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!

In a country where you can get shot along with 70 others while going to a movie . . . we desperately need God.

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Steve Simms

A quotation from the ancient prophet, Isaiah: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

Posted in Christian values, Christianity, church, comfort, compassion, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, faith, God, God-shaped vacuum, His story, injury, injustice, Isaiah, justice, Lord, meaninglessness, morality, morals, political issue, popular culture, revelation, revival, salvation, search for significance, searching for significance, sinner, soul, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, surrender to God, values, violence, violent streak | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Was Matthias A Mistake? — The Human Need To Institutionalize Spirituality

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

Was replacing Judas (who had betrayed Jesus) with Matthias a mistake?  Was it a very early example of the human desire to institutionalize church?  Perhaps. The Book of Acts begins with the resurrected Jesus spending 40 days with the apostles … Continue reading →

Posted in 120 in upper room, Acts, acts of God, Bible, choice, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, church, church history, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, disciples, ekklesia, empty tomb, faith, fire, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, God's authority, God's government, Gospel, Gospels, Greek word, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heirarchy, His story, history, Holy Spirit, house church, insight, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus' mother Mary, Judas, kingdom of God, life, lifestyle Christianity, Luke, Matthias, missional, move of God, movement, mysticism, non-church, organic church, Pentecost, pentecostals, presence of Christ, presence of God, quench the Spirit, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religion, revelation, revival, rivers of living water, Scriptures, speaking in tongues, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, supernatural, The Voice, tongues of fire, tradition, unprogrammed church, voice of God, voices, What is church?, words on fire | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Should Church Comfort Or Confront?

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Steve Simms

Should church meetings comfort or confront?  Perhaps both.  Maybe church should “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” However the goal of a church meeting is not primarily to make people comfortable or to be user friendly.  The goal of … Continue reading →

Posted in afflict the comfortable, American church, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, blessed, brokenness, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christian values, church, church history, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, comfort, conviction, conviction of sin, cross, deny yourself, godly sorrow, hearing God, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, move of God, mysticism, Nashville, organic church, participatory church, Paul of Tarsus, purpose, repent, repentance, revival, revolution, salvation, self-denial, show and tell, simple church, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Army, those who mourn, uncomfortable, unprogrammed church, user friendly, voice of God, Woe is me | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Lifestyle (Real World) Christianity

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

Lifestyle Christianity is faithful faith — faith that lives faithfully according to its values and beliefs.  Its focus is to actually follow and obey the commands of Christ rather than to merely swallow a prepackaged belief system about Him. Lifestyle … Continue reading →

Posted in belief, belief system, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, challenges, change, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian community, Christian history, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church history, church programs, church roles, church structure, commands, community, confession, creeds, deeds, disciples, discipling, faith, faith-based, faithfulness, forgiveness, gifts of the Spirit, guilt, inward change, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, Music City, Nashville, obedience, one anothers, organic church, peace, presence of God, real world, recovery, religious ceremonies, self-denial, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, supernatural, support group, team, values, witness | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

Taking An Amazing Flag To The Streets

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Steve Simms

The purpose of a flag is not just to be on a stage in a building but to fly outdoors over the territory that it rules.  There is an amazing, but little known flag, that has been in the forefront … Continue reading →

Posted in Blood and Fire, Catherine Booth, Christ, Christian, Christian flag, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, contemporary, conviction of sin, Coventry, Creator, drug dealers, dust bin, dustbin, East Nashville, England, evangelistic meetings, faith-based, faithfulness, fire, flag, God's authority, Gospel, Great Britain, Great Commission, hearing God, high tech, history, Holy Spirit, international movement, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, Nashville City Paper, national flags, non-church, normal Christianity, open airs, openairs, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, presence of God, prostitutes, Salvationists, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual warfare, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag, to the streets, witness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Does LP Field Have A Message For Nashville? Perhaps. (New Name = Nissan Stadium)

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

Besides Tennessee Titans’ NFL games, does LP Field have a message for Nashville?  Perhaps. Since I wrote this blog post, the name LP Field has been changed to Nissan Stadium. Nisan is a Hebrew word. It is the name of the first … Continue reading →

Posted in 07/07/07, American, American church, American history, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christian, Christian history, Christian organizations, church history, conviction of sin, country music, East Nashville, freedom, Grand Ole Opry House, His story, history, intercession, Jewish New Year, Jim Crow, LP Field, move of God, movement, Music City, Nisan, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, revival, Ryman Auditorium, slavery, spiritual, spiritual awakening, Tennessee Titans, The Call Nashville, The Salvation Army, Titans' stadium, Union Gospel Tabernacle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Guilt-Free Living

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

Guilt-free living is amazing . . . Knowing you are forgiven, Keeping a clean conscience, and Living in freedom from the control of cravings and compulsions. Guilt-free living comes through daily following and obeying the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. “What … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, addictions, alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, boundaries, brokenness, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, clear conscience, community, conviction of sin, ethics, faith-based, forgiveness, godly sorrow, guidance, guilt, habit, healing, heart care, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, lifestyles, missional, moral principles, morality, morals, non-church, organic church, recovery, relational church, repent, repentance, revelation, revival, salvation, search for significance, searching for significance, shame, show and tell, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, support group, surrender to God, The Salvation Army, values | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Can Real Love Disagree And/Or Disapprove?

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Steve Simms

Can real love disagree and/or disapprove?  Yes.  I know that it can.  If you read my blog, you know that I am willing to think in uncommon ways.  I have many ideas and some behaviors that are not commonly accepted … Continue reading →

Posted in 95 theses, anti-war, belief, church, denominations, disapproval, disdain, ethics, faith, faith-based, free spirit, freedom, gifts of the Spirit, hate, hate speech, heretic, house church, judgments, kindness, lifestyles, moral principles, morality, morals, non-church, non-church movement, organic church, outside the box, pacifism, pacifists, participatory church, political correctness, popular culture, post-Christianity, questions, relational church, revolution, self-control, sermon, sermons, simple church, speaking in tongues, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, thinking, vegetarianism, violence, war, What would Jesus do? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Top Of The Pole — Nation’s Flag Or Christian Flag?

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Steve Simms

Many Christian organizations, institutions, and churches fly both a Christian flag and their nation’s flag.  Which flag should be at the top of the flag pole? As a young Boy Scout I was taught that the national flag should be … Continue reading →

Posted in answer to God, atrocities, authority, Christian, Christian history, Christian organizations, church, church history, countries, ethics, flag, flag pole, God, God's authority, honor, idolatry, Jesus is Lord, justice, kingdom of God, lifestyles, Lord, national flags, nations, never-ending, political correctness, political issue, politics, politics and religion, religious ceremonies, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Wireless Connection That Never Fails

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Steve Simms

“Wireless connection failed.”  Those words can be very frustrating.  Then you have to move into wireless troubleshooting and try to reconnect.  But is there a wireless connection that never fails. Yes!  The only way to break this wireless connection is … Continue reading →

Posted in apart from me you can do nothing, beeline, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, connection failed, disconnect, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, land line, organic church, out of range, presence of Christ, presence of God, reconnect, secure, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, supernatural, The Voice, voice of God, wireless connection | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments