Dan Gould

Tag: Dan Gould

  • Bible Challenge – Galatians 3

    “But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom by believing in Jesus Christ.” Galatians 3:22

    This verse, in a few words, sums up the basis of the Gospel.  That we are sinners, Jesus came to live, die, and rise again to take on the penalty of that sin so I could experience forgiveness and live in freedom.  However, the more I walk with Christ, the more I realize how sinful I am.  Sometimes to experience the freedom that is found in Christ I have to make some difficult decisions.

    First, I have to identify the sin.  It can be a thought, an attitude, my words, or something I do.  To be honest, it may even be something I like, but when convicted of it, I realize its sin.

    Second, I have to believe that Christ can forgive that sin, and I can be freed from it. Now I’m not talking about a general belief that Jesus can provide freedom for my sin (He has done that), this is the point where I am identifying specific things that are keeping me trapped in sin instead of living in complete freedom.  These are the areas that I tend to hide from others or new areas that God is revealing to me as I walk closer with Him. I wish I could say this is easy, quick, and painless, but sometimes this is a process is difficult and filled with success and failures.  This video captures what I am talking about in big way.  I know I see myself in this video, maybe you will also.

    Father, today, will you search the shallow parts of my heart as well as the deep parts, and convict me of the sin that is present and rampant in my life.  Will you begin to chisel away the sinful attitudes, thoughts, actions, words, and habits that are keeping me from living in absolute freedom that is only found in Christ. It’s in Christ name I pray, Amen!

  • Bible Challenge – Galatians 2

    “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

    Have you ever prayed a prayer something like this, “God if you …… I promise I will never do ….. again!” and then find yourself doing the very thing you prayed you wouldn’t do. Man am I guilty of this one!

    As much as I want to live for Christ, I have to be honest … sometimes my old self shows up and I find myself saying things, or doing things that are not honoring to God. Being transformed from the inside out is freeing, but sometimes the process of being transformed is difficult. It requires us to take every thought captive and surrender it and make it obedient to Christ! Sometimes this is easier said than done, but it’s not impossible, it’s simply a matter of Trust!

    Being transformed from the inside out is a matter of Trust! You will either trust in Christ and live in the new life He has given you, developing new habits, or you will trust in yourself and live in the old self that is trapped by old habits. Every Day, Every Minute, Every Second, we have a choice of where we will put our trust. Today, will you but your trust in Jesus, crucify the old self and live in the new life that He has given you?

    Father, today, let me take every thought captive! Help me to trust you with everything. In those times I try to hide or justify, let me surrender every thought, idea, word, action, reaction, and make them obedient to Christ. I don’t want to just say these things, I want to be transformed by the power of your spirit living on the inside of me. Here is my stuff, I lay it down, trusting you with the details of my life. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

  • Bible Challenge – Galatians 1

    “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” Galatians 1:10

    Hi, my name is Dan and I struggle with being a people pleaser.  Let’s face it, we all want to be accepted, liked, and loved!  If you don’t believe me look how long we spend standing in-front of a mirror getting ready in the morning. Sometimes we will even sacrifice our character, values/standards, and integrity to try to fit in with a group or groups of people.

    It’s easy to live for the applause and approval of others, but it’s also dangerous. It can cause us to do things we never thought we would do, say things we never thought we would say, and go further than we ever intended on going. It can cause us to live life for what we think others want instead of what God wants. However, being a Christ Follower means that we live for an audience of One!

    Living for an Audience of One, starts with a humble heart that seeks to please God in every area of our life.  It’s found in the quiet moments where we seek Gods way over the worlds way. It’s found in the transformation of the person we used to be, and revealed in the Life of Christ and the person we are becoming. However, we will never be able to please a God we do not know personally. Living for an Audience of One is found in the total surrender of our life where we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

    When we live for an Audience of One, it means that we talk different, we act different, we live different.  It means that we live in a way that one day we will hear God say these words to us as we enter His Eternal Kingdom (Heaven) “Well done good and faithful servant.”

    Today, which audience will you live for? As for me, I’m living for an Audience of One!

    Father, today help me to hear your voice louder than all the other voices that I will hear today.  Help me to stand for the things that have eternal value even if I stand alone. Let my words be words of life and my actions not contradict those words causing others to stumble or question my life and faith in you.  Let me share Truth in love, even if it is difficult. Let my life be an example to others, encouraging those who know you, and intriguing those who don’t. In Christ Name I pray, Amen.

  • Bible Challenge – 1 John 5

    Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3

    Love is a huge motivator. When we receive it, it compels us to return it! God showed us one of the greatest acts of love by sending His Son Jesus Christ, to live, die, and rise from the dead so we could be forgiven of our sin. This expression of love is sometimes to hard to comprehend completely. But when we put our faith in what Christ has done for us through the Cross, we open ourselves up to receive Gods love.

    Each day we have a choice to walk with God and go His way, to stay where we are by becoming complacent, or to walk in the opposite direction of Gods Way. Typically the direction we go is motivated by what we love or what the moment brings. As a Christ follower, we show that we truly love God by being transformed from the inside out, and being obedient to the things of God. Jesus never said that it would obeying Him would be easy. But the hard work and self-discipline of serving Christ is no burden to those who love him.

    Father, today help us to be motivated by your unfailing and unconditional love to chase after you with all of our hearts. Help us to return our love for you by following Christs’ example and living each moment in the way that pleases you and allows you to shine through us! In Jesus Name, Amen!

  • Bible Challenge – 1 John 4

    “This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:10

    The greatest expression of love was demonstrated through the life and death of Jesus Christ.  I don’t have a lot of words this morning, but I do know this, when I think about the love God showed us and compare that with the love often times we show others, there is no comparison.  Where we hold grudges, God offers forgiveness. Where we reject, God accepts! Where we try to control & manipulate, God sets free!

    This love however wasn’t cheap! The greatest expression also came with the greatest sacrifice! Jesus chose to step out of Heaven, be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, and die a painful death in-which he offered his life as a sacrifice for my sin.  This is real love – that Jesus Christ would lay down his life for so that we might live for Him.

    Father help me understand the magnitude, the forgiveness, and the freedom that is provided through the cross.  Let me not just love with words, let me love with actions also.  Let others see you love for them in me. In Jesus Name, Amen

  • Bible Challenge – 1 John 3

    “Dear children, let us not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we be belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.” 1 john 3:18-19

    It’s easy to ‘say’ that we love someone but it’s much more difficult to ‘show’ them our love! Don’t get me wrong, our words are powerful.  Sometimes we use them wisely and sometimes we use them foolishly.  Many times our words reflect the intentions and affections of our heart.  The words we use express the desires of our heart.  Sharing these thoughts with others helps them see what is going on on then inside of us.  But John says it’s important not just to say these things but to prove our words to be true by the way we treat others.

    Our words may reveal the intentions and affections of our heart, but our actions reveal the meditation of our heart! Here’s what this means, we can say we love, but we prove our love by the way we act.  As a Christ follower, I can say that I am a Christian, but I prove that I am a Christian by the way that I live.  As a Husband, I can say that I love my wife, but I prove that I love my wife by the way that I talk with her and spend time with her.  As a Father, I can say that I love my boys, but I prove that I love my boys by the way that I play with them and discipline them. Our actions put power behind our words. However, if our words and actions don’t match up, we send others mixed signals causing them to question what we say.

    Today, what will your actions say about you? What will your actions say about Jesus? What will your actions say to your family and friends. Let’s not just say we love, lets prove our love by our actions.

    Father, today, let the meditations of my heart be revealed by my actions.  Help me to not just say “I love You” but to show others I love them by the time I spend with them, and the way I treat them! In Jesus Name, Amen!

  • Bible Challenge – 1 John 2

    “And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:3-6

    Have you ever questioned your faith?  Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I really a Christian?” Many times this is a heart shaking question that causes me to evaluate my life and look at the areas that are causing me to question my my faith in Christ. As a Christ Follower, there are 3 things that I must do to have the confidence that John talks about here in this passage:

    1. I must put my FAITH IN CHRIST! – This simply means that I realize who I am (a sinner) Who God is (Creator, The One True God, He is pure, holy, and mighty) and who Jesus is (Fully God & Fully Man, Takes sin upon Himself through the Cross so I could have a relationship with God.)  Click here if you have questions about what it means to have faith in Christ.

    2. I must OBEY CHRISTS TEACHINGS! This is where I adjust my life according to the things Jesus says.  To be honest, it’s sometimes easier to know what Jesus says, than it is to actually do what He says.  But, if i want to have the confidence that John talks about, i need to start applying the things i hear and read, so I can be more like Jesus everyday.

    3. I must FOLLOW CHRIST EXAMPLE! This is where others see on the outside what Christ is doing on the inside. When I truly seek to obey Christ Teachings, I will have a desire to follow His example.

    If anyone of these are out of balance it can cause me to question everything.  But when I have put my faith in Christ, I am Obeying Christs Teaching, and I am Following Christs Example, I have the confidence that John talks about in this passage.

    Father today, help me remember all that Jesus for me! Strengthen my faith as I read your Word.  Convict my heart of the sin that like to hide in the dark places, so I begin to obey you in all areas not just some. Allow me to take the step of faith and follow Christ Example even if it isn’t popular and I get persecuted for it.

  • Bible Challenge – 1 John 1

    “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7

    As a kid/teenager I use to love to play ‘Hide & Seek’! We all know that some of the best hiding places are found in the darkest places.  Usually these dark places are hard to find, but when we find them, we tend to go back there to hide because no-one knows where it is but us.

    As an adult, I have learned to hide.  In fact, I am and expert hider! I hide the real me behind several things like: busyness, work, my title, doing good things, knowing when/what/how to say things, and even trying to look better than I am in public. Sometimes, I am afraid of the light because I have gotten so use to the darkness I find myself retracting to.

    However, I am learning the importance of staying in the Light and allowing the Light of Christ to search out the dark places that I tend to find myself hiding.  Sometimes this process is painful and causes me to experience fear, shame, and brokenness.  But regardless of the pain, the process is always freeing. It brings me to a deeper understanding of Christ love and of Gods grace and mercy!

    Father, I confess that sometimes it’s easier to hide in the darkness than to live in the Light.  Today will you search me and reveal to me the places that I am hiding.  Help me put a deeper faith, trust, desire, and even effort in living in your Light today and each day after this. In Christ Name I pray, Amen!

  • Bible Challenge – James 5

    “Confess your sins to each other & pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power & produces wonderful results.” James 5:16

    Confess your sins to each other …. But what if they ________  ….. I can do this on my own no-one else needs to know, after all, I’m probably the only one that deals with this …. I don’t have close enough friends to share this type of stuff with.  Sound familiar? Have you caught yourself thinking any of these thoughts when it comes to confessing your sin to another person?  I know I have said all of these plus some.

    Let’s face it, there is a big risk we take when we expose the things we try to hide and confess the sin that we are ashamed of and many times addicted to, to other people. However, when we humble ourselves and confess our sin to God and to others, we take a new stance against the sin that we try to hide, that tends to keep us controlled and trapped no matter how many times we have prayed the prayer telling God we’ll never do it again.  We will take a new stance against the sin that we know is keeping God at distance.

    Is it scary … YES! Is it necessary …. YES! Sin is serious, and its time that we take it serious and stop trying to fight against it in our own power! We have to stop believing the lies that Satan has caused us to believe, and we have to believe that when we live by God’s Word, we will experience the power and promise found in Gods Word.

    When we confess our sin to others, it engages them in the battle with us.   It allows them to stand with us, pray for us, and hold us accountable. The Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Pr 27:17) The Truth is, we need each other! Let’s stop trying to battle sin alone. Let’s be honest, it hasn’t worked that well for us so far has it!?!

    Father, help me not just read this verse and focus on the promise at the end of the verse. Help me to face my fears by stepping out in faith and taking the risk by confessing my sins (not just the easy ones but the difficult ones) to others.

  • Bible Challenge – James 2

    “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that faith save anyone?” James 2:14

    Don’t talk about IT, BE about IT! This has been a phrase that has been piercing my heart all summer.  Let’s face it, it’s easy to say that we are Christians, but it a whole different thing when we try to live out the things we say we believe.

    Growing up as a kid, I was taught this phrase, “Actions speak louder than words.” If we were to pause for a moment and think about what our actions are saying, it might scare us. Many times, good or bad, we are labeled by our actions. When our words and actions align these labels tend to be positive. However, if our words and our actions conflict, these labels tend to be negative.

    I’m wrestling with this thought but I think there is a lot of truth to it, many times our words reveal the intentions of our heart, but our actions reveal the meditation of our heart! It’s a powerful thing when our words and our actions actions align with our Faith in Christ Jesus. Don’t be fooled, people are watching! They are comparing the things we say with the way we live and they are more likely to listen to us when they see our words and actions don’t conflict.

    So here is the challenge for today, let’s put our faith in action.  Let’s show the people around us what it means to have a relationship with Christ not just by the things we say, but by things we do. Don’t just talk about IT, BE about IT!

    Father today, help us to live out the things we say we believe. When the temptation comes to do something that is in opposition of what we believe, empower us to resist that temptation. Let our actions speak louder than our words so that you can receive all the glory and others can see the difference you are making in our lives.

    “Preach the gospel always, If necessary use words.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi.