Don't Dream It... Do It!!

Jesus said in Mark 9:23... "Everything is possible for him who believes."

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Don't dream it, DO IT! The Nike sporting goods company used a very simple but powerful phrase in one of their ad campaigns, "Just do it."

I want to take a moment right now before you do anything else and simply ask the Lord to open your heart to hear this message today since it has to do with faith. Now...let me ask you a question. What is something that you have always dreamed of but have never done? Maybe it is to take control of your health and your life so you can fulfill a rich and rewarding destiny for your family and insure their future? Maybe it is to be the best at something...a career, a sport, helping others, perhaps.What is something that you have always dreamed of but have never done?

The writer of Hebrews defines faith in Hebrews 11:1 as, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Note the key words in this definition are: SURE and CERTAIN. True Biblical faith is not something we simply hope for, but we are SURE of what we hope for. True Biblical faith is not just a blind leap into the dark, we are CERTAIN of what we do not see. That is why Jesus told us that, "EVERYTHING is possible for him who believes." Not a few things, not certain things, not most things... EVERYTHING!

Today, I want to challenge your faith and encourage you to fulfill your dreams. As I share with you often, this journey through life is very short.We know the Bible teaches us that tomorrow is promised to none of us, that each day is literally a gift from God. We must treat each day as the precious gift it is and make the most of it. Too many people live their lives in those "ruts." You get comfortable in making life work for you on a daily basis and get locked into a routine that you rarely if ever deviate from. You complain how boring life is, how unexciting life is, when the problem is not life but the way you choose to live it each day!

Over the past 16 years, a pastor I know of has ministered to and walked with hundreds ofpeople from 10 to 97 in the final days of their life. In almost every case the person shared with him their regrets about things they had always wanted to do but didn't, a career they dreamed of but never went after.Now, in their final hours of this life they felt bad for not having taken the time or made the effort to see and do all of the things they had wanted to do.

Let me ask you again...What is something that you have always dreamed of but have never done?

Here is my word for you today, my challenge. Sit down with a paper and pen and answer the above question on the paper. Write down what it is you have dreamed of but never done. Maybe you always wanted to be successful at something but never believed or had faith that you could. Write it down. Maybe you have always wanted to be in great shape, fit and healthy,so you could live a better quality of life and spend more quality time with your family as you age gracefully. Write it down. There is not one person reading these words todaythat doesn't have something you have always wanted to do or some place you have always wanted to visit. Everyone has a dream they have not seen fulfilled.

After you have written down what it is you have always dreamed of, take that paper and pray over it. Pray in faith that God is going to let you see your dream come true. God is not some magic genie in a lamp that we rub and make wishes to. However, God is the One who promised that, "Everything is possible for him who believes." God is the One who promised to, "Give you the desires of your heart." As a follower of Jesus Christ you have every right to hold God to His promises. There is no dream that is too big for God!!!

This journey through life is exciting, exhilarating, and can be a wonderfulexperience. What I find in so many lives I deal with each day is that theyhave allowed the trials and tribulations of this life to overwhelm them tothe point they have stopped dreaming. They are simply content with notliving in turmoil and have forgot how to dream, let alone believe their dreams can come true.

Your life, just like your relationship with the Lord will be exactly what you choose it to be. We ALL have to face the problems that life throws ourway. That is simply part of living in this sin-filled and fallen world.There are always problems, things that don't go the way we expect or like.The key is do you allow the problems of life to choke off your joy? Do you allow the trials you face to steal your peace? Do you allow the challenges of life to rob you of the abundance Christ promised you?

I want to encourage you to start living each day in faith, the faith that "everything is possible for him who believes." That doesn't just mean being victorious over the day-to-day trials of this life, but seeing your dreams fulfilled as well. I want to encourage you today to take the piece of paper you have written downwhatever you have always dreamed about and work to make your dream a reality! God will help you.

Don't listen to the liar Satan tell you that you don't have the money, you don't have the time, it can't be done, or any other lie he will tell you to discourage you. Who are you going to believe, the liar who says your dream won't cometrue or God who promised you that "everything is possible?"

This message today is MUCH deeper than just challenging you to make your dream come true. Once you do whatever it is you have dreamed about, once you make that dream a reality, you are going to want to make your next dream come true. After you see that dream become a reality, you will want to make the next dream come true. Over time, you are not just living life,you are making the most of each day and instead of simply dreaming, YOU ARE LIVING YOUR DREAMS EACH DAY! Don't dream it, DO IT!!!
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Jesus promised us, "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Interested V. Committed

There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results--unknown

Allow me to share with you the tale of two clients. Sarah (not her real name) needed to lose 40 pounds and desired a more energetic lifestyle so she could better enjoy her family, especially her young grandchildren. In eight weeks, Sarah found every excuse available to not follow the nutrition plan she was given, cancelled several of her training sessions, and was late to most of the other ones.

On the other hand, Sam (not his real name, either) wanted to get back in shape for a trip to his home in New York to celebrate his 40th birthday. He needed to lose 25-30 pounds and really wanted his chest to be larger than his midsection. In eight weeks, Sam lost 25 pounds, took five inches off his waistline, and got himself into the kind of physical condition that would make any 40-something proud.

Sarah and Sam shared many similarities as they began their programs. Each of them had a legitimate need to lose weight for health reasons. They also had external motivators, such as family, an up-coming birthday party, and a desire for more energy and better looks. In addition, each client was given a proven nutrition plan that has helped over 200 people in our area lose at least 100 pounds in the last two years.

What was the difference? At first glance one might conclude that Sam, being a male, had an advantage over Sarah. Although men do have the ability to lose weight quicker than women—the average male will lose 25-30 pounds in eight weeks with our training and nutrition plan, while the average woman will lose 20-25—this would was not the deciding factor.

The difference between Sarah and Sam is the distinction between almost every success and failure story concerning fitness. It’s the difference between being committed to fitness and just being interested. Sarah seemed very interested in being more fit. She joined the gym, signed-on with a trainer, shared how she wanted to change, and when in the gym she vigorously trained. However, once she left the gym, she never changed her eating habits and found it difficult to make it to her next training session. Sam, on the other hand, took his program to heart, followed his nutrition plan, and turned his desire for better health into a lifestyle. Sam was committed, while Sarah was merely interested in being more fit.

Contrary to a slogan I recently saw from a nutrition supplement company, Fit does not just happen. Fitness is the result of a commitment; a commitment to accept no excuses, to overcome every obstacle, to replace bad habits with good ones, and to settle for nothing less than positive results. Instead of being one of a myriad of the “interested,” pledge today to join the ranks of the “committed.”