Category Archives: Salvationists

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

Church is doing daring deeds; not contentment with comfortable creeds.

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Steve Simms

Church is Christ indwelling, not institutional selling — His holy Presence, not human hype. Church is not laid back religion; but dynamic interaction with the living God! Come and do daring deeds with us As we come together in Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christ, Christian, Christian community, church, church meetings, church program, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, spiritual athletes, spiritual disciplines, spiritual skills | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Religion Is Ritual — Faith Is Fire (How John Wesley Caught On Fire For God))

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Religion is routine ritual, faith is flaming fire.  “I set myself on fire, and people come to see me burn.”  –John Wesley The fire that burned in John Wesley sparked the Holiness Movement that changed nations and led to many … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, change, Christ, Christianity, conversion, convert, conviction, denominations, doubts, England, English, evil, faith, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, fuel, God, godliness, having a form of godliness, hearing God, hearing Jesus, holy, I set myself on fire, inner peace, inner rivers, intimacy, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, Methodist class meeting, Methodist revivalists, Methodists, Nazarene, pentecostals, recovery, red hot, relevation, religious ceremonies, religious tradition, repentance, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, saved, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Optimize Your Faith With Participatory Church

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Steve Simms

Faith can be enhanced or it can be diminished.  It is the responsibility of each individual to cultivate, nourish, and grow her/his faith or to allow it to wither away and possibly die.  Jesus illustrated this principle in the Parable … Continue reading →

Posted in AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, corps, encouragement, faith, faith-based, followers of Christ, freedom, honesty, Houston, improv, improvisation, insight, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, mysticism, Nashville, New Testament, organic church, participatory church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, spiritual athletes, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual interaction, spiritual training, spiritual warfare, testimonies, testimony | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 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

Participatory, Organic Church Ideas From Salvation Army Leaders

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Steve Simms

“There is a danger of the old clergy and laity idea creeping in amongst us. The common church idea is that of a minister doing all the fighting and feeding, while his congregation does all the looking on and swallowing. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, church, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church structure, Edward Higgins, Frederick Booth-Tucker, Phil Needham, quote, Quotes, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

What Would William Booth Say Today? (WWWBST?)

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

William Booth was the founder of The Salvation Army.  He was a man with a passionate love for God and a deep love for humanity.  He died 100 years ago this year.  What would William Booth say to us today … Continue reading →

Posted in authority, Bible type revival, Biblical concept, Christ, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian flag, Christian history, Christian organizations, combat, deliverance, devotion, die to self, disciple making, disciples, discipline, discipling, England, faith, faith-based, fear, feelings, fight the good fight of faith, flag, followers, followers of Christ, freedom, glory, glory days, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart-felt love, heroes, history, inner city, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, ministry, miracles, missional, modeling, moral failures, moral principles, move of God, movement, mysticism, normal Christianity, obedience, open airs, openairs, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, praying, quote, Quotes, red hot, relevation, religion, right and wrong, right conduct, right living, righteousness, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, seduction, self-control, self-denial, self-destruction, self-discipline, self-focus, sex, soul, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual walk, surrender, surrender to God, temptation, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag | Tagged , , , , , | 13 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

All Saints’ Day (November 1) — Celebrating The Jesus Team!

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Steve Simms

November 1 is All Saints’ Day.  It’s a day set aside to celebrate The Jesus Team. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches have reserved the name, saint, for men and women who gained great victory over spiritual enemies and consistently … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, anxious thoughts, athletes, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, biblical, Biblical concept, call to preach, canonization of saints, Christ followers, Christ-centered, Christian community, Christian organizations, church, corrupt culture, denominations, East Nashville, evil, faith-based, followers of Christ, house church, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, ministry, missional, movement, New Testament, recovery, religion, sainthood, saints, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, self-will, simple church, spirit, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual athletes, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, Team Jesus, The Jesus Team | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What Will It Take For A Bible Type Revival To Happen In America?

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Steve Simms

At The Salvation Army Berry Street last Sunday we passed out paper and pens and had everybody who was willing to write out a question for God and then to listen to God for His answer to their question. Then … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, American, American church, American history, Americans, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible type revival, Christ followers, Christian, Christian community, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church meetings, church programs, conviction of sin, devotion, die to self, disaster, disasters, disciple making, disciples, discipline, guidance, guide, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, inspiration, institution, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, meaninglessness, message, movement, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, normal Christianity, participatory church, praise and worship, relevation, religion, repent, repentance, revolution, rivers of living water, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, society, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments