Dan Gould

Tag: Carry Your Name by Christy Nockels

  • Bible Challenge – Genesis 2

    “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” v.7 (NLT)

    There is a lot of talk about where we came from.  Many try to deny that man is a created being by a creative God.  Evolutionist say that we evolved.  The Bible says that we were made from the dust of the ground formed from the hands of God.  There is nothing special about dust and dirt.  In fact, as a kid I would make stick figures as I  played with play-do or clay.  But my clay figure never came to life.  Many times we over look the most important part of our creation and that is the fact that God breathed the breath of life into our nostrils so we could become a living person. Without the breath of life, our bodies would simply be like the play-do figures we made as children.  Without the breath of life, our bodies once again return to dust and dirt.

    The breath of life is different for each person.  Some will live long lives on this earth while others will only be here for a short while.  Some will be influential, while others will be  influenced. Some will desire to know God, while others will reject God.  Some will put their faith in Christ, while others will deny Him. Some will believe in Heaven and Hell, while others will say this is all there is.  Some will believe there are many ways to Heaven, while others will believe there is only one way to Heaven. Some will seek religion, while others will seek a personal relationship with God. The fact that you are breathing and have the breath of life is a gift from God; how you use this gift is up to you. I don’t know about you, but I want to make everyday count, because I never know when today, may be my last day!

    Today, how will you take advantage of the breath of life that God has given you?

    [youversion=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzPukrs6cwg]

  • Bible Challenge – Mark 11

    “Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.’” v.22-25 (NLT)

    I don’t know how many times I have heard people say, “just pray about it.”  Yes, I believe prayer is important, and also believe in the power of prayer!  In fact, I have experienced the power of prayer, and I am a product of the power of prayer.  But we have to remember that prayer is our way to talk with God directly.  We must remember that the kind of prayer that moves mountains is prayer for the fruitfulness of God’s Kingdom.  It would seem impossible to move a mountain into the sea, so Jesus used that illustration to show that God can do the impossible. God will answer your prayers but not as a result of your positive mental attitude.  Other conditions must be met:

    1. You must be a believer
    2. You must not hold a grudge against another person
    3. You must not pray with selfish motives
    4. Your request must be for the good of God’s Kingdom.

    To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not faith in the object of your request. If you focus only on the request, you will be left with nothing if your request is refused.

    Today, have you taken time to pray? Are your prayers in line with the 4 things listed above? Thank God for the answered prayers in your life!