Dan Gould

Category: Bible Challenge

  • Acts 8:1-25

    “But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.” v. 4 (NLT)

    After the stoning of Steven, Saul who agreed with Stephens stoning went from house to house putting Christ Followers in jail.  This caused the early church to spread out into other areas of that region because of persecution.  People were leaving Jerusalem and moving to other towns for safety.  Thus again fulfilling what Jesus said,

    “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)

    Even though the early church was scattering because of persecution it didn’t stop the early believers from sharing the Good News.  Because of their commitment and boldness, the church kept growing.  People were turning from their sin and coming into a relationship with God.  God was using ordinary people to bring the extraordinary message of Christ to others and He desires to use you and I in the same ways.

    The Real Question for us Today is: Are we, you and I, willing to tell others about Jesus wherever we go? Why or why not?

  • Acts 7

    “You stubborn people! You are heathen[l] at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

    54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.[m] 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

    57 Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him 58 and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.[n]

    59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.”             v. 51-60 (NLT)

    Have you ever had to take a stand for Christ where you didn’t know the outcome would be?  In America, we don’t know what it is like to fear loosing our life because we are Christians.  We think we experience extreme persecution when someone rejects us or mocks us for Christ.  While in other parts of our world people die because of the name of Christ.   Stephen is the first Christian who is killed for his faith.  He didn’t hold back and shared the truth with boldness, regardless of the outcome.

    What would it look like if we had boldness like Stephen taking a stand for Christ no matter the cost?  What does that look like for us in the workplace, at school, in our neighborhood.  We may never have a life or death situation, but everyday we have an opportunity to represent Christ to those around us.  When those moment arise may we step out in faith and trust that the Holy Spirit will guide our word and actions.

  • Acts 6

    “But as the believers[a] rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.”              v. 1 (NLT)

    The church is growing and God is moving but yet there are Rumblings of discontent!  Sadly many churches have people who feel discontent toward their church.  Why?  Great question, that probably has many answers.  However in this situation, the rumblings were caused by the lack of communication do to some language barriers.  It was easily fixed by appointing others to take on a new task in the early church.  By doing this, it allowed the Apostles to continue to teach, and gave others a chance to serve.

    The question for us today is two fold. As leaders, how are we dealing with disontented people?  Is there an opportunity for others to get involved to solve the problem?  As believers, lets do our best to make situations better not worse.  Satan wants nothing more than to divide the church and we have to work hard to protect it’s unity.  If you see a situation that you don’t agree with or don’t understand, find out ways you can help by getting involved.  Maybe God could use you like he did these people in this passage so the Church can continue to move forward seeing many come to know Christ.

  • Acts 5:17-42

    “But Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.[b] 31 Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. 32 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.’” v. 30-32 (NLT)

    Faith Under Fire! The Apostles have been imprisoned because of their teachings about Christ.  When questioned again, after being put in jail and released by an Angel of the Lord, Peter, without regard, tells the council that they will not be quiet and it is better for them to please the Lord and do what He says than to please the Council and stop teaching about Christ and using the power that is found in His Name.

    The Apostles had a bold faith!  They understood that they could be killed for what they were teaching and doing, but it didn’t stop them.  They had a reckless abandonment for Jesus!  Nothing else could compare to Him, or stop them from telling others about Him.  They would rather please God then please man.

    Sometimes you cant please both God and man!  When this happens, it is better to please God and trust in His promise found in Luke 6:22

    “What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.” Luke 6:22 (NLT)

  • Acts 5:12-16

    “But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord – crowds of both men and women.” v 13-14

    I am thinking about this verse and statement today:

    What makes Christianity attractive? It is easy to be drawn to churches because of programs, good speakers, size, beautiful facilities, or fellowship. People were attracted to the early church, however, by expressions of God’s power at work; the generosity, sincerity, honesty, and unity of the members; and the character of the leaders. Have our standards slipped? God wants to add believers to his church, not newer and better programs or larger and fancier facilities. – NLT Life Application Study Notes

    I would love to hear your thoughts!

  • Acts 4:32-37

    “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.” v. 32

    Unity is a powerful thing!  The early church understood it’s importance and therefore made sure that everyone was taken care of.  This is still the model for the church today.  It’s not something that happens naturally in our culture due to the lure of materialism.  But a church that stand united, focused on Christ and helping others.  It is a church that will stand the test of time and see God do wonderful things in their midst (like the early church).  A church that stand divided will be a church that doesn’t reach it’s full potential because people are headed in several different directions.

    We can learn a lot from the early church.  This was a church starting in very dangerous times, but they pulled together, stayed focused on Christ, committed to each other, made appropriate personal sacrifice, and had tremendous follow-through.  The early church was blessed by God because the were a blessing to God, and all the believer played a part in making the early church what is was.

    Today, think about your church!  Is your church unified or divided? What role are you playing in your church?  How can you make a difference?  Do you protect the unity of the church you attend?  It’s a powerful thing when the Church is United, and each of us has an important role!!!!

  • Acts 4:23-31

    “When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: . . . After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.” v. 24; 31

    Prayer changes everything when it comes from a pure heart.  In what seemed to be their greatest hour, Peter and John have come back to report what had happened to them as they faced the council.  The disciples at this time had a choice, to run and leave behind what Jesus had taught, or to press in and believe that He would be faithful to His teachings.  Instead of running, they pray.  This wasn’t just a whining prayer, this prayer was asking God to help them endure this tough road that could get even tougher.

    God hears their prayer and shows up in a big way through the promised Holy Spirit.  The Bible says that they (everyone) preached the Word of God with Boldness.  The same is true for us today!

    The power of the Holy Spirit first came with the attitude of prayer!  Are you facing a tough situation?  Have you taken the time to talk to God about it?  When you do you unlock the power of God for that situation.  Give it a try today and see if prayer doesn’t impact and empower you and your situation.

  • Acts 4:4-22

    “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” v. 13

    This passage is so awesome!  Here you have Peter and John who heal a crippled beggar at the temple, Peter tells the crowd that gathered in amazement about Jesus, then the two of them, Peter and John are arrested.  After they are questioned, the council concludes that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures.

    This is faith under fire!!!  Peter and John did what Jesus would have done and they taught as Jesus would have taught.  Because of this, they were arrested and told not to talk about such things anymore, but instead they responded with this statement;

    “’Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.’” v. 19 – 20

    When your faith is tested, how do you respond?  When you hit opposition, do you move forward or shrink back?   Let’s be bold and faithful to the things and places the Lord has called us too.  Let’s remember His teachings and His Life and tell others about His Grace and Forgiveness, even if some do try to keep us quiet!

    Father give me boldness that’s not careless, but intentional, passionate, and relational to those I come in contact with!  May they see Jesus in me!

  • Acts 3

    “But Peter said, ‘I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene,[a] get up and[b] walk!’” v. 6

    This was the very first verse I ever lead a devotional on, when I was in College for our Jamacican Mission Team.  As I read it today, I am reminded of that devo and challenged to make the most of every opportunity.

    Peter could have easily walked by this man ignoring him like everyone else, but he stops and acknowledges him.  Peter didn’t necessarily have what the man wanted, but Peter had something the man needed, Jesus.

    Jesus had the power to change this man completely, all Peter had to do was be available to be used by God to impact this person.  But the story doesn’t end there.  This event drew a crowd beacuse the begger was drastically cxhanged and praising God for what had happened to him.  Again, Peter steps up with boldness and proclaims the message of Christ to the people that had gathered there at the Temple.

    Opportunities await us everyday.  Do we take the time to be used by God, or do we ignore those opportunities and move on to something else, maybe a litte easier, less demanding, or requiring nothing from us.  When we ignore the opportunity, we miss out on the potential of that moment.  Let’s be like Peter, and offer what we have, a relationship with Jesus, it may not be what others are asking for, but it is what they truly need, because Jesus has the power to change everything!

  • Acts 2:42-47

    “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[a]), and to prayer.

    43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[b]—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”

    What are the first thoughts that come to mind when you read this passage?  Leave a comment so we can learn from each other!