BIG DAY Special Talk

BRO. AUDEE VILLARAZA:

We’re going to talk about something that’s relevant and something that’s quite important. We’re going to talk about our dreams. We just finished our Feast Talk series, 9-5 that was focused on work.

Today, we’re going to move to a special talk that’s still related about work and it’s about our dreams.

I’ve got a question for you: If time and money were not a factor– age, time, you have all the resources in the world– what would be your dream job?

What is the definition of a dream job? If you Google it, it’s this:

A dream job is any career or any job that aligns with your values, your passions, your skills, and most important, your purpose.

Ever since I was young, I’ve always wanted to be a pilot. But guess what…

First, I have a tremendous fear of heights. You cannot take me more than six levels up, otherwise my knees would start to buckle. If you have fear of heights, you’re stuck.

Second, I value time with my family. Pilots always travel. They’re gone for a week. They’re gone for many days.

Here’s third: I love Community. I love going to The Feast every Sunday.

So, my dream job doesn’t align with my values, my passion, with my current skills, and especially not with my purpose.

Living the Dream

May I share with you now the dream job of my wife, Kristel?

Her dream job has always been to be a flight attendant. Sadly, it doesn’t align either to her current values, skills, and purpose. Like me, she also has the same values.

What is my job today? I’m a real estate practitioner. I love my job because it gives me time to spend with my family and with my Faith Community. Of course, my job feeds our needs.

My wife is a baker. She loves what she does.

Since she was 15 years old, all she ever has ever done is to come up with recipes. She has perfected the recipe of cheesecake.

My wife and I both realized that we’re not living our dream jobs– but that’s okay.

Sometimes, we think that our dream is out there. Some of us want to be an astronaut, a jet fighter, or a   soldier. But because we’re not any of those, we think that we’re not living our dream job.

But I wonder how many of you here can honestly say that what you’re doing is already your dream job– but you’re just not calling it your dream job because you’re no longer dreaming it. You’re already living it.

Maybe what you’re doing right now is something that the Lord intends for you because it aligns with your skills, your values, and most especially, your purpose.

I’ve realized that God’s dream for you and me is always going to be bigger than our dreams.

My dream was to be a pilot. My wife’s dream was to be a flight attendant.

But God’s dream was bigger for both of us. He gave us something better. He put both of us on the same flight together forever.

Maybe, you’re thinking: “I’ve got a dream, and that’s my dream job.”

But I want you to focus on the work that you’re doing. It might not be your dream job, but think about it: Does it align with your skills? Does it align with your calling? Does it align with the purpose of God?

Then, maybe. that might be the dream job. It’s no longer just a dream job because you’re already living it.

Joseph the Dreamer

Today, we are going to reintroduce a person in the Bible who I believe was the original dreamer. His name is Joseph. Joseph the Dreamer.

We’re going to walk again in his life– from Genesis 37:

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 sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us?

Will you actually rule us?”

And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

Joseph’s dream meant he was going to reign over his brothers.

By the way, Joseph was not the oldest. He was one of the younger sons. Joseph had this dream that the Lord gave to him, and his brothers hated him for it.

Let me give you some news. The enemy will always try to look for ways to crush your dream– especially if it’s a God-sized dream.

The enemy will always plot against you. That’s what the brothers did against Joseph. The Bible says that they hated him even more for it.

I wonder if there are people in your life that because you told your dream to them, they got irritated with you, they envied you. There will be people in your life who will try to pull you down from your dream.

I pray that today, we’re going to realize and see from God’s perspective how He wants us to dream today.

Don’t settle just for safety. A lot of us are afraid whenever there might be consequences and challenges against our dreams. Don’t settle for safety when God is calling you to greatness. When God is calling you for boldness and courage, don’t settle for what is safe.

Joseph never settled and because of that, a whole nation was saved.

Reviving Abandoned Dreams

Today, my Talk is titled Dare To Dream Again.

But that’s not the big message. The big message that I want you to take home today is this: God wants you to dream.

Let’s pray:

Lord God, Thank You for being our God.

Thank You for planning these ideas, creations, and concepts. Lord, you will be the one to fulfill them, fuel them, and make them come to life.

Bless every person here and every person watching online. We pray that as You speak, may we receive, listen, and be changed. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Are there dreams in your life right now?

Dreams that you might have abandoned but can still be resurrected?

Let’s be real. There are dreams in your life that can no longer be resurrected. You might be 78 years old now but if you’re still dreaming to play in the NBA, let me tell you honestly that it’s not going to happen. There are dreams that you have that can no longer be resurrected.

But if there are dreams that you feel can still be revived, this is my talk for you.

I’m going to give you five concrete steps.

1. Name the Dream Again

It’s very easy to lose track of a dream. Why? Because life happens. Children happen. Work happens. Some of us have to work to live.

Sometimes, some of us have to park our dreams. That’s the reality of life.

You have bills to pay. It’s logical, practical, and easy to forget our dreams because of that.

But here’s a truth that you can take home today. If you do not name that dream, you cannot walk in it.

Fact of life: We don’t actually let our dreams die. More often than not, our dreams are forgotten because of life’s circumstances. Sometimes, we forget those God-sized dreams.

My goal today is for you to slowly realize that maybe the Lord is asking you to continue or pursue that dream whatever that is.

Real-Life Story

I want to share this real-life story. It’s the story

of a father who had this big-sized dream of becoming a very famous musician. He really wanted to be a musician all his life. But sadly, he had to choose a safer dream because he had family to feed and bills to pay.

Here’s the problem. Sometimes, when you settle for safe, it’s not sure.

One day, he was fired from his work. Everything collapsed from that time on. He and his family had to sell their house and they lived in a van parked in an open field.

This father had a 15-year-old son who wanted to make the world laugh.

He wanted to make people just roll out loud. He had that big dream to be a world- famous comedian. But life happened. He had to help out in the family to stretch their income for their expenses. He had to work in a factory.

But in between his tasks, he continued growing his craft as a comedian. He was attending workshops and he was joining these comedy clubs. But for some reason, he wasn’t getting the big accounts. He wasn’t getting a big break. Why? Because people thought he was too weird. But he continued to believe in his dream.

One day, he wrote a fake check to himself. He said that one day, he was going to cash in that check. You know how much? $10 million.

He wrote that check and put it in his pocket. He kept on looking at that check.

Every day, he was claiming that one day he’s going to cash in this check.

He said: “In my mind, I was already a star.”

Poverty can empty your pockets but never your imagination. It can never empty your creativity.

So, he kept on working. He kept on growing. He kept on enhancing his craft until he landed a job. And that paid him $10 million!

The person that I’m talking about is Jim Carrey.

One day, he got paid $10 million to star in the movie Dumb and Dumber.

Sadly, as he was getting closer to that dream, his father died.

Jim Carrey said: “Don’t give up on what you love just because you’re scared to fail.

Because even the safe path can collapse beneath your feet.”

2. Take One Small Step Towards That Dream

Continue to chase your dreams. Continue to name your dreams. What is that dream called? Does it have a name in your life? You speak it out.

Joseph spoke out the dream. Others rolled their eyes against Joseph. He spoke the dream and because he spoke it out loud, it was planted in his mind and in his heart.

Continue to speak the dream whatever it is.

The Bible says in Habakkuk 2:2: … Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that a messenger can run and share it with others.

Write your dream on tablets. Habakkuk must already be thinking of the iPad (brand of tablet computer marketed by Apple Inc.J, emphasizing the importance of clarity and accessibility in communicating God’s message.)

One common excuse from pursuing our dreams is we must first we pray to the Lord and say, “Lord, give me a sign.”

It’s not wrong to ask God to guide you when it comes to your dreams. What’s wrong is that you’re constantly just asking for signs again and again.

This is a scenario– that we all sometimes fall into a trap:

“Lord, send me a sign that you want me to work for this company. Send me an angel who is wearing Crocs, carrying my resume, smiling and accepting me in the company.”

But you know what the Lord says?

“My child, finish and submit your resume first.”

We keep asking for signs but we don’t act on our dream.

Joseph received a dream from the Lord. He spoke it out. But that’s not all that he did. Joseph took one small step every day going towards that dream. He was a slave but he was working faithfully in the kitchen. He was working diligently in the master’s house in that Egypt palace. Even while Joseph was in prison, he was interpreting dreams and being obedient to the Lord.

What is one step that you can take towards realizing your dream this week?

Maybe, writing the name of the dream again. For some of you, it’s setting up a meeting with people who can help you about your career. For some of you, it might be joining a class, a seminar, or an orientation. Maybe, it’s even as simple as just googling how to start, whatever...

Make that step today. Make that step this week. If you really want to experience realizing that dream, take that step. Oftentimes, the Lord is just waiting for you to take that next step before He shows you the next one. So, take that step.

The Bible says that faith without works is dead:

Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. — James 2:26 NLT

3.  Surround Yourself with Bold Thinkers

Joseph told the dream to his brothers.

But the brothers did not just ignore the dream, they buried the dream along with Joseph in it. The truth is that there are people in our life who don’t think the way that we do. There are people with a scarcity mindset. Those are people that you need to avoid.

If you have a group chat where you tell your groupmates your dream, and they tell you, “Oh, you can’t handle that job…”

here’s my advice: You might need to mute that group for a while and just pray for those people.

If you’ve got a big dream, you’ve got to get around a bold circle. If you’ve got a courageous dream, you need to have courageous thinkers.How many of you are blessed by The Feast?

Let me tell you the truth. We have The Feast today because of the support of these ladies, sisters of Bro. Bo, from left: Sis. Chelle, Sis. Bubu, Sis. Tina, Sis. Pinky, and Sis. Beckie.

When Bro. Bo was 13 years old, a lady friend told his family that she had a vision that he was going to preach to thousands of people. So, Bro. Bo was asked to preach in their prayer meeting. And he said Yes.

Imagine when that vision was said and his sisters said: “What about me?” We have a place now called The Feast because of people who supported

Bro. Bo. We need people like them.

You need people around your life who would also carry the dream with you. The Bible says this: Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. — Proverbs 13:20 NLT

Walk with the fools and you become a punchline in every joke.

Walk with the courageous, you become courageous. Who you walk with, infect you with what they have.

4.  Picture Your Life If You Do Not Dream Big

There’s nothing wrong with playing it safe.

It’s a good advice. But I’ve got news for you today:

God did not create all of us to just be okay. He did not. In Genesis, God said: “Go, therefore, and maintain… No. He didn’t say that.

He said: “Go, therefore, and multiply.” — Genesis 1:28.

Multiply your gifts, multiply your skills, multiply what God gave you in your hands.

Do you remember the story of The Parable of the Talents?

God gave one person more than enough and that person multiplied that gift. Because of that, the Lord blessed him with more:

Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. ¹⁵ He gave five bags of silver^[a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. ¹⁶ “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. ¹⁷ The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁰ The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

²¹ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!^[b]’

²² “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

²³ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

²⁴ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. ²⁵ I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

²⁶ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, ²⁷ why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

²⁸ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. ²⁹ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. ³⁰ Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

–Matthew 25: 14-30 NLT

When you don’t stretch your faith, it might be insulting to your God who can do immeasurably more than what you can ask or imagine. So, think outside of the box and trust in the Lord, especially if it’s a God-sized dream.

5.   Bring God into The Dream

We plan our life, but sometimes, we forget to involve the Lord in our plans. When everything comes to a failure, we blame God. The Lord is not just your consultant. He is your

Creator. He doesn’t just want to support your dream. He wants to be the source of your dream. So, involve the Lord.

The Bible says: Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

— Proverbs 16:3 NLT What does it mean to bring God into the dream? Before you post about it, pray about it. Discern about it.

Ask Him: “Lord, is this the right thing for me? Because if not, I’ll be willing to change my direction.”

It’s not just us deciding on things. We’re letting the Lord decide for us. My wife and I started a new business this year. We started it last January.

It involved bringing in thousands of products into the country. We prayed to the Lord about it.

When we felt peace and we felt the Lord’s assurance, that’s when we said, “Yes, Lord. Let’s do this together.”

That’s what we’ve been preaching in the last Feast Talk series, right? Working with God in the Garden.

When the Pharaoh approached Joseph and said, “Interpret this dream with me…” Joseph said: “I cannot. But God will give Pharaoh the answer he deserves.”

Joseph knew that in his own strength, he couldn’t do it.

That’s what we should do.

We bring God into our dream. Now, here’s a real question:

“What happens if I can no longer fulfill my dream? What happens then?

Joseph persevered and endured. Because of that, he saved the entire nation of Israel.

I believe that the Lord is going to use your dream to save the people around you and bless people around you.

Complete Dream

I want to tell you the true story of our good friend, Jeric Mison. Jeric was a member of Himaya, the band of Bro. Alvin Barcelona for 25 years. And Jeric became our Feast musical director.

On June 29, 2025, Bro. Jeric passed away quietly in his sleep.

During the wake, two friends honored him.

One said that Bro. Jeric’s dream was to work as a musician or a keyboardist on a cruise liner.

He wanted to provide better for his family. He wanted to be a dollar earner. Unfortunately, in his entire lifetime, Jeric never set foot on a cruise liner.

The worst part was that, weeks before he passed away, there was news that he was approved to work on the cruise liner.

Another friend came up and honored Jeric. He said that whenever he and Jeric were together, they would talk about their dream of writing liturgical songs. They wanted to contribute to the Catholic faith. They’d been talking about that dream for five straight years. That dream didn’t come true.

Let me tell you the truth. In the eyes of the world, Jeric died with unfulfilled dreams. Now, I want you to understand that when a person dies and their dreams were unfulfilled, it doesn’t mean that their life was incomplete. Not every seed that you sow will bear fruit in your lifetime. The seed you’re planting right now will grow into a tree, but you’re never going to taste the fruit from that tree.

Some people will water the plant. Some people will grow it. One day, they’re the ones who are going to enjoy the shade of that tree and enjoy the fruits of your labor. The world will always look at finished work by what we have accomplished — such as a published book, or a built business, or a great retirement plan. That’s how the world looks at success.

But the Lord defines success this way: “That a person is completed.”

Completion means transformation.

So, here’s the good news. If you live your life with conviction, with love, with generosity, with kindness, and the Lord has been transforming you day by day, you do not leave this world incomplete. Throughout your life, you are building something eternal that Heaven celebrates.

Jeric wasn’t able to realize his dream of working on a cruise liner, but we believe that the Lord was able to fulfill his dream. Why? Because Jeric served the Lord with passion. He loved the Lord with obedience.

God Wants the Dreamer

I wonder how many of you here are doing exactly Jeric’s example?

You might be frustrated because you’re not seeing your dream come to life. But what’s more important to the Lord is not the dream. What’s important to God is the dreamer.

Are you growing in love? Are you growing in kindness? Are you growing in Jesus?

That’s what the Lord is looking at. The world

likes to celebrate what you’re doing but God doesn’t celebrate that so much. He celebrates who you’re becoming.

Are you being Christ in your family? Are we becoming more loving through what we do in Ministry? Otherwise, we might be having accomplishments, having trophies, and receiving accolades– but we’re failing in what’s real in life.

The real success that God is looking at is transformation. That’s completion.

Yes, your dreams are important. Pursue your dreams but never, never take for granted the person that you’re becoming while chasing your dream. Because for the Lord, that’s what’s more important. You are more important to God.

There’s a story in the book of John– about Peter and the disciples going back to fishing after Jesus passed away. Jesus resurrected but He was missing in action. So, Peter and the disciples did the one thing that they were so familiar with.

They went back fishing. Fishing is good, right? It’s work. Work is good.

At that moment, Jesus shows up and then He makes a miracle by revealing to Peter and the disciples, a big catch. The next thing that He does is He invites Peter for breakfast.

In this breakfast, Jesus asks Peter three questions. “Peter, do you love me? Then feed my lambs. “Peter, do you love me? Then take care of my sheep.

Peter, do you love me? Then feed my sheep.”

But the message that I want to get across to you is that in that moment when Peter and the disciples were working, it was a good thing. It’s productive.

It’s familiar. It’s life-giving. Just like your work.

Your work is good. It produces. It gives. It sustains. That’s what our work does. But Jesus somehow removes Peter from that scene. Then, He invites Peter to have breakfast with Him.

I was wrestling with this thought for quite some time. I was asking the Lord what to choose between two good things: working and serving.

Do you know how the Lord answered me? The Lord said that both are good: rest and work. Work and play. Two good things that can give you life.

God Wants You

Between work and play, this must come first: Spend time with Jesus.

Jesus invites us: “Sit with me. Have breakfast with me.”

The message of this Gospel is that God loves the work that you do.

Make no mistake, He loves it.

God wants you to dream– but He wants you more than He wants your work.

God wants you more than anything that you can bring to Him.

Work is good but before you go out into the world to work, sit down with Him.

Have a meal with your Savior. Dine with him.

That’s the message of the Garden of Eden. The Lord created the world and on the seventh day, He rested.

He was done creating you and me. He wanted us to spend time with our God. Before you go out on your Monday and your Tuesday, on your meetings, on your obligations, on your grocery run, on your task list, spend time with God right now in His presence. Commit your dreams to Him.

But more than just your dream, I want you to know that the Lord sees you for who you are. Some of these dreams that you’re dreaming of, they might not happen in your lifetime. And that’s okay. Because the Lord wants you.

As you inhale, breathe in the love of God. Exhale all the negativity that you have received this week– your burnout, your tiredness.

Inhale God’s grace. Let it flow in your body, affecting every bone, every tissue. If you need healing, I want you to believe that the Blood of Christ can wash away all of your sins, all of your inequities, all your hurts, even your illnesses.

The Lord can do that for all of us.

Father, we call on Your Name. We call on Your Son, Jesus, to be in our midst.

As You come around us, as You walk into the very spaces, crevices, and corners of our life, we believe that You are blessing us, blessing the work of our hands, blessing our mind, blessing our spirit, blessing our job, and blessing our business.

I pray that You wouldn’t just bless these dreams, but you would bless the dreamers– these persons right here, Your son, Your daughter. You know who they are. You know them by name. You know every strand of hair that You have created. You know every dream that You have planted in each one’s heart. I ask You to make them realize that You made them. You made me. You made us so that You could love us. Thank You, Lord, for this love. We receive this love.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen and Amen.

This story was first published in the Feast Family Online News Magazine
Published by THE FEAST (July 27, 2025)