Author Archives: Steve Simms

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!

Creatively Changing Christmas Songs To Celebrate Christ More

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Steve Simms

Have you ever noticed that a great many Christmas songs have little or nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Since Christmas is when we celebrate His birthday, I thought it might be good to tweak some Christmas songs and Christmas … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, awe, challenges, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, church, country music, feelings, freedom, glory, God, gratitude, holidays, humor, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, lifestyles, Lord, miracles, Music City, mysticism, Nashville, non-material reality, Oh my God, poem, popular culture, praise and worship, religion, revelation, salvation, saved, Savior, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, thanksgiving, values, virgin birth, Why be a Christian?, words, worship | Tagged a great many, all the way, awesome, Bethelehem, carol, celebrate, celebrate His birthday, changing, Christ, Christmas carols, Christmas songs, Chrsitmas, creatively, cross of Christ, dear, everyday, everywhere I go, forgiving, grandma, Happy Birthday, have you ever noticed, Have yourself a, here are, holy, I saw Mommy, identify, in the rain, is coming to town, it might be good, Jesus Christ, joy, joy to the world, king, knees, last night, little or nothing, Lord, Lord at Your birth, love, love you more, loving Jesus, mercy, mighty one, more about, Music City, oh what fun it is to, receive, rock, some, straight from, tears, the original song, thought, tweak, worship | 3 Comments

Confronting The Christmas Claims — Conscious Contact With God

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Steve Simms

The original Christmas is full of contact with God. The ordinary becomes the extraordinary as people encounter God’s Presence and power. A physical new star in the heavens becomes a messenger from Heaven, directing wise men hundreds of miles to … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, angels, Angels We Have Heard On High, Bible, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, creation, evangelicals, forgiveness, glory, God, grace, gratitude, guidance, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, kingdom of God, Lord, miracles, mysticism, new birth, non-material reality, Oh my God, prayer, proof of God, recovery, revelation, salvation, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, tradition, Uncategorized, virgin birth, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged 21st Century, 84, a light for revelation, about Jesus, All who heared it were amazed, angels, Anna, at what the shepherds told them, babe, beautiful, Bethlehem, born, Christ Child, Christmas, Christmas claims, circumcised, confronting, conscious contact, continually, declared, demonstrationg, directing, effort, eight days, Elizabeth, encounter, excitedly, extraordinary, follow, glory, God, God's presence, guided by the Spirit, heart, heaven, heavens, Holy Spirit, hundres of miles, Israel, Jesus, Jesus' mother, John the Baptist, Lord's, lowliest occupations, Mary, messenger, Messiah, motivated, moved by the Spirit, New Testament, not see death, ordinary, original, overcome by, parents, people, physical, power, power of the Spirit, prayed and fasted, prophetic words, resources, revealed, run around, sacririce, Shepherds, signs and wonders, Simeon of Jerusalem, small town, speak, spiritual, star, still shines, stirring, telling everybody, that very moment, the Spirit of God, the Temple, this very day, time, to the Gentiles, treasured, walked up to, widow, wise men, worship, year-old, Zachariah | 6 Comments

Christmas Claim — Who Was/Is Mary’s Son?

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Steve Simms

A classic Christmas carol asks the question: What Child Is This? And that is a not just a nice song, but a very important question to ask at Christmas time. Who was/is Mary’s Baby Boy? The New Testament gives some … Continue reading →

Posted in ancient history, angels, awe, Bible, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, Creator, glory, God, history, holidays, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, Lord, movement, mysticism, New Testament, non-material reality, praise and worship, religion, salvation, saved, Savior, soul, Uncategorized, virgin birth | Tagged absolute master, actions, amazing, ancient, angel, anointed one, answers, anti-supernatural prejudice, appeared, attitudes, born to you a Savior, centuries, child, Christ the Lord, Christmas, Christmas carol, Christmas season, Christmas time, classic, communicate, create, David, deliver, delivered, designed, discover, Emmanue, examine, fashioned, from their sins, glad, God in human flesh, God with us, Greek translation, hard to deny, He will save His people, hear, heart, Hebrew word, Hebrews, historical documents, humanity, humans, hurting, in vain, Jesus, Joseph, long-awaited, Lord, Luke, marvelous being, Mary's Baby Boy, matters little, mean, Messiah, name, name Him Jesus, need, neew born, New Testament, observe, Old Testament, open mind, opinion, prophesied, prophets, question, read, reality, religious, reports, rescued, rescuer, reveal, saved, Savior, self-destructive, sentiment, Shepherds, song, the truth, thoughts, tidings, titles, to ask, Today in the city of David, very important question, What Child Is This | 6 Comments

Christmas Claim — Angels

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Steve Simms

The popular, traditional Christmas carol, Angels We Have Heard On High, points out one the astounding claims made by Christmas — that supernatural beings from God were communicating to humans and celebrating Christ’s birth with them. The New Testament does … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts, ancient history, angels, Angels We Have Heard On High, awe, Bible, blessings, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, Egypt, glory, God, history, holidays, Holy Spirit, impossible odds, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, meaning, miracles, non-material reality, popular culture, religion, supernatural, Uncategorized | Tagged 9 months later, a multitude of the heavenly hosts, actually happened, alone, angels can appea, Angels We Have Heard On High, announcing, anytime, appeared, As A, astounding, beyond, Bible, birth of Jesus, book of Acts, book of Hebrews, break the engagement, celebrating, childless, Christ's birth, Christmas, Christmas carol, Christmas season, claims, communicating, confirmed, didn't believe, dream, drive, early christians, Egypt, Elizabeth, emergency room, encountered, events, fact, factual, flee to Egypt, God, have a son, have welcomed angles, health emergency, heard, Holy Spirit, human being, humans, interacting with, involving angels, John, John the Baptist, Joseph, just think, logically, made by, Mary, Mary's, menopause, myths, nam, Nazareth, neglect, New Testament, news, no middle ground, nurse, of course, offered, outlandish, personally, points out, popular, possible, pregnancy, pregnant, priest, return, rfiance, saw, Shepherds, show hospitality, shows, someone, stranger, supernatural, supernatural beings, tall tales, the lowest people in society, the real world, traditional, virgin, wife, without knowing, working of the, Zachariah | 5 Comments

The Claims Of Christmas — Virgin Birth

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Steve Simms

It is easy to overlook some of the remarkable claims of Christmas. One such claim is that a young woman named Mary gave birth to a child without having had sexual intercourse. I have noticed that this amazing claim is … Continue reading →

Posted in blessings, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas Eve, feelings, glory, God, history, impossible odds, joy, kingdom of God, life, miracles, mysticism, non-material reality, proof of God, religion, spiritual, spiritual formation, supernatural, Uncategorized, virgin birth | Tagged a fair question, a supernatural event, allegiance, amazing, amazing claim, artificial insemination, astounded, author, be convinced of its truth, became a human being, before, Bible, blindly accept it, Book of Luke, by a miracle, carefully, cause a baby to be conceived, certainty, Christ, Christian Standard Bible, Christmas, claims, conceive, convinced, created, creating, creating a baby, Creator, deserves, easy to overlook, events, everything, exammined, excuse the pun, explored, eyewitnesses, first, frequent experience, fulfilled among, gave birth to a child, God, good question, handed, heard, high school, how, How can this be, human beings, I didn't believe, I have not been, ignorant, in their time, inpossibility, instructed, intimate with a man, intorduced, investigated, is alive, Jesus Christ, just as, know, literally occured, Luke, making the claim, Many have undertaken, Mary, Mary asked, miracles of Christmas, most Christians, most honorable, myths, named, narrative, New Testament, noticed, original, others, personal relationship, physical, pondered, procreation, pun, read, reject it outright, remarkable claims, reporting, responded to, scientific fact, seemed good, servants of the word, sexual intercourse, since, skeptics, spacetime, supernatural Being, supernatural experience, supernatural means, suppose, testimony, Theophilus, thinking, to believe, to compile, total commitment, virgin, where babies come from, without, womb, world, wrestled with, writers, young woman | 6 Comments

7 Names For 7 Days Around Thanksgiving (& 2 Oxymorons)

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Steve Simms

I don’t know who started naming the days around Thanksgiving Day. However, this new tradition doesn’t seem complete. Friday, Saturday, and Monday have names, but Sunday has been left out. Also, it seems to me like a week’s worth of … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Friday, blog, challenges, change, Cyber Monday, holidays, humor, life, meaning, modern myths, oxymorons, possessions, Reason For The Season, Small Business Saturday, stuff, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving Eve, thinking, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, values, words | Tagged 7, a week's worth of, an even, around, Black Friday, blog post, but two, complete, contains, Cyber Monday, days, did you notice, Friday, Giving Tuesday, has been left ut, I don't know, it seems to me, Monday, names, naming the days, new tradition, not one, oxymorons, Reason-For-The-Season, Saturday, Small Business Saturday, Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving Thursday, the intorduction, Tired-And-Worn-Out, Tuesday, who started, yep | 3 Comments

A Name For The Sunday After Thanksgiving (And Words In The Night)

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Steve Simms

Someone is naming all the days after the day set aside to give thanks to God. Let’s see, there’s Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. But what about the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day? I have a name … Continue reading →

Posted in awe, Bible, Black Friday, blog, Catherine Booth, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Cyber Monday, glory, God, gratitude, lifestyles, popular culture, Quotations, Quotes, Reason For The Season, religion, Small Business Saturday, soul, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, words | Tagged act like, afrfected, anger, awe, bear it, Bible, Black Friday, body, book, capacity, Catherine booth, Christmas carol, co-founder, computer, Cyber Monday, day, enlarges, eyes, facebook, first thing, found, glory, God, great emotions, green cover, grief, had to be, happen, Holy Night, Holy Spirit, how'd that, human soul, immediately, influence, joy, last night, middle of the night, mind, naming, off the shelf, opened, opens, people fall, perceptions, popped into my mind, post, prostrated, quickens, quotation, quote, read about, Reason For The Season Sunday, remembered, set aside, Shepherds, Shepherds quake at the sight, Silent Night, Small Business Saturday, someone, Sunday, swells, thanksgiving, the days, the newborn Christ, The Salvation Army, thick book, this morning, thought, to give thanks to God, woke up, words | 1 Comment

Christmas Is About Judgment

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Steve Simms

Here’s a surprise: Christmas is about dealing with judgment. Our sinful thoughts, choices, and behaviors have been judged and we are guilty and condemned men and women. If our condemnation is merely canceled, the result would be chaos and injustice. … Continue reading →

Posted in Amazing Grace, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, blessings, change, Christ, Christian history, Christmas, Christmas Eve, feelings, forgiveness, freedom, God, Hell, history, Jesus, Jesus Christ, juddgment, life, lifestyles, morality, mysticism, Nashville, religion, repent, salvation, saved, spiritual, spiritual growth, spiritual warfare, supernatural, The Salvation Army, tolerance, Uncategorized, words, worship | Tagged 21st Century, 225 Berry St., 37207, a beautiful package, accetp the greatest gift, actively, all, all humanity, amazed, at the cross, at what happens, authority, behaviors, Berry Street Worship Center, bondage to sin, came, canceled, chaos, choices, Christ, Christmas, Christmas is about, come see, condemnation, condemned men, dealing with judgment, debt, defeated death, Don't, forgiveness, freedom, gather, gathering, grew up, guilty, have been judged, hell, Here's a, his suffering, in His name, individual, injustice, invited, Jesus, judgment, just remember, leadership, man-made program, men and women, merely, Nashville, overlook it, owe a debt, paid, personally, repentance, sinful thoughts, sins, Sundays, surprise, take active control, the babe, the grave, the greatest gift of all, the result would be, The Salvation Army, to take the punishment for, tolerance, turn the meeting over, turning waya from our sins, under His direct, upon Himself, we are guilty, we can nevber pay, when we gather, wrongdoing | 5 Comments

How To Shop For Christ*mas

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Steve Simms

From Black Friday through Christmas Eve, people will be shopping for material things to give to family, friends, and clients on Christmas Day. They will be searching and sorting through stuff, seeking to find just the right gifts. But perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American, Americans, Black Friday, books, Christmas, Christmas Eve, church, guidance, Henry Poole Was Here, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, lifestyles, materialism, organic church, Red Kettles, religion, self-help, shopping, simple church, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, stuff, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, values | Tagged age, available, be kind, become a super shopper, being transformed, Black Friday, car, carry someone's bags, Christ-filled Christmas, Christ-focused friends, Christmas, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, clients, comformed to this, creating, crowds, detachment, devotional Bible reading, encouraging words, examples, extremely difficult, family, fasting, find and use, find firends, follow, followers of Christ, Friends, Give, give to, Google, hang out, help, help a neighbor, hold doors open, humility, hunt down, inspirational movie, it takes, Jesus, jewel, just the right gifts, let others through, like Jesus, live, living like Jesus, love, make friends, make your shopping, material things, meditation, more like Christ, most Americans, multitudes, obey, organic church, passionate, people, people we spend time with, people who live ajnd love, perhaps, politely move aside, provide transportation, REd Kettles, same effort, searching, seek, seeking, self-denial, serve others, shop, shop for Christmas, shop for ways, shopping, shopping season, shopping skills, sold on, solitude, some steps to shop, sort, sort through your friends, sorting through stuff, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual listening, spiritual reading, spiritual shopping, spiritual warfare, still-born spiritually, superb, The Salvation Army, this year, tools for spiritual growth, various types of prayer, volunteer with a nonprofit, ways to grow spiritually, world, world's standards, you will be amazed, your life will be transformed | 6 Comments

Happy TGTD To You! (Tell God Thanks Day)

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Steve Simms

Happy TGTD! (Tell God Thanks Day) I wish you and your family a peaceful, grateful day today. May you be overcome with joy as you realize God’s blessings on your life and thank Him for all He has done for … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, conscience, East Nashville, freedom, God, gratitude, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, meaning, popular culture, religion, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, The Salvation Army, thoughts, Uncategorized | Tagged 21st Century, 9/11, amazing opportunity, aware, being present, best friend, bondage to sin, brothers, Christ, commitment, daughter, death on the cross, deserve, difficult, disease, East Nashville, economic instability, evil, fallen apart, families, follow and obey, forgiveness, freedom, Friends, given, giving up, God's blessing on your life, government, grateful day, Gratitude, great mercy, happy, heart's love, history of the world, humans, hunger, I wish you, injustice, judgment, Lord, love, major terrorist attack, may you, midst, nemphews, nieces, non-traditional church, offer, overcome with joy, painful, parents, peaceful, power to live a life of victory, protecting the United States, reality, realize, rising from the dead, showing, sins, sisters, strength, Tell God Thanks Day, TGTD, thank, thank you, the greatest example of live, The Salvation Army, today, turn, violence, wars, wife, wonderful relationship, world's pain, years of my life, your family | 2 Comments

Author Archives: Steve Simms

About Steve Simms

Creatively Changing Christmas Songs To Celebrate Christ More

Confronting The Christmas Claims — Conscious Contact With God

Christmas Claim — Who Was/Is Mary’s Son?

Christmas Claim — Angels

The Claims Of Christmas — Virgin Birth

7 Names For 7 Days Around Thanksgiving (& 2 Oxymorons)

A Name For The Sunday After Thanksgiving (And Words In The Night)

Christmas Is About Judgment

How To Shop For Christ*mas

Happy TGTD To You! (Tell God Thanks Day)

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Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible

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