DAN GOULD

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Author: dgould77

  • New Resource Page

    I just added a free resource page to this blog where you can download sermon series and other student ministry related items.  Check it out and use what you can!

  • Luke 1:57-80

    ‘” And you, my little son,
    will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
    You will tell his people how to find salvation
    through forgiveness of their sins.
    Because of God’s tender mercy,
    the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
    to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    and to guide us to the path of peace.’”v.76-79

    Even before he was born, John had a specific purpose and mission, he was to prepare the way for the Messiah.  That sounds simple, and many of us would say, “If God talked to me like that, I would know exactly what to do and then I would do it?”  Would you?  It’s easy to say and believe that God has a purpose and mission for each of us , but sometimes it is hard to stay on task.  When things get difficult, we begin to question ourselves, and Gods calling to a specific place or ministry!  We say things like, “If this is what God wanted me to do, why are things like this happening?”  The answer, we live in a fallen world!  As much as God wants to use us, the Enemy (Satan) wants to keep us ineffective.  If he (Satan) can cause us to doubt or be fearful, he knows that we might begin to question and slow down doing what God has purposed for us to do.  Thus, keeping others from hearing and experiencing the life changing message of Jesus Christ.

    John was to be a voice to prepare the people the Messiah.  He had a purpose and a mission and he understood what he was to do and he did it faithfully.  This same God wants to use us.  Will we be like John and understand that we are to be a voice, a light, an example, declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ?

  • Luke 1:26-56

    “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!’” v. 26-28

    Mary was a young, poor, female – all characteristics that tho the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education makes you and unlikely candidate for Gods service. Don’t Limit God’s choices. He can uses you if you trust him.

    “For nothing is impossible with God.” v.37

  • Memorial Day Weekend

    We had a great time hanging out with friends as we relaxed and remembered those that have died serving our Country. In our weekend worship we combined Memorial Day and Veterans Day to Honor those that serve and have served this country. Their call and service is a picture of what we are called to as Christ Followers. Because of Christ their story parallels our story. I don’t know if I tied this together very well in our MS service but it seemed to feel better during our HS service. I am still trying to wrap my head around it. I really do think God is working. In our Heroes series here were the reasons why we said Veterans are Heroes:

    1. They have left EVERYTHING BEHIND!
    We have seen this first hand with one of our own going into the Air force. Many of you know Josh Adkins, he grew up in this church, served as a MS Small Group Leader for 6th grade boys. But when he decided to join the Air Force, he had to leave everything behind, family, friends, college, work, everything. When he got there they shaved his head and gave him a set of clothes the wear and he began what is known as boot camp. After surviving Boot Camp he was sent off to a different base for more training, while there he found out where he would be stationed. For Josh, he is in Germany where he is serving in the United States Air Force.

    Josh has left everything behind so he could serve our country. This right here is why Veterans are heroes.

    As I look at this point, for me it is a real life picture of what Jesus calls Christians to do. The Bible talks in several locations about a spiritual battle that takes place around us. Jesus says if you want to be my follower, you have to leave everything behind. Look for yourself,

    “Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.’” Luke 9:23-24 (NLT)

    Are you willing to leave everything behind to be a Jesus Follower? What are you still hanging on too? Are you willing to follow Him Daily?

    2. They defend MY FREEDOM!
    It is easy to take for granted the freedoms we have as Americans. But our freedom has a price tag. Men and Women serve to protect for our freedom, they fight for our Freedom, and some have even died defending our freedom. Freedom isn’t free it cost someone! It has a price tag. Veterans are heroes because they defend, and have defended, the freedoms that you and I enjoy today.

    This is a picture of what Jesus has done for everyone in this world today! He defended our freedom! Even to the point of allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross so we could be freed from the trap or bondage of sin. As you can see, our freedom wasn’t free, it cost Jesus His life. As Christ followers, we are to defend this freedom so others can experience it also. Check out these two passages of scripture,

    “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.” Romans 6:6-7 (NLT)

    “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude 3-4 (NLT)


    3. They risked their life, so I could ENJOY MINE!
    Every time we have gone to war to defend others, our nation, even our own freedom, soldiers have risked their lives so we didn’t have to go to battle. By them doing this, we are able to enjoy the life we have. They have risked theirs, so we could enjoy ours, That’s why Veterans are Heroes.

    But this is also a picture of what Christians are doing all over the world for the sake and name of Christ. Christ Followers are risking their life, so others can hear the gospel and have a relationship with God.

    It saddens me that some of us are afraid to tell a friend about Jesus when there are others so passionate about what God has done; that they would rather go thru persecution and even death, than to keep silent about the Good News of Jesus Christ.

    “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 (NLT)

    Are you taking any Risk so others can enjoy a relationship with Christ?

    4. They have DIED SERVING our country!
    Sadly, the reason why we celebrate Memorial Day is to remember those that have died serving this country. It is a day that is set aside to honor and remember their sacrifice. It’s a day to encourage those that are currently serving, and thank them for their willingness to serve in this way.

    For us, this is a picture of people who die everyday for the sake of the Gospel. This Book, Jesus Freaks, tells stories of people who have died while sharing the gospel. They understand and have lived by these two verses,

    “But for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”
    Psalm 44:22 (NLT)

    “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” Philippians 1:21 (NLT)

    I am inspired by, and grateful to, the men and women that have done these things for our country and for me. As a Christ Follower, I see how their dedication to this country is a picture of what it means to do what ever it takes for the sake of the cause, so that others can experience the things we are so thankful for. It causes me to want to serve Christ, with the same dedication and commitment that these men and women have shown our Nation.

    This is why on this Memorial Day Weekend we say thank you and declare that Veterans, those that are serving, have served, and died serving are Heroes.

  • Luke 1:2-25

    “Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.” v.6

    Wow, God calls Zechariah and Elizabeth righteous.  They didn’t just do the things God instructed them to do through the law, it was apart of them making them who they were.

    It is easy to look religious by saying the right things, doing the right stuff, and even praying great prayers.  That is a good description of how I grew up.  I could pray the prayers and say the right things around the right people, and act religious on Sunday at church, but the rest of the week . . . . my lifestyle didn’t match the person I pretended to be on Sunday.  I could DO what I thought were the right things, but I wasn’t BEING the person God wanted me to BE.  God is way more interested in who I am Becoming, not what I Do.  What I do should be a byproduct of Who I am, not the other way around.

    Because of their faithfulness, even though they were very old, God blessed them with a son (John the Baptist) and revealed to them first, the coming of Christ.

    Who am I trying to impress?  Am I more concerned about pleasing people (looking good on the outside – doing),  or am I more concerned about pleasing God (looking good on the inside – being)?

  • John 1:1-18

    “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
    The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” v.1-5

    The coming of Jesus changed humankind forever. The reality that God, would come in human form was unheard of. Still today people don’t believe Jesus is who He says He is or that He was Fully God and Fully Human. Throughout scripture Jesus is referred to as light. As His Light pierces through the darkness (sin). When this light shine, we see ourselves as we really are, sinners in need of a savior. The harsh reality is that some people will accept this truth and others will reject it. Some people will come into the light while others may run from it. However, the way we respond to the the Light of Christ, says a lot about what we believe, and who and what we are trying to become!

    How am I going to respond to the Light that Jesus shines in my life? Will I run away from it, or allow it to bring to light some of the dark places in my life where sin tends to hide?

    “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” v.14

  • PDYM Community Lunch

    We just had the privilege of hosting a PDYM lunch today.  Had about 15 youth workers from full time paid to full time volunteer.  We had a great time eating, learning together, and praying for each other.  The highlight for me was watching one of my former students, who is only 19 and now on staff, encourage a lead volunteer youth worker.  It was awesome for me to see.  By the end of the lunch we were able to send him away with 2 x-boxes and a imac.   Praise Jesus!

  • Jonah 4

    “This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the Lord about it: ‘Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.’” v. 1-2

    Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God can forgive and rescue people that live as if there is no God. For us, we know the people that tend to get under our skin! When we are around them we tend to avoid them, we are short with them, and many times don’t extend grace to them. Jonah was the same way toward the Ninavites. He didn’t like their lifestyle therefore, he couldn’t stand them. They lived as if there was no God.

    As people it is easy for us to share the good news with people we think want to hear it. It is harder to share with people that tend to look different, talk different, act different, and even live different than we do. It’s in these times that we have to depend on God’s guidance and power. Jonah went and declared destruction. But God doesn’t bring about the destruction that Jonah declared because the people were repentant, and God withdrew his wrath and extended Grace and Mercy. He does the same thing for us. Instead of giving us what we deserve, He extends to us His Grace and His Mercy.

    Have you received Gods Grace and Mercy that is found in Jesus? If you have, are you telling others about the good news of Jesus Christ? If not, why?

    God, I am so thankful that you have extend your grace and mercy to me, a sinner who needs it more and more everyday!

  • American Idol Finale . . . that I missed

    Ok, I had to DVR the season finale because we had our last night for small groups tonight (that went awesome by the way)! My wife and I sat down to watch the show and fast forwarded the parts we didn’t care to much for. Then the big moment, Seacrest opens the envelope says and the American Idol is, David . . . and our DVR stopped recording. I had to find out who one American Idol on the internet! Couldn’t even see a video. What a lame way to find out. I am glad that Cook won though.

  • Great Leadership Interviews!!!!

    If you are a leader or want to lead you should check out this great resource! Great leaders that met at Saddleback Church for the Network Gathering. Great Stuff!!!!
    http://www.ustream.tv/channel/purpose-driven-network-summit-2008