The Way · An article by David Christian
What’s that dream in your heart? If you will make God’s dream your priority, He will make your dream His priority.
A story to begin
Miss Phillips beat, then scolded the seven-year-old during class: “Peter Daniels, you are a bad, bad boy and you’re never going to amount to anything!”1 By his early twenties, he dreamed of being the most feared street fighter in Adelaide.
At 25 he heard Billy Graham preach, got the revelation of Jesus Christ, and spoke these spontaneous words:
“I’m the son of a King! I can do anything!”
These words erupted from an unlikely past — the third generation on welfare. Peter J. Daniels began to study his Bible, pray, work, and read biographies. By age 26 he knew his dream. Looking ahead six decades, he wrote his goals on the back of a cereal box.
After three bankruptcies he achieved real estate success, proving Miss Phillips wrong. At 85 he lives his dream, carrying those same written goals in his wallet.
What’s that dream in your heart? If you will make God’s dream your priority, He will make your dream His priority.
Great it is to dream the dream
Edward MarkhamOften quoted by the late Pastor John Osteen
When you stand in youth by the starry stream.
But a greater thing still is to fight life through
And to say at the end, the dream is true.
The greatest miracle
The most important step in fully achieving your dream is to receive Christ. Congratulations on receiving this, the greatest miracle.
A tiny parable
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
JesusMatthew 7:13–14 · NKJV
You stepped through the gate by being born again. What’s next is the way — your journey.
The focus of the journey is in three statements Jesus made about His disciples. They show your three core values, which you develop into action.
Three core values
Each value comes with Jesus’ own words — and someone in Scripture who lived it.
In His Word.
“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:30–32Mary, the sister of Martha, sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to His word. It’s not so much about her posture, but the importance she gave to hearing His word. Luke 10:38–42
Loving the others in your new family.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you… By this all will know that you are My disciples.”
John 13:34–35Ananias welcomed the feared persecutor Saul. It wasn’t easy, but he did it. Saul later became Paul. Acts 9:1–17
To serve, and bear much fruit.
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
John 15:8When Jesus fed the 5,000, a boy offered his lunch of five barley loaves and two small fish to Andrew. A servant’s heart shows up big and small. John 6:8–9
Jesus embraced these same three values
Disciple means learner
Spiritual growth is not the unreachable star. Make these values your own, be a learner of Him, and you’ll grow.
This is the journey of a true disciple. Jesus said to two fishermen, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Never look back.
Continue the series
See where you are
Twelve honest questions, about three minutes.
Take the AssessmentBack to
Abide, love, serve — and repeat.
Walk the Way1 “Miss Phillips, You Were Wrong: A Formula to Handle Rejection,” by Peter J. Daniels, 1989. National Library of Australia · ISBN 0 949330 26 4.
