Category Archives: Why be a Christian?

We need the 1st in the 21st! We desperately need soul-stirring, life-changing, earth-shaking, 1st Century style Christianity to be poured out in the 21st Century. O, Lord, we’ve read of Your great deeds in the “Acts of the Holy Spirit,” do them again, Lord, in our time, through 21st Century believers!

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Steve Simms

Read more about the First Century “Acts of the Holy Spirit” by clicking here.

Posted in Acts, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christianity, early church, kingdom of God, Music City, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, organic church, praise and worship, prayer, prayer walking, recovery, salvation, simple church, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, voice of God, What is church?, Why be a Christian? | Tagged 1st, 21st, 21st Century believers, 225 Berry St., 37207, action of, Acts of the Holy Spirit, allow, always amazing, area, as led by, Berry Street Worship Center, chooses, Christianity, clicking, come, desperately need, direct the meeting, do them again, each, earth-shaking, exciting, experience, First Century, gather for, hereLord, Himself, Holy Spirit, if you are in, in our time, in person, led by different people, life-changing, Nashville, never the same, night, passionate praise, people are free, prayer meeting, read more about, soul-stirring, spontaneously pray, style, Sunday, tells them to, Tennessee, the results, The Salvation Army, through, Thursday, to be poured out, to do, we've read of Your great deeds, whatever the Spirit, whatever way, worship | Leave a comment

The Tim Tebow Denver/Pittsburg 3:16 Stats, Berry Street, & God

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Steve Simms

What do you do when you encounter incredible statistical improbabilities (wow, that’s 3 words with 14 syllables)? 1) Write them off as coincidence? Or 2) Seriously ponder the mystery and awe behind them? For example, have you read or heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Catherine Booth, children of God, church, church history, conscience, Denver Broncos, East Nashville, evangelicals, freedom, God, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, history, Holy Spirit, impossible odds, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, John Berry McFerrin, miracles, movement, Music City, mystery, mysticism, Nashville, NFL, organic church, Parnassus Books, Playoffs, prayer, prayer walking, Quotations, Quotes, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, tebow, tebowing, tebowing.com, The Salvation Army, Tim Tebow, TV, Uncategorized, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, William Booth | Tagged a legion of devils, agent, Area Commander, averaged 31.6 yards per pass, awe, behind, Berry St., Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, bigorty, bio, blood of Jesus, Board of Missions, burned in our hearts, camp meetings, cast the all out at once, changing lives, chapel, childrren of God, Christian Advocate, coincidence, consciences, denomination, Denver Broncos, East Nashville, ecumenical conference, edited, encounter, example, experience, eye black, fail to do the work, fire of the Holy Spirit, forms and ceremonies, free from bondage to drugs, glorious realization in our hearts, God confirming the vision, God is using Tebow, God's convicting, God's Spirit bears witness with our spirit, googled, hardness of heart, impossible, independent bookstore, it is a fearful thing, John 3:16, John Berry McFerrin, led by the holy Spirit, listen to God, livin my dream in nashville, London, lover of christ, many times every year, many turned to the lord, MCFerrin Park Neighborhood, Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist leader, Middle Tennesse, mighty move of God, miraculously set, moved, multitudes, mystery, Nashville, nationally known, NFL, Nielson rating was 31.6, non-traditional church, obduracy, once in a lifetime, opposition, outward observances, Parnassus Books, periodicals, Pittsburg Steelers, ponser, post season game, pray, prejudice, prejudices, presence, quotation, quote, religious excitement, religious secular, resist the Spirit of God, secreatry, sensibilites stirred, seriously ponder, share, something beyond nature at work, statistical improbabilities, stats, Sudnay morning peetings, syllables, Tebow had thrown for 316 yeards, testify, the Christian religion, The History of Methodism in Tennessee, The Salvation Army Flag, Tim Tebow, to the depths, transforming a neighborhood, University of Florida quarterback, wake up the neighborhood, wicked, wide influence | 8 Comments

I Didn’t Have The Courage To Tebow — Do You?

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Steve Simms

This morning (the day of the Broncos/Patriots playoff game), I worked out at the Y in Nashville. Afterwards I was walking around the indoor track to cool down. I passed a large TV in the corner of the room (right … Continue reading →

Posted in Broncos, Christ, Christianity, Denver Broncos, hearing God, hearing Jesus, impossible odds, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus freaks, Jesus Movement, life, lifestyles, motivation, movement, Nashville, National Football League, NFL, Oh my God, Patriots, phobic, prayer, prayer walking, reality TV, religion, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, Super Bowl, supernatural, tebow, tebowing, television, the Y, Tim Tebow, TV, TV network, Uncategorized, University of Florida, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged . bown my knees, a great article, about Christ, about our faith, approached, begin to talk, believing tim tebow, Broncos, came to my mind, chickened out, cool down, couple of times, day of the Broncos?Patriots playoff game, espn, God prompts me, God will ask, hope, I didn't, I'd like to say, imtimidation, in front of, in front of the, in my mind, in the corner of the room, in the face, in the real world, increased my pace, indoor track, it takes great courage, kept us quiet, kneel and pray, kneel down, know, large TV, like, live what we believer, look fear, Nashville, noticed, on that ship, openly, overcome, Patriots, picture and story, playoff game, pray, proptly obeyed, publicly, quietly praying, read, ready, sincere followers of Jesus, sinking ocean liner, story, strong call, tebow, the next time, the people who, the television, the Y, third lap, this morning, Tim Tebow, Tim Tebow's sincerity, Tim's example, treadmills, video, walked by, walking around, whatever has gagged us, wherever i am, whoever is around me, words, worked out at | 5 Comments

“Tebowing” Is Now An Official Word — What The Church Can Learn From Tim Tebow

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Steve Simms

Tebowing — What The Church Can Learn From Tim Tebow Denver Broncos’ quarterback, Tim Tebow, has had a remarkable season in 2011, leading his team to the NFL Playoffs by spearheading several amazing comebacks. Tim, a sincere follower of Jesus … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, champions, Christ, Christianity, church, church structure, comedy, Creator, crying, Denver Broncos, East Nashville, English, evangelicals, football, God, Great Commission, Holy Spirit, hope, house church, humor, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, lifestyles, miracles, motivation, Music City, mysticism, Nashville, National Football League, NFL, organic church, Playoffs, popular culture, prayer, prayer walking, religion, simple church, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, sports, Super Bowl, tears, tebow, tebowing, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Tim Tebow, Uncategorized, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, words, WWJD? | Tagged 21st Century, 22011, 225 Berry Street, 37207, a hurting world, a way to inspire hope, acknowledges, active participants, allow, amazing comebacks, among a few people, and/or, announced, area, around you, ask someone, begin, believers, Berry Street Worship Center, beyond, Bible, bringing, church buildings, churches should encourage, come on church, come out of, defines, Denver Broncos, develop the confidence, doing something completely different, don't have to be, during church, etc., even more, everyday life, everyone else, example, expand the definition, express, expressing sincere faith, faith, faith in Christ, find ways, follower of Jesus Christ, following and obeying, football, for God, founder, from, gatherings, get down on a nkee, he/she, help spread, hope producers, however, I Corinthians 14:26, I have found, if only, if you would like, implement, in human history, in prayer, inspired, interviews, it is difficult, it's okay to, Jared Kleinstein, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kneeling in prayer, kneels and prays, leading, let's go tebow, letting them, listeners, live, live in, live their faith, living, make a difference, makes it easier, making people passive, May I pray with you, meetings, minister, Nashville, needs hope, NFL, NFL Playoffs, officially entered, one of the greatest, one of the most effective ways, openly, openly shares his faint, participatory church, pastor, people, perhaps, pray in public, prayer requests, prayers, praying, praying with people, preacher, priest, producing a new word, profound impact, quarterback, rather than, religious, remarkable season, said, say, Scriptures, secular environments, see it as humor, share testimonies, sidelines, sincere, spearheading, start praying, Sunday mornings, Sundays, team, tears to their eyes, Tebowing, tebowing.com, Tennessee, the English language, The Global Language Monitor, the Holy Spirit moves, the majority of people, The Salvation Army, the secular world, then, this way, Thursdays, Tim Tebow, to experience, to impact people's lives, to talk, train, unashamedly, upon them, verse, visit, what the church can learn, word, words of encouragement, world-wide imitation, would help, yes | 8 Comments

WWJD? So What Did Jesus Do?

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Steve Simms

WWJD? Jesus wept . . . humbled Himself . . . washed His disciples’ feet . . . fasted from food . . . boldly spoke about God . . . broke traditions . . . challenged people to repent … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, awe, challenges, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, church history, conscience, crying, disciple making, forgiveness, God, Gospels, Great Commission, hearing God, hearing Jesus, history, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Jesus Take The Wheel, kingdom of God, life, lifestyles, Lord, miracles, morality, mystery, mysticism, negro spirituals, new birth, New Testament, non-material reality, nonviolence, peace, praise and worship, prayer, prayer walking, religion, repent, revelation, Savior, sin, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, tears, Uncategorized, values, Why be a Christian?, words, WWJD? | Tagged about God, befriended outcasts, blessed those who cursed, boldly spoke, broke traditions, calmed, challenged people, demons, drove out, fasted from food, for others, forgave, healed the sick, humbled Himself, Jesus wept, laid down His life, prayed, repent, storms, washed His disciples' feet, WWJD | 2 Comments

World Famous “Good” Men Who Weren’t So Good

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Steve Simms

People like to look back on history and call certain world famous men (or groups of men) good. Perhaps the two groups of men that have been considered the best of the good are the American Founding Fathers and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Amazing Grace, American, Americans, Anabaptists, Apostle Paul, Bible, black history, books, Christian history, Christianity, Founding Fathers, God, grace, guilt, history, human rights, Israel, Jesus, Jesus Christ, King David, lies, lifestyles, morality, morals, negro spirituals, prejudice, Protestant Reformation, Quotations, recovery, religion, repent, Robert Carter III, saved, sin, slavery, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, tradition, Uncategorized, values, Why be a Christian? | Tagged 51, a clean heart, a just and loving society, a moment, about himself, admitted, advocated, amazing, Amazing Grace, American, Anabaptists, and/or, another, Apostle Paule, at birth, attitudes, Baptist church, bold citizen, book of Psalms, broke, broken, call, can offer, children, Christ's mercy, cleanse me from my sin, closely examine, committed adultery, conforming to, confronted, convicted, cruel, cruelty, daily actions, David, deeply in need of, deeply sorrowful, deliverance, did evil things, disquise, dissenters, do we really believe, does not offer, encountered, encouraged, engaged in, evil, famous man, for many generations, forced-labor, forgiveness, founding fathers, free, freedom, from, God, good, greatly, grieved, groups of men, half-brother, have been sung, have mercy on me, held as slaves, history, history book, holding, hope, how sweet the sound, however, human rights violations, I know my transgressions, I was sinful, immoral behaviors, in his heart, innocent men, Israel, Jesus Christ, killed, King David, leaders, let me ask you a question, let's think, lie to cover it up, lifelong bondage, lifestyles, living, lock him up, look back on, major, men, moral demise, more than a billion people, my mother conceived me, my sin is always before me, named, Nathan, nations' mational, none, not agreeing with, O wretched man that I am, ongoing acts, open admission, openly held, people like, persecution, personal, political positions, politically supported, powerful king, precious people, pretend, Protestant Reformation, recorded, released, repented, Robert Carter III, sin, sincere, sinful, sinful man, spoke, story, sure, Surely, terrible, that saved a wretch like me, the beliefs, the best, the Bible, the cracks of, the time, theological, these words, this way, tiny few, top leaders, tortured, turning away from evil actions, two, united, untold numbers, Virginia, wash away all my iniquity, we are not good people, we are wretches, we can ll, wept, wickedness, woman's husband killed, women, world famous, world-wide, wrong doing, wrote | 10 Comments

The Christmas Gift Most Commonly Left Unopened

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Steve Simms

Every year some Christmas gifts remain unopened. They are lost and/or forgotten in the holiday hustle, buried under discarded wrapping paper, accidentally tossed with the trash. So what is the most commonly unopened Christmas gift? You would think it would … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, apologists, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, Christmas gifts, church, conversion, East Nashville, feelings, glory, God, guidance, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Jesus Take The Wheel, kingdom of God, lifestyles, meaning, miracles, movement, Music City, mystery, mysticism, non-material reality, organic church, proof of God, Reason For The Season, recovery, religion, repent, salvation, saved, Savior, simple church, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, support group, Tennessee, The Salvation Army, Uncategorized, values, What is church?, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged 225 Berry St., 37207, actual presence, amazing, and/or, Berry Street, birthday, bold moniker, burried, celebration, Christ in you, Christ's presence, Christmas, Christmas gifts, come, conscious awareness, discarded wrapping papper, doing, dubbed, easily misplaced, Every year, everyday people, experience, fades into memory, forgotten, God with us, God's gift, healing, holiday hustle, humans, ignored, Immanuel, ink pens, Jesus Christ one of His names, jewelery, keeps us alive, life-transforming, lost, mayhem, means, miss, misses, much hoopla, Nashville, need help, no matter how small, normal, one of the smaller, open, place, rubble, sessions, show and tell, so real, Sundays, survive the Christmas morning, the hope of glory, the invisible air, the most commonly unopened Christmas gift, The Salvation Army, TN, tossed with the trash, treasured, under tree, unopened, unwrapping, use, valuable, visit, what a shame, Worship Center, you can feel, you would think | 3 Comments

News Flash: Planet Earth invaded by its Creator, not with the force of justice and judgment; but with mercy, love, humility. The Creator comes in human flesh, not in a royal palace, but in an animal stable — not with a demonstration of His power and authority, but subject to the circumstances of a Babe born under questionable conditions to a poor mother. Yet 20 centuries later, the world slows down, work stops, families gather on the day set aside to remember that God invasion. One Babe began a movement that continues to our time — a movement that has made millions of men and women better than they would have been without beholding the Christ. Transformed by Jesus, by God in the flesh — made new, set free, personally invaded by the Spirit, now rejoicing, not in stuff, and tinsel, and traditions both religious and secular; but rejoicing in relationship with the Babe, now the Lord, Savior, Master!

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Steve Simms

Posted in awe, blessings, change, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, church history, Creator, glory, God, gratitude, history, holiday, holidays, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, joy, lifestyles, Lord, meaning, miracles, movement, mystery, mysticism, non-material reality, Oh my God, organic church, praise and worship, proof of God, Reason For The Season, religion, revelation, salvation, saved, Savior, self-image, simple church, soul, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, stuff, supernatural, thanksgiving, thinking, thoughts, tradition, Uncategorized, values, virgin birth, Why be a Christian?, words, worship | Tagged 20 centuries, animal shelter, authority, babe, beholding, better than, born, by Jesus, circumstances, comes in human flesh, continues, Creator, day set aside, demonstration, families gather, force, God in the flesh, God invasion, humility, invaded, invaded by the Spirit, judgment, justice, later, Lord, love, made new, master, men and women, mercy, millions of, movement, news flalsh, not in stuff, now rejoicing, our time, personally, planet Earth, poor mother, questionable conditions, relationship with, religious, rember, royal palace, Savior, secular, set free, subject to, the Christ, tinsel, traditions, transformed, work stops, world slows down | 1 Comment

It is almost the time when multitudes around the world, believers and non-believers alike, celebrate the day named for Jesus Christ, in honor of His birth. Rejoice that Christ was born! What a difference He has made in this world! What a difference He has made in the life of millions of people from various cultures and time periods during the past 2,000 years! What a difference Jesus has made in my life! The Christ*mas events are about people experiencing Christ. The shepherds didn’t just hear about Christ, they sought Him out. The same with the wise men. Jesus Christ can still be experienced in the 21st Century! Supernatural events are still happening! “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.” So, what about it? Should we have a Christ cameo Christmas? Or A Christ controlled Christmas? A cameo is brief (usually non-speaking) appearance of a well known person in a work of performing art, like a play, a movie, or a TV show. Will Christ make a brief, non-speaking appearance in your Christmas festivities this year? Or will your Christmas activities be totally focused on Him? Or something in between?

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Steve Simms

Posted in blessings, Christian history, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas carols, Christmas Eve, church history, Creator, freedom, gratitude, history, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, meaning, movement, Oh my God, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual warfare, supernatural, Uncategorized, Why be a Christian?, worship | Tagged 2000 years, alike, almost, around the world, believers, birth, celebrate the day, Christ was born, cultures, he made, in honor of, in this world, Jesus Christ, millions of people, multitudes, my life, named for, non-believers, rejoice, the life, the past, time, various time periods, what a difference | Leave a comment

William Wilberforce — The Power Of A Bold Believer

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Steve Simms

William Wilberforce (born in 1759) was a member of the British Parliament who stood up and spoke up courageously against the international slave trade and against slavery in the British Empire. His efforts and those of others ended slavery in … Continue reading →

Posted in abolitionists, alternative lifestyle, Amazing Grace, black history, British Empire, British Parliament, champions, Christ, Christian history, Christianity, church history, conscience, courage, evangelicals, grace, guidance, history, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, lifestyles, morality, nonviolence, Quotations, Quotes, race, reading, religion, repent, slavery, social justice, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual warfare, Uncategorized, values, Why be a Christian?, William Wilberforce, words | Tagged 1859, against slavery, against the international slave trade, always, Amazing Grace, believed, bold, book, born, bring forth the, British Empire, British Parliment, called, check out, Christian, cold copies, confirms, conveying nothing, courageously, dangerous, dull pencil, during, effforts, ended slavery, evil, fail, faint lines traced, faith, faith's force, false wisdom, feel, few, flourish, fruits of the Spirit, God's, good move, good will come, grace, greatest Americans, grows, hide, humility, Jesus Christ, lifetime, lives, living, member, more influenced by, no reason, nominal Christians, nothing like, others, quotes, read about, Real Christianity, reality, received, released, social justice, Spirit of Chirst, spoke up, stood up, the real things, the reality, the world's opinion, Top 10, truly great men and women, trun away from, unless, very tendency, we are not His, William Wilberforce, without it, wonderful book, world's view, wrote | 2 Comments

Category Archives: Why be a Christian?

I Didn’t Have The Courage To Tebow — Do You?

WWJD? So What Did Jesus Do?

World Famous “Good” Men Who Weren’t So Good

The Christmas Gift Most Commonly Left Unopened

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