Category Archives: spiritual formation

Learning Bible Info vs. Releasing God’s Inner Flow

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Steve Simms

The contemporary church wants people to know Bible info. God wants people to grow by releasing His inner flow. Spiritual maturity will grow only from God’s inner flow.  It’s not produced by the Bible lessons you know. People aren’t changed … Continue reading →

Posted in contemporary church, go with the flow, inner coach, inner rivers, innere flow, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual flow, spiritual formation, spiritual healing, spiritual innovation, spiritual leaders, spiritual movement, spiritual power, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Spiritual Conductivity/Resistivity

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Steve Simms

Spirituality is like an electric current.  It is a flow of power from within human beings as the Holy Spirit comes forth in rivers of living water.  Christ-followers are those who allow the Spirit to freely flow through them.  They … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Bible reading, Christ, Christ followers, Christ in you, Christ in you the hope of glory, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian experience, Christianity, electricity, forgiveness, Holy Spirit, inward change, Jesus, Jesus Christ, pride, puffed up mind, repent, repentance, sin, spiritual experience, spiritual flow, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, The Voice, voice of God | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Inside Addition — The Key To A Beautiful Life

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Steve Simms

Inside addition (not Inside Edition) is the key to a beautiful life.  However, it’s not automatic.  It all depends on which mathematical formula you follow: Self + pride = hypocrisy Self + fear or worry = torment Self + anger … Continue reading →

Posted in alienated, alienation, anger, angst, belief, belief system, bitterness, Christ, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, crucify yourself, cynicism, depression, false security, fear, freedom, guilt, hypocrisy, if any man is in Christ, misery, negativity, new creature, peace, pride, self-denial, self-discipline, self-esteem, self-focus, self-forgiveness, self-will, selfish desires, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual transformation, torment, tormenting thoughts, transformation, truth, vulgarity, worry | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Cat In The Hat Shares The Rap On His Cap

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Steve Simms

Yo! Let’s go, We gotta show A better way to pray Than sittin’ in pews Hearin’ preacha views. We got da great news! Let everybody share A prayer or a care. Take da flag Out of da bag; Blood & … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative lifestyle, belief, blood of Jesus, burning heart, celebration, change, change agent, Christ, Christ followers, Christian flag, Christian rap, Christian values, contagion, countercultural, creativity, culture, environment, evangelism, faith-based, filled with the Spirit, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, flag, floods, free spirit, holiness, holy, improv, insight, inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, joy, move of God, music, organic church, popular culture, prayer, praying, preaching, rapping, revival, sermons, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual fire, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, testimonies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A New (Emergent and/or Organic) Name For Christianity: Christimacy

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Steve Simms

These ideas came to my mind during the praise and worship meeting at The Salvation Army Berry Street this morning.  I shared them with the believers gathered there. The one word that most describes the difference between the Old and … Continue reading →

Posted in atonement, Christ, Christ followers, Christ in you, Christ in you the hope of glory, Christian, Christian values, emergent Christianity, emergent movement, God with us, having a form of godliness, He broke down the wall of hostility, house church, intimacy, Jesus Christ, lost and restored, Love one another, move of God, movement, new birth, new creation, New Testament, Old Testament, racial reconciliation, reconciliation, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual healing, spiritual innovation, spiritual interaction, spiritual kinship, spiritual transformation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

2013 — A New Year? Or The Same Ole Same Ole?

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Steve Simms

Will 2013 be a new year for you or the same ole same ole of years gone by?   Does this new year mark the mere movement of time; or the development of character, the growth of love, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ, Christ followers, Christ in you, Christian, Christianity, conversion, conviction, conviction of sin, forgiveness, God, honesty, hope, if anyone is in Christ, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lyrics, new birth, new creation, New Testament, obedience, prayer, presence of Christ, presence of God, recovery, reformation, relevation, religion, repent, repentance, revelation, revival, revolution, sin, sins, soul, spirit, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual healing, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spiritual warfare, supernatural, surrender to God | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is America Violent & Alienated From God Like Jean Valjean In Les Misérables?

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Steve Simms

Les Misérables, the new movie musical staring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried, beautifully brings Victor Hugo’s 1862 French novel to life.  However, it made me wonder:  Is America violent and alienated from God like the main … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, 21st Century, alternative lifestyle, Augustine, brainwashed, brainwashing, C.S. Lewis, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian values, Christianity, conscience, conversion, convert, conviction, conviction of sin, cruel, devotion, discouragement, evangelism, faith, faith-based, faithfulness, fear, feelings, freedom, French novels, God, harmful thinking, hearing God, history, human nature, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, message, misery, moral failure, moral principles, morality, morals, movie, movie review, movies, musicals, mysticism, new birth, obedience, persecution, popular culture, prayer, relevation, religion, repentance, salvation, search for significance, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual healing, spiritual themes, spiritual transformation, values, Victor Hugo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

21 Creative Blogs About Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Steve Simms

Happy birthday, Jesus!  Here are some blogs I wrote about You and and Your birth: The World’s Most Unusual Christmas Greeting Christmas Eve Eve — The Night Before The Day Before The Fiscal Cliff The Christmas Drug — The High Hopes … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Twas the night before Christmas, angels, angels watching over you, Angels We Have Heard On High, belief, belief system, Biblical concept, blog readers, Christ, Christian values, Christmas gifts, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, culture, customs, cute story, devotion, entertainment, faith, His story, inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, majesty, mystery, mysticism, prayer, reading, Reason For The Season, religion, religious ceremonies, religious innovation, religious tradition, Spirit-filled, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual healing, spiritual transformation, tradition, Uncategorized, virgin Mary, worship | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Christmas Eve Eve — The Night Before The Day Before The Fiscal Cliff

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Steve Simms

“‘Twas the night before Christmas . . .”  — those are famous words, but what about the night before the day before Christmas?  Christmas Eve eve is seldom mentioned or thought about.  It’s just another holiday shopping day. However, on … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Twas the night before Christmas, Christ, Christ in you, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas Eve, Christmas gifts, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, Christmas travel, church history, contemplation, God with us, holiday, holidays, little town of Bethlehem, Nazareth, new birth, Paul of Tarsus, presence of Christ, presence of God, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religion, self-denial, self-destruction, shopping, spiritual formation, submission, surrender, surrender to God, tradition, travel, virgin birth, virgin Mary | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 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