by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
Yesterday I focussed on some statistics that I had learned. Â Some of these stats were very discouraging to myself and we were left with the question then “what do we do?” Â Today I will begin to answer that question.
Thom Rainer in Effective Evangelistic Churches tells us that the most effective methodologies are.
1. Â Biblical Preaching
2. Â Intentional Prayer Ministries
3.  Evangelistically Oriented Sunday School
The sad part is that many our churches are not doing these. Â Maybe they have one or two but rarely three. Â In fact is seems rare to see a church that has and evangelistically oriented sunday school. Â The truth is most of our sunday schools are failing and out of touch.
If we were to take the first one Biblical Preaching or teaching. Â Some would think that we have to compromise the teaching to reach the lost but this is simply not true. Â You can have an outwardly focussed small group or Sunday School without compromising high quality Bible study.
Well this will raise the question how do you do Bible study.  The first thing you must do to have a quality Bible study is pray.  The second thing you must do is enter into the Observation phase.
I. Â Observation
You must ask “what does the passage say.”
The more time you spend in observation the more accurate you interpretation will be.
Yogi Berra once said “You can see a lot just by looking”. Â
When you find your observations take some time to write them down. Â During your observation phase you must read either the entire passage, chapter, or maybe even book to have it in context. Â Now you might ask the question what do I observe. Â Tis is not through six basic quesitons.
1. Â Who?
2. Â What?
3. Â When?
4. Â Where?
5. Â Why?
6. Â How?
You also need to write down in any key terms that you find.
Then you must identify the structure.
Howard Hendricks defines five different kinds of literary structures in Living by the Book.  They areÂ
1. Â Biological structure
2. Â Geographical structure
3. Â Historical structure
4. Â Chronological structure
5. Â Ideological structure
finally during this observation phase you must identify the literary form.
1.  Poetry      5.  Prophecy
2.  Narrative    6.  Idioms
3.  Law        7.  Parable
4.  Proverb     8.  Epistles
After all of the observations have been made we must move onto the Interpretation Phase.
II. Â Interpretation
The key question we must ask here is “What does it mean”Â
How would have the original recipients understood this passage.
There is a difference between hermeneutics and homiletics.  Hermeneutics is that art of Biblical interpretation.  Where Homiletics is the art of the delivery.
There is also a difference between exegesis and isegesis.  In exegesis you let the scripture speaks for itself where as in isegesis you go to the scripture with an already preconceived idea.
Augustine once said “If you believe what you like in the Gospel and reject what you do not like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”
A text can never mean what it never meant.
There are barriers to understanding the text they are as follows. Â
1.  Language      5.  Prejudice
2.  Time         6.  View of Scripture
3.  Culture        7.  Sin
4. Â Geography
During Bible study preparation you must search forÂ
1.  The immediate context      4.  The testamental context
2.  The chapter Context        5.  The Biblical context
3. Â The Book context
You must also search for the Historical cultural Background, word meaning, and Grammar.
Now that we have competed the interpretation phase we move on the the organization phase.
III. Â Organization
The key question we must ask here is how will you present the material you have learned? Â
You must organize your knowledge. Â Many times we are guilty of teaching curriculum and are fail to teach the Bible. Â
Finally you move to application.
IV. Â Application
The key question you must ask here is What does it mean to me?
Howard Hendricks said “The Bible was not given to make us more intelligent sinners but to change our lives.”
Gypsy Smith said “What makes a difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many time and thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”
Here are the application questions to ask.
1. Â How should my life change as a result of the truths in this particular passage?
2. What must I do?
3. Â What must I believe?
4. Â Is there and example to follow?
5. Â A sin to avoid?
6. Â A promise to claim?
7. Â A prayer to reapeat?
8. Â A command to obey?
9. Â A condition to meet?
10. Â A challenge to face?
Well that is where I am going to stop for today. Â With this information you can lead more effective Bible Studies and can make sure they are Biblically focussed an still dynamic.. Â I would challenge you to print this off and use it. Â Tomorrow we will get to Intention Praying and Open Small groups. Â Come back everyday to get more information.
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
Jan 27
Living In The Prison of Sin
Posted by Josh
I am skipping chapter seven very intentionally because I know I have some younger readers and feel it is best to skip that chapter right now. It deals with a mans relationship with his wife in a sexual manner. I do not think sex is a dirty word or bad to talk about that is for sure. One only has to read the Song of Solomon to find this out. However sometimes things are left better unsaid for me at this time so on to Chapter 8. The title itself sounds somewhat productive Victoria’s other Secret. However the chapter has some great things to take from it. Mike describes a pattern that he calls the descent and I think it is worth noting.
1. Satan begins by cultivating ingratitude. He focuses Eve’s restriction on the one restriction in the entire garden. (Genesis 3:1-3)
2. This leads to idolatry – denying that God has our best interests in mind. (Genesis 3:4-5)
3. Immorality comes next. (Genesis 3:6)
4. Imprisonment is the result. (Genesis 3:23-24)
I totally agree with the descent that Mike has laid out here for us. It is so true we gradually start down this road and before we know it we end up over our head and can’t seem to get out of the sin that we are stuck in. Though the book is realting this to sexual sin it is this way with any sin.
This is prison: you don’t like what you are doing, but you can’t stop. When you are given over to something, it rules you. You can’t quit. You promise yourself or you promise God that you’ll do better next time, only to find yourself praying that prayer over and over again.
I know what it is like to be in that prison. That paragraph above hit me like a ton of bricks. I have been there before struggling with sin and wanting to stop. Praying over and over again that it would only go away or that I could somehow rid myself of it. I can remember feeling so guilty and bawling my eyes out over sin I just could not seem to git rid of. Returning to the sin like a dog to its own vomit I know the feeling. But I also know that we gain power over sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. I have been able to gain victory over sin by the power of Christ in my life. Do I still sin? Absolutely but I am no longer in that prison. It is good to have those around you that you confess to and that can help you and speak the power of Christ into your life.
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Jan 27
Piper Delivers Be Courageous Mr. President
Posted by Josh
An excerpt from John Piper’s message on Sanctity of Human Life.
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Jan 26
Glorifying God in the Mundane
Posted by Josh
Tonight I am moving on to chapter 6 of Mike Erre’s book Why Guys Need God. The title of this chapter is acutally naked and unashamed. Toawrds the beginning of this chapter I found this paragraph
To be made of flesh and blood is good because God said so. Being a pastor is not more Christian than being a mortgage broker, nor is praying more Christian than eating. Paul says that whatever you do, even eating and drinking, you should do to the glory of God. I don’t know if Paul could have picked two more mundane activities than eating and drinking. If our eating and drinking can glorify God, so can almost all human endeavors.
You know I htought about this paragraph for awhile. Often times we think something is more Christian than something else. In fact we have stuck the christian label on almost everything around us. We simply stick the word Christian in front of something and it just makes no sense. We have christian mints, t-shirts, knives, flashlights, energy drinks and more htese are just a few of the things we label Christian. Does it somehow become better becasue we have stuck Christian in front of the name. One things is not necesarioy more Christian than the other. Here is the thing in no matter what I do I need to glorify God. Not matter what it is even in the mundane I must look to how I can glorify God in it.
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Jan 22
Give Your All For God
Posted by Josh
Chapter five of Mike Erre’s book Why Guys Need God is called Harps, Clouds, and Backhoes. In this chapter I want to talk about this paragraph
What we are doing matter less than why we are doing it. A biblical masculine spirituality doesn’t bother to dicriminate between important and unimportant jobs or spiritual and sacred ones, but instead encourages men to do the best they can, for the glory of God, with whatever assignments fall their way. To use our everyday work to cooperate with God’s invasion of the earth is the essence of following Jesus.
Sometimes we put the emphasis on what we are doing instead of why we are doing. In some sort of vain way we want to say hey look at me look what I can accomplish. I know I have many times fallen into this trap but in reality we need to stop and put some htought into why we are doing. We so often clump our work or jobs into categories as if well my job is more spiritual than yours. I know as a pastor I have been faced with this idea many times. Sometimes people have come up to me and just told me htat my job was somehowe more spiritual than theirs. However we need to be encouraged as this paragraph says to do the best we can no matter what the job for the glory of God. It does not matter what I am doing I need to give it my all for God’s glory.
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Jan 20
Toil and Thorns
Posted by Josh
Tonight I am going to continue on with things I have learned from the book by Mike Erre Why Guys Need God. Chapter four was titled Toil and Thorns. The following quote really stood out to me
We are looking for who we are as men in what we do. Our lives are based on work, earning, and performance. No wonder we are confused when we show up at church and hear about God’s free gift of grace to us. pg. 59
I believe this is so true. In society today everything we do seems to be based on performance. As men we sit around and watch sports because we love the competition, we buy new cars because we are concerned about our image, we have to have the latest and greatest gadget so we can look, feel, or seem important. I once heard a pastor put it this way “we buy things we do not need or want to impress people we do not know.” So is it confusing for us when we walk into church and here that God’s grace is free absolutely. I remember doing a free car wash with my teens and people would not understand why in the world we do this for free. Why would we wash their car for free. As men we face the same challenge with God’s grace. It is difficult to understand that we do not have to earn it.
I will give one more quote form chapter four.
The moment we surrender control (or the perceived illusion of it), we find ourselves in the barren wild of God’s ruthless love. At precisely that point of risk, when we no longer have it in ourselves to impress God or others, we realize we just can’t make life work through our own effort and resources, and we discover the freedom and courage that defines true men. pg.63
The other night at our church we watched a video about letting go of those things that are keeping us from fully serving God. When the video concluded we all grabbed to handfuls of dirt and symbolically prayed for those things we needed to let go and then dropped the dirt. I ma so often reminded that I need to empty myself of myself in or to experience that freedom and courage of a true man.
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by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
It has been along time since I have posted primarily because I have been so busy. I know that is hard to believe that I have been busy without a job but I sure I have been. Rather than update about Mike Erre’s book (I will do that later) I thought I would just give some things that have been going on in my life.
I’ll start with the crusade we recently had. I meet with one of our Pastors pretty regularly and I really enjoy the time I get to spend with him. Leading up to the crusade he asked me if I would like to help with train the counselors I of course jumped at the opportunity because this is the very thing I love to do. So I spent a few nights getting things ready and going over the training and then we trained the counselors for two evenings, to be ready for the response we were expecting during the crusade. The Impact Macon Crusade was February 22-25 and I was there every night. We saw God move in a remarkable way during that week we saw over 100 decisions for Christ and over 90 0n one night. I must say I was not ready for over 90 people to respond to the gospel that night but it was wonderful. Hey they were all counseled to.
Secondly I was asked if I could teach a book of the Bible to the youth what book would it be. I replied I would go through the book of James and the response was “why don’t you teach it” of course I jumped at that any time I get a chance to teach some teens I am going to do it. So on Sunday nights I am taking our Student Overflow through James. I pray and hope they are enjoying it. I have already taught through James so I already have the messages done, but if you know me you know I spend a great deal of time with message prep even if I have already done it before and making sure I am saying what the Lord wants me to say.
Thirdly the first week in March I started taking over the Wednesday evening teaching to the Youth. This has been going great once again I love teaching the teens. On Wednesdays I typically play a game with them and then we go over prayer requests and then I teach. I desire to see both these ministries grow tremendously and I have seen God definitely working on the hearts of some of the teens that come.
Fourthly I received a call from the principal here at Atlanta school and was asked if I could come in and teach Science while the current teacher is away on maternity leave. I accepted the position. Which if you are a teacher you know the work that gos into lessons and so forth. So for the next few weeks I am now a Science teacher. I must say that teaching in the public school is a lot different then teaching in Christian School, or teaching at church, however the kids seem to like me as a teacher and some even thanked me for teaching.
Finally all of this has been happening while still sending out resumes (required for state aid) and while going through an interview process with a church that is interested me. So yeah I have been busy but hey I like being busy. Please pray I will be directed to the church God wants me at and that I will know it and so will the church.
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
Mar 16
Posted by Josh
I am sure you have probably heard of Christopher Hitchens but have you heard of his brother Peter Hitchens. Peter Hitchens has a book coming out on May 1st entitled The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith you can pre-order the book by clicking the Title. I found this video on youtube giving a preview check it out.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
Mar 10
Posted by Josh
I have been giving some thought to wisdom lately. God’s word tells us that the wisdom of man is foolishness. I have often wondered if I have used my own wisdom (I use that term loosely) in making decisions or how often we have relied on our own wisdom instead of God’s.
Today I read this verse in 2 Corinthians 1:12
For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.
You know we have to be so careful that when we make decision that we are not acting out of fleshly wisdom. Fleshly wisdom really flies in the face of God. Think about it we are told to love our enemies is that what fleshly wisdom says to do? Or we are told to turn the other cheek however fleshly wisdom says get even. God has continued to remind me of His grave over these past weeks.
You see sometimes I want to get angry or upset about something. There are times that I want to be frustrated but I realize what is the point. When I fail to forgive I am reminded of how much I have been forgiven. You see god is calling us to look at others as he sees them. He sees the heart and so often we fail to look inward and focus on the outward. You see it does not make any sense to forgive someone that has wronged, or has talked bad about us, or even done things to harm us. Fleshly wisdom says do not forgive but when I decide to act according to how God would have me respond I remember I have been forgiven much. Because I have been forgiven mush I must forgive much.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
Sep 29
Free Porn Book Porn-Again Christian
Posted by Josh
I was recently doing some online surfing and came across this free ebook on Mark Drsicoll’s site. Â This book deals with men and porn and is title Porn-Again Christian. Â All of the book is not there yet but it will be soon. Â Simply click on the link below and bookmark the site they also have an RSS feed. Â Warning this book will be very frank.
…some years ago I sat down and in one day wrote a small booklet about male sexuality that we published in-house. Since then we have gone through thousands of copies and literally cannot keep it in stock. I asked some Christian publishers if they wanted it, and they said it was too hot to handle and so they declined.So, I decided to just put it online and give it away for free. The book has had a small amount of editing and rewriting since its original version. We’ll give it away at the Resurgencea bit at a time in conjunction with the Song of Songs series I am preaching titled “The Peasant Princess.” Once the entire book has been put online, it will then be posted as a file that guys around the world can download and read on their computer, forward to their friends, or print copies of to hand out as they like.
I hope this thing goes nuts and hundreds of thousands of guys read it.
In closing, I want to say two things. One, a lot of folks will not like the content or tone of this book and I love them and wish them well. You get what you pay for and this is free. Two, a lot of young guys (and some older guys too) tell me they have been helped by this content and if God uses it to help some guys I would be overjoyed with that. So, let the critics fire away and I’ll gladly take the shots for the guys who are walking wounded in an effort to help them get their shield up and sword sharpened.
Until we see Jesus,
Pastor Mark Driscoll
Porn Again Christian e-Book
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
Sep 23
I vote for Life
Posted by Josh
This is something I recently read concerning Obama.
David Freddoso:
When Barack Obama spoke on the Illinois Senate floor in 2001 against Illinois’ born-alive protection bill, did not say that a pre-viable baby is not a “person.” He argued, rather, that even though the state should perhaps provide care for these babies, any recognition of their personhood would create unacceptable consequences. Again, his words, at length, so there’s no uncertainty about context:
There was some suggestion that we might be able to craft something that might meet constitutional muster with respect to caring for fetuses or children who were deliever in this fashion. Unfortunately, this bill goes a little bit further, and so I just want to suggest, not that I think it’ll make too much difference with respect to how we vote, that this is probably not going to survive constitutional scrutiny. Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, infact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – a child, a nine-month-old – child that was delievered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. (Taken from the transcript of the Illinois 92nd Assembly, Mar. 30, 2001.)
Wow. Did you catch that? Since Roe vs. Wade is threatened, then we are allowed to commit murder? You would think it would be the other way around, right? We should not be allowed to kill babies that are born alive from survived abortions and if Roe vs. Wade is threatened, then so be it. Does that logic not follow? But Obama’s stance is as follows: If we have to sacrifice some born alive infants to make sure “women have the right to choose” then that’s what we’ll have to do. How backwards is that?
Read this again: “Number one, whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, infact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – a child, a nine-month-old – child that was delievered to term…”Â
You would think that if you read this paragraph in isolation that what would come next is, “so we need to do exactly that. Protect these persons.” But sadly, it’s not. For Obama, our personhood is not defined by anything specific other than the need to uphold Roe vs. Wade. I think the basis of our personhood should be rooted in ground that is much more solid than the pragmatic need to see the Democratic ticket upheld. Would you not agree? Does this not follow for you Obama voter?
Friends, this man has morally disqualified himself on this issue alone. Don’t drink the Obamalaide.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
Sep 19
How do You Change a Church?
Posted by Josh
I snagged this post from over at church relevance I enjoyed it and wanted to put it up here on my site.
Scott Hodge of The Orchard (Aurora, IL) opened up day 2 of MinistryCOM with a keynote on change. Scott is not only the lead pastor but the communications director as well. Here are some “tweaked” highlights from his talk:
How do you change a church that has been doing things the same way for too long?
The biggest challenge is changing the way that people think about church. People want to reach people for God, but they like to reach them on their terms.
God can birth a new culture for your church.
A communication director’s job is not to decide or dictate the vision of the church. A communication director’s job to to translate and clrify the vision so that people can get it.
Sometimes whole visions live or die on the basis of the words the leader chooses for articulating the vision.
-Bill Hybels ::Â Axiom
When you have a clear and compelling mission, you have the opportunity to create alignment.
Vision is not sticky. you have to recast it and recast it and recast it.
-Andy Stanley
Ask Yourself Three Questions
- Who is God calling us to reach?
Who has God positioned us or uniquely equipped us with the ability to reach effectively?
- What is it going to take to reach them?
What is it that we need to stop doing in order to effectively reach the people that we are called to reach? Sometimes your clearest vision starts simply by knowing what you do not want to be and stopping those things that feed it. What do we need to start doing?
- Are we willing to pay the price?
When you start trying to reach the people God has called you to reach, some people will not like it. You will lose something (reputation, appeal, etc).
You have the opportunity to create culture. That culture is created by everything, including what you choose to celebrate as well as who and what you allow to have influence in your church.
Communicate the why behind the what. Do not just tell people what is happening. Explain why you are doing it.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
Sep 17
What are we waiting for?
Posted by Josh
In my reading of “Confessions of a reformission rev.” I came across this.
I am still not sure if most pastors are aware that their churches are comprised of people they don’t yet know. Â Those people will never come to the churches so the Pastor must go to them.
This is definitely not the norm.  Rarely do we see pastors taking this to heart.  This is once again a difference between a missional church and other churches.  The missional church believes in the fact and clearly teaches that everyone is a missionary what more the missional church teaches how every member can be a missionary.  To often the pastor pawns it off on the people and the people pawn it off on the the Pastor.  However the Pastor and the people must work in concert with one another.  Both must be out meeting knew people.  People are not just going to show up at our churches anymore we have to go get them.
Here is a second quote I found
It was at this time that I realized that our church would never have a sign out front that said “everyone welcome,” because I did not want everyone.
Now perhaps we would say that Driscoll is wrong for this. Â But is he really? Â How many churches have this idea that everyone is welcome and sure they say that but in reality they do not mean it. Â In fact certain people show up and they quickly realize they are not welcome. Â What about the person that comes in and causes division in the church are they welcome? Â We can think of many circumstance where people may not be welcome cant we? Â Something to chew on.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
Sep 16
I Shouldn’t be Alive
Posted by Josh
Last-night on “Hannity and Colmes” Gianna Jessen shared some of her story.  If Obama was president at her birth she would be dead.  She handles herself well.  Check out the video.  This issue is going to heat up in this election especially with the fact that Sarah Palin’s baby Trig being born with Down Syndrome.  It is estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of all pregnancies diagnosed with Down Syndrome are murdered.  Watch the video below.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
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