Dan Gould

Author: dgould77

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 9

    “For everyone will be tested with fire. 50 Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.” v.49-50 (NLT)

    Jesus used salt to illustrate three qualities that should be found in those that claim they are Christ Followers.

    1. Christ Followers remember Gods Faithfulness. In the Old Testament salt was used in the grain offerings to remind people of Gods eternal covenant. Leviticus 2:13
    2. Christ Followers should make a difference on the ‘flavor’ of the world in which they live.  Salt changes the flavor of everything it comes in contact with. Therefore, we should have the same impact on the relationships we have with others.
    3. Christ Followers should counteract the moral decay in society. Salt is used as a preservative and keeps food from decay and disease. The way we live should help others to see the Hope found in the Gospel.

    Bottom Line: Salt is used for many applications.  As Christ Followers we are called the Salt of the Earth.  However, when we lose the desire to salt the Earth with the love of God and the Truth of the Gospel, we become like salt that has lost its flavor and ultimately can become useless.

    Today, What are you doing to keep your flavor? How id God using you to salt the Earth? Are you doing that faithfully?

  • Sunday AM Remix – 5.8.11 Mothers Day Edition

    Happy Mothers Day!!! Hope you took the time to let the Mom’s in your life know how special they are. It was another great day at First Baptist Harvester as we continued or series called “Parent Trapped … Biblical Wisdom for Popular Pitfalls” Today topic: Parenting … Extra Grace Required” Here are the notes from todays teaching by our Discipleship Pastor Chris Chapman.

    PARENT TRAPPED
    Parenting … Extra Grace Required
    Ephesians 6:1-4

    *What will my kids mimic as they look at me and follow my example?
    *Reality, our children can easily become idols of our heart!
    *They way we parent our kids affects them now &  impacts how they parent in the future.

    EVERY PARENT NEEDS EXTRA GRACE BECAUSE . . .

    1. Trap #1: We Aim At The Child’s Mind (The Ruler)

    ➢ If We Can Encourage PROPER Behavior, Then They Will Become PRODUCTIVE Children.

    *The Ruler has no flexibility because it’s all about rules.
    *It’s easy to get lost in the rules and miss the person (our kid) we are shaping.
    *The Ruler is motivated by external issues, following the rules
    *When we make rules the main thing, we miss the relational side of parenting.
    *In this we create rule followers who become experts at checking boxes.
    *The Ruler practices reactionary parenting.

    “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:7-8 (ESV)

    “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 (ESV)

    *The Ruler sets rules and punishes their kids for breaking the rules. Discipline on the other hand is rooted in the word disciple.  It’s a teachable approach to parenting that is very Biblical.

    2. Trap #2: We Focus On Controlling Each Situation They Encounter. (The Over-Protector)

    ➢ If We Can ISOLATE Our Children From the World, Then We Can Keep Them INSULATED From Evil.

    *Helicopter parenting – parents who hover over their kids.
    *If we raise our kids in a bubble and protect them from everything, we are not training them to handle the attack of the Devil once they leave our bubble as parents.

    “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

    “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.” Psalm 127:3 (ESV)

    *Children are a gift from God and as a parent I am called to be a good steward of the Gifts God has given me!

    “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.” Psalm 127:4 (ESV)

    *Arrows are made for a specific purpose and shot at a specific target! As parents, are we preparing our kids to hit a specific target?

    3. Trap #3: We Are Determined To Create A Positive Self-Image (The Cheerleader)

    ➢ If We Can BOLSTER Self-Esteem, Then They Will Have A BETTER Self Image.

    “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)

    “As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one . . .’” Romans 3:10 (ESV)

    “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

    4. Goal: We Must FULFILL Our God Given Roles, To Effectively Lead Our FAMILY Into What God Desires.

    “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV)

    “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. . .” Ephesians 5:25 (ESV)

    “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:22 (ESV)

    “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1 (ESV)

    “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

    BOTTOM LINE: We need to Model Integrity for our Kids and be the Parents God has called us to be.

    *It’s caught not taught
    *We need to live what we say!

    If you missed today, I highly encourage you to watch this weeks message by clicking here and then make plans to join us next week at FBC Harvester. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us here!

    We are really excited about this series and cant wait to see what God will do next as we learn to survive and thrive as Parents and raise our kids in the type of Home they really need!

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 8

    “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’” v 34-38 (NLT)

    The invitation that Jesus gave to the crowd still applies to us today.  Sadly, probably just like the crowd of that day, we try to hang on to parts of our lives and add Jesus to other parts.  However, being a follower of Jesus requires us to give up ALL of ourselves for ALL of Jesus.  We do this by surrendering our hearts, minds, and actions to Christ.  Many times this is easier said than done.  When circumstances arise it causes us to respond to them in different ways. Many times its in the response to these circumstances where we find what we are really made of and what we really believe.

    Today, how what will the responses to the circumstances you face today say about you?  Will they reveal your commitment to and faith in Christ, or will they reveal the unsurrendered parts of your heart, mind, and actions?

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 7

    “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” v.6-7 (NLT)

    Hypocrisy is pretending to be something you are not and have no intention of being.  Sadly, this is the very thing that keep people from going to church and even trusting Christians.  It happens when our words and actions don’t match.  We may attend a church every week, pray the prayers, sing the songs, lift our hands, and give an amen every once in a while, but then leave and act a totally different way outside the church.  This is a form of hypocrisy and it’s causing others to reject Christ because of our inconsistent living. Acting one way at Church or around Church Friends and then acting another way away form the Church and Church friends is not the way of Christ.  In fact, it is the total opposite. Instead of drawing people to Christ thru your influence, you are pushing them away and allowing them to not see the need of Jesus in their life because the only difference they see, is that you go to church and they don’t!

    Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they worshiped God for the wrong reasons. Their worship was not motivated by love but by a desire to attain profit, to appear holy, and to increase their status. We become hypocrites and like the Pharisees  when we pay more attention to our reputation and status than our character. We carefully follow/mimic certain religious practices or activities or get caught in knowing what to say/knowing how to act to make ourselves look holier then we really are.

    Bottom line is this, when we truly meet Jesus and surrender our lives to Him it changes us from the inside out.  It changes how we act, how we talk, and how we live.  Until this happens, we will pretend to be something we are not and mimic what we think we are supposed to be!  This can be tiring and stressful.  This is why Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

    Today, Will you continue to fake it, or will you allow yourself to be made complete in Christ, and live authentically?

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 6

    “So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. 13 And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.” v.12-13 (NLT)

    When was the last time you told someone about Jesus?  Many times we use the excuse that we don’t know the Bible well enough to share about Jesus.  We fear that the person we are talking to will ask a question we can’t answer.  Reality Check: There will alway be people who ask you questions that you may not know the answer.  It’s a reality of life.  Anyways, when we look at the Disciples, we can see that lack of Biblical knowledge should not keep us from telling others about Jesus.  Many of the Disciples were Fisherman, and it’s not long after following Jesus that they were sent out to tell others about Him.

    Today, who will you take the time to share Jesus with? Are you more worried about what they my say, or where they may go?

  • Sunday AM Remix – 5.1.11


    Today we started and brand new series called “Parent Trapped” Looking at Biblical Wisdom for popular pitfalls.  Today we looked at “The Home Every Child Needs”  Think about that statement … Would your home meet the standard? No matter how you answer that question, there is still work to be done.  I know this is one series that I am very excited about and hope to take the things I am learning and begin to apply them so our home is the home my boys need.

    Here are my notes from today!

    PARENT TRAPPED
    “The Home Every Child Needs”
    Deuteronomy 6:1-9

    *Nothing Shapes your Child more than their relationship with their PARENTS!
    *God gave children to Mom’s and Dad’s! As Parents its our responsibility to raise them, teach them and take care of them.
    *You can’t outsource the responsibility of being a parent.
    *Many of us want ‘Honor Role’ Kids, but we are not being ‘Honor Role’ Parents!
    *Many times it’s our kids that get stuck with the leftovers. Leftover energy, Leftover creativity, Leftover time, Leftover time.
    *Something has to change, it was never supposed to be this way.

    **In the last 30 years teen pregnancy has gone up %500
    **Each day, 1,000 girls have abortions
    **7 out 10 girls will have sex before they are 14
    **4,000 teens get an STD everyday

    This should bother us.  Something must change. God gives us instructions on how we are to parent our kids lets look at what He says, it’s found in Deuteronomy 6:1-9.

    EVERY CHILD NEEDS A HOME WHERE … 

    1.  RIGHTEOUS LIVES Are Lived.

     *This is not moralistic behavior.  It’s more than being a good person

     “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all His decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. . .”  Deuteronomy 6:1-2 (NLT)

    *As Parents we think our kids are angels, but the reality is the longer their legs grow, the shorter their wings get.
    *We must teach our children to do right by doing right ourselves.
    *The old adage, “Do as I say not as I do” has never worked!
    *Your Kids watch you more than they listen to you.
    *Our kids are not listening to our lips as much as they are watching our life.
    *If we are not being consistent with the things we say, and the things we do, our kids will stop listening to what we say because we are showing them what really important!

    Remember:  You Are A MODEL!

    “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”  Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)

     *Your kids have to see it before they’ll do it.

    2.  THE REAL LORD Is Loved.

    “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.   And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”  Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NLT)

     *You can’t take anything with you to Heaven except for your family. How well are you doing preparing them for Eternity?

    “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

    Remember:  You Are A Mirror!

    *I am to reflect for my Kids the Glory of God!
    *I am to reflect for my Kids what I am wanting them to become!

    “Bring up your children in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  Ephesians 6:4

    “Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding.”  Proverbs 9:10

     “Everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.”  Philippians 3:8

    *What our Kids see in us is what they become!
    *As Parents we need to give them something GOOD to IMITATE!

    3.  THE RIGHT LESSONS Are Learned.

    “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NLT)

    *Every day, Every way, show them Christ!

    Remember:  You Are A MENTOR!

    *Parents have the responsibility to raise their kids in Church
    *The popular idea “That I don’t want to force my kids to go to church, because I don’t want to turn them away from God” is bunk!

    **It’s like saying I don’t want to keep telling my kids to brush their teeth because I am afraid that might reject their toothbrush!
    **It’s like saying I don’t want to make my kids go to school because it might make them heat school!

    *Being a parent has great responsibility!
    *When you let God be an option, you are setting your kids up to not know Christ!
    *The Truth is this – If they see the real deal, that what you say and what you do match up, your kids will be more likely to be drawn to Christ because they have seen authenticity in your life!
    *Three Areas of control that we need to teach our kids:

    **Parent Control – The ability to live under the authority of our Parents.
    **Self Control – The ability to control ourselves.
    **God Control – The ability to live under the authority of Christ.

    FOUR LESSONS THAT KIDS LEARN FROM PARENTS

    1.  How To KNOW GOD.

    2.  How To HONOR THEIR PARENTS.

     ‘Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.’ Exodus 20:12 (NLT)

     3.  How To VALUE THEIR SPOUSE.

     “So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:33 (NLT)

     4.  How To LOVE THEIR CHILDREN.
    BOTTOM LINE: God designed the home to be the University for life!


    If you missed today, I highly encourage you to watch this weeks message by clicking here and then make plans to join us next week at FBC Harvester. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us here!

    We are really excited about this series and cant wait to see what God will do next as we learn to survive and thrive as Parents and raise our kids in the type of Home they really need!

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 5

    “But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.’” v. 36 (NLT)

    Have you ever wanted to give up? Have you ever thought to yourself, “what the use?”  Many times when our life gets flipped on an end and the unexpected happens, we pull out the prayer card and hope God is listening.  God does hear our prayers, but we don’t have to experience a crisis in-order to pray.  Just because we pray doesn’t mean God will give us anything and everything we want. But, praying can help us get through a tough situation because we have put our trust in Him and not ourselves.  As you go through your day, who are you trusting to get you through? A Christ Follower can stand in the midst of the storm not because he or she is great, but because the one that they trust has said, do not be afraid, just have faith!

    Today, who or what are you putting your faith in?

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 4

    “Then he added, ‘Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.’” v.24-25 (NLT)

    Are you guilty of having “selective hearing?”  Selective hearing happens when we are not totally present! We hear the things going on around us and we have either tuned them out, or we are trying to listen while we are doing something else as well.  Sadly, I think we do this more than we want to admit.  How many times have you been praying and other thoughts come to mind, how many times have you been in a church service and start to think of where you are going to eat afterwards, how many times have you been talking with a loved one while watching TV or on your computer … or better yet, trying to do all 3 at the same time.

    If we want to be fully engaged, then we have to be fully present. We have to listen with a desire to engage. We have to read with a desire to fully learn. We have to pray with the desire to fully share.  When we allow ourselves to be fully present in the presence of God, we will have a fuller understanding, a deeper conviction, and a stronger desire to know Him and Live for Him.

    Today, the question really is this, “Do You Hear Me Now?” God want to talk to you, will you have selective hearing, or will you be fully present?

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 3

     “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.” v.24-25 (NLT)

    How many times have we let little disagreements turn into large wars within families, friendships, and even the church?  It’s not wrong to disagree, but how we handle the disagreement says a lot about our Character, Integrity, and Unity.  Some people tend to always look for things to argue about and it limits the potential of the relationship, puts strife on the relationship, and eventually cause it to fall apart.  However, learning how to disagree and still love each other through the disagreement, is the sign of strength and commitment to the relationship or vision.  It requires Grace and Forgiveness not just in word, but in action. 

    Today, is there a relationship that needs to be restored? Are you letting a little thing become a big thing by not talking about it? Pray and ask God to help you resolve the issue by talking with the other person and begin the process of restoration.

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 2

    “When Jesus heard this, he told them, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.’” v.17 (NLT)

    It is human nature to think of ourselves better than we are.  I think we have all been in a situation that has left us saying, ‘that was harder than it looks’! Thus driving home the point that we tend to think we can accomplish more than we really can.  But there comes a point where what we think and what we know have to collide.  It’s in this tension that we either see the truth about ourselves or we begin to pretend to be something we are not.  It’s hard for people to see the truth about themselves and the Truth of the Gospel, when they think they are better than they really are.

    Today, where are you in this? Do you know who you really are, or do you think you are something your not?