In this sermon, we trace the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, who kept a joyful heart and immovable optimism through all the shipwrecks, exiles, and prisons he went through. There is a biblical kind of optimism - when we know who we believe in and why we trust in Him. This relentless positivity and unbridled gratefulness is the key to moving forward in all of God's plans for our lives.

“Because God cares more about the development of the dreamer than He cares about the fulfillment of the dream.” —Phil Tuttle

In pursuing our dreams, God wants us to mature. He wants us to develop our character.

In God’s overarching plan for our life, God is not only trying to get us to places, people, and positions but also molding us to become the different kind of Person that He wants us to be. A person like His Son Jesus in character, attitude, and mentality.

This is the reason why we may have certain detours and disappointments in our life so that we can be developed to be able to handle the realization of our dreams.

#BUCCIForward

What risk is God leading you to take as you go forward this year? His will for you is not earthly comfort but divine courage.

God will never choose safety for us if it will cost our faith. This is your time to move forward, out of the safe zone and into the faith zone. Be persistent for God.

Did you know that the word priority came into the English language in the 1400s? It was always in the singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about Priorities.

Our lesson today comes from the New Testament this time. In our passage today, we will meet two sisters from Bethany who both love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. One got so distracted while the other one chose the best.

Let’s step into their story.

As followers of Christ, we can cultivate a dream for our lives that outlasts the world, transforms time, changes eternity, and advances His cause and His kingdom for His glory. In fact, that’s the story of the Bible. The Bible is filled with people who saw what life could look like in God’s kingdom and then moved forward in faith.

God has the masterplan of all God-glorifying dreams.

In Christ we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, (Eph. 1:11)