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!

Holy Spirit Quenchers — How We Stop God From Working

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Steve Simms

One of the most ignored commands in the New Testament consists of 4 simple words: “Quench not the Spirit.” When we read the New Testament book of Acts, we see the amazing power and vitality of the unquenched Holy Spirit — … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, God, history, lifestyles, organic church, religion | Tagged . called by My name, Anglican priest, Apostle Paul, believers, book of Acts, changing their world, Christian experience, church gatherings, commands, commitment, demonstrations of God's power, deny ourself, focus on self, follow and obey, forgive their sin, God, heal their land, hear from heaven, herculean, holy lifestyles, humble themselves, If My people, II Chronicles 7:14, Jesus, listen, morally worng, needs, New Testamebnt, obeying, obeying Jesus' command, perhaps, power, pray and seek My face, promptings of the Holy Spirit, Quench not the Spirit, radical passion, refuse, remove just happen, revival or a riot, say, Spirit quenchers, spiritual power life transformation, tea party, the cost, think, time, tradition, transformed people, turn from their wicked ways, unquenched, weaker, whatch, wilful disobedience, wilful sin, Word of God | 6 Comments

My Question For Civil Rights Leader, Ralph Abernathy

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Steve Simms

Famous Civil Rights leader, Ralph Abernathy, was a campus speaker when I was in college. In a packed ball room he told about his experiences in the Movement and about working with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After his lecture, … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, biography, black history, history, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, religion, self-help | Tagged ball room, Baptist church, black style, campus speaker, Civil Rights leader, college, Dr. Martin Luther King, famous, inspired, Jesus Christ, Jr., lecture, movement, passion for, personal Savior, preaching, questions, Ralph Abernathy, Rev. Abernathy, Sunday morning | 1 Comment

America’s Bravest Supreme Court Justice — John Marshall Harlan

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Steve Simms

Although I didn’t rank John Marshall Harlan in my Top 10 Greatest Americans, I do consider him to be American’s Brave Supreme Court Justice ever. He was a true American hero of equality. In 1896, seven men heard Homer Plessy’s story … Continue reading →

Posted in black history, history, lifestyles, Supreme Court | Tagged 1896 Homer, African slavery, American, attorney, badge of servitude, Benjamin Bristow, black, black history, caste, citizens, civil rights, colorblind, consistent, constitutional, despotism, discrimination, disguise, Dred Scott Case, Emancipation Proclamation, equal, former slaver-holder, Fourteenth Amendment, history, Homer Plessy, John Marshall Harlan, jusgment, Kentucky, Ku Klux Klan, Louisiana, mixed race, no ruling class, persecution, prblic highway, racial injustice, racism, registered to vote, Republican, segregation, seven, state law, Supreme Court Justices, terrorism, Thirteenth Admendment, train, tribute, Union Army, United States, whites only | 3 Comments

Am I Related To Heroic, Runaway Slave, William Simms?

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Steve Simms

Twenty year-old William Simms was being held captive against his will. Although he had never committed a crime or been in a military setting, he was being forced to do hard labor with six other captives. The people holding them … Continue reading →

Posted in black history, history, lifestyles, self-help | Tagged Abolitionists, American heroes, armed forces, brave, brothers, captive, conducters, crime, escape, founding fathers, Frederic Douglas, Frederick Douglas, Give me liberty, hard labor, Harrett Tubman, history, human property, Irish, military, monuments, New York, Northern, Patrick Henry's cry, Patriots, runaway slaves, sold down the river, South Danby, tortured, underground railroad, Willliam Simms | 7 Comments

A Haircut From Oprah’s Dad . . .

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Steve Simms

“Get a haircut from Vernon Winfrey,” for weeks that thought kept going through my head–and it frightened me. I am a white guy and I had never had a haircut in a black barber shop. Mr. Winfrey is Oprah Winfrey’s … Continue reading →

Posted in black history, history, lifestyles, self-help | Tagged #1 Barber in Tennessee, 1950s, American history, Avenue, black barber shop, chickened out, city council member, East Nashville, Fisk University, Gatlinburg, haircut, Hillbilly News, integrated lunch counters, internet, leading, Nashville, Opra Winfrey, Oprah Winfrey, preacher, professor, real heroes, succeed, ten dollars, Twenty-First Century, Vernon Winfrey, white guy | 2 Comments

How Did The Church At Antioch Launch A Great Missionary Work?

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Steve Simms

There were five leaders in the church at Antioch. The five guys sharing leadership were: Barnabas, who had a reputation as an encourager; Simeon called Niger (good chance he was of black African descent); Lucius of Cyrene which is currently a … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, God, history, lifestyles, organic church, religion, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 13, administrative structure, Apostle Peter, Apostles, Barnabas, Barney, black African descent, Chief Shepherd, Christian communities, church at Antioch, church of Jerusalem, controllers, corporately, diverse group, ego, encourager, five guys, great expansion of Christianity, install, institutional system, King Herod, laid their hands on, lifetime, listened, local church, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, miraculous conversion, obey God's direction, part of Libya, Paul, persecuted the church, plant, plant new churches, positional authority, prayer and fasting, rely on Jesus, Saul, self-promotion, Senior Pastor, sent ones, sharing leadership, Simeon called Niger, tradition, two situations, upper class, what do you think, worshipping | 17 Comments

What They Are Saying About Berry Street

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Steve Simms

“The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center is a wonderful place where the Love of God is very evident! and the Spirit of God too! You will not leave without knowing that!” –Felicia Knox “Every time Shane, Seth and I … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, Creator, God, lifestyles, organic church, religion | Tagged 225, 37207, Acts, Ally Gray Decker, angels, authentic, awesome, before your eyes, Berry Street Worship Center, Body of Christ, captives be set free, challenge, Christ's, clay vessels, come and experience, congregants, contemporary, diversity, Elizabeth Butero, encouraging, exalting, Felicia Knox, flow, free, Grant Norsworthy, growth, honesty and truth, Ida Rebecca Joyner, intimacy, joy, Keith Easley, knowing Jesus more, Lara Landon, life has been changed, listen, love of God, meeting, Nashville, orderly, organic church, outside, power of the Holy Spirit moving, power of the living God, real family, Shane, share, speak boldly, Spirit led, Sr., strangers, Sunday, surprised, talk to someone, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, the Spirit of God, Tom Cartwright, unique, usual, warm, welcoming, what they are saying, without agendas, without judging, wonderful place, Youtube | 16 Comments

Did The Apostles’ Decision Demolish The Church In Jerusalem?

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Steve Simms

After Pentecost the church in Jerusalem quickly grew into a mega church with at least 5,000 men (Acts 4:4) plus thousands of women and children. The Apostles were daily distributing food to widows, but some people began to complain because they … Continue reading →

Posted in God, history, lifestyles, organic church, religion, Uncategorized | Tagged 000 men, 5, administrative system, Apostle Paul, Apostles, believers, Bible, cast out deamons, church folks, church in Jerusalem, fairly, food to widows, full of the Spirit, go into all the world, great persecution, heal people, Jesus, Jewish leader, Judea and Samaria, laid their hands on, mega church, mighty move of God, non-Christians, Pentecost, Philip, plan, prayed, preach the Gospel, Saul, sent ones, seven men, Stephen, stoned, story | 4 Comments

Top 10 List — The Ten Greatest Americans

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Steve Simms

Top 10 Lists are famous. Here is my list of the Top Ten Greatest Americans (based on the principle of “liberty and justice for all”). #10 Dorothy Day #9 William Monroe Trotter #8 Ida B. Wells #7 Robert Carter III … Continue reading →

Posted in black history, history, lifestyles, religion, self-help | Tagged blue links, David Letterman, Dorothy Day, Ida B. Wells, Jr., Martin Luther King, read more about, Robert Carter III, The Grimke Sisters, Top 10 Lists, Top Ten Greatest Americans, US Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, US Senator Charles Sumner, William J. Seymour, William Lloyd Garrison, William Monroe Trotter | 47 Comments

Do Churches Confine Christianity To Ear Relevance?

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Steve Simms

Have churches confined Christianity to ear relevance? Have we turned our faith into a collection of religious ideas that we listen to on Sunday mornings rather than a lifestyle of interaction with and obedience to our living Savior? Are we hearers of the word … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, Creator, God, history, lifestyles, Nashville, organic church, religion, self-help | Tagged 10% information, apprehend, attitudes, beginners, behaviors, Bible, Biblical faith, change the world, Christianity, churches, collection of religious ideas, disciplined obedience, doers, ear relevance, ear tickling, faith, hearers of the word, Holy Spirit, human heart, irrelevant, lectures, lessons, lifestyle, lifestyle of interaction, listen to on Sunday mornings, liturgy, lives, living Savior, more exciting, obedience to, passionate love for Jesus, passively presents, sermons, set it aflame, society, taught, transform, verbal | 4 Comments

Author Archives: Steve Simms

About Steve Simms

Holy Spirit Quenchers — How We Stop God From Working

My Question For Civil Rights Leader, Ralph Abernathy

America’s Bravest Supreme Court Justice — John Marshall Harlan

Am I Related To Heroic, Runaway Slave, William Simms?

A Haircut From Oprah’s Dad . . .

Did The Apostles’ Decision Demolish The Church In Jerusalem?

Top 10 List — The Ten Greatest Americans

Do Churches Confine Christianity To Ear Relevance?

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