Category Archives: church history

The Secret 2 releasing the power of the 1st Century A.D. Christ-followers

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Steve Simms

NBC’s new miniseries, A.D.–The Bible Continues, airing on Sunday nights, is focusing attention on the early Christ-followers. Would those first Christ-followers recognize what we call “church”? Did the first Christians start recovery groups? –The first Christ-followers met in Christ-led recovery groups where they … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 12 step group, AA, back to the future, celebrate recovery, Christ-centered recovery, Christian recovery, church history, NA, Nashville, organic church, recovery groups, Salvation Army, support groups, The Bible Continues | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Alive to be a difference-maker — called to be a saint! (Answering life’s call to all, yall!)

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Steve Simms

Life is a call to all, yall!  When God gave you life, He called you (yes, you — the person reading this)! We often think of a calling in life as something super special that other people get (the talented, the important, … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic, church history, holiness, Making a difference, Nashville, organic church, Protestant, Reformers, Salvation Army, sanctification, What is a saint | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Three Ways I Know Jesus Is Still Speaking, Healing, & Working Miracles Today!

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Steve Simms

3 Ways I know that Jesus is . . . A) Still speaking to people; B) Still healing the sick; C) Still making disciples; and D) Still working miracles. 1) The Bible says: “Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today, and … Continue reading →

Posted in church history, experiencing Jesus, healing the sick, hearing Jesus, Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever, making disciples, working of miracles | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Democracy, Ekklesia, & Church (It’s Greek to most of us.)

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Steve Simms

An ekklesia was the governing body of an ancient Greek city-state and the world’s first expression of democracy.   It was made up of all of the adult, male citizens in a particular city-state and met 40 times per year to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, ancient Greece, ancient Greek wisdom, assembly, church history, church meetings, early Christians, early church, first church, fresh expressions, Greek, Greek city state, Greek New Testament, Greek philosophy, Greek word, house church, I will build my church, Matthew, Matthew 16, messy church, movement, Nashville, Nashville church, New Testament, New Testament quote, one anothers, organic church, Roman Empire, Rome, Salvation Army, simple church | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Full Gospel–Salvation Army Style (“Others” or Jesus–Finding Balance)

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Steve Simms

The Salvation Army is off the race track. Check out my new book, Off the RACE Track–From Color-Blind to Color Kind at this link. Commissioner Israel Gaither says this about it: “The racial divide in America is real and it is deep. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian history, church history, Full Gospel, Gospel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, message, quotation, Quotations, quote, Salvation Army General, Salvation Army officer | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What I Learned From Corrie Ten Boom, Andraé Crouch, Dennis Bennett, David du Plessis, Chuck Smith, Kathryn Kuhlman, Jack Hayford, and Walter Martin

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Steve Simms

In the mid 1970s I attended Melodyland School of Theology in Southern California for a year.  While there I was blessed to be taught by many powerful men and women of God. Here are 8 powerful lessons that I learned from … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Calvary Chapel, Catholic charismatic movement, Catholicism, Christian history, Chuck Smith, church history, contemporary Christian music, Corrie Ten Boom, David du Plessis, Dennis Bennett, Episcopal church, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit flow, Holy Spirit promptings, Jack Hayford, Jesus Movement, Kathryn Kuhlman, Kingdom of the Cults, Los Angeles, Melodyland School of Theology, pentecostal experience, pentecostals, Pentecostialism, Roman Catholic, Rome, Shrine Auditorium, South Africa, Southern California, speaking in tongues, The Church on the Way, Van Nuys, Walter Martin, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Open Mic Sunday — A Church Experiment

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Steve Simms

Here is a wonderful experiment any church can try: Take just one Sunday and instead of having preaching, have an open mic service. Let anybody present share what God puts on their heart. If you have never experienced an open … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians:14, church experiment, church history, experimental church, Head, Head of the church, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit take over, Protestant Reformation, reformation, revelation | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

21st Century — Get Ready For God’s Fire-Fall & Spirit-Flow!

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

It’s coming!  Get ready for God’s fire-fall & Spirit-flow! On Pentecost Sunday we celebrate God’s fire-fall and Spirit-flow releasing the current of His supernatural power in and through ordinary Christ-followers and transforming them into spiritual powerhouses setting the captives of … Continue reading →

Posted in birthday of the church, burn for Jesus, burning desire, burning heart, church history, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, General William Booth, how to flow in the spirit, how to grow spiritually, outpouring of the Spirit, pentecostals, people of God, power, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army, Send the fire, speaking in tongues, speaking out, spirit fire, Spirit of Truth, Spirit surfing, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, spiritual fire, spiritual passion, spiritual power, supernatural, supernatural praying, tongues, tongues of fire, We need another Pentecost, William Booth | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The Right Way To Have Church

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Steve Simms

Is there only one, correct way of doing church?  Sometimes it seems so. For five hundred years there has basically been only one, right way of doing church. Regardless of denomination or doctrine, church has almost universally contained a central, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians:14, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, church history, communion, denominations, doctrine, doctrines, Fresh Expressions movement, homiletics, homily, house church, Lord's supper, Martyn Atkins, Methodism, Methodist church, open church, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, Protestant, pulpit, pulpit ministry, sacrament, sacraments, sermon-hearing, sermons, the right way to do church, UK, ways of doing church, worship, worship gathering, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Karaoke Spoken From The Heart (Lay Witness Missions)

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Steve Simms

Before people in the USA sang karaoke, they spoke it spontaneously, from the heart as they told how the living, resurrected Jesus Christ had changed their life.  It was called Lay Witness Missions.  This spoken karaoke began in United Methodist … Continue reading →

Posted in a shout out, Ben Johnson, can I get a witness, Christian history, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, evangelism, evangelistic meetings, Frank Billman, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lay evangelist, lay speakers, lay testimonies, lay witness coordinator, lay witness movement, lay witness team, layman, laymen, laywomen, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Methodist revivalists, Methodists, Music City, Nashville, Nashville church, non-traditional church, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, religious karaoke, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, sharing, sharing Christ, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, spiritual experiences, spiritual karaoke, spoken karaoke, team, testimonies, testimonies in church, testimony, witness, witnesses, witnessing, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments