Category Archives: confession

Christ-Controlled Church (How to move beyond human control of church meetings.)

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Steve Simms

A Sunday morning church service is a controlled environment. Often everything that happens there is planned out ahead of time and inked onto a handy program which is given to people as they enter.  People are expected to passively sit, … Continue reading →

Posted in Chris Turner, church government, confession, Conquering the Game of Control, Craig Green, ecclesiology, gifts of the Spirit, Head of the church, how to, playing church, Southern Baptists, Steven J. Cole, surrender, who runs the church, William Booth, wisdom | Tagged , , , , | 4 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

Write Your Wrongs & Move On In Peace (A Message Of The Christmas Season)

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

We are about to enter the Christmas season; known by retailers (and shoppers) as the make or break Christmas shopping season that begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.  So what’s the real reason for the season?  God’s love … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian values, Christmas carols, Christmas gifts, Christmas traditions, confession, confession of sin, conscience, conviction, conviction of sin, creativity, deliverance, followers of Christ, forgiveness, freedom, guilt, hdden sin, holiday, holidays, inner peace, insight, inspiration, integrity, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, live to please God, makes change, moral failures, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, Nashville, naughty, opportunity, peace, peacemaking, prayer, presence of Christ, purpose, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revelation, right and wrong, right conduct, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sin, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, surrender to God, Unconditional, unforgiveness, values | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Unconditional Will Wow You!

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Steve Simms

Unconditional, a new movie staring Lynn Collins and Michael Ealy, is based on events in the life of Joe Bradford, affectionately known as Papa Joe by the people whose lives he has changed in the projects of Nashville, Tennessee.  It is a … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, blacks, Christian values, Christianity, confession, conviction of sin, courage, die to self, East Nashville, equality, faith-based, godly sorrow, gratitude, guidance, guilt, guts and glory, healing, heart-felt love, history, human life, ideal, idealism, inner city, Judeo-Christian, kingdom of God, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, love, Lynn Collins, media, Michael Ealy, middle class, ministry, miracles, misery, missional, motivation, motivational speaker, movie, multi-racial, music, Music City, Nashville projects, non-church, normal Christianity, obedience, poor, positive thinking, poverty, prayer, race, racism, recovery, repentance, revelation, salvation, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual growth, spiritual warfare, suicide, The Salvation Army, training, urban, whites | 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

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

Do You Know God?

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Do you know God?  Not religion or church or the Bible or prayer or worship or doctrine or Footprints In The Sand; but is the Creator, Himself, real and alive in your heart? Are you captivated by God’s majesty and … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, beauty, belief, Bible, burning heart, Catholic mystics, Christian, Christianity, church, clear conscience, confession, contemplation, conversion, conviction of sin, Creator, dancing with God, devotion, evidence for God, faith, faith-based, gift of God, God, God-shaped vacuum, good question, good sermon, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, inner rivers, insight, inward change, life, lifestyles, majesty, mystery, mysticism, Oh my God, peace, presence of Christ, presence of God, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, revelation, self-denial, sermon, sermons, sin, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, still small voice, The Voice, words on fire | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Did I See A Miracle Last Night? You Decide.

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Steve Simms

Last night I was in a home group of 9 adults (who I don’t know very well) who met to share, sing, support one another, and pray as led by the Spirit.  As someone was praying an image came into … Continue reading →

Posted in awe, Bible, Biblical concept, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church, church structure, community, confession, congregational, disciple making, ekklesia, forgiveness, freedom, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, improv, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, kingdom of God, life, miracles, movement, non-church movement, non-material reality, non-traditional church, normal Christianity, organic church, participatory church, prayer, presence of Christ, presence of God, priesthood of the believer, prophesy, relational church, religion, repent, repentance, revelation, revival, show and tell, simple church, sin, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, supernatural, support group, surrender to God, the cross, the way we do church, vision, voice of God, wages of sin, What is church?, When you come together | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Are You Living With Bloodsucking Leeches?

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

A man saw a guy with leeches on his neck and said to him:  “Hey, you’ve got leeches on your neck and need to get them off.” The guy with the bloodsucking leeches snapped back:  “Who are you to criticize … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, attitude, change, change management, Charles Spurgeon, clear conscience, compassion, complacency, compromise, confession, conscience, conversion, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, criticism, deliverance, guilt, habit, harmful habit, judgments, lifestyles, love, morality, morals, Quotations, quote, Quotes, recovery, repent, repentance, temptation, thinking, thoughts, Uncategorized, unhappiness, wages of sin, wake-up call, What would Jesus do? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments