Category Archives: organic church

The Tim Tebow Denver/Pittsburg 3:16 Stats, Berry Street, & God

What do you do when you encounter incredible statistical improbabilities (wow, that’s 3 words with 14 syllables)?  1) Write them off as coincidence?  Or 2) Seriously ponder the mystery and awe behind them? For example, have you read or heard … Continue reading

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Catherine Booth, children of God, church, church history, conscience, Denver Broncos, East Nashville, evangelicals, freedom, God, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, history, Holy Spirit, impossible odds, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, John Berry McFerrin, miracles, movement, Music City, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, NFL, organic church, Parnassus Books, Playoffs, prayer, prayer walking, Quotations, Quotes, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, tebow, tebowing, tebowing.com, The Salvation Army, Tim Tebow, TV, Uncategorized, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, William Booth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

“Tebowing” Is Now An Official Word — What The Church Can Learn From Tim Tebow

Tebowing — What The Church Can Learn From Tim Tebow Denver Broncos’ quarterback, Tim Tebow, has had a remarkable season in 2011, leading his team to the NFL Playoffs by spearheading several amazing comebacks.  Tim, a sincere follower of Jesus … Continue reading

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, champions, Christ, Christianity, church, church structure, comedy, Creator, crying, Denver Broncos, East Nashville, English, evangelicals, football, God, Great Commission, Holy Spirit, hope, house church, humor, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, lifestyles, miracles, motivation, Music City, mysticism, Nashville, National Football League, NFL, organic church, Playoffs, popular culture, prayer, prayer walking, religion, simple church, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, sports, Super Bowl, tears, tebow, tebowing, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Tim Tebow, Uncategorized, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, words, WWJD? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Incarnation Is Not A Flower (But God With Us)

Incarnation is not a flower, but like a flower it is beautiful and glorious — the life of God animating physical matter.  Describing Jesus Christ, John the Beloved said:  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  God didn’t … Continue reading

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, church, church structure, East Nashville, glory, God, guidance, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John the Beloved, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, non-material reality, organic church, Paul of Tarsus, religion, revelation, simple church, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

My Top 12 Blogs For 2011

Here are links to my Top 12 Blogs For 2o11: #1)  Did Oprah Read My Book #2)  Who’s My #1 Greatest American?  William Lloyd Garrison #3)  Talk About Expensive Gas #4)  Where Did Sojourner Truth Get Her Name? #5)  Church … Continue reading

Posted in American, Americans, Bible, black history, champions, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, church, church history, church structure, history, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, Lord, morality, motivation, movement, mystery, mysticism, Occupy Wall Street, Oh my God, Oprah, organic church, popular culture, praise and worship, prayer, race, racism, religion, repent, self-help, sex, sex in marriage, simple church, sin, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, thinking, thoughts, Uncategorized, values, What is church?, words, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bringing In The New Year — Party Or Pray?

The most popular way to bring in the New Year is to party — to celebrate the mere passing of time  (a New Year is coming, the old one is passing away)  yahoo!  However, many people will admit that New … Continue reading

Posted in Christianity, church, courage, East Nashville, God, house church, hung over, Music City, New Year, New Years' Eve, organic church, party, popular culture, praise and worship, prayer, prayer walking, religion, simple church, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, support group, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, values, What is church?, worship | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Christmas Gift Most Commonly Left Unopened

Every year some Christmas gifts remain unopened.  They are lost and/or forgotten in the holiday hustle, buried under discarded wrapping paper, accidentally tossed with the trash. So what is the most commonly unopened Christmas gift?  You would think it would … Continue reading

Posted in alternative lifestyle, apologists, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, Christmas gifts, church, conversion, East Nashville, feelings, glory, God, guidance, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Jesus Take The Wheel, kingdom of God, lifestyles, meaning, miracles, movement, Music City, mystery, mysticism, non-material reality, organic church, proof of God, Reason For The Season, recovery, religion, repent, salvation, saved, Savior, simple church, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, support group, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, values, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 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 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Which Church Organizational Structure Is From God?

As far as I know, all the thousands of denominations and independent churches around the world claim that their organizational structure is from God.  (At least, I’ve never heard of a church saying:  “Our church’s organizational chart is man-made.”) Here … Continue reading

Posted in apostolic succession, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, CEO pastor, church, church structure, congregational, Nashville, organic church, Presbyterian, simple church, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Are Sermons Effective?

Have you ever tested the effectiveness of sermons? I did. I was a brand new pastor in my first church — Mayfield Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Mayfield, Kentucky. After finishing three years of seminary, I had been preaching for about … Continue reading

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christianity, church, Cumberland Presybterian Church, East Nashville, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, kingdom of God, lifestyles, movement, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, organic church, praise and worship, religion, sermons, simple church, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, supernatural, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, values, What is church?, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments