Category Archives: popular culture

The separation of church and hate

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Steve Simms

The separation of church and hate (and/or political-correctness-warriors and hate) requires speaking the truth in love.  Hate is not based on truth. It is built on deception, denial, disappointment, dishonesty, misunderstanding, pride, prejudice, anger, hurt, impulse, irrationality, and/or insecurity. Speaking … Continue reading →

Posted in anger, compassion, contemporary culture, deception, denial, dishonesty, emotional honesty, hate, hate speech, hater, healing life's hurts, heart-felt love, honesty, hurt, hurt by church, intervention, Jesus, kindness, love, manipulation, name calling, overcoming hate, political dysfunction, popular culture, prejudice, pride, reconciliation, religion, self-assertion, truth will set you free, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

ASPIRIN advice for living in a heart attack culture

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Steve Simms

We live in a heart attack society. Our culture is consumed with concepts, communications, cravings, and compulsions that continually attack our heart, conspiring to capture and control our conscience. We are surrounded by heart-damaging words, images, thoughts, and feelings. To protect our heart … Continue reading →

Posted in acrostic, alarms, aspirin regimin, conscience, daily aspirin, happiness, hope, media, optimism, popular culture, positive thinking, proverbs, self-control | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Guilty Pleasures?

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Steve Simms

Is the phrase “guilty pleasures” an oxymoron? Here are some thoughts about guilt: To do wrong and feel entitled to have no guilt is like burning your hand and feeling entitled to have no pain. Guilt and pain are danger … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, condemnation, conscience, consequences, everyone who sins is a slave, feelings, freedom, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, Lord have mercy, oxymoron, popular culture, Quotes, repentance, sinners | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Conformed to the culture or transformed by Christ?

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Steve Simms

In our falsifying world there are many popular ideas that are deceptive, destructive, or depressive. Be careful what you take in! “Someone once said that if you don’t control your perception, you’ll live the rest of your life at the … Continue reading →

Posted in be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Let the redeemed of the Lord, Matthew 18:20, organic church, perception, Phil Cooke, popular culture, Psalm 107:2, Quotations, Romans 12, Salvation Army, shout it from the housetops, support group, the stones will cry out, two or three in My name | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Realty TV / Reality Church . . .

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Steve Simms

Reality church? We have reality TV that features ordinary people. So, why not reality church, where everyday people show and tell why God has done? When church is scripted, the freedom to flow in the Spirit is restricted to the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Andy Chamberlain, C. Wess Daniels, Constance M. Cherry, experiential worship, Fuller Seminary, Music City, Nashville, new kind of church, New Testament, open church, open mike, open sharing, order of worship, participation, participation in church, participatory culture, participatory sermons, passivity, pastor, popular culture, quotation, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Ryan Bolger, Ryan Flanigan, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, television, TV, TV network, William Willimon, worship, worship center, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Good God? A Good Government?

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Steve Simms

People sometimes ask: “How can a good God judge and punish people? That’s like asking: “How can a good country have law enforcement, judges, and prisons?” George Scott Railton, an early leader of The Salvation Army, wrote:  “A soul not … Continue reading →

Posted in demons, destructive actions, devil, devils, evil, evil entities, evil spirits, juddgment, judge, judges, judging, judgment, judgments, justice, law enforcement, popular culture, popular opinion, prisons, punishment, Quotations, quote, Quotes | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Message Of Obama’s Inaugural Bibles

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Steve Simms

President Barack Obama took the oath of office for his second term on a stack (of two) Bibles — Lincoln’s Bible and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s traveling Bible.  So what would Lincoln and King have to say about that? “In … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century, Alveda King, America, American, American history, and, atheism, Atheists, Barack Obama, Bible reading, biblical, Biblical concept, black history, Christian, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, church, church history, civil religion, Dr. King sermon, family values, God, God's authority, inaugural Bibles, Martin Luther King's niece, moral foundations, moral laws, moral restraints, morality, oath of office, political correctness, political dysfunction, political issue, political views, politicized, politics, politics and religion, popular culture, popular opinion, post-Christianity, prayer, praying, preaching, President, quote, Quotes, revolting against God, right and wrong, right conduct, right from wrong, Ten Commandments, the eleventh commandment, values, White House, word of God, you shall reap what you sow | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Cat In The Hat Shares The Rap On His Cap

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Steve Simms

Yo! Let’s go, We gotta show A better way to pray Than sittin’ in pews Hearin’ preacha views. We got da great news! Let everybody share A prayer or a care. Take da flag Out of da bag; Blood & … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative lifestyle, belief, blood of Jesus, burning heart, celebration, change, change agent, Christ, Christ followers, Christian flag, Christian rap, Christian values, contagion, countercultural, creativity, culture, environment, evangelism, faith-based, filled with the Spirit, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, flag, floods, free spirit, holiness, holy, improv, insight, inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, move of God, music, organic church, popular culture, prayer, praying, preaching, rapping, revival, sermons, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual fire, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, testimonies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What You “Like” Says What Kind Of Person You Are

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Steve Simms

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart” and the things I like on Facebook “be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord.”

Posted in Christian values, Christianity, compromise, compromised, conviction, conviction of sin, meaning, media, media circus, popular culture, positive thinking, post-Christianity, thoughts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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