Category Archives: sermons

The Phantom Commandment Challenge — Church Without A 1-Man Sermon?

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Steve Simms

— The Phantom Commandment Challenge — The Phantom Commandment says: “Church shall contain a one-man sermon.” However, I can’t find it anywhere in the Bible.  Can you find the Phantom Commandment (or any statement that resembles it) in the Bible? It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Jonathan Hutton, Leonard Sweet, Meeting for Worship, ministers, ministry, one-man sermon, phantom, Quotations, Richmond P. Miller, Ryan Bolger, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, silence, silent worship, simple church, Thom Schultz | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Themes For Special Sundays

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Steve Simms

Some Creative Church-Themes For Special Sundays * Sermon Quiz Sunday (a quiz on the past 5 sermons). * Scripture Sunday (everybody shares a favorite Bible verse). * Physical Healing Sunday (people pray over each other to be healed). * Confession … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Divine healing, foot washing, Nashville church, Nashville events, organic church, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, Send the fire, sermon quiz, sermons, simple church, Tennessee, testifying, testimonies | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is it possible that there are much more effective ways for the church to preach and teach than one-man, weekly lecturing or sermonizing?

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Steve Simms
Posted in church sermons, interactive, interactive church, interactive learning, interactive sermons, lecture, lecture series, motivational sermons, nontraditional preaching, public speaking, pulpit ministry, Q&A, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, spectators, speech making, speeches | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Quotes & Notes on Spirit-Prompted Church Meetings

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Steve Simms

Hear God where you are.  Follow Him to where He is.  D.L. Moody said:  “The preaching that this world needs most is the sermons in shoes that are walking with Jesus Christ.” Within every person is a spiritual cell phone … Continue reading →

Posted in Azusa Street, Bob Kuhn, C.H. Mackintosh, church services, church structure, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, D.L. Moody, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, G. Campbell Morgan, Nashville, Nashville church, ordaination, ordained, order of worship, organic church, out of the box, outpouring of the Spirit, participation in church, participatory church, preaching, priesthood of the believer, religion, ringtone, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army Nashville, sermon-hearing, sermons, Tennessee, The Apostolic Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 3 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

Worship Wars — Make Room For Sermon-Free Church

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Steve Simms

Is There Room For Sermon-Free Church?  (Of course there is.) Worship wars, a popular name for disagreements in church about how to conduct the Sunday service, have been going on for years. But there is no need to argue. There … Continue reading →

Posted in answer to worship wars, Ben Franklin, contemporary vs. traditional, do away with the sermon, Kierkegaard, Layman's Prayer Revival, Laymen's prayer revival, laymen's prayer revival of 1857, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Methodists, preacher, preaching, Søren Kierkegaard, see a sermon, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, sharing | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Søren Kierkegaard Promoted Sermon-Free, Participatory Church

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Steve Simms

Søren Kierkegaard Promoted Sermon-Free, Participatory Church “Christianity should not be lectured about. Christ says, my teaching is food. Christ has not appointed assistant-professors — but followers.” –Søren Kierkegaard “The greatest possible error arises when we reduce the clergy to teachers. … Continue reading →

Posted in acting, Christian community, church format, church meetings, church programs, church services, clergy, clergy/laity, clericalism, doctrine, dogma, eloquence, lecture, life, lifestyle Christianity, non-traditional church, nonconforming, obedience, open church, oratory, order of worship, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, preach without words, preacher, preaching, professors, quotation, quote, Quotes, reasoning, religion, religious academics, religious tradition, Søren Kierkegaard, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, simple church, teaching, witnesses | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

1 Speaking to All? Or All Speaking To All?

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Steve Simms

Church is when a group of believers gathers together around the living, resurrected Jesus Christ and focuses their attention on listening to His voice and doing whatever He tells them to do. Church is when the living Christ, in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian community, church leadership, church programs, church services, church speakers, clergy/laity, community, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, how to do church, laity, laymen, laywomen, participation, participation in church, participatory church, participatory sermons, praying community, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, priesthood of the believer, sermons, simple church, speaking, speaking out, voice of God, What is church?, When you come together, where two or three in My name, why go to church, worship, worship service | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Pope Francis & Participatory Church

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Steve Simms

Pope Francis has made several statements that indicate that he wants church meetings to be more than passively listening to sermons. We need to allow the living, resurrected Jesus to come out in church meetings and use ordinary people. Pope … Continue reading →

Posted in Bergoglio, Bergogolio, Chris Lowney, clergy, clericalism, dialogue, God's surprises, Jesuit Pope, Jesuits, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Nashville, organic church, Quotations, quote, Quotes, Roman Catholic, Rome, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermons, simple church, Tennessean, witness, witnesses | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

“God talks” or “God talks”? (“Talks” as a noun or as a verb?)

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Steve Simms

What if Jesus intended church to be a community of loving believers, instead of a series of weekly lectures?  What if instead of listening to a man’s sermonic God talks, church was originally designed by Jesus for you to listen … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, God talks, grammar, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, listening, listening prayer, listening skills, listening to God, organic church, praise and worship, religion, religious innovation, religious talks, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, sermon, sermon-hearing, sermons, simple church, Tennessee, The Voice, understanding nouns, verbs, voice of God, worship, worship center, worship gathering, worship service, worship styles | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment