Category Archives: Holy Spirit

Guts & Glory In Spiritual Growth — Path, Rocks, Thorns, Fertile Ground

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Steve Simms

Spiritual growth is not for sissies. It takes great guts to grow in God. Not everybody has the courage, strength, and endurance to do it. Jesus told a parable about a path, rocks, thorns, and fertile ground that illustrates the … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Bible, criticism, glory, God, guts and glory, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, materialism, meaning, New Testament, parable, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, thinking, thoughts, Uncategorized, voice activated, words | Tagged 4 ways, 4:1-20, a seed to be sown, a well-traveled path, about, accept, acquire, allow, alolow the Holy Spirit, alter our thinking, areas, as it is in heaven, begin to grow, behavior, Bible, cannot, changes us, comes, contrary to, courage, criticism, deep roots, desires, distract us from God, don't obey, endurance, enjoy, ever-increasing glory, everybody, fertile ground, fertile soul, get rid of, God speaks, God's glory, God's words, great difficulty, great guts, grow in God, hear, hear my voice, heart, heart's thorns, His kingdom comes, His will is done, hits us, illustrates, in our generation, in our heart, in us, into HIs image, it takes, Jesus, Jesus said, Jesus' own words, land, like, Matthew, modern faith preachers, move towards, much soil, My sheep, not be able to grow, not for sissies, of our daily lives, of our soul, our own desires, path, penetrate, permanently, produce, pull up, read, required to reach, requires, right out of, rips, rocks, seduction of money, skills, soul, speaking, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, squeezes it out, strength, take root, Tha'ts glory, the Bible, the courage, the hard ground, the hard places, the Living Word, the New Testament, the seed is money, the seed is the Word of God, the spiritual skills, the stoney areas, the things that capture our attention, the voice of God, the way of growth in God, the written word, thorns, to break up, to human hearts, told a parable, trouble, turn, we must have the guts, What God says, what He says, worries | 3 Comments

George Barna’s 9 Challenges For American Christians

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Steve Simms

George Barna, founder of the Barna Research Group, issued nine challenges for American Christianity in 2002. Here is a paraphrase of his nine challenges along with how a church in Nashville, Tennessee, The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center, is attempting … Continue reading →

Posted in Barna Research Group, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, challenges, church, East Nashville, evangelicals, Gen Y, George Barna, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, Nashville, organic church, popular culture, race, racism, simple church, supernatural, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged 37207, 50-50, allow peop;le to participate, amazing things, American, as led by the Spirit, asking God, attempting, attributed to, Barna Research Group, beliefs, believe, Berry St., Berry Street, Bible, bit, black and white, built-in cost, causes, challenges, changes, Christianity, Christians, church, churches, come, compete, cooperate with, cost, criticize, daily lives, different, do church, each week, eager to learn, encourage, encouraged, ethnic groups, evangelicals, exciting, expression, flow in the Spirit, follow, founder, fresh, Gen Y, George Barna, go, goal, good leaders, Gospel, I Corinthians 14:26, imput, issued, lack of, leadership, multi-racial, musical styles, Nashville, never know, nine, no matter what, non-traditional, not allowed, obey, one person, open, other, outstanding, paraphrase, power, prepared, produces, qualities, race, right in front of our eyes, sale old same old, seek, segregated, seriously, sermons, study, Sunday, Sunday mornings, supernatural, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, theological, to be involved, to meet, to share, to stand on God's word, toning down, uncomfortable, usually, visit, working of God, worship, Worship Center, worship leader, worship meeting, young adults | 1 Comment

Down By The Spout Where God’s Glory Pours Out

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Steve Simms

I was in a church once and the pastor was trying to get some of the people sitting in the back rows to come and sit near the front. He told them: “Come down by the spout where the glory … Continue reading →

Posted in awe, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, East Nashville, God, Holy Spirit, house church, life, lifestyles, Nashville, Oh my God, spiritual, The Salvation Army, What is church? | Tagged 225 Berry Street, 37207, allowed to work, awe, back, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, carries, catch the current Holy Spirit's, church, church building, cultivate, degree, denominational affiliation, desires, discovers, eample, East Nashville, encounter, felt, flow, free, front, glory, glory of God, God's glory, God's presence, God's voice, heart, humbly, inner, inner rivers, Isaiah, Jesus said, learn, listen, manifest glory, meeting, meets, midst, most important thing, Nashville, non-traditional, obey, opinions, Out of your innermost being, overwhelmed, pastor, people, pours out, present, prophet, Quench not the Spirit, respond, responsive, rivers of living water, rows, sense, shall flow, spout, Sunday, Sundays, temple, The Salvation Army, thoughts, undone, work | 3 Comments

RAG — Religion, Atheism, Or God?

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Steve Simms

The idea of a Creator causes people to embrace one of three positions: RAG. That is, religion, atheism, or living God? Religion can be defined as acknowledging the existence of God and attempting to placate Him by formal human activity such … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheists, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christianity, church, church history, Creator, East Nashville, freedom, God, history, Holy Spirit, house church, life, lifestyles, meaning, mysticism, organic church, popular culture, religion, simple church, spiritual, The Salvation Army, thinking, Uncategorized, values, What is church?, worship | Tagged 10:45, 225 Berry Street, 37207, a place, acknowledging, activity, actual Creator, amazing, and have your being, anyone, atheism, attempting to placate, Berry Street, but denying the power thereof, but hate your brother, can be found in libraries, check it out, close connection, come, couple, Creator, daily live, defined, denial of God, doing in their lives, East Nashville, formal, free, full of, Give, God, God's, good picture, hates his brother, having a form of godliness, he loves God, held, heretics, Him, human, human history, if a man says, if you have never, if you say you love God, In Him you live, kill, led by, liturgy, lived, lives as if, lives beyond, living God, lovers of the living God, met, millions of people, move, Nashville, near, New Testament, nowadays, of all that is, on the internet, one of three, openly, persecute, political power, positions RAG, power, practical atheism, proclaimed atheism, relationship stories, religion, rituals, sermon free church, share stories, show and tell, sincere, society, strongly influenced, Sundays, supernatural presence, the existence of God, the ground of all being, The Salvation Army, the truth is not in you, there is no God, through out, Twentieth Century, Twientieth Century, two kinds, until, used, verball, verses, weekly, what, what God has done, where, Worship Center, you're a hypocrite | 1 Comment

Chemistry Lab, Biology Lab, How ‘Bout Church Lab?

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Steve Simms

If you have ever taken a high school or college science class you have been to a lab class. For chemistry and biology, lecture is not enough. Students need to dissect an animal for themselves to really understand its anatomy. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, biology, change, chemistry, college, disciple making, East Nashville, freedom, God, high school, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, lab, Nashville, Oh my God, organic church, religion, science, simple church, Uncategorized, What is church? | Tagged 10:45, 225 Berry Street, 37207, actually, allow, anatomy, animal, ask, attenders, been to, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, biology, chemicals, chemistry, church, class, college, come, compounds, concerns, congregation, crazy. Bible's, directions, dissect, do it, faith, fellow, freedom, Give, God, God's power, good, hearts, high school, Holy Spirit, how to do church, I Corinthians 14:26, if you have ever, in the land, lab, lab partners, learning, lecture, like, listen, lives, lots of ways, Mary's, master, meeting, mere, mike, mix, most ignored, most unique, Nashville, Nashville's, needs, not enough, not good enough, one another, opportunity, people, personally, pray, produce, read, really, satisfied, science, Scripture, sermon, share, silenty, son, spiritual, students, Sunday morning, Sundays, take the time, taken, tell, The Salvation Army, together, told, understand, verse, vision, visit, Whatever He says to you, word, work, working, worship, worshippers | 2 Comments

Nashville’s Flood, Fire, & Ferocious Winds

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Steve Simms

Nashville has had a flood and it brought out the best in people. It was so exciting to see so many people volunteer their time and give their money to help their friends, neighbors, and even strangers. After the Nashville … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, change, disasters, East Nashville, fire, fuel, Holy Spirit, kingdom of God, meaning, mysticism, Nashville, Oh my God, organic church, prayer, prayer walking, spiritual, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, What is church? | Tagged 10:45, 225 Berry St., 37207, after that, amazing, began, Berry Street Worship Center, blood of Jesus, brought out, came to, city, come see, damaged, day of, destroyed, East Nashville, encourage, exciting, experience, ferocious, fire of, first, First Street, flag, flood, Friends, gather, Give, God's, group, harmful, help, historical marker, Holy Spirit, homes, I Corinthians, impacted, knocked down, Lord, mighty rushing wind, mind, minister, money, moving, Nashville, Nashville flood, natural, neighbors, one day, out, outporuing, Pentecost, positive, pray, prayer walk, proclaim, Scripture, sounded, spirit, spiritual, spread, stands for, storms, strangers, Sundays, testify, the best in people, The Salvation Army, time, trees, volunteer, way, weekly, winds | Leave a comment

How To Regularly Experience The Inner Flow Of The Holy Spirit

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Steve Simms

Jesus promised His followers an inner flow of the Holy Spirit. He said: “Out of your inner most being shall flow rivers of living water.” This is not just theology, theory, or doctrine, but an actual, ongoing experience. Believers have amazing spiritual … Continue reading →

Posted in Anabaptists, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, books, Christian history, Christianity, church history, English literature, Holy Spirit, house church, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, John Wesley, morality, morals, mysticism, Nashville, organic church, pentecostals, Philokalia, prayer, Quakers, reading, religion, revelation, salvation, simple church, spiritual, Uncategorized | Tagged 225, 37207, acts like Jesus, actual, amazing, Anabaptists, behaviors, believers, Berry Street, Bible, books, Catholic, characer, church, church fathers, come, command, consequences, daily lives, desires, devotionally, do it, doctrine, dutifully, early, encouragement, experience, feared, floow, flow, flow in the Spirit, flow-ers, focusing, follow, followers, free, fruit, gifts, Give, hang out, hearts, Holy Spirit, how, humbly, inner, Jesus, Jesus' mother, keys, lay down, little, live in, llife, love letter, Mary, Methodists, ministry, missionaries, monks, moral, more caught than taught, mystics, Nashville, New Testament, nudging, obey, of the Spirit, one-on-one, ongoing, opinions, Orthocox, out of the box, Out of your inner most being, participatory, Paul, Pentecostals, people, Philokalia, potential, power, practical, prayer, problems, promised, prompted, promptly, Protestant, Quakers, Quench not the Spirit, quit, read, realize, regardless, regularly, releasing, requests, right away, rivers of living water, Scriptures, sense, shall flow, share, show, sin, spend time, Spirit led, Spirit of God, spiritual, spiritual potential, steps, stir, stir up the gift, stirrings, stop, suggestions, Sundays, surrender, tells, testimonies, textbook, that is within you, The Salvation Army, theology, theory, things, thoughts, unaware of, way, Whatever He says to you, words, Worship Center, writings, wrongdoing, wrongful | 18 Comments

If The Chosen Are Frozen, How Can God’s Fire Rage Through Our World?

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Steve Simms

We live in a world that is fastly fleeing from traditional social and moral constraints. People nowadays uninhibitedly express their feelings and views without regard for what is decent, right, or wholesome, even when they are sober. There is no longer a need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Christian history, Christianity, church history, discipling, drunk, Holy Spirit, house church, Jesus Movement, morality, morals, Nashville, organic church, prayer, religion, simple church, spiritual, What is church? | Tagged 120, 225, 37207, about, agenda, allow, amazing, as ever, attitude, Berry Street, Bible, break, burn, but denying the power thereof, cast aside, celebrating, check, chosen, Christian, church, church age, church attenders, church is in decline, church-service, command, contrary, crucifixion, decent, described, die to self, disciples, drunk, dry, encourage, entertaining, enthusiasm, events, every member, experience, express feelings, expression, fastly, filled, fire, flames, fleeing, flow, follow, formal, formalism, foundation, frozen, function, gathered, God's fire, God's light, group, having a form of godliness, hidden, hiding, history, Holy Spirit, house church, inhibited, Jesus, languages, living, loudly, love, mighty, moral constraints, morally, move of God, movement, Nashville, now, obey, one reason, openly, organic church, organized, original, passion, Paul's, Pentecost, perhaps, power, praising God, praying, presence, publicly, reclaim priesthood of the believer, Reformation, rejoicing, remove, restrained, restraints, right, run, scholars, see, share, show up, simple church, sit, sober, social, society, speak, speaking, spiritual inhbitions, spirituall, spontaneous, start, street, structured, suddenly, Sundays, tear down the wall, theatrical, theory, this out, time, traditional, turn away, turn the world upside down, under a bushel, uninhibited, uninhibitedly, views, wait, we live, wholesome, willing, without regard for, wonders, works, world, years | 1 Comment

My God! I Want To See That Again! “Reborn To Be Wild”

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Steve Simms

When I went to my favorite Borders book store for their going out of business sale, God, as He often does, led me to a book that stirred my heart (Reborn To Be Wild). I left the tracks of my … Continue reading →

Posted in church history, college, college students, crying, fire, God, Holy Spirit, house church, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, mysticism, Nashville, new birth, Oh my God, organic church, popular culture, religion, salvation, simple church, spiritual, tears, What is church? | Tagged 10:34, 37207, across, again, alive, amazing, assembling, Berry Street, book, borders, can't, chapter, Christ, closest, come, Dear Lord, die, directly, Ed Underwood, encounters, favorite, fire, first, follow Jesus, following, form, fresh, gatherings, generation, generations, God, God's glory, going out of business, group, heart, hearts, human, hungry, Jesus Movement, last night, lead, leader, leadership, leave, led, living, Lord, love, meeting Jesus, meetings, midst, mightily, mind, move, My God, Nashville, need, now, O God, obey, one more time, passionately, power, powerful, program, programs, pursue, reblazing, Reborn To Be Wild, rekindle, religion, results, ritual, rolled, sale, see, sell the farm, spontaneous, stir up the gift, stirring, structured, Sundays, take, tears, The Salvation Army, time, tracts of my tears, tragedy, Wake us up, weep, when, wife, within you, witness, write | 1 Comment

What The Church Can Learn From Smartphones

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Steve Simms

Smartphones are everywhere! People love them.! What if the church could learn from smartphones how to create that kind of market saturation and love for Jesus? Here are some things the church can learn from smartphones. * People appreciate and … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, apps, Berry Street Worship Center, change, change management, Christianity, disciple making, discipling, Great Commission, Holy Spirit, house church, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, Nashville, organic church, popular culture, religion, simple church, smartphone apps, smartphones, Uncategorized, What is church? | Tagged 225 Berry St., 37207, about, all over the world, allow, amazing, answers, app, appreciate, approach, ask questions, asked, assistance, Berry Street, Biblical, billions, brief, church, come, comfort, communicate, complicated, concpets, connect, create, depend on, direct access, encouragement, everywhere, express, facts, fast changing, feel alive, forgiveness, freedom, get out of the box, gifts of the Spirit, Give, help, Holy Spirit, how to, information, interested in, introduce, Jesus, kind, learn from, learned, love, market saturation, meetings, members, ministry, Nashville, need to, needs, never seen before, new apps, new ways, obtain, obtain, one another, opportunities, participatory, people, person-to-person, personal expression, popular, prayer requests, presented, question, really works, requires, rise to the challenge, saw, Scriptures, search, share, sit and listen, smartphones, something new, spontaneously, suggestions, Sunday morning, teaching, ten, testimonies, The Salvation Army, themselves, TN, tradition, use, visit, willing, with, woman, words of, Worship Center | 3 Comments

Category Archives: Holy Spirit

Guts & Glory In Spiritual Growth — Path, Rocks, Thorns, Fertile Ground

Down By The Spout Where God’s Glory Pours Out

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Beyond Church: An Invitation To Experience The Lost Word Of The Bible

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