In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17

Today – Your Dreams is Your Destiny

“Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?

“Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”

“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” Genesis 37:19-20

Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams EVEN in the PIT

Dreams are Conceived Long Before They are Achieved

The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.  Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. Genesis 39:2

How would you live differently if you had 100% confidence the Lord was with you? 

√  Even if it didn’t start off well.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 1 Tim 1:12-13 

√ Even if the journey is full of surprises.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

√ Even if it takes a long time to realize it.

These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! Habakkuk 2:3 LB

1. Recognize and value the process.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT

2. Refuse to let offense stop me.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…  Genesis 50:20

Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come…” Luke 17:1

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [a person], but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

3. Remember God is always with me.

The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered… Genesis 39:2

The LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor… Genesis 39:20-21

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We have been seeing some amazing things that God is doing among the families of Eastpointe.  I just wanted to share one of the stories we have seen recently.

We have been talking about believing God for the impossibilities of life.  So many times, God is asking for us to trust Him and take a step believing His Word.  Until we do, we will never experience how awesome God is in our life.

A single mom approached me a couple of weeks ago.  She said in a kidding way, “Hey, I am mad at you.”  I said “What did I do to make you mad?”  She said “When you did that whole 3-month Tithe challenge.”

She proceeded to tell me that she was raised in a Catholic church so giving to her was seen as a “You got to or else” type of religious thing.  So into her adulthood, she has always struggled with being generous with her finances.  Obviously, for a single mom with 2 boys, it can be very tight to meet the budget every month.

She told me at her previous church she had never really given much, or consistently that is.  Her giving was never based on a percentage for sure.  It was just hard for her to take that step of faith.

When she started attending Eastpointe many months ago, she reminded me that I had offered the 3-month tithe challenge.  This challenge basically gives a nudge to people who give here and there to step up to God’s generous challenge of the blessing of the tithe.

She shared with me how she endeavored to keep her generous giving to God as best she could.  But when you have a bill here and an unexpected expense there – it can be difficult.  So she admitted the tithing challenge did not last for 3 months for her.  It was more like a couple of weeks.

But in February, I taught the series on Beyond the Numb3r5.  At the end of that series on how to BE A GENEROUS PERSON, I again offered the 3 month tithe challenge to give God the 1st 10% before you spend your paycheck anywhere else.  She leaned into the challenge again for a 2nd try.

Meanwhile, she had been reading a book on learning how to dream with God.  She began to put a vision board together with all of the things she was dreaming about and believing God.  On her board, she put that she needed a full-time permanent position with paid medical benefits.

So she had just take the 3-month tithe challenge and she was staying faithful with it.  Now, she was believing God to turn her temporary job into something permanent.

She told me it was just a matter of days that God began working.  She was at work and her supervisor walked up to her and asked her if she had checked her email yet.  After reading her email, God had opened the door right there in her company to move from temporary to a permanent position with a $1.00 per hour raise and added paid benefits.

It is amazing when we begin to trust God in the small steps.  They may seem like BIG leaps and bounds.  But when we step out, God causes us to step up.  sbb

Seeing Your Dreams

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. Proverbs 29:18 Message

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:17

“God is writing great exploits upon the hearts of His people. He is releasing dreams and pictures of destiny to fuel faith and unlock potential.

I am calling My church forth to ‘dream with Me’ – to move higher and allow Me to write My exploits upon their hearts.  I have great adventures of faith and powerful glory to reveal.”

#1 – A God Dream will seem RISKY.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  Hebrews 11:6

#2 – A God Dream will require God’s INVOLVEMENT.

Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

#3 – A God Dream will CHANGE LIVES.

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, and he had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone. Ephesians 1:11-12

Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. Habakkuk 1:5-10

I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour; they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them.” 

“I will climb up into my watchtower and I will wait… And I will look to see what the LORD will say. Then the LORD gave me this answer: “Write down what I reveal to you so you can read it with a glance.” Habakkuk 2:1-2 TEV

1. Withdraw
2. Wait
3. Read God’s Word
4. Write
5. Review

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know God better. 

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. Ephesians 1:17-18

So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the LORD called us three kings together only to hand us over to Moab?” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?” 

An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.”

Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you.” 2 Kings 3:9-14

“But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha. 2 Kings 3:15

√  Dreams are birthed in God’s presence.

And he said, “This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches.” 
2 Kings 3:16

√  Dreams go from inspiration to participation.

For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain… 

…yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. 

2 Kings 3:17-18

√  Dreams continue regardless of
 what is seen.

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“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Revelation 1:18 NKJV

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves…

Today – UNLOCKED Dreams

…but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed. Proverbs 29:18

“God is writing great exploits upon the hearts of His people. He is releasing dreams and pictures of destiny to fuel faith and unlock potential.

Open the eyes of your inner man and begin to see what He is declaring over you.  Some are not able to embrace the exploits because they are trapped in the stinging memories of past disappointments.

I hear the Father saying ‘My healing balm is available for those.  They have not understood why it did not work, they have not been able to escape the bitter waters, but I have fresh waters of redemption to release.

I am calling My church forth to ‘dream with Me’ – to move higher and allow Me to write My exploits upon their hearts.  I have great adventures of faith and powerful glory to reveal.’”

DREAMS ARE THE LANGUAGE OF GOD.

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will have dreams. Acts 2:17

Prophesy – Visions – Dreams

DREAMS ARE THE TARGET OF YOUR FAITH.

Target – faith can step toward it

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

DREAMS HAVE A HABIT OF COMING TRUE.

DREAM KILLERS

√  A Wrong View of Life.
√  A Wrong View of Self.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

√  A Wrong View of God.

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

A God-Honoring Dream

#1 – RISKY

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  Hebrews 11:6

#2 – God’s INVOLVEMENT.

Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

#3 – CHANGE LIVES.

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, and he had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone. Ephesians 1:11-12

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I am the First and the Last.  I am the living one.  I died, but look — I am alive forever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and the grave. Revelation 1:17-18 

I give praise to God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Ephesians 1:3

I pray the Father that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God… Now God is able, through His mighty power at work within us to accomplish exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think… Ephesians 3:16-21

Today – God’s Power is UNLOCKED in your life

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 

#1 – Holy Spirit UNLOCKS God’s Power

#2 – POWER for Everyday Life

Work out your own salvation…for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure… Philippians 2:13 AMP

#3 – Let God be STRONG in You

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10 NKJV

√  You Know What To Do

My people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge. Hosea 2

I ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do… Ephesians 1:17-18

√  You Live With Courage 

Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:14

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

√  You Take the Limits Off

√  You Fulfill God’s Dream

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I am the First and the Last.  I am the living one.  I died, but look — I am alive forever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and the grave. (Revelation 1:17-18)

Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. (Romans 5:1-2 MSG)

God’s Grace UNLOCKS the Supernatural

You are the God of miracles and wonders! You still demonstrate your awesome power. (Psalm 77:14 TLB)

Define Extraordinary — beyond the common order, method, and course…it is the remarkable, uncommon, rare, the unusual GOODNESS of God

“Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. 

I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” Then the father says “From childhood, it has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus asked “What do you mean ‘If I can’? “All things are possible for the one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:16-24)

#1 START EXPECTING THE EXTRA-ORDINARY

Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches…waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

√  We believe like those around us. 

√  We’ve tried things that didn’t work. 

√  We believe, sort of. 

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath…

#2 START Living the EXTRA-ORDINARY

√  God Can Only Work Beyond Your EXCUSES

√  BreakOUT Beyond the Common

√  Do Something New

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Struggle – You TRY to FIX You…But You Cannot FIX You

I am the First and the Last.  I am the living one.  I died, but look — I am alive forever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and the grave. Revelation 1:17-18

Today — What was UNLOCKed in the Resurrection?  

And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. ⁵Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as He was… Romans 6:4-5

UNLOCKED #1 – A Relationship with God

Default when it comes to God — RULES

I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  Romans 7:14a

Oh, what a wretched man I am!  Who can deliver me? Thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.

UNLOCKED #2 – A New Approach to God

If you belong to Christ Jesus, you have the power of the life-giving Spirit, which frees you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. Romans 8:1-4

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14

• Sin, you are not my master!

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

√  Keep in Step with God!  

So I say, walk by the Spirit …and you will NOT gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

UNLOCK #3 — Inner Life-Changing Power

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:

Fruit is not produced BY you, but IN YOU & through You.

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Relationship

Please take just a moment to fill out the paper survey or tap the Easter Survey icon in the Eastpointe app.

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I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look — I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.  Revelation 1:17-18

What was UNLOCKED on the cross?

UNLOCK #1 – You Cannot FIX YOU

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. Romans 7:14a

…For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Romans 7:14b

The worse you make it…the more frustrated you get…the longer you struggle.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

UNLOCK #2 – SIN is a Power Over You

Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to [YOU] all people, because [YOU] all sinned. Romans 5:12

SIN is not just an activity — but a Noun that results in verbs.

UNLOCK #3 – CHRIST Gives YOU Power

Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Romans 6:2

Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

But the gift is not like the trespass (what Adam did). For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to many!

· You Cannot FIX You.

· You are POWERLESS.

· Jesus DIED – You Died.

· UNLOCKED You.

For the message of the cross (death, burial, resurrection) is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

√ Search

√ Rescue

√ Restore

√ Redeem

I pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Sbn

 

Everything that comes into my life is not for my consumption.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give…not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:6-7

And God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will ALWAYS have everything you need and PLENTY left over to share with others…You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion…

 √ I will intentionally share my resources.   

On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.   1 Corinthians 16:2

• OPTION #1: Start with what the AVG American gives – 3%
• OPTION #2: Take the 3-month Tithe – 10% of income
• OPTION #3: Ask you to be Extravagantly Generous

 

Overseas Mission & Local Outreach Organizations

 

ECC Local Outreach

 

NEXT Generation – Kidspointe & Current

 

Membership – Growth Track

 

Guest Hospitality

 

Marketing, Mass Mailers, & Door Hangers

 

√ I will intentionally share my time.

 

√ I will intentionally share Christ.

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Are you zoned in? Or do you find yourself zoned out?

I am referring to the ZONE as God’s “Sweet Spot” of success & victory for your life. The ZONE is the way we can live our life in God where we WIN. So we are free from lack of any kind; we are free from inability…it’s that Blessed Life.

Solomon, the writer of Proverbs and one of the wealthiest men, said “the blessing of the Lord richly provides and no worrying can improve on it” (Prov 10:22).

You have probably heard this phrase before — “I’m Blessed” …but what does that exactly mean? Is it just good karma? Are we talking about somebody who is lucky?

The Bible tells us that those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Like God will bless us and No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Did you know that a person can have “things” in their life, but that does not mean they have God’s blessing & favor. Without it, they will only be “Things.”

What does it mean to be blessed? I love the quote I heard before — To be on the receiving end of the tangible and intangible favor of God. – Ed Young, Jr.  There is both a tangible and intangible blessing of God.

The Intangible blessings are the “spiritual stuff.” We all definitely know we need the spiritual blessings of God. But God also wants His blessing in tangible ways—physically, materially, financially. God loves to bless his people with “THINGS” — yet, for some reason a lot of people have a hard time accepting that truth.

The question that is often left unanswered is – What do we do with the tangible blessings once we receive them from God’s favor?  That’s the TEST we all must pass.  We do what I learned years ago that changed everything for me.

We realize we are in the ZONE when we understand this — “I am Blessed to be a BlessING.” If you want God’s Blessing on your finances, you & I must GET our Life IN THE ZONE. Not living zoned in or zoned out!

How do we do that — the key is “I must trust God as my source!” Your source of income is not your job…your source is God. God can use a job or anything else to get His blessing to you.

The moment in your life WHEN you realize everything you are and everything you have, is given to you by God. It changes everything. If you want to move into the ZONE know …He Owns It All. You and I are just a Manager!

So gone are the days where we try to HOLD ONTO everything that God brings into our lives.  Just because God’s favor brings to you doesn’t mean you are to consume on you.

Open up your hands and be a blessing to others.  If God can get His blessing to you in the first place.  Trust Him.  He can and will continue to bring things your way.

When I turn on a faucet, I don’t really think the faucet is the source of that water. Right? The faucet is the channel that gets the water to me from a source. A person’s job is a channel; it is never the source.

When we live in the ZONE, if one faucet gets turned off, God can turn another one on just as easily. Not only is God the supplier of your financial blessing and the source of it, He is the security.

How do you know when something other than God is your security? Real simple. You worry. Worry is the warning light that you are trusting something other than God for your Source. Don’t live in worry – take the limits off of God.

Decide right now – God, You are my Source. I take the limits off of my life. I am living in the ZONE of God’s blessing.

sbb