Category Archives: tradition

Shocking! Christianity Is Current Events

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Steve Simms

Christianity is the current of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ flowing through His people.  It’s not religion, ritual, doctrine, or tradition. Church is living Christianity operating among human beings.  The living Christ cannot be controlled and contained but cruises through … Continue reading →

Posted in battery, current, dead battery, doctrine, dogma, electric current, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, living, quench the Spirit, radical obedience, resurrection, resurrection of Jesus, ritual, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, tradition | Tagged , , , , , | 3 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

The Christmas Drug — The High Hopes Of Holiday Hype

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

Year after year humans have high hopes for the Christmas holidays, but their humongous hopes are often hijacked and held hostage by holiday hype.  The Christmas drug of hyped up holidays just doesn’t seem to be able to live up … Continue reading →

Posted in 24/7/365, Christ, Christianity, Christmas gifts, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, contentment, culture, customs, Emmanuel, family gathering, family togetherness, glory days, God, God on the loose, God with us, high hopes, His story, holiday hype, holidays, hope, human psyche, humility, hype, peace, peace of mind, reason, Reason For The Season, seasonal, tradition | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

A Christ*mas Thought (Should’ Christ’s Views Be In Christmas?)

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Steve Simms

A Christ*mas Observation . . . *Jesus commanded: “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.” *Our culture demands: “Gratify yourself, medicate your cross, and follow your feelings, cravings, and compulsions.” –Which will produce a healthy society? fulfillment *Jesus … Continue reading →

Posted in belief, celebration, celebrations, Christ, Christmas shopping, Christmas shopping season, Christmas traditions, cultural taboos, culture, current condition, current events, customs, deny yourself, depravity, drugs, Happy Holidays, holiday, holidays, Jesus, Jesus Christ, materialism, popular culture, religion, self-focus, selfish desires, sex, thoughts, tradition | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

“I’ll Fight” — How To Be A Spiritual Soldier

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Steve Simms

A famous quotation by William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army, boldly repeats the words “I’ll fight!”  His wife, Catherine Booth, preached Aggressive Christianity. They challenged their followers to be spiritual soldiers, not passive spectators.  But how do you fight … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, army, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Bible reading, Bible type revival, blog, blog readers, Blood and Fire, blood of Jesus, burning heart, choice, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, church, combat, courage, creativity, darkness, demons, denial, devils, ekklesia, faith-based, fight the good fight of faith, flag, guidance, guide, Holy Spirit, I'll fight!, inner coach, inner peace, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, makes change, meaning, media, media circus, military, moral failures, moral restraints, morality, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, New Testament, normal Christianity, obedience, organic church, out of the closet, soldiers, spectators, spirit, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, temptation, testimonies, testimony, the offensive, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag, thoughts, tradition, training, training camp, trials, truth, values, worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 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

Perhaps It Is Time To Start “Speaking The Truth In Love”

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Steve Simms

Our corrupt culture, built on mountains of denial and the pursuit of personal pleasure, desperately needs to hear and to heed truth.  Yet where are those today, who will like the apostles, lovingly and boldly speak and write the truth? … Continue reading →

Posted in apostles, born again, brokenness, call a spade a spade, compassion, corrupt culture, Ephesians 4:15, humility, immaturity, opinion, Paul of Tarsus, personal pleasure, Quotations, quote, Quotes, sacrifice, salvation, saved, seduction, seduction of self-destruction, self-help, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, subconscious, tradition | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Was Matthias A Mistake? — The Human Need To Institutionalize Spirituality

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Steve Simms

Was replacing Judas (who had betrayed Jesus) with Matthias a mistake?  Was it a very early example of the human desire to institutionalize church?  Perhaps. The Book of Acts begins with the resurrected Jesus spending 40 days with the apostles … Continue reading →

Posted in 120 in upper room, Acts, acts of God, Bible, choice, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, church, church history, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, disciples, ekklesia, empty tomb, faith, fire, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, God's authority, God's government, Gospel, Gospels, Greek word, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heirarchy, His story, history, Holy Spirit, house church, insight, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus' mother Mary, Judas, kingdom of God, life, lifestyle Christianity, Luke, Matthias, missional, move of God, movement, mysticism, non-church, organic church, Pentecost, pentecostals, presence of Christ, presence of God, quench the Spirit, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religion, revelation, revival, rivers of living water, Scriptures, speaking in tongues, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, supernatural, The Voice, tongues of fire, tradition, unprogrammed church, voice of God, voices, What is church?, words on fire | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments