Category Archives: religious ceremonies

Characteristics Of Compromised Christianity

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Steve Simms

Christianity is a challenging faith — a heavenly vision, a high calling — beckoning men and women to live life at a higher level than that of merely satisfying their cravings, compulsions, and self-interest. However, rising above our baser nature … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, church, church history, church program, church programs, compromise, conformed, convenience, convert, corrupt culture, criticism, culture, disciples, discipline, followers of Christ, idealism, immaturity, insight, instant oatmeal, institution, intimidation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, minute rice, mission field, missional, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, race, racism, reformation, regulations, religious ceremonies, religious relic, religious tradition, rules, service, spiritual warfare | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Thanking God On Thanksgiving Day — 2012

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

Happy Thanksgiving 2102, everybody! (Let’s get started.) *Thank You, Lord for creating me and giving me life. Thank You for this beautiful world you have placed me in. (Sorry we humans have messed it up so much.) Thank You for … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, celebrations, church, comfort, community, compassion, confession of sin, conviction of sin, corps, creation, devotion, freedom, gift of God, God, God calling, God's protection, godly sorrow, guidance, happiness, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, human life, human nature, humility, inner peace, intellect, invisible, inward change, joy, kindness, life, Lord, love, meaning, mind, miracles, move of God, movement, mysticism, Nashville, non-traditional church, opportunity, organic church, participatory church, prayer, prayer without ceasing, presence of Christ, presence of God, purpose, recovery, relevation, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revival, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, sin, spirit, Spirit-filled, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual warfare, surrender, surrender to God, thanksgiving, thinking, thoughts, truth, voice of God | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Write Your Wrongs & Move On In Peace (A Message Of The Christmas Season)

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

We are about to enter the Christmas season; known by retailers (and shoppers) as the make or break Christmas shopping season that begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.  So what’s the real reason for the season?  God’s love … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian values, Christmas carols, Christmas gifts, Christmas traditions, confession, confession of sin, conscience, conviction, conviction of sin, creativity, deliverance, followers of Christ, forgiveness, freedom, guilt, hdden sin, holiday, holidays, inner peace, insight, inspiration, integrity, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, live to please God, makes change, moral failures, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, Nashville, naughty, opportunity, peace, peacemaking, prayer, presence of Christ, purpose, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revelation, right and wrong, right conduct, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sin, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, surrender to God, Unconditional, unforgiveness, values | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Can What You Know Prevent You From Learning?

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Millions of Europeans knew that the world was flat.  They had no desire to sail off of the edge of the world.  So ships sailed close to shore and no one learned that there was a new world across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic Ocean, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, Christopher Columbus, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church structure, Claude Bernard, Columbus, courage, creativity, decision-making, denominations, do church, Europeans, Ferdinand and Isabella, followers of Christ, guidance, history, inspiration, religious ceremonies, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, Spain, the Americas, voyage of discovery | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Imagine If Church Had More And Less

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Steve Simms

What if would happen if church had . . . More of the Spiritual Guide speaking inside of everybody present and less of the one man sage on the stage?  (1 John 2:27) More prayer, less pride?  (2 Chronicles 7:14) … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, 1 John 1:9, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, brokenness, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, Chronicles, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, confession of sin, East Nashville, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, God's authority, God's government, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, improv, improvisation, inward change, Isaiah, John, keeping it together, lifestyle Christianity, Matthew, moral failures, Music City, non-church, non-traditional church, participatory church, prayer, pride, religion, religious ceremonies, repentance, sage on the stage, self-focus, simple church, societal, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, Tennessee, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

How To Bring Back The Glory Days Of The Salvation Army

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Steve Simms

5 Keys To Bringing Back The Glory Days Of The Salvation Army 1) Get back to the streets. (Prayer walking with the Blood & Fire flag is a great, non-threatening way to do that.) 2) Get back to bold, public … Continue reading →

Posted in Blood and Fire, blood of Jesus, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian flag, Christian history, Christian organizations, Christian values, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church structure, glory, glory days, Holy Spirit, joy, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, Nashville projects, open airs, open church, openairs, order of worship, organic church, organization, outreach ministry, outside the box, participatory church, people of God, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, preaching, Protestant, recovery, relevation, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revelation, revival, revolution, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual walk, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Following The Holy Spirit To Where You Don’t Want To Go

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Steve Simms

Who wants to go where you don’t want to go?  Jesus told His disciple Peter, that Peter would be led “where you do not want to go.” (John 21:18)  Are you willing to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, brokenness, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, comfort, comfort zone, conviction of sin, crucified with Christ, deny yourself, devotion, disapproval, discomfort, faith, faith-based, followers of Christ, friendship, gifts of the Spirit, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, house church, humility, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 21:18, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, loneliness, move of God, movement, non-church, Peter, preference, presence of Christ, presence of God, priesthood of the believer, Protestant, rejection, religion, religious ceremonies, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, self-denial, selfish desires, simple church, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, spiritual warfare, surrender to God, testimony, uncomfortable, where you do not want to go | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Perhaps It’s Time To Cry Out To God

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Steve Simms

Cry Out Nashville was a prophetic event held in Cumberland Park, overlooking downtown Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, September 15, 2012. Christ-followers gathered to worship God and to cry out for spiritual awakening and revival.  God is wanting believers in Nashville … Continue reading →

Posted in adoration, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, contemporary, Cry Out Nashville, Cumberland Park, evangelism, evangelistic meetings, followers, followers of Christ, house church, improv, improvisation, interactive, intercession, interdenominational, kingdom of God, missional, Music City, Nashville, non-church, non-traditional church, open church, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, praise and worship, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, relational church, religion, religious ceremonies, repent, repentance, revival, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, wake up, wake-up call | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Should We Settle For Sunday Morning Mediocrity?

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Steve Simms

For generations people in the Western world have settled for church as usual — Sunday morning mediocrity (SMM).  However, this has not always been the case. For the First Century believers, church was anything but mediocre.  Gathering with other followers … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, biblical, Biblical concept, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christian organizations, Christian values, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, community, conviction of sin, East Nashville, ekklesia, evangelistic meetings, faith-based, filled with the Spirit, followers of Christ, gifts of the Spirit, house church, improv, improvisation, interactive, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, Nashville, non-church, normal Christianity, order of worship, participatory church, post-Christianity, religious ceremonies, service, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The Awesome Power Of Spiritual Interaction

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

*  One of the most powerful tools for personal transformation is spiritual interaction, openly sharing your faith, spiritual experiences, struggles, and concerns with others in a loving and compassionate environment.  (I have personally seen spiritual interaction produce life-changing results both … Continue reading →

Posted in AA, addiction, addictions, Alcoholics Anonymous, Berry Street, Christ followers, Christian, Christian history, Christian values, church, church history, church meetings, church programs, church roles, early church, His story, history, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, inspiration, Methodist class meeting, Methodists, missional, move of God, movement, NA, Narcotics Anonymous, Nashville, Neil Cole, non-church movement, open church, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, pentecostals, Quakers, religious ceremonies, Revelation 12:11, revival, sermon, sermons, simple church, sobriety, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, support group, the 12 Steps, The Salvation Army, the Walk to Emmaus, tradition, Tres Dias, unprogrammed church, When you come together | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments