Hi Church!
Who won the “dream”? Do you know? It is not who you think. Here is a personal question – Did you buy a ticket in hopes of winning the recent 1.9 billion dollar PowerBall jackpot? If so, why did you buy it? Have you ever thought about why a large percentage of Americans play the lottery? If you google the question, you will begin to pinpoint the reasons.
For example, here are two people’s responses as to why they play the lottery:
“… should you win, your life will turn around 180 degrees. You can become an overnight millionaire, be free of your day job, travel, buy things you always wanted to have, perhaps your family and friends, etc…”
“New York State had an advertising campaign that summarized it perfectly years ago: “A dollar and a dream”.
My conclusion is that people want a different life, and they would prefer it be gifted/handed to them. In summary, they hope it causes/leads/results in something that will “turn their life around”, “free them of their day job”, “allow them to buy things…” “give to others”, “live a dream”... Read those statements again and think about the expectation/end goal… “something for nothing that will fix everything.” And we know that it will not happen.
Truthfully, what is the only thing that promises to and does – “turns our life around” “give purpose/meaning to our work” “allow us to give the biggest gift” and really is a “dream that never dies”? It is the gospel! In one word: GOODNEWS!
On Sunday we will be looking closely at the most complete explanation, defense and implications of the gospel found in the Bible, I Corinthians 15. The Corinthians were struggling, in particular, with the resurrection of the dead. It seemed impossible that a dead person could come back to life. It was too good to be true. They went so far as to think that the body/flesh was not only unredeemable; it was our greatest evil/problem that we needed to be delivered from. Do our bodies have any hope?
Join us on Sunday as we learn that the resurrection from the dead is not only a reality; it is our greatest/best “dream”.
In God’s Good Grip,
Pastor Mike
PS Please pray for our country. Where is the change that we want to see going to come from? Not the ballot. You & Me.
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