Category: Church

Do You Know What’s Wrong with the Church Today?

08/08/2016 / Josh Monen / 0 Comments

Do you ever get enticed into a conversation about something you later feel kind of yucky about?

It happened to me recently.

I met someone who wanted to talk about politics right away.

He told me his take on Donald Trump and why he wouldn’t be voting for him — unless his vote was actually the deciding vote, in which case he said he would vote for him (I didn’t understand his logic… but it made sense to him).

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian, entrepreneur and writer from Ridgefield, WA. He's married with three kids: ages 4, 2 and 1. Before he met God, Josh was a drug addict with a $500/day cocaine addiction that almost killed him. Today he's seeking a real authentic relationship with God and others.

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Attraction Rather Than Promotion: A Better Way to Grow a Church

08/19/2015 / Josh Monen / 4 Comments

A.A. and the 12-Step Program has a special place in my heart because that’s where I first became open to “spirituality.”

It’s also the first place I experienced grace from people. I remember opening up my heart and really letting people know what was going on inside of me.

And the strangest thing happened… nobody judged me! They didn’t even give me “concerned” looks.

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One Of The Biggest Lies The Church Believes

05/05/2013 / Josh Monen / 2 Comments

Do you want to know one of the biggest lies the enemy has told us?

Lie: you’re playing defense, not offense (as you hold the ball in your hands and say, Really?)

Truth: you’re on offense (that’s why the ball is in your hands) and the only hope the enemy has is to convince you otherwise.

Here’s what I mean.

God has all power and all authority. Not only is He winning. He’s already won.

Jesus defeated the enemy at the Cross and recaptured the keys of the kingdom.

In other words, Jesus stripped the enemy of his power and authority (which he received when man fell) and delegated it to the church.

Yet many Christians live contrary to this reality. They’ve believed the lie that says, “You’re not powerful. You’re weak and defeated.”

They think they’re destined for a continual struggle against the enemy. Continue reading

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When Christians Disagree: Unity, Facebook and False Teachers

04/21/2013 / Josh Monen / 4 Comments

Hixson Bridge at Shevlin Park

Last week an old friend, and fellow Christian, messaged me on Facebook to let me know he thought some of the Christian charismatic leaders I followed were “false teachers.”

I didn’t (and still don’t) agree with him. But that’s not the point.

There are enough blog posts, Facebook comments and even entire books dedicated to, what I’ll refer to as “Christian Disagreements.”

But so few resources on how to walk in unity and how to honor those you disagree with.

It’s like we’re experts at arguing, persuading and debating (which I confess, I do a lot of) but almost entirely ignorant on how to walk in unity.

And I think something is wrong with that.

So instead of writing my friend back right away, I took a day to think it over. I wanted to not only get my thinking right but also my heart right before I responded.

Continue reading

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Why Do You Go To Church?

11/19/2011 / Josh Monen / 5 Comments

A couple of days ago I was working from a coffee shop. It was very busy that day when a couple of men walked in. The only place for them to sit was across the counter from me. So they sit down and start to talk business.

Then after they finish with their business transaction the conversation drifts towards church.

The one man said, “You know, the reason I go there [his church] is because of the teaching (he made sure to really emphasize the word “teaching”). When I sit down with those guys we’ll all bring our concordances and references books. We’ll cross-reference verses and look up the Greek. You know [name of friend] went to Multnomah Bible College and [name of another friend] went to [name of some other well-respected Bible school].”

The conversation continued like this. It was all about how good they could analyze the Bible. There was no talk about God or people. No mention of the friends this man had at church or the bond they had in the spirit. No discussion about how his life had been changed. Continue reading

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Why Should Anyone Make a Covenant with Another Person?

09/24/2011 / Josh Monen / 6 Comments

I think it’s important to answer the “why?” question before we go out and form covenants with people. Should we form a covenant because we go to the same church or because we’re part of the same ministry?

Should it be based on proximity — if you’re a Christian in my town is that enough to form a covenant relationship?

Or are these foundations too shallow to build such meaningful relationships on? Continue reading

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The False Rapture Prediction, Media and Christians

05/25/2011 / Josh Monen / 1 Comment

I know. You’re tired of hearing about the fake rapture prediction. So am I. I won’t bore you with another article about Camping’s false doctrine. I’m also not going to write about the fact that Jesus clearly said that nobody knows when the end will come.

I want to talk about the media itself. More specifically, Christians and the media.

Why do we not have more influence in the media realm? Continue reading

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The Church’s Role in Meeting Needs

05/18/2011 / Josh Monen / 0 Comments

“I have observed two extremes in our churches concerning personal needs. One extreme is the impersonal church that ignores many needs. People come to church to hear the preacher preach and the teacher teach. In this setting, pastors see themselves as mini-theologians. They are the defenders of the faith.