Category Archives: New Testament

Safe Church — Unlocking God’s Glory!

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Steve Simms

In the New Testament church was awesomely filled with the Presence of God.  How can the 21st Century church recover the lost combination for God’s glory in our meetings? While thinking about this, a scene suddenly came to my mind.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, church community, church format, church meetings, church safe, early church, experiencing God, experiential worship, God, God's glory, how to recover a lost combination, lost combination, mysticism, New Testament, New Testament church, organic church, Paul of Tarsus, releasing God's glory, religion, safe in church, tradition, traditional church, worship, worship innovation | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Democracy, Ekklesia, & Church (It’s Greek to most of us.)

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Steve Simms

An ekklesia was the governing body of an ancient Greek city-state and the world’s first expression of democracy.   It was made up of all of the adult, male citizens in a particular city-state and met 40 times per year to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, ancient Greece, ancient Greek wisdom, assembly, church history, church meetings, early Christians, early church, first church, fresh expressions, Greek, Greek city state, Greek New Testament, Greek philosophy, Greek word, house church, I will build my church, Matthew, Matthew 16, messy church, movement, Nashville, Nashville church, New Testament, New Testament quote, one anothers, organic church, Roman Empire, Rome, Salvation Army, simple church | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The audience of One — (Who should be on the church platform?)

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Steve Simms

The audience of One!  Most churches have a platform or stage that lifts one person (or a few people) above the rest of the people and creates the atmosphere of an audience watching a performance.   However, the New Testament … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, audience, church architecture, church format, church furniture, church leadership, church meetings, church programs, church seating, New Testament, order of worship, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, stage | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Bible Believers Should Have The Same Rights As Quran Or Gita Believers!

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Steve Simms

Almost nobody criticizes Muslims for believing the Quran, or Hindus for believing the Bhagavad Gita. They expect the followers of those religions to believe their holy book. Yet many people criticize Christians and Jews for believing the Bible!  What’s up … Continue reading →

Posted in Bhagavad Gita, Christian, Christianity, discrimination, equal rights, faith, faith in God, Hindu, Hinduism, Islam, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, Muslims, New Testament, prejudice, religious prejudice, religious rights, world religions | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Living Water Surge Protectors Limit Pentecostal Power

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Steve Simms

Religious surge protectors can suppress (quench) the flowing of the Holy Spirit both in churches and in individuals. Paul of Tarsus put it this way: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.” A … Continue reading →

Posted in Apostle Paul, Bible, Bible concepts, Bible quotes, denying the power thereof, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, from such turn away, godliness, having a form of godliness, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit flow, John, John 17:38, John the Beloved, New Testament, New Testament quote, out of your inner most being, Paul of Tarsus, rivers of living water, spirit, Spirit of Truth, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual flow, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual healing, spiritual innovation, spiritual life, spiritual listening, spiritual movement, spiritual presence, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spiritual walk, spiritual worship | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bold (Transformational) Words From John The Baptist

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Steve Simms

John, God’s greatest prophet, led the way for the living Jesus Christ by telling groups of people to:  “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.” Perhaps the 21st Century church could obey John and make room … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century, Behold the Lamb of God, Bible, biblical, Christ, every mountain made low, Every valley shall be filled in, Father Abraham, forerunner, greatest prophet, He must increase, heirarchy, Holy Spirit, house church, I must decrease, Jesus, Jesus Christ, make straight paths, New International Version, New Testament, New Testament quote, organic church, out of stones God can raise up children of Abraham, Prepare the way of the Lord, quotation, Quotations, quote, religious tradition, simple church, sins, spirit, takes away the sins of the world, the ax is at the root of the trees | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Beyond Leadership To Overseership

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Steve Simms

The Bible refers to overseers in the body of Christ but never calls them leaders. “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach . . .” –1 Timothy … Continue reading →

Posted in basketball, basketball officials, bishops, Christ followers, Christianity, church format, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church organizational chart, church overseers, church program, church programs, church roles, church structure, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit flow, leading others, New Testament, organic church, overseers, oversight, prompting of the Spirit, Quench not the Spirit, quench the Spirit | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

A Rock On A Stage or Living Stones Built Into God’s House?

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Steve Simms

You can’t build something by simply setting one stone on a platform in front of a group of other stones. To build anything the stones must be assembled interactively. The same is true of living stones. “You also, like living … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, Bible, Bible quotes, holy priesthood, Music City, Nashville church, New Testament, New Testament quote, organic church, participatory church, platform, priest, priesthood, rock church, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, spiritual, spiritual church, spiritual sacrifices, spirituality | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Church — Getting Christ To Flow Out Of Ordinary Believers

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Steve Simms

If, as the New Testament says, Christ is living in believers, why don’t church services focus on how to get Christ to flow out of ordinary believers; rather than spending so much time and effort trying to get religious teachings … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, how to do church, new kind of church, New Testament, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, role of Christ in church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, ways of doing church | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

New Page Church = Purch/Participatory Church

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Steve Simms

Perhaps it is time for the 21st Century Western church to turn the page and flip through the Bible, stopping at the one place in the New Testament where we are told how to do church:  “When you come together, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Chinua Achebe, cleansing the temple, David James Duncan, Hillary Clinton, It takes a village, kingdom of God, narrow is the way, Nashville, Nashville church, New Testament, participatory church, participatory culture, simple church, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, the Western church, Things Fall Apart | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments