Category Archives: Protestant

Church without community is like spaghetti without sauce.

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Steve Simms

Church without community is like spaghetti without sauce. Church without unity is like unconnected chain links. You can’t organize or hype-up genuine Christian unity. It comes through surrendering our agendas to the Holy Spirit. If church meets around a prearranged program, … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic, dishonesty, encouragement, honesty, Jesus, LEGOs, Orthodox, Protestant, saints, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reformers wanted:

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Steve Simms

Reformers wanted: Learn more about the Greek New Testament concept of ekklesia at http://amzn.to/2lSpYsF. Could a church where only 1 person speaks be like a choir where only 1 person sings? Perhaps a meeting of the body of Christ, like a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 95 theses, Anabaptists, Calvin, choir, Free Gas, John Calvin, leaders of the Reformation, Meno Simons, October 31, Protestant, Protestant Reformers, radical reformation, reform movements, reformation, Reformation Day, Reformers, the Reformers, Ulrich Zwingli, Uncategorized, Wittenberg Door | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sermons have been greatly used by God

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Steve Simms

The Protestant Reformation (which began in 1517, back in the day when the priest was the smartest person in town) made some very effective changes in the way church was done. Those changes helped to create a spiritual revolution and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1517, 500th anniversary, 95 theses, Catholic Church, Catholic mass, Catholicism, changes in worship, Christian education, church altar, denominations, Eucharist, hermeneutics, homily, illiteracy, liturgical churches, liturgy, non-liturgical, printing press, Protestant, Protestant Reformers, pulpit, pulpit ministry, Roman Catholic, sermons, the Western church, theology, types of worship, Uncategorized, Western Christianity, Western Europe, worship, worship service, worship styles, worship wars | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You Lost In A Lonely Crowd

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Steve Simms

We don’t have to be lost in a lonely crowd — feeling alienated and alone! In this crowded world, we can experience heart-to-heart unity with other people. One could make the claim that a ball of yarn is an example of unity. … Continue reading →

Posted in bearing with one another in love, Catholic, church, come together, ekklesia, Ephesians, knit together, lonely crowd, lost in a crowd, Nashville, Orthodox, Paul of Tarsus, Protestant, Quotes, Salvation Army, the bond of peace | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Alive to be a difference-maker — called to be a saint! (Answering life’s call to all, yall!)

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Steve Simms

Life is a call to all, yall!  When God gave you life, He called you (yes, you — the person reading this)! We often think of a calling in life as something super special that other people get (the talented, the important, … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic, church history, holiness, Making a difference, Nashville, organic church, Protestant, Reformers, Salvation Army, sanctification, What is a saint | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

1 Man Can’t Reflect The Body Of Christ — It Takes A Village

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Steve Simms

1 man can’t reflect the body of Christ.  That takes a village. Christ-followers are puzzle pieces, each picturing a particular part of Christ. When a group gathers and each person present is allowed to openly participate and share his/her part, … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, Head of the church, participatory church, Protestant, Protestant Reformation, Team Church, telling their stories, testifying, the pope, the Western church, think outside the bun, types of church, unprogrammed church, unscripted church, ways of doing church, Western Christianity, Western religion, Western society, What is the true church?, why go to church, worship, worship service, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Beyond Spectatorship To Discipleship

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Steve Simms

Every Christ-follower is called to preach. Every believer is a minister ordained by God. The clergy/laity concept is not in the New Testament. Instead all believers are expected to minister to one another, to openly testify about their faith, and … Continue reading →

Posted in André Cox, called to preach, calling, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, layman, laymen, laymen preaching, laywomen, ministers, ministry, ordaination, ordained, priest, priesthood of the believer, Protestant, Protestant Reformation, quotation, Quotations, quote, salvation war, universal priesthood | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Right Way To Have Church

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Steve Simms

Is there only one, correct way of doing church?  Sometimes it seems so. For five hundred years there has basically been only one, right way of doing church. Regardless of denomination or doctrine, church has almost universally contained a central, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 Corinthians:14, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, church history, communion, denominations, doctrine, doctrines, Fresh Expressions movement, homiletics, homily, house church, Lord's supper, Martyn Atkins, Methodism, Methodist church, open church, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, Protestant, pulpit, pulpit ministry, sacrament, sacraments, sermon-hearing, sermons, the right way to do church, UK, ways of doing church, worship, worship gathering, worship service | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holy Spirit Surfing–A Fresh Wave Of Churching

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Steve Simms

Holy Spirit surfing is a fresh, creative way of doing church — an innovative style of churching.  However, it’s not new — it was written about in the New Testament (see 1 Corinthians 14:26) and was the common practice of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, church format, church meetings, church program, church roles, church structure, churching, contemporary churches, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, hearing God, hearing Jesus, liturgical churches, morphed, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, new wave, non-liturgical, participatory church, praise and worship, presence of Christ, presence of God, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, Protestant, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religion, religious innovation, Spirit surfing, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual waves, The Salvation Army, wave of the Spirit | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

12/12/12 — 12 Out Of The Box Thoughts About Church

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Steve Simms

Here are 12 out-of-the-box thoughts about church on 12/12/12. 1)  Church is not God in a noose, but God on the loose! 2)  Church is not spectators sitting, but believers battling the forces of darkness! 3)  Church is not a … Continue reading →

Posted in agenda, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christian community, church meetings, church program, church programs, creeds, denominations, do church, early church, followers of Christ, freedom, furnace, gifts of the Spirit, God on the loose, godly sorrow, guide, hype, ice maker, idealism, improv, improvisation, inner coach, lecture, message, miracles, moral failure, move of God, movement, non-church, people of God, power, powerhouse, preaching, Protestant, repent, repentance, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, seduction, sermon, sermons, service, shocking statements, sin, soul food, speaking out, spectators, Spirit-led, spiritual fire, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spiritual warfare, still small voice, submission, supernatural, surrender, surrender to God, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, theology, thoughts, tradition, two or more, Western religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment