Category Archives: great awakening

Wake up and stay awake

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Steve Simms

Physically the human body requires sleep. However, the human spirit, once awakened by the living Jesus and born again as a new creature in Christ needs no sleep. Its source of life and power isn’t human biology or physical energy, … Continue reading →

Posted in great awakening, revival, revival fires, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

When sermon-hearers aren’t allowed to make a peep, they easily fall asleep

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Steve Simms

When people fall asleep in church, instead of asking what church is doing to bore people, we make jokes about it. Church too often gives people this message: “If you don’t like the Sunday morning rap, you can always take … Continue reading →

Posted in awake you that sleep, challenge to pastors, congregations, controlling pastors, First Great Awakening, frozen, getting enough sleep, great awakening, insomnia, long-winded sermon, pastor, pastor dependency, rap, rapper, rapping, sermon material, sermon topics, sermons, sleep disorder, sleep epidemic, sleep number bed, spiritual awakening, Uncategorized, wake up, wake-up call, We must wake our selves up | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Getting real about Oct 31!

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Steve Simms

Calling all saints, we’ve got a mission! It’s All Saint’s Eve today–the day before All Saints Day. So who’s a saint? The Catholic and Orthodox churches call people who lived extraordinarily holy and Christ-like lives “saints.” However, the Bible definition … Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Corinthians 4:6, 95 theses, a new reformation, alternative Christianity, called to be saints, canonization of saints, Castle Church, Germany, God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, great awakening, has shinned in our hearts, organic church, Protestant Reformers, Reformers, revival, sainthood, Salvation Army Corps, spiritual awakening, spiritual movement, Uncategorized, Wittenberg Door, Wittenburg | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let’s “Flag Down” Another Pentecost!

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Steve Simms

Flagging down the Pentecostal Fire! –God’s fire fell on Pentecost and the early Christians stormed the world with passion for the living, resurrected Jesus Christ! –Salvation Army founder, William Booth, sang in the late 1800s: “Send the fire! Look down … Continue reading →

Posted in 3000 people saved, Acts 2, Azusa Street, boredom in church, camp fire, Catherine Booth, early church, first Pentecost, great awakening, Pentecost Sunday, Pentecostalism, Salvation Army, Send the fire, song, spiritual awakening, We want another Pentecost, wildfire, William Booth, William Seymour | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Revival Needs New Wineskins!

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Steve Simms

Is it time for new wineskins? “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be … Continue reading →

Posted in great awakening, Luke 5:37, Nashville, organic church, Quench not the Spirit, quenching the Spirit, spiritual promtings, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why we might not want revival and spiritual awakening . . .

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Steve Simms

Why we might not want a spiritual awakening (a revival, a move of God)? Because in a time of revival: 1) Ordinary believers get excited about the living God and begin to obey the Spirit in church meetings, rather than … Continue reading →

Posted in conviction of sin, great awakening, objections to revival, overturning church order, Revive us again?, Send the fire, William Booth | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Victory Shouts, The Salvation Army, & Spiritual Tsunami

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Steve Simms

“Shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”  –Psalm 47:1 I have studied spiritual awakening and revival history for more than 40 years.  I have passionately been trying to discover what makes Christianity break out of the religious status quo … Continue reading →

Posted in great awakening, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit flow, Jericho, Joshua, move of God, movement, outpouring of the Spirit, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, Salvation Army officer, Salvationism, Salvationists, shout it from the housetops, shout unto God, shouting in church, Spirit-prompted, spiritual adventure, spiritual awakening, spiritual experiences, spiritual fire, spiritual flow, spiritual hunger, spiritual innovation, spiritual movement, spiritual prompting, Young Sung Kim | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Salvation Army Calls For A Tsunami Of The Spirit

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Steve Simms

The Salvation Army USA’s Crest Books has just published a new book, Tsunami of the Spirit Come Roll Over Me.  It is an urgent call from various Salvation Army leaders from around the world for a radical, earth-shaking, overwhelming move of … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, Christian books, Christianity, Crest Books, Danielle Strickland, festschrift, Gospel, great awakening, Holy Spirit, Jim Knaggs, move of God, movement, Paul Rader, publishing, quotation, Quotations, quote, salvation, Salvation Army Crest, salvation war, Salvationism, Salvationists, spiritual awakening, spiritual fire, spiritual movement, Stephen Court, Tsunami Of The Spirit, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Years of studying church history have shown me that during times of great spiritual awakening, church meetings are more about experiencing and obeying a Presence, than about sitting and listening to a program.

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Steve Simms
Posted in Christ, Christ in you, Christ's presence, church, church program, church programs, God's presence, great awakening, history, move of God, movement, non-church, non-liturgical, normal Christianity, open church, open forum, open mic, open mike, open sharing, participatory church, simple church, spiritual awakening, spiritual church, spiritual experience, spiritual gifts, spiritual movement, spiritual transformation, spiritual worship, spirituality, When you come together | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Talk Church Is Better Than Talk Radio

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Steve Simms

Talk church is better than talk radio.  Its talking points are about the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. Sit-back-and-listen-church makes people passive.  Open line, talk church makes people powerful in God as they show and tell what God has done on … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church format, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, faith, faith in God, faith-based, great awakening, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, improv, improvisation, Jesus Christ, John Miley, led by the Spirit, listening, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, non-church, open church, participants, participators, participatory church, power, powerful, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual church, spiritual flow, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, spirituality, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments