by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
I am currently and interim Children’s Pastor. Which in the words of my former pastor mean I am 2 seconds away from being fired. I always loved joking around with him about stuff as far as I know he was never serious about that statement. Anyway I have been a youth pastor for 15 years and there is a part of me that gets somewhat disappointed when others seem to destine our teens to a life of mediocrity.
It seems we have somehow got it in our heads that that teens can’t make a difference, or they are just a bunch of good off’s. We tell ourselves if only the teens in our churches could survive their teenage years just perhaps something good could happen. Since when did the teen years become about survival. Why do we sell them so short. Perhaps my favorite quote is this one “the teens are the church of the future” well the teens are more then the church of the future they are the church of today.
I recently heard one pastor who seemed rather upset because his church was looking for a youth pastor to hire part time. His response was that teens will never change the church. I really dont think I will address that here but why is that our mentality in the first place. Why do 70 percent of teens abandon their faith when they leave home for college or a career. Has the church failed them? In many respects we have. We have created this sub class of people we call teens and we have lowered the bar for them and have expected far less from them then we ever should have. In essence we have made them destined for mediocrity.
When Paul wrote to Timothy he did not say “well Timothy I sure hope you can make it” No way he challenged Timothy. He told him to be loyal to the faith, to be strong in Grace, he told him about being an approved workman, He talked to him about following doctrine and preaching the word. Paul did not tell him to be lazy he told him to fight the good fight, to beware of Apostates, to be a servant of Jesus Christ. Will every teen grow up to be a sold out Christ follower? Absolutely not but why do we continue to sell our selves short.
Parents, pastors, teachers it is time we stop lowering the bar and settling for mediocrity and start raising the bar and challenging our teens to be more then we are willing to settle for.
Just some thought from a former Youth Pastor who might be one again someday who knows?
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
Aug 28
How To Write An Effective Resume or What is my Resume Objective
Posted by Josh
Ok I will admit it this is a shameless plug for my e-book I have completed. Yes it is for sale. I noticed that in one months time I have had well over 100 people come and download my resume and this tells me something. It says that there are plenty of pastors and youth pastors out there that are looking for a way to write a resume and to write on that will stand out from the crowd.
Because of this I decided to put together a book that will help you. Why is it for sale? Well I have it for sale to earn some money hopefully to be able to pay for hosting an some other things. You could go to one of these other site and pay up to 100 bucks to have your resume done or you could pay 10 and do it yourself. This is ebook will give you everything you need to know. This is not just for pastors and youth pastors either. This information is good for any job and will help you out no matter what you are writig your resume for. So if you are interested then check it out.
How To Write An Effective Resume
Life, Uncategorized
Aug 22
Tweet For Cash Scam
Posted by Josh
This may seem like a strange post initially because it is not my usual type of post. However I do not like to see scams and I found one called Tweet For Cash. This blog is about life amongst many other things and I like to give out information. Some of you may have no idea what Twitter is so if that is you just disregard this post or you can go to twitter.com and find out more. If you want to know more about twitter let me know I can help.
Anyway if you are thinking about doing Tweet for Cash and think you will make money please stop now because it is a scam. I was scammed in a very similar way earlier this year and long a few hundred buck looking for a way to work from home. It was by google profits. Any I want to make you aware of this Tweet For Cash thing so I went to the website and guess what as usual this company has there page load in such a way that the terms and condition are hidden here is a screenshot of how it loads.
Real convenient. now when you scroll down on the page you can see the actual Terms an Conditions. So I click on them now this what you have to check out this is the scam part and why Tweet for Cash is a Scam. Here they are well not all of them but the most important one
I hope you caught that. It is a 7 day trial and then they will charge you 89.90 a month. What? What a bait and switch. They suck you in by saying you get all of this for 2.97 and then you must scroll down and click a link and read the Terms and Condition to see that really it will be 89.90 a month. Guess what it will take them 7 days just to get the product to you so they nail you. What is worse when you call the number you will not get your money back. So just stay away from this Tweet For Cash. Tell anyone you know that this is a scam.
If you are really looking for a great way to use twitter you can check this out http://bit.ly/D96Jf it has been working nice for me. I can also give you a site that will help you add more twitter followers that is not in the above guide just let me know.
Life
Aug 10
Wow My Guest Post Was Accepted
Posted by Josh
A few days ago my wife sent me an email that said you should try this. When I looked at the email it was about Joshua Griffin’s website and how he was looking for guest posts. Joshua Griffin is the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. Anyways I really did not think I would be able to write and article that was good enough to be accepted nor did I think I had much to share that people would want to read. I can imagine he has alot more readers than I do. Albeit I have had alot of people coming to my site to download my resume lately primarily because they want a sample. Anyway I thought about it and decided to at least give it a shot.
I sat at my computer and to be honest I just kept drawing blanks. I had no idea what I was going to right about and my mind just kept going back to my experiences over the last year. Finally it came to me. I thought about alot of people coming to my site to see a sample resume which in turn made me realize their are alot of people looking for positions right now. If these people are anything like me they may have been looking for awhile or they may end up looking for awhile. So that is what I decided to right about. My post goes live august 17th if you want to read it you can check it out here when it goes live.
Uncategorized
Aug 03
Missions Trip To Chalchuapa El Salvador
Posted by Josh
I just recently returned from a World changer Missions trip that took place down in Daytona Beach Florida. We had a great time serving dow there. Some of our people painted houses while others worked on roofing projects throughout the city. We had a great time and I personally feel that our group bonded well and it was a nice chance for me to hang out with some teens. I love going on Missions trips and seeing how God works through the lives of those who attend.
Well next month I will have the opportunity to serve on another Missions Trip however this one is a little further away. You see we will be going to Chalchuapa El Salvador and we will be serving the Lord there. This is not my first foreign missions trip however it is my first on with First Baptist Church Macon. I am looking forward to what God is going to do on this trip and I am also looking forward to meeting the people in Chalchuapa. In addition to this I am excited to build deeper and stronger relationships with those in our church. However we all know that in order to serve on a missions trip it takes support. If you would like to support me I have included a donation button below. However if you would like to read my letter on how you can make a tax deductible contribution you can do so here.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application, Uncategorized
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
I read a book that changed my life. It changed how I look at things and how I do things and how I think. It was call “The heart of the Problem” below is kind of some thoughts.
I am not sure why it is so hard for us to say we are sorry or to simply ask for forgiveness. I am assuming it really boils down to pride and for whatever reason our fear. We never want to admit that perhaps we said something wrong or did something wrong. We don’t want to admit that perhaps we handled something wrong or that perhaps we should have our could have handled things differently. We don’t want to admit that perhaps we had a bad attitude, or a wrong attitude, or a critical spirit when we should not have. Why? Why do we carry around strange feeling for other people. Why do we want that baggage with us. Why do we sit and wonder what others are thinking about us or whether they think about us at all. Why are we so willing to harbor bitterness or to deny that we are at fault in anything.
To many times Christians have broken relationships and for whatever reason we think it is ok or that it will just go away. I find nowhere in scripture that it is just ok. I can not find anywhere where if we have offended our brother or sister that the best way we handle it is to do nothing. I also do not find anywhere in scripture that if we have offended another or sinned against them and they ask for forgiveness that we can just assume that we have no responsibility.
The world looks at us as Christians and the very thing that we are to show them we lack. We lack the desire to truly forgive, we lack the desire to love our neighbor as ourself, we lack the desire to ask for forgiveness. Really we lack humility and somehow we gloss over it and we think that it is all ok. Well it is not all ok. It is sin and there is no human remedy for it. It will not just fix itself.
I am sure there are people that dont like me much and I am sure there are those that are holding a grudge against me or even are bitter towards me. I wish I knew who they were I wish they would be brave enough just to tell me so I could say I am sorry so I could ask for forgiveness, so restoration could take place. So they could deal with any sin of bitterness or anger they have towards me, and so we could display to a world that is looking for christians to be real could see what Christianity is truly about.
So if you are reading this and I have offended you or you are angry at me or bitter towards me for some reason. Wherever you are, whatever your thoughts I would ask for your forgiveness and say I am sorry for anything that I have done that may have caused harm.
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
Jul 21
Homiletic
Posted by Josh
You might be wondering what in the world am I talking about. What do I mean. Homiletic is actually the art of preaching. I am always looking at things and reading blogs of different pastors. Part of that is also looking at things that may help pastors as well. I have been a pastor for over 15 years. The other day I was doing some market research for a project I want to start and I ran across a resource that I thought could be helpful for pastors. I know there are times when pastor just do not have the time to get a sermon ready. So rather then snag one from John MaCarthur or Rick Warren and then claim it as you own why not use this Resource. I mean it is discrete and not some recycled sermon that perhaps your church has already heard on the radio and it is nice fresh content plus it has powerpoint included. Sure it may not be a substitute for preparing your own but it could be an awesome resource when you are in a crunch. Why not check out the Free Sermons they offer and go from there. I also wrote about this on this page . Check out the resources below.
Uncategorized
Jul 16
Heading To Florida- Daytona Beach – World Changers Mission Trip
Posted by Josh
I thought I would take a few minutes and talk briefly about a Mission’s Trip I have coming up. I love going on missions trips and being involved in working, and helping others in need. In addition I have only been to Florida one time so this will be a nice chance to go again. We will be going with over 30 teenagers to Daytona Beach and will be painting and doing some roofing projects. I will be doing some roofing while there something I have no experience with. However I am looking forward to learning and then maybe I can help others later on as well.
The organization we will be going with is World Changers. I am excited about this as well because so far they have been extremely organized in how they have handled everything. We have already received a photo of the house we will be working on and exactly what we will be doing. If you get a chance to work with this organization I would encourage you to do so.
I am also excited because we are going to stop in Sikeston Mo on the way down there and go to Lamberts Cafe you may have seen them featured on the travel channel. This is the place where they literally throw rolls at you and serve your food in huger portions. I have wanted to go there for awhile so this will be cool.
In addition in September I will be going to El Salvador but I will tell more about that later.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
Jul 16
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Posted by Josh
Uncategorized
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
I love to fish. In fact if it were possible I used to spend to much time fishing, I would tell me wife that God made the world 3/4 water so we should spend 3/4 of our time fishing. It really does not matter what kind of fishing it is either. I like to bass fish, fish for catfish, trout, bluegill, you name it I love to go. For me there is nothing better then hooking into a big fish. Even when I was little I loved to go out and fish and try to catch the “big one”. There were times when I would go and stay out all night simply fishing. Well Jesus knew how to fish as well, Luke 5:4-11
And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
This scripture has always intrigued me. I mean Jesus tells the disciples to fish out in the deep in the middle of the day. He is telling them to fish where everyone would say not to and during a time when everyone would say is bad time. The disciples knew that you fished at night near the shore. But Jesus knows where the fish are at. So the disciples obey and they catch so many fish that their nets are going to break and they end up filling 2 boats and the boats almost sink. Wow that is a good day of fishing. I cant help to believe that these verses have some application to the church.
I believe it is time for the church to wake up. For whatever reason we think the fish are just going to come and jump into our nets and we are going to have this great catch. Fish are never just going to come and jump into our nets it is time for the church to “launch into the deep and let down there nets” we have to stop thinking the fish will show up and start obeying where Jesus may be telling us to fish. Jesus knows where the fish are but are we willing to listen. We must not be content to sit back and to wait for them to come but to GO and find them.When I go fishing if I am in one spot for awhile and I do not get a bite I move to another spot looking for fish. I am not saying the church has to pack up and move but I am saying that we have stop thinking the people will come to us and start realising we must go to the people.
We have become so good at building aquariums that we think our aquarium is good enough to make fish come and be happy just sitting in our aquarium. I dont know about you but I have never seen an aquarium gill itself. I mean we have grown so accustom to worrying about how our service looks, or how our church looks, or how are music sond, or what Bible we use, or whether we have a Starbucks in our church and honestly it is meaningless. Sure it may attract a few fish here and there but ultimately our aquariums seem to be for the fish e already have. Dont get me wrong I like good music, I love Starbucks coffee but I am already in the church. Fish are not just going to swim right into our aquarium but we must go and get them. When will we learn that the great commission requires us to go and not to stay. We must go somewhere and find the fish and then go fishing.
We are all to be fisher of men will you go fishing?
