Dan Gould

Category: Bible Challenge

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 8

    “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse[a] the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.’” v.20-22

    After being locked in a boat with all the worlds animals and family members, the first thing Noah does when coming off the Ark was to build an Altar.  On the altar, presented God with an offering, and the Bible says that God was pleased by the aroma.

    Everyday, we have an opportunity to offer our lives as an offering, a living sacrifice to God, by the purity of our heart, motives, and sacrifice we are either a pleasing aroma to God or a stench in His nostrils.  Today you have an opportunity to live selflessly, sacrificially, with a pure heart and motives. What kind of offering will you present to God?

    Today, will you be a pleasing aroma to God or a stench.  How you live, what you say and don’t say are important, Live Wisely!

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 7

    “A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them.” v.16

    Have you ever wondered how Noah got all the animals on the Ark? Did Noah and his sons spend years collecting all the animals? In reality the creation, along with Noah, was doing just as God had commanded. There seemed to be no problem gathering the animals – God took care of the details of that job while Noah was doing his part by building the Ark. Often we do just the opposite of Noah. We worry about the details over which we have no control.

    Today, will you trust God with obedience, and leave the details in His hands?

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 6

    “So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” v. 22 (NLT)

    What a powerful statement!  Sometimes when we read something in the Bible we take away the present day challenges that faced the people God used. There was nothing special about Noah.  What set him apart is found in verse 9.  The Bible says that “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.”  What a statement! But what God asks him to do next is crazy … build a boat!!!

    Now we love the story because we see how it ends, but let think about this from Noah’s perspective.  Here are some excuses he could have given with legitimacy,

    • “But the closest body of water  is some 400-500 miles away from where I am!”
    • “What is rain? That’s absurd”
    • “There’s no-way I can get ALL the animals in one boat!”
    • “It will take way to long to build a boat that big, I mean, I don’t even have power-tools”
    • “Everyone is going to laugh at me and think I’m crazy!”

    Noah could have given anyone of these excuses and not built the Ark.  However, Noah didn’t make excuses, he simply did exactly what God had commanded! Powerful!! But it’s also convicting!  How many times has God asked you or I to do something and we gave excuses instead of doing everything God commands.

    The reality is this, each one of us have Ark like moments where God ask us to do something great for the Kingdom. But sadly, some of us are giving excuses instead of following His lead!

    Today, will you be like Noah and take advantage of the Ark like moment and do exactly as God commands, or will you shrink back with excuses and miss the opportunity?

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 5

    “Enoch lived 365 years, 24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” v.23-24 (NLT)

    How would your life be summed up? I know, many times we don’t want to think about death and dying, but this really isn’t about death and dying it about living. What we live for is what we with leave behind as a testimony of out life. What will you be known for. What will others learn from your life. What will they say about your faith? These shouldn’t become boxes to check on a bucket list, but goals to achieve and then live by.

    Today, Take some time to think about whats important to you and write out some life goals that you hope others will see in your daily life. If you were to sum up your life in a sentence or two, what would you want it to say?

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 4

    “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” v.7 (NLT)

    How do you react when someone suggest you have done something wrong? Do you move to correct the mistake of deny that you need to correct it? After Cain’s gift was rejected, God gave him the chance to right his wrong and try again.  God even encouraged him to do this! But Cain refused, and the rest of his life is a startling example of what happens to those who refuse to admit their mistakes.  The next time someone suggest you are wrong, take an honest look at yourself and choose God’s way instead of Cain’s.

    Understand that sin is waiting to attack and destroy us. Like Cain, we will be victims to sin if we do not master it. But we cannot master sin in our own strength.  Instead, we must turn to God to receive faith for ourselves and turn to other believers to receive encouragement and strength.  The Holy Spirit will help us master sin. This will be a lifelong battle that will not be over until we are face to face with Christ.

    Today, what sin have you let hang around to long without being mastered? Have others pointed out symptoms of this sin that you have ignored? Why not be done with it by confession it to God and then resisting it when the temptation come though the power of the Holy Spirit!

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 3

    “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” v.1 (NLT)

    Have you ever doubted something? Doubt causes us to question what we believe to be true and sometimes question what we know to be right.  Satan, uses doubt to cause us to question the things of God.  For the person who doesn’t know God, he uses doubt to cause you to question the existence of God and the character of God. As a believer, he will use things from you past, to try to keep you from living in the new life that is found in Christ. He does this so you doubt God’s power and your witness.

    Doubt is crippling and if we are not careful, we can fall victim to it very easily! Satan wants nothing more than to lead us astray and keep us unsure of the things of God.  Here are five ways things Satan uses against us to keep us from experiencing God in the way He desires us to know Him.

    • Doubt – Makes me question God’s Word and His goodness
    • Discouragement – Makes me look at my problems rather that at God
    • Diversion – Makes the wrong things seem attractive so that I will want them more than the right things
    • Defeat – Makes me feel like a failure so that I don’t even try
    • Delay – Makes me put off doing something so that it never gets done

    Have you experienced any of these? Where we tend to focus is what we tend to go toward.  If you are feeling or experiencing any of these things, ask God for wisdom and help.  He’s closer than you think and desires to hear from you and help.

    Today, have you let Satan lead you away from God. It usually start’s small with a simple question, “Did God Really …?” Satan will attack us in these ways. The only way to stand against it is to seek the Truth and ask God for clarity, understanding, wisdom, and deliverance.

      

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 2

    “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” v.7 (NLT)

    There is a lot of talk about where we came from.  Many try to deny that man is a created being by a creative God.  Evolutionist say that we evolved.  The Bible says that we were made from the dust of the ground formed from the hands of God.  There is nothing special about dust and dirt.  In fact, as a kid I would make stick figures as I  played with play-do or clay.  But my clay figure never came to life.  Many times we over look the most important part of our creation and that is the fact that God breathed the breath of life into our nostrils so we could become a living person. Without the breath of life, our bodies would simply be like the play-do figures we made as children.  Without the breath of life, our bodies once again return to dust and dirt.

    The breath of life is different for each person.  Some will live long lives on this earth while others will only be here for a short while.  Some will be influential, while others will be  influenced. Some will desire to know God, while others will reject God.  Some will put their faith in Christ, while others will deny Him. Some will believe in Heaven and Hell, while others will say this is all there is.  Some will believe there are many ways to Heaven, while others will believe there is only one way to Heaven. Some will seek religion, while others will seek a personal relationship with God. The fact that you are breathing and have the breath of life is a gift from God; how you use this gift is up to you. I don’t know about you, but I want to make everyday count, because I never know when today, may be my last day!

    Today, how will you take advantage of the breath of life that God has given you?

    [youversion=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzPukrs6cwg]

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 1

    “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” v.1 (NLT)

    I am excited to be reading through Genesis.  So much of scripture comes back to theses first 5 books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch.  I encourage you to read with me.  Today, I posting one of the notes from my NLT Life Application Study Bible.  This is the Bible I read from, and highlight in on regular basis.  One day I hope to pass it on to my family so they can be challenged in changed by it as much as I have.

    When we read Genesis 1, we see where all this stuff that we know as life begins. Some choose to believe while others choose to reject theses thing.  What you choose to believe will impact how you live, and what you teach your children.  This has never been more important to me than it is right now with my boys getting older.  I don’t want to answer their questions with, it’s in the Bible. I want to be able to show them where and begin a dialogue with them so they can begin to wrestle with the basic and deeper things of God as they grow to know Him.  Here’s what’s important to understand about verse 1.

    “This simple statement that God created the heavens and the earth is one of the most challenging concepts confronting the modern mind. The vast galaxy we live in is spinning at the incredible speed of 490,00 miles an hour. But even at this breakneck speed, our galaxy still needs 200 million years to make one rotation. And there are over one billion other galaxies just like ours in the universe.

    Some scientist say that the number of starts in creation is equal to all the grains of all the sands on all the beaches of the world. Yet this complex sea of spinning stars functions with remarkable order and efficiency. To say that the universe ‘just happened’ or ‘evolved’ requires more faith than to believe that God is behind these amazing statistics. God truly did create a wonderful universe.

    God did not need to create the universe; he chose to create it. Why? Because God is love, and love is best expressed toward something or someone else – so God created the world and people as an expression of his love. We should avoid reducing Gods creation to merely scientific terms. Remember that God created the universe because he loves us.”

    Today, look for evidences of God the Creator and then thank him for all the things He has made and blessed you with.

    Read it all: Genesis 1.

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 15

    “So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.” v. 15 (NLT)

    Have you ever been caught in the middle?  The crowd says one thing but you know God says another.  These are tough times where we have to make decisions based on what we know is right.  Although Jesus was innocent to Roman Law, Pilate caved in to political pressure.  He abandoned what he knew was right.  Trying to second-guess the Jewish leaders, Pilate gave a decision that would please everyone while keeping himself safe. When we ignore God’s clear statements of right and wrong and make decisions based on the preference of the crowd, we fall into compromise and lawlessness.  God promises to honor those who do right, not those who make everyone happy.

    Today, take a stand for what you know is right!  Yes, it might be difficult, but is compromise really a better option?

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 14

    “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” v 38 (NLT)

    Let’s be honest, we may not face execution for our faith, but we will probably face many problems that wear us down.  We deal with irritating people whom we must love and serve; we face the burden of unfinished tasks or lack of obvious results; we cope with helpers who let us down of fail to comprehend.  Remember that in times of great stress, we are vulnerable to temptation, even if we have a willing spirit.  Jesus explained how to resist this from happening:

    1. Keep Watch – stay awake and be morally vigilant
    2. Pray to God – this is how to maintain your vigilance
    3. Seek support of friends and loved ones – this is how you build up your resistance and help others; when one is weak, others are strong.
    4. Focus on the purpose God has given you – This is how you do Gods will not your own.
    Today, stay a step ahead of temptation by praying and knowing your triggers.  Trust the Lord and call out to Him! Fight the temptation with the power given by the Holy Spirit!