Category Archives: pastor

Not a perfect church but a perfect Shepherd

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Steve Simms

I follow an unseen leader, the perfect Shepherd. Although He’s invisible, He guides me from within. Grazing on the unseen glory of God flowing from within me I begin to gaze on His beauty and to taste and see that … Continue reading →

Posted in Chief Shepherd, controlling pastors, pastor, pastoring, shepherds | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My appreciation of “Pastor Appreciation Month”

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Steve Simms

True pastor appreciationBrings us to the realizationThat to pastorIs to facilitate demonstrationsOf the presence, power, and loveOf the risen Jesus,Not just to give talks about Him. October is Pastor Appreciation Month. It’s a great time for you to appreciate the … Continue reading →

Posted in pastor, Pastor Appreciation Day, Pastor Appreciation Month, pastor-teachers, pastoring, purpose of a pastor | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If you feel the need to go through a minister to get to God, you’ve missed the good news of what Jesus did.

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Steve Simms
Posted in CEO pastor, controlling pastors, everyday minister, faith-based, Gospel, Jesus Senior Pastor, living out the Gospel, ministers, pastor, pastoring, priesthood of the believer, royal priesthood, Senior Pastors, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, TV ministers, Uncategorized, universal priesthood | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

When sermon-hearers aren’t allowed to make a peep, they easily fall asleep

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Steve Simms

When people fall asleep in church, instead of asking what church is doing to bore people, we make jokes about it. Church too often gives people this message: “If you don’t like the Sunday morning rap, you can always take … Continue reading →

Posted in awake you that sleep, challenge to pastors, congregations, controlling pastors, First Great Awakening, frozen, getting enough sleep, great awakening, insomnia, long-winded sermon, pastor, pastor dependency, rap, rapper, rapping, sermon material, sermon topics, sermons, sleep disorder, sleep epidemic, sleep number bed, spiritual awakening, Uncategorized, wake up, wake-up call, We must wake our selves up | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spiritual paraplegics & pastor dependency

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Steve Simms

Instead of training and releasing people to follow and obey the living Jesus, churches tend to make people spiritual paraplegics. Perhaps sitting passively in church isn’t the kind of exercise that builds spiritual muscle. When people are made spiritually dependent on a … Continue reading →

Posted in call to ministry, growing in grace, Let go and let God, ministry, one man ministry, pastor, pastoring, pastors, pulpit ministry, purpose of a pastor, Sunday morning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to deal with controlling, self-promoting Christian leaders

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Steve Simms

There have always been controlling and self-promoting Christian leaders, who want to be top dog, even in the first century. But how are Christ followers supposed to deal with them? John (the disciple Jesus loved) gives us an example in … Continue reading →

Posted in CEO, CEO pastor, control, control in church, controlling pastors, Head of the church, Jesus CEO, Jesus is the Head, pastor, the disciple Jesus loved, Uncategorized, World English Bible | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Christ-seminar or Christ-encounter?

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Steve Simms

Let’s trade Sunday morning Christ-seminars for Christ-encounters. Why should we meet for a weekly Christ-seminar when we can meet to encounter Christ through one another? This is described in 1 Corinthians 14:26. When a person in a pulpit replaces the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, CEO pastor, Christian conferences, church format, church services, church structure, house church, organic chruch, pastor, pastoring, preaching, seminars, simple church, Spirit-led, Spirit-led church, traditional church, Uncategorized, When you come together | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Soccer church? Or American football church?

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Steve Simms

  American football style church = the quarterback (pastor) is responsible for getting the ball (the Gospel) to others. Soccer style church = any player can move the ball and/or pass it to others.

Posted in church community, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, interactive church, interactive learning, interactive sermons, interactivity, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, participatory sermons, pastor, quarterback, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Question/Answer About Participatory/Organic Church (from a Salvation Army officer)

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Steve Simms

Question:  I recently received this question from Bronwyn Barkmever, a Salvation Army officer in Australia on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NashvilleBerryStreet): “We are embarking upon an adventure of ‘out of the box’ worship and want to take this opportunity to explore different … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Canada, heart, heart-felt, lay testimonies, laying on hands, participation, participation in church, participatory church, pastor, Q&A, questions, questions and answers, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, salvation, simple church, Speak Lord, speak the truth in love, testimonies, testimonies in church, testimony, Toronto, Whatever He says to you | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

March Madness Style Excitement In Church

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Steve Simms

March Madness boring?   If basketball officials acted like pastors; personally planned and programmed each play, prompted those present when to stand and when to sit, and then presented a 30 minute talk; March Madness would be boring. I’m glad that … Continue reading →

Posted in basketball officials, basketball players, basketball plyaers, boredom, church format, church leadership, church services, clergy, clergy/laity, coaches, Jesus, Jesus Christ, ministers, Nashville, Nashville church, officials, officiating, organic church, pastor, preacher, priest, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments