Song: “Chase Your Dreams – Never Give Up” by HeartLine Misic

Good morning, my friends, and welcome to another day of Starting Our Day Together.

I want to begin this morning with a simple statement that caught my attention: “If you really want to catch your dreams, you have to chase them.”

Think about that for a moment.

If you want to catch your dreams, you have to chase them.

Because dreaming by itself is not enough.

You can dream about a better life.

You can dream about starting a business.

You can dream about writing that book, going back to school, improving your health, strengthening your marriage, repairing a relationship, beginning a ministry, changing careers, or finally doing something that has been sitting in your heart for years.

But there comes a point when you have to wake up from the dream, and start moving toward it.

Dreams give us a picture of what could be.

But action begins turning what could be into what can be.

DREAMS NEED FEET

There is nothing wrong with dreaming.

In fact, I believe God has placed abilities, desires, ideas, and possibilities inside each one of us.

Sometimes we can see something in our minds long before we ever hold it in our hands.

But here’s the problem.

Sometimes we fall in love with the dream but never fall in love with the discipline required to reach it.

We love the destination.

We don’t always love the journey.

We love the idea of success.

We don’t always love the sacrifice.

We love talking about what we’re going to do.

But eventually, my friends, we’ve got to do something.

                James 2:17 tells us: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Now, James is speaking specifically about genuine faith demonstrating itself through action.

But there is also a broader principle worth remembering: What we truly believe eventually affects what we do.

If you believe God has given you something worth pursuing, at some point that belief ought to move your feet.

Prayer matters.

Faith matters.

Planning matters.

But eventually, you’ve got to move.

 STOP WAITING FOR PERFECT CONDITIONS

One reason people never chase their dreams is because they’re waiting for everything to be perfect.

They’re waiting until they have enough money.

Waiting until they have enough time.

Waiting until they feel confident.

Waiting until everybody supports them.

Waiting until the children get older.

Waiting until work slows down.

Waiting until they’re no longer afraid.

And sometimes we spend so much time waiting for the perfect moment that we miss the opportunities contained in the moment we already have.

“He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” – Ecclesiastes 11:4, ESV

In other words, if you wait until every condition is perfect, you may never begin.

Sometimes you’ve got to start while you’re still nervous.

Start while you still have questions.

Start while you’re still learning.

Start while you don’t have everything figured out.

You don’t have to see the entire staircase to take the next step.

You simply have to recognize the step that’s in front of you.

A DREAM BECOMES A PLAN

Here’s something else I’ve learned.

A dream without a plan can remain a dream for a very long time.

So ask yourself: What is one thing I can do today that moves me closer to where I believe I’m supposed to be?

Not next year.

Not someday.

Today.

Maybe your dream is to write a book.

Don’t worry about writing the entire book today.

Write one page.

Maybe you want to improve your health.

You don’t have to transform your entire life before lunchtime.

Take a walk today.

Make one healthier choice today.

Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting a business.

You don’t have to build the whole company this morning.

Research one requirement.

Make one phone call.

Write down the business plan.

Maybe you want to repair a relationship.

Make the call.

Send the message.

Begin the conversation.

Small steps may not look impressive, but small steps taken consistently have a way of creating big changes.

DISCIPLINE KEEPS YOU CHASING

Motivation may get you started.

But discipline keeps you moving when motivation disappears.

And motivation will disappear sometimes.

There will be mornings when you don’t feel like working on your dream.

There will be days when progress seems painfully slow.

                There will be moments when somebody tells you it won’t work.

                There may even be moments when you wonder whether it will work.

 That’s when discipline has to take over.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9, ESV

Notice those final words: “If we do not give up.”

Some things take time.

Some dreams require years of preparation.

Some goals involve setbacks, detours, disappointment, and starting over.

But a setback does not necessarily mean the journey is over.

Sometimes it means you learned something you needed for the next part of the journey.

DON’T RUN SOMEBODY ELSE’S RACE

And while you’re chasing your dream, don’t become distracted by somebody else’s progress.

Social media can make it look like everybody else is succeeding faster than you are.

Somebody bought the house.

Somebody got the promotion.

Somebody launched the business.

Somebody published the book.

Somebody’s ministry is growing.

And suddenly you’re looking at their journey and questioning yours.

Don’t do that to yourself.

Their chapter ten may be sitting next to your chapter two.

You don’t know how long they struggled before you noticed their success.

Your responsibility is not to run their race.

Your responsibility is to faithfully run yours.

“…let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.” – Hebrews 12:1, ESV

The race before us.

That’s important.

You have your assignment.

I have mine.

So don’t waste today’s energy comparing your journey to somebody else’s.

Use that energy to take your next step.

 FAITH. DISCIPLINE. CONSISTENCY. ACTION. PROGRESS.

 I want to give you five words to carry with you today:

Faith.
Discipline.
Consistency.
Action.
Progress.

Have faith that God can use the gifts and opportunities He has placed before you.

Develop the discipline to keep moving even when you don’t feel motivated.

Practice consistency, because what you do repeatedly often matters more than what you do occasionally.

Take action, because nothing changes until something changes.

And recognize progress, even when it’s small.

Sometimes we’re so focused on how far we still have to go that we forget to thank God for how far we’ve already come.

WHAT ARE YOU CHASING?

So here’s my question for you this morning: What dream have you been talking about that you need to start chasing?

Maybe you’ve been carrying it for six months.

Maybe five years.

Maybe twenty years.

Maybe life happened.

Responsibilities happened.

Disappointments happened.

And somewhere along the way, you stopped chasing.

Well, maybe today is the day you start moving again.

You don’t have to finish today.

You just have to move today.

Take one step.

Make one call.

Write one page.

Complete one application.

Have one conversation.

Research one possibility.

Say one prayer and then get up and do what is yours to do.

“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” – Proverbs 16:3, ESV

Notice that Scripture doesn’t simply say commit your dreams to the Lord.

It says commit your work to the Lord.

There’s something for us to do.

We pray.

                We trust.

                We seek God’s direction.

And then we work faithfully with what He has placed in our hands.

BEFORE YOU GO

My friends, as we start our day together, remember this:

Dreams give you direction.

Faith gives you courage.
Discipline gives you consistency.
But action creates movement.

You can think about the dream.

You can talk about the dream.

You can pray about the dream.

You can write the dream down.

But sooner or later, you’ve got to put some shoes on that dream and start walking toward it.

And don’t worry if you’re not moving as fast as somebody else.

Just keep moving.

Because progress doesn’t always come from giant leaps.

Most of the time, progress comes from ordinary people taking small, faithful steps, day after day after day.

So today, don’t just admire your dream.

Don’t just talk about your dream.

Don’t just wish your dream would happen.

Chase it.

Because if you really want to catch your dreams, you’ve got to chase them.

Let’s pray.

Father, thank You for another day and another opportunity to move forward.

Give us wisdom to know which dreams and desires are consistent with Your will for our lives.

Give us courage when we’re afraid, discipline when we don’t feel motivated, patience when progress seems slow, and perseverance when the journey becomes difficult.

Help us not merely to talk about what we hope to accomplish, but to faithfully use the gifts, opportunities, and time You have given us.

Order our steps, guide our decisions, and help us honor You in whatever we pursue.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

My friends, that’s our thought as we start our day together.

Remember: Big dreams require bold steps.

And whatever God has placed before you today, take the next step.

Have a blessed and productive day.

Faith. Purpose. People. Progress.

Have a Blessed Day…