Dan Gould

Tag: Dan Gould

  • Bible Challenge – Matthew 21

    “You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” v.22 (NLT)

    Really? Will God answer any prayer I pray? The fact is, this verse is not a guarantee that we can get anything we want simply asking Jesus for it believing He will do it, and closing our prayer in His Name.  God does not grant requests that would hurt us or others or that would violate his own nature or will. Jesus’ statement is not a blank check. To be fulfilled, our requests must be in harmony with the principles of God’s Kingdom. The stronger our belief, the more likely our prayers will be in line with God’s will, and then God will be happy to grant them.

    Today, do your prayers align with the heart of God and His Character? If so, a prayer offered in faith is very powerful! Spend sometime today praying and seeking the Lord.

  • Sunday AM Remix – 4.03.11

    What a great day at FBC Harvester!!! We wrapped up our Empowered series in a big way and launched a new resource that allows people to find a place to serve based on their gifting instead of just seeing a list of ministry opportunities.  Here are my notes from today message!

    EMPOWERED
    Use IT or Lose IT!
    Matthew 25:14-30

    3 MODES OF LIVING

    • Survival Mode – people in this mode are simply getting by.

    *When asked hows it going, people in this mode tend to say, Same ole same ole.

    *They are caught on the treadmill life – doing a lot but not going anywhere!

    • Success Mode – people in this mode are pushing forward and seeing success.

    *They live to a standard of success taught by media & the world, but not on the      standards of the Gospel.

    *They may be climbing the ladder and seeing great success, but the ladder is leaning  against the wrong wall!

    *The Key is to have the right Measuring Stick!

    • Significance Mode – people in this mode have a sense of depth, meaning, hope, & significance.

    *People in the Significant mode understand Who they are, Whose they are, and Why they are here.

    **Who – They know who they are and who they aren’t and try to live authentically in their own skin.

    **Whose – They understand who they live for and that we have been bought with a high price and the Cross is the receipt for that purchase.

    **Why – They know their purpose and live in that purpose regardless of what they have to endure.

    ***Noah built the ark regardless of the nay sayers

    ***Moses gave up riches to wander in the Desert.

    ***David fought Goliath when no-one else would.

    ***Daniel continued to Pray

    The sad reality is that some people are so Earthly minded that they are no Heavenly good.

    IF YOU WANT TO BE A GOOD & FAITHFUL SERVANT REMEMBER …

    1. All that you have is GODS GIFT.

    *We own nothing! It’s not about ownership, but stewardship!

    “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silverto 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.” Matthew 25:14-15 (NLT)

    *If you want to know how much you own, just die! The reality is you can’t take any of this stuff with you!

    *God’s not concerned with what you have but what you do! He already knows what you have because He gave it to you!

    2. God’s Gift will be used for GOD’S GLORY.

    *Every ability is an opportunity, and every opportunity has responsibility tied to it!

    “The master said, ‘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!’  “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’  26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ Matthew 25:23-27 (NLT)

    *A Saving Faith is a Serving Faith

    *Lessons to be Learned

    **Be a COURAGEOUS servant.

    “… and I was afraid …” v. 25a

    Reality – If you are a leader … you will be criticized!

    **Be a CREATIVE servant.

    “… and went and hid your talent in the ground …” v. 25b

    Reality – if you play it safe, you lose and so do others.

    **Be an AMBITIOUS servant.

    “… you wicked and lazy servant …” v. 26a

    Reality – Wickedness is not just doing things you know you shouldn’t do, but not doing the things you know you should! Excuses may be good for yo momma, not your Master!

    **Be a PROPERLY MOTIVATED servant.

    “Lord. I knew you to be a hard man …” v. 24a


    3. God’s Glory will result in YOUR GAIN.

    *AFFIRMATION

    “Well done good and faithful servant …” v. 21a

    *PROMOTION

    ” … you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things …” v. 21b

    *CELEBRATION

    ” … Enter into the joy of your lord.” v. 21c

    Hope you have enjoyed this series.  Now the challenge is for all of us to use the Gift/s that God has given us.  If you would like to take a spiritual gifts test, feel free to click here and take the test we provide as a church.  If you would like to listen or watch todays teaching simply click here and it will direct you to our online teaching resources.

  • Bible Challenge Matthew 20

    “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” v.28 (NLT)

    I’ll be honest, this is challenging! Jesus came to serve and He molded that for His followers and told them to serve others.  But, in the church today, we have 20% of the people doing 100% of the work.  This seems backwards to me. . . . and honestly, it’s convicting me at the same time. It’s causing me to wrestle with these questions, “What does it truly look like to serve?”, “Why is it so difficult to find servants?”, “Where can I serve more … am I serving in the way that pleases God?” These are questions that I am thinking through today and Hope you will also as we head into the weekend. God has gifted and called you and I to be servants, lets serve faithfully!

    Today, will you think and pray through these questions with me?
    1.  What does it truly look like to serve?
    2. Why is it so difficult to find servants?
    3. Where can I serve more … am I serving in the way that pleases God?

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

  • Bible Challenge – Matthew 19

    “Jesus told him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”” v.21 (NLT)

    What must I do to have eternal life? This is one of the greatest questions in all of Scripture.  Jesus gave this answer because there is nothing that we can humanly do to earn or achieve eternal life.  In His response Jesus tells this man to give up everything he owned, then told him to come follow Him.

    Our stuff, position, and pride, many times keeps us from following Jesus.  The call to eternal life is simple, Follow Me! But the expectation and commitment meant that I have to give ALL of me, so I can experience ALL of Him!

    Today, what are you hanging on to? What are you trying to do to gain God’s Approval? Jesus simply asks us to follow! Will you follow Him today, or will stuff get in the way?

  • Bible Challenge – Matthew 18

    “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”  v.3-4 (NLT)

    We all want to be great! This is why little boys where will tie a blanket around their neck so they can morph into a great super hero.  This is why adults do a lot of good works so they can feel good about themselves and others can be inspired by them. While these things are fun and good things to do, they in return, do not make us great! Jesus says the key to greatness is found in the innocence  of a child.

    As we go through life we collect baggage from words said, actions done, places visited, and people lost. This baggage shapes who we are and forms our beliefs. This baggage can push away from God, our cause us to see our great need for God.  To become like a child means to drop all those things and learn how to live again. It means to look at life in a new perspective. A child sees the good, trust much, and are moldable. Do these three words describe you?

    Sin will keep us from being great, and it will keep us from Christ. It’s part of our human nature! Until we deal with our own sin, by confessing it to God and asking for forgiveness through Christ, we will continue in the pursuit of greatness never to achieve what we were looking for!

    Today, How will Jesus word impact you? Do you have the humble, innocent heart of a child, or has the baggage you’ve collected through the years kept you from the freedom found in Child like Faith?

  • Bible Challenge – Matthew 17

    “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” v.20-21 (NLT)

    How strong is your faith? When troubles come to you tend to blame God, try to fix things on your own, or do you turn to God asking Him for the strength to move through the trouble. Mountain moving Faith requires singular Focus.  It means that when troubles comes they stand in the shadows of the background as we keep our focus on Christ Jesus. Yes, that sounds pretty to say, but often times this is difficult to do. Jesus never said it would be easy, He said that he simply said He would never leave us or forsake us.

    Today, who or what will you put your faith in? Only Christ has the power to move that mountain in front of you and by faith you have that same kind of power!

  • Bible Challenge – Matthew 16

    Then he (Jesus) asked them, “But who do you say I am?” v.15 (NLT)

    People all over the world answer this question differently.  In fact, many people know how to answer this question, but sadly, the evidence of who He is is not seen in the way that they live. Throughout the pages of the Bible we learn who Jesus is, what He is like, what He has done for all that call on His name, and hold to the promise of His Triumphant Return. For me … the answer is simple, Jesus is my Lord, Jesus is my Savior, Jesus is my Rescuer, Jesus is my Sustainer, bottom line, Jesus is my Life. These come from the things I have seen through scripture as well as ways I have experienced Him in my own life. Would you describe Him in a similar way?

    Today: Do you know Jesus? How would you describe Him with words? How would you describe him by the way you live? If you were asked the question, “Who is Jesus, and how does that impact you?” what would be your answer?

  • Sunday AM Remix 3.27.11

    Today was week 4 of our Empowered Series.  Even with the snow on the ground we had a packed 2 service.  People seem to be excited about what God is doing at FBCH. Privileged and excited to see what God does next as we begin to do life deeply here.

    Here are my notes from today’s talk.  If you weren’t able to join us for some reason, I highly encourage you to listen to this whole series online and make plans to join us in person soon.

    EMPOWERED
    How Do You Fit
    Romans 12:1-8

    REQUIREMENTS TO SERVE GOD
    *these are requirements that go along with the gift.
    *the more you use your gift the more comfortable you feel in it.

    1. Complete DEDICATION.
    “And so, dear brothers and sisters, 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. 2Don’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.” Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

    *Complete Dedication is like drawing a circle on the ground and then stepping into it and asking God to set everything in that circle on fire for His Glory!
    * Many times we think we need more of the Holy Spirit to be used by God, but the truth is we got all of the Holy Spirit we would ever get on the day of salvation. The question remains, does the Holy Spirit have ALL of us!?!

    2. Candid EVALUATION.
    “Because of the privilege and authorityGod has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” Romans 12:3 (NLT)

    *Candid Evaluation is not looking in the mirror and singing “How Great Thou Art”
    *Candid Evaluation is not belittling yourself and beating yourself up all the time, that’s bad posture!
    *Candid Evaluation is knowing Who’s you are, What you are Called to Do, and Aligning yourself with His Mission!

    3. Committed COOPERATION.
    “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)

    *Committed Cooperation realizes what part they are in the Body of Christ, and fulfills that role the best way the can.
    *Committed Cooperation realizes that we need other Christians, and believe it or not, that they need us.
    *Reality, when part of the Body hurts, the whole body hurts.

    THE GIFTS TO SERVE GOD

    1. PREACHING/PROPHESYING
    “So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.” Romans 12:6 (NLT)

    *The Word Prophecy means to shine on.  It means to make what seems to be hidden, clearer or seen.

    2. SERVING/MINISTRY/HELPS
    “If your gift is serving others, serve them well.” Romans 12:7a (NLT)

    *We are all called to serve, but the ones with this gift jump in many times without having to be asked.

    3. TEACHING
    “If you are a teacher, teach well.” Romans 12:7b (NLT)

    *This can be done in various ways, 1 on 1, to a small group, midsize group, large group, or even a very large group. All of these groups need teachers.

    4. ENCOURAGEMENT
    “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.” Romans 12:8a (NLT)

    *Encouragement comes in many forms, a look or smile, a hug, a simple word, a small sentence, a card, conversation, or letter.
    *In the New Testament, there once was a man named Joseph that was such an encourager they changed his name to Barnabas.
    *What would people change your name too?

    5. GIVING
    “If it is giving, give generously. Romans 12:8b (NLT)

    *1 in 4 sermons that Jesus gave dealt with Money!
    *You give your money to what you love!
    *You can see what you love by looking at where you spend your money!

    6. LEADING
    “If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.” Romans 12:8c (NLT)

    *People want to be led, lead well!
    *A Leader wants movement, if there is no movement, no-one is following.
    *Reality, If you are a leader and no-one is following you, you are simply taking a walk!

    8. MERCY
    “And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” Romans 12:8d (NLT)

    *Easy going and easy to talk to.
    *Empathizes with people and helps them get through tough situations.
    *Likes to bring people together and feel at ease.
    *Are drawn to those who are not connected, or somewhat isolated.

    9. EVANGELISM
    ” . . . the evangelists, . . . ” Ephesians 4:11c (NLT)

    *The ability to supernaturally lead people to Christ.
    *They love being around non-Christians, and take every opportunity to share Christ with others.
    *To them, Everything is about sharing Christ with others, they don’t wait for opportunities, they create them.

    10. PASTORING & SHEPHERDING
    ” . . . the pastors and teachers.” Ephesians 4:11d (NLT)

    HOW DO I DISCOVER MY GIFT?

    1. Personal EXAMINATION & EXPERIMENTATION
    *Take a spiritual gifts test to help you discover your gifts
    *Pray and ask God to reveal your gifting.
    *Don’t be afraid to try things that my align with your gifting until you find that sweet spot that energizes you, thats when you know you are serving in your gifting.

    2. Public AFFIRMATION
    *Others will see your gifting!
    *If others say you are xxx but you say you are aaa, more than likely you are xxx!

    REMEMBER: God never calls the equipped, but equips the called!

    The challenge now is for all of us to use the Gift/s that God has given us.  If you would like to take a spiritual gifts test, feel free to click here and take the test we provide as a church.  If you would like to listen or watch todays teaching simply click here and it will direct you to our online teaching resources.

  • Bible Challenge – Matthew 15

    “‘But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.’” v.18-20 (NLT)

    Words matter! With our words we can do much damage and we can also do much encouraging.  Our words tend to reveal the things that are deep in our heart.  There are times that we are more protective of the words we use than others, but over time, our words will reveal who we really are.  Because of this, we have to resist the temptation to say one thing and do another.  The only way this can happen is to allow Christ to transform us from the inside out starting with our heart and mind.

    Today, will the words you choose to say reflect more about you and your heart, or will they reflect Christ and the heart of God?

  • Bible Challenge – Matthew 14

    “After sending them home, he (Jesus) went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.” v.23

    This doesn’t seem like a very important verse among the things the Bible records in chapter 14. But the truth is, Jesus knew that nothing could be done without being in rich fellowship with the Father. Yes, He had the whole God thing going on, but He was displaying what a relationship with the Father looks like.  2000+ years later, people look at this and see that Jesus will was surrendered to the will of the Father. Seeking solitude was an important priority for Jesus. He made room in his busy schedule to be alone with the Father.

    Spending time alone with God in prayer nurtures a vital relationship with him and equips us to meet life’s challenges and struggles.  It helps us grow spiritually and become more and more like Christ!

    Today, will you make time for Him? Try to spend just 30 minutes praying, listening and connecting with God.