6 Mysteries I’ve Never Solved

Posted on May 5, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What’s a mystery from your own life that you’ve never solved?
View all responses

Much about life is hard to understand. It keeps me asking why?

1) The mystery of bitterness and unkindness:

Bye-bye, bitterness.
Bye-bye, resentment.
Hello, forgiveness.
I’m gonna follow Christ!
(Ephesians 4:31-32)

2) The mystery of racism:

The terrible cruelty of both the horrible human trafficking called slavery, and the violently enforced segregation, has been swept aside and denied. Americans and Europeans will point out and admit the cruelty of the Nazis, but they ignore the cruelty of their own nations. As The USA approaches its 250th year as a country the official celebrations have no interest in acknowledging America’s crimes against humanity and honoring the people who suffered greatly because of them.

The May 11, 2026, issue of “Time” magazine states: “Our disagreements about the history of slavery are never simply about the past. They are about what we believe America is, what it stands for, and who belongs within it.”

Throughout my adult life, God has led me to explore and face America’s cruelty against black people — from selling Black History books door-to-door when I was in college, to reading and studying everything I could find about that history, to being a pastor in a black denomination for three years, to writing the book: “Off the RACE Track — From Color-Blind to Color-Kind.” (Copy and past the full title on Google or ChatGPT.)

3) The mystery of casual, lukewarm Christianity:

Kindergarten Christianity is a good thing for brand new believers, but when Christians settle in and get comfortable staying in sweet spiritual kindergarten something is dreadfully wrong! (Hebrews 5:12) Have you progressed into the biblical of faith that is led by Christ living in and speaking through you day by day? (Colossians 1:27) Kounterfeit Kristianity is kuite kommon. Never settle for less than aligning your life and your beliefs with the Bible (Joshua 1:8) and being directly led from within by God the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14)

4) The mystery of people twisting the Bible:

A famous passage of Scripture is often used to try to force people to attend church. That’s not what these verses are about.

This is what Hebrews 10:24-25 is calling for: “24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

It’s not telling us to attend an official church service. It is calling us to “spur one another on toward love and good works” and to meet together to be “encouraging one another.” These two verses are about ministering to one another, not about listening to one man give a religious lecture once a week. Let’s be honest in how we use Scripture!

5) The mystery of people blindly following religious leaders:

If a pastor, preacher, or leader is:
* Failing to manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit in daily life, (Galatians 5:22-23)
* Less excited about Jesus than you are, (Philippians 4:4)
* Living and acting in pride or self-righteousness instead of with sincere humility, (James 4:6)
* Believing that he (not Jesus) is the head of a church or ministry, (Colossians 1:18)
* Trying to control people instead of training them to listen to and obey God the Holy Spirit, (Romans 8:14)
* Naming or has named a ministry (or anything else) after himself, (Isaiah 42:8)
* Teaching things that don’t align with the Bible, (Acts 17:11)
* Promoting a political leader in addition to Jesus, (Acts 4:12)
* Manipulating people to give or tithe instead of trusting God to tell people what to give, (2 Corinthians 9:7)
* Having an outward form of godliness, but seldom letting the power of God change him from within, (2 Timothy 3:5)
* Living financially far above the people who support his ministry, (James 4:10)
* Unwilling to have a detailed financial audit (that includes all of his salary and benefits) conducted by an outside auditor, (1 John 1:7)
Avoid him or her.

6) The mystery of war:

Everybody has to die, but people shouldn’t have to die with their body ripped apart on a bloody battlefield. War is not prolife!

War by its nature is unjust. There’s nothing fair about it. Ask the dead civilians how just it is!

Photo by Anderson Martins on Pexels.com
Posted in anti-slavery, anti-war, Christian history, Christian living, racism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Learn to Live in a Glorious Moment

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment you wish you could freeze and live in forever?
View all responses

To ignore the presence and direct inward leading of the risen Jesus is to grieve God the Holy Spirit. Don’t forget to remember what the living Jesus is doing right now! Learn to live in the glorious moment of ongoing communion with Him.

Jesus said: “Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19) Some churches call it The Lord’s Supper, some The Eucharist, and some Communion. When you consume the bread and the wine (or grape juice) don’t just remember what Jesus did in the past, let it remind you what Jesus is doing now! Learn to experience ongoing koinonia (the Greek word for humble, heart-to-heart fellowship with the living Jesus and with His daily disciples).

  • Remember that Jesus is risen from the dead and living right now!
  • Remember that He is present wherever you are and knows whatever you are doing.
  • Remember that Jesus is speaking directly to you and that you can hear His voice.
  • Remember that He wants to daily live in you and lead you from within.
  • Remember that Jesus wants to fill you with the fruit of His Spirit and release His spiritual gifts in and through you.
  • Remember to always surrender your will and your desires to Him and His will.
  • Remember that Christ — literally living in you — is your hope, not only to cope with life, but to experience His glorious presence throughout each day.
  • Remember that He wants to empower you to love everybody, even your enemies.
  • Remember to never stop communing with the risen Jesus and with His humble obedient followers.

Communion isn’t just swallowing a tiny bit of bread and wine in a religious setting. It is ongoing heart-to-heart community built on the rock of direct revelation from God the Father showing you who God the Son really is.

Communion is humbly sharing your heart, your thoughts, your feelings, and your Spirit-prompted insights with other people and compassionately listening as they share theirs with you. To commune is to get and stay spiritually connected to Christ and to His faithful followers. Communion with Christ and His spiritually hungry followers causes me to feel rivers of invisible water — alive with the Holy Spirit — flowing from deep within me. (John 7:37-39)

Always remember to focus on the risen Jesus. Listen to and obey what He is saying within you every moment! Consistently commune intimately with Christ. People are awed, healed, and transformed when they connect with Christ and His humble, Spirit-led followers! (Unfortunately, self-righteous Christians don’t have the same effect.) It’s not the physical elements. It’s about actually experiencing and surrendering to the presence and power of the living, resurrected Jesus.

(Learn to remember Christ and to literally commune with His presence. There’s a Christ-encounter group at Chile Burrito, 330 Franklin Road, Brentwood, Tennessee 37207. It meets every Saturday morning at 8:30. Come and commune with Jesus and with us.)

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Pexels.com
Posted in Christian spirituality, communion, Eucharist, the Lord's supper | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Your words are more important than your vote!

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Do you vote in political elections?
View all responses

Learn to speak beneficial life-transforming words.

People work hard
Not to expose
Sin that’s in them,
But God still knows.
Christ died and rose
To give you light
That clearly shows
What your heart’s like.
Learn to disclose
And to oppose
Darkness in you
Til the wind of
God’s Spirit blows
Freely within
And your heart glows
With holy light.
Then you can speak
God’s words of truth
With kindness
And compassion.

Meet with others.
Bask in God’s light.
With Christ in sight,
Share what you see
And together
Experience
The power of
Holy delight.

Photo by Anna McDonald on Pexels.com

Posted in humility, power of words, repentance | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Heart-To-Heart Connection Gives Me Direction

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What gives you direction in life?
View all responses

Healing and inner peace come from confession, not from concealment. From heart-to-heart connection, not from a theological analysis. When Adam and Eve tried to hide their sin from God, He asked: “Where are you?” God knew where they were hiding. He wanted them to admit and to acknowledge that they were hiding so they could step into and live in His glorious light.

I’ve discovered that when Christians come together to humbly put away pretense and to be compassionately honest with each another, we begin to see God’s beautiful light shining in and through one another. When the truth is spoken with heart-felt love, when falsehood is set aside, when pride is laid down, when sin is sincerely confessed, and when mercy and forgiveness are freely given — people experience the presence of the living resurrected Jesus and are overcome with awe and healing.

That kind of Christian gathering is very difficult to find. I experienced it during the Jesus Movement. Afterwards I searched for it around the USA and found mere glimpses of it here and there.

After decades The Salvation Army asked my wife, Ernie, and me to start a non-traditional church in a dangerous East Nashville neighborhood. God gathered a diversity of people. We set aside the traditional sermon and allowed anyone present to share as they felt led by God’s Spirit. It was a glorious experience that lasted for almost 10 years until a new Salvation Army leader shut it down.

Ernie and I are so grateful for that decade. It trained us and others how to allow God the Holy Spirit to freely flow among people. Since then, we look for every opportunity that we can find to open up with people and connect heart-to-heart with them. It’s often in twos or threes, but sometimes more. Several times each week we experience that kind of connection. It’s awesome.

I wrote a book about our experiences of Spirit-led heart connection. It’s called “Beyond Church — An Invitation to Experience the Lost Word of the Bible — Ekklesia.” Give it a google.

Is spiritual awakening coming? Both the Jesus movement and the charismatic movement were killed by church control and religious TV shows that trained charismatics and Jesus Freaks to become passive audience members dependent on a human preacher or teacher. Before that they were actively Spirit-led and part of a supernatural move of God. But wait and see. God the Holy Spirit will break free from controlling, quenching religion and move mightily within human hearts again!

Heart-to-heart connection requires patience, compassion, and love. God’s still working on me to develop those qualities in me.

Patience waits for what is real. It doesn’t passively accept a counterfeit deal. If you’re looking for patience, you’ll need to wait awhile.

Patience grows in the soil of contentment. (Philippians 4:12) Find inner peace and you will discover patience.

Heart-to-heart, Spirit-led community will help you find your inner place of holy hush. It will calm your anxious rush. Contentment grows rapidly in Spirit-led community!

Patience discovers that delay is often God’s loving way of aligning you with His perfect timing. If you want to experience Jesus in a deeper way, find brothers and sisters who will ask “Where are you?” and not reject you when you come out of hiding. Begin to open your heart to people and compassionately listen to them when they open their heart to you.

When you can’t see
Keep on looking
For things unseen.
When you can’t hear
Keep listening
For hope to speak.
When you’re lonely
It is only
Because you’re not
Aware of God
Who is present
Right where you are.
(Hebrews 11:1)

Patience waits
And waits
And still waits
Until . . .
Because it trusts
Confidently
That God will
Come through.
Waiting on God
Allows Him to
Supernaturally
Produce patience
Inside of you
As the fruit of
His Holy Spirit.
(Galatians 5:22-23)

In our time
Of instant
Communication
There’s little
Dedication
To patient
Meditation.
“Be still and know
That I am God.”
(Psalm 46:10)

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com
Posted in Christian community, church community, community building, ekklesia, house church | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“The truth shall set you free.”

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
View all responses

“The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you.” —David Foster Wallace (Sugar coating the truth will keep you in bondage.)

Stop sugar coating “your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.” Instead let God renew you in the attitude of your mind and give you a new self. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Continuous consumption of religious sugar often produces spiritual diabetics. Willingness to hear and embrace God’s truth spoken in love is the antidote. (Ephesians 4:15) High levels of religious sweetness are dangerous. Humbly receiving the truth free from sugar coating, is the cure.

Watering down the Bible is a deadly sin that many pastors and churches commit every week. It leads people into deception. It erodes the truth and makes Christians content with spiritual sugar water and religious diabetes instead of truth.

The living Lord Jesus is the truth. (John 14:6) He doesn’t need added religious sugar. You can experience Him directly. “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8) When the Bible is diluted with sweetness, the Spirit’s wonderful inner rivers of living water are ignored and rejected. (John 7:38)

God the Holy Spirit wants to show us our hidden sins. He wants to do more than forgive us. He wants to set us free from our sins, not to sugar coat them. (Matthew 1:21) He wants to fill us with the overflowing glory of Christ living in us. (Colossians 1:27) Will you let Him? (John 8:32)

Religious candy
Is very handy.
Just sit and hear
A sweet and dandy
Sermon in church
Once a week or so.
(James 1:22)

Sugar coated
Deception
Gets a great
Reception
From too many
Church attendees.
Let God’s Spirit
Mold your perception.
And give you His
Revelation.
(Matthew 7:15-20)

Highly sweetened
Christianity
Without repentance
From all your sins
Might make you smile
For a little while,
But it can’t carry
You mile after mile.
(Matthew 4:17)

Wooden sign with quote by David Foster Wallace about truth and freedom on a nature trail
A wooden sign with a thought-provoking David Foster Wallace quote on a lush forest path.
Posted in truth, truth and error, truth will set you free | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Every Day’s A Holy Day For Me

Posted on April 30, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?
View all responses

I’m always needing
The direct leading
Of God the Spirit —
His inner voice,
I need to hear it
And to draw near it.
Deep within my soul.
I’m like a seedling.
In order to grow
I need God’s life flow
Rising within me.
He keeps me feeding
On His sweet presence.
Daily Bible reading
With a hungry heart
Helps me stay near Christ
Living inside me.

Photo by Anh Nguyen on Pexels.com
Posted in Christian spirituality, holidays, holiness, spirituality, unusual holidays | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Camping on the Mountain Top Rock of Truth

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Have you ever been camping?
View all responses

“Speaking the Truth in Love”

The more that Christ-followers grow and learn to make Christ the present and literal Head and Leader of His body (not just a distant figurehead) the more Jesus promotes and empowers each member to build one another up in love. (Ephesians 4;15-16) Then they will no longer be “blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14)

Raging roaring river rapids remind me to release God’s Spirit to freely flow deep within and through me. (John 7:38-39) Out-of-the-traditional-church-box, Spirit-led Christianity is wonderful! I wish more people would open wide their heart to it!

Waiting on the Lord

God has arrived.
Jesus came as
Immanuel —
“God is with us.”
When crucified
Jesus arose
To live within
His followers
And be their Lord.
If Christ’s in you
Actively wait
And rely on
Him to prompt you
Throughout each day.
Train yourself to
Depend on Christ’s
Presence in you,
Not on your own
Ability.

Photo by Vasily Kotlyarov on Pexels.com
Posted in Christ in you, speaking the truth in love, spiritual growth, waiting on the Lord | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Peaceful Productivity

Posted on April 28, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
When do you feel most productive?
View all responses

I feel the most productive when I am motivated by peace instead of by pressure. That’s how I am able to avoid writer’s block and to write and post something creative almost every day. I do all that I can to live by and follow this advice:

Refuse to allow your problems, your frustrations, your pain, and your disappointments to pull you down and sink you into self-focus, (Luke 9:23) anxiety, (1 Peter 5:7)) and self-destructive thoughts. desires, and actions. Instead let them make you hunger and thirst for righteousness. (Matthew 5:6) Surrender to “Christ in you” (Colossians 1:27) and begin to be Spirit-led. (Romans 8:14)

Let all of your difficulties motivate you to continually cry out to, (Psalm 77:1) seek first, (Matthew 6:33) draw near to, (James 4:8) press toward, (Philippians 314) and rejoice in (Philippians 4:4) God, day and night. Then, little by little you will learn to ceaselessly trust in, (Proverbs 3:5-6) depend on, and rely on the God of hope who will make you overflow with hope by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Be still and listen inwardly to Jesus (John 10:27) as He says to you: ““Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-29) Let the risen Jesus Himself train you to continually experience His wonderful inner peace that is beyond human understanding. (Philippians 4:7)

Allow Christ to live inside of you (Romans 8:10-11) and to lead you from within by His Spirit (Galatians 5:16) in all that you think, say, and do. Then your gifting (Ephesians 4:11) will spontaneously manifest itself as you listen to and obey the resurrected Jesus Christ. (Matthew 4:19)

Sending people to war is disturbing the peace. Many people arrested for disturbing the peace were actually disturbing warmakers.

Photo by Kraken Media on Pexels.com
Posted in discipleship, inner peace, productivity, spiritual gifts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Focus That’s Deeper Than Any Emoji

Posted on April 27, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What are your favorite emojis?
View all responses

In an ancient culture that focused on political leaders, money, sexual obsession, pleasure, pride, violence, power, alcohol, entertainment, and self-righteousness, a group of people in the Roman Empire found a different focus. They were so captivated by and committed to the living resurrected Jesus that: “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)

The focus of the first believers in Jesus was so intense and so persistent that they were called Christ-ians. The suffix “ian” means “belonging to.” Since Christians were frequently being mocked, insulted, and persecuted, the name was most probably used in a derogatory way.

I knew a group of people like that once. They were so excited about the risen Christ that they couldn’t stop talking about Him. People called them Jesus Freaks. That term was also originally used as a way to insult people who were radically following the risen Jesus. However, both terms were eventually accepted as a compliment.

The Christians of the first century and the Jesus Freaks of the 1960s and 1970s were similar. Both were seeking, as their first priority, to be governed within by the kingdom of God the Father, (Matthew 6:33) to follow and obey Jesus as their absolute Lord and God, (John 20:27-28) and to be continually led by God the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14)

That kind of focus on and radical obedience to the risen Jesus is rare and easy to overlook in the twenty-first century. But it still exists! Look beyond the proud people who use the name Christian but lack the character of Christ (John 14:15) and seldom demonstrate the fruit of His Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Look for people who are so focused on Jesus that they humbly spread His love, joy, peace, kindness, and presence everywhere they go. When you find people like that watch them and get to know them personally. Spend time with them. True “Christ”-“ianity” is caught by your heart. It’s not enough just to be taught about it.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com
Posted in Christians, goal setting, meaning of life, self-focus | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christian Unity

Posted on April 26, 2026 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What topics do you like to discuss?
View all responses

The Bible teaches that God doesn’t want the body of Christ to be divided and denominated (called) by different names. It says: “For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:4 NKJ) It’s time for Christians to move beyond church and denomination names.

Christian unity cannot be achieved by trying to unite all Christians into one giant institution. It can only be experienced by heart-to-heart connection between believers. When Christ-followers gather to open their heart and be humbly led by God the Holy Spirit instead of by ritual, religious programs, and religious leaders, a deep sense of unity emerges. Try it and see!

Life Challenge

Contemplate
Jesus Christ
Until You
Radiate
His presence.
Refuse to
Alternate
Between Christ
And the world.
Let Jesus
Animate
All you do.

Posted in Christian community, Christian Denominations, Christian unity, ecumenical, unity of the Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments