Dan Gould

  • Family Update

    Several People have been praying and asking about us so I thought i would let everyone know our status.

    We think we have made it out of the tuff days of Jackson’s recovery.  Days 4-7 were really hard, especially at night.  Jackson who normally takes meds very easily and drinks like you wouldn’t believe, started to refuse everything because his throat hurt so bad.  Thankfully, Nana has been here for the duration of Jackson’s surgery and recovery.  It is so helpful having an experienced Mother (not to take away from my wife at all, but Nana thought of stuff that just showed her experience of raising 3 kids).  It will be sad to see her leave tomorrow, maybe she will stay through Sunday, who knows!

    Josiah has been a great big brother.  He prays everyday for our house to sell and for Jackson’s throat to heal.  This week he has memorized Hebrews 13:8 and just today we started working on John 14:6.  So when you see him ask him what his memory verse is.  He is very excited about doing this and also asks every morning if we can have our early time.  That’s what Josiah calls my quiet time.  Today he joined me.  It was so awesome!  I think God is going to use Josiah in a big way!

    I have been developing new habits when it comes to my health.  I have totally cut out cafine.  Which is huge for a guy that would drink coke for breakfast, at every meal, and late into the night.  With this and adding a walking regiment to my week i feel better and have lost about 10 pounds.  While I walk I have been listening to  some podcast of Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, Ed Young Jr, Erwin McManus, Matt Chandler, and Andy Stanley.  It is still knew but I am loving it and being challenged and inspired.

    Stephanie will celebrate her B-day on Tuesday.  She deserve way more than I can give her, but maybe we can celebrate with a date night.  It would be good just for us to be able to get away without the kids and be able to focus on each other for a couple of hours.  Lord knows all of our attention has been on other things over the last couple of weeks.  We had such a great time in Cali to come home to such a intensly stressfull and scary time with Jackson.

    We continue to pray that God would be our provider.  He has been so good to us so far and as I listened to Perry Nobles talk during the one prayer series I want to live dangerously for Jesus.  I want to be a person that focus on what God is going to do next with great excitement and expectation.

  • John 13:1-20

    “Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.[a] 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas,[b] son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 34 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” v. 1-5

    Josiah is joining me this morning for what he calls our early time. A time where we talk with God and read from the Bible.  So Cool!

    Jesus knew His time on earth was coming to an end.  He knew that Judas had already made sold him out like we talked about yesterday.  There are s lot of things that Jesus could have done.  But even until His final days he was a servant to all.  We see this in the way he spent his last meal with his disciples.  Taking on a servants role Jesus washes their feet.  Why is this significant!  2 reasons,

    1.  It teaches the Disciples Humility.  They felt unworthy to have Jesus wash their feet.  In fact Peter tried to refuse to have Jesus wash his feet.  Jesus shows once again that He cam to serve not be served.  By doing this He is teaching his disciples the importance of serving others in love.

    2.  Jesus is commissioning the Disciples for ministry.  Not only are they learning about humility, they are hearing Jesus tell them to remember the things they have talked about and share that with other.

    We have been given the same charge.  Jesus wants us to look at this example and serve other in love and share with them the Good News.

  • Luke 22:1-13

    “Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, 4 and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. 5 They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. 6 So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around.” v.3-6

    What does it mean that Satan entered into Judas?  Great question!  It simply means that Judas was driven by a different voice.  Instead of listening to the voice of Christ, the voice he had heard for the last two-three years, he listened to a different voice.  It was the voice of deception and this voice would cause him to sell out Jesus for some money, leaving him in misery and shame, and causing him to hang himself.

    When we listen to the wrong voice we too will make wrong choices selling out Jesus for something else.  We have to be careful who and what we listen to.  The enemy is deceptive and knows how to spin things to cause us to question or justify our actions.  Instead, we have to learn to resist that voice and that temptation so we can continue to live and enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

    Don’t be a sell out!  Listen to His voice and Live for Him Boldly!

  • Matthew 25:31-46

    “But when the Son of Man[a] comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations[b] will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.” v. 31-33

    God will separate his obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers.  The real evidence of our belief is the way we act.  To treat all persons we encounter as if they were Jesus is no easy task.  What we do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus’ words to us: Feed the hungry, give to homeless a place to stay, look after the sick.  How well do your actions separate you from pretenders and unbelievers? ~ NLT Life Application Study Bible notes

  • Got one down!

    Josiah is starting to memorize scripture with me.  We have been in a series called HABITS on the weekend with our students.  One of the HABITS that has been weak for me is memorizing scripture.  So, I asked Josiah if he wants to do memorize some verses with me, of coarse he said yes.  He is so good he already has our first verse down.  Here is his translation of Hebrews 13:8

    “Jesus Christ is the same the other day, and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

    He is doing so good and it is cute that he says the other day instead of yesterday.  I am excited to see how far this goes for both of us!

  • Matthew 25:1-30

    “He gave five bags of silver[a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.” v.15

    When you look at this verse alone it may not make sense as to why it is important, especially when this passage is a reference to the coming back of Jesus.  But verse 15 is right where you and I are.  We are like these servants that were given bags of silver, however, we have been given different talents, gifts, and resources.  God has given these things to us trusting that we would use them by investing in others.  But the neat thing is . . . He hasn’t given us more than we can handle.  That may sound weird when we think of it in these terms but when you begin to ask the question, how am I handling the things God has given me.  This one question opens up our lives to see just how faithful we are with the things we have been given.

    The NLT Life Application notes today are so challenging,

    The master divided the money among his servants according to thier abilities.  No one recieved more or less than he could handle.  If he failed in his assignment, his excuse could not be that he was overwhelmed.  Failure would indicate only laxiness or hatred toward the master.  The bags of silver represent resources we are given.  God gives us time, gifts, and other resources according to our abilities, and he expects us to invest them wisely until he returns.  We are responsible to use well what God has given us.  The issue is not how much we have but how well we use what we have.

    How will i use today, tomorrow, next week and next year the things God has given me?  It’s not about resource inventory, its about the condition of my heart.  Father, I want to maximize the things you have given me to bring much return for your Kingdom so one day you can say,

    “‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together![a]’” v. 21

  • Pastor Appreciation Month

    October is deemed Pastor Appreciation Month.  It’s supposed to be a time where you love on your pastor/s and let them know how much you appreciate them.  I have had some great pastors in my life and I just want to take the time here to thank them for their investment in me.

    • My Grandfather – He will never be able to read this because he is with Jesus.  But growing up as a kid, he was the person I talked to about God.  When I was eight years old it was him that prayed with me when I asked Jesus to be my Savior.  Now, I still have a collection of books that were meaningful to him and that he poured his life into.  When I read them and see his markings it still speaks to me today.
    • Richard Eakins – This was my first Pastor.  I grew up under his teachings, was baptized by him at Boulevard Baptist Church, and then served on staff with him at First Baptist Church in Nixa, MO as an intern and then part time student pastor.  I learned a lot from him, and appreciate him more now than I probably did then.  He knows the Bible so well, and cared for people.
    • Mike Frazee – God used this man in a time that I was searching!  I was a senior in High School, my grandfather had just past away, and I had questions about God, Heaven, and me.  He was my first and only Student Pastor.  I grew up going to church without a Student Pastor.  He taught me that being a Christian wasn’t something I did on Sunday, but was something that was taking place on the inside of me everyday.  He took the time to Disciple me, and then asked me to volunteer with a MS Boys Sunday School class.  I think he was desperate!  But God started working on my heart and used that situation and Mikes dedication to lead me to the place I am today, sharing the love of Christ with Teenagers.
    • Doug Fields – I have had the privilege to get to know Doug a little more over the last couple of years by participating in the PDYM Community.  His books have been an inspiration to me and a resource I come back to more times than not.  I love his heart for coaching, and really simply linking arms with other youth workers for the sake of building the Kingdom.
    • Bob Ingle – Man of God, Great Pastor/Teacher, and good friend.  I was able to serve with Bob for almost 7 years.  We saw a lot of things happen in those 7 years.  I was only 24 when FBC Warrensburg took the risk to higher me as their full time Student Pastor.  Every Sunday was a great Sunday.  Bob is probably one of the best communicators I have ever listened to.  He is able to take some of the most difficult teachings, throw some humor in there and walla, you leave convicted yet inspired.  I learned a ton about leadership from watching him lead not only the church but his family.
    • George Feiser – Is the founding and Senior pastor of Grace Community Church where I currently serve.  I am still getting to know George.  I like his heart and vision for Grace and The Church.  He cares about people and wants to see them become all that God has created them to become.
    • Pastor’s by Podcast – Because I am teaching Teens the same time we have Church for adults it has caused me to enter the realm of Podcast’s to listen to other great pastors.  Currently I am listening to these guys on a regular basis Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, Ed Young Jr, Erwin McManus, and Matt Chandler.  It is still knew but I am loving it.  These guys are all passionate about seeing God be lifted up and others changed from the inside out by the Gospel.

    This turned out to be a longer list than I thought it would be, but God has used, and is using, these guys to shape me, encourage me, inspire me, and convict me to become the Man of God I was created to be.  For that I am always thankful.  Thank you to each one for you passion for God, your dedication, your time and effort, and your willingness to share the truth in love even when it is hard.

  • Luke 21:25-38

    “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” v. 34-36

    People get ready, Jesus is Coming!  When I was in college I was able to be a part of a mission team teaching and sharing Christ with the people of Jamaica.  It was an awesome experience and something I was able to be a part of for three years.  One year we used the song “People Get Ready, Jesus is Coming” by Chrystal Lewis as our theme for the year.  It is a very powerful song and when I read this passage it makes me think of this song

    The NLT Life Application notes had this to say about these verses,

    Jesus told the disciples to keep constant watch for His return.  Although nearly 2,000 years have passed since he spoke those words, their truth remains.  Christ is coming again, and we need to watch and be spiritually fit.  This means working faithfully at the tasks God has given us.  Don’t let your mind and spirit be dulled by careless living, drinking, of foolishly pursuing pleasure.  Don’t let the cares of this life weigh you down.  Be ready to move at God’s command.

    I needed these word this morning!  Thank you Jesus!

  • Dip N Dot’s and Nana to the Rescue

    Jackson has been doing pretty well with his sore throat, however he is running a fever and doesn’t want to drink or eat anything.  This poses a huge challenge since he had oral meds that have to be taken.  His fever got to about 100 degrees and we had to cool him off in the bath tub.  Pretty scary for parents of a kid who has febrile seizures when his fever gets high.  After we got the fever down we had to figure out how to get the meds in him for the night.  This is when Nana came to the rescue!!!

    Jackson will eat Dip N Dots, so we put the meds in a spoon with a couple of Dip N Dots and walla, Jackson took all of his meds! Tricky I know, but we were able to out smart a 16 month old!!!

    Praise Jesus for Dip N Dot’s and Nana!!

  • Soccer and Chuck E Cheese

    We are starting to get back to normal after 2 weeks of high stress.  Jackson is recovering well and Josiah is being a good big brother.

    Today was a great day for Joe.  He had a soccer game in the morning then a Birthday Party this afternoon. He was so excited.  You have to understand, this wasn’t just an ordinary Birthday Party, this was Josiah’s girlfriends b-day party and to top it off, it was at Chuck E Cheese.  The place was packed and we had a blast!!!  Here are some pictures from this afternoon