embrace it.
 
The word “prosper” means to succeed and to increase. This is talking about the natural arena of life—to be healthy in your body, all physical infirmity gone.
 
It also says, “even as thy soul prospers.” This is talking about the true riches in life such as peace, joy, contentment, fulfillment in life… not necessarily wealth.
The Apostle Paul is an example of someone prospering in his soul. Paul said, “I’ve learned to be content in whatsoever state I’m in.” Yet he experienced being beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and more. Yet he said he was content.
Content means “inward sufficiency.” You’re not going to see it in the natural until your soul has begun prospering with the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, and the contentment regardless of your outward circumstance. And that’s the foundation for things to begin changing in the natural prosperity and good health occurring.
Pastor Mac said, “I’ve had people tell me, ‘Well, I can get happy if the Lord would just answer my prayer.’ Well get happy and the Lord will answer your prayer.”
This is the parameter, or the context, of God’s dream for your life. When you start partnering with God, it’s buying into His dream for you. And these provide the boundaries of that dream that’ll help keep you on course.
How do you define a dream? Webster’s Dictionary defines “dream” as a pattern of thought or mental imagery that stimulates the intellect and stirs the emotion.
 
When you’re dreaming a dream that God has for you, you’re going to get intellectually stimulated. You’re going to start thinking about it and you’re going to have trouble stopping.
Read About It
 
1st Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
 
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV).
 
3rd John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
 
Discussion Questions
God has a dream for your life. Do you know what His dream is for you?
How is Jeremiah 29:11 the basic framework for God’s dream for your life?
3rd John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Can you describe what it means for your soul to prosper?

Recent Sermon Notes

GRACE UNVEILED: “Ever Doing the Things I Don’t Want to Do” #29 | Jim Hammond

Last weekend, Pastor Jim gave the 29th installment to his teaching series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” In this chapter, Paul talks about his own personal struggle as to why he keeps doing carnal things that he doesn’t want to do, yet he keeps doing them. This portion of scripture has to do with believers who are alive in their spirit man but are walking out their lives in spiritual defeat because they’re trying to obey the law with all of its rules and regulations in their own self-effort, their own strength. Thus, the subtitle of this message is “Ever Doing the Things I Don’t Want to Do.”

The Impossible Dream: Strongholds, #3 | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac presented the third installment of his new series entitled, “The Impossible Dream.” He said it was important that we have a clear understanding of what is the impossible dream. It’s not enough simply to dream. You need to go out on a limb and dream an impossible dream. What is an “impossible” dream? It’s a dream that can’t be fulfilled without God’s ability and power! Pastor Mac said, “God has called us to be dreamers.”

GRACE UNVEILED: “Death, Raised, Bound, Loosed,” #28 | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim continued with his series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” His focus was the passage in Romans 7:13–14: “Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Pastor Jim taught on the Apostle Paul’s own personal struggle with trying to live his Christianity with an Old Covenant mindset… how it was impossible to do and something that would only bring about failure. In spite of Paul’s warning, many Christians try to live their Christian lives with an Old Covenant mindset.

GRACE UNVEILED | Don’t Blame the Mirror for What You Look Like #27 | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim gave the 27th installment of his series on the book of Romans called, “Grace Unveiled.” We’re in the seventh chapter, nicknamed by scholars as “Law School.” Romans chapter six tells us that sin has no more dominion over you. The reason is because you’re not under the law; instead, you’re under grace. Yet, many believers are living as though they are under Old Covenant law. How does that happen? Their mentality is Old Covenant, not New Covenant. Pastor Jim explains how that happens. 

GRACE UNVEILED: “School of Law” #26 | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim gave the next installment to his teaching series on the book of Romans: “Grace Unveiled.” In this 26th message, he taught on Romans chapter 7, which he subtitled, “School of Law.” In this chapter, the Apostle Paul used an allegory of the marriage relationship to compare the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Even though Christians are under the New Covenant, they very often slip into the mindset of someone that lived under the Old Covenant.