DREAM BIG | Amy Nicholson
DREAM BIG | Amy Nicholson | 06 September 2026
What Is Your Next Yes?
There are dreams that God places in our hearts that can take years to come to life. Sometimes they begin as a simple thought, a burden, a passion, or a picture of what could be. Sometimes they come when something breaks our heart, and we find ourselves thinking, “Someone should do something about this.”
And sometimes, God’s answer is: “You can do something about this.”
The question is: Will we say yes?
Dreaming bigger than ourselves
There’s a scene in the movie Up where an elderly man finally gets to go on the adventure he has dreamed about his whole life. It’s exciting, but there’s also something sad about it: why did he wait so long?
The adventure doesn’t go according to his plan. Along the way, he discovers something important — life is better when it is lived alongside other people.
That reminds us of something about the dreams God gives us: God-shaped dreams rarely exist just for us.
God puts dreams in our hearts that are bigger than our own comfort, success, or ambition. They involve people. They bless others. They require faith. And often, they require us to do something we know we could never accomplish in our own strength.
A God-sized dream requires a God-sized view of who God is.
If our dreams are so small that they don’t need God, perhaps we need to enlarge our vision of Him.
He is King. All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. He is good, so we can trust Him with our future. Nothing is impossible for Him, which means we can step out in faith even when we don’t know exactly how everything will work out.
Dreams begin as seeds
God-shaped dreams often start small.
They begin as seeds.
A thought. A burden. A passion. A picture of what could be. A desire to see something change.
Those seeds are already inside us, but they need to be watered, nurtured, and given room to grow.
The Bible gives us a powerful picture of this in Galatians 6. Paul reminds us that what we plant is what we eventually harvest. The invitation is to sow kingdom seed - not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others.
If we sow kindness, generosity, friendship, and love, we can trust God to bring a harvest in His timing.
But sometimes the hardest part is continuing to sow when we can't yet see the harvest.
Paul says:
“Don’t allow yourselves to become weary in planting good seeds.”
In other words: Don’t give up. Keep going. Keep planting.
You may not see the impact of your generosity today. You may not see what your kindness produces. You may not know what that conversation will mean to someone years from now.
But that doesn't mean nothing is happening.
We plant. We water. God brings the harvest.
How do we know if it’s a God dream?
Not every dream we have is necessarily from God. So how do we discern the difference?
A God-shaped dream will usually be:
Bigger than ourselves. It requires faith and dependence on God.
A blessing to others. It isn't simply about what we can gain. It creates space for other people to flourish.
Aligned with God's character. God is loving, kind, and merciful, so the dreams He gives us will reflect His nature.
Consistent with Scripture. God will never call us towards something that contradicts His Word.
When God gives us a dream, the response isn't always to have a ten-year plan.
Sometimes the response is simply:
Yes.
One yes at a time
Looking back, many of us can probably trace significant moments in our lives to a simple yes.
Yes to following Jesus.
Yes to joining a church.
Yes to joining a Life Group.
Yes to serving.
Yes to stepping into leadership.
Yes to starting something new.
Yes to planting a church.
One yes leads to another.
You don't have to know everything before you say yes. You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to feel completely ready.
Faith often begins with taking the next step God has placed in front of you.
Your yes can change the world
Recently, we had the privilege of meeting an incredible couple who have spent decades following a God-given dream.
Thirty years ago, they moved from Canada to Uganda to plant a church. But when they arrived, they encountered children who had been orphaned by war and young people who desperately needed help.
They believed God was asking them to care for those children too.
Their funding partners told them that wasn't what they had been sent to do. They were told to come home if they weren't going to stick to the original plan.
But they stayed.
They chose obedience.
Over the decades that followed, those children grew up. Some became doctors, lawyers, teachers, builders, and parents. They began changing their communities and their nation.
What started with a church plant became something much bigger - homes for children, communities, and a generation being raised to influence a nation.
And when you meet this couple, they don't talk about what they accomplished.
They simply say:
“All glory to God.”
That's what can happen when ordinary people say yes to a God-sized dream.
You don't have to change the whole world today
Maybe you're thinking, “I want to make a difference, but I can't do much.”
You don't have to change the whole world at once.
You can change the world one person at a time.
One conversation at a time. One coffee at a time. One act of kindness at a time. One prayer at a time. One generous decision at a time.
That's how kingdom impact happens.
Don't focus only on what you have or what you don't have. Look at God. Enlarge your view of Him and allow Him to empower you to do what He's calling you to do.
What is your next yes?
Perhaps your next yes is to follow Jesus - maybe for the first time, or maybe it's time to return to Him.
Perhaps it's a yes to growth: joining a church, finding a Life Group, doing a course, or surrounding yourself with people who help you see God more clearly.
Perhaps it's a yes to healing and getting the help you need.
Perhaps it's a yes to serving others.
Perhaps it's a yes to generosity.
Perhaps it's a yes to starting that business you've been thinking about - a business that creates opportunities and employment for others.
Perhaps it's a yes to stepping into something that scares you.
Whatever it is, don't wait until you feel completely ready.
The invitation is simple:
Say yes.
Say yes when you're afraid. Say yes when you feel inadequate. Say yes when you don't have all the answers. Say yes to adventure. Say yes to faithfulness. Say yes to helping others. Say yes to sowing kingdom seed.
Because our “no” can lead to a small and quiet life, but our “yes” can lead to kingdom impact.
And ultimately, the safest place we can ever be is within the will of our Father.
So don't wait.
What is the dream God has placed in your heart?
What is the kingdom seed He's asking you to plant?
What is your next yes?
Life Group Questions
The message said, “A God-sized dream requires a God-sized view of who God is.”
What do you think this means?
In what areas of your life might your view of God be too small?
Have you ever had a dream, burden, or idea that you wondered might be something God was putting on your heart? What happened?
Are there any dreams or things you feel God has placed in you that you've been ignoring, delaying, or putting off? Why?
What does “sowing kingdom seed” look like in everyday life?
What are some of the “yeses” that have shaped your journey with Jesus?
The message said, “One person at a time. One conversation at a time. One coffee at a time. One act of kindness at a time.”
Who is one person God might be asking you to invest in right now?
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