Dan Gould

Tag: Daily Devotional

  • Luke 12:22-34

    “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” v. 25

    Jesus commands us not to worry.  But how can we avoid it?  Only faith can free us from the anxiety caused by greed and covetousness.  Working and planning responsibly is good; dwelling on all the ways our planning could go wrong is bad.  Worry is pointless because it can’t fill any of our needs; worry is foolish because the Creator of the universe loves us and knows what we need.  He promises to meet all our needs but not necessarily all our desires.

    Fear and worry are very serious and overcoming them can be difficult, but possible.  Here is what it is going to take:

    1. Simple trust in God, your Heavenly Father! This trust is expressed by praying to Him rather than worrying.
    2. Perspective on your Problems. Look at and develop a strategy for addressing and correcting your problems.
    3. A Support Team to Help. Find some believers who will pray for you to find wisdom and strength to deal with your worries.

    Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

  • Luke 12:1-21

    Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. 2 The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

    4 ‘Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell.[a] Yes, he’s the one to fear.’” v. 1-5

    Awesome stuff this morning from the NLT Life Application Study Bible!

    As Jesus watched the huge crowds waiting to hear him he warned his disciples against hypocrisy – trying to appear Holy when ones heart is far from God.  The Pharisees could not keep their attitudes hidden forever.  Their selfishness would act like yeast, and soon they would expose themselves for what they really were – power hungry impostors, not devoted religious leaders.  It is easy to be angry at the blatant hypocrisy of the pharisees, but each of us must resist the temptation to settle for the appearance of respectability when our hearts are far from God.

    What are the signs of Hypocrisy?

    1. Knowing the Truth and Not Obeying it! People can say they follow Jesus but not be obedient to His Word.
    2. Living a Self-Serving Life! People may desire leadership only because they love position and control, not because they want to serve others.
    3. Reduces Faith to Rigid Rules! People can end up worshiping thier own rules and regulations about what they think God wants instead of worshiping God Himself.
    4. Outward Conformity without Inward Reality! People can obey details but still be disobedient in general behavior.

    Many non-Christians use the supposed (or real) hypocrisy of Christians as an excuse to stay away from God and the church.  Look carefully at your life.  You are not perfect; therefore, at times an action or behavior might provide the ammunition for someone to label you a hypocrite.  However, you must discern your own heart.  Consider the signs of hypocrisy noted above and make sure you are not guilty.  Then ask God to help you live rightly.

  • Luke 11:33-54

    “Then the Lord said to him, ‘You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! 40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? 41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.

    42 What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[c] but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

    43 What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. 44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.’” v. 39-44

    Jesus is more concerned with what is going on on the inside than how you look on the outside.  I remember growing up as a teenager, I could look like a Christian on Sunday.  I could say the right answers, act the right way, and even pray the right prayers, but my heart wasn’t right.  That was shown by how I lived everyday besides Sunday.  When Jesus got a hold of all of me, my heart included, he started changing me from the inside out.  Thus the name for this blog.  I want to be changed from the inside out not from the outside in.  I love what the NLT Life Application Study Bible says in its notes for this passage.  Check it out:

    Jesus criticized the Pharisees and the experts in religious law harshly because they

    1. Washed their outsides but not their insides.
    2. Remembered to give a tenth of their garden herbs but neglected justice.
    3. Loved praise and attention.
    4. Loaded people down with burdensome religious demands.
    5. Would not accept the truth about Jesus.
    6. Prevented others from believing the truth.

    They went wrong by focusing on outward appearances and ignoring the inner condition of their heart.

    People do the same when their service comes from a desire to be seen rather than from a pure heart that is full of love for others.  People may sometimes be fooled, but God isn’t!  Don’t be a Christian on the outside only.  Bring your inner life under God’s control and your outer life will naturally reflect Him!

  • Hillsong – Nothing But the Blood (Legendado Portugal)

    As I was hanging out with the Lord today, this song captured my heart. It’s an old hymn but still very powerful words and meaning. Enjoy!!

    Vodpod videos no longer available.

  • Luke 11:14-32

    “He knew their thoughts, so he said, ‘Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart.’” v. 17

    The great debate continues!!!  People are seeing Jesus do these miracles, but they are questioning who He is, asking him to prove that He is “really” from God and not from the Devil.  Jesus explains that if He was from Satan he wouldn’t be casting our Demons.  It seemed that the crowd was trying to find every reason why they couldn’t or shouldn’t believe what Jesus was saying.

    Doesn’t this sound like our world today?  People are searching . . . and sadly, people are rejecting Christ and trying to believe something else in their hopes to become “spiritual”!  However, Jesus didn’t come to make us spiritual, He came to restore us to a right relationship with God.  Some of His teachings are hard and require us to have faith and discipline because we live in a sinful fallen world.  But, He does give us a choice.  Some people will choose to believe Jesus is who he says He is, while others will reject Him, His claims, and His teachings.  Others will choose not to choose, meaning they haven’t rejected Christ, but they haven’t accepted Him either.  However, the Bible says it is pretty clear:

    “‘Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.’” v. 23

    So, where are you?  Do you believe Jesus is who He says He is?  Does your life style match your beliefs?

  • Luke 11:1-13

    Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’

    2 Jesus said, ‘This is how you should pray:[a]

    “Father, may your name be kept holy.
    May your Kingdom come soon.
    3 Give us each day the food we need,[b]
    4 and forgive us our sins,
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
    And don’t let us yield to temptation.[c]‘“

    Can you picture this scene.  Jesus is praying and one of the Disciples is watching!  He is watching How Jesus talks with God.  Once Jesus is done, the disciple asks Him to teach them how to pray.  And Jesus does.

    He teaches them a simple prayer that is not to complicated.  Notice it doesn’t have big words and isn’t supper long.  Prayer is simply talking to God.  Many times we make it harder than it is.

    You don’t have to use big words, you just simply need to talk with God like you would talk with a friend.  He wants to listen . . . will you give him a call?

    Gods Phone Number: Jeremiah 33:3

    “‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’”

  • Influence

    Tomorrow, we are wrapping up our series called “The Epistle”, which was our summer Bible study of 1st-3rd John, with a two part talk on Influence.  Here is our theme verse for the next two weeks:

    “Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. ” v.11

    Would you consider yourself to be a person of influence?  How are you an influence?  Who are you influencing?  Are you a good or bad influence?  Who is influencing you?

  • Luke 10:25-42

    “One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: ‘Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?’

    26 Jesus replied, ‘What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?’

    27 The man answered, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [a]

    28 ‘Right!’ Jesus told him. ‘Do this and you will live!’”

    Jesus answered a question with a question knowing that the “expert in religious law” was trying to debate this fact.  But in this we find a great answer that can easily be overlooked.  Jesus says, ‘What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?’  This tells us that any question we have about life, has an answer found in scripture.  Many times the problem isn’t what the Bible says, its how we read it or interpret it.

    When read in context, (meaning reading the passage before and after as well as understanding the setting, people, place, and time)  we see the truth of what the Bible says.  Unfortunately, the Bible has been twisted and taken out of context to try to justify agendas or lifestyles.  It all depends on how you come to the Bible when you read it.  Do you come to shape what you believe and how you live by what the Bible says, or do you come to shape the Bible into what you believe and how you live?

    When it comes to questions of how to live, where do you go to find answers?

  • Luke 10:1-24

    “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!’” v.17

    Can you sense the excitement?  These Disciples have just been used by God to do some amazing things.  They were Faithful, Available, and Teachable.  There is a whole lesson to be learned there, but that might be more of a talk than a devo.

    As you read further, Jesus prays this prayer,

    “At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, ‘O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.’” v. 21

    Again, Jesus emphasised the importance of child like faith.  When we are given an opportunity to be used by God, but our first response is, “there is now way I could do that” we miss out on an opportunity.  You are right, we can’t do a lot of stuff.  But don’t let your own pride keep you from experiencing the Holy Spirit’s ability to  empower you to do something that only God can do!

    Today, think about the opportunities around you, maybe today would be the day that you saw God do something big in your life, simply because you were faithful, available, and teachable!  Swallow your pride and have child like faith and leave the details up to God!

  • John 8:21-59

    “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” v.31-32

    Powerful words.  In these two verses Jesus sums up how to live in true freedom from sin.  I think the key word that many of us want to overlook is the word “faithful”.  How faithful are you to Christ?  I am not asking how many Christian t-shirts, or CD’s you own, I am asking, are you faithful to Him?  I think many of us would say, “I am pretty faithful” and feel good about it, but should we?

    If I told my wife that I was “pretty faithful” yesterday, how do you think she would feel?  I know how she would feel, she would be hurt, and then I would be hurt.  If I told her that I was pretty faithfull I am admitting that I wasn’t 100 percent faithful and it causes problems in our relationship.

    Jesus says, when we are faithful to His teaching, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free.  We don’t experience all the things of Christ by simply knowing the truth.  I can know the things I should do and not do them.  But when we are faithful, moved by a deep love that changes our actions, it puts our knowledge into action and there we find the freedom that Jesus is talking about.

    Today, ask yourself, Am I faithful?  Are there areas you are more faithful in than others?  What has to change, in me, for me to experience what this verse is teaching today?