Tag Archives: religion

When a culture continually casts God’s commandments into denial river, it causes confusion, conflict, and eventual collapse.

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Steve Simms
Posted in commandments, commands, conflict, confusion, cultural taboos, culture, deceipt, deception, ethics, God's commandments, judging, judgment, judgments, laws, moral, moral failure, moral failures, moral foundations, moral laws, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, right and wrong, right conduct, right from wrong, right living, values | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Holidays: Preference, Orientation, & Freedom!

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Steve Simms

What is your holiday preference?  My holiday orientation is Christmas — celebrating the birth of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ! Christmas is Freedom Day — time for mental, emotional, and spiritual captives to be set free from their self-destructive thoughts, … Continue reading →

Posted in courage, Cyprus, He will save His people from their sins, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Maximos, narcissism, orientation, preference, quotation, quote, Quotes, self-focus, self-importance, self-indulgence, self-interest, self-will, selfish desires, selfishness, sin, sinner, sinning, sins, you shall call Him Jesus | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Church, Jesus, and the Father’s business

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Steve Simms

“I must be about my Father’s business.” –Jesus We’ve all been told to “Mind your own business,” but whose business should a church (or ministry) mind?  If a church (or ministry) is really dedicated to God, shouldn’t it operate according … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Bible quotes, Biblical concept, control, I must be about my Father's business", Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus quotes, Jesus' hands, Mind your own business, Nashville, Nashville church, Nashville news, organic church, pastor, preacher, priest, quotation, quote, Quotes, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Tennessee | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

3 Thought-provoking questions . . .

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Steve Simms

What if Jesus intended church to be a community of loving believers, instead of a series of weekly lectures? What if leadership is more effective by example rather than by title or office or position? Perhaps that is what God … Continue reading →

Posted in church leadership, community, pro choice, pro life, prochoice, sermon series, sermon-hearing, sermons, spiritual leaders, unborn | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Realty TV / Reality Church . . .

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Steve Simms

Reality church? We have reality TV that features ordinary people. So, why not reality church, where everyday people show and tell why God has done? When church is scripted, the freedom to flow in the Spirit is restricted to the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Andy Chamberlain, C. Wess Daniels, Constance M. Cherry, experiential worship, Fuller Seminary, Music City, Nashville, new kind of church, New Testament, open church, open mike, open sharing, order of worship, participation, participation in church, participatory culture, participatory sermons, passivity, pastor, popular culture, quotation, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Ryan Bolger, Ryan Flanigan, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, television, TV, TV network, William Willimon, worship, worship center, worship gathering | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Atheism or A Theism

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Steve Simms

Atheism doubts and denies a Creator, while putting great faith in the ability of nothing to produce everything. Atheism is the ultimate personification — bestowing on nothing the abilities of an intelligent being — the capacity to create, to bring … Continue reading →

Posted in a theism, big bang, Big Bang Theory, Calculating God, Christianity, creation, creativity, Creator, Fred Hoyle, God, Isaac Newton, Islam, Judaism, Paul Davies, quotation, quote, Quotes, Robert Jay Sawyer, Samuel Butler, science, scientific debate | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Christmas Lights

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Steve Simms

No man puts up dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of Christmas lights and then only lets one light shine.  He turns on all the lights and if any light or lights don’t shine, he replaces the bulbs. Perhaps God wants … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ followers, Christmas tree lights, church, church services, light, light bulbs, Nashville, Nashville church, open church, open sharing, organic church, participation in church, participatory church, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, simple church, Sunday, Sunday morning, support group, you are the light of the world | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“The Christmas Candle” Confirms The Concept Of Sermon-Free Church

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Steve Simms

The new movie The Christmas Candle is an amazing confirmation of The Salvation Army Berry Street’s participatory worship where everyday people show and tell what God has done.  I’ve been writing and posting, on my blog and on Facebook, for … Continue reading →

Posted in angels, angels watching over you, burning heart, Christmas candles, church, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church services, cynicism, demonstrations of the Spirit, glory, glory of God, interrupting a sermon, interrupting in church, miracles, miraculous, Music City, Nashville, Nashville charity, organic church, participatory church, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationism, Salvationists, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, testifying, testimonies, testimonies in church, testimony, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Would God Tell A Preacher To Stop Preaching?

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Steve Simms

I love to preach, however a few years ago God told me to stop preaching and instead,  to let ordinary believers show and tell what God has done! So I stopped, yet still I greatly miss it.  By the time … Continue reading →

Posted in by the word of their testimony, church format, church leader, church leadership, church program, church services, dream, homiletics, ministers, ministry, motivational speaker, oratory, pastor, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, prompting of the Spirit, public speaking, Salvation Army, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army officer, teaching, testimonies in church, testimony | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

The Dangerous 21st Century Needs Spiritual Trailblazers

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Steve Simms

The way ahead in the 21st Century is no yellow brick road. It is a dangerous wilderness and we Christ-followers need to cast aside our comfort zone, come out of our church customs, and cut a new trail — following … Continue reading →

Posted in Adam S. McHugh, church, Gideon, John the Baptist, open church, order of worship, organic church, overseer, overseers, oversight, politics, politics and religion, quotation, quote, Quotes, Solomon, unpredictable, unprogrammed church | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments