Dan Gould

Category: Bible Challenge

  • 1 Corinthians 15:33

    “Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for ‘bad company corrupts good character.’” v. 33

    Paul addresses the debate about the Resurrection of the dead, claiming that the Resurrection has to happen or the faith we proclaim is a false faith.  In doing this he makes this statement about the people and environments we allow ourselves to be a part of.  These people and places have an affect on us.  They can be places of encouragement, inspiration, and accountability, or they can be places of trouble, selfishness, and disobedience.

    The fact is this, the people and places we spend our time influence what we do, say, and believe.  How are the people around you and the places you spend your time impacting you, your witness, and the Kingdom?

  • 1 Corinthians 13

    “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” v. 1

    Love!  Its such a big word that is miss used so often.  We throw it around like we do a football on a Sunday Afternoon.  Because of this we have lost what it means to love others the way the Bible describes.  We have become good at saying we love, maybe we even sound convincing, but the real test of true love is found in our actions.  When our actions and our words don’t match we have a problem.

    This past weekend we had a conference and the theme of the conference was LiveLove!  It challenged us to look for way to love others and share Christ with them.  Here are my two thoughts when it comes to loving others.

    Experience God’s Love PERSONALLY!

    As I grow older, my love for God grows stronger with each day and challenge I face, why?  Because I am spending more time with Him and getting to know Him deeper personally.  This has major impacts on my personal life and bleeds into how I treat myself and others.  If I don’t experience God’s love personally, I will not be able to do this next action.

    Express God’s Love PUBLICLY!

    Because of my personal experience, I can share and express God’s love to others.  You can’t express what you don’t know or haven’t experienced.  That’s why the Bible says that that having the right things to say, or even knowing what and how to say things doesn’t mean you genuinely love that person.  If our words and our actions don’t match up we sound like a gong or clanging cymbal.

    Today, lets begin by thanking God for His love and spending time with Him.  As we begin to do this consistently, our love for HIm will grow deeper because of His love for us and we will begin to be people that truly LiveLove!

  • Romans 12

    “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.” v. 1-2

    This is one of my favorite passages in the scriptures.  It truly talks about what it means to Love God and Love Other.  One of the things I told the students this last weekend was that out Private Worship impacts our Public Presence.  This is so true.  Being a living Sacrifice isn’t easy.  There are many times that I want to get up off the altar and do what I want to do instead of what the Lord wants me to do.  I want to please myself instead of pleasing Him.  As you read this today, how can you be that living sacrifice?  What are the things that you need to give up in order to be the person God has created you to be, and love others the way the way it is described here . . .

    “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,[e] and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.[f] 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

    14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

    17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

    19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

    “I will take revenge;
    I will pay them back,”[g]
    says the Lord.

    20 Instead,

    “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
    If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
    In doing this, you will heap
    burning coals of shame on their heads.”[h]

    21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

    Romans 12:9-21

    Today, who will you live for and how will you live?

  • Romans 8:19-39

    “And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” v.28

    This has been a verse that several people have sent me over the last couple of weeks concerning the challenges we have faced with Jackson.  This verse doesn’t promise that good things will always happen but that God will bring good things out of the process.  Whatever situation we face, if we have a relationship with Jesus we are not alone!  During the good times and the bad times He is shaping us into His image so we can be more like Him.

    The reality is this, as we face difficult times, it’s easy to want to blame God or think something is wrong and that God is punishing us.  I don’t believe that to be the case.  We live in a sin filled fallen world and the Enemy tries to do anything he can to get our eyes off of Jesus, to cause us to doubt our relationship with Him, or even cause us to lose hope and give up.  These times can be scary if we don’t keep our faith rooted in Christ, better yet, even with our faith in Christ, they are scary, but the good news is that God is with us every step of the way.  As we seek Him, he comforts us and gives us the hope we need for every situation thrown our way and in this process, he teaches us and makes us more like Christ.

    What about you?  What are some challenges you are facing?  Have you asked God for His strength and understanding, or have you put God on pause and tried to solve them yourself?  Today, give those challenges to the Lord, because the Bible says that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the GOOD of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

  • Roamns 8:1-17

    “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.”  v. 5-8 (NLT)

    What do you find yourself thinking about?  I guess you could say it depends on where you are at the moment, and that would be a correct statement.  However, every moment is filled with a choice.  The choices we make in the moment will determine our actions and reveal what we are thinking.  Because of our sinful nature we are bent to think about sinful things over Spiritual things, but in order to be the person God has called us to be we have to change the way we think and begin to think about Spiritual things.

    Today, when moments happen, stop and think about what you should do, how you should respond, what you should be thinking about.  Don’t miss the opportunity to allow the Spirit to lead you, convict you, encourage you, empower you, or use you.  Remember, our goal is to become more like Christ everyday, and today we have the opportunity to take our thoughts captive and turn them into something pleasing to God!

  • Romans 5:1-11

    Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

    3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

    6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

    Ever faced a challenge, problem, or temptation?  How did you handle it?  In this passage, Paul encourages us to remember who we are in Christ and to not lose heart under difficult situations.  Seek the Lord and He will grow you and develop you into the person He wants you to become!  Take heart, pray and seek the Lord, He is with you!

  • Acts 24-28

    “‘But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets. 15 I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous. 16 Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people.” 21:14-16 (NLT)

    When the odds are against you what do you do?  Paul, doesn’t back down and stands on the Truth of the Gospel, not just once but several times in front of several officials and a King.  Each time he declares what he believes and how Jesus changed his life.  Because no-one can find it worthy to kill Paul as the Jewish leaders desire, they choose to hold him in prison, set another trial with a different leader, and the finally send him to Rome to be heard by Caesar.  In this time, he is held as a prisoner, is involved in a ship wreck, bitten by a snake, heals the sick, teaches about Christ, and writes most of the New Testament.  It would have been easy for Paul to give up, but the good news for you and I is the fact that he doesn’t.  Because of his faithfulness to the Lord, Paul’s letters are still impacting people today!

    Paul faced extreme odds!  He could have given up and thrown a pity party, woe is me, but instead he took advantage of every situation by remaining faithful and sharing the truth with his words, spoken and written.  When the odds are against you, what do you do?

  • Acts 23

    “Gazing intently at the high council,[a] Paul began: ‘Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!’” v. 1 (NLT)

    What a statement!  Paul says he has a clear conscience, and he is not ashamed of the way he lives.  That’s confidence; and he has that confidence because he lives pure before the Lord.

    How about you?  Can you say you have always lived before God with a clear conscience?  Is purity something you pursue?  Lets take a test

    • Do you have a clear conscience about the things you watch on TV, the Movies you see, or the Music you listen to?
    • Do you have a clear conscience about the conversations you have publicly and privately?
    • Do you have a clear conscience about your actions and reactions to people or situations?
    • Do you have a clear conscience about your private life as well as your public life?

    I am sure the list could go on, but the goal for us is to become more like Christ!  Let’s begin and be reminded that we have this awesome opportunity to walk with God, to be used by God, and to see God do great things, but we have to be ready for it.  If we are living in ways that aren’t pure we limit our experience with God, lesson our effectiveness for His Kingdom, and live with out a clear conscience.  This in return steals our joy, peace, and confidence.

    Today, let’s examine ourselves, and begin to live pure in a dirty world!

  • Acts 22

    “‘Brothers and esteemed fathers,’ Paul said, ‘listen to me as I offer my defense.’ 2 When they heard him speaking in their own language,[a] the silence was even greater.” v. 1-2 (NLT)

    The power of a Story!  When standing in front of the crowd Paul shared his story of how he came to faith in Christ.  The crowd was silent and listened intently, until he declared that God had told him to go to the Gentiles.  Upon hearing this the crowd was angered and wanted to kill Paul.  They rejected the fact that God would send someone to the Gentiles, therefore they rejected Paul and the message.

    Sometimes when we share our story, people may reject it, or even reject us.  However, that shouldn’t stop us from sharing.  I don’t know if the stat is still true, but it was said, that it takes a person 7 times to hear the Gospel before they put their faith in Christ.  Every time you share the Gospel, remember it not you who saves that person, it’ Gods work.  We are simply supposed to be faithful and share so God receives the Glory.  If they accept Jesus as their Lord, praise God!  If they reject Jesus as Lord, pray for them that someone else would share with them the good news.  Let’s do our part and let God do his part!

  • Acts 21

    “But he said, ‘Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.’ 14 When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’” v. 13-14 (NLT)

    How do you handle bad news or tough situations?  Lets face it Paul hasn’t had an easy time sharing the Good News of Christ!  He has been beaten and left for dead, questioned by other believers, and now told that when he goes to Jerusalem, he is going to be bound by chains.

    However, Paul considered all of these things (jail, beaten, out-cast) better than not being faithful to the Lord.  He knew that God had called him to preach and teach about Jesus, it wasn’t going to be easy but he also knew that’s what God had called him to do!

    What has God called you to do?  Are you doing it faithfully?  Have you run into some difficulties that require you to be faith-filled and faithful?  Don’t give up, stay the task, ask God for help, let Him be your strength and press through.  You do your part, and let God do His!!!