Category Archives: joy

Are Americans Apathetic To & Bored By Their Own Brain? (I Love My Own Thoughts)

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

We Americans are brainwashed, continually choosing our culture’s hype instead of actively tuning in to the brain that we’ve each been blessed with. We have within our brains the most amazing mental apps ready to release currents of creativity, inspiration, … Continue reading →

Posted in American, Americans, apps, brain chemistry, brain research, brainwashed, flat screens, joy, smartphone apps, smartphones, Uncategorized | Tagged Americans, apps, brainwashed, creativity, flat screens, nursing babies, out of gas, smartphones, think tanks, thinking, thoughts | 3 Comments

What If A Beach Party Was Conducted Like A Church Service?

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Steve Simms

On a beautiful, sunny day at the beach, would you rather: 1) Sit with a bunch of dressed up people in benches lined up in perfect rows while you formally sing Beach Boys songs together, then passively hear a less-than-exciting, … Continue reading →

Posted in beach, Beach Boys, Beach Boys songs, beach party, beach songs, Christ, Christianity, church, church structure, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, I Corinthians 14:26, joy, non-traditional church, organic church, simple church, Son-shine, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, support group, the way we do church, Uncategorized, Why be a Christian? | Tagged Beach Boys, day at the beach, experience God, heart-felt worship, Nashville, prayer, sunshine, The Salvation Army, worship leader | 5 Comments

Proof Found For The Existence Of God

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Steve Simms

Here are some ways that God actively intervenes in my life and daily gives me proof of His reality: * He frequently wakes me up around 5:30 am with a new blog post running through my mind even though I … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Bible, blessings, blog, change, children of God, Christianity, church, courage, Creator, disciple making, God, habit, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, joy, life, lifestyles, miracles, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, non-material reality, Oh my God, Oh Sinner Man, organic church, peace, proof of God, race, racism, religion, repent, revelation, salvation, simple church, sin, slavery, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, support group, The Salvation Army, thinking, thoughts, Uncategorized, values, voice activated, voice of God, voices, Western religion, What is church?, words, worship | Tagged 5:30 am, a new blog post, a picture, a vision, about God, addresses the specifics, amazing, and/or, answered, apologize to anyone, around, ask, ask His forgiveness, at the moment, been in need, beyond any doubt, burn in my heart, Christian walk, church, come across a book, condemnation, could never count, couldn't stop on my own, daily, deeply touches, desperately wanted open, do something wrong, don't know, fellow humans, fills me with, forgives, frequently, get by with it, gives me, gives me strength, God, God actively intervenes, God comforts me, God convicts, God often, God puts a, has convinced, has shut doors, have to stop, helps someone, here are, His reality, His thoughts, I don't want to, I personally prefer, ideas flowing, in an odd way, in my life, intense awareness of God's Presence, joy in difficulty, kept me from accidents, languages, life, looks like defeat, love, mere coincidence, miraculously, most unusual ways, multi-racial, my body, Nashville, never thought of before, non-traditional, numerous, of my life, off my life, offended, others, overwhelmed, passion, peace in trouble, physically healed, power, pray, pray this way, pray with someone, prayers, praying, proof, proved, puts, puts thoughts in my mind, read the Bible, reading plan, reality, rearranges my circumstances every day, removes guilt, running through my mind, say, set me free, several times, several times a month, share it, some ways that God, starting and leading, strength has been exhausted, strong love, testify, that seem to come from out of nowhere, the courage to act, the frequence of such interventions, the results are amazing, The Salvation Army, the spiritual gift, think, this blog is an example, through out, to sleep later, tormenting thoughts, unexpected proviwsion, unusual opportunities, use very often, victory in what feels, wakes me up, way beyond the statistical posibility, way to often to be cvoincidence, ways that look like coincidence, when my own, words, words come alive, wrongful behaviors | 6 Comments

News Flash: Planet Earth invaded by its Creator, not with the force of justice and judgment; but with mercy, love, humility. The Creator comes in human flesh, not in a royal palace, but in an animal stable — not with a demonstration of His power and authority, but subject to the circumstances of a Babe born under questionable conditions to a poor mother. Yet 20 centuries later, the world slows down, work stops, families gather on the day set aside to remember that God invasion. One Babe began a movement that continues to our time — a movement that has made millions of men and women better than they would have been without beholding the Christ. Transformed by Jesus, by God in the flesh — made new, set free, personally invaded by the Spirit, now rejoicing, not in stuff, and tinsel, and traditions both religious and secular; but rejoicing in relationship with the Babe, now the Lord, Savior, Master!

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Steve Simms

Posted in awe, blessings, change, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, church history, Creator, glory, God, gratitude, history, holiday, holidays, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, joy, lifestyles, Lord, meaning, miracles, movement, mystery, mysticism, non-material reality, Oh my God, organic church, praise and worship, proof of God, Reason For The Season, religion, revelation, salvation, saved, Savior, self-image, simple church, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, stuff, supernatural, thanksgiving, thinking, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, values, virgin birth, Why be a Christian?, words, worship | Tagged 20 centuries, animal shelter, authority, babe, beholding, better than, born, by Jesus, circumstances, comes in human flesh, continues, Creator, day set aside, demonstration, families gather, force, God in the flesh, God invasion, humility, invaded, invaded by the Spirit, judgment, justice, later, Lord, love, made new, master, men and women, mercy, millions of, movement, news flalsh, not in stuff, now rejoicing, our time, personally, planet Earth, poor mother, questionable conditions, relationship with, religious, rember, royal palace, Savior, secular, set free, subject to, the Christ, tinsel, traditions, transformed, work stops, world slows down | 1 Comment

Improv Works Well In Comedy — Could It Work In Church?

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Steve Simms

Improv is a shortened version of the word improvisation. It refers to acting or creating in the moment rather than planning one’s words and actions ahead of time. It can be thought of as “on the spur of the moment” … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church, comedians, comedy, freedom, house church, humor, improv, improvisation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, Nashville, organic church, Quotations, Quotes, religion, simple church, spiritual, spiritual growth, supernatural, The Salvation Army, thoughts, What is church?, words | Tagged 225 Berry St., 37207, a great concept, a woman, accumulated yearnings, acting, actions, activity, afterwards, ahead of time, all that was shared, amazed, Americans, another person's, at how, because, Berry Street, Bod becomes morre real, built up, can be, church building, come see, comedians, comedy, controlled, could improv work in church, create, creating in the moment, cure what ails you, cures what ails, dreams, each, encouraged, encouraging words, enjoy, exercise, fit together, for yourself, from, gather, gifts of the Spirit, group of people, grow in love, happening, heart, humor, improv, improv in comedy, improvisation, in and through, just a theory, Last Sunday, least likely, lives, Liz Allen, love for Jesus, love it, Mark Batterson, Nashville, off the cuff, on a Sunday morning, on the spur of the moment, one another, one of the places, picture this, planned, planning one's words, pray for one another, presented by one person, probablly, proclaim, put it all together, quotation, rather than, refers to, said, Scriptures, services, short teachings, shortened, showed them, someone says, something, Spirit led, spontaneously interacting, Tennessee, testify, the church, the expression, the most familiar use of, the person of the Holy Spirit, The Salvation Army, the whole group, thought of, to the smallest detail, today, took notes, triggers, version, What God is doing, who has something to share, Why, wisdom of the soul, with each other, word, working, Worship Center, Yehudi Menuhin | 5 Comments

The Last Thought Principle

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Steve Simms

You park your car at night; turn off the ignition; lock the door. And your car just sits there –idle–doing absolutely nothing until you’re ready to crank it up and drive it again the next day! Not so with your … Continue reading →

Posted in brain chemistry, brain research, challenges, consciousness, joy, mind, positive thinking, Quakers, Quotations, self-esteem, self-help, self-image, The Brain That Changes Itself, thinking, thoughts, Uncategorized, words | Tagged amplified, angry, at night, before falling asleep, churning, climbing the walls, depressed, determine, doing absolutely nothing, drive, even more happy, get up, gleam in your eye, gloom, glum, going to sleep, good news, grouchy, happiness, heart, idle, in the morning, joy, just sits there, keeps on working, last conscious thought, last thought, lock the door, mind, negative thoughts, not so, over and over, park your car, park your mind, peace, people, positive thought, principle, ready to crank it up, several factors, simple but difficult, simply, states, strongly influence, stuff, success, take control of your mind, the content, the mind's activity, the most important, the next day, the rest is up to you, the secret, the wrong side of the bed, thinking, thoughts, through out the night, tossing and turning, turn off the ignition, wake up, wake up feeling good, what does, what does it mean, when you are asleep, where dreams come from, why plant, with gusto, work on, worried, wrong state of mind | 4 Comments

The Joy Of Christ*mas Stopping

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Steve Simms

Does Christmas shopping ever leave you empty? Do you ever feel like Christmas shopping is not enough? That there must be more to the Christmas season than just buying lots of stuff to give away on Christmas Day? Well, there … Continue reading →

Posted in ancient history, boundaries, casual sex, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, conscience, conversion, evangelicals, forgiveness, freedom, grace, guilt, history, holiday, holidays, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, lifestyles, meaning, miracles, morality, morals, mysticism, new birth, non-material reality, peace, prayer, proof of God, Reason For The Season, recovery, religion, repent, revelation, salvation, saved, Savior, self-esteem, self-help, self-image, sex, sin, sobriety, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, stuff, supernatural, support group, Uncategorized, values, Why be a Christian?, words, worship | Tagged a very important aspect, adultery, an angel, attitudes and actions, behaviors, brought to Christ, buying, celebrations, cheating on, Christmas, Christmas Day, Christmas shopping, Christmas stopping, Do you ever feel like, experiencing, fabulous freedom, for He shall save His people, from, from their sins, give away, Go and sin no more, God's great gift, great joy, Have you done your Christmas, It's not too late, Jesus, Jesus gave, Joseph, leave you empty, lots of stuff, met Christ, most ignored, not enough, nowadays, often left out, people's taxes, perhaps it is time, put it to, repent, self-destructive, sleeping around, stopped, stopping, take, teaching, than just, the Christmas season, The Cross, the first, the real Christmas tree, the tax collector, There must be more to, this way, thoughts, to do, well, woman caught in the act, words, wrongful, You shall call his name Jesus, Zacchaeus | 2 Comments

Blind Belief? Or Spiritual Conversion

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Steve Simms

In some Arab countries it is against the law for a person to convert to another religion than the religion of her/his birth and upbringing. However, having been raised in a particular religion is no indication of its truth or … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American, change, change management, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, conscience, conversion, disciple making, English, evangelicals, fire, forgiveness, freedom, glory, God, grace, history, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Jesus Take The Wheel, John Wesley, joy, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, miracles, movement, mystery, mysticism, non-material reality, Oh my God, praise and worship, prayer, proof of God, recovery, religion, repent, revelation, salvation, saved, self-image, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, trust, Uncategorized, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged 1700s, 17th, 18th, a deep work, a heart work, accepting, adhering, adopts, against the law, American Colonies, another religion, Arab, based, been converted, being justified, believer, birth, blind belief, born again, called, centuries, change, childhood, Christ, convert, convinced, countries, deceptions, defined, direct, divine perfection, Dwight L. Moody, encountered, England, entire life, Exemine yourself to see, faith, few, follow, frustrated, goal, God's own likeness, goes thoughout, Gordon D. Fee, greatest human, has to give up, helped spark, His will, Holy Spirit, I came to America, I felt my heart strangely warmed, in the faith, Indians, indication, infect, infection, intorduced, invaded by, Jesus Christ, John wesley, Joseph Alleine, lack of success, Ledyard Cuyler, living, man, members, mighty, mind, multitudes, never, on fire, particular religion, passionate preaching, Paul of Tarsis, perhaps, person, personal, personal transformation, questioning, quotations, raised, realized, receive the Spirit, redeemed, relationship with God, returned home, rish his life, rote rituals, salvation, saved, set in, some, soul, spiritual awakening, spiritual conversion, spiritual illumination, spiritual movement, suggestion, teachings, the living God, the reality of, think, thoughts, truly, truth, trying to convert, upbringing, validity, ways, whether you are, who will convert me?, wish it otherwise, witnessing | 2 Comments

Christmas Chatter

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Steve Simms

Christmas chatter: ‘Tis the season to celebrate Jesus. Happy Christ Day! Merry Jesusmas! “When Christ entered our world, He didn’t come to brighten our Decembers, but to transform our lives.” –Rich Miller Have yourself a Holy Spirit Christmas. What we … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, East Nashville, feelings, God, holidays, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, lifestyles, Lord, meaning, miracles, Music City, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, popular culture, praise and worship, prayer, Quotations, Quotes, Reason For The Season, self-esteem, shopping, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, values, worship | Tagged 'Tis the season, a great time, All hail the power of Jesus' name, Alpha, amazing, awesome, becomes more real, begins, Berry Street, Bible, birthday, brighten, celebrate Jesus, chatter, Christ Day, Christ entered our world, Christ will fill, Christmas, Dan Schaeffer, Decembers, diminish, enthusiastically, everlasting Father, every Sunday morning, fact, God's love, Grander, happy, Have yourself a, heard, His presence, holidays, Holy Spirit, imagined, is His, Jesusmas, keep silent, King of Kings, let angels prostrate fall, lives, Lord of Lords, love, love for God, Merry, mighty God, more important, mysterious, Nashville, of the season, old song, Omega, openly, pages of the, part of everyday life, people, power, powerful, Prince of Peace, real, reality, Rich Miller, says, surrender, talk about Jesus, testify, testimonies, the best deal, the best shopping deal, The Salvation Army, transform, turn away, What a friend we have in Jesus, What God is doing, what we talk about, when was the last time, will, wiser, Wonderful Counselor, worked up, Worship Center | 1 Comment

You Can’t Buy Christmas

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Steve Simms

So many people are motivated by a myth — trying desperately to purchase a Merry Christmas. Unfortunately, this is a major misconception that we are taught by our popular culture. Truth is — you can’t buy Christmas. You can buy … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Friday, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, Cyber Monday, greed, joy, lies, life, materialism, meaning, motivation, myths, popular culture, repent, sales, selling, shopping, Small Business Saturday, stuff, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, words | Tagged 'em, a major lie, beyond, buy, car, cash or credit, Christmas decorations, Christmas ffeast, clients, decorate, dollars, ebay, every, exciting, expensive gifts, family, find the most, for all to see, Friends, Give, go on, joy, lod, lots of, loved one, many people, members, Merry Christmas, mighty special, misconception, motivated, myth, order, parth, plastic cards, plastic trees, popular culture, pretty packages, purchase piles, spend, still, strings of lights, take, taught, tens of thousands, the best, throw, tidings of great joy, to purchase, to the limit, truth is, trying desperately, unfortunately, unusual, you can't buy Christmas | 2 Comments

Category Archives: joy

Are Americans Apathetic To & Bored By Their Own Brain? (I Love My Own Thoughts)

What If A Beach Party Was Conducted Like A Church Service?

The Last Thought Principle

The Joy Of Christ*mas Stopping

Blind Belief? Or Spiritual Conversion

Christmas Chatter

You Can’t Buy Christmas

These elephants want to inspire you! Search Amazon for: Elephants INspiring The Room.

Email Subscription

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

Top Posts & Pages

Recent Posts

Archives