Tag Archives: religion

“Senior Pastors” — Meet The Senior Pastor!

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Steve Simms

Pastors, “Senior Pastors,” and all Christians:  Jesus is your Senior Pastor! One of my favorite Bible titles for the living, resurrected Jesus Christ is “Chief Shepherd.”  (See 1 Peter 5:4)  Our English word “pastor” is a translation of the Greek word … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Peter 5:4, Chief Shepherd, undershepherd | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

See The Holy Spirit Work A Room!

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Steve Simms

The Holy Spirit can work a room, moving from person to person, lighting faces and enlightening hearts and minds.  That’s what He wants to do when we Christians gather for worship.  All we have to do is loosen up our … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, church history, church meetings, Hell, Holy Spirit, how to, how to work a room, Nashville, not called did you say?, organic church, Protestant Reformation, Quench not the Spirit, Quotations, quote, Quotes, revival, sinner, sins, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual awakening, spiritual fire, spiritual movement, The Salvation Army, work a room | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Church — Spiritual Training Camp? Or Spectator Religion?

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Steve Simms

Like an NFL Training Camp, church should be hands-on training — not passive lecture. Through rigorous involvement and interaction, church should train believers in the spiritual skills and attitudes necessary to make a powerful, victorious, and godly impact in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bishop Charles H. Mason, COGIC, dodge ball, game of life, God, God calling, God experiment, God is truly among you, God with us, hearing God, hearing Jesus, Holy Spirit, lecture, NFL, organic church, Paul of Tarsus, prompting of the Spirit, quotation, quote, Quotes, science, science lab, simple church, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-prompted, spiritual athletes, spiritual training, spiritual transformation, Train yourself unto godliness., training camp, voice of God | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Real Measure Of A Church

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Steve Simms

What if the real measure of a church is: Not size, but surrender to God; Not coolness, but compassion; Not preaching, but participation; Not programs, but the power and Presence of God; Not bragging, but brokenness; Not the offering, but … Continue reading →

Posted in brokenness, church format, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, cool church, heart, heart of worship, heart-felt, humility, kinds of church, Nashville, Nashville church, non-church, non-traditional church, organic church, participators, participatory church, user friendly | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Think Outside The Sermon — Sermon-Free Church Quotations

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Steve Simms

“One filled with joy preaches without preaching.”  –Mother Teresa “Had Saul (who became Apostle Paul) met only a preacher and heard only a sermon, he might never have been heard of again. But Saul met Christ and heard His Voice.”  … Continue reading →

Posted in Adam Weishaupt, Apostle Paul, Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, Christianity, Daphne D.C. Pochin Mould, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Duane Dewel, Edgar A. Guest, encounter with God, George F. Pentecost, God, Harvey Cox, joy, lecture, Leonard Ravenhill, ministers, ministry, Mother Teresa, obedience, order of worship, organic church, Paul of Tarsus, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, public speaking, pulpit, quotation, quote, Quotes, Saul of Tarsus, see a sermon, sermon, sermon series, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, Sinclair Lewis, truth | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Spiritual Starvation / Biblical Realities

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Steve Simms

The 21st Century is suffering from spiritual starvation.  We have cast the realities of biblical language from our vocabulary.  Repentance, obedience, sacrifice, iniquities, self-denial, sin, judgment, salvation, rebellion, eternal life, mercy — these (and other) words that describe real human … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century, Bible, Bible concepts, Bible quotes, biblical, biblical Christianity, Biblical concept, biblical language, biblical studies, Christianity, eternal life, fantasy, iniquities, iniquity, mercy, obedience, obeying orders, rebellion, repentance, sacrifice, self-denial, spiritual starvation | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

From Independence Day to Dependence Day

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Steve Simms

Most people around the world know that the 4th of July is American Independence Day — when we relish the thought of being free from reliance on others.  However, perhaps we need to get beyond July 4th and acknowledge July … Continue reading →

Posted in American patriotism, American values, Americans, Christian values, Christianity, freedom, history, holidays, humility, kingdom of God, kingdom values, religious innovation, religious tradition, spiritual, spiritual healing, spiritual life, spirituality, values | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Type F Church or Type R Church?

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Steve Simms

Types Of Church Services (Type F Church & Type R Church) Type F (Familiar) Church — The same man reports on his biblical studies each week, while the congregation listens in a formal setting. Type R (Rare) Church — Various … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Bible study, biblical, biblical studies, Christianity, creativity, encouragement, gifts of the Spirit, innovation, innovators, organic church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvation Army women, Salvationists, Scriptures, Tennessee, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, TN, types of church | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Deciding What To Do With Desires

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Steve Simms

Most people would agree that some human desires should be resisted (the desire to commit suicide, for instance).  However, how do you decide which human desires to obey and which to resist?  Here are some questions to ask: Is the … Continue reading →

Posted in accountability, approval, character, compliance, compromise, compulsion, contemporary society, cravings, debate, deceipt, decision-making, discipline, disrespect, family values, harmful habit, harmful thinking, holiness, Jesus, Jesus Christ, moral decision, moral failure, moral foundations, moral judgment, moral laws, moral leaders, moral principles, moral restraints, morals, New Testament, purity, respect, respect for life, results, right and wrong, right conduct, right from wrong, right living, righteousness, selfish desires, selfishness, society, suicide, virtues, world religions | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Right To Speak Out (In Church)

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Steve Simms

Perhaps it’s time for church members (according to 1 Corinthians 14:26) to revive their right to speak out in church services.

Posted in church format, church meetings, church programs, church services, non-church, non-liturgical, non-traditional church, nonconforming, open church, open mike, order of worship, organic church, participants, participators, participatory church, religious ceremonies, rights, share, sharing, simple church, simplicity, speaking, speaking out, speech making, testimonies, testimony | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments