Tag Archives: Christianity

The living, resurrected Jesus doesn’t just love and tolerate us in our wrongful behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes. He sets us free!

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Steve Simms
Posted in acceptance, freedmen, religion, sin, sins, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, spirituality | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wanted: Pioneers To Blaze A Spiritual Trail

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Steve Simms

Pioneers Wanted To Blaze A Trail Into God’s Spiritual Frontier. . . * Hearing God’s voice and doing what He says; * Permitting believers to minister to one another; * Considering others better than yourself; * Allowing Christ, Himself, to … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative church, alternative to preaching, God's voice, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville news, Nashville projects, new frontier, new kind of church, New Testament, one another, one anothering, one anothers, organic church, prompted by the Spirit, prompting of the Spirit, promptings, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, selfish desires, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, spiritual adventure, spiritual church, spiritual disciplines, spiritual discovery, spiritual experience, spiritual innovation, spiritual interaction, spiritual leaders, spiritual prompting, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, spontaneity, The Salvation Army, wagon train, ways of doing church, worship, worship leader, you can all prophesy | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

From Health to Helplessness in 30 Minutes (And Back)

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Steve Simms

Yesterday I went from health to helplessness in 30 minutes. I was mowing my yard and suddenly got stung multiple times by yellow jackets. The sudden stinging pain was shocking. As I ran into my house I felt a yellow … Continue reading →

Posted in and back, burning sensation, Christianity, Epinephrine, healing, health system, heart monitor, hives, numbness, pain, recovery, spirituality, swollen tongue, treatment for a bee sting, trusting God in an emergency, yellow jacket sting, yellow jacket stings, Yellow jackets | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Irrigation, Living Water & New Wineskins

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Steve Simms

Our dry souls need to be irrigated with much Living Water.  An effective irrigation system has many waterspouts, not just one.  God’s living water flows lavishly in church meetings when many people are free to share the living water that … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, flow, flow of the Spirit, flowing of the Holy Spirit, heart care, heart of worship, heart-felt, Holy Spirit, irrigation system, Jesus, Jesus Christ, no one pours new wine, preaching, preaching the Word, sermon, sermons | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Dorothy In Oz, Wheels, Soul Train, TEAM, Yall, Lights, & A Quiz (Examples/Metaphors of Participatory Church)

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Steve Simms

Some metaphors for participatory church: Experiencing participatory church at Berry Street is like Dorothy stepping into a world of living color when she enters the land of Oz in “The Wizard of Oz.” Church is often like a unicycle, focused … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, big wheel, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church organizational chart, church program, church programs, church quiz, church roles, church services, Dorothy Wizard of Oz, New Testament, plural for you, religion, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, soul, soul train, Southern English, team, Team Church, Tennessee, Together Everyone Accomplishes More, unicycle, yall | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Absolutely amazing special effects occur when the living, resurrected Jesus Christ is personally allowed to direct a church meeting and to speak through ordinary men and women.

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Steve Simms
Posted in Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit promptings, house church, open church, participatory church, simple church, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual church | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Right To Grab Some Grace (Is An Oxymoron)

Posted on September 14, 2013 by Steve Simms

In a culture that continually demands its rights, it is important to remember that there is not a right to grace.  (That’s an oxymoron.)  You can’t just grab some grace and have it your way, like a fast food burger.  … Continue reading →

Posted in book of James, contemporary society, corrupt culture, culture, fast food, fast food burger, have it your way, have mercy on me a sinner, human rights, If grace is an ocean, Jesus, Jesus prayer, McKay Books, McKay Bookstore, mercy, Nashville, New Testament, on demand, Orthodox, Orthodox monks, parable, Pharisee and the publican, pride, quotation, quote, Quotes, rights, sense of entitlement, sinner, streaming, The Practice of The Presence of God | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Church Ledership — Hierarchy or Humility?

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Steve Simms

Should leadership in the church be based on hierarchy or humility?   Well, according to Jesus leadership is not established by human authority, official position, titles, rank, strength, or hierarchy; but by humility, service, weakness, brokenness before God, and submission … Continue reading →

Posted in church format, church leadership, church meetings, church organizational chart, church programs, church roles, denominations, do it, facebook, God resists the proud, God's authority, have mercy on me a sinner, hymn, hymns, ministers, ministry, Mother Mary, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, pastor, Quench not the Spirit, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, theology, web, website | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

An Idea Whose Time Has Come: It’s Time For The Church To Step Up!

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Steve Simms

Open sharing and participation in church services is an idea whose time has come.  It’s time for the church to step up! *  We are living in an age when communication, entertainment,  and education is becoming more and more participatory … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, AA, Alcoholics Anonymous, NA, Narcotics Anonymous, New Testament, time to step up, tolerance, Western religion, Western society | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Church — In Sync or Spontaneous?

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Steve Simms

During praise and worship an image came to my mind. I saw a group of people, all neatly facing the front of the room, sitting at banquet tables with full plates in front of them. Then I saw a man … Continue reading →

Posted in 37207, banquet, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit promptings, in unison, living God, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, Nashville events, not being fed in church, organic church, praise, praise and worship, praising God, program, programmed, programmed from the front, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, spiritual food, spontaneity, The Salvation Army, unprogrammed church, unrehearsed, vision, visions from God, We've always done it that way", Western religion, Western society, Western world, What is church?, what to do in Nashville, worship, worship center, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments