Charlie Hughes | This Feels Like A Dream

Is anybody glad to be in church today? Can you make some noise? If you love Jesus, come on. Put your hands together. Wow. It's good to see you so glad that you are here. For those that may not know who I am, my name is Pastor Charlie Hughes. I leave a young adult movement of this church for people between the ages of 18 and 30 called rally. And crazy thing, rally celebrates seven years of existence this month, so wild. So if you're a young adult, we'd love to have you come celebrate with us on September 25th. That first bath is going to be insane night. But I'm really believing that God wants to do something today. Anybody else, did you come ready to hear from God today? Or did you come to meet with Jesus today only like 50 people? Did anybody come ready to meet with God today? Come on, have some excitement, some energy, some enthusiasm. I came to meet with Jesus today. I have a feeling you did too. And we're going to do so by continuing in our teaching series that we've been in for a few weeks now called day one. Has this series blessed you thus far? Has it helped you? Have you learned something? The whole premise and goal for us preachers for this series has been this. To give you information and inspiration from the Word of God to help you when it comes to different dreams you may have for your life and your future. To go from saying one day, one day I'll get started, one day I'll get going, one day I'll do it to know today is day one. I'm putting things into motion. I'm getting started, different change. It starts now. Additionally, in this series, we've been using some of the world's most famous and influential businesses such as Disney and Apple and Nike.

That, believe it or not, all got their start in a garage as examples of how not starting may be the only thing between you and succeeding. But this morning, I kind of want to remix it. And instead of using a famous business that got its start in a garage to preach today, I want to use famous bands that got their start in a garage to preach today. That's why we just sang those several songs because every single one of those songs came from a band that got their start in a garage. You too got their start in a garage. The who got their start in a garage. Weezer got their start in a garage. Nirvana, it smells like Team Spirit up in here. Got their start in a garage. But today the band that specifically I want to use to help me preach the Word of God to you is none other than the legendary iconic rap duo. Outcasts. Outcasts. Oh, we have some outcast fans. Made up of iconic rappers Big Boy and Andre 3000 and known for hit songs such as Miss Jackson and Hey Yeah, which we sang just a moment ago. It has been argued that there has never been a more influential or impactful duo in the history of hip-hop than outcasts. The sound of outcasts has shaped much of what hip-hop sounds like today. They were such a big deal and so changed the genre of rap and hip-hop that last year in 2025, believe it or not, this rap duo was inducted into the rock and roll Hall of Fame. It was a line that Andre 3000 delivered in his induction speech as he was getting ready to join the likes of people like Elvis and the Beatles and the rock and roll Hall of Fame. That's the reason I want to use outcasts to preach to you today because Andre 3000 said this in his speech. He said, great things. Great things start in little rooms. The Bible would say it like this, do not despise the day of humble beginnings. But I was curious though. I was like, what was the little room that outcasts got their start in? Maybe you wanted the same thing, so I did some research for the both of us and I learned that the little room that outcasts got their start in, forgive me, actually was not a garage, but rather a small, dark, humble, DIY studio in Atlanta called The Dungeon. And when I learned that this was the little room that outcasts got their start in, the dungeon, I knew exactly what scripture I needed to preach to you today. Open up your Bibles to the book of Genesis. We're going to be in chapter 37. I want to introduce you to a young dreamer named Joseph.

Do I have any dreamers in the room at church by the glaze today? People with big dreams, people with God-sized dreams. Come on, put your hands together, dreamers. Don't be ashamed of it. Don't be shy about it. This message is for everyone. Everyone will get something out of this sermon, but it is especially. dream. This feels like a dream. We're going to be in Genesis 37 beginning of verse 3. The word of the Lord reads this. Joseph had a dream. Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age and made an ornate road for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him, he had been born to him in his old age and made an ornate road for him. If their father loved him more than any of them, I do not recommend it. By the way, I'm not a parent, but that doesn't sound like a good idea. Joseph's brothers hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Some of you are like, that reminds me of my relationship with my sibling. But verse 5, it continues. Joseph had a dream. And when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, listen to this dream I had.

We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheep rose and stood upright while your sheaves gather around mine and bow down to it. His brother said to him, do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule over us? And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he said. Then Joseph had another dream. And he told to his brothers, listen, he said, I had another dream. And this time the sun and moon and 11 stars were bowing down to me. When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, what is the stream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you? His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. Okay, that was a lot. As you can see, Joseph's family has some issues. But this is not a teaching series about family strife. This is a teaching series about finally starting. So I'm going to focus less on the beef that Joseph had with his brothers. And I'm going to focus more on Joseph's streams and what he decided to, keyword incoming, do with them. And the first principle of truth that I see in these cluster verses we just read that is relevant to what we're talking about today is this. Starting is exciting. Starting is exciting.

Somebody say starting is exciting. Come on, like I mean, say starting is exciting. Yeah, Joseph was excited about his dreams. So much so. He told everybody, even his brothers who hated him about them. Why? Because starting is exciting. I want to remove the stigma around starting today if you allow me to do so, because starting does not have to be intimidating. And starting does not have to be overwhelming. And starting does not have to be daunting. But starting can be exciting. And I'm not telling you to deceive yourself into believing that starting is exciting by just telling yourself to lie. That if I start, it will never be hard. No, I'm not telling you to tell yourself that lie. But if you're not going to tell yourself that lie, then also don't tell yourself this lie either. That in order to start, you have to have everything figured out. Because who said, who said, who made up that rule, that in order for you to start in your life, whatever it is you know, you should probably start. That you have to know 100% what you're doing from the very beginning. Who said that? No, that is when starting is daunting. When you start by believing that you have to 100% know exactly what you're doing from the very beginning. And in fact, I'd say if there's anybody you know that has already started doing this thing in your life that you know you should start doing. And they're pretending that they 100% know what they're doing. They are the ones who are lying.

Because it is all of our first time on this circle that we call planet Earth. We're all figuring it out. No one hasn't 100% figured out when it comes to anything. This is why I would say it to you. In order to start and to be excited about starting, you don't need expertise, you don't need experience, you just need expectation. Somebody say expectation. Yeah, you just need expectation because think about the whole reason anybody ever starts anything is because they believe they expect that if I start, it will end in my desired outcome. Starting is exciting because day one is the first day you're one day closer to living in your dream. Starting is exciting because no one would ever start anything unless they believed that this day one will one day mean a day when I get to say that I've won, that I didn't, that I accomplished it, that I succeeded, that I hit my goal. That is what makes starting exciting believe. A first day of school is not exciting because we just love taking tests. No, a first day of school is exciting because we believe that this day one of school will one day mean a day when a degree is put in my hands. A first day at the gym is not exciting because we just love heavy weights and sore muscles. No, a first day at the gym, a day one at the gym is exciting because we believe that this day one will one day mean a day when we have healthier and stronger bodies.

A first day at a new job is not exciting because we just absolutely love being told what to do and where to be between the hours of nine to five, five days a week. No, but a first day at a new job is exciting because we believe and expect that this day one at this new job will one day mean a day precisely about two weeks from now when we have some money put in our pockets. Excitement is attached to expectation. Joseph was not excited because he 100% had all the answers. Actually, if you paid attention, Joseph did not have any of the answers. He could not answer one of his brothers or his father's questions about his dreams. No, but Joseph was excited because he believed what God showed him in his dreams and therefore he expected them to come to life. That's it for somebody in the room today. You better start like you believed God when he showed you what he showed you in those dreams. You better start like you believe and expect that he who began a good work within you will be faithful to complete it. You better start like you believe that what you saw in those dreams one day you will see again if you make today your day one. You've got to start like you believe this is the beginning of everything changing.

This is the beginning of a future I've been desiring. This is the beginning of me stepping into my destiny because here's what I know to be true about you church by the glaze. With a smart and resourceful and as hard working as you are and with as faithful as your God is, even if right now you don't all the way know what to do you're gonna figure out what to do. Even if right now you don't all the way know the way you're gonna find the way. Even if right now you don't have all the words to say God is going to give you the words to say but you have to have the faith. Just put your foot out, take that step of faith and start make today day one. Every expert once started as a beginner. There was a day when LeBron James had to pick up a basketball for the first time. There was a day when Michael Jackson had to take his first dancing lesson. There was a day when DiCaprio had to take his first acting lesson. What I'm trying to say to you today is you might have to be great in order to finish but you just need faith in order to start. So let today be the day that the doer within you marries the dreamer within you and gives birth to a baby called the winner within you. Make today your day one. There might be a hard part

but I don't think starting is the hard part. Starting doesn't have to be intimidating. Starting can be exciting if you're starting to believe it put your hands together in the church today. (audience applauding) Starting is exciting. If God has given you a dream, stop saying one day, say day one but in the same breath let me give you this piece of advice. Be very careful who you share your dreams with because not everyone who hears your dreams will be happy for you. Some people will hear your dreams and actually start to hate you because big dreams intimidate small-minded people. Some people like you better broke. Some people like you better unemployed. Some people like you better not in church. Some people like you better not in the words. Some people like you better not closer to Jesus because they don't want the version of you that's best for you. They want the version of you that's most fun for them. And the more progress you make and the more things you start just serves as a mirror for them of all the things they're not starting and all the things they're not doing that they also know they should be doing and it's easy for them to hate you

than it is for them to change themselves. But Joseph did not have a life group to share his dreams with. And so he told his already jealous brothers about his dreams and they hated him all the more for them. And some of you know what happens next in the story. Because they're hate for Joseph, grew so big. You're not gonna believe this. They sold their younger brother Joseph into slavery. Once again, you thought you and your siblings had some problems. That's why you gotta read the Bible. The Bible will make you feel a whole lot better about yourself sometimes. And as a slave, Joseph is sent to Egypt where he begins to work as a slave in the house of a high ranking Egyptian official named Potiphar. And in Potiphar's house, daily we read that Joseph was harassed by Potiphar's wife And on a daily basis, Mrs. Potiphar would try to beg Joseph to come to bed with her, to sleep with her. And as not to sin against God, he would refuse and resist and run every single day. He would not go to bed with Mrs. Potiphar. But there was one day when Mrs. Potiphar once again made her attempt to invite Joseph in the bed and he refused. And she was so fed up and sick and tired with being rejected by Joseph that she decided that she was going to frame Joseph and say that Joseph tried to take advantage of her.

And as a result, Joseph was sent to prison. Better yet, Joseph was sent to the dungeon. And I can't speak for anybody else. But since Joseph had this dream of raining over his family and his brothers bowing down him, thus far all that is taken place is he's been beaten up and betrayed by said brothers. He has been enslaved. He has been daily, sexually harassed. And now he finds himself in prison. And if I was Joseph at this point in my life, I would have some questions for God, including but not limited to, God, what the heck? God, what is going on right now? God, what is happening? This looked nothing like what I was dreaming. This looks nothing like what I was expecting. God, do you see me? God, do you hear me? God, have you forgotten about me? Because this is oftentimes what a dream feels like. This oftentimes what it really feels like to live in the dream. Because while starting is exciting, yes, staying is exhausting. Staying often feels like setback and struggle and sweat, because in the words of one of my most favorite preachers, Bishop T.D. Jakes, I've never met anybody who has become incredibly successful in any area of their life until they have suffered, until they have sacrificed, until they have sweats. And I will add to that quote this,

because God is not just interested in doing something for you. God is also deeply invested in doing something in you. And for this reason, in my experience, this is oftentimes what a dream feels like. God, you've given me a dream. Thank you. I can feel that. I can sense that. I can see that. I appreciate that. Oh, wow, this is exciting. This is exhilarating God. I can't wait to get started. I can't wait to get going. This is going to be amazing. So here I go. One, two, three. The treadmill's not working, but it's pretend it was. It's like, wait a second, God. What was that? God's starting. That was exciting. Starting. That was exhilarating. Starting. Here we go. Put your hands together for the tech team. Now our travel is working out. Starting. That was really something.

That got my heart going. But now it doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere. Now it doesn't feel like I'm making any progress. Now it doesn't feel like I'm moving forward. Oh, and honestly, God, this is kind of boring. This is kind of tiring. This is testing my patience. This is a tad discouraging. I never thought that living in the dream would feel like staying in one place for so long. For example, in my own life, I'm blessed to say that I feel like I've had a pretty good idea of what God's dream for my own life has been since I was a kid. Since I was like seven or eight years old, some of you know this, I've felt called a miniature. I believed that God wanted me to be a pastor and be a preacher, so much so that when I was like an elementary school-aged kid, I would tell my dad, dad, one day when I grew up, I'm going to take your job. And not only that, dad, my dad's the pastor of the church. But when I become the pastor of the church by the glaze, I'm going to move the church to the Emmerit Bank Arena where the Florida Panthers play hockey. Oh, sorry, did I tell my dream to the wrong people? I said, one day I want to move the church to the hockey stadium down the street. And I, believe it or not, I pray for that every single time I drive on the Sargreas Expressway past the Emmerit Bank Arena. I invite you to pray that prayer as well. Nothing's too big.

I think he can make it happen, he can use us to do it. But some of you maybe were there, before this building was ever built, there was not a building big enough in Broward County to house church by the glaze for Easter services. And so we actually did a service at the Emmerant Bank Arena back when it was called the Bank Atlantic Center. And my dad brought me on stage as an 11 year old and told the whole church that to do church in that building was not his dream or his vision, but my dream and my vision. And when I looked out from that stage at the arena and saw 11,000 people from church by the glaze filling that arena, I broke down in tears as I just caught a glimpse of my dream. As I saw, what I believe to be our church's future come to pass, I could not help. I was overwhelmed with emotion. I actually brought some video from that moment. If you'll pay your attention to the screens. - And some of you have asked me, David, when do you begin to sense or see that God was leading this church to take over an arena? And truth be told, this was not something God laid on my heart first, laid on this guy's heart first. And Charlie, Charlie's just 11, man. He doesn't know exactly what he wants to be when he, when he grows up, but he thinks, he thinks he wants to be a pastor.

And we're building that new, 2,000-seat auditorium. And we have a new campus. And I was looking at that big building with Charlie. And I said, buddy, what if you become a pastor? What if God blesses you that someday you get a love and lead church by the kids? What if someday you're in that big new building? To which he said, dad, I have a big God. When I lead church by the glaze, we're going to the Bank Atlantic Center. (congregation cheering) Vision, proud of you, man. Big vision. - And I still believe that God can make it happen. And while I praise God and I thank God that at 26, my dream in many ways that I had at age 11 has come to pass and praise God. I have preached to a couple of arenas and our church does fill massive rooms week after week, both here at church by the glades and at first Baptist Fort Lauderdale. Even though we have not yet evicted the Florida Panthers from the Emmerand Bank arena. And one day I think that's going to happen. In many ways, more ways that my dream has come to pass, but yet still, no one told eight-year-old Charlie Hughes that the dream, the life of a preacher, the majority of it does not feel or look like that, but actually feels it looks like something more like this. Tech team, play my next video.

This is me and my dad Friday night in between commercial breaks, studying our sermons for this Sunday while watching the University of Miami beat up on their competition. And please note, we study more than just in commercial breaks of football games, but that is what the majority of this dream feels like. No one told dyslexic eight-year-old Charlie Hughes that the majority of living this dream was not glamorous preaching moments that everyone saw, but moments of studying and practicing and reading and writing and praying and leading that no one saw. It was not going to be most of the time obviously ground-taking and difference-making moments. It was going to be a lot of the time, moments where I was working, not knowing if the work I was doing was actually working. And that's why I actually think a treadmill is the perfect example and the perfect picture of what it looks like to live in the dream or what it feels like to live in a dream. Because although the steps I'm taking right now are really small and technically I'm not making any forward progress, make no mistake about a church by the glaze, I'm making progress because none of us can see 'em, but there are calories that are burning right now. And if I just keep putting one foot in front of another,

if I just keep taking small step after small step, if I just stay at it long enough, you best believe we will see change, you best believe we will see a difference, you best believe I will get in wedding shape by December 11th. And so I've come to encourage some exhausted dreamer in the room today. Even small steps can make a big difference. So even when it's exhausting and even when it's draining and even when it's depleting and even when it's boring, my encouragement to you today is this, just keep taking one foot in front of you. fact difference making because they're compounding you would not be where you are today if not for every small step you took yesterday every every drop of sweat you sweat yesterday and you will not be where you are tomorrow if not for every small step you take today and every drop of sweat you sweat today because winning takes watering every drop of a tear every drop of blood every drop of sweat it is not wasted it's watering it's not wasted it's watering it's not wasted it's watering because what does the Bible say those who sow in tears eventually they will reap in joy and what does Colossians chapter 3 verse 23 say that we should do all things as if we're doing it for the glory of our God which means that even small steps are a big deal when they're done for a big God because what you're doing is only as big as why you're doing it I don't care if you say you're making big moves for your business if the whole reason you're making big moves for your business is to give yourself a bigger bank account actually I say that those big moves are quite small but the reason you're making big moves for your business is to give yourself bigger resources to make a big difference in the life of others and yes I agree these big moves are in fact quite big in this way if you're a single mother with multiple children and you're

working multiple jobs but you're still taking even small steps to get your degree and even small steps to get your diploma and even if these small steps mean that you won't graduate years from now but you're taking these small steps because you want to be the first person in your family to get their college degree and you want to set an example for your children that all things are possible with Christ Jesus who gives you strength then actually yes these small steps you're taking they're quite big nothing you can be doing your time with will be much bigger than this but what is bigger than that is anything any of us to for the glory of our big God it does not matter if you're taking small steps if you're doing them for a big God if that's what you're doing then I've come to tell you today that what you got going on it's is big somebody show I've got something big going on these small steps are making a big difference Andre 3000 was right great things can't happen in small rooms if they're done for a great God and Joseph he understood this he understood this so everywhere he was as a slave and part of his house as a prisoner in the dungeon everything he did he did for the glory of God this is why exhausted he stayed serving this is why discouraged he stayed believing this is why tired he stayed trusting that one day the dream would come to pass in the Genesis chapters 40 and 41 were told that while he was in jail in the dungeon that God gave him the ability to interpret dreams to tell people what they're confusing dreams that they had while they slept meant and so he would put this gift that God gave him to work even in the dungeon by interpreting the dreams of his fellow prisoners when it was at no obvious benefit to him to do so but word spread one day that there was a prisoner in the dungeon who can interpret dreams and a day came where the Pharaoh of Egypt has some dreams he could not understand and so Pharaoh sent for Joseph to come from the prison to the palace to tell Pharaoh what his dreams meant and Joseph in front of Pharaoh said your majesty this is what your dreams mean 14 years are coming split up in two seven-year spans the first seven years will be years of plenty where we will have more progress than we know what to do with but more

harvest than we know what to do with we're gonna have food to spare but the second seven years are going to be years of famine when there's gonna be no food in the land really at all and we have to steward the first seven years well to have enough food left over for the second seven years and Pharaoh said wow that's a big job I think I know the man for the job Joseph I want you to oversee this project and so Joseph was taken from being a prisoner in the dungeon to being essentially prime minister in the palace over the entire nation of Egypt the leading world power at the time just as Joseph said it would happen it did happen there were seven years of harvest followed by seven years of famine but the famine did not just hit Egypt it hit the entire surrounding area including Canaan where Joseph was from and Had to take a trip to Egypt to buy some food the only place that had food at the time because of Joseph's leadership And so they make their way to Egypt and not recognizing him Joseph's older brothers who betrayed him bowed down to him begging for bread Joseph's stream came true It came to pass Because although it may not have been on his timeline our God keeps his promises at free single time And the Bible doesn't say this but I feel like I can guarantee this When Joseph first had these dreams Yeah, no idea. It would look like this Yeah, no idea that it would look like him being a high-reaking official in Egypt He had no idea it would look like his brothers bowing because they were begging for bread and he had no idea It would take all this He had no idea. It would take him being beaten up and betrayed by his brothers Being enslaved in Egypt's being in prisons in the dungeon But this is why Joseph's life is a perfect example for you and I that while yes Starting is exciting and staying can be exhausting Proceeding isn't during Because there were so many moments in his journey to his dream where Joseph could have said surely This is the end

betrayed by my brothers This has to be the ends Enslaved in Egypt this has to be the end Framed and falsely accused by part of his life. This must be the end Prisoned in the dungeon. This has got to be the end But because Joseph Never treated moments that could have been the end as if they were the end and instead he chose to endure Eventually his dreams came to pass and here's something I found in my study that really spoke to me And I hope it speaks to you. I learned biblical scholars believe that the prison The dungeon that Joseph would have been kept in and the palace where eventually he would have ruled from Would have been most likely on the same property They would have been neighboring buildings if not one in the same building Which means when Joseph was in the prison he was already in his future place a purpose When Joseph was living in the dungeon He was already living in his dream and just didn't know it The place where he was bound was the same place where his brothers would one day bow But because he did not treat moments that could have felt like the end as if they were the end and instead he chose to Endure it revealed it and it caused the dream eventually to come to pass and God's perfect timing And for you, maybe there's Somewhere where you are right now Where you feel so badly like giving up It may be that very same place where God wants to give you everything he wants showed you But you've got to endure long enough to give God the time he needs to turn it For your good and for his glory Joseph's dream it never would have came true back home in Canaan. He had to be betrayed He had to be enslaved he had to be imprisoned He had to make it to the dungeon because if not for the dungeon He never would have made it to the dream. I'm trying to tell you today that the pain was necessary The frustration was his transportation to his elevation and for you

Maybe there's something in your life that took place that you never would have chose if we're up to you But I'm coming here to tell you today that God allowed it to happen Because he knew that he could do something even greater for you through it than if it never happened But you have to endure in the place of playing long enough for it to turn into your place of purpose You have to hold on to the dream even in the dungeon and so let me encourage you with this from my installment of this series day one Don't you forget your day one the one who made you the one who created you the one who fashioned you Formed you put this dream on the inside of you because he has not forgotten about you Never for a moment have you been forsaken? Never for a moment have you been forgotten? Never has he left you and if you will not just grow weary and well-doing and just the right time You will reap a harvest if you do not give up because he who began of James consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials and many kinds because you know that these trials are producing within you endurance let endurance finish this work within you so you may be mature and completes not lacking anything if you don't give up you will win if you don't get tired you will win this day one will one day mean a day when you get to say of one thank you Jesus thank you God you never leave you never forsake you never forget somebody give God a shout of praise to them every head found every eye closed this was the word you needed lift a hand in the air Jesus I pray over every race hand God I pray Lord for those who are exhausted for those who are tired for those who are depleted God I pray Lord in this moment you give them what they need to endure because God if they would say yes if they would begin God we trust that you will give us what we need to see you complete what we start God I pray for everyone who knows that there's something that they need to start doing that God they would do it and not give up on doing it because your word promises that if we do not grow weary entire and well doing we will reap a harvest if we do not give up God it may not look like what we thought God it may take more than we ever thought but God if we don't give up it will happen it will happen it will happen it will happen it will happen God this feels like a dream the tough the awesome everything in between we're trusting you with it all it's in the minding name of Jesus we pray together