Monthly Archives: May 2012

Are You Living With Bloodsucking Leeches?

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

A man saw a guy with leeches on his neck and said to him:  “Hey, you’ve got leeches on your neck and need to get them off.” The guy with the bloodsucking leeches snapped back:  “Who are you to criticize … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, attitude, change, change management, Charles Spurgeon, clear conscience, compassion, complacency, compromise, confession, conscience, conversion, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, criticism, deliverance, guilt, habit, harmful habit, judgments, lifestyles, love, morality, morals, Quotations, quote, Quotes, recovery, repent, repentance, temptation, thinking, thoughts, Uncategorized, unhappiness, wages of sin, wake-up call, What would Jesus do? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Getting Away From Church Is Not Easy In The Bible Belt

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Steve Simms

Church (although many polls have shown it to be in decline in America) still has quite the presence in the Bible Belt where church buildings abound on prominent real estate.  However, if you try hard, you can avoid religious buildings … Continue reading →

Posted in American, American church, Americans, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church, kingdom of God, life, organic church, religion, simple church | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cravings Can Capture & Control Your Life

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Steve Simms

Unrestrained desire can dominate and defeat you.  Cravings can capture and control your life. Yet our society teaches us to surrender to desires, cravings, compulsions, and whims:  “If you feel like doing something, go for it, and don’t listen to … Continue reading →

Posted in Alcoholics Anonymous, alternative lifestyle, casual sex, challenges, Christian, Christianity, Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt, complacency, conscience, conviction of sin, country music, cravings, feelings, free will, freedom, guidance, guilt, habit, harmful habit, inward change, John Piper, John Ruskin, lifestyles, morality, morals, peacetime, Quotations, quote, Quotes, recovery, reformation, repent, repentance, self-will, shame, sin, sobriety, society, spiritual formation, thoughts, tolerance, true Christian life, violent streak, war, White Eagle, Why be a Christian? | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

In This Busy World, Perhaps We Need To SLO Down . . .

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

In this busy world, perhaps we need to SLO down. S — Stop. L — Listen to God. O — Obey what He says.

Posted in alternative lifestyle, awe, contemplation, devotion, evidence for God, faith, faithfulness, freedom, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, godly sorrow, gratitude, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart-felt love, humility, joy, kingdom of God, lifestyles, mystery, mysticism, peace, prayer, priesthood of the believer, proof of God, religion, repent, repentance, salvation, simple church, spiritual disciplines, The Voice, Uncategorized, voice activated, voice of God, voices, wake-up call, Who dat talkin? | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Go Beyond Facebook With Heartbook

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

Facebook stock IPO is for sale.  It is amazing what social media has done.  But what about spiritual media? Log on to heartbook — God’s spiritual media. Click the box that says:  “Keep me logged in.” The password is Jesus … Continue reading →

Posted in abolitionists, alternative lifestyle, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, facebook, God, hearing God, hearing Jesus, In Jesus' Name I Play, IPO, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, mystery, mysticism, normal Christianity, prayer, prayer without ceasing, priesthood of the believer, religion, revelation, salvation, self-denial, social media, Son-shine, soul, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual kinship, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, stock | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Non-Church — Discovered In Japan & Other Places

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

I recently read about non-church when I heard about a Japanese man named Uchimura Kanzo.  He  started meeting with a group of friends in a small Christian gathering in Japan in the early 1900s where everyone was equal and everybody … Continue reading →

Posted in burning heart, China, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, church roles, church structure, congregational, East Nashville, heart-felt love, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, Japan, Methodist class meeting, Methodists, movement, non-church movement, non-traditional church, organic church, participatory church, priesthood of the believer, relational church, religion, simple church, spiritual formation, support group, the way we do church, Uncategorized, unprogrammed church, What is church?, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

My Way Or The Most High’s Way?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Steve Simms

Two highways, different directions:  Should I choose my way which is based on my wants, my feelings, my viewpoints, and/or my cravings?  Or should I choose the Most High’s way that requires me to live above the fog of self-focus, … Continue reading →

Posted in acts of God, alternative lifestyle, Bible, choice, Christian history, Christianity, conscience, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, cravings, deliverance, dishonesty, ethics, faithfulness, feelings, free will, freedom, godly sorrow, guidance, habit, harmful habit, hearing God, hearing Jesus, human life, insight, inward change, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, lifestyles, making decisions, modern myths, morality, morals, normal Christianity, Oh my God, presence of Christ, presence of God, pro choice, questions, recovery, religion, right and wrong, self-denial, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, thinking, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, values, voice of God, wages of sin | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Touching His Hem, According To Her Example, Heals Hurts

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Steve Simms

Touching His hem, according to her example, heals hurts.  Although this may sound like gender confusion, it’s not.  It refers to an actual event where an unnamed woman receives a supernatural healing when she touches the hem of Jesus’ robe.  … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, and forever, Bible, change, change management, Christ, Christian, Christianity, church, evidence for God, faith, good question, His story, history, In Jesus' Name I Play, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, kindness, kingdom of God, lifestyles, Lord, Mark, miracles, missional, Music City, mystery, Nashville, New Testament, non-material reality, non-traditional church, normal Christianity, prayer, prayer walking, questions, religion, salvation, Savior, spiritual formation, supernatural, testimonies, tradition | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Who Da Best Preacher/Bible Teacher?

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Steve Simms

If Christ is really alive and present when we gather in His name (as the New Testament says He is) why can’t He direct a church meeting, without human programming and control?  Perhaps the answer is: We won’t let Him. … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Biblical concept, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church, church roles, church structure, congregational, DeVern Fromke, devotion, East Nashville, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, improv, improvisation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Jesus Take The Wheel, movement, mysticism, non-material reality, non-traditional church, normal Christianity, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, praise and worship, presence of Christ, presence of God, quench the Spirit, Quotations, quote, Quotes, relational church, religion, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual formation, surrender to God, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, voice activated, voice of God, Western religion, What is church?, When you come together | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Case Study — A White Homosexual, A Black Woman, An African Muslim, & A White Mistress

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Steve Simms

I was asked to write a diversity case study for a course I am taking.  Here it is: Sue, a black female, owns a company with 30 employees and hires Betty, a white female who has been the 2 year … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, community, conscience, courage, criticism, fear, feelings, free will, freedom, genetic tendencies, genetic tendency, good question, habit, harmful habit, hate speech, heart-felt love, ideal, idealism, inward change, judgments, justice, kindness, language, life, lifestyles, marriage, meaning, modern myths, moral principles, morality, morals, nonviolence, parable, patience, political correctness, political issue, politics, prejudice, questions, right and wrong, right conduct, self-denial, self-help, sin, thinking, thoughts, Uncategorized, values, wages of sin, wake-up call, words | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments