Category Archives: Christ-centered

Inner Peace In A Troubled World?

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Steve Simms

Can you have inner peace in a troubled world?  This video uses 4 hand signs and creative sign language to show you how. The icon in the video is from the Abbey of Gethsemani, a Trappist monastery in Kentucky where … Continue reading →

Posted in Abbey of Gethsemani, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christian organizations, Christian values, Christianity, church, church history, congregational, creativity, cross, deny yourself, hand signs, hearing God, hope, inner peace, inner rivers, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, miracles, monastery, monks, mystery, mysticism, new birth, peace, power of the cross, salvation, saved, Savior, silent retreat, spiritual formation, surrender to God, video, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 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

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

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

Stormy Weather

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Steve Simms

It’s not easy to weather stormy weather.  Dark clouds, wind, hail, floods. There is a story about a man who built his house on sand.  When the rains came and the winds blew his house collapsed into ruble. However, another … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Bible, built his house on a rock, change, change management, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, dark clouds, faith, faith-based, floods, God, hail, hearing God, inward change, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, lifestyles, normal Christianity, Oh my God, peace, rains, repentance, salvation, self-help, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, stable, stormy weather, thundeer, training camp, values, voice of God, wages of sin, wind | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What Rube Goldberg Machines Can Teach Us About Church

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Rube Goldberg machines are complex contraptions that produce a sequence of what appears to be random actions that lead to a final result.  They are fun to watch.  You can find many videos of Rube Goldberg machines on YouTube. Perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century, American church, Berry Street, Bible, Biblical concept, bored in church, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian community, Christian history, Christian values, church history, church programs, church roles, church structure, East Nashville, ekklesia, good sermon, having a form of godliness, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Kevin Brockmeier, Music City, non-traditional church, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, priesthood of the believer, relational church, religious ceremonies, Rube Goldberg, simple church, soul, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Perhaps Church Is Much Simpler Than We Think It Is . . .

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Steve Simms

Maybe church is much simpler than we think it is? Perhaps church is just two or there or more believers gathered under the actual leadership and direction of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ in our midst? (In Matthew 18:20, Jesus … Continue reading →

Posted in belief, bored in church, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, church, church programs, church roles, church structure, disciple making, disciples, discipling, East Nashville, ekklesia, faith, gifts of the Spirit, God's government, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, house church, improv, improvisation, Jesus, Jesus Movement, kingdom of God, Matthew 18:20, move of God, participatory church, presence of Christ, presence of God, relational church, religion, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, the way we do church | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How Can You Heal A Broken Heart?

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Steve Simms

Breaking heart, what can heal you? Restore your joy, your peace? Not denial or drink or drugs, Not antidepressants or anger Or angst activity. They merely mask the misery. Only one has a proven record Of consistently healing the brokenhearted … Continue reading →

Posted in activity, alternative lifestyle, anger, angst, brokenhearted, brokenness, change, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian history, church history, compassion, contemplation, deny yourself, drug commercials, drugs, drunk, encouragement, faith, God, healing, history, human life, inward change, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, mask, misery, new birth, peace, poem, poetry, prayer, religion, search for significance, searching for significance, spiritual, surrender to God, testimony | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments