Heartiletics — An Alternative Calling for Preachers

Posted on October 24, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in?
View all responses

How you read the Bible will determine how you lead. I believe that Christian leaders should read the Bible (and teach all Christians to read it) with an open humble heart attuned to the Holy Spirit instead of merely reading it and preaching it with an academic analytical mind.

Homiletics relies on the mind to analyze preaching techniques and to write religious messages. It is the study of the composition and delivery of sermons. It is sometimes called the art and science of preaching.

Heartiletics relies on God the Holy Spirit to release an inner flow of words about Jesus. (Luke 12:12 and John 7:38-39) It is speaking “Spirit-taught words” (1 Corinthians 2:13) as spontaneously prompted and led by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14) It’s not a person speaking from the mind. It’s the Holy Spirit speaking by giving a person the words to say in the moment. (Mark 13:11)

I believe that churches and pastors depend far too much on mental sermon preparation and on human knowledge. Pastors are taught in Bible school and seminary to study, read books and Bible commentaries about, and analyze their chosen Sunday topic. They are even taught follow a lectionary — a book that tells pastors what to preach on each Sunday of the year.

I had a seminary professor who was so dependent on the human mind that he taught us that pastors should spend one hour studying for every minute that they preach. That’s homiletics on steroids!

Some pastors use “short cut” homiletics. They just beg, borrow, or steal sermons from other preachers. That’s easy to do nowadays. There are many internet sites where pastors can copy, paste, and preach other preacher’s sermons. (Far too many preachers do that.)

It’s very rare to find a pastor who uses heartiletics — who prepares to preach by humbling himself, seeking Gods face, praying, and repenting. (2 Chronicles 7:14) It’s hard to find a pastor who preaches from a heart overcome by the presence of the living God instead of from an academic and analytical mind.

Few pastors are willing to stand up to preach and rely on the Holy Spirit to give them the words to say at that very moment. Jesus said Christians can: “Make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Luke 21:14-15) Surely pastors can also rely on that amazing promise from Christ when they preach.

I love heartiletics. I love to hear people preach and testify spontaneously from the heart as prompted and led by the Spirit. I love to speak and preach that way. However, it does require a lot more faith than to stand in a pulpit with a fully written sermon (or detailed notes).

For ten years my wife and I planted and oversaw a church (in the Salvation Army) where heartiletics was expected and accepted. Anybody present was welcome to open their heart and speak as they were prompted by the Spirit. It was an amazing ten years of heartiletics! Every Sunday we were all in awe at how God spoke and powerfully illuminated Scripture through the simplicity, honesty, and humility of ordinary men and women. (To learn more about heartiletics google: Beyond Church Ekklesia.)

True Christianity depends on Christ’s empowerment, not on human effort. Jesus said: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Rather than trying harder Christians need to continually surrender to and rely on the presence and power of the risen Jesus. Paul asked a key question to the Christians in Galatia: “After beginning by means of the Spirit are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

I ask: “When you go to church do you encounter the means of the Spirit at work, or do you see the means of human effort and programming at work? An honest answer to my question reveals why there is so little life-transforming power in contemporary Christianity.

To cultivate
The Spirit’s fruit
Focus your mind
To concentrate
And meditate
On Jesus Christ
Till you learn
To gravitate
And saturate
Your heart always
With Christ’s presence.

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An Unusual Food

Posted on October 23, 2025 by Steve Simms

My specialty is a food that many people know nothing about. It’s truly amazing. I try to consume this food as often as I can. I learned about this food in the Bible. Jesus said: “I have food to eat that you know nothing about . . . My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me. (John 4:32-34) 

Jesus said that true Christians “must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow” Him. (Luke 9:23) Christianity isn’t about attending a weekly program, following a structured format, or submitting to human control. It’s the truth that sets people free. (John 8:31-32)

If the Son has truly set Christians free churches should follow suit and open up their meetings to allow Christ-followers to be free indeed (John 8:36) so that they can learn to not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Then Christians can focus on aligning with and obeying the diving order of building each other up (1 Corinthians 14:26) and encouraging one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Then all the members of the body of Christ can be free to function as the body of Christ.

Christ-followers should not be captives to the routine religion of a powerless “form of godliness.” (2 Timothy 3:5) “True worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23) They won’t honor God “with their lips” while “their hearts are far from” Him. (Matthew 15:8)

O that Christians would make it their specialty to hunger and thirst for this amazing food! (Matthew 5:6) O that they would begin to gather to listen to and courageously obey the risen Jesus!

What would happen if instead of only one man preaching every week, the entire body of Christ was trained and given the freedom to listen to and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14) during a church service according to 1 Corinthians 14:26? Revival! Spiritual awakening! A mighty move of God! (Try it and see!!!)

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Nationalism and War?

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Steve Simms

I believe we humans need more discernment, logic, and compassion when it comes to nationalism and war. If you don’t filter as life slowly fills your cup, you’ll experience darkness and pain increasing within you and around you. Use discernment.

People killing people is a terrible thing. Even when it’s glorified as war and covered with your nation’s flag, it’s still “Hell!”

Pink flowers standing tall on long stems remind me of something. True strength is often soft and beautiful.

There is no such thing as a Christian nation. A person can be a Christian but a nation can’t.

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A Major Event from the Late 1960’s & 1970s

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Steve Simms

I remember a major event from the late 1960s and 1970s. I can’t stop talking about the person behind it! It first began among young people — college students and hippies in the United States. This event was all about people encountering and being healed and delivered by the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. It was called the Jesus Movement or the Jesus Revolution. Christ’s picture was even on the cover of Time Magazine. Young people couldn’t stop talking about the things they had seen and heard Jesus say and do.

The writers of the New Testament also talked about what they had seen and heard Jesus do and speak. When two of Christ’s first disciples (Bible writers Peter and John) were ordered to stop talking about Jesus they said: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) God wants you to also talk about what you have seen and heard Christ do. (Psalm 107:2)

If you aren’t hearing and seeing (Acts 4:20) Jesus working in, though, and around you, you are missing out on true Christianity. If you will notice and observe what Jesus is doing (John 1:29) and saying (John 10:27) you won’t be able to stop testifying (Revelation 12:11) about the things you have seen and heard. (Acts 4:20)

The best place to see and hear Jesus is deep within you. Look and listen there. (John 7:38) If you look closely, you can also see and hear Him working in the people and circumstances around you.

Throughout the day I hear and see Jesus doing things in and around me. Thoughts come to me when I am inwardly listening to Jesus, and I write and talk about them in the openness of daylight. (Matthew 10:27)

When Jesus is seen and heard faith soars! (Isaiah 40:31) He needs to be frequently experienced and heard, not just preached about on Sundays.

When people are encouraged and allowed to share in a church service what they have seen and heard Jesus say and do, a powerful awareness of and fellowship with Jesus is released. (John 1:3) If you believe, speak up and testify! “It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13)

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The Best Risk is Encountergetics

Posted on October 21, 2025 by Steve Simms

Apologetics goes and tells what is logical. Encountergetics goes and tells what has been seen and heard. Jesus put it this way: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” (Luke 7:22)

Apologetics communicates the case for Christ. Encountergetics demonstrates the presence and reality of Christ.

Apologetics uses reason, logic, and historical evidence to present, explain, and defend the teachings and claims of the Christian religion. Through the centuries it has helped lead many people to profess Christ by aiming for the mind.

Encountergetics depends on sacrificial love, compassion, humility, the fruit of the Spirit, testimonies, the witness of the Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit to help people personally encounter, surrender to, and obey as Lord and Master the risen Jesus. Through the centuries it has demonstrated the present living reality of Jesus and brought many people into an intimate dynamic life-changing relationship with Him by targeting the heart.

Apologetics lectures.
Encountergetics loves.
Alologetics sermonizes.
Encountergetics serves.
Apologetics defends.
Encountergetics forgives.
Apologetics explains faith.
Encountergetics trains faith.
Apologitics rationalizes prayer.
Encountergetics radiates prayer.
Apologetics recycles religion.
Encountergetics disciples people.
Apologetics relates information.
Encountergetics radiates Christ Himself.
Apologetics arguers with those who disagree.
Encountergetics blesses those who curse them.
Apologetics gathers people to sit and listen.
Encountergetics gathers people to “taste and see.”
Apologetics wants people to come to doctrinal assent.
Encountergetics wants people to come to the risen Jesus.

Too much apologetics can bore people and make them apathetic. Encountergetics is never boring. It makes people energetic to follow and obey the living Jesus. Any gathering that cools Christians down instead of firing them up to love and obey Jesus more is quenching the Holy Spirit. Church too often is about passively listening to apologetics instead of actively experiencing encountergetics.

I recently went to church. This is what I saw and heard. People were singing songs about the Lord, a few of them passionately. After the singing everything changed. A nice welcome, quite a few announcements, and the collection of money made people passive. Everybody present was seated and listing to a long talk, many of them appearing to be dazed, distracted, or bored. Some were getting out of their seats and wandering about.

The speaker seemed to be unaware that he wasn’t holding the attention of many of the people in the audience. I beheld apologetics, not encountergetics.

Is there not a more effective way to present the living, resurrected Jesus? Is anyone present receiving anything from the Lord? If so, why not allow them to share it with the congregation?

Jesus is far beyond church. He’s here and there and everywhere and active anywhere we will not quench His Spirit.

When churches gather, they seldom allow people to assemble themselves together heart-to-heart and person-to-person. Yet the Bible says, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Too often what is said in church stays in church. Too many Christians walk away from the Sunday morning apologetics and don’t even remember what was said, much less go and put it into effective daily action. Churches desperately need encountergetics!

Testimonies about Jesus are remembered. They release life into church services, (Revelation 12:11) yet they are rarely allowed. They make people hungry and excited to daily experience and obey Jesus.

In church people hear apologetics and connect ears-to-preacher. Yet God wants people to connect heart-to-heart with Him and with one another. That requires encountergetics!

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Go Beyond Pride to Peace and Joy

Posted on October 20, 2025 by Steve Simms

Go beyond pride to inner peace and joy. Set aside pride and find the humility that attracts the presence and grace of God. Learn to continually experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) spontaneously flowing from within you. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)

Jesus talks.
Hear Him.
“My sheep
Hear My voice.”
Listen
Within.
“Don’t judge
People
Or condemn
Them.
Forgive,
Freely give,
And receive
God’s gifts.
Show others
The mercy
You want
To receive.”
Go do
What Christ tells
You to.
(Luke 3:22, Luke 6:37-38 John 14:15)

God spoke from Heaven
Over Jesus Christ.
This is what He said.
“Hear Him!”
It’s essential that
You learn how to hear
Him!

“No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11) If you want to know God’s thoughts you need to hear “words taught by the Spirit,” (1 Corinthians 2:13) not words taught by a human being. Listen to “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)

Experience real Christianity. Live and demonstrate it every day — no program, no ritual, no controlling leader — just an intimate surrendered obedient never-ending Spirit-led relationship with the risen Jesus Christ and with other Christ-followers.

October is Reformation Month when many Christians celebrate and honor heroes of the faith who dared to boldly criticize church and tried to improve the way it functions. If those heroes (Luther, Calvin, Zwingly, Knox, and others) were alive today I think they would be speaking out for improvement in church once again! Let the risen Jesus be the literal Head and director of His body, not just the figurehead for human control to hide behind. Google: Beyond Church Ekklesia.

If instead of presenting Jesus as a mere weekly lecture subject, churches would train and release people to listen directly to Him, (John 10:27) obey His voice, (John 14:15) and actively demonstrate His presence and reality, (1 Corinthians 2:4) Christianity would “turn the world upside down” like it did in the first century. (Acts 17:18)

Here’s what Jesus says about people who go to church and all they do is sit and say, “Lord, Lord,” a few times before they return to business as usual. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

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I’m Working on Being a Doer

Posted on October 19, 2025 by Steve Simms

I am continually working on being a doer. However, I don’t want to do just anything that comes along or entices me. I want to do what God the Holy Spirit tells me to. He speaks in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12) in my heart and through my conscience. I strive to hear and obey His inner voice. (Revelation 2:29)

“Nevertheless at Your word.” (Luke 5:5) If you will, like Peter, go beyond passive listening and begin to daily do what the Lord is saying (Romans 8:14) you will experience a great harvest and profound spiritual awakening in your life. Try it and see.

Jesus asks: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) That’s such a good question.

The Bible says that hearing-only style Christianity is self-deceptive. (James 1:22) Beware of powerless, (2 Timothy 3:5) toned down, (2 Timothy 1:6) lukewarm, (Revelation 3:16) proud, (James 4:6) loveless, (Revelation 2:4) self-focused, (Luke 9:23) hard-hearted, (Matthew 15:8) sleepy, (Romans 13:11-14) faith-without-works, (James 2:26) commandment-breaking, (1 John 2:4) sin-embracing, (2 Corinthians 15:13) divisive (Romans 16:17-18) Christianity. Where there’s not love-filled, action-taking discipleship (John 13:15) Christians are deceived.

WARNING: Church attendance can be dangerous! It’s dangerous and deceptive to hear a sermon, forget what was said, and neglect to do what you heard. “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) Sometimes church attendees need shocking wake-up jolts. (Ephesians 5:14-15) Yet few pastors are willing to give them, and few Christians are willing to hear them, so they drift along in lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-17) mediocracy.

The following sign needs to be hung on every church door. Every Christian should take it to heart. Train yourself to be a doer of the word. Google: The Joy of Early Christianity book.

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Most People Don’t Know That America Needs King Jesus Demonstrations!

Posted on October 18, 2025 by Steve Simms

America needs King Jesus demonstrations! Christ-followers are called to demonstrate light that dispels darkness. The good news of Jesus Christ can only be powerfully proclaimed and demonstrated by the Spirit of God, not by religious works of the flesh or by politics.

Jesus, Himself, said: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Today, let Jesus baptize you afresh with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16) so that Christ in you can be your hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

Go illuminate everybody you meet with Christ’s light. Consistently live and behave in ways that demonstrate the presence, power, and love of Jesus everywhere you go. (Luke 8:16 and Matthew 5:14-16)

Jesus is looking for people who will show other people His love by letting the truths of the Bible come alive and burn in their heart so powerfully (Luke 24:32) that they are supernaturally empowered to surpass the rituals of the pharisees and the religion of the church experts (Matthew 5:19-20) and to actually demonstrate the reality of the risen Christ. Jesus is calling for His followers to demonstrate His love by the presence of the fruit of His Spirit, not by religious works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-26)

My favorite fruit is the fruit of the Spirit. It’s fun and exciting to share it with people!

Appreciate people.
They’re made in God’s image.
Compliment people.
They are amazing.
Encourage people.
They can do good things.
Pray with and for people.
God will move on their heart.
Show people Jesus Christ
By the way you treat them.
Be kind to people
Till they’re kind to you.

The human race
Needs more space
For great kindness
In every heart
And true joy
On every face.
Slow down your pace
And make a place
For pure release
Of God’s peace.

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An Easier Way to Live

Posted on October 17, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?
View all responses

Someone said that lazy people look for an easier way to do things. Perhaps all of us humans need an easier way to do life. Instead of constantly stressing and striving to feel better about our self-image, perhaps we should allow the One who promises inner peace to take full and absolute control of our life.

Jesus Christ wants to immerse you with the Holy Spirit and fire and purify you (Luke 3:16-17) so that He can clearly and brightly shine through you and make you (yes you) a light to this world like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Receive the word of God that is coming to you in your wilderness, not like a textbook that speaks to your mind with information, but like a love letter that speaks to your heart with life-transforming passion. Receive this word from the living Jesus now. Receive the never-ending power and presence of God the Holy Spirit in the depths of your heart! “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

To be an effective witness for Christ learn to flow in loving obedience to the still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13) of the Holy Spirit’s inner rivers. (John 7:38-39) Let God’s living water produce and overflow the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) within you until all can see Christ only always living in and through you. (Acts 1:8)

To be an effective witness for Jesus, instead of trying to talk people into making some kind of religious decision, simply approach them with such great love, kindness, and caring that it warms their heart and enables them to feel and see Christ, Himself, living in and through you. Witnessing about Jesus isn’t about talking somebody into making a religious decision. It’s about personally showing someone such amazing love that they know that it couldn’t be coming from you but could only be coming from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

“Blessed are the pure in heart.” (Matthew 5:8) Let Jesus purify you from deep within. Fully and continually surrender your heart and life to God. Church attendance without Spirit-led, heart-to-heart community (Hebrews 10:25) misses the main point of Christianity. (2 Timothy 3:5)

Be a Holy Spirit soaker,
Not a Holy Spirit choker.
Constantly soak up His presence.
Be led by the Holy Spirit.
When He speaks in your heart hear it,
Obey it, and do not choke it.
(Revelation 2:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Matthew 13:22)

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This is “Successful”

Posted on October 16, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?
View all responses

When I think of the word “successful” this comes to my mind. Taxing situations can be God’s way of getting you where He wants you to be. (Luke 2:1-4) God used a census called by ancient Roman Emperor Caesar Agustus to get Jesus Christ’s pregnant mother who lived in Nazareth to travel to Bethlehem with her husband Joseph so that Jesus could be born there like the ancient prophesy said: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)

God the Father somehow makes all things work out for good for those who love Him, hear His call, and align with His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Cease resisting God. Success is to stop kicking against the goads. (Acts 26:14) Let Him get you where He wants you through His various machinations. God doesn’t want people to be a passive audience. He wants heart-to-heart personal relationships with people. He wants you to live open and surrendered to His presence and His will.

Use your inner ear
So that you can hear
What God the Spirit
Is saying to you. (Revelation 3:22)
Then step out and do
What He tells you to. (Romans 8:14)

People build shelter. Everyone needs shelter, not just from physical things like wind, rain, and cold. We humans need shelter from mental, emotional, and spiritual things as well. Without adequate inner shelter we experience a mental health crisis, emotional trauma, and spiritual torment. I find true success of inner shelter, safety, strength, and salvation in Jesus Christ, my risen, present Lord and my God. (John 20:28)

When a Christian movie wants to show that someone is a successful Christian, they usually picture them sitting silently in a church service listening to a preacher. Surely there are other behaviors that more effectively show that a person is a genuine success at being a Christian. How about showing them laying hands on someone and praying over them out loud? (James 5:14) Or telling someone how much they love Jesus? (Revelation 12:11) Or lifting their hands to God as they passionately worship Him? (1 Timothy 2:8) Or confessing their sins to one another? (James 5:16) Or blessing those who curse them? (Luke 6:28) Or humbling themselves? (James 4:10) Or praying in Jesus’ name? (John 14:13) Or forgiving one another? (Ephesians 4:32) Or bearing one another’s burdens? (Galatians 6:2) Or comforting one another? (2 Corinthians 13:11) Or encouraging one another? (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Or teaching each other? (Romans 15:14) Or serving one another? (1 Peter 4:10) Or exhorting one another? (Hebrews 3:13) Or washing each other’s feet? (John 13:14)

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