by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
May 26
My Ordination, Where God is leading, and so forth.
Posted by Josh
It was a long time coming. I still remember the early days in my ministry after I had been ministering at First Baptist Church in Atlanta MO and right before I went to Exeter Bible Church in PA I was going to be ordained. However Exeter wanted to ordain me so I held off. The problem came when 9 months after I arrived at Exeter the pastor left and we began a rather long search for a pastor. We did find a Pastor and a few years after that I thought it might be a good time to go through the ordination process. Once again it was halted by my resignation and my subsequent move back to Missouri.
This all leads me up to where God may possibly be leading me. After moving back to Missouri I began to try to find a church to minister in as a youth pastor with little success. During this this time of looking for a youth pastorate I had many friends and family ask me if I had ever considered beign a Sr. Pastor. To be honest that has never even really been on my radar. So often my response has simply been no and God has called me to youth ministry. However that began to change for me over time.
I became a member at FBC macon nearly a year ago. I needed a place where my wife and myself could find healing and a place that we could call home. We found it at FBC macon. I have had the priviledge t osit under some great teachign while being there and have had the awesome privledge to have to pastors I consider friends. I know these men love me and I feel the same way about them. It was at this church that God began to change my though process. It was here that God let minister. It was a few months ago that I had a conversation with Pastor Tim and we began to talk and he said “i believe God may be calling you to be Sr. Pastor” and htough I had heard this many times before this time it was sinking in.
After that conversation I began to pray even harder and seek what God could be saying to me. Though I did not feel I had a clear answer from God I did feel that if God wanted this He would reveal it to me. So I decided to pursue it a little farther and I submitted my resume to a couple pf church that I felt would be a good fit for me. I really did not expect to get a call. One of those churches called me within minutes after receiveing my resume, in addition I have been contacted by other church that received my resume from others. Could htis be the Lord’s leading? Right now I believe it is indeed God’s direction. God has given me a peace about this which I never though I would have. I pray for god to lead me to the right place.
To top all of this off I had a wonderful ordination service this past Sunday night. The encouragement I recieved form the deacons and other pastors was overwhelming to me. I am honored the FBC Macon has seen qualities in me worthy of Ordination. I want to be where God wants me and nowhere else and if that mean I am a Sr. Pastor that is what I want. Please pray for God’s direction.
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May 19
God’s Miracle to us
Posted by Josh
One year ago today my son was born. Micah John Monda was a surprise to both my wife and I. After nearly 8 years of trying to have a second child Micah came along. What miracle he was then and still is. He brings joy to our lives on an everyday basis with our daughter Sarai. There is nothing quite like seeing a baby develop and begin to smile and in some cases to see their daddy in them. I hope people see my daddy in me I hope my life point to my heavenly father. I will write more later on some amazing things God is doing in my life right now. Here are some pics of my son.
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May 13
Clayton’s Story
Posted by Josh
This is a powerful video that not only all teens should see but all people. It is worth a few moments of your time
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
May 04
So Bizarre – Bizarre Foods Sneak Peak
Posted by Josh
One show I like to watch around my house is Bizarre foods. Now I know that this show may gross some people out but for me the culinary appetite of Andrew Zimmern is mind boggling. He often seems to have a way of taking some food that you may think sounds like the grossest things in the world abd make it sound good and even seem good when he tries it.
If you have not watched Bizarre foods it is on the Travel Channel on Tuesdays at 10pm eastern. On the show Andrew tries everything that you could possible imagine. From bats, to intestines, to everything in between. many times I wish I could be in the countries that he travels too and try some of the food he tries. Though I may never experience it I sometimes feel as though I get to experience it through him. Here is a sneak peak of tomorrows episode. I encourage you to stop by and watch it remember Tuesdays at 10pm on the travel channel.
My Thoughts
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
It was about 2 years ago when I first came to FBC Macon looking for a place to heal. My wife and I had been through a terrible battle within the church and to be honest I did not know what was going to happen next in our lives. The only thing I knew is that I wanted to find a place where we would be loved and where I could sit under sound teaching. These two fundamentals were vital for me. After serving as a pastor for 15 years I wanted to just blend in for once. For once I did not want to be known as a pastor and I did not want the junk that I had thought went along with it. To say we were beat up I think would really be an understatement. However this post is not to focus on what has happened elsewhere but I write to focus on what God has done since that time in our lives.
You see when we first came to Macon I did not want anyone to know that I used to be a youth pastor. In fact I sat in my Sunday school class for months without telling them my background or what I had done for a living for the previous years. Yet week after week we felt loved and wanted and accepted. Not because I was a pastor but for who we were. Week in and week out I had a tremendous opportunity to sit under solid Bible teaching that challenged me often. After a few months I decided it was time to be involved in the church. However, I firmly believe you become a member and then you get involved. So we became member.
I cant even begin to tell you the tremendous amount of love we have felt from our church family. I cant even tell you about all of the times people have come and encouraged me or told me they were praying for me. I have been moved in ways that has just been overwhelming. The other night as I stood in the pulpit to preach my sermon it almost did not feel real. As I took time to thank the church for all they have done it also hit me like a ton of bricks that one day I would move on.
I have made so many friends in this church. I have great relationships with the pastors of this church and even as I write this I am sad. I love it here. I love the people and to be honest I never want to leave. However God has placed a call on my life and to be disobedient is not an option.
Thank you so much Macon FBC for all you have done. I do not know how much longer I have hear sometimes I wish it was alot longer. But this church will never know how much it has touched me. It will never know the healing it has brought to my family. The people of this church have displayed the Love of Christ to me in ways I have never seen before. In addition to that I have had the awesome privilege to be on staff here. First as the intern youth pastor and currently as the interim children’s pastor. Thank you for loving my family, and giving me an opportunity to serve. Whatever happens in the future I love this church and they will always have a special place in my heart.
by Josh Monda | Feb 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
I was reading this blog post tonight and it really spoke to me because this is where I am currently at in my life.
Thanks to http://timschmoyer.com
Last week in a conversation with my mentee, he asked, “How do you know if you’re called to ministry?” If we’re all honest, there have been times when each of us has questioned our calling to ministry, particularly during the difficult times. My mentee is not currently in that situation, but the issue of feeling “called out” of ministry is still a difficult one. When we go into vocational ministry, we often use language like, “God is calling me to serve at this church.” Or, when we leave one ministry position and go to another, we say, “God called me away from that ministry to this new one.” Sometimes we’re clearly over-spiritualizing a situation, sometimes not. But when we start to question the calling, let’s not confuse those emotions with ones of discouragement or insecurity. For example, if you had a lot of people encouraging and supporting you, would you still feel “called out” of ministry? If you felt affirmed by key people in your ministry, would your calling change? Remember, our calling into ministry does not come from people, nor should it be retracted by people. It comes solely from the Lord. If you’re doubting your call to ministry, don’t confuse it with feeling discouraged or insecure. Deep down, we all feel that in ministry.
Affirmation and encouragement are absolutely healthy and necessary things to have in your ministry, but never should we base a calling to ministry on the praise or opinions of others. Base your calling on the Lord’s direction in your life.
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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keep looking »
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.
