Category Archives: quote

Discovery Church — Continually Discovering God & His Ways

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Steve Simms

Perhaps church should create a discovery environment, where people make ongoing discoveries about God, themselves, other people, love, joy, and truth.  Maybe we should move beyond precise explanations by an expert that take away our desire for discovery. Church is … Continue reading →

Posted in Arthur Schopenhauer, church program, church programs, church services, Daniel J. Boorstin, discovery group, Henri Poincare, Intuition, Jerry Trousdale, Miraculous Movements, quotation, Quotations, quote, spiritual church, spiritual discovery, spiritual formation, Tom Shadyac | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rigid Intellectualism Is The Demise Of Spirituality

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Steve Simms

Rigid intellectualism is the demise of spirituality.  You can’t intellectualize spiritual life. When analyzed and categorized and neatly filed in the back of the brain, spiritual life dies on the vine. Spiritual life freely flows from God through humble human … Continue reading →

Posted in analysis, Harry Blamires, heart, heart care, heart connection, heart of worship, Heaven, Hell, Howard H. Brinton, mind, quotation, quote, Quotes, rationalism, rigid intellectualism, Samuel Tuke, secularists, spirit, Spirit of Truth, Spirit's flow, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual life, theology | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Early Puritans Practiced Participatory Church

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Steve Simms

Reading a book this morning that I “randomly” found at McKay Books Nashville, I discovered that the early Puritans believed in participatory church. How exciting! “In the conduct of worship the Separatists (early Puritans) stressed spontaneity. Following the regular sermon, … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, British history, Christianity, church history, Edmund S. Morgan, English, English history, history, liturgies, McKay Books, Nashville, Nashville church, participatory church, prayer, prayers, praying, prophesying, Puritan ideas, quotation, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, sermon-hearing, sermons, speech making, speeches, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Visible Saints | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Multivoiced Church — A Spiritual Sprinkler System

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Steve Simms

Perhaps a church service is like a sprinkler system on a golf course in Arizona. If only one sprinkler works and all the rest are shut down, almost all the grass dries up and withers. However, if every sprinkler shares … Continue reading →

Posted in active participants, Arizona, Berry Street, Building a Multivoiced Church, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, church programs, church services, community, discipleship, golf, golf course, living water, multi-voiced church, Nashville, Nashville church, Nashville news, organic church, participants, participatory church, quotation, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, Sian Williams, simple church, sprinkler system, Tennessee, The Power of All, The Salvation Army, voices | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

If you agree with the Bible that some human behaviors are morally wrong, it doesn’t mean that you “hate” or mistreat people who do those behaviors.

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Steve Simms

After I posted the title of this post as a complete post, a book by Leonard Ravenhill that I started reading more than a year ago, but never finished, caught my eye. I felt a Spirit-prompting: “Pick it up, there … Continue reading →

Posted in bacteria, Bible, chemistry, forgiveness, Ganges River, germs, guilt, judging, judgment, judgments, moral failure, moral failures, moral foundations, moral judgment, moral laws, quotation, Quotations, quote, religion, right and wrong, right conduct, right from wrong, right living, self-will, sin, sinner, sinning, sins, values | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Biblical Christianity / Following Christ

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Steve Simms

Following the living, resurrected Jesus Christ (biblical Christianity / Jesus’ command to: “Follow Me.”) is about: Self-surrender, not self-assertion; Self-control, not self-fulfillment; Self-denial, not self-righteousness; Self-restraint, not self-indulgence; Self-discipline, not self-destruction; Self-sacrifice, not self-importance; Self-effacement, not self-promotion; Self-regulation, not self-interest; … Continue reading →

Posted in biblical Christianity, Christ followers, cross, deny yourself, Follow Me., Jesus, Jesus Christ, quotation, quote, Quotes, Real Christianity, self-asscertion, self-assertion, self-control, self-denial, self-destruction, self-discipline, self-effacement, self-esteem, self-focus, self-fulfillment, self-help, self-image, self-importance, self-indulgence, self-interest, self-justification, self-mastery, self-promotion, self-regulation, self-respect, self-restraint, self-righteousness, self-sacrifice, self-surrender, selfish desires, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spiritual walk, take up your cross | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

See The Holy Spirit Work A Room!

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Steve Simms

The Holy Spirit can work a room, moving from person to person, lighting faces and enlightening hearts and minds.  That’s what He wants to do when we Christians gather for worship.  All we have to do is loosen up our … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, church history, church meetings, Hell, Holy Spirit, how to, how to work a room, Nashville, not called did you say?, organic church, Protestant Reformation, Quench not the Spirit, Quotations, quote, Quotes, revival, sinner, sins, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual awakening, spiritual fire, spiritual movement, The Salvation Army, work a room | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Church — Spiritual Training Camp? Or Spectator Religion?

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Steve Simms

Like an NFL Training Camp, church should be hands-on training — not passive lecture. Through rigorous involvement and interaction, church should train believers in the spiritual skills and attitudes necessary to make a powerful, victorious, and godly impact in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bishop Charles H. Mason, COGIC, dodge ball, game of life, God, God calling, God experiment, God is truly among you, God with us, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, lecture, NFL, organic church, Paul of Tarsus, prompting of the Spirit, quotation, quote, Quotes, science, science lab, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-prompted, spiritual athletes, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, Train yourself unto godliness., training camp, voice of God | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The “I’ll Fight” Black Hoodie

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Steve Simms

As a white guy passing out flyers in a black neighborhood (Nashville’s McFerrin Park Neighborhood that has been known for drugs and violence) after the verdict of the George Zimmerman trial, I thought about Trayvon Martin.  As I put flyers … Continue reading →

Posted in Blood and Fire, Christian rap, drugs, hungry children, I'll fight!, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville events, Nashville streets, prison, prisons, quotation, Quotations, quote, Quotes, racial reconciliation, racism, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Crest, spiritual warfare, streets, trial, Viktory, violence, violence in society, violent streak, While women weep, William Booth | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Think Outside The Sermon — Sermon-Free Church Quotations

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Steve Simms

“One filled with joy preaches without preaching.”  –Mother Teresa “Had Saul (who became Apostle Paul) met only a preacher and heard only a sermon, he might never have been heard of again. But Saul met Christ and heard His Voice.”  … Continue reading →

Posted in Adam Weishaupt, Apostle Paul, Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, Christianity, Daphne D.C. Pochin Mould, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Duane Dewel, Edgar A. Guest, encounter with God, George F. Pentecost, God, Harvey Cox, joy, lecture, Leonard Ravenhill, ministers, ministry, Mother Teresa, obedience, order of worship, organic church, Paul of Tarsus, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, public speaking, pulpit, quotation, quote, Quotes, Saul of Tarsus, see a sermon, sermon, sermon series, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, Sinclair Lewis, truth | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments