Author Archives: Steve Simms

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About Steve Simms

I like to look and think outside the box. In college I encountered Jesus Christ and I have been passionate about trying to get to know Him better ever since. My wife and I long to see the power and passion of the first Christ-followers come to life in our time. I have written a book about our experiences in non-traditional church, called, "Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible--Ekklesia." If you need encouragement, search for: Elephants Encouraging The Room and/or check out my Amazon author page. Thank you!

12 steps for one another groups

The founders of Alcoholics Anonymous established 12 steps to help people overcome an addiction to alcohol. As the program gained success, various support groups for other addictions began to apply the steps for their own needs. In 50-something places the … Continue reading →

Posted in celebrate recovery, cell groups, encounter group, encouragement, house church, Love one another, NA, NA meetings, Narcotics Anonymous, one another, one anothering, open sharing, organic chruch, overcoming depression, Overeaters Anonymous, recovery quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Think outside yourself!

It ain’t over till you quit praying over it. Believe in God. Your self will let you down. Keep your eyes on the wise, not on the foolish. Let Jesus lead you from the mundane to the marvelous in your … Continue reading →

Posted in comfort zone, dealing with disappointment, disciple making, discipleship, discipling, Holy Spirit, It ain't over till, Keep your eyes on, rivers of living water, sayings, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A month of freedom (31 freedom thoughts)

A month of daily freedom thoughts to help you recover & maintain your freedom: 1) Freedom without meaning & purpose wanders in despair. 2) True freedom is the power to do right, even when you want to do wrong. 3) … Continue reading →

Posted in born free, freedom fighters, freedom from sin, freedom in Christ, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom's just another word for, liberty and justice for all, set the captives free, truth will set you free, Uncategorized, what is freedom | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The status quo is often a no-go to following Jesus

If we refuse to glorify anyone but Christ, the glory of God will fill a meeting. When no mere human is the “King” of a meeting, ekklesia can break through. A powerful way to minister to people is to let … Continue reading →

Posted in availability of God, body of Christ, Christian community, church programming, common life, communion of the saints, community, community building, ekklesia, heart of worship, life together, lukewarm, may the force be with you, Quotes, R.C. Sproul, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beyond “services” to meetings . . .

It’s time to let God go & let Him take control both of your life & of His gathered people. Churches have services; but ekklesia & AA & NA & Al-Anon have meetings. Practicing the presence of God by yourself … Continue reading →

Posted in AA meetings, Al-Anon, alcohol rehab, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, Berry Street, body of Christ, celebrate recovery, Christ-centered recovery, Christian meetings, Christian recovery, Christian support group, church meetings, class meetings, effective meetings, NA meetings, organic chruch, recovery groups, recovery quotes, religious meetings, support groups, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ekklesia’s worth 1,000 words (#UnconferenceNashville quotes)

Church looks to one person for ministry; ekklesia looks to one another. Here are a few quotes from people who attended UnconferenceNashville @ The Salvation Army Berry Street June 23-25. “Who knew? I thought that I would learn about ekklesia. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beyond Church, Christ the Head of the church, Christian conferences, Christianity, experiencing God, fellowship, house church, organic church, Quotations, simple church, Uncategorized, worship, worth a thousand words | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thoughts from a Jesus addict

I’m a Jesus addict, staying high on Him & looking to start a Jesus epidemic! I’ve found that true happiness is addiction to Jesus. Group meetings help Jesus addicts keep His fire burning in one another! O, what a relief … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Bible one anothers, change, change management, choice of lifestyle, happiness, inward change, lifestyles, one anothers, schedule, stress relief, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A poem about an altar call

The beauty of an altar call, When people open their hearts And respond in obedience to God, Doesn’t have to be confined To a few minutes at the end Of a church service. Why not open up the meeting From … Continue reading →

Posted in Beyond Church, ekklesia, house church, organic chruch, simple church, Uncategorized, unchurching | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Faith is a fight not a fiesta.

Faith is a fight not a fiesta. To love is to care deeply about someone, even if he/she disagrees with you. If your heart is full of love, your words will be, too! If you don’t learn to love, follow, … Continue reading →

Posted in approval, Benedictines, commitment, cussing, disapproval, dishonesty, faith, influence of words, is cussing judging?, judging, lying, power of words, profanity, rebellion, rebellion against God, Thessalonians, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prayer sayings & inspiration

Prayer is heartfelt connection with God that goes beyond words. Jesus is my PrayPal. We talk together all day long! Prayer is not Amazon Prime. It often takes more time. Prayer is scrappy. It embraces good & refuses to be … Continue reading →

Posted in agreeing in prayer, answered prayer, Bible, learning to pray, listening prayer, pray for one another, pray for your enemy, prayer list, prayer meetings, prayer without ceasing, prayers don't get past the ceiling, praying community, praying in the Spirit, Quotations, Scripture, soak in prayer, supernatural praying, the effectual fervent prayer, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment