Monthly Archives: December 2012

Christmas Eve Eve — The Night Before The Day Before The Fiscal Cliff

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Steve Simms

“‘Twas the night before Christmas . . .”  — those are famous words, but what about the night before the day before Christmas?  Christmas Eve eve is seldom mentioned or thought about.  It’s just another holiday shopping day. However, on … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Twas the night before Christmas, Christ, Christ in you, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas Eve, Christmas gifts, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, Christmas travel, church history, contemplation, God with us, holiday, holidays, little town of Bethlehem, Nazareth, new birth, Paul of Tarsus, presence of Christ, presence of God, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religion, self-denial, self-destruction, shopping, spiritual formation, submission, surrender, surrender to God, tradition, travel, virgin birth, virgin Mary | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Christmas Drug — The High Hopes Of Holiday Hype

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

Year after year humans have high hopes for the Christmas holidays, but their humongous hopes are often hijacked and held hostage by holiday hype.  The Christmas drug of hyped up holidays just doesn’t seem to be able to live up … Continue reading →

Posted in 24/7/365, Christ, Christianity, Christmas gifts, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, contentment, culture, customs, Emmanuel, family gathering, family togetherness, glory days, God, God on the loose, God with us, high hopes, His story, holiday hype, holidays, hope, human psyche, humility, hype, peace, peace of mind, reason, Reason For The Season, seasonal, tradition | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

A Christ*mas Thought (Should’ Christ’s Views Be In Christmas?)

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Steve Simms

A Christ*mas Observation . . . *Jesus commanded: “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.” *Our culture demands: “Gratify yourself, medicate your cross, and follow your feelings, cravings, and compulsions.” –Which will produce a healthy society? fulfillment *Jesus … Continue reading →

Posted in belief, celebration, celebrations, Christ, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, cultural taboos, culture, current condition, current events, customs, deny yourself, depravity, drugs, Happy Holidays, holiday, holidays, Jesus, Jesus Christ, materialism, popular culture, religion, self-focus, selfish desires, sex, thoughts, tradition | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Radical (Back To The Roots) Church Is . . .

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

Church is a living message: *Christ alive from the dead; * actually present with us when we gather in His name; * personally directing the meeting and leading various people to share testimonies, gifts of the Spirit, Scriptures, prayers, etc. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, alternative church, alternative lifestyle, Emmanuel, faith, faith-based, family gathering, God with us, healing, intimacy, kingdom of God, National Football League, NFL, NFL Playoffs, recovery, religion, religious ceremonies, religious innovation, religious tradition, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Scriptures, sermons, simple church, sold out, spiritual healing, surrender, surrender to God, unprogrammed church, What is church?, When you come together, witness | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

iChurch or GChurch?

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Steve Simms

iChurch or GChurch? iChurch is self-focused. Does it meet my needs? Does it make me happy? iChurch is controlled by human leaders, programs and agendas. GChurch is focused on God. Is the attention on God? Is God, Himself, in charge? … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, church, iChurch, innovation, The Salvation Flag | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Steve Jobs Of Religion? — Come On Church, Innovate!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

An Eric Weiner quotation from the Op-Ed page of The New York Times, December, 2011: “We need a Steve Jobs of religion. Someone (or ones) who can invent not a new religion but, rather, a new way of being religious. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Apple Computer, being religious, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, Catherine Booth, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, church, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, creativity, East Nashville, environment, freedom, Holy Spirit, humility, improv, improvisation, insight, interactive, intuitive, Mr. Job's, Music City, non-church, open church, operating system, organic church, participatory church, questions, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, speak the truth in love, spiritual innovation, straight forward, support group, unencumbered, William Booth | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Views of Violence

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

If certain foreign nations and their leaders can be called evil (Axis of Evil, Evil Empire, etc.) and foreign terrorists and/or suicide bombers can be called evil, why aren’t America’s home-grown terrorists and mass murderers called evil? Why aren’t all … Continue reading →

Posted in Axis of Evil, Evil Empire, foreign terrorists, home grown, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love your enemies, medicine, persecution, pre-natal, prenatal, prenatal medicine, Quotations, quote, Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Amazing Anointing of An Agendaless Assembly

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

There is an amazing anointing on an agendaless assembly.  It’s the very presence of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ, Himself.  The First Century Church knew this, not as a doctrine, but as a powerful reality every time they met together … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, agendaless, alternative church, assembly, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, disciple making, discipling, First Century Church, Matthew 18:20, religion, religious ceremonies, religious tradition, revival, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Western religion, Western world, What is church?, When you come together, worship | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The horrendously evil slaughter of innocents in Newtown, Connecticut, shows that something is dreadfully wrong with America. Lord, have mercy on us.

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Steve Simms
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Is Soicety Reaping The Violence It’s Been Showing?

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Steve Simms

Is society reaping the graphic violence it’s been showing for decades in movies, on TV, and in video games?  Can that be a factor in the evil acts of random mass murder being frequently committed in America? Does showing scenes … Continue reading →

Posted in agenda, censorship, cheating, choice, commercials, compliance, compromise, conscience, controversy, criticism, current events, cyber space, cyberworld, depravity, destruction of the family, destructive actions, dishonesty, disrespect, epidemic, evil spirits, feelings, graphic violence, guilt, heart-felt love, honesty, hope, injustice, lies, lifestyles, Maria Weston Chapman, media, media circus, mind, modeling, modern myths, moral failure, moral failures, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, movie, movies, MTV, nonviolence, peacemaking, popular culture, prayer, pull of evil, Quotations, quote, Quotes, real world, reality TV, recovery, reformation, repentance, right and wrong, right conduct, right living, self-destruction, self-inflicted, selfish desires, service, sex, sexual problems, sexually transmitted diseases, smoking, social media, societal, society, suffering, thoughts, TV, TV network, unhappiness, unkindness, video, video games, viewer discretion advised, wake-up call | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments