Monthly Archives: May 2014

Beyond Spectatorship To Discipleship

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Steve Simms

Every Christ-follower is called to preach. Every believer is a minister ordained by God. The clergy/laity concept is not in the New Testament. Instead all believers are expected to minister to one another, to openly testify about their faith, and … Continue reading →

Posted in André Cox, called to preach, calling, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, layman, laymen, laymen preaching, laywomen, ministers, ministry, ordaination, ordained, priest, priesthood of the believer, Protestant, Protestant Reformation, quotation, Quotations, quote, salvation war, universal priesthood | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Right Way To Have Church

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Steve Simms

Is there only one, correct way of doing church?  Sometimes it seems so. For five hundred years there has basically been only one, right way of doing church. Regardless of denomination or doctrine, church has almost universally contained a central, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians:14, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, church history, communion, denominations, doctrine, doctrines, Fresh Expressions movement, homiletics, homily, house church, Lord's supper, Martyn Atkins, Methodism, Methodist church, open church, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, Protestant, pulpit, pulpit ministry, sacrament, sacraments, sermon-hearing, sermons, the right way to do church, UK, ways of doing church, worship, worship gathering, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Have We Silenced God’s Lambs (Keeping Them Silent With Preaching)?

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

Have we silenced God’s lambs with a gag rule for church?  Perhaps. I believe that many people have powerful messages from God burning in their heart, but they are too intimidated to share them because: 1) They are never given … Continue reading →

Posted in lay preaching, laymen preaching, multi-voiced church, Music City, Nashville, Nashville charity, participation, participation in church, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Nashville, shared sermon, speaking up, Who can preach? | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Worship Wars — Make Room For Sermon-Free Church

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

Is There Room For Sermon-Free Church?  (Of course there is.) Worship wars, a popular name for disagreements in church about how to conduct the Sunday service, have been going on for years. But there is no need to argue. There … Continue reading →

Posted in answer to worship wars, Ben Franklin, contemporary vs. traditional, do away with the sermon, Kierkegaard, Layman's Prayer Revival, Laymen's prayer revival, laymen's prayer revival of 1857, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Methodists, preacher, preaching, Søren Kierkegaard, see a sermon, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, sharing | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Did modern innovations in churches create worship wars?

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church innovation has become widespread & refreshing! Guess what is my favorite church innovation. Over the past generation or two, the way of having church in our society has changed a lot as we have seen new ideas creatively introduced … Continue reading →

Posted in Bob Rognlien, changes in worship, church meetings, church program, church seating, church services, church speakers, competition, conflict, contemporary Christian music, contemporary church, contemporary society, controversy, debate, definition, experiential worship, house church, how to do church, hymn, hymns, innovation, lip syncing, open church, open sharing, organic church, participatory church, participatory culture, participatory sermons, pew, Power Point, powerpoint, quotation, Quotations, quote, raising hands, simple church, worship, worship dancing, worship drama, worship gathering, worship innovation, worship leader, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Karaoke Spoken From The Heart (Lay Witness Missions)

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Steve Simms

Before people in the USA sang karaoke, they spoke it spontaneously, from the heart as they told how the living, resurrected Jesus Christ had changed their life.  It was called Lay Witness Missions.  This spoken karaoke began in United Methodist … Continue reading →

Posted in a shout out, Ben Johnson, can I get a witness, Christian history, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, evangelism, evangelistic meetings, Frank Billman, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lay evangelist, lay speakers, lay testimonies, lay witness coordinator, lay witness movement, lay witness team, layman, laymen, laywomen, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Methodist revivalists, Methodists, Music City, Nashville, Nashville church, non-traditional church, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, religious karaoke, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, sharing, sharing Christ, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, spiritual experiences, spiritual karaoke, spoken karaoke, team, testimonies, testimonies in church, testimony, witness, witnesses, witnessing, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Let Jesus Lead Us! (Quotes About The Need For Organic/Participatory Church)

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Steve Simms

“How can you have a dead service with a living Christ?” –Leonard Ravenhill “What did first-century believers do in their worship meetings? Paul gives a description in 1 Corinthians 14:26: ‘When you come together, each of you has a hymn, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, David Walters, experiencing God, experiential worship, experimental church, Garth Lean, house church, Korea, Liquid Church, living Christ, Mark Batterson, Michael Morrison, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, Oxford Group, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory culture, Pete Ward, quotation, Quotations, quote, Robin Parry, spiritual prompting, spiritual training, spirituality, Sun Chae Hwang, worship, worship gathering, worship service | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Kingdom-Come, King-God-Ruled Meetings

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Steve Simms

Through out the night I was thinking about “the Kingdom of God.” A kingdom is where a king rules, so the Kingdom of God is where God, Himself rules. God’s rule doesn’t happen much on Earth, because of man’s rebellion. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christopher Gorton, church, Matthew 18:20, Matthew 6:33, order of worship, organic church, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religious tradition, righteousness, Roman Empire, Roman history, Romans 14:17, seek ye first, simple church, the Kingdom of God is at hand, Whatever He says to you | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Intuitional Living (Quotes About Intuition)

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Steve Simms

Intuition is an important tool for human beings to learn to use in their lives.  Albert Einstein said:  ““I believe in intuitions and inspirations.”  Madeleine L’Engle put it this way:  “Don’t try to comprehend with your mind. Your minds are … Continue reading →

Posted in Anne Wilson Schaef, C. Joybell C., C.J. Heck, Dean Koontz, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, heart-felt, inner coach, inner hearing, inner peace, innovation, innovators, Jesus, Jesus Christ, listening prayer, listening skills, listening to God, Madeleine L'Engle, miracles, miraculous, My sheep hear My voice, new age, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, promptings, quotation, Quotations, quote, soul, Spirit-led, spiritual hearing, spiritual innovation, spiritual listening, voice of God, voices | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sin will seize us and freeze us as hard as ice. Only Jesus melts our hard heart and frees us!

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Steve Simms
Posted in born again, change, change agent, Christ, Christ in you the hope of glory, Christ's presence, confession of sin, conversion, convert, converts, convicted of sin, conviction of sin, deliverance, Jesus, Jesus Christ, presence of Christ, salvation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment