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Do we really want to be known for our lack of Judgement?

01/04/2011 / Josh Monen / 0 Comments

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (1 Corinthians 6:2)

Christians have been labeled as judgmental by the world and in an attempt to rid themselves of this disgraceful characteristic many have refused to judge anything. As Bill Johnson from Bethel Church says,

Reaction to error usually produces error. Response to truth always wins out over those who react to error. Some people would have no belief system were it not for the error of others. Their thoughts and teachings are the antithesis of what others believe and practice. As a result those who strive for balance become anemic. The word balance has come to mean middle of the road—of no threat to people or the devil, with little risk, and above all…the best way to keep our nice image intact. Continue reading

Carnal or Spiritual?

12/27/2010 / Josh Monen / 0 Comments

Are you becoming a more spiritual or a more carnal Christian? And how can you tell the difference? I’ve been asking myself these questions over the last couple days after reading the following words from Andrew Murray in his classic book, The Master’s Indwelling:

And this may be in our days as well as in the time of the Corinthians. I may be a minister of the Gospel; I may teach God’s Word beautifully; I may have influence, and gather a large congregation, and yet, alas! I may be a carnal man; a man who may be used by God, and may be a blessing to others, and yet the carnal life may still mark me. You all know the law that a thing is named according to what is its most prominent characteristic. Now, in these carnal Corinthians there was a little of God’s Spirit, but the flesh predominated; the Spirit had not the rule of their whole life. Continue reading

Cultivating our Ground, Part 3

12/20/2010 / Josh Monen / 2 Comments

The third type of ground in the Parable of the Sower is the thorny ground. In the last couple posts we learned about the importance of understanding the word and then how to get the word in our spirits. Now we will focus on the value of rest in our lives and how to break free from busyness. Continue reading

Cultivating Our Ground, Part 2

12/14/2010 / Josh Monen / 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

Cultivating Our Ground, Part 1

12/11/2010 / Josh Monen / 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

Understanding Understanding

12/10/2010 / Josh Monen / 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

Christian Clichés

12/05/2010 / Josh Monen / 5 Comments

A cliché is “an expression so often used that its original power has been drained away.” If you spend any amount of time around church you will hear expressions that are unique to Christians, aka,”Christianese.” Phrases like, “what would Jesus do?” or “don’t worry, God is in control,” and the grand daddy of encourager’s, “everything happens for a reason”. Now there is nothing wrong with clichés but there is a problem when we know all the right things to say but lack the power behind those words. Continue reading

Beyond Clichés