Dan Gould

Tag: Dan Gould

  • Hebrews 3

    “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.  Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.” v.12-14 (NLT)

    The condition of your heart is important, not just in a physical sense but in a spiritual and eternal sense.  I have been thinking about this statement and even see this fleshed out in my own kids lives – What you hear, you believe, and what you believe you become!  I think these words are so true, that is why this warning is something we need to hear and pay attention to so we don’t become a “remember when … ?” type of person.

    Here’s what I mean by that last statement, I have seen people get excited for God at a camp. a retreat, a church service, but something happens where they went a different way.  When I talk with them or see them I always want to ask, “Remember when …? What happened?”  I have asked some people this question and they have told me they didn’t know, it just happened.  Or they go on to list all the things that have caused them to loose their excitement, their dedication, and discipline to and for things of God.  It always sadden me when this happens.  But I have to be honest, this is something, if I am not careful, WILL happen to me.  It is, something if you’re not careful, WILL happen to you.

    You see our hearts turn away from the Living God when we stubbornly refuse to believe him, refuse to listen to him, and refuse to surrender completely to him. (there’s a sermon right there) The scary result is this, if we continually refuse to believe, listen, and surrender, God will eventually leave us alone in our sin.  It’s a scary place when we are calloused to the things of God.  But how do we know if this has happened and is true in our own lives.  Great question, and here is my answer.  You have to ask yourself, “Are there things in my life now, that use to cause conviction but don’t anymore?  This is a question you need to give a lot of thought to on a regular basis.  You have to wrestle with this question on your own, not in a legalistic way, but in an honest way.  That’s why we have to be careful.

    The good news is this, you can prevent this from happening in your life.  Here’s how,

    • Spend time with God on your own!
    • Be careful where you spend your time, what you hear and watch!
    • Connect with other Christians who are seeking the Lord! (there is a difference)
    • Talk about your faith  and what God is teaching you with others!
    • Be aware of your temptations and the attractiveness, deceitfulness, and destruction that sin has and causes!
    • Encourage others! I call this words of life.

    It’s going to take work, bu I believe, if we will do these things, we begin to guard our hearts as it says to do in Proverbs 4:23

    “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

    Today, Be Careful, Guard your Heart, and stay Faithful … the little things matter!

  • Jackson Update 12-9-09

    Just a quick update from our scare today that included a trip to the ER by ambulance.  From what we can tell, Jackson had a seizure today while in class at preschool. Thankfully he goes to preschool at the church and Stephanie and I are just down the hallway.  However, this seizure wasn’t like most of the ones from the past.  This seizure took place without the rhythmic convulsions like seizures of the past. This is  probably what scared us more than anything.  His eyes were open, but he just had a blank stare on his face.  It was like he wanted to respond, but couldn’t respond to us so just stared. Very scary!

    The school had already called 911 when I got there.  The paramedic weren’t any real help.  It was almost as if they did’t know what to do, or how to deal with a little kid.  Once we got to the hospital, the waiting game began.  After some Tylenol and Motrin, a long hard nap, and 3 hours in the ER, Jackson returned to his normal self.  Praise Jesus!

    We are now home, watching Sesame Street and keeping Tylenol and Motrin in his system to keep another fever from spiking causing another seizure. Please continue to pray for our little guy.  We believe that one day, God is going to use his story in a powerful way.

    Thanks to all that prayed, came by, text, or left messages on my Facebook.  We are so thankful for your friendship and feel loved and blessed to have you in our lives!

    Jackson will go to the Dr. tomorrow to make sure it is just a cold and not the onset of an infection before we make the trek to Missouri this weekend.


    Don’t be hate’n the video may be old but the words are true and so powerful!

  • Hebrews 2

    “We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17 so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” v. 16-18 (NLT)

    In the Old Testament, the high priest was the mediator between God and his people.  His job was to regularly offer animal sacrifices according to the law and to intercede with God for forgiveness of the peoples sins.  Jesus Christ comes on the scene, stepping down from Heaven and to our world, to represent us on our behalf as our high priest.  Our mediator …. the person who stand before God on our behalf. Because he came to earth as a human being, he understands our weaknesses and shows mercy to us.  He has once and for all paid the penalty for our sins by his own sacrificial death, and he can be depended on to restore our broken relationship with God.  e are released from sin’s domination over us when we commit ourselves fully to Christ, trusting completely in what he has done for us.

    Knowing that Christ suffered pain and faced temptation helps us face our own temptations.  Jesus understands our struggle because he faced the same things.  We can trust Christ to help us survive and overcome temptation.  When you face trials, go to Jesus for strength and patience.  He understands your needs and is able to help.

    Today, when you are tempted, remember that Jesus was tempted also, but resisted the temptation.  Ask him to give you the strength you need to get past the temptation with out giving in!

  • Hebrews 1

    “And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” v.2-3 (NLT)

    As Christ Followers it’s easy to hear something, believe it to be true but then not apply that belief to our own life and situation.  I am guilty of this also.  But these two verses are so powerful in revealing the power of Christ, not only in creation, but in the power to forgive us of sin and impact the day to day details of our lives.

    Hebrews is written not only to defend who Jesus is, but to reveal why Jesus is the Messiah.  This one fact is what separates Christianity from all other religions/cults/beliefs.  Jesus claim in John 14:6 is a bold claim that all of us have to wrestle with.  Look at Jesus words,

    “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 (NLT)

    How do you deal with these words of Jesus?  Do you ignore these words as if you never heard them? Do you deny these words saying that you don’t believe them? Do you believe these words and try to apply them?  How you answer this statement from Jesus is very important!

    I have to be honest, I am really excited to spend some time in the book of Hebrews. I know I have much to learn and hope to share some of these learning each day on this blog.

    Today, who do you say Christ is with your words, thoughts, and actions.  Do you feel like you know him better today than you did yesterday?

  • Another Grace Christmas

    Well tonight we really kick off the Christmas Season at Grace Community Church with a special Christmas Tree lighting service that takes place tonight at 6:30pm. Hope you are planning on being there!!!! Should be a fun time for all. If you are there, make sure to say hi!!!

    On a not so serious note. Over in Fusion, we like to be serious when we need to be serious, but we like to have a lot of fun the rest of the time. Last week, I was inspired by one of our students who created a jibjab card of two of our staff guys. It was so funny I had to create a special jibjab Christmas Card that we could send out to our volunteers and other church staff just to let them know Christmas is here! Enjoy the laugh and from all of us at Fusion, Merry Christmas!!!!

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  • Stirring – Confidence

    “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 (NLT)

    We tend to be confident in the things that we know, and/or the things we know we do well.  However, many people tend to lack confidence when it comes to the things of God.  Why is this?

    I personally think fear and busyness play a big part in this.  The fact is, we don’t know what we don’t know.  This causes us to let fear keep us trapped from stepping out in faith and we let busyness keep us from developing and growing in our relationship with God! But what if it was different … can it be different?

    For a person to be confident they have to develop intimacy with God.  The intimacy I am talking about can’t happen if you never spend time alone with God.  Just attending church (which is a great thing to do), just reading the Bible (which I wish more Christians did, myself included),  can’t give you this intimacy. Don’t get me wrong, these things help and are good, but real intimacy happens in a one-on-one setting.

    The only way to have this type of intimacy, and ultimately real confidence in the things of God, is found here, in Joshua 1:8-9.  It’s found when you sit still, study scripture, meditate on what you read, and then apply that understanding to your life.  That’s where intimacy with Christ and real confidence is found!

    So here is the question, do you have this type of intimacy with God? Do you have confidence when it comes to the things of God?  If not, why?  It can change, but it’s going to take some effort on your part.  Here is what I encourage you to do.  Find your Bible, find a specific time, and find a spot to spend time with God, reading, meditating, praying and listening.  If you don’t know a good place to start reading, start in the Gospel of John, or the book of James.  But begin reading and meditating on what you  read.  How much you read is not as important as how much you apply.  So start small, and enjoy your time with God!

    Today, will you make another excuse, will you say I’ll start tomorrow, or will you make your time with God a priority and develop and intimate relationship with Him?  This is where real confidence comes from and this is where you begin to be strong and courageous!

  • Mark your Calendars

    Brace yourselves, January 3rd, 2010 will be Student Invasion Weekend at Grace.  It will be the first weekend of the year and Fusion is taking over the Big House.  Tyler and the student band will lead in musical worship and I will do the teaching during both services.  We are really excited about it and hope you will make plans to attend. We’re encouraging all the student to sit in the middle front section as a group in both service.  I promise this will be a weekend you don’t want to miss!

  • Stirring – Character

    “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” Proverbs 27:19 (NLT)

    Let’s face it, we have learned to play the game. “Fake it till you make it!” has become our motto in life. At a young age we learn to adapt to situations, groups, lifestyles and so on. We even learn to look good on the outside and hide what going on on the inside. Jesus addressed this when he confronted to the Pharisee’s in Matthew 23. Check it out here:

    “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,[i] and then the outside will become clean, too.” Matthew 23:25-26 (NLT)

    If God is stirring that means He is going after your heart. What is in your heart will eventually be seen in your actions and lifestyle. A person of Character is consistently evaluating the condition of their heart and mind. Their desire is to be like Jesus more and more everyday. Here are some qualities of people who have High Character:

    • They are people of integrity (their public and private lives are consistent)
    • They are truthful
    • They are authentic (what you see is what you get)
    • They stand up for truth, their convictions, and their commitments
    • They are self-controlled
    • They know when to talk and when to be silent
    • Their words and their lifestyle are consistent
    • They are letting God transform them from the inside out

    Being a person of Character simply means doing what is right because it is right. For a Christ Follower, that starts by allowing God to work on the inside, so the inside is revealed on the outside. Please understand that Character development is an ongoing process and doesn’t happen overnight! Everyday we have the opportunity to be transformed. So, with that being said, here’s the bottom line: If God is stirring, and we desire to be used by Him in supernatural ways, we have to become people of Character by allowing God to transform us from the inside out! It starts and ends with Romans 12:1-2,

    “And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] 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.[b] 2 Don’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)

    Today, let’s ask God to change us from the inside out, that we would posses these qualities and become people of character that can be used by Him.

  • Stirring – Accountability

    “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

    When I was 18 this verse was grained in me by my Youth Pastor. He modeled and taught me how important accountability is.  When we look at this verse, it sounds simple!  We all want and have friends.  But this verse goes deeper than just a simple Friendship.  For iron to be sharpened it has to have some kind of friction that make it sharper.  For you to be the person God has created you to be, and then to do the things he is calling you to do, you need to have people in your life that can and will hold you accountable.  These are people you trust. People that love you unconditionally.  These are people you give permission to ask you the hard questions.  You need people that create Godly friction in your life so you will become more like Christ.

    The fact is, we need these people in our life.  Our relationship with Jesus is a personal one, but it’s not intended to be a private one. We need people to help us see the things we don’t see.  We need people to help us own the things that we want to hide.  We need people to hold us up, when we are fighting sin and feel weak. We need people to encourage us with words of life!

    I have been blessed with some great men of God that have held me accountable.  I am in a group right now that is holding me accountable to these 10 things:

    • Have I spent daily time in the Scriptures and in Prayer?
    • Have I had any flirtatious or lustful attitudes, tempting thoughts, or exposed myself to any explicit materials which would not glorify God?
    • Have I been completely above reproach in my financial dealings?
    • Have I spent quality relational time with family and friends?
    • Have I done my 100% best in my job?
    • Have I told any half truths or outright lies, putting myself in a better light to those around me?
    • Have I shared the Gospel with an unbeliever this week?
    • Have I taken care of my body through daily physical exercise and proper eating/sleeping habits?
    • Have I allowed any person or circumstances to rob my joy?
    • Have I lied on any of these answers today?

    Accountability is risky! It makes you vulnerable!  But it doesn’t work unless you are truthful and ask for it.  I can tell you several stories of people, men and women, who have fallen because of a lack of accountability.  Some of these people even had great, Godly people in their lives, but they didn’t allow anyone to love them, ask the hard questions, and help them become the person God created them to be. But I can also tell you stories of victory.  Where someone seeks accountability and God changes that person from the inside out and goes on to use them in great ways.

    Here is the point, God is more concerned with Who you Are, than what You Do!  Many times we forget this and miss the most important things in being a Christ Follower . . . becoming like Christ ourselves.  We need each other and together we can be the people God has created us to be.

    “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”
    Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)

    Today, will you be a person that tries to do this on your own, or will you invite others in so you can be the person God has created you to be?

  • One More for Jesus!

    Josiah and I have been reading the Bible together before he goes to bed each night for quite sometime now. We have made it through the Old Testament and just started the New Testament. The last couple of nights have been on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Tonight, the passage was from Acts 1 when Jesus ascends to Heaven. As Josiah and I talked about the lesson, we talked about Heaven and who gets to go to Heaven. We talked about what keeps people from heaven. He knows that sin keeps people from Heaven (We’ve talked about sin for awhile and he knows what sin is). So when I told him that sin keeps us from God and if we don’t have Jesus in our heart we can’t go to Heaven, He understood it. He asked if I (me) died would I go to Heaven and I said yes because I have asked Jesus into my heart and He forgave me of my sin. And because I have done that, when I die, I get to go to Heaven. After I said this, I asked him, “What happens to people that don’t ask Jesus into their heart?” He said with a gulp, “they go to Hell.” I asked, “Why do they go to Hell?” He said, “Because Jesus hasn’t taken away their sins.”

    At this point my heart began to race. I asked Josiah, “Have you ever asked Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins? He said, “I want too but I don’t know how!” So innocent. I said, “All you have to do is pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart and to forgive you of your sins. If I pray with you, do you want to pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins?” He said, “Yes!” So needless to say, we called Stephanie into the room, of coarse Jackson followed, and as a family we prayed together and Josiah asked Jesus to come into his heart and forgive him for his sins. As a dad, this the moment you pray for and as a pastor/dad you try not to rush, but tonight I am proud to proclaim we have one more for Jesus in the Gould Family! Josiah asked Jesus into his heart!