New Covenant Church International, Christian Education Class on August 2, 2015

1. RAISE YOUR
EXPECTATIONS
Christian Education I August 2, 2015
Nicole Ransom

3. dream
• A series of thoughts, images, and sensations
occurring in a person's mind during sleep.
• A state of mind in which someone is or seems to
be unaware of their immediate surroundings.
• A cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.
• An unrealistic or self-deluding fantasy.
• A person or thing perceived as wonderful or
perfect.
• Synonyms: ambition, aspiration, hope

4. ex·pec·ta·tion
• A strong belief that something will happen or be the case
in the future.
• A belief that someone will or should achieve something.
• One's prospects of inheritance.
• Synonyms: supposition, assumption, presumption,
conjecture, surmise, calculation, prediction, hope

5. Take the limits off God
I'm not a man, I cannot lie
I know the plans for your life
I'm asking you to dream again, believe again
And take the limits off of me
I'm not a man, I cannot lie
I know the plans I have for you, they're my design
So I'm asking you just to hope again and trust again
And take the limits off of me
And I hear the Lord say
Take the limits off , take the limits off
Release me to accomplish what I promised You
Take the limits off me, take the limits off
Release me, release me
No limits, no boundaries, I see increase all around me
Stretch forth, break forth, release me, enlarge my territory

6. Anything and everything is possible
Mark 9:23 NIV
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for
one who believes.”
Matthew 19:26 NIV
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

7. Take the limits off yourself
Exodus 3:10-12 and 4:10-15
• Moses questions his qualifications
• Moses reveals an insecurity
• His comfort zone keeps him from following
God’s command
• God makes a work-around

8. Take the limits off yourself
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our
deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is
our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask
ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,
fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child
of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There
is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine,
as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in
everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we
unconsciously give other people permission to do the
same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence
automatically liberates others.

9. If you don’t have a dream, how can you
have a dream come true?
• Most people don’t aim too high and miss, they aim too low
and “hit”
• What would you would attempt if you knew you could not
fail?

10. Challenge yourself
• Dream a dream so big that only God can fulfill it
• If you can accomplish your dream without God’s help, you
aren’t dreaming big enough
• How will your dream bring glory to God?

11. Put it in writing
According to a study conducted by
Dave Kohl, a professor from Virginia Tech:
• 80 percent of Americans say they don’t have goals
• Another 16 percent do have goals, but they don’t write
them down
• Less than 4 percent write down their goals
• And less than 1 percent review them regularly
• This small percentage of Americans earn nine times
more, over the course of their lifetimes, than those
who don’t set goals.

12. The Dream Manager
1. Physical
2. Emotional
3. Intellectual
4. Spiritual
5. Psychological
6. Material
7. Professional
8. Financial
9. Creative
10. Adventure
11. Legacy
12. Character

13. Don’t Wait for Someday
Jesus started his ministry at age 30, and most believe
his earthly ministry lasted approx. 3-4 years
In His short life, Jesus changed the world.
What are you waiting for?
• You alone are responsible for the quality of your life
• God gives you free will, you make your own choices
• Spend alone time with God to identify your dreams
• Raise your expectations
• Start planning, take action, do something!

14. Money isn’t the answer
• In a 1985 survey, respondents from the Forbes list of the
400 richest Americans and Maasai of East Africa were
almost equally satisfied and ranked relatively high in well-
being (5.8 on a 7 point scale)
• The Maasai are a traditional herding people who have no
electricity or running water and live in huts made of dung

15. Don’t settle. Expect more!
• Where / who do your expectations come from?
• Where / who does your help come from? Psalm 121
• Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:14
• You can and should expect more!
Lamentations 3:25 AMP: “The Lord is good to those who wait
hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of
and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the
authority of God's word]”

16. Take the limits off God
I'm not a man, I cannot lie
I know the plans for your life
I'm asking you to dream again, believe again
And take the limits off of me
I'm not a man, I cannot lie
I know the plans I have for you, they're my design
So I'm asking you just to hope again and trust again
And take the limits off of me
And I hear the Lord say
Take the limits off , take the limits off
Release me to accomplish what I promised You
Take the limits off me, take the limits off
Release me, release me
No limits, no boundaries, I see increase all around me
Stretch forth, break forth, release me, enlarge my territory