Beyond Clichés

Becoming so heavenly minded that we are of some earthly good.

Category: Understanding

Is the Gospel Behavior Modification?

11/15/2011 / / 4 Comments

No. There are lots of great programs out there (i.e. Alcoholics Anonymous) that help you change your behavior. I don’t know many Believers who would claim that the Gospel is behavior modification. It’s not about trying to get us to just act a certain way. It’s the story about someone else, Jesus, who did everything for us so that we could become sons and daughters of God.

Does our behavior change?

Of course it does. When someone is born again they act different. When someone just starts “going to church” they might try to act different to fit in with the new church culture but just “going to church” will not change you on the inside. Continue reading

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

What Does It Mean To Have a Hard Heart?

03/17/2011 / / 2 Comments

 

Before the Storm

“For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.” Mark 6:52

This verse grabbed my attention because of its context. We read about the disciples struggling at sea, getting scared when they see Jesus walking on the water and then jaws dropping when they realize it’s Jesus. Then all of a sudden Continue reading

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

Cultivating Our Ground, Part 2

12/14/2010 / / 0 Comments

In the last post we learned about the wayside soil and what happens when we lack understanding. Now we will look at the second type of ground, the stony ground and the importance of becoming people of substance.

These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. (Mark 4:16,17) Continue reading

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

Cultivating Our Ground, Part 1

12/11/2010 / / 1 Comment

If we do not understand the parable of the sower how do we expect to understand anything Jesus taught? That is essentially what Jesus asked the disciples in Mark 4:13. Here He tells a story about a sower (someone who seeds a field) but the focus of the story is not on the sower or the seed, instead it is on the different types of ground the seed falls on.

So why is this important to us today? Because we are the ground that God’s word falls on. And if want the word of God to transform our lives we need to cultivate good ground so that it can grow and bear fruit. Let’s take a look at the four types of ground in this story and learn some practical ways to “till the ground”. Continue reading

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

Understanding Understanding

12/10/2010 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever heard something a hundred times before and then finally it just clicks? This is also known as an “aha moment”. Really it is the experience of finally understanding something. Jesus tells a story about different types of people who hear the word of the kingdom. Out of the four types of people, only one actually benefited from what they heard. What set them apart? Understanding.

Our generation does not lack information or access to it. What is lacking is understanding. Continue reading

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

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