DAN GOULD

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Author: dgould77

  • 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

  • 2 Samuel 13:1-19

    “‘No, my brother!’ she cried. ‘Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel. Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me.’
    But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. ‘Get out of here!’ he snarled at her.” v.12-15
    Love and Lust are very different. After Amon raped his half sister, his “love” turned to hate. Although he had claimed to be in love, he was actually overcome by lust. Love is patient; lust requires immediate satisfaction. Love is kind; lust is harsh. Love does not demand its own way; lust does. Lust may feel like love at first, but when physically expressed, it results in self-disgust and hatred of the other person. If you just can’t wait, what you feel is not true love. For more scripture on Love, look at 1 Corinthians 13.

    Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

  • Student Life Tour 08

    Students Life Tour this weekend was fantastic!!! If you can take students to this two day event it is worth your time and their money. Click here for their website. The theme is “Become”. The whole weekend forces you to wrestle with the question “who are you becoming?”

    It was Awesome!

    Today I spent time with the family. Great day just to hang out and together!

  • Student Life Tour

    This weekend we are taking High School Students to a conference! Should be a great time of learning and developing relationships. Pray for us and I will be back blogging on Monday. Have a great Weekend!

  • 2 Samuel 12

    “So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: ‘There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.’”
    v.1-4
    As a prophet, Nathan was required to confront sin, even the sin of the king. It took great courage, skill, and tact to speak to David in a way that would make him aware of his wrong actions. When you have to confront someone with unpleasant news, pray for courage, skill, and tact. If you want that person to respond constructively, think through what you are going to say. How you present your message may be as important as what you say. Season your words with wisdom.

    David confessed and repented of his sin, but God’s judgement was that his child would die. The consequence of David’s sin were irreversible. Sometimes an apology isn’t enough. When God forgives us and restores out relationship with Him, He doesn’t eliminate all the consequences of our wrongdoing. We may be tempted to say, “If this is wrong, I can apologize to God,” but we must remember that we may set into motion events with irreversible consequences.

    During this incident, David wrote Psalm 51 giving valuable insight into his character and offering hope for us also.

    Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

  • The Book on Leadership – Earning Trust

    This chapter focuses on Paul’s journey from Caesarea to Rome found in Acts 27. Here are the things that I underlined from this chapter:

    -REAL Leadership is in seriously short supply.
    – In a sense, however, the leadership vacum presents a tremendous opportunity. The world is crying out for leaders – great heroic, noble, trustworthy leaders. We need leaders at every level of the social order – from political leaders in the international real to spiritual leaders in the church and family.
    – The problem is that we live in an era where the very definition of CHARACTER has become fuzzy. People bemoan the loss of integrity in general terms, but few have any clear idea of what “integrity” entails anymore.
    – If godly men and woman will step out and LEAD, people are prepared to follow the right kind of example. Hostile times and adverse circumstances are no impediment to a true leader. In fact, great adversity can be turned to great advantage by the power of an influential leader.
    -The first principle of leadership: A LEADER IS TRUSTWORTHY
    – A leader is not someone who is consumed with his own success and his own best interests. A true leader is someone who demonstrates to everyone around him that their interests are what most occupy his heart. A real leader will work hard to make everyone around him successful. His passion is to help make people under his leadership flourish. That is why a true leader must have the heart of a servant.
    – Here’s how you can easily recognize genuine leaders: They are the ones surrounded by gifted, capable, diligent, effective people who are devoted to their leader. That devotion reflects trust. And trust stems from the self-less way the godly leader uses his own energies and his own abilities in a sacrificial, selfless way. If you show people you truly have their best interest at heart, they’ll follow you.

    Good stuff! Things to implement and evaluate about my own leadership that’s for sure. Father give me a teachable spirit and grow me as a leader! Allow me to see the areas I need to improve in, and encourage me in the areas that are strengths!

  • 2 Samuel 11

    “In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
    Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. 5Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, ‘I’m pregnant.’”v.1-5
    In this episode with Bathsheba, David allowed himself to fall deeper and deeper into sin.

    1.) He abandoned his purpose by staying home form war.
    2.) He focused on his own desires
    3.) When temptation came, he looked into it instead of turning from it.
    4.) He sinned deliberately
    5.) He tried to cover up his sin.
    6.) He committed murder to continue the cover up
    7.) The consequence of Davids sin affect others, costing someone their own life.

    David could have chosen to stop and turn from evil at any stage along the way. But once sin gets started, it is difficult to stop. The deeper the mess, the less we want to admit having caused it. It’s much easier to stop sliding down a hill when you are near the top than when you are half-way down. The best solution is to stop sin before it starts.

    Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible