Dan Gould

Category: Bible Challenge

  • Hebrews 3

    “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.  Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.” v.12-14 (NLT)

    The condition of your heart is important, not just in a physical sense but in a spiritual and eternal sense.  I have been thinking about this statement and even see this fleshed out in my own kids lives – What you hear, you believe, and what you believe you become!  I think these words are so true, that is why this warning is something we need to hear and pay attention to so we don’t become a “remember when … ?” type of person.

    Here’s what I mean by that last statement, I have seen people get excited for God at a camp. a retreat, a church service, but something happens where they went a different way.  When I talk with them or see them I always want to ask, “Remember when …? What happened?”  I have asked some people this question and they have told me they didn’t know, it just happened.  Or they go on to list all the things that have caused them to loose their excitement, their dedication, and discipline to and for things of God.  It always sadden me when this happens.  But I have to be honest, this is something, if I am not careful, WILL happen to me.  It is, something if you’re not careful, WILL happen to you.

    You see our hearts turn away from the Living God when we stubbornly refuse to believe him, refuse to listen to him, and refuse to surrender completely to him. (there’s a sermon right there) The scary result is this, if we continually refuse to believe, listen, and surrender, God will eventually leave us alone in our sin.  It’s a scary place when we are calloused to the things of God.  But how do we know if this has happened and is true in our own lives.  Great question, and here is my answer.  You have to ask yourself, “Are there things in my life now, that use to cause conviction but don’t anymore?  This is a question you need to give a lot of thought to on a regular basis.  You have to wrestle with this question on your own, not in a legalistic way, but in an honest way.  That’s why we have to be careful.

    The good news is this, you can prevent this from happening in your life.  Here’s how,

    • Spend time with God on your own!
    • Be careful where you spend your time, what you hear and watch!
    • Connect with other Christians who are seeking the Lord! (there is a difference)
    • Talk about your faith  and what God is teaching you with others!
    • Be aware of your temptations and the attractiveness, deceitfulness, and destruction that sin has and causes!
    • Encourage others! I call this words of life.

    It’s going to take work, bu I believe, if we will do these things, we begin to guard our hearts as it says to do in Proverbs 4:23

    “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

    Today, Be Careful, Guard your Heart, and stay Faithful … the little things matter!

  • Hebrews 2

    “We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17 so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” v. 16-18 (NLT)

    In the Old Testament, the high priest was the mediator between God and his people.  His job was to regularly offer animal sacrifices according to the law and to intercede with God for forgiveness of the peoples sins.  Jesus Christ comes on the scene, stepping down from Heaven and to our world, to represent us on our behalf as our high priest.  Our mediator …. the person who stand before God on our behalf. Because he came to earth as a human being, he understands our weaknesses and shows mercy to us.  He has once and for all paid the penalty for our sins by his own sacrificial death, and he can be depended on to restore our broken relationship with God.  e are released from sin’s domination over us when we commit ourselves fully to Christ, trusting completely in what he has done for us.

    Knowing that Christ suffered pain and faced temptation helps us face our own temptations.  Jesus understands our struggle because he faced the same things.  We can trust Christ to help us survive and overcome temptation.  When you face trials, go to Jesus for strength and patience.  He understands your needs and is able to help.

    Today, when you are tempted, remember that Jesus was tempted also, but resisted the temptation.  Ask him to give you the strength you need to get past the temptation with out giving in!

  • Hebrews 1

    “And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” v.2-3 (NLT)

    As Christ Followers it’s easy to hear something, believe it to be true but then not apply that belief to our own life and situation.  I am guilty of this also.  But these two verses are so powerful in revealing the power of Christ, not only in creation, but in the power to forgive us of sin and impact the day to day details of our lives.

    Hebrews is written not only to defend who Jesus is, but to reveal why Jesus is the Messiah.  This one fact is what separates Christianity from all other religions/cults/beliefs.  Jesus claim in John 14:6 is a bold claim that all of us have to wrestle with.  Look at Jesus words,

    “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 (NLT)

    How do you deal with these words of Jesus?  Do you ignore these words as if you never heard them? Do you deny these words saying that you don’t believe them? Do you believe these words and try to apply them?  How you answer this statement from Jesus is very important!

    I have to be honest, I am really excited to spend some time in the book of Hebrews. I know I have much to learn and hope to share some of these learning each day on this blog.

    Today, who do you say Christ is with your words, thoughts, and actions.  Do you feel like you know him better today than you did yesterday?

  • Stirring – Character

    “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” Proverbs 27:19 (NLT)

    Let’s face it, we have learned to play the game. “Fake it till you make it!” has become our motto in life. At a young age we learn to adapt to situations, groups, lifestyles and so on. We even learn to look good on the outside and hide what going on on the inside. Jesus addressed this when he confronted to the Pharisee’s in Matthew 23. Check it out here:

    “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,[i] and then the outside will become clean, too.” Matthew 23:25-26 (NLT)

    If God is stirring that means He is going after your heart. What is in your heart will eventually be seen in your actions and lifestyle. A person of Character is consistently evaluating the condition of their heart and mind. Their desire is to be like Jesus more and more everyday. Here are some qualities of people who have High Character:

    • They are people of integrity (their public and private lives are consistent)
    • They are truthful
    • They are authentic (what you see is what you get)
    • They stand up for truth, their convictions, and their commitments
    • They are self-controlled
    • They know when to talk and when to be silent
    • Their words and their lifestyle are consistent
    • They are letting God transform them from the inside out

    Being a person of Character simply means doing what is right because it is right. For a Christ Follower, that starts by allowing God to work on the inside, so the inside is revealed on the outside. Please understand that Character development is an ongoing process and doesn’t happen overnight! Everyday we have the opportunity to be transformed. So, with that being said, here’s the bottom line: If God is stirring, and we desire to be used by Him in supernatural ways, we have to become people of Character by allowing God to transform us from the inside out! It starts and ends with Romans 12:1-2,

    “And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

    Today, let’s ask God to change us from the inside out, that we would posses these qualities and become people of character that can be used by Him.

  • Stirring – Accountability

    “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

    When I was 18 this verse was grained in me by my Youth Pastor. He modeled and taught me how important accountability is.  When we look at this verse, it sounds simple!  We all want and have friends.  But this verse goes deeper than just a simple Friendship.  For iron to be sharpened it has to have some kind of friction that make it sharper.  For you to be the person God has created you to be, and then to do the things he is calling you to do, you need to have people in your life that can and will hold you accountable.  These are people you trust. People that love you unconditionally.  These are people you give permission to ask you the hard questions.  You need people that create Godly friction in your life so you will become more like Christ.

    The fact is, we need these people in our life.  Our relationship with Jesus is a personal one, but it’s not intended to be a private one. We need people to help us see the things we don’t see.  We need people to help us own the things that we want to hide.  We need people to hold us up, when we are fighting sin and feel weak. We need people to encourage us with words of life!

    I have been blessed with some great men of God that have held me accountable.  I am in a group right now that is holding me accountable to these 10 things:

    • Have I spent daily time in the Scriptures and in Prayer?
    • Have I had any flirtatious or lustful attitudes, tempting thoughts, or exposed myself to any explicit materials which would not glorify God?
    • Have I been completely above reproach in my financial dealings?
    • Have I spent quality relational time with family and friends?
    • Have I done my 100% best in my job?
    • Have I told any half truths or outright lies, putting myself in a better light to those around me?
    • Have I shared the Gospel with an unbeliever this week?
    • Have I taken care of my body through daily physical exercise and proper eating/sleeping habits?
    • Have I allowed any person or circumstances to rob my joy?
    • Have I lied on any of these answers today?

    Accountability is risky! It makes you vulnerable!  But it doesn’t work unless you are truthful and ask for it.  I can tell you several stories of people, men and women, who have fallen because of a lack of accountability.  Some of these people even had great, Godly people in their lives, but they didn’t allow anyone to love them, ask the hard questions, and help them become the person God created them to be. But I can also tell you stories of victory.  Where someone seeks accountability and God changes that person from the inside out and goes on to use them in great ways.

    Here is the point, God is more concerned with Who you Are, than what You Do!  Many times we forget this and miss the most important things in being a Christ Follower . . . becoming like Christ ourselves.  We need each other and together we can be the people God has created us to be.

    “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”
    Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)

    Today, will you be a person that tries to do this on your own, or will you invite others in so you can be the person God has created you to be?

  • Stirring – Perseverance

    “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 (NIV)

    I have to admit, this is hard … sometimes it’s really hard. As I look back on the last two years of my life there have been times I have questioned my faith, questioned my God, questioned my calling, and questioned my effectiveness. You see when things get tough we panic and think something is wrong, therefore we begin asking the “What’s wrong questions?” Questions like:

    • What did I do to deserve this?
    • God, why aren’t you taking care of this?
    • Did I listen to the wrong voice?
    • Did I make the wrong choice?
    • God, where are you?

    Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions? 

    I have asked these questions and many others.  But here is what I have learned, and trust me … I am still learning, when a situation arises, I need to ask these question, but I also need to decide who I am going to trust.  I can either turn to God and trust Him, or turn away from God and not trust Him.  I can either worry and live in fear, or I can worship and live in faith. But ultimately, the choice is ours.

    I understand that when bad things happen, we are at a loss and begin asking some major questions! I can’t tell you how many times I have had a teenager ask me, “If God is a loving God, why do bad things happen to good people, even Godly people?” That’s a great question and I answer with John 10:10, where Jesus says,

    “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 (NLT)

    We must remember, that we have an enemy.  He is determined to steal, kill, and destroy anything good that God wants to do in our life.  He want’s to steal our joy, so we don’t talk about God’s blessings, He want’s to steal our peace so we question our faith, our God, and our effectiveness, so we don’t talk about God’s faithfulness.  He wants to destroy our confidence, our influence, and our testimony for Christ so it kill’s our ability to be impact others for God’s Kingdom.  Basically he is out to make our life hell on Earth.

    So, the next time a problem arises, ask the right questions, seek the Lord, and trust that He isn’t absent.  Turn the Worry into Worship, the Fear into Faith and let God do the impossible.  Pray Ephesians 3:20 which says,

    “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

    You never know …  your greatest challenge, greatest obstacle, or greatest question, could be the very thing that God uses to show His greatest impact through you.  It could be Gods Refining Fire, that is burning away the impurities from your own life so He can maximize your influence for His Kingdom. Be Faithful!

    Today, Let’s seek the Lord, Trust Him, and turn our Fear into Faith and our Worry into Worship! Let’s press through the tuff time and stay faithful to the Lord!

  • Stirring – Surrender

    “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”John 3:30 (NLT)

    It’s not about me! It never has been about me and it never will be about me.

    I have to be honest, this is something that is easy for me to read, and even say, but in the depths of my heart, I am still very selfish! It’s easy for me to say, “It wasn’t me!” or “It wasn’t my fault!” when things go bad, but when things go good, something changes.  All of a sudden I want the recognition, the praise, the hi fives, and what ever-else you want to give me … I want it all.

    But this word surrender is so deep, honestly way to deep to write about in a blog, but if God is stirring on the inside of me, there has to be an act of surrender that happens also, and it has to happen in these 4 areas for sure:

    • A SURRENDERED HEART!

    This is the first step.  Without a surrendered heart you will remain focused on yourself and miss out on the things that have Eternal value.  If you have never trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, you have never really surrendered your heart.  A surrendered heart breaks for the things that break the heart of God, and stirs within us the desire to be transformed and used by God for His Kingdom.

    • A SURRENDERED WILL!

    This is the outward expression of a surrendered heart.  This is where our actions meet up with our beliefs and our words.  I believe this is what James is going after when he says,

    “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” James 1:22 (NLT)

    Jesus knew this well also.  We see this in the garden when he is talking with God asking if there is any other way to redeem man from sin.  Look at what he prays,

    “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Luke 22:42 (NLT)

    A surrendered will is where follow-through happens.  It’s what allows others to see Christ in us.

    • A SURRENDERED PLAN!

    It’s easy for us to claim this verse in Jeremiah,

    “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”’ Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

    We like this verse because it makes us feel good to know that we have a purpose.  But it says that God knows the plan for us … what if His plan is different than the plan we thought it would be?  What if his plan is different than the plan we have seen in some of our mentors? This is where I have to remember, that God made me to be me, not a carbon copy of someone else.  Therefore, God’s plan for me may be different than the plan He has for someone else.

    Please don’t hear what I am not saying, I feel many times we do something, believe something, and act a certain way based on what we have seen and learned from someone else.  We look at what God is doing in them, how he is using them, and think to ourselves, I have to believe, say, or do, this or that, to have God use me effectively. Don’t get me wrong,  you need Mentors and Godly role models, but remember, God uses these people to help point you to what HE wants to do in you, and through you, not for you to be a mini me of them.  God’s plan may be radically different than the plan that he has/had for the influences in your life. This doesn’t mean that there is a conflict or contradiction. It simply means that God has used someone to influence and encourage you to be who God created you to be and now its time to step up and surrender to the plan God has for YOU!  God may be doing something different in you, don’t be afraid of that, but seek the Lord in that.  Remember what He says in Isaiah,

    “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

    • A SURRENDERED LIFE!

    This is the ultimate goal, that every aspect of our life is surrendered to God.  I believe we live out Romans 12 1-2 when we surrender to these 4 areas.  Let this be our goal today,

    “And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

    Today, who will you surrender to?  The fact is you will surrender to something or someone.  For me, I am working on these 4 things, will you join me?

  • Stirring – Hearing

    “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”    
    Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

    Let’s face it, life is busy.  But I will never forget the words my Youth Pastor told me when I was 18 and giving him the excuse that I was too busy to read my Bible and spend time with God.  He simply looked me in the eye and said, “If you are too busy for God then you are too busy.” Ouch, I’ll never forget that statement.

    Let’s be honest, it’s not that we are to busy, it’s simply we haven’t made that time with God a priority.  I still find this a challenge today.  The older I get the more demands on my time I seem to have.  If I don’t prioritize my time with God, sadly it will be overlooked.  But that’s true for you also.

    Here is the Bottom Line, if we are going to get to know God, be transformed by His love, and impact others for His kingdom, we are going to have to begin to prioritize time with Him to listen, pray, and meditate on Him.

    Here is what it looks like for me in the morning, a cup of coffee (i am getting older), my Bible with 2 highlighters, my laptop and headphones for music.  This has been my routine for sometime now.  It has become a priority and a habit.  However,  it doesn’t stop in the morning.  All day long I listen for God’s voice.  Sometimes it’s loud and obvious and other times it’s a whisper.  But I am learning to listen with my heart, ears and eyes.  I have come to the understanding that God is speaking, but sadly, many times I don’t hear Him because I’m not really listening.

    If God is going to use us as an influence, we have to learn to be still so we can hear Him.  We have to prioritize this time with God because if we don’t, our time will be taken by other things.  These could even be good things, but our time with God is where we get strength, clarity, and confidence.  Jesus knew this well! Many times he left crowds and sent disciples ahead so he could spend time with God.  He knew His time was short, He was busy and always had a crowd, but He knew His greatest impact would only come out of his time of fellowship with God.

    We see this in a big way in his last hours. Jesus could have spent time with others, He could have held a healing service, or taught large groups of people.  But in His last hours as a free man, Jesus spent time with God praying and listening.

    Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” Matthew 26:36 (NLT)

    You see God was preparing Him for his greatest impact, his greatest rejection, and his greatest beating which ultimately lead to His greatest act of kindness and greatest miracle … His Death and Resurrection.

    Jesus knew how important it was to spend time with God!  He knew that without this time his impact and influence could be jeopardized.  He knew how to listen with his ears, eyes, and heart and set an example for us to follow. The question is, do we hear God when He is trying to speak to us?  Have we prioritized our time with Him so we can hear and recognize His voice when He speaks? Do we really believe that it makes a difference?

    Today, let’s ask God to give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart that is open and soft for the things He wants to say.

  • Stirring

    “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

    Have you ever had this feeling that God was about to blow you away?  I’m not talking about striking you down or writing you off.  I’m talking about blowing you away by something He does in you, around you, and possibly even through you.  Has it happened before?  Could it happen again?

    Every time I see this verse I am blown away by Gods ability to use a person like me to advance His Kingdom. I mean, he knows all my failures, the things I wrestle with, and despite all these things, he uses me.  This in itself is a miracle.  However, I believe it is the desire of Gods heart to move through his people and do what we think is impossible.

    Luckily for me I have had some great people in my life that have challenged me, loved me, encouraged me, and held me accountable.  God has used these people in huge ways.  But just like God has used these people in my life, He wants to use me in another persons life.  This is where the stirring begins to happen.

    Being aware that the creator of the universe, loves me, has a purpose for me, and  desires to use me, is the stating point for you and I to see God do the impossible.  It’s the starting point to see Him do infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Have you come to this awareness?  If so, how are you responding?

    I feel that God is on the verge of doing something big in my life, I have no idea what that might be, I just know that He is stirring my heart and my thoughts.  Yes there are times it’s scary.  Sometimes it’s going to be scary because I (we) have to rely on His voice, His power, His wisdom, and His provision.  Peter was scared to step out of the boat, but when he did, he walked on water. Here’s the lesson, if I (we) want to see God sized results, it must not be about me (us) it has to be about Him, and I (we) must keep my (our) eyes on Jesus.

    Over the next couple of days I want to break down some of my thoughts and desires on what God is stirring on the inside of me.  If it can be an encouragement to you, great!  But to be honest, this may be more for me than for you, but you are welcome to join me in this journey … who knows, maybe God is stirring you in the same way He is stirring me.  If that’s the case lets take serious this verse and ask God to prepare us for to be blown away by what He Chooses to do!

    Today, lets ask God to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

  • 1 John 1

    “This is the message we heard from Jesus[c] and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” v. 5-7 (NLT)

    Today you have several choices to make, and the question remains, will you be in the light or in the darkness? Now know that we all try to put on a front and try to look good.  We may be able to fool many people but we can’t fool God.  He knows the condition of our heart and if its desire is to live in the light (publicly and privately) or if it hides in darkness.  Every decision you make forces this reality.

    Today, lets choose to walk in the light, so we can begin to step out of darkness (the things we hide and think no-one will find out about I call it secret sin), and live the life Jesus calls us to live.  He is the light of the world and he shines though us illuminating the path for others.