Category Archives: change

“The Right Side Of History”?

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Steve Simms

Christ-followers should strive to be on the right side of His story, rather than on “the right side of history,” following and obeying the living, resurrected Jesus Christ rather than popular opinion.

Posted in change, changing society, choice, Christ followers, consensus, contemporary society, ethics, His story, history, Jesus, Jesus Christ, moral judgment, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, public opinion polls, radical Christianity, right and wrong, right conduct, right from wrong, right living, righteousness, societal, society | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Worst Religious Advice I Was Ever Given

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Steve Simms

The worst religious advice I was ever given came when I was a student at Memphis Theological Seminary.  A professor in a preaching class said:  “You need to spend one hour of study for every minute you preach.” Since then … Continue reading →

Posted in academics, Bible study, burning heart, change, change agent, Christ followers, Christian, epidemic, expect change commercial, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, glory days, God, how you catch the flu, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, kingdom of God, kingdom values, Memphis Theological Seminary, moral failure, moral foundations, morality, Music City, religious academics, religious innovation, religious tradition, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, study one hour for every minute you preach | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

3 Bold & Radical Martin Luther King Quotations

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Steve Simms

3 bold, radical, and ignored quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “God has a way of standing before the nations with judgment, and it seems that I can hear God saying to America, ‘You’re too arrogant! And if you … Continue reading →

Posted in America, arrogance, Be still and know that I am God, bold, change, change agent, Christ, Christ followers, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, church history, colony of heaven, commitment, contemporary church, disturbers of the peace, drunk, early church, gladiators, God calling, God-intoxicated, hearing God, hearing Jesus, ignored, infanticide, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judgment, MLK, mores, obey God rather than men, outside agitators, persecution, popular opinion, power, powerful, quote, Quotes, radical, radical obedience, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spirituality, thermometer, thermostat, voice of God | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Cat In The Hat Shares The Rap On His Cap

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Steve Simms

Yo! Let’s go, We gotta show A better way to pray Than sittin’ in pews Hearin’ preacha views. We got da great news! Let everybody share A prayer or a care. Take da flag Out of da bag; Blood & … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative lifestyle, belief, blood of Jesus, burning heart, celebration, change, change agent, Christ, Christ followers, Christian flag, Christian rap, Christian values, contagion, countercultural, creativity, culture, environment, evangelism, faith-based, filled with the Spirit, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, flag, floods, free spirit, holiness, holy, improv, insight, inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, move of God, music, organic church, popular culture, prayer, praying, preaching, rapping, revival, sermons, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual fire, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, testimonies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t Settle For Glee When You Can Have Worglee!

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Steve Simms

Don’t settle for Glee on TV, when you can have worglee in your daily life.  Worglee is anticipating and expecting good things to happen to you and to the people you love.  It’s the opposite of worry.  Although the process … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, angst, anxiety, anxious thoughts, belief, belief system, blessings, bummer, celebration, celebrations, change, change management, choice, comfort, compassion, contemplation, creativity, decision-making, discomfort, disconnect, discouragement, doubts, encouragement, experiment, faith, freedom, guidance, habit, health, health care, insight, inspiration, joy, language, lifestyles, making decisions, message, misery, motivation, revelation, security, self-image, self-talk, stop worrying, television, testimonies, testimony, thoughts, TV, values, words | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Religion Is Ritual — Faith Is Fire (How John Wesley Caught On Fire For God))

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Religion is routine ritual, faith is flaming fire.  “I set myself on fire, and people come to see me burn.”  –John Wesley The fire that burned in John Wesley sparked the Holiness Movement that changed nations and led to many … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, change, Christ, Christianity, conversion, convert, conviction, denominations, doubts, England, English, evil, faith, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, fuel, God, godliness, having a form of godliness, hearing God, hearing Jesus, holy, I set myself on fire, inner peace, inner rivers, intimacy, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, Methodist class meeting, Methodist revivalists, Methodists, Nazarene, pentecostals, recovery, red hot, relevation, religious ceremonies, religious tradition, repentance, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, saved, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Why does a society that prides itself on tolerance and the accepting of diversity into the mainstream; marginalize the praying community?

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Steve Simms

Why does a society that prides itself on tolerance and the accepting of diversity into the mainstream; marginalize the praying community?  

Posted in acceptance, alternative lifestyle, attitude, boundaries, brainwashed, brainwashing, change, choice, comment, community, compassion, compromise, confession, conscience, controversial, controversy, convenience, conviction, criticism, current events, deception, denial, hate, hate speech, human nature, human rights, hypocrisy, insight, lifestyles, mystery, persecution, philosophical, philosophy, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, prayers don't get past the ceiling, praying, praying community, praying in tongues, reasoning, revelation, societal, society | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The “Forgive Yourself” Myth

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Steve Simms

“Love yourself–accept yourself–forgive yourself–and be good to yourself.”  –a quote from popular American speaker and writer, Leo Buscaglia.  However, Jesus said:  “Deny yourself.”  Here’s why the popular idea of “forgiving yourself” is a myth: *  You are not the judge.  … Continue reading →

Posted in accept yourself, Against You only have I sinned, American, belief, Bible, boundaries, brokenhearted, brokenness, change, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, comfort, compassion, condemnation, confession, conscience, conversion, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, courtroom, deception, denial, deny yourself, devotion, disciple making, evil, false assurance, gift of God, God, God calling, God-shaped vacuum, godly sorrow, harmful habit, harmful thinking, hearing God, hearing Jesus, How do you plead?, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judge, judgment, justice, Les Brown, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, love yourself, moral principles, morality, morals, motivational speaker, myths, natural laws, pull of evil, Quotations, quote, Quotes, recovery, repent, repentance, right and wrong, right conduct, right living, self-esteem, self-focus, self-forgiveness, self-image, self-will, shame, sin, spiritual formation, surrender, surrender to God, wages of sin | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The Next Time Someone Says “C.I.B.” Check This Out . . .

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Steve Simms

The next time someone says; “Church is boring,” bring them to 225 Berry Street in Nashville, 37207.  They will change their mind. *  There’s no sermon to fall asleep in . . . Instead people excitedly and spontaneously show and … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, bulletin, change, change management, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian community, Christian history, Christian organizations, Christian values, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, disciples, discipling, East Nashville, faith, faith-based, free will, freedom, gifts of the Spirit, giving, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, improvisation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, lifestyle Christianity, move of God, movement, mystery, mysticism, non-church, normal Christianity, offering, organic church, participatory church, podium, praise and worship, prayer, presence of Christ, presence of God, priesthood of the believer, pulpit, religion, religious ceremonies, simple church, supernatural | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 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