Category Archives: ekklesia

How many sermons does it take to make a person pure?

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Steve Simms

Christ-followers are called to be pure and holy! That’s not easy to do when seductive media is so readily accessible and overflowing with negativity, disrespect, vulgarity, adultery, nudity, profanity, and worse. Have all the sermons that we have heard (and … Continue reading →

Posted in church, church fathers, church government, city council meeting, early church, ekklesia, evangelism, God's government, government, on earth as it is in heaven, Origen, religion, spiritual formation, spiritual transformation, testimonies, Thom Schultz, transformation, Uncategorized, Walk by the Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meeting “to do the 2” — the ekklesia 2-step

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Steve Simms

Ekklesia meets to do the two — to give people hands on practice, training, and experience in living out Jesus’ two greatest commandments. This is the dance of the body of Christ — the ekklesia two-step. Step one: “Love the Lord your … Continue reading →

Posted in body of Christ, church, dancing, ekklesia, family of God, heart, heart care, heart of worship, love the Lord your God, Matthew 22, organic church, two or three in My name, Uncategorized, worship dancing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coloring beyond the church-in-a-program box

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Steve Simms

Color outside the “church program” lines. Think beyond the “church as usual” box. Let’s break out of the church-in-a-program box! “A need for precision and perfection has always been an enemy of art, which is about coloring outside the lines. … Continue reading →

Posted in Albert Einstein, art, Beyond Church, breaking the rules, ekklesia, fresh expressions, How to be creative, how to be more creative, ideas, Jesus, Jesus Christ, messy church, novel ideas, organic chruch, Ray Schneider, Steve Stockman, T.D. Jakes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Hooray for Christ-chasing church hoppers

Posted on April 9, 2016 by Steve Simms

Church hoppers get a bad rap. When I google “church hoppers” most of the articles about them are critical. Why do I cheer for Christ-chasing church hoppers? Christ-chasing church hoppers are spiritually hungry. They have a vision and a desire … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 2 Timothy 3:5, Beyond Church, body of Christ, bored in church, Christ in you the hope of glory, church refugees, ekklesia, forsake not the assembly, fresh expressions, God chasers, having a form of godliness but denying the power, hope, house church, risen, simple church, spiritual awakening, spiritual gifts, spiritual hunger, spirituality, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

If the mayor should run his city council, shouldn’t Jesus run His church (ekklesia)?

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Steve Simms

–If someone ignored the mayor and began to run and control a city council meeting as if the mayor wasn’t even there, how would the mayor feel? –When someone ignores the living, risen Jesus and begins to run and control … Continue reading →

Posted in America, ancient Greek wisdom, Christian leadership, city of God, ekklesia, God's authority, Greek city-states, Greek word, honor, human authority, leadership, Middle Tennessee, Nashville, Salvation Army, Tennessee, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ekklesia will train & release William Booth’s reckless spiritual warriors

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Steve Simms

Did William Booth foresee a time of ekklesia in the future of The Salvation Army? I believe that he did and that the time is now! I just read William Booth’s 1904 dream about the “Companions of the Cross of … Continue reading →

Posted in called out ones, dream, dreams and visions, ekklesia, Future of the Church, I have a dream, Matthew 16, On this rock, organic church, predicting the future, priesthood, priesthood of all believers, royal priesthood, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Uncategorized, understanding the future, universal priesthood | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why put Jesus in a box?

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Steve Simms

  Jesus is no Jack-in-the-box, alive one day and in the tomb the next. He’s not supposed to be preached about on Sunday and then shut up in a box for the rest of the week. Religion tries to turn … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Berry Street, ekklesia, Friends, He is risen, Jesus, living stones, prophecy, resurrection, resurrection of Jesus, revival, risen, spiritual formation, spirituality, timeline, Uncategorized, unfriend | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What’s “good” about “Good Friday”?

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Steve Simms

What’s “good” about “Good Friday”? –Between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, Jesus was dead for hours. Now He’s alive forever! –Christ died on “Good Friday” to make a way for us to move beyond our guilt and shame by being … Continue reading →

Posted in atheism, body of Christ, ekklesia, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jewish temple, Neil Cole, religion, resurrection, resurrection of Jesus, secularism, sin, Uncategorized, vale in the temple | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ekklesia let’s the risen Jesus take the wheel!

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Steve Simms

Who is most effective at steering a meeting of Christ-followers? A human leader? Or the living, risen Jesus?  If a pastor surrenders steering “Sunday services” to the Spirit, the living Jesus takes the wheel and ekklesia breaks out! http://amzn.to/1VDSxUR How … Continue reading →

Posted in Carrie Underwood, Christian embassy, Christmas music, ekklesia, God's embassy, Hebrews 11:12, Holy Spirit like wind, seeing Christ in people, seeing Jesus, seeing the invisible, song, the wind blows where it will, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Christ Release Centers release the living Jesus through testimonies

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Steve Simms

A Christ Release Center (CRC) lets the living Jesus flow through many people, not just one person! It brings Christ out of concealment and into God’s community by allowing ordinary people to testify — to show and tell what God has … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ in you, Christian community, church community, community building, control, control in church, Creating Community, Donald Bloesch, Easter, ekklesia, He is risen, Nashville, power, power of God, Release the power of Jesus, risen, Salvation Army, Uncategorized, We serve a risen Savior | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment