Category Archives: church history

Can A Sunday Church Meeting Be Like A Family Gathering? It’s Happening In Nashville!

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Steve Simms

Church is family, brothers and sisters in Christ sharing a kinship of the heart. Nobody ever asks the question: “Where do you go to family?” Family is not a place; it is relationships. So with church. Who are you joined … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street Worship Center, Christianity, church history, God, Holy Spirit, house church, kingdom of God, lifestyles, Nashville, organic church, religion, simple church, spiritual, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, What is church? | Tagged 225 Berry Street, 37207, action, amazing, Berry Street, brothers, building, called out ones, church, colored, congratulated, cross, denomination, ekklesia, English, everybody, experience, family, family of God, free, function, gathering, glass, God, Gree, group, heart, heart-to-heart, I Corinthians 14:26, imagine, in Christ, insights, institution, interact, joined, kinship, listened, living, matriarch, meeting, members, Nashville, new, New Testament, of course, organization, other than, patriarch, people old ways, pews, place, powerfully, praise, prayer, pulpit, question, rare, relationships, relationships lifestyle, religious, reports, requests, rows, sanctuary, Scriptures, sharing, silently, sisters, society, speak, spiritually, steeple, strong, Sunday mornings, talk, tend, Tennessee, testifying, testimonies, The Salvation Army, Thursdays, top, translated, we've always done it that way, weekly, where do you go, Why, windows, word, Worship Center | 5 Comments

Is This Guy A Modern Day Prophet Or What?

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Steve Simms

Browsing through McKay Used Bookstore in Nashville recently, I found a book full of powerful prophetic statements by a present day United Methodist minister, Carlyle Fielding Stewart III. The book was published by Abingdon Press in 2001. It is called: … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian history, Christianity, church history, God, history, house church, organic church, popular culture, Quotations, Quotes, religion, revelation, salvation, simple church, spiritual, Uncategorized, What is church? | Tagged Abingdon, absent, accomodate, affairs, approach, back, basic, believe it or not, Biblical, Body of Christ, book, bring, browsing, business, business-as-usual, bwegin, called, Carlyle Fielding Stewart, case, change, Christ, Christianity, church, churches, claiming, climate, congregations, constitute, continue, converted, cult, cultivate, culture, daily, decline, denominations, die, diligent, discouraged, distinction, doing, ecclesiology, Empowerment Church, evangelical, exercise, failed, faith, favor, flexing, flourishes, forms, forsaken, found, foundation, frequently, from, full of, general, God, God's authority, Gospel, government, great, guy, heritage, ho-hum, holiness, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, humbly, impede, insecure, instances, institution, institutional, inviting, invoke, Jesus, lapsed, leaders, leading, lethargy, life, little, mainline, matter-of-fact, McKay, mind of Christ, minister, ministry, mission, modern, modern times, movement, much, muscles, name of, Nashville, needs, not, numperous, occur, Old Testament, open air, opinion, organized, ostensibly, outlook, participating, particular, pastors, people, perilous, potential, power politics, powerful, preacher, presence, present day, press, presuppose, principlles, progress, prophet, prophetic, prosper, Protestant, published, qualified, quotations, reality, reference, relationship, religion, result, retain, rot, run, saving, scandal, secular, selfish, serving, soulds, spirit, spirit-filled, spirituality, statements, steady, stifle, stopped, submi9tting, teach, teachings, think, today, tragedy, true, unafraid, unapologetically, underlying, United Methodism, United Methodist, used bookstore, vitality, way, will, win souls, witness | 11 Comments

Life Rocks When Religion Becomes Real (Or, Night At The Theological Museum)

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Steve Simms

In the 2006 movie, Night at the Museum, a night watchman at New York City’s American Museum of Natural History is shocked when the exhibits in the museum come to life. His once boring job suddenly becomes exciting and challenging. It is amazing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian history, Christianity, church history, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, meaning, mysticism, new birth, Night at the Museum, Oh my God, organic church, popular culture, prayer, Quotations, Quotes, religion, resurrection, revelation, simple church, The Salvation Army, What is church?, William Booth | Tagged 2006 movie, accepting, accumulation, addictions, adherents, alive, amazing, America's, American Museum of Natural History, announced, argued, arguments, as the waters cover the sea, authority, awe, believe, Bible, blandly, blind faith, boring job, bright and morning star, brothers, bursts forth, by droves, celebration, challenging, church, churches, cofounder of, come to life, connects, cravings, crazy, crucifixion, data, demonstrated, demonstrating, don't rock the boat, driven, exciting, exhibits, experience, feel, fill the earth, flamed, foundations, from God, glory of the LORD, God's, having strouble, head, His, Holy Spirit, hope, ignores the heart, in my seat, incarnation, information, Jesus Christ, joyous, jumped off the pages, know so, knowledge, Letters, life, lifeless formes, living, Lord, losing, love letters, majestic, makes, man, mastered, mind, miracles, most of all, museum, need no, New Testament, New York City's, night, Night at the Museum, night watchman, oh, passionately, people, persuade, physical healing, power, presence, proof, proven, pulsating, quotation, rational, rationalized, real, reassure, relationships, religion, resurrection, ritual, said, salvation, secular society, seduction, see, send, sensational, set free, sexy, shaking, shocked, spiritual, spontaneous, spplendor, staying awake, Sunday school, surging, taught, teeming, the Apostles, the difference, the Good News, The Salvation Army, theological, theology, tired, trembling, true, vividly, William Booth, with life, work, writers, written to, yawn | 3 Comments

Christianity — Costly Calling? Or Creed, Chain-Of-Command, Culture, Corporation?

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Steve Simms

Some people nowadays are asking, What is Christianity? What is church? Good questions! If you seriously read the Book of Acts, the Biblical record of the early church’s experience and impact, it is obvious that our present day presentations of … Continue reading →

Posted in American, ancient history, change, Christian history, Christianity, church history, history, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, lifestyles, meaning, Oh my God, organic church, popular culture, religion, Uncategorized, What is church? | Tagged accumulate, against, Americans, appearance, book, book of Acts, business plans, calling, cash flow, celebrated, chan-of-command, change the world's culture, changed in the process, chapters, Christendom, Christianaity, church, church history, cohesive, conforming, corporation, correct, cost it all, costly, creed, crusades, culture, cultures, death, deed more than creed, described type, developed, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, divine right of kings, early believers, Europeans, far afield, focused, follow and obey, follow Christ, force, form, from there to here, generation, give their lives, good questions, grass-roots movement, Greeks, heart-felt, heavy-handed, hierachy, history, how-d, human structure, humility, illegal, impact, in this world, inquisitions, intellect, it's time, Jesus, like a product, live like, make Jesus our Lord, many countries, marketing religion, model for church, moeny, my take, nowadays, originated, paid the price, passed through, passion, paster as CEO, paupers, perhaps, persecution, philosophy, Pope, popular, positional authority, present day, presentations, promote, prosperty, protect, quick rin through, read, really, rejection, restricted, revelation, Romans, service, society set the rules, sought, Spirit led, spiritual life, spread, squeeze, statement of beliefs, strangers and pilgrims, systematized, the Biblical record, The Cost Of Discipleship, the original, thinking, thought, today, various, vital, Western Christianity, what is Christianity?, What is church?, whatever happens | 4 Comments

Of Human Bondage — Judgment, Tolerance, Or Salvation?

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Steve Simms

We boast of freedom in a life of limits. As humans we live in the ever present bondage of boundaries. Nothing in our lives is unlimited. We can only climb so high, reach so far, run so fast, think so long, enjoy … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, Berry Street Worship Center, boundaries, church history, history, Holy Spirit, house church, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, meaning, mysticism, Nashville, Oh my God, organic church, positive thinking, Quotes, religion, salvation, simple church, social justice, The Salvation Army, thinking, What is church?, William Booth | Tagged 000, 18802, 2, a third option, about, acceptance, accepting, accusing words, addictive, amazing, and/or, army, attempting to justify, attitudes, begin, behaviors, being rescued from, being set free, blame, blaming others, boldly, bondage, boundaries, Bramwell Booth, but in deed and in truth, cause and effect, climb so high, consequences, create, crossed out the word, culture, daily, decades, denial, destructive, devasting, discussing, disguise the pain, do, don't know when, dull, duration, East London, efforts, embraces, enjoy, ever preent, expiration date, fast, fatalism, father, flyer, forgotten concept, freedom, get free, guilt, harmful, held hostage, held in bondage, Here I am to save the day, how do we deal with, human thoughts, humans, I am a regular, I was born this way, in an effort, in the mean time, Jesus Christ, judgment, judgmental, jusdge us, life, life choices, life's limits, limits, live, lives, living, long, meet, mighty power, millions, movement, news media, not in words only, nothing at all, nowadays, opening, other parts of England, others, ourselves, pain producing, passively, pen, people, perhaps, perishable products, physical existence, pie-in-the-sky, practical, presence, pretend, price we pay, prison doors, proclaim, proclamation, raging fire, reach so far, read, real freedom, rediscover, religious platitudes, resurrected, run, said, salvation, say, so many ears, social work, spread around the world, surrender, talk, that's just the way I am, the end is coming, The Salvation Army, the things that, the way we live, think, though out, three ways, time, to promote a meeting, tolerance, unlimited, verbally, volunteer, We are a salvation army, We are a volunteer army, we boast, who can say, William, William Booth, working, world, written | 6 Comments

Can A Church Be Full Of The Glory Of God?

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Steve Simms

A popular worship song says: “The splendor of the King; clothed in majesty . . .” It is great to sing about God’s splendor, but how do we bring it forth? There is a simple, but powerful answer to this … Continue reading →

Posted in church history, God, house church, Jesus Christ, music, Nashville, Oh my God, organic church, prayer, religion, simple church, What is church? | Tagged among, awe, baton, Berry Street, Bible, blends, bring it, called, chaos, Christ's body, church, clothed in majesty, conductor, contributions, directory, do, do their own thing, experience, expressions, forth, gathered, gifted, giving, glorious, glory of God, God, God's splendor, great, hear, heart-felt, hearts, holy, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, indescribable, instructions, leading, leadings, member, men, morning, move, musicians, Nashville, obeys, open, option, orchestra, organic church, people, perform, place, popular, powerful, prayer, presence, responds, revelation, seek, shares, shines, silence, simple, simple church, sing, spiritually hungry, splendor of the King, stand, standing on holy ground, Sunday, symphony, talented, taps, taste and see, testmony, The Salvation Army, verse, women, word of knowledge, worship song | Leave a comment

Top Ten Most Disobeyed New Testament Scriptures

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Steve Simms

What are the top ten most disobeyed New Testament Scriptures? Here is my list of nominations (from the New International Version {NIV}) for the ten most ignored Bible verses: 10) “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will … Continue reading →

Posted in ancient history, anti-war, Bible, books, church history, English literature, history, Holy Spirit, human rights, Jesus Christ, King James Version, kingdom of God, organic church, Quotations, reading, religion, self-esteem, self-image, social justice, Top Ten | Tagged all these things, ambition, back, banquet, Bible, bless those who, blessed, blind, body, brothers, cannot repay, carefully, church, commits, conceit, considers others better than yourselves, crippled, curse you, daily, deny himself, dinner, do good, do not put out, don not invite, done, encouraged, everyone has a, exercise authority, fire, first, first speaker, flee, follow Me, Friends, from, Gentiles, given to you, hate, he must, high, host, humility, hymn, I Corinthians 14:26, If anyone would come after me, immorality, in turn, instructed, instruction revelation, interpretation, Jesus, kingdom, lame, lord it over, love your enemies, Luke 9:23, luncheon, Matthew 6:33, mistreat, most disobeyed, must be your servant, neighbors, New International Version, New Testament, NIV, nominations, of the, officials, Philippians 2:3, poor, pray, prepaid, prophesy, prophets, relatives, resurection, rich, righteous, righteousness, rulers, said, Scriptures, seek, selfish, sexual, sexually, sins, sitting down, slave, speak, Spirit's, stop, strengthening, take up his cross, tongue, two or three, vain, verses, weigh, When you come together, whosoever wants to become great, word, you can all | 4 Comments

Happy Birthday, King James Version

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Steve Simms

In 1611, the Bible was translated into the king’s speech (the king’s English). The King James Version was first published on May 5, 1611. It is a masterpiece of English literature and the best selling book in history. In the … Continue reading →

Posted in American Literature, ancient history, Bible, books, church history, English, English literature, God, history, Jesus Christ, King James Version, new birth, reading | Tagged 1611, 400th, another, archaic, beautiful, believer, best selling book, Bible, birthday, born again, burned in my heart, convinced, daily, day, devoured, editiion, encounter, English Literature, eventually, experience, first, happy, hast, holy, hours, in history, including, indeed, inspired, Jesus Christ, King James Version, KJV, language, life, literally, masterpiece, months, people, personal, preacher, published, reading, red letter, rejected, Scriptures, slow me down, special place, the king's English, the king's speech, Thee, Thou, touched, transforming, translated, translation, translations, Word orf God, years | Leave a comment

Uh Hum . . . What The Bible Says About Interrupting Church

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Steve Simms

Interrupting a church meeting has been considered taboo for just about as long as church has existed. I only remember two times being in a church service that was interrupted, prior to being part of an organic church. When I was … Continue reading →

Posted in church history, freedom, history, Holy Spirit, house church, mysticism, Nashville, Quakers, simple church, What is church? | Tagged a fresh word, adds, allowing, ambulance, Arkansas, arrive, assistant, attend, bold, carefully, change, church, church history, collspsed, congregation, CPR, deeply, disorderly, eagerly, early, earthquake, enthusiastically, excited, existed, gave, George Fox, gone to be with the Lord, halt, ignored, insight, interrupted, interrupting, Jonesboro, Kentucky, kid, kind, left, light, man, meeting, middle, movements, moving, Nashville, New Testament, open, organic church, Paducah, panic, participatory, pastor, pauses, perhaps, person, polite, powerful, prayed, preacher, Presbyterian Church, prophets, Quakers, quenching, raises a hand, responded, revelation, revival, rude, service, silently, sitting down, speaker, spiritual, stop, Sunday, taboo, tag team wrestling, Tennessee. sharing, the Holy Spirit, think, times, transitions, two or three, weigh, words | 11 Comments

More Original Organic Church Thoughts

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Steve Simms

Organic church is a term used to describe church that is based on spiritual life, personal relationships, heart-felt love, Spirit-led worship, and open participation, rather than on institutional structure or man-led meetings. It is also known as simple church and/or house … Continue reading →

Posted in church history, freedom, Holy Spirit, house church, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, mysticism, organic church, public speaking, religion, Uncategorized, What is church? | Tagged active role, based on, beautiful, believers, body of believers, builds, caring, Christians, church, comments, community, completely, conjecture, constantly seeking, creates, family, field, flooding, free, freedom, Friends, give people, heart-felt, Holy Spirit, honest, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, ignored, institutional structure, kindergarten, lecture, love, makes God real, man-led, meet in a house, meetings, minister, ministry, more effective, most recent, New Testament, one another, open, opportunity, organic church, original, originally, others, participation, perhaps, personal relationships, posted, professional, program, publicly, rare, rather than, religious, rivers, seek, service, sharing, show and tell, simple church, souls, spectators, spilling, Spirit-led worship, spiritual growth, spiritual life, spoke, stirred, superfulous, taught, term, the Spirit, theological, time, tweets, used to describe, verse, watch, what God has done, what to do, written | 3 Comments

Category Archives: church history

Is This Guy A Modern Day Prophet Or What?

Life Rocks When Religion Becomes Real (Or, Night At The Theological Museum)

Christianity — Costly Calling? Or Creed, Chain-Of-Command, Culture, Corporation?

Can A Church Be Full Of The Glory Of God?

Happy Birthday, King James Version

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Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible

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