What To Do When Your Dreams Are Shattered

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• Life is not always clean, rational or pleasant.

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Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do
not reject us forever. Why do you look the other
way? Why do you ignore our suffering and
oppression? We collapse in the dust, lying face
down in the dirt. Rise up! Come and help us! Save
us because of your unfailing love. Psalm 44
23-26
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Being a Christian doesnt isolate you or insulate
you from lifes problems.
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1. Shattered dreams are Gods pathway to
spiritual growth joy
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1. Shattered dreams are Gods pathway to
spiritual growth joy

• Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble
  comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.
  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has
  a chance to grow. James 12-3

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For those who dont know the Lord as we do the
pain is fundamental and the joy is superficial,
because it wont last. But for us the pain is
superficial and the joy is fundamental. Ste
ve
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1. Shattered dreams are Gods pathway to
spiritual growth joy

• God is in control over the details of our lives
  and decides what He allows into our lives.
• You can make many plans, but the Lords purposes
  will prevail.
• Prov. 1921

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1. Shattered dreams are Gods pathway to
spiritual growth joy

• Deep pain is often needed to free us from
  preoccupation and pursuit of self-focused
  earthbound dreams and develop our desire
  capacity for greater dreams that are God-focused.

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1st Snapshot-The Disciples
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Matthew 823-27
page 962
page 674
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We dream earthbound dreams and think there are
none higher. We dream of good marriages, talented
kids, enough health and money to enjoy life,
rewarding work, and an opportunity to make a
difference in the world. All good things. But we
think theyre the best things... Larry Crabb
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1. Shattered dreams are Gods pathway to
spiritual growth joy

• The deepest pleasure were capable of
  experiencing is to know God and to pursue His
  dreams for us.

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1. Shattered dreams are Gods pathway to
spiritual growth joy

• Our shattered dreams are not random or accidents
  of fate.

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2. A crisis of faith may occur when our dreams
get shattered
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2nd Snapshot-Naomi
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Ruth 119-21
page 258
page 184
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2. A crisis of faith may occur when our dreams
get shattered

• Maybe God has allowed our dreams to shatter
  because He wants to fulfill a better dream He has
  for us which we would never be aware of until our
  earthbound dreams begin to crumble.

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3. When our dreams are shattered we have a choice
to trust or be resentful bitter.
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3. When our dreams are shattered we have a choice
to trust or be resentful bitter.

• Trust is a choice I make

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3. When our dreams are shattered we have a choice
to trust or be resentful bitter.

• God is much more interested in helping me learn
  to trust and glorify Him in my difficulty than
  supplying me with all the reasons for my
  difficulty.

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3rd Snapshot-Habakkuk
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How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you
do not listen! Violence! I cry, but you do not
come to save...is your plan in all of this to
wipe us out? Are we but fish to be caught and
killed? Will you let them get away with this
forever? Will they succeed in their heartless
conquests? Habakkuk 12, 12, 14
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Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and
there are no grapes on the vine even though the
olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and
barren and the cattle barns are empty, yet I
will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the
God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 317-18
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3. When our dreams are shattered we have a choice
to trust or be resentful bitter.

• God is not obligated to explain Himself to us or
  answer all our questions.

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4th Snapshot-Job
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Should we accept only good things from the hand
of God and never anything bad? Job 210
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Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.   Job
423
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3. When our dreams are shattered we have a choice
to trust or be resentful bitter.

• Let God be God and trust Him moment by moment in
  all of your troubles.

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4. God can work to make good things come from
terrible events so we are blessed and He is
glorified.
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5th Snapshot-Joseph
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I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into
Egypt. But dont be angry with yourselves that
you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me
here ahead of you to preserve your lives.
Genesis 45 4-5
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These two years of famine will grow to seven,
during which time there will be neither plowing
nor harvesting. God has sent me here to keep you
and your families alive so that you will become a
great nation. Yes, it was God who sent me here,
not you! Genesis 45 6-8
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As far as I am concerned, God turned into good
what you meant for evil. Genesis 5020
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4. God can work to make good things come from
terrible events so we are blessed and he is
glorified.

• When good dreams shatter, God is able to make new
  and higher dreams emerge.

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