Resurrecting Dreams: Trusting God in Disappointment

In this third week of our “Dream Bigger” series, the focus is on making room for God to move in our lives by confronting the obstacles and disappointments that keep us from believing for more. The story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 is a powerful example of how God often works in the places we’ve closed off, the dreams we’ve buried, and the pain we’ve tried to ignore. Outwardly, this woman had everything—wealth, respect, generosity—but inwardly, she carried a deep, unspoken disappointment: her longing for a child. Even when Elisha, the prophet, promised her a son, her immediate reaction was to object, not out of disbelief in God’s power, but out of self-protection from further heartbreak.

Many of us do the same. We serve, we give, we stay busy, all to avoid facing the places in our hearts where hope has died. But God is not content to leave us there. He goes straight to the “do not disturb” rooms of our hearts, determined to resurrect what we’ve given up on. The Shunammite woman’s story takes a dramatic turn when her promised son dies. Instead of planning a funeral, she refuses to accept the loss of her miracle. She seeks out Elisha, determined that the God who gave her the dream can also bring it back to life.

This journey is rarely a straight line. Sometimes, when we dare to dream bigger, things seem to get worse before they get better. The temptation is to settle, to stop believing, to protect ourselves from disappointment. But faith is not about avoiding pain; it’s about trusting God in the middle of it, believing that He is not finished yet. The law, represented by Elisha’s staff, could not bring the boy back to life—only the personal, sacrificial touch of the prophet, foreshadowing Christ, could do that. In the same way, our own efforts and rule-keeping cannot resurrect dead dreams; only Jesus, who stretched Himself out for us, can bring true life.

The challenge is clear: will we plan funerals for our dead dreams, or will we believe for a miracle? God specializes in resurrecting what we thought was lost forever. Even if the outcome isn’t what we expect, we are called to send our disappointments “upstairs for further review,” trusting that God sees from a higher perspective and can overrule the verdicts of our past. With even a mustard seed of faith, we can make room for God to do what only He can do.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God Moves in the Rooms We’ve Closed Off God is drawn to the very places in our hearts where we’ve posted “do not disturb” signs. The areas we hide out of pain or disappointment are often the ones He most wants to heal and resurrect. When we allow Him into those spaces, we discover that no objection or wound is too great for His grace to overrule. [09:59]
• 2. Serving Can Become a Substitute for Receiving It’s easy to stay busy serving others and doing good, all while avoiding the vulnerability of asking God for what we truly need. Sometimes, our activity is a shield against disappointment, but God desires that we not only serve but also receive from Him. True faith means being willing to hope again, even when it feels risky. [10:47]
• 3. Faith Persists When Dreams Die When the Shunammite woman’s son died, she refused to accept the loss of her miracle. Instead of planning a funeral, she sought out the source of her promise, believing that God could still act. Real faith doesn’t deny pain or loss, but it refuses to let disappointment have the final word. [16:25]
• 4. The Law Cannot Resurrect—Only Christ Can Elisha’s staff, representing the law, was powerless to bring life to the dead boy. It was only through the prophet’s personal, sacrificial act—mirroring Christ’s sacrifice—that resurrection came. Our own efforts, rules, and striving cannot bring dead dreams to life; only the life of Jesus, stretched out for us, can do that. [26:08]
• 5. Send Your Disappointments ‘Upstairs for Further Review’ When life’s verdict seems final, God invites us to bring our disappointments to Him for “further review.” He sees from a perspective we cannot, and He has the authority to overturn the rulings of our past. Instead of settling for loss, we are called to believe for a miracle, trusting that God is not finished with our story. [30:56]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:42] - Introducing the Shunammite Woman
• [02:48] - Outward Success, Inward Disappointment
• [03:49] - Elisha’s Promise and Her Objection
• [09:59] - God Goes to the “Do Not Disturb” Rooms
• [10:47] - Serving to Avoid Receiving
• [11:50] - The Miracle Child’s Death
• [16:04] - Wrestling with Dead Dreams
• [16:25] - Refusing to Plan a Funeral
• [17:11] - Pursuing the Source of the Promise
• [20:02] - Desperation and Honest Faith
• [23:23] - Elisha Confronts the Impossible
• [24:18] - Resurrection and Restoration
• [25:25] - Faith in the Middle of Crisis
• [26:08] - The Law vs. The Cross
• [27:56] - Moving from Objection to Belief
• [29:50] - Choosing a Miracle Over a Funeral
• [30:56] - Sending It Upstairs for Further Review
• [35:06] - Faith Like a Mustard Seed
• [36:56] - Invitation to Salvation

Bible Reading

2 Kings 4:8-37 (ESV) — (The story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman and her son)

Observation Questions

1. What do we learn about the Shunammite woman’s life and character from 2 Kings 4:8-17? What was her outward situation, and what was her hidden disappointment?
2. How did the Shunammite woman respond when Elisha promised her a son? Why do you think she reacted that way? ([03:49])
3. What did the woman do after her son died? What stands out about her actions and words in that moment? ([16:25])
4. What happened when Gehazi laid Elisha’s staff on the boy? What finally brought the boy back to life? ([26:08])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God chose to work in the area of the Shunammite woman’s deepest disappointment, rather than in a more “public” or obvious way? ([09:59])
2. The sermon says that sometimes serving and staying busy can be a way to avoid facing our own needs and disappointments. Why is it easier to serve than to receive? ([10:47])
3. When the woman’s miracle died, she refused to plan a funeral and instead sought out Elisha. What does this teach us about faith in the face of disappointment? ([16:25])
4. Elisha’s staff (representing the law) could not bring the boy back to life, but Elisha’s personal, sacrificial act did. What does this say about the difference between following rules and experiencing the life Jesus offers? ([26:08])

Application Questions

1. The sermon talked about “do not disturb” rooms in our hearts—areas we’ve closed off because of pain or disappointment. Is there a part of your life where you’ve put up a “do not disturb” sign for God? What would it look like to let Him in? ([09:59])
2. Are you someone who stays busy serving others or the church, but struggles to ask God for what you really need? What is one area where you need to stop “doing” and start “receiving”? ([10:47])
3. Think about a dream or hope you’ve buried because it felt too painful or impossible. What would it mean for you to “refuse to plan a funeral” for that dream and instead bring it to God again? ([16:25])
4. The sermon said, “Faith is not about avoiding pain; it’s about trusting God in the middle of it.” Can you share a time when you had to trust God even when things seemed to get worse before they got better? ([25:25])
5. The Shunammite woman didn’t settle for loss—she “sent her disappointment upstairs for further review.” Is there a disappointment in your life that you need to bring to God for a new perspective? What would that look like this week? ([30:56])
6. The law (rules, striving, trying to be “good enough”) couldn’t bring the boy back to life—only the personal touch of Elisha, foreshadowing Jesus, could. Are there areas where you’re relying on your own efforts instead of Jesus’ grace? How can you shift your trust? ([26:08])
7. The sermon ended with the challenge: “Will you plan a funeral for your dead dreams, or will you believe for a miracle?” What is one step you can take this week to believe God for more, even if it feels risky? ([29:50])