My Favorite Subject is Practical Life Skills

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What was your favorite subject in school?
View all responses

Hope isn’t magic. There are many practical ways to fill your life with hope!

My favorite subject is practical life skills. I am always searching for ways to improve my mind, my heart, and my behavior and to fill my life with hope. Throughout my life I’ve read many hundreds of extremely helpful books about personal and spiritual growth. The one that has helped me the most is the Bible. It has helped (and continues to help) me to experience and surrender to the living Jesus in more and more powerful ways.

Walking Life’s Emmaus Roads

To get to know and grow
Closer to Jesus.
Begin to listen to
Christ inside of you
And do what He tells you.
Go walk along and flow
With the inner leading
Of God the Spirit.
Live at God’s tempo.
It’s time to overflow
With the hope of glory
And with holy gusto.

You need to receive
The illumination
Of revelation
Directly from God.
The enumeration
Of religious ideas
And information
Is just not enough!
You need to become
A habitation
Of the risen Jesus.
Go experience what
Christ in you can do!
(Colossians 1:27)

Jesus promised His followers inner rivers of living water. (John 7:38-39) Yet far too many of us are content to let our heart be a dusty dried-up riverbed. It’s easy to walk through life unaware of the actual presence of the risen Jesus.

I’ve left what I don’t think is right. It seems to me that both the left and the right have abandoned true humility, overlooked the real presence of the risen Jesus, and given up on His supernatural insight. Now that’s a fright!

I choose to center on Christ living in and walking with me. I seek first to keep my focus on His mercy and grace and on His call for us all to humbly repent and to “Go and sin no more.”

Posted in discipleship, hope, hope in Christ, life skills, training | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I Keep the King of Hearts on My Screen

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
How do you manage screen time for yourself?
View all responses

Who’s the King of Your Heart?

God is beyond
Your intellect.
Learn to connect
To His presence
With your whole heart.
Experience
His pure effect.
Let Him inject
You with His love.
Let Him direct
The things you say
And what you do
By His Spirit
(Christ in you)
Throughout each day.
Then you’ll project
And you’ll reflect
The King of Hearts’
Amazing grace
Every place
You go.

Get your eyes off of human personalities and fix your focus steadfastly on Jesus. Christianity isn’t about human personalities whether you call them pastors or any other fancy title.

A Christian’s focus should never be on a popular leader. It should always be on the living, resurrected Jesus Christ! Behold Jesus the Lamb of God. (John 1:29) Follow Him, not mere people. Look unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) not to your favorite preachers!

The greatest freedom ìs freedom from the thoughts, feelings, desires, and behaviors that separate you from the conscious awareness of the presence of God. That’s the freedom that matters most to me!

Experience true freedom. Google: Beyond Church Ekklesia.

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Take the Time to Find Hope

Posted on November 5, 2025 by Steve Simms

Take the time to take up weapons that can fill your life with peace and joy. Weapons unused are useless. Regularly, persistently, and consistently take up and use these three weapons that powerfully and effectively overcome the mental and emotional things that are holding you back and pulling you down. (Revelation 12:11)

1) Continually rely and depend only on the blood of Jesus for your access to the power and presence of God, not on self-effort or self-righteousness. (1 John 1:7)
2) Frequently, publicly, and humbly share your testimony about how Jesus has worked and is working in and through your life. (Acts 1:8)
3) Quit focusing on yourself. Deny yourself, embrace the things that crucify your self-focused desires, and faithfully follow and obey the risen Jesus throughout each day. (Luke 9:23)

Rooftop Faith + a Spirit-Directed Lifestyle = Genuine Spiritual Awakening

God wants to make known the glorious mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) If Jesus is living inside of you and His Spirit is flowing from your inner most being (John 7:38-39) don’t hide Him. (Matthew 5:15) Shout your testimony (Revelation 12:11) from the housetops (Matthew 10:27) and live your life in such a way that all can see the presence and power of Jesus (Matthew 28:20) and the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) clearly demonstrated in the way you live your daily life. (1 Corinthians 2:4)

“Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Jesus Christ said that to His disciples. (Luke 22:46) Perhaps He’s still saying it to those of us who claim to be Christians.

Systematized
Christianity
Has hypnotized
People into
Passivity
And done away with
Spirit-prompted
Spontaneity.
It has ritualized,
Institutionalized,
And depersonalized
Spirituality.
It has disguised
Unbelief
And called it faith.
(Matthew 23:27-28)
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
Lord, have mercy on us.

Perhaps it’s time to withdraw from routine religion (Luke 22:39-46) and to seek first the kingdom of God (the actual presence and the will of God instead of your own will) and His righteousness (not your own). (Matthew 6:33)

Christians, be Spirit-prompted not pride-propelled. Routine rots relationships. Go beyond rote routine and revitalize your relationship with the risen Jesus.

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The Secret of Breakthrough?

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What will your life be like in three years?
View all responses

Almost everybody would like to have a breakthrough in their life. We hope for, long for, and strive for a breakthrough. Unfortunately, after various periods of time, many of us give up on the idea of a breakthrough and settle into a life of drudgery, routine, and hopelessness. Perhaps it’s time to get your hopes us!

Here’s the secret to breakthrough. Surrender to God’s inner wind. Let His Spirit freely flow from within you day and night.

God’s Interior Wind

Many Christians
Don’t even know
That God’s Spirit
Desires to flow
From inside them.
(John 7:38-39

To truly grow
Release the flow
Of the Spirit
From within you.
(Ephesians 4:30)

Boldly say no
To anything
That blocks God’s flow.
Now go and grow!
(1 Thessalonians 5:19)

Those born again
Can let God’s wind
Constantly blow
From deep within.
(John 3:6-8)

Ever enjoy
God’s rushing wind
(Acts 2:2)
That’ll lift you up
On eagles’ wings
(Isaiah 40:31)
Till your heart sings
Unceasingly.
(Ephesians 5:18-20)

God’s inner flow
Is way beyond
The things you know.
It’s a heart that’s
Open to grow
(Matthew 15:8)
And be led by
God the Spirit.
(Romans 8:14)

Organized religion hasn’t produced the unity in the body of Christ that Jesus so passionately prayed for. (John 17:21-23) Instead, it has hacked Christianity up into tens of thousands of independent churches and denominations that disagree with and work against each other in many ways.

True Christian unity only comes by the wind of God the Holy Spirit not through institutional churches. It’s time to give spontaneous, heart-to-heart, Spirit-led Christianity a chance. It’s time to go beyond letting the control and opinions of one man dominate church services week after week. It’s time to let God the Holy Spirit take control so that He can speak and testify (Revelation 12:11) in and through as many people as He wants to during a worship gathering. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Photo by Furdi De Rivera on Pexels.com
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The True Holiday Spirit

Posted on November 3, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Invent a holiday! Explain how and why everyone should celebrate.
View all responses

“The Fruit of the Vineyard” will release the true holiday spirit! Celebrate “The Fruit of the Vineyard Day” every single day of the year!

Jesus wants His followers to surrender to and be continually led by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14) He wants Christians to give Him the fruit of the Spirit (the fruit of the vineyard, Luke 20:10) overflowing from their heart to Him, to one another, and to everyone they encounter. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Jesus Christ wants people to have the glorious inner freedom (Romans 8:21) to unceasingly follow and obey God the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:1) He wants to set us free from bondage to religious laws (Galatians 5:4-6) and legalistic traditions (Mark 713) so that we can be led by the Spirit instead of being ruled by religious expectations and regulations. (Galatians 5:18) Jesus wants us to not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) so that God’s rivers of living water can continually overflow from deep within us (John 7:38-39) and produce the wonderful fruit of the Spirit that is free from the religious law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Christians need to be trained to “live by the Spirit” and to “keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) It’s not effective for them to merely be taught more and more religious information every Sunday. (2 Timothy 3:5-7) Christ-followers need more than sermons. They need interactive, hands-on, Spirit-led discipleship. (Matthew 28:19) Then they can live a lifestyle free from bondage to Spirit-quenching pride, spiritual envy, and church conflict. (Galatians 5:26)

Being led by the Spirit is God’s way. Anything that hinders Christians from being led by the Spirit is bondage. Politics and human control are the ways of the world. To revitalize Sunday morning church let people testify (Rev 12:11) and share Scriptures (Joshua 1:8) not simply sit and listen. (1 Cor 14:26)

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I’ll Do More Than Hear a Sermon

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Steve Simms

The heart of a worship service shouldn’t be a sermon. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” (Psalm 107:2) Release the overcoming power of people’s testimonies. (Revelation 12:11)

I’ll do more than hear a sermon
For a sermon in itself
Is not what God has required.
He looks much deeper within
To the way things are.
He’s looking into my heart.
I’m coming back to
Direct revelation
From the risen Jesus.
I’m sorry Lord for settling for a talk
When faith’s all about You.
It’s all about You.
Help me hear directly from You, Jesus.

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My Favorite “Inner-net” Site Is Joy.Jesus!

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What are your favorite websites?
View all responses

Find joy in low places! Luke 19:6 tells us that Zacchaeus came down from his tree and gladly welcomed Jesus. Perhaps we should do likewise.

If you want to be strong in the Lord, humble yourself, (James 4:10) come down from your high places, and gladly welcome the living Jesus into your heart, your home, and your life. Open up your heart to surrender to and to overflow with God’s joy.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) God wants to flood you with His indescribable and glorious joy. (1 Peter 1:8) Jesus says that He wants His joy to be in you and for your joy to be full. (John 15:11) Do you want Christ’s joyfulness?

The Bible says that the kingdom of God is not about religious rules or rituals. It’s about right living, inner peace, and Holy Spirit produced joy. (Romans 14:17) If you aren’t experiencing ongoing joy, you are quenching the Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

Begin to allow God the Holy Spirit to continually produce the fruit of His joy (Galatians 5:22-23) within and through you. Then you will “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)) You’ll discover that a cheerful heart is good medicine. (Proverbs 17:22)

Be glad and rejoice in the Lord. (Psalm 9:2) Let His written words be the joy of your heart. (Psalm 119:111-112) Even when you are persecuted for your faith, rejoice and be glad! (Matthew 5:12) Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. (Luke 6:23)

God keeps me glad by what He has done and is doing within and around me. (Psalm 92:4) Day by day gladness and everlasting joy overtake me and sorrow and sighing flee away. (Isaiah 51:11)

Go beyond routine religion to pure joy. Sermons are too often attempts to explain the unexplainable (Philippians 4:7) and to describe the indescribably glorious, (1 Peter 1:8) but the Bible teaches that the “enticing words of men’s wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:4) are not fully able to communicate the reality of risen Jesus. (1 Corinthians 4:20)

People need to see actual demonstrations of Christ’s presence, of His power, and of the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) like Zacchaeus did. People need to continually experience the reality of divine revelation imparted directly to their heart, (Matthew 16:17) not just hear a mentally prepared classroom-style lesson once a week. (2 Corinthians 4:6) People need Christ’s words to burn like fire within them, (Luke 24:32) not merely to be explained to their mind.

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Daily Reliving Joy and Amazement!

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live?
View all responses

Every day I relive joy and amazement. It recycles through my heart and my mind. It’s not my own joy and amazement. It’s a gift I receive day by day. Here’s the secret:

Don’t just stay
Sermon-stuck
Week by week.
Let your heart
Be awe-struck,
Daily dazzled
By Jesus.
Don’t just hear
With your mind.
Learn to find
Ways to let
Jesus bind
Your whole heart
With God’s Spirit.
Always pray.
Don’t lose heart.
(Luke 18:1)
Can Christ chart
Living faith
In your heart?
(Mark 7:6 & Luke 18:8)

Contemporary Christianity overflows with information overload. The Bible says not to do that. (James 1:22) I seek to let information about Jesus transform into experience and relationship with the risen Jesus. Then He fills me with joy and astonishment throughout each day.

Thoughts are like YouTube videos. You can choose which ones to focus on and which ones to ignore. “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

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Happy Reformation Day — October 31

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Steve Simms

Happy Reformation Day! It’s October 31.

There’s nothing spooky about celebrating people who try to change the way church is done so that it aligns closer with the Bible. “Sola Scriptura!” Thank God some people do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have the freedom to worship the way you believe the Bible tells you to. Instead, you would be held in the same Sunday format and programming for life by religious pressure. Celebrate a Reformer today.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
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The Historical Event I Daily Depend On

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Steve Simms
Daily writing prompt
What historical event fascinates you the most?
View all responses

There is one historical event that I daily depend on and constantly rely on. This historical event isn’t stuck in the past. It has a powerful life-changing effect on all who learn to persistently rely on it.

I’m talking about the most amazing event in human history. I’m talking about God becoming a human being named Jesus, dying on a cross to pay the penalty for human sin, and then rising from the dead to offer an eternal relationship with Him to whosoever will receive it.

I try to rely on the living resurrected Jesus Christ in all that I think, say, and do. I’ve discovered the reality of the words that Jesus spoke when He said, “If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) When I stay connected and surrendered to Jesus heart-to-heart, I experience the glory of His presence within me (Colossians 1:27) and the joyously peaceful fruit of His Spirit flowing from my innermost being. I’ve found nothing that can compare with heart intimacy with Christ.

Faith’s not science
Or religion.
It’s reliance
On Jesus
That leads to
Alliance
With Jesus
And to heart-felt
Compliance
With His will.
Ongoing
Reliance
On Jesus
Will make you well.

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