Category Archives: Christian values

Prayer That’s Not For Wimps

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Steve Simms

Here are two prayers that take great courage.  Most people, when things get desperate in their life, will pray to God for immediate help, however, only the bravest people will pray these two powerful prayers. The first one is a … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, answer to God, anxious thoughts, Bible, Biblical concept, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, commands, conscience, conviction of sin, courage, deeds, denial, God, God calling, God's authority, God-shaped vacuum, godly sorrow, hard-hearted, harmful habit, harmful thinking, hdden sin, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, humility, inner peace, Israel, King David, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, obedience, offensive, prayer without ceasing, Psalm 139:23, Psalm 141:4, Quotations, quote, Quotes, recovery, Renaissance, repent, right and wrong, right conduct, right living, righteousness, self-destruction, self-will, sin, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, thoughts, values, voice of God, wake-up call | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Top Ten Greatest Books

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Steve Simms

What are the world’s 10 greatest books?  Here are the top 10 books that have had the most impact on my life: 1)  The Bible:  I’ve read it almost daily for 42 years.  There have been times that I have … Continue reading →

Posted in American, American history, American Literature, Bible, Black Like Me, books, British Literature, C.S. Lewis, China, Chinese, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, fire walk, Harriet Beecher Stowe, hate, hate speech, hot coals, Jim Crow, John Howard Griffin, literature, London, Mere Christianity, monks, New Testament, Orthodox, Philokalia, positive thinking, Quotations, quote, Quotes, racism, Russian literature, Samuel Smiles, slavery, The Jesus Prayer, The Normal Christian Life, The Spiritual Man, the way of the pilgrim, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Unlimited Power, Watchman Nee, William Lloyd Garrison, world's greatest | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 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

Am I A Victim Of Discrimination & Hate Speech For Being A Tongue-Talker?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Steve Simms

I have been a tongue-talker for forty-one years.  (Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit that enables a person to speak in languages he/she doesn’t know.  It is a powerful spiritual experience that fills a person with … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, attitude, belief, belief system, business, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, clear conscience, coffee, compliance, compromise, conscience, contemporary, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, criticism, cruel, cultural taboos, deciision making, deny yourself, disapproval, ethics, faith-based, fast food, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, guidance, hate, hate speech, human rights, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, message, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, natural laws, preference, prejudice, restaurant, right and wrong, right conduct, self-denial, sex, sex in marriage, sin, Starbucks, victims, Western world | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

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

In a country where you can get shot along with 70 others while going to a movie . . . we desperately need God.

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Steve Simms

A quotation from the ancient prophet, Isaiah: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

Posted in Christian values, Christianity, church, comfort, compassion, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, faith, God, God-shaped vacuum, His story, injury, injustice, Isaiah, justice, Lord, meaninglessness, morality, morals, political issue, popular culture, revelation, revival, salvation, search for significance, searching for significance, sinner, soul, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, surrender to God, values, violence, violent streak | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 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

Taking An Amazing Flag To The Streets

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Steve Simms

The purpose of a flag is not just to be on a stage in a building but to fly outdoors over the territory that it rules.  There is an amazing, but little known flag, that has been in the forefront … Continue reading →

Posted in Blood and Fire, Catherine Booth, Christ, Christian, Christian flag, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, contemporary, conviction of sin, Coventry, Creator, drug dealers, dust bin, dustbin, East Nashville, England, evangelistic meetings, faith-based, faithfulness, fire, flag, God's authority, Gospel, Great Britain, Great Commission, hearing God, high tech, history, Holy Spirit, international movement, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, Nashville City Paper, national flags, non-church, normal Christianity, open airs, openairs, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, presence of God, prostitutes, Salvationists, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual warfare, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag, to the streets, witness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments