Category Archives: meaning

Church? Prevading Presence or Prearranged Program?

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Steve Simms

Church is the powerful and permeating Presence of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ; not just the mere presentation of a prearranged religious program. Church is a group of people actively engaging God; not a group passively listening to a talk … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, Christian community, church meetings, church program, church roles, church services, church structure, conformed, contemporary, contemporary society, corrupt culture, countercultural, do church, Do not conform, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, kingdom values, lecture, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, non-church, non-church movement, non-traditional church, power, religious innovation, resurrection, sermon, sermons, Spirit-led, spiritual innovation, spiritual interaction, spiritual power, the way we do church, values | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Imitator or Radiator? (Awash In The World or Aflame For God?)

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Steve Simms

Are you a radiator spreading the presence and power of Christ to the people around you or an imitator following the influence of popular culture? Are you transforming your friends, neighbors, coworkers and community by godly influence or are you … Continue reading →

Posted in aflame, alternative lifestyle, apologists, awash, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, belief, belief system, biblical, burning heart, change agent, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, comfort zone, complacency, contagion, contemplation, controversy, conversion, convert, corrupt culture, countercultural, current events, fire of the Holy Spirit, imitator, Jesus, Jesus Christ, meaning, media, media circus, ministry, mission field, missional, missionary, moral principles, morality, obedience, obedience is better than sacrifice, obeying orders, popular culture, radiator, sales, salesperson, spiritual transformation, spiritual warfare, testimonies, thermometer, thermostat, values | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Is America Violent & Alienated From God Like Jean Valjean In Les Misérables?

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Steve Simms

Les Misérables, the new movie musical staring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried, beautifully brings Victor Hugo’s 1862 French novel to life.  However, it made me wonder:  Is America violent and alienated from God like the main … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, 21st Century, alternative lifestyle, Augustine, brainwashed, brainwashing, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian values, Christianity, conscience, conversion, convert, conviction, conviction of sin, cruel, devotion, discouragement, evangelism, faith, faith-based, faithfulness, fear, feelings, freedom, French novels, God, harmful thinking, hearing God, history, human nature, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, message, misery, moral failure, moral principles, morality, morals, movie, movie review, movies, musicals, mysticism, new birth, obedience, persecution, popular culture, prayer, relevation, religion, repentance, salvation, search for significance, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual healing, spiritual themes, spiritual transformation, values, Victor Hugo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Which Burns In You — Hellfire Or Holy Fire?

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Steve Simms

Which burns in you, hellfire or holy fire? Hellfire — the burning passions of pride, cravings, compulsions, anger, addictions, revenge, lust, greed, guilt, vulgarity, violence, insecurity, disrespect, hatred, selfishness, shame. Holy fire — the flaming light of insight, revelation, love, … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, addictions, attitude, compassion, compulsion, conviction of sin, cravings, deny yourself, disrespect, ethics, evil, evil entities, evil spirits, feelings, fight the good fight of faith, filled with the Spirit, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, godly sorrow, guidance, guide, harmful thinking, hate, hdden sin, holy, Holy Holy Holy, inward change, justice, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, love, lust, meaning, meaninglessness, mercy, moral failures, obedience, partying, philosophical, philosophy, pull of evil, rebellion, reconnect, recovery, red hot, religion, repent, repentance, revelation, revival, sacrifice, seduction, self-control, self-denial, self-destruction, self-focus, self-inflicted, self-produced, self-respect, self-will, selfish desires, sin, soul, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual growth, surrender, surrender to God, thinking | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

“I’ll Fight” — How To Be A Spiritual Soldier

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Steve Simms

A famous quotation by William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, boldly repeats the words “I’ll fight!”  His wife, Catherine Booth, preached Aggressive Christianity. They challenged their followers to be spiritual soldiers, not passive spectators.  But how do you fight … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, army, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Bible reading, Bible type revival, blog, blog readers, Blood and Fire, blood of Jesus, burning heart, choice, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, church, combat, courage, creativity, darkness, demons, denial, devils, ekklesia, faith-based, fight the good fight of faith, flag, guidance, guide, Holy Spirit, I'll fight!, inner coach, inner peace, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, makes change, meaning, media, media circus, military, moral failures, moral restraints, morality, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, New Testament, normal Christianity, obedience, organic church, out of the closet, soldiers, spectators, spirit, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, temptation, testimonies, testimony, the offensive, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag, thoughts, tradition, training, training camp, trials, truth, values, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

What Do You Call The Sunday After Thanksgiving?

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Steve Simms

What do you call the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day? After Black Friday . . . After Small Business Saturday . . . But before Cyber Monday . . . It’s Reason For The Season Sunday! Jesus Christ is the reason … Continue reading →

Posted in business, celebration, Christ, Christ-centered, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas gifts, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, discounts, holiday, holy, Holy Holy Holy, inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is Lord, Jesus Movement, Jesus' mother Mary, joy, marketing, meaning, motivation, movement, on sale, online shopping, program, real world, retail, sales, search for significance, searching for significance, seasons, self-focus, Sunday, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thanking God On Thanksgiving Day — 2012

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

Happy Thanksgiving 2102, everybody! (Let’s get started.) *Thank You, Lord for creating me and giving me life. Thank You for this beautiful world you have placed me in. (Sorry we humans have messed it up so much.) Thank You for … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, celebrations, church, comfort, community, compassion, confession of sin, conviction of sin, corps, creation, devotion, freedom, gift of God, God, God calling, God's protection, godly sorrow, guidance, happiness, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, human life, human nature, humility, inner peace, intellect, invisible, inward change, joy, kindness, life, Lord, love, meaning, mind, miracles, move of God, movement, mysticism, Nashville, non-traditional church, opportunity, organic church, participatory church, prayer, prayer without ceasing, presence of Christ, presence of God, purpose, recovery, relevation, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revival, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, sin, spirit, Spirit-filled, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual warfare, surrender, surrender to God, thanksgiving, thinking, thoughts, truth, voice of God | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

“First we practice sin, then defend it, then boast of it.” –Thomas Manton

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Steve Simms
Posted in choice, corrupt culture, criticism, defend, defense, denial, depravity, depression, disapproval, discomfort, dishonesty, disrespect, human nature, human rights, judge, judgment, lifestyles, meaning, moral failures, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morality-phobic, morals, post-Christianity, rebellion, recovery, repent, repentance, seduction, seduction of self-destruction, self, self-destruction, self-produced, selfish desires | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“Bond — James Bond” vs. “Bond — Lifetime Bond”

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Steve Simms

1)  “Bond — James Bond” In the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, Sean Connery identifies himself by saying:  “Bond (long pause) James Bond!”  For 50 years, from that first Bond movie to Sky Fall, the 23rd one, the Bond … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, alternative lifestyle, attitude, blessings, Bond -- James Bond, brainwashed, brainwashing, casual sex, corrupt culture, courage, criticism, deception, deny yourself, dishonesty, disrespect, General Linda Bond, google, intimacy, lifestyles, literature, materialism, mature language, meaning, meaninglessness, media, moral failures, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, movie, movies, music, pride, procreation, rejection, seduction, self-denial, self-destruction, self-focus, self-will, selfish desires, sex in marriage, sex objects, sexual addiction, sexual fulfillment, sexual problems, sexual purity, sexually confused, sexually transmitted diseases, shame, sperm, temptation, tension, trust, truth, unhappiness, values, women | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Was Jeremiah A Holy Shock Jock?

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Steve Simms

A shock jock can be defined as:  A radio personality who uses provocative or inflammatory words to make offensive and/or controversial comments in order to get people’s attention and build ratings for his program. A modern example of a shock jock … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Bible reading, Bible type revival, biblical, Biblical concept, Christian, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, conscience, contemporary society, controversial, conviction, conviction of sin, faith, faith-based, fatherless children, God, God's authority, God's government, godly sorrow, greed, guilt, Israel, Judeo-Christian, judgment, judgments, justice, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, live to please God, meaning, moral failures, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morality-phobic, morals, natural laws, nature of God, obedience, offensive, prostitute, radio, refuse to blush, repent, repentance, right and wrong, right conduct, right living, righteousness, self-focus, selfish desires, shocking statements, sin, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, values, wickedness | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments