Dan Gould

Category: Bible Challenge

  • Mark 6:1-6

    Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” v.4 (NLT)

    Jesus understands rejection, ridicule, and disappointment.  Sometimes the hardest people to share the Truth of the Gospel with are the people that are closest to us.  I find it interesting that the people were amazed by His teaching and the power He had to perform miracles, but when they started talking about who He was and where He came from they started to scoff, discredit, and reject the things He was saying.

    Here is the lesson for us.  The Gospel is powerful, it can change the hardest heart, but sometimes people will reject it and the messenger that brings it.  If Jesus experienced this, why should we think that it can’t happen to us.  Here are four reasons I think this happens

    • People are afraid of the things they cant explain! (fear)
    • People are comfortable in the here and now! (complacency)
    • People think they are ok! (pride)
    • People don’t want to deal with their stuff (guilt)

    I am sure there are way more reasons that people have to not accepting the the Gospel, but these are ones that I hear more than others.  Remember, our job is not to change them, our job is to share Christ with them.  The way that they respond, is up to them.

    Today: Are you sharing the Gospel with the people that are closest to you?  Have you experienced some rejection?  If so, it’s ok, even Jesus was rejected by those that knew Him the most!

    Prayer: Father help rest in the Good News, knowing that it has the power to transform the softest and hardest heart.  Help us to share your truth with the people that are closest to us.  Help us to love them unconditionally regardless of how they respond to the Gospel.  Let us not seek their approval or their applause but, let us seek to please you, for you have done great things for us.  Let us experience your power and your peace as we boldly proclaim your truth and your love for us!  Advance your Kingdom through us!

  • Mark 5:21-42

    “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith!” v. 36 (NLT)

    In this passage we see fear expressed in two similar but different ways.  Both however reveal that Jesus has the power over life and death.

    • The woman was fearful that her condition disqualified her from meeting Jesus.  She desperately wanted Jesus to heal her, but she knew that her bleeding would cause Him to be unclean under Jewish law if she touched him.  Therefore she tried the sneak attack!  She believed if she could just touch Him, she would be healed … and she was.  Sometimes we feel that our problems will keep us from God.  Our shame, our situation, or what others might think, say, or do, keeps us trapped from experiencing the Life Changing Power of Jesus. The good news is that He is always ready to help, no matter how impossible the problem seems to us.  We should never allow our fear to keep us from approaching Him!
    • Jairus was fearful that it was too late.  He had sought Jesus, but now he’s just gotten word that his daughter is dead.  In the midst of confusion, anger,  mourning and serious crisis, Jesus says these powerful words, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith!“ These words speak to us today.  These words bring both hope and promise. The next time we feel hopeless and afraid, we need to remember these words and let them go deep into our heart. The situation we are facing may be intense, but Jesus can calm our fears and help us through any situation.

    Today, where do you need to experience Jesus? Is there something that you are holding back in fear?  Maybe its fear or maybe its shame, whatever it is, Jesus can bring healing to that situation if you will seek Him.

    Prayer: Father, we need you in every situation.  Help us not to hide in the crowd!  When things get intense, help us to not be afraid but to trust you completely.  Increase our faith, so we can experience the miracle! In our darkest hour let us remember that you never let go!

  • Mark 5:1-20

    “When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, ‘Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!’ 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, ‘Come out of the man, you evil spirit.‘” v. 6-8 (NLT)

    There is a powerful and interesting thing that happens when people meet Jesus.  This particular encounter is one of my favorites because it shows the Radical Life Changing power of Jesus.  This man, a social outcast, who cannot be restrained by chains any longer, walks around the burial caves and hills howling and cutting himself.  This guy was scary, I don’t see him being invited to many social gatherings.

    However, this man has an encounter with Jesus!  Jesus looks beyond the physical and see the spiritual and transforms this man from the inside out.  The people didn’t know how to respond to this.  In, fact:

    “the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.”  v. 17 (NLT)

    It’s interesting to me that people respond to Jesus in such different ways.  Many times people, hear about Jesus, see how He changes others from the inside out, but still want nothing to do with Him.  While others respond to what they have heard and seen and are willing to allow Him to change them from the inside out.

    Today, how do you respond to Jesus? Are you letting Him transform you from the inside out?

    Prayer: Father, help us see the spiritual not only the physical.  Help us to see our need for you first, so we can see how much others need you also.  Let us respond in faith, instead of fear so we can experience the radical life changing power of Jesus. Let our story and life be a testimony so others can see the power of Jesus and be open to what He could do in theirs also!

  • Mark 4:35-41

    “Then he asked them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?‘” v. 40 (NLT)

    The Storm!  Probably one of the most intense experiences the Disciples had with Jesus.  They were fearful for their life! They had done all they could, the boat was taking on water and Jesus was sleeping as if they were on a peaceful boat ride.  In a panic they woke Him!  Calmly Jesus stands up and say’s, “Silence! Be Still!” Suddenly the wind stopped and the waves calmed.  Then he asked “The Question.”

    Fear is a real thing.  It can challenge our beliefs, sideline us from trying something new, or paralyze us from stepping out in Faith.  In Fact, Fear is the total opposite of Faith.

    Storms will come and go.  Some will be more intense than others.  But how we respond to these storms is important.  Fear will be our natural response.  It causes us to internalize the situation, causing us to look for immediate answers, or a quick fixes.  Faith however, causes us to focus on Jesus instead of the storm.  It allows us to look outside ourselves, develops our character, opens our life to experience a miracle and the peace of God. Jesus can make a difference no matter how weak or fierce the storm you are facing is! The question is, are you stepping back in fear or stepping out in faith?

    Today, what storm do you need to put faith in Jesus?

    Prayer: Father, I admit, sometimes I step back in fear, instead of stepping out in faith.  I know that you have the power to handle any storm that comes my way.  Even if I don’t understand why things happen the way they do, let me trust you with each situation, the good and the bad.  Grow my Faith and develop my character, so the storms become smaller and smaller now matter how intense they are.

  • Mark 4:13-20

    Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”  v. 13-20 (NLT)

    We all respond to Truth differently.  In this passage Jesus uses a word picture of a farmer planting seed to help explain what takes place in peoples heart when they hear the Gospel.  The way we respond is an indication of what type of heart we have when we hear that truth.

    • The footpath = a HARD HEART
      Sometimes we hear truth and before it can penetrate our heart we move on to something else. However, sometimes we hear the truth and reject it completely.  Either way, we have made a choice to not respond to the truth and allow it to begin it to take root in our heart.
    • The rocky soil = a SHALLOW HEART
      Sometimes we respond to the truth with much excitement, but then lose that excitement when things get difficult or the newness begins to wear off.  We lack the discipline of taking care of that truth that has been planted in our heart.
    • The thorny soil = a CROWDED HEART
      Sometimes we respond to the truth excitement, develop some disciplines to take care of the truth, but when it comes time for others to see the truth that we have, we let their opinions or our fear keep that truth trapped inside us.  When we do this, we let other things crowd out the truth and keeps that truth from producing fruit and naturally planting more seed around us.
    • The good soil = a SOFT HEART
      Sometimes we respond to the truth with excitement, develop some disciplines to take care of the truth, share that truth with others around us, and then we get to see that truth begin to take root in another persons life. When we do this, we allow God to use us in a powerful way!

    Notice that all of these soils/hearts had the same seed/truth given to them.  The difference was how they responded to that truth.

    Today, how do you respond to truth? I don’t know about you, but I want to have a soft heart that allows others to see the truth and then experience it themselves.  Will you join me?

    Prayer: Father, I want to have a soft heart and receive the truth in away that it changes me and has the opportunity to change the lives of the people around me.  Help me to have a disciplined life that protects and allows that that truth to be deeply rooted in my heart.  Help me to not let fear, or the crowd around me keep me from sharing the truth that I have received.

  • Mark 4:1-9

    “Then Jesus said, ‘Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.’” v. 9 (NLT)

    Do you hear me now?  Let’s face it, we hear the things we pay attention to.  When you are sitting in a restaurant and hear a popular song in the background, you begin to listen closer to the background music, maybe even sing along.  The reality is that the background music was always being played, you just didn’t hear it until it caught your attention and you focused on what you were hearing.

    In this passage Jesus is saying that people will hear what He has to say but not focus on what they are hearing.  For some people, His words will come across loud and clear, while others will be to consumed with the busyness of life that His words will just be playing in the back ground.

    To truly hear Jesus’ words it means that I have to listen to Him, I have to believe what He says, I have to use what He says immediately in my decisions, attitudes, and every aspect of life.  His words have life changing power.  When I begin to have ears that hear, I begin to understand the things of God, my hearts begin to break for the things that break His, and He begins to transform me from the inside out.

    Today, will you hear Him, will you focus on His Word, or will His words continue to play as background music in your busy life?

    Prayer: Father, helps to have ears to hear, eyes that are open and hearts that are responsive to the things you are saying.  Help us to focus on your word so we can experience it in powerful ways.  Change us by it, so we begin to influence others with the things we have heard, believed, and applied.

  • Forgiveness …

    “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

    On Sunday I am supposed to teach on the fact that love is forgiving. This is something that I have taught several times … however, this time I am wrestling with what to say. As believers this is something we claim and thankful to receive but when it comes to the way we treat others we struggle with it. Can it be as simple as love God and Love others, Experience Forgiveness and Express Forgiveness? Can Truth be found in the midst of this simplicity?  Do we make it harder than it should be?  When we teach it do we try to find something that is hidden, and when we don’t see it, feel like there has to be something we are missing?  Does it always have to be packaged differently for it to be life changing?

    I don’t know about all of that, but I know that forgiveness is crucial for me to have a relationship with God, with others, and to even be able to live with myself.  Maybe that’s where we need to focus. When we experience God’s love, it allows us to understand who we are so we can truly love others and express forgiveness to them.  Jesus says it like this

    “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT)

    Today, have you experienced Gods forgiveness and love?  Have you reflected on the depths of that love and forgiveness and thanked God for it?  Are you expressing that same type of forgiveness and love to others?

    Prayer: Father help us experience the forgiveness and love that you offer.  Let us reflect on what that means for us so we can express that same type of forgiveness and love to others.  This is truly what the Gospel is all about.  Let us not just say it with mere words but show it with our actions and lifestyle so that others can see you by our life and the way we treat them!

  • Mark 3:20-30

    “One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. ‘He’s out of his mind,’ they said.” v. 20-21 (NLT)

    Sometimes our families are the most difficult places to be a witness for Jesus.  To be the first or only Christian may go against the grain.  Your faith may be misinterpreted as criticism.  Your zeal may be misunderstood.  You may be accused of being a hypocrite because other areas of your life still fall short of Christ’s ideals.  Uncommitted people may even view your new commitment to the Bible as unreasonable bigotry.

    Sometimes, family members require the most patience.  They see us at our worst when our guard is down.  Remember that Christ’s family rejected and ridiculed him.  Jesus knows what you face by trying to be a witness for him within your family.  Stay true to your faith.  Don’t respond negatively to the attacks that may come.  Over time, your love for your family will have a positive effect.  – NLT Life Application Study Bible

    Today, thank God for your family. Commit to pray for them specifically by asking God to reveal Himself to them in a powerful way.  Stay true to Christ’s teaching and set an example for them, because they are watching!

    Prayer: Father help us to love our family with the unconditional love you have shown us.  When times get tough, and others don’t understand us, help us not to argue, get defensive, and blow our witness.  Allow us to look for the right opportunities to share the truth in love that we have experienced from you.  Begin now to soften their hearts and prepare to set an example for them to see Christ in us.

  • Mark 3:7-12

    “Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.” v.7-8 (NLT)

    Jesus always drew a crowd! However, not all the people in the crowd would commit to the things he would say, do, or teach.  In fact this crowd was a diverse crowd.  It included …

    The Saints – These were the religious leaders of the day.  They were a holier than tho group that didn’t feel like they need a savior because the were pretty good at keeping most of the law.  In fact, most of them rejected Jesus teachings and looked for way to oppose Him.  However, it didn’t stop them for wanting to be where Jesus was.

    The Skeptics – These were people who had heard about Jesus, but had a lot of questions.  They wanted to see with their own eyes the things they were hearing so they could make an opinion on their own about who He really was.  Many of them watched from a distance but never applied the things they heard or saw.  They didn’t totally buy into His life and teachings.

    The Sinners – These were the people who had heard, and believed Jesus was who He said He was, and He could, and would, do the things He said He would do.  These people understood who they were, and how much they needed Him.  They took the things they saw and heard to heart.  They had experienced Jesus and wanted others to experience Him also, so they began telling other about Him.

    Let’s face it, every crowd is made up of different people.  They may look the same on the outside, but what’s going on on the inside can be much different.  Each person has to decide how they respond to Jesus, some will respond in a prideful way, like the saints, and see no need for God, others will not respond at all and stay skeptical, while some will admit who they are and trade that for WHO HE is and what He has done to restore us to God.

    Today, which face are you?  Are you a saint, a skeptic, or a sinner?

    Prayer: Father, help us realize and admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Show us the areas that we are prideful and skeptical.  Grow our faith so we can trust you with everything, not just the easy things that don’t require faith, but the hard things that cause us to question.

  • Mark 3:1-6

    “He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.” v.5-6 (NLT)

    It’s a sad day when we are in the presence of Jesus but miss Him.  The Pharisees of all people should have been rejoicing in the fact that Jesus had come, was teaching about the Kingdom of God, that people were responding and experiencing healing both physically and spiritually.Instead, they would watch, murmur, and plot to kill Him.  Why, because they didn’t believe that Jesus was who He said He was!  Their hearts had become hard and prideful.  Jesus was doing things that they had never seen before and instead of getting to know Him, they rejected Him and tried to find fault with everything He did.

    It’s sad! The Pharisees were the religious leaders of their day, they knew everything about Him, but never knew Him!  They lived out the law to the enth degree, they were in church every Sunday, their prayers were long and they probably used big words, they even had a public ministry because of their schooling, others saw them as spiritual leaders, but they missed Jesus.  They were more focused on their appearance instead of the condition of their heart.  They got busy doing the work of God, and forgot about being with God.  Don’t be like the pharisees and miss Jesus.  Jesus desires truth and focuses on the heart, and Satan desires deception and focuses on appearance. Don’t go though the motions, and miss the personal relationship!

    Today, will you know about Jesus, or will you Know Jesus?  Will you let your pride fall so He can have the highest place in your life?

    Prayer: Father, I don’t want to miss you.  There may be things I don’t understand, but I long for truth and want to find answers. If I can’t find answers to some of the questions, let me have the faith to believe your Truth.  Take away my prideful spirit that wants to creep up so often, and allow me to have a soft heart that desires to know you!