9 Greek Words That Can Set Your Heart on Fire

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Steve Simms

The world today is awash in technology. The English word technology comes from two Greek words: tekhne meaning “skill” and logia meaning “the study of.” Yet with all of our technology, knowledge, and skills our hearts aren’t filled with love, peace, hope, and joy. Here are 9 Greek words that can heal your hurting heart if you will persistently apply them to your life.

1) Ekklesia — The people God is forming together to encourage, comfort, love, serve, and teach one another.
2) Agapē — How those people love God and love each other.
3) Metanoia — The repentance that opens people’s heart to enter into and continue in an intimate relationship with the risen Jesus.
4) Pneuma — The Spirit of God who empowers a Spirit-led life.
5) Sophia — God the Father’s wisdom that teaches believers how to hear, discern, and obey God the Spirit’s inner promptings.
6) Charismata — The Spirit-given gifts that every believer can receive and contribute to the Spirit-led community.
7) Koinōnia — How the ekklesia shares life together through humble, open, heart-to-heart relationships with one another.
8) Diakonia — How the body of Christ participates in active ministry to one another.
9) Basileia Tou Theou — The inner government (kingdom) and presence of King Jesus that these practices embody and clearly demonstrate for all to see.

I love being loved by God so much that He sent Jesus (John 3:16) to save me from my sins (Matthew 1:21) and set me free to be led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:21) instead of by my own thoughts, feelings, and desires. It’s an amazing way to live.

Don’t let God’s love be Greek to you. It’s not supposed to be like reading these Greek words — Christos en hymin. Experience actual presence of Christ in you. Let the reality behind those 9 Greek words set your heart on fire!

Photo by Nick Souckov-Baulot on Pexels.com
Posted in ekklesia, Greek language, Greek New Testament, Greek philosophy, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

25 Flow of God Circuit Breakers

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Steve Simms

1) Pride,
2) Self-righteousness,
3) Religious control,
4) Guilt,
5) Sin,
6) Consumerism,
7) Fear,
8) Anger,
9) Hatred,
11) Politics,
12) Stubbornness,
12) Impatience,
13) Negativity,
14) Unbelief,
15) Lies,
16) Injustice,
17) Impurity,
18) Disrespect,
19) Anxiety,
20) Worry,
21) Unkindness,
22) Disobedience,
23) Rebellion,
24) Love of wealth,
25) Self-focus.

Another powerful way to quench the Holy Spirit is to systematize Christianity into highly programmed churches that are totally dependent on one man’s preaching and control. When sermons have replaced spiritual maturity, pastor dependency has replaced discipleship, and religious programs have replaced the leading of God’s Spirit, Christianity has been replaced by human control.

Unfortunately, the Gospel (the good news about Jesus) has been reduced to a weekly church pill. It has been turned into a sermon capsule that people generally swallow without thinking.

Red, white, and Bible religion is dangerous. Beware of Cross and country confusion. It can cause much corruption and deception.

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25 Pride-Push-Aways

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Steve Simms

If you’ll push away your pride God will work powerfully both inside you and through you. Here’s a list of powerful pride push-aways.

1) Speaking the truth in love,
2) Considering others better than yourself,
3) Praying for those who mistreat you,
4) Blessing those who curse you,
5) Loving your enemies,
6) Turning the other cheek,
7) Forgiving everyone,
8) Asking people to forgive you,
9) Being humbly honest with people,
10) Confessing your sins to someone you trust,
11) Repenting and turning away from your wicked ways,
12) Not holding back when tears come to your eyes,
13) Asking God to search your heart and show you your sins,
14) Obeying God’s promptings even when you don’t want to.
15) Always seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
16) Staying continually aware of the presence of the risen Jesus,
17) Serving other people,
18) Being kind to everyone you meet,
19) Always showing hospitality, even to strangers,
20) Resisting looking for recognition and acknowledgement,
21) Waiting on the Lord and on His timing,
23) Refusing to take offense at what people say and do,
24) Being a good sport whether you win or lose,
25) Making friends, spending time with, and humbly sharing the love of Jesus with people who you disagree with, who have a different skin color than you do, who have a lower social status than you do, who speak a different language than you do, and who are from a different country that you are.

Always push aside both outer and inner pompousness. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Instead of telling people that you’re proud of them, tell them that you are blessed and humbled by something godly that they have said or done. For example: “I am blessed and humbled by the way you’ve grown spiritually lately. #humility #Pride

Man in outdoor clothing reaching out to a standing brown bear in a forest trail
A man cautiously reaches out to a large brown bear in a forest
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Mosaic Assembly

Posted on July 11, 2026 by Steve Simms

Putting it all together . . .

Broken pieces
Of colored tile
Are assembled
Beautifully
By an artist
Of mosaics.

Broken people
With humble hearts
Are assembled
Beautifully
To be guided
And directed
By God’s Spirit.
(Hebrews 10:24-25)

Make Jesus brown skin, black hair
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Joy Gets Me Through Life’s Hard Times

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Steve Simms

When I pursue happiness in happenings nothing much happens. O, I might experience a laugh or two and a little pleasure here and there but nothing long lasting. Years ago, when I quit seeking happiness and began to seek first the kingdom (inner government) of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) something amazing happened. I discovered gladness in the Lord. (Psalm 32:11) I became joyful in God. (Isaiah 61:10) The joy of the Lord became my strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

I discovered that true joy is in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17) It is produced by embracing and surrendering to God the Holy Spirit living in and through you (Galatians 5:20-21) and allowing Him to prompt and lead you moment-by-moment. (Romans 8:14)

Now anything that I do without conscious awareness of God’s presence is quite boring for me. However, as long as I stay continually aware of Christ living in me and directly leading me (Colossians 1:27) joy flows from within me like rivers of living water. (John 7:37-39) That’s why I don’t like group activities that distract my attention from God, but I love it when people come together to keep their focus firmly fixed on the reality of the risen Jesus!

I love to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4) and to inwardly overflow with His “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1 Peter 1:8) Whenever I stop rejoicing in the Lord joy begins to drain from my heart, but as long as I stay focused on Jesus, He fills me with His joy (John15:11) even in painful and difficult circumstances. (Habakkuk 3:18-19)

If you have wondered why I am so focused on and can’t stop writing about the presence of the risen Jesus, now you know. I invite you to do the same so that you too can experience such incredible ongoing inner joy!

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Real Deal Christianity

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Steve Simms

Real deal Christianity is about learning to set aside everything that distances you from God. It’s about avoiding anything that hinders your awareness of the living presence of King Jesus. It’s God’s kingdom ruling and reigning within you on earth as it is in Heaven.

Authentic Christianity is doing what Jesus tells you to throughout each day. It’s not a religious service that you sit through once a week. It is a lifetime of inner transformation that aligns your thoughts, word, beliefs, and behaviors with the will of God.

Actual Christianity is not about human effort or human understanding. It’s about God’s grace, revelation, and power deposited directly into an individual’s heart and mind.

Genuine Christianity is open and available to whosoever will personally and fully surrender his or her will and daily obey Christ. All who are willing to be graciously led by God’s Spirit instead of by their own desires, feelings, and opinions are invited to freely “taste and see that God is good.”

Spirit-led Christianity isn’t a religious institution. It’s not a church hierarchy. It’s not just being lectured every week about Bible information. It is Christ living in you and directing you day by day. When doing what God’s Spirit prompts you to do is replaced by passive sermon-hearing, Christianity is left undone.

God’s original Christianity is people who assemble themselves together in the name of Jesus (Matthew 18:20) — not in the name of a religious organization or denomination — to encourage one another and to “spur one another on to love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) It is Spirit-led meetings (Romans 8:14) where everyone present is free to speak (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Information without the humility of inner transformation will lead you to pride. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Authentic Christianity is a never-ending, living experience with Jesus. Are you ready for that kind of real relationship with the risen Christ? If so, surrender your all to Him now.

If you are in the Nashville, Tennessee area you can experience such a Spirit-led meeting of “actually following Jesus” on Saturday mornings at 8:30. Just waze and go to Chile Burrito, 330 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37207. It’s just past Five Guys and everyone is welcome.

Posted in biblical Christianity, Christian spirituality, Christianity, Mere Christianity, normal Christianity, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Make God Your Chief Chef!

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Steve Simms

God is a chef who is looking for people to be His Spirit-prompted ingredients. (Romans 8:14) He wants to bring Christians together to demonstrate His glorious presence and power. (1 Corinthians 2:4)

Be an interactive ingredient in the body of Christ, not just a cold vegetable passively chilling in a religious fridge. Humbly receive and surrender to God the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to continually direct and empower you (Acts 1:8) to testify about what He is saying and doing in your life. (Revelation 12:11)

One ingredient can’t make a delicious recipe. One persona alone can’t fully empower people to “taste and see that God is good.” However, when a group of Spirit-led Christians allows God to connect them heart-to-heart and mold them together in His presence as a living demonstration of the body of Christ, if unbelievers come in, ‘the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God exclaiming ‘God is really among you!'” (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

A few songs and a one-man sermon aren’t God’s recipe for meetings in the body of Christ. The Bible says that when Christ-followers meet together, everyone has the opportunity to say something. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26) If you have been redeemed by the Lord, speak up and openly say so! Go beyond the Sunday morning wall of silent, frozen passivity.

Christ-followers,
When you meet
Let the Light
Of Christ shine
Through each person
Like sky blue holes
Of Heaven’s light
Breaking through
A forest
And reflecting
Off the trees.

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I Want to Live in Faith Upsized

Posted on July 7, 2026 by Steve Simms

Upsize Your Faith

When faith is downsized
People are paralyzed.
They’re too proud to do
What Jesus says to.
Faith without works is
Only empty words.

Learn to be Spirit led,
Not spiritually dead.
Let Jesus be your Head.
Listen to His voice,
Then go do what He said.

When pride is upsized, true faith is downsized.

Let humility be your healing tea.

Blue cup labeled FAITH with a healthy green plant and grey cup labeled PRIDE with a drying plant
Two cups labeled ‘FAITH’ and ‘PRIDE’ with thriving and withered plants inside.
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Was Your Faith Merely Taught You?

Posted on July 6, 2026 by Steve Simms

Christianity is
More than just being taught
Ideas from the Bible,
And acting as you ought.
Let your whole heart be caught
By Christ living in you
And bringing every thought
To align with His will.

How did you get your faith? Is it just something that you were taught? Or is it something that has supernaturally caught your heart?

God wants to give you infinitely more than mere information about Himself. He wants to touch, reveal, and mold your heart. He wants to rescue you from chaos.

Biblically aligned sermons and Bible studies are good. They target your mind and teach you what the Bible says. But Bible knowledge isn’t enough. Allow your heart to be continually captured and controlled by Christ.

A Spirit-led support group based on 1 Corinthains 14:26 does far more than teach religious information. It connects people heart to heart with the risen Jesus and with one another.

If you are in the Nashville, Tennessee area you can experience an environment where Christ can catch your heart and pull it out of chaos. Come and encounter His presence in the Christian support group that meets at Chile Burrito, 330 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37207 @ 8:30 every Saturday morning.

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Do You Really Want God to Bless You and Your Country?

Posted on July 5, 2026 by Steve Simms

If you hang around Christians, you might hear the word “blessed.” They will sometimes say things like “I’m blessed and highly favored,” and “I’m too blessed to be stressed,” and “God bless you.” On the fourth of July in the USA, they will often sing “God Bless America.” But what does it mean to be blessed?

Are you blessed? Is your nation blessed? Here is how Jesus defines the term in the part of the Bible known as the Beatitudes. (Matthew 5:3-12)

* To be blessed isn’t to have pride. It’s to have deep humility because humble people allow God to rule and direct them from within.

* To be blessed isn’t to be superficially happy. It is to morn because people who feel the sadness of grief are being called to open their heart to God’s comfort.

* To be blessed isn’t to be stubborn. It’s to be pliable and meek so that God can bend your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and desires to match His will.

* To be blessed isn’t to be well satisfied with your life. It is to be inwardly filled with hunger and thirst to live a life that is morally aligned with God and His commandments.

* To be blessed isn’t to blame and accuse people. It is to show them mercy, compassion, and forgiveness so that you, yourself, can receive God’s mercy and forgiveness.

* To be blessed isn’t to have a tempted, tormented, and shame-filled heart. It is to allow God to lead you to inner purity so that you can see Him more clearly.

* To be blessed is not to stir up hostility. It is to be a Spirit-led peacemaker — a true child of God.

* To be blessed isn’t to be praised by people. It is to be persecuted and falsely accused because of aligning your heart, mind, and behavior with God the way the ancient prophets did. It is to experience the ability to rejoice and be glad when you are being persecuted for speaking the truth in love.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com
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