Category Archives: Berry Street

12/12/12 — 12 Out Of The Box Thoughts About Church

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Steve Simms

Here are 12 out-of-the-box thoughts about church on 12/12/12. 1)  Church is not God in a noose, but God on the loose! 2)  Church is not spectators sitting, but believers battling the forces of darkness! 3)  Church is not a … Continue reading →

Posted in agenda, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christian community, church meetings, church program, church programs, creeds, denominations, do church, early church, followers of Christ, freedom, furnace, gifts of the Spirit, God on the loose, godly sorrow, guide, hype, ice maker, idealism, improv, improvisation, inner coach, lecture, message, miracles, moral failure, move of God, movement, non-church, people of God, power, powerhouse, preaching, Protestant, repent, repentance, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, seduction, sermon, sermons, service, shocking statements, sin, soul food, speaking out, spectators, Spirit-led, spiritual fire, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spiritual warfare, still small voice, submission, supernatural, surrender, surrender to God, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, theology, thoughts, tradition, two or more, Western religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Church is doing daring deeds; not contentment with comfortable creeds.

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Steve Simms

Church is Christ indwelling, not institutional selling — His holy Presence, not human hype. Church is not laid back religion; but dynamic interaction with the living God! Come and do daring deeds with us As we come together in Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christian, Christian community, church, church meetings, church program, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, spiritual athletes, spiritual disciplines, spiritual skills | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Optimize Your Faith With Participatory Church

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Steve Simms

Faith can be enhanced or it can be diminished.  It is the responsibility of each individual to cultivate, nourish, and grow her/his faith or to allow it to wither away and possibly die.  Jesus illustrated this principle in the Parable … Continue reading →

Posted in AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, corps, encouragement, faith, faith-based, followers of Christ, freedom, honesty, Houston, improv, improvisation, insight, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, mysticism, Nashville, New Testament, organic church, participatory church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, spiritual athletes, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, spiritual training, spiritual warfare, testimonies, testimony | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“I’ll Fight” — How To Be A Spiritual Soldier

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Steve Simms

A famous quotation by William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, boldly repeats the words “I’ll fight!”  His wife, Catherine Booth, preached Aggressive Christianity. They challenged their followers to be spiritual soldiers, not passive spectators.  But how do you fight … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, army, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Bible reading, Bible type revival, blog, blog readers, Blood and Fire, blood of Jesus, burning heart, choice, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, church, combat, courage, creativity, darkness, demons, denial, devils, ekklesia, faith-based, fight the good fight of faith, flag, guidance, guide, Holy Spirit, I'll fight!, inner coach, inner peace, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, makes change, meaning, media, media circus, military, moral failures, moral restraints, morality, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, New Testament, normal Christianity, obedience, organic church, out of the closet, soldiers, spectators, spirit, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, temptation, testimonies, testimony, the offensive, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag, thoughts, tradition, training, training camp, trials, truth, values, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Giving Tuesday — A Great Idea

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Steve Simms

In the midst of the shopping celebrations (Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday) we now have a day for giving back — Giving Tuesday.  American charities and non-profits have come together to create the first Giving Tuesday, tomorrow, … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, advertising, alternative lifestyle, attitude, belief, belief system, Bell Ringers, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Biblical concept, Black Friday, blog, charity, church, compassion, creativity, Cyber Monday, donations, encouragement, gifts, giving, giving to The Salvation Army, holiday, holidays, joy, lifestyles, makes change, movement, nonprofit, philanthropy, prosperity, Red Kettle, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sharing, Small Business Saturday, Thanksgiving Day, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Thanking God On Thanksgiving Day — 2012

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

Happy Thanksgiving 2102, everybody! (Let’s get started.) *Thank You, Lord for creating me and giving me life. Thank You for this beautiful world you have placed me in. (Sorry we humans have messed it up so much.) Thank You for … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, celebrations, church, comfort, community, compassion, confession of sin, conviction of sin, corps, creation, devotion, freedom, gift of God, God, God calling, God's protection, godly sorrow, guidance, happiness, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, human life, human nature, humility, inner peace, intellect, invisible, inward change, joy, kindness, life, Lord, love, meaning, mind, miracles, move of God, movement, mysticism, Nashville, non-traditional church, opportunity, organic church, participatory church, prayer, prayer without ceasing, presence of Christ, presence of God, purpose, recovery, relevation, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revival, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, sin, spirit, Spirit-filled, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual warfare, surrender, surrender to God, thanksgiving, thinking, thoughts, truth, voice of God | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Write Your Wrongs & Move On In Peace (A Message Of The Christmas Season)

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

We are about to enter the Christmas season; known by retailers (and shoppers) as the make or break Christmas shopping season that begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.  So what’s the real reason for the season?  God’s love … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian values, Christmas carols, Christmas gifts, Christmas traditions, confession, confession of sin, conscience, conviction, conviction of sin, creativity, deliverance, followers of Christ, forgiveness, freedom, guilt, hdden sin, holiday, holidays, inner peace, insight, inspiration, integrity, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, live to please God, makes change, moral failures, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, Nashville, naughty, opportunity, peace, peacemaking, prayer, presence of Christ, purpose, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revelation, right and wrong, right conduct, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sin, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, surrender to God, Unconditional, unforgiveness, values | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Can What You Know Prevent You From Learning?

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Millions of Europeans knew that the world was flat.  They had no desire to sail off of the edge of the world.  So ships sailed close to shore and no one learned that there was a new world across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic Ocean, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, Christopher Columbus, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church structure, Claude Bernard, Columbus, courage, creativity, decision-making, denominations, do church, Europeans, Ferdinand and Isabella, followers of Christ, guidance, history, inspiration, religious ceremonies, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, Spain, the Americas, voyage of discovery | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Imagine If Church Had More And Less

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Steve Simms

What if would happen if church had . . . More of the Spiritual Guide speaking inside of everybody present and less of the one man sage on the stage?  (1 John 2:27) More prayer, less pride?  (2 Chronicles 7:14) … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 John 1:9, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, brokenness, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, Chronicles, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, confession of sin, East Nashville, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, God's authority, God's government, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, improv, improvisation, inward change, Isaiah, John, keeping it together, lifestyle Christianity, Matthew, moral failures, Music City, non-church, non-traditional church, participatory church, prayer, pride, religion, religious ceremonies, repentance, sage on the stage, self-focus, simple church, societal, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, Tennessee, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Unprogrammed Church

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Steve Simms

When a Christian meeting is controlled by Christ, without human programming and agendas, the Holy Spirit takes over and the glory of God is on display for all to see.  However, when a meeting is directed and run by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church structure, comfort zone, Holy Spirit, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual growth | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments