Category Archives: freedom

500 Years Ago Martin Luther Posted 95 Shocking Statements About Church — Here Are My 95 . . .

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Steve Simms

In 1517, Martin Luther nailed a piece of paper, listing 95 revolutionary statements, to the door of Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany.  This act marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation of the church. Inspired by Martin Luther’s courageous act, … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American church, belief, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Biblical concept, blog, bold statements, Bubba Watson, burning heart, challenges, change, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, church roles, church structure, clergy, conscience, conviction of sin, courage, dancing, dancing with God, deliverance, demons, disciple making, East Nashville, family gathering, football, forgiveness, formal, freedom, gifts of the Spirit, God's government, grace, guidance, guilt, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart-felt love, Heaven, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, improv, improvisation, Jeremy Lin, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, laymen, lecture, lifestyles, Linsanity, Martin Luther, miracles, missional, morality, morals, movement, multi-racial, Music City, mysticism, Nashville, normal Christianity, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, praise and worship, prayer, prayer walking, presence of Christ, presence of God, priesthood of the believer, prophesy, quench the Spirit, recovery, reformation, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, simple church, sin, Spirit-led, spiritual, support group, Taiwan Tebow, tears, tebow, tebowing, Tim Tebow, voice of God, wages of sin, Western religion, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

WIJD? What Is Jesus Doing?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Steve Simms

WWJD?  What would Jesus do is a good question.  But here’s a better one:  WIJD?  What is Jesus doing in your life today? . . . talking to you? . . . guiding you? . . . changing you? . … Continue reading →

Posted in blessings, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christianity, clear conscience, compassion, conscience, conviction of sin, crying, deliverance, forgiveness, freedom, good question, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart-felt love, holy, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Jesus Take The Wheel, Lord, miracles, mysticism, presence of Christ, questions, religion, Savior, spiritual growth, tears, The Jesus Prayer, What would Jesus do?, WWJD? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Jesus Culture In Nashville — Not A Concert But A Passionate Worship Experience

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Steve Simms

It looked like a concert, but it wasn’t.  Several thousand people (mostly under 30) gathered last night at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville to worship with the band, Jesus Culture. With the energy of a rock … Continue reading →

Posted in awe, Belmont University, Berry Street, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christianity, concert, Curb Event Center, dancing, dancing with God, East Nashville, freedom, God, hearing God, hearing Jesus, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Culture, music, Music City, participatory church, praise and worship, prayer, presence of Christ, presence of God, religion, sermon, sermons, simple church, spiritual growth, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

What does the contemporary American church have that the early church in the Book of Acts didn’t have? Here are some possibilities . . . Christian tradition, ministries that people named with their own name, hierarchy, money, church buildings, self-confidence, freedom, one person in control of a church, denominations, laymen, the separation of life into sacred and secular, Bible schools and seminaries, conferences, religious TV networks, televangelists, tax-free status, clergy, a high level of organization, the fear of witnessing to others. Can you think of more things that we have that the early church didn’t have?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Steve Simms
Posted in Acts, American, American church, Christian, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, church structure, clergy, denominations, early church, ekklesia, freedom, laymen, non-traditional church, organic church, religion, sacred and secular, simple church, televangelists, the way we do church, Uncategorized, values, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An Opportunity To Make A Real Difference In Nashville

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Steve Simms

Would you like to make a real difference in Nashville?  The Salvation Army has a unique ministry in East Nashville that is changing lives and helping to transform the urban neighborhood of McFerrin Park. At The Salvation Army Berry Street … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, change, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, church structure, compassion, concerned about the very poor, conversion, deliverance, disciple making, discipling, East Nashville, ekklesia, freedom, Holy Spirit, lifestyles, manliest city, McFerrin Park, miracles, missional, movement, Music City, non-traditional church, normal Christianity, organic church, outreach ministry, participatory church, recovery, religion, repent, repentance, salvation, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, Uncategorized, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Meeting God’s Gathering (Ekklesia) Instead Of Religion’s Church

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Steve Simms

One night I wandered into a group gathered in a college dorm and heard regular people sincerely telling how Jesus had changed their lives.  Later the group joined hands in a large circle, pulled me in, and began to talk … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American church, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christian, Christianity, church, church history, church structure, compassion, conversion, disciple making, disciples, discipling, early church, ekklesia, evidence for God, freedom, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, God's government, Greek, hearing God, hearing Jesus, history, Holy Spirit, hope, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, improvisation, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, meaning, movement, Music City, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, non-material reality, non-traditional church, nones, normal Christianity, order of worship, organic church, outreach ministry, participatory church, peace, praise and worship, prayer, presence of Christ, presence of God, recovery, religion, revelation, right conduct, salvation, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, stumble upon, testimonies, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, Time magazine, voice of God, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

3 Questions For The American Church

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Steve Simms

1:  Which set of words bests describes a typical American church service: A) Lesson, lecture, liturgy, program, study about God, sermon, ritual, religion, boring, dull, routine, passive, solemn, humanly controlled; or B) Experience, encounter, presence of God, demonstration, manifestation, awe, … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American church, change, Christianity, church, church structure, early church, East Nashville, freedom, hearing God, house church, joy, mystery, mysticism, non-traditional church, organic church, presence of God, religion, sermon, simple church, sin, Spirit-led, spiritual, tradition, Uncategorized, words | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Show And Tell — A Powerful Tool For Improving Your Life

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Steve Simms

Show and tell —  it’s not just for kindergarten and early elementary school.  It is a powerful tool for improving your life that works wonders for people of all ages. For instance, when people are stressed out, caught up in … Continue reading →

Posted in AA, addiction, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, change, China, Chinese, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, church structure, disciple making, early church, East Nashville, elementary school, freedom, guidance, harmful habit, hearing God, hearing Jesus, history, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, kindergarten, lifestyles, Methodist class meeting, Music City, Narcotics Anonymous, New Testament, organic church, Overeaters Anonymous, praise and worship, Quakers, religion, Scriptures, sermons, show and tell, simple church, spiritual formation, Supreme Court, the way we do church, Uncategorized, values, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

The Tim Tebow Denver/Pittsburg 3:16 Stats, Berry Street, & God

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

What do you do when you encounter incredible statistical improbabilities (wow, that’s 3 words with 14 syllables)?  1) Write them off as coincidence?  Or 2) Seriously ponder the mystery and awe behind them? For example, have you read or heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Catherine Booth, children of God, church, church history, conscience, Denver Broncos, East Nashville, evangelicals, freedom, God, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, history, Holy Spirit, impossible odds, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, John Berry McFerrin, miracles, movement, Music City, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, NFL, organic church, Parnassus Books, Playoffs, prayer, prayer walking, Quotations, Quotes, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, tebow, tebowing, tebowing.com, The Salvation Army, Tim Tebow, TV, Uncategorized, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, William Booth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Many Voices Are Stalking You, Seducing You . . .

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Steve Simms

Life has given us free will, the ability and freedom to make choices (its pro choice).  Yet many voices are after you, stalking you, seducing you, competing for your choices. *  The loud voice of desire boldly booms the proclamation:  … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts 5:29, boundaries, casual sex, children of God, Christianity, conscience, fear, free will, freedom, God, habit, hearing God, Holy Spirit, language, life, lifestyles, mind, modern myths, motivation, phobic, popular culture, religion, Romans 8:14, self-help, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, thinking, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, values, voice activated, voice of God, voices, Western religion, words | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments