Dreaming Big: Building a Community Hub for Souls

Devotional

Day 1: Old Prayers Still Watering New Roots

The church building stands today because generations ago, believers knelt in dirt lots dreaming of harvest. Their sweat-stained labor and midnight intercessions built more than walls—they planted a legacy of obedience. Like the women who prayed over empty fields now bearing fruit, every act of faithfulness echoes through time. Current blessings flow from surrendered yesterdays. What seems ordinary today may feed miracles decades from now. [36:37]

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.”
(Hebrews 11:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What seemingly small act of obedience is God inviting you to embrace today that might bless future generations? How does knowing your choices ripple through time change your perspective on daily faithfulness?

Day 2: Baptism Tanks in Living Rooms

When Steve’s body failed but his spirit thirsted, the church carried living water to his recliner. True community breaches walls—meeting the sick where they lie, the isolated where they weep. Ministry isn’t confined to stages but spills into parking lots, hospital rooms, and neighborhoods. The kingdom advances when believers see every doorstep as holy ground. [45:00]

“And when he saw their faith, he said, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.’ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”
(Luke 5:20-21, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your circle feels too distant, too broken, or too “stuck” to experience church? How might you bring Christ’s presence to their space this week?

Day 3: When Crowded Pews Become Holy Fire

Easter’s shoulder-to-shoulder press wasn’t inconvenience—it was a burning bush moment. God whispered through the chaos: “This crammed room is a thumbnail of the harvest.” Every elbow bump revealed hunger; every folded chair testified to dormant potential. The church thrives not in comfort but in the beautiful strain of outstretched arms. [01:00:45]

“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
(Habakkuk 2:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: What current “crowded space” in your life (schedule, relationships, responsibilities) might actually be God’s preparation for spiritual growth? How can you lean into the tension instead of resisting it?

Day 4: Bluegrass Hymns and Pure Imagination

The unexpected concert song became a divine spark—a call to dream in Technicolor. Like Willy Wonka’s chocolate river, God’s plans often feel fantastical until obedience makes them edible. Vision flourishes when believers trade “realistic” for “radical,” remembering that the Builder of galaxies delights in holy surprises. [01:03:33]

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
(Philippians 1:6, ESV)

Reflection: What God-sized dream have you dismissed as impractical? How might revisiting it with childlike faith shift your next step?

Day 5: Stinky Saints and Emerald Rainbows

The throne room vision clashes with earthly expectations—a kaleidoscope of odd creatures, mismatched saints, and blinding glory. Heaven’s beauty lies in its holy dissonance: former addicts beside theologians, janitors crowned beside kings. Unity isn’t uniformity but diverse worship around the Lamb. [01:14:18]

“And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne… the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.”
(Revelation 4:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: Which relationship in your life feels most “mismatched” spiritually? How might viewing that person as a future throne-room worshiper change how you engage them this week?

Sermon Summary

God takes center stage as the One who has been orchestrating this house long before anyone showed up, answering years of “blood, sweat, and tears” and lawn-chair prayers with a living community that actually bears fruit. The story of East State Street becomes the seedbed for today’s Faith Community, where the name community is not branding but assignment. The harvest stands right in front of Huntington and the surrounding counties, and the harvest is “absolutely plentiful.” The call refuses cruise control. Obedience stays awake to 22,000 neighbors who do not yet belong in a church, and insists that prayer is the engine room, not the garnish.

Prayer becomes the long thread that ties the mothers praying in the yard to Steve’s living room baptism. That thread pulls the church outside its four walls, into jails, schools, and homes, so that gospel care can reach those who cannot come here. Vision then stands on gratitude, not presumption: sewer systems replaced, security lights donated, cameras installed, kids space stretched thin, a parking lot renewed, a line of credit wiped clean, a mortgage reduced. Gratitude looks back and names pillars; faith looks forward and names next steps.

The vision God gives on Easter sounds simple and sharp: “This will be every Sunday, but you’re not ready yet.” That word turns a crowded holiday into a holy preview. So dreaming is not daydreaming. “Keep dreaming” becomes obedience lived out in a capital campaign, a balloon note to tackle, an expanded sanctuary to make room for souls, and this current room repurposed as a youth and community hub. Buildings serve people, and people are eternal.

Revelation then steadies the imagination. The throne room reorders preferences. Emerald light, strange creatures, crowns falling, and elders on their faces do not flatter comfort; they train worship. If the future is face-down glory, then right now must be flexible space for the Spirit. Structure is helpful, but not if it suffocates God’s timing. The church family that God is building is unlikely on paper, beautifully mixed in background and story, and perfectly suited for a long obedience that plants trees it may never sit under. Legacy is the point. Souls are the point. The best really is yet to come, because the Lamb on the throne is not done.

Key Takeaways

1. Obedience refuses cruise-control comfort Obedience will not make peace with “good enough” while neighbors sit unreached. It keeps saying yes when growth feels inconvenient, and it keeps moving when fear says slow down. Comfort is not the fruit of faithfulness; fruit is. The harvest in front of this church sets the pace. [38:41]
2. Prayer tills unseen ground for harvest Prayer is how God braided yesterday’s lawn-chair tears to today’s salvation stories. It reaches the shut-in, the inmate, the student, and the staff before any program arrives. Intercession lays tracks the gospel can run on when doors are closed and bodies are weak. The throne room answers those cries in time. [37:22]
3. Vision grows from gratitude and risk Gratitude names God’s past provision, then risk steps out on it. Fixed systems, paid-down debt, and added staff are not finish lines but launchpads. Faith honors pillars by building where they aimed, even when the numbers are tight and timelines are short. Gratitude remembers; risk obeys. [52:35]
4. Buildings must serve eternal souls Facilities are tools, not trophies. When rooms get repurposed for youth, sports, and community, space becomes a servant of salvation. The goal is not a bigger footprint but a wider table for those who tremble at crowded rooms and have never heard good news. Space should make it easier to come home. [65:11]
5. The throne room resets preferences Heaven’s emerald light, creatures, and crowns redefine what “normal” looks like. If glory there is ceaseless worship, then comfort here cannot be king. Worship that starts on the floor before Jesus will hold a capital plan loosely and people tightly. The Lamb is worthy, so plans must be flexible. [74:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:30] - Purpose and pause in Revelation
[33:04] - Remembering East State Street vision
[35:18] - Honoring pillars and builders
[38:41] - Refusing comfort, facing the harvest
[43:21] - Steve’s story and home baptism
[46:11] - Outward mission across the county
[47:58] - Faith groups and new prayer team
[52:35] - Facilities fixed and finances updated
[55:17] - Original expansion dream reborn
[60:30] - Easter crowd and God’s whisper
[63:54] - Dreaming a new sanctuary
[64:48] - Capital campaign and next steps
[67:50] - Make room for the Spirit
[71:52] - Throne room vision and worship

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Revelation 4:2-11 (ESV)
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald... And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever...

Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV)
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Observation Questions

What does the vision of the throne room in Revelation 4 reveal about how worship in heaven redefines our priorities on earth?
In the sermon, what specific examples were given of prayer leading to tangible outcomes, like baptisms or community impact? [37:22]
How did the original vision for the church’s expansion connect to the idea of “planting trees we may never sit under”? [55:17]
What practical steps were taken to prepare the church’s facilities for growth and outreach? [52:35]

Interpretation Questions

Why might comfort or “cruise control” faith hinder obedience to God’s call to reach the unreached?
How does gratitude for past provision (like repaired sewers or paid debt) create courage for future risks? [52:35]
What does it mean for buildings to “serve eternal souls” rather than become trophies? How does this shift priorities?
How might the throne room’s emphasis on worship (Revelation 4) challenge a church’s focus on preferences or convenience?

Application Questions

Where have you settled into “cruise control” faith instead of actively engaging with the needs of your neighbors, coworkers, or community? What’s one step you could take this week to re-engage?
The church’s prayer team reached Steve in his home. Who in your life feels “out of reach” of the church? How could you intentionally pray for or serve them? [43:21]
The sermon mentioned using facilities for youth, sports, and community gatherings. What resources (time, space, skills) do you have that could be repurposed to serve others’ spiritual or practical needs?
When have you prioritized personal comfort over flexibility for the Holy Spirit’s leading? What would it look like to hold your plans more loosely this month? [01:07:50]
The Easter vision highlighted crowded services as a “holy preview.” How can you help create a welcoming environment for newcomers, especially those intimidated by crowds or unfamiliar with church? [01:05:11]
Revelation’s throne room shows worship as central. What habits or attitudes in your daily life need to shift to reflect that worship is about God’s glory, not your preferences?

Sermon Clips

But it doesn't stop there, and that's what brings us today is number one, we as a church have to continue to be obedient. We can't allow ourselves to get comfortable. We can't allow ourselves to say, man, we're in a good spot. I feel good and we can coast. We can set the cruise control and we can go. No, we can't. We can't because of this reason right here. Because of the 22,000 plus people just in Huntington County alone, who are un churched. [00:38:35] (40 seconds) #ReachTheUnchurched

And Steve said, my goal is to get to your church before the good Lord takes me home so I can get baptized. The unfortunate part Steve is unable to get to our church. we talked and Jeff and I went over to Steve's house this past Friday, and we had the opportunity to baptize Steve at his house. Folks, only the good Lord knows when his time is coming, And we're gonna be lifting him up in prayer. But that's what it means to be the church. [00:44:31] (63 seconds) #ChurchBeyondWalls

But that's how God works. what has happened is now we've got this big huge family of believers that are mixed with like different races, different, denominations, different backgrounds, different, income levels, different walks of life. And we are now walking as a family together. And it's not a family together so that we can just do church. Because if that's all we do is just do church, then it doesn't make a difference. But we come together as a family to utilize our giftings that God has given us to cast big visions, to cast our dreams, to love on one another, and then we use those to go and bring others in to the kingdom of God. [01:18:10] (70 seconds) #UnitedInMission

We've gotta get out of that mindset because I'm gonna tell you what, you're gonna be in heaven with a lot of people that you don't like. You're gonna be in heaven with the people that probably drove you nuts on this earth, that were stinky, that didn't look like you and didn't act like you. This is me too. I'm not stinky but I have Old Spice on. But we wanna be a church that's in love with Jesus Christ. Right? We wanna be a church that even during the trials and during the seasons, that we continue to stay faithful and obedient to God's word. [01:09:48] (48 seconds) #LoveBeyondDifferences

Folks, you look at this picture and there's some things here that don't look the way that maybe you think they should look. There's some people that maybe you don't think belong there. There's gonna be some people that we feel like we don't want to be around. But folks, our opinions, our wants, what we think heaven should be like, is not going to matter. Because what's gonna matter is what God has planned for us. [01:15:00] (68 seconds) #GodsPlanMatters

Walking with Christ can sometimes be scary. But that's where faith and obedience come in. Folks, I had no idea what we were getting into. I had no idea. Folks, there are people that come to church that I bet you twenty years ago or twenty five years ago, if you asked them, do you ever think we would be in church together? We'd look at each other and be like, are you kidding? We thought we'd be in the principal's office together. [01:17:25] (32 seconds) #FaithInTheUnknown

Like you understand that every one of us at some point are going to die. But what we are doing is we are sprinkling the seeds. We are pouring in. We are being obedient to what happens when we're not here and we're not here. Because folks, I'm telling you, this isn't just for us. This is for the next generation and the future believers of Jesus Christ and those who are going to be in heaven with us one of these days. And guess what? We get to enter the throne room [01:20:53] (43 seconds) #SeedsForEternity

It goes back to the people that were on their face praying and crying out for the church. If you don't think prayer works, you're wrong. If you don't think faith works, you're wrong because you're living in it right now. So as we continue this journey together, as we continue in Revelation, as we continue to look at what, just a glimpse. A glimpse of what we can look forward to. Like folks, do you do understand, right? Every one of us in this room, the future, we will not be here, right? [01:20:10] (43 seconds) #PrayerChangesEverything

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What is the church's primary community emphasis?

What practical steps are proposed for outreach?

What vision is given for facility expansion?

Dreaming Big: Building a Community Hub for Souls

Devotional

Day 1: Old Prayers Still Watering New Roots

Day 2: Baptism Tanks in Living Rooms

Day 3: When Crowded Pews Become Holy Fire

Day 4: Bluegrass Hymns and Pure Imagination

Day 5: Stinky Saints and Emerald Rainbows

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Dreaming Big: Building a Community Hub for Souls

Share