Dan Gould

Author: dgould77

  • 1 Kings 1:28-53

    “‘Not at all!’ Jonathan replied. ‘Our lord King David has just declared Solomon king!’ Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered. Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed onto the horns of the altar.” v. 43;49-50
    Sometimes it takes getting caught before someone is willing to give up his scheme. When Adonijah learned that his plans the be king were doomed to fail, he ran in panic to the altar, the place of Gods mercy and forgiveness. For us today it would be like saying a prayer, or running to a church. He went there after his plans for treason were exposed. If Adonijah had first considered what God wanted, he might have avoided trouble. Don’t wait until you have made a mess of your life, or got caught in a situation, before you fun to God. Seek God’s guidance everyday before you act.

    Taken for the NLT Life Application Study Bible

  • The Book on Leadership – Taking Courage

    Finished Chapter 3 Of John MacArthur book on leadership. There is some good stuff in here. The insight to Pauls journey was insightful but felt like the insight dragged on. Here are the things I underlined:

    – A LEADER SPEAKS WITH AUTHORITY
    — All of this means that a leader must know the Scriptures. He must believe with an unshakable conviction that God’s Word is true. And he must be able to communicate the truth of God’s Word with confidence and conviction.
    — The voice of authority must convey strength and power. Unless you really know what you’re talking about, you can’t speak clearly or with authority.
    — People are looking for authority they can trust. And people who love the truth will follow someone who communicates God’s truth with authority. There’s no need to tiptoe around facts, evade hard issues, or equivocate on clear matters. If you know the truth, speak it with authority. That’s what true leadership does.
    – A LEADER STRENGTHENS OTHERS
    — A real leader’s aim is to make everyone around him better. He makes them stronger, more effective, and more motivated.
    – A LEADER IS OPTIMISTIC AND ENTHUSIASTIC.
    — Optimistic enthusiasm inspires followers. People will naturally follow a leader who arouses their hopes, and they will just as surely back away from someone who is perpetually pessimistic.
    — You cannot be an effective leader and be pessimistic. People who are cynical and gloomy debilitate everyone they speak to. They’re like bloodsucking leeches. They make people pale, weak, and passive.
    — On the other hand, optimistic enthusiasm creates energy, excitement, and hope. We who know the truth of God and have the promises of God should of all people be optimistic and enthusiastic. (Philippians 4:4)
    — Paul saw these circumstances as an opportunity to introduce unbelievers to his God.

  • 1 Kings 1:1-27

    “About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, ‘I will make myself king.’ So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him. Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, ‘Why are you doing that?’ Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome.” v.5-6
    God fearing people like David and Samuel were used by God to lead nations; nevertheless they had problems in family relationships. God-fearing leaders cannot take for granted the spiritual well being of their children. They are used to having others follow their orders, but they cannot expect their children to manufacture faith upon request. Moral and and spiritual character takes years to build, and it requires constant attention and patient discipline.

    Adonijah decided to seize the throne without David’s knowledge. He knew that Solomon, not he was Davids first choice to be the next king. This is why he didn’t invite Solomon or David’s royal advisers when he declared himself king. Thankfully his deceptive plans to gain the throne were interrupted by the prophet Nathan.

    When Nathan learned of Adonijahs conspiracy, he immediately tried to stop it. He was a man of both faith and action. He knew that Solomon should rightly be king, and he moved quickly when he saw someone else trying to take the throne. We often know what is right but don’t act on it. Perhaps we don;t want to get involved, or maybe we are fearful or lazy. Don’t stop with prayer, good intentions, or angry feelings. Take the action needed to correct the situation. Be a Nathan!

    David served God well as king, but as a parent he often failed both God and his children. Don’t let your service to God, even in leadership posstions, take up so much of your time and energy that you neglect your other God-given responsibilities.

  • Day 1 – No Pepsi

    Well I have almost made it 24 hours with out a glass . . . not even a sip of Pepsi today. It has been challenging, especially since my wife drank soda for dinner right in front of me. But today, milk has replaced my former drink of choice, SODA. I started the habit back in elementary school. Somethings just seem to taste better with soda. I am hoping to find that out to be a lie.

    The good news, no headache today. I am sure it will come tomorrow when I am teaching. (That will be fun) I’ll let you know how tomorrow goes, pray for me!!!!!!

  • Parents’ Drinking Influences Teenagers

    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – When it comes to alcohol, many teenagers may take a cue from their parents, new research suggests.

    In a study of more than 4,700 teenagers, researchers found that parents’ drinking habits appeared to influence their children in both direct and indirect ways.

    In the first case, teenagers seemed to simply follow the example of a parent who drank excessively, the study found. In the second case, many teens seemed to view parents’ drinking as a sign of lax parenting, and this, in turn, affected their likelihood of drinking.

    Read More . . .

  • 2 Samuel 18:1-18

    “During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, ‘I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.’” v.9-10
    And you thought the Bible was boring!

  • 2 Samuel 15:1-37

    “After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. Then Absalom would say, ‘You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!’
    When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and embraced them. Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.” v.1-6
    Absolom’s political strategy was to steal the hearts of the people with his good looks, grand entrances, apparent concern for justice, and friendly embraces. Many were fooled and switched their allegiance. Later, however, Absalom proved to be an evil ruler.

    We need to evaluate our leaders (and ourselves) to make sure their/our charisma is not a mask covering graft, deception, or hunger of power. Make sure that underneath their/our style and charm, they/we are able to make good decisions and handle people wisely.

    Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

  • The Book on Leadership – Taking Initiative

    This chapter looks at Paul’s ship ride found in Acts 27 from Sidon to Malta. A lot of detail to the ride itself but some good leadership nuggets. Here is what I underlined:
    – A leader Takes Initiative.
    — Leaders rise in times of crisis by taking initiative.
    — A leader never says, “We might have a problem over here. Somebody ought to do something about it.” The leader says, “Here is the problem, and here is how to solve it.”
    – Learnings from Nehemiah
    — Identify the Problem
    —- The problem was not that God was unfaithful; but rather that His people had been unfaithful.
    — Come up with a Solution
    —- The only kind of starting power that make true leaders is that which starts the ignition, but also drives to the end of the journey, organizing and mobilizing people along the way.
    — Delegate Responsibility
    — Know how to Motivate People
    —- He did not do it by sheep hype, manipulation, or theatrics. But he shared his vision in a way the people could grasp.
    —- He helped them see that this was a work of God.
    —- He showed them the spiritual importance of it.
    —- He was sincere and believable.
    —- His enthusiasm was infectious. His optimism was contagious.
    —- They caught the vision.
    – Work along side the people
    – A leader uses Good Judgement
    — The fastest way to loose credibility as a leader is to make a foolish decision that leads people down a blind alley or off the end of a pier.
    — Too many young men in ministry make impetuous and ill-considered decisions. They lead without looking where they are going. They don’t count the cost. They aren’t cautious enough.

  • Generation Myspace . . . Getting Fed Up

    Uh-oh. Social networking was supposed to be the Next Big Thing on the Internet. MySpace, Facebook, and other sites have been attracting millions of new users, building sprawling sites that companies are banking on to trigger an online advertising boom. Trouble is, the boom isn’t booming anymore. Like Heritage, many people are spending less time on social networking sites or signing off altogether.

    The MySpace generation may be getting annoyed with ads and a bit bored with profile pages. The average amount of time each user spends on social networking sites has fallen by 14% over the last four months, according to market researcher ComScore. MySpace, the largest social network, has slipped from a peak of 72 million users in October to 68.9 million in December, ComScore says. The total number of people on such sites is still increasing at an 11.5% rate, but that’s down sharply from past growth rates. “What you have with social networks is the most overhyped scenario in online advertising,” says Tim Vanderhook, CEO of Specific Media, which places ads for customers on a variety of Web sites.

    Read More . . .

  • 2 Samuel 13:20-29

    Absalom told his men, ‘Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!’ So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.” v.28-29
    Absolom took matters into his own hands and killed Amnon for raping his sister. David was mad with Amnon for raping Tamar, but David did not punish him. David probably hesitated because:
    1.) he didn’t want to cross Amnon, who was his first born son and next inline to be king
    2.) David was quilty of a similar sin himself in his adultry with Bathseba. While David was unsurpassed as a king and millitary leader, he lacked skill and sensitivity as a husband and father.

    Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible