You Can Dream Again

There are few leaders in the world who’ve impacted as many lives, mentored as many ministers, and built as much lasting legacy as Pastor Tommy Barnett. It was an honor to sit down with my pastor and hero on Leadership Lifter to talk about something we all wrestle with—dreams.

Dreams that start with fire but fade with time.
Dreams that get delayed, derailed, or even destroyed.
Dreams that we think we’re too old, too broken, or too late to see come to pass.

But as Pastor Tommy shared, it’s never too late to dream again.

“If you can hold on to a dream for five years, it will come to pass.”
—Pastor Tommy Barnett

That hit me. So many people let go too early. Discouragement sets in, voices around us say, “That’s too big,” and we shrink our vision down to what’s comfortable. But real faith doesn’t play it safe—it dares to believe again, build again, and reach again.

Every Great Mission Starts with an Opportunity

Pastor Tommy shared how he never received some audible voice or dramatic dream. God simply opened up opportunities. And that’s how every one of us begins: we see a need, we feel a tug, and we step forward.

When he left a thriving church of 4,000 in Iowa to pastor 200 people in Phoenix, most couldn’t understand it. But he had a dream. A vision that couldn’t be shaken. And in Phoenix, that dream would grow into Dream City Church, the Dream Center, and decades of transformational ministry.

“You never get the money first. You do the ministry, and God sends the provision.”

Leadership isn’t about waiting until everything is perfect. It’s about stepping out in obedience and watching God show up.

Soul-Winning & the Poor: God's Heartbeat

Over the years, I’ve learned this from Pastor Tommy again and again: if you want God’s blessing on your ministry, your business, your calling—reach the people nobody else wants, and God will send you the people everybody wants.

That’s how you build a dream that lasts. That’s how you stay aligned with God’s heart. Soul-winning must be our #1 priority, and caring for the poor can’t be optional.

“If we’re not winning the lost, we’re not fulfilling the reason we’re here.”

Creativity Is a Kingdom Key

One of my favorite parts of our talk was hearing how his family legacy of creativity shaped his ministry. His mom painted 50-foot chalk backdrops. His dad launched the singing Christmas tree. Tommy built the world’s biggest banana split and even had Johnny Cash help lead 6,000 people to Jesus.

God gave us creativity for a reason—to draw people in, to illustrate the gospel, and to make His message unforgettable. And today, Dream City Church’s Christmas production draws over 60,000 people a year, with thousands coming to Christ.

That’s the power of a big dream.
That’s the fruit of not giving up when it would’ve been easier to settle.

It’s Never Too Late to Start Again

As we closed the podcast, Pastor Tommy prayed for everyone who’s lost a dream or feels like their season has passed. And maybe that’s you.

Let me remind you: God’s not done with you.
You can recover what was lost.
You can rebuild what was broken.
You can dream again.

Stay faithful. Stay open. And when God opens the door, walk through it.

The best is yet to come.

—Pastor David Blunt

Listen to the full conversation with Pastor Tommy Barnett on the Leadership Lifter Podcast.

Listen Leadership Lifter Podcast on YouTube or on davidblunt.org