Tag Archives: religion

Are There Conditions On God’s Grace?

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Steve Simms

According to the Bible, amazing grace seems to be conditional.  Grace is free, but it’s not unconditional. “God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God . . .” (1 … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Peter, Bible, Bible quotes, Bible study, condition on grace, conditional grace, debt, definition, forgive us our trespasses, gives grace to the humble, God, God resists the proud, grace of God, Hebrews, New Testament, Quotations, quote, Quotes, root of bitterness, salvation, saved by grace, self-control, Titus, unforgiveness, ungodliness | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Baptist Pastor Promotes Participatory Church

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Steve Simms

I “stumbled upon” a 1971 book by a Baptist pastor that describes a participatory style church service: “One winter morning I stopped for worship at a small East Tennessee rural church . . . The singing stopped and he (the … Continue reading →

Posted in Albert McClellan, attitude, East Tennessee, festival, mystery, praising God, pray for one another, prayer, praying, praying community, Quotations, Quotes, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, shouting in church, simple church, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, weeping | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Talk Church Is Better Than Talk Radio

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Steve Simms

Talk church is better than talk radio.  Its talking points are about the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. Sit-back-and-listen-church makes people passive.  Open line, talk church makes people powerful in God as they show and tell what God has done on … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church format, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, faith, faith in God, faith-based, great awakening, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, improv, improvisation, Jesus Christ, John Miley, led by the Spirit, listening, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, non-church, open church, participants, participators, participatory church, power, powerful, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual church, spiritual flow, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, spirituality, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sermon-free church will irrigate your dry soul, flooding your heart with the power and presence of the living, resurrected Jesus Christ as everyday people, led by the Spirit, show and tell what God has done.

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Steve Simms

The Methodists used to practice sermon-free church. Sermon-Free church broke out across American in the late 1850s. The Quakers practiced sermon-free church. A prayer for sermon-free church from the late 1800s is being answered in Nashville.

Posted in church, church format, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, churching, Methodism, Methodists, Nashville, Nashville church, preaching, Quakers, sermon, sermon series, sermons, simple church | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sermon-Free Church Rocked The Early Methodists

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Steve Simms

The early Methodists practiced a type of sermon-free church known as class meetings.  These were weekly, participatory meetings where every person present was given the opportunity to talk about their life with God.  The first Methodist class meeting was started … Continue reading →

Posted in bear one another's burdens, Christian experience, Christianity, church, Frederick William Briggs, John Bate, John Berry McFerrin, John Wesley, Kevin Watson, Methodism, Methodist revivalists, Methodists, Nashville, Nashville adventure, Nashville charity, Quotations, quote, renewal, revival, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual awakening, spiritual growth, spiritual life, spiritual movement, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Problems Of Unrestrained Pleasure-Seeking

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Steve Simms

Watch the TV news and observe a fact: Without self-restraint human nature produces all sorts of evil: meanness, disrespect, bullying, abuse, violence, rage, arrogance, injustice, deceit, self-destruction, vulgarity, hatred, cruelty, fraud. Unrestrained human nature destabilizes society and eventually leads to … Continue reading →

Posted in abuse, America, American, church, cruelty, deceit, fraud, hate, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, oppression, pleasure-seeking, salvation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, self-control, self-destruction, self-discipline, self-inflicted, self-produced, self-respect, self-restraint, TV, TV network, TV news, violence, violence in society, violent streak | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A believer needs to be a leaver — leaving sin and self-focus behind.

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Steve Simms
Posted in characteristics of a Christian, faith in God, faith-based, I'm a believer, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, repent, repentance, sinner, sins | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Release or Re-Leash?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Steve Simms

Release of the Spirit — or — Re-leash of the Spirit? Have you ever noticed that whenever there is a release of the Holy Spirit, the human tendency is to re-leash Him and get church back under human control and … Continue reading →

Posted in church format, church leader, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, God on a leash, hymn, hymns, I Corinthians 14:26, instruction, interpretation, interpretation of tongues, leash, participants, participators, participatory church, release of the Spirit, relevation, religion, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, simple church, speaking in tongues, spectators, spirit, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual church, spiritual interaction, spiritual life, spiritual movement, The Salvation Army, theology, tongues | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

17 Benefits Of Prayer Walking

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Steve Simms

Prayer walking with The Salvation Army Flag does many things: 1) It increases the amount of intercessory prayer for your neighborhood; 2) It helps you to understand the needs in your neighborhood; 3) It increases your love for the people … Continue reading →

Posted in aggressive Christianity, book of Joshua, fear, fear of man, God, Holy Spirit, intercession, intercessory prayer, overcoming fear, pray for one another, prayer, prayer without ceasing, praying, praying community, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Salvationists, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, team, territory, The Salvation Flag | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Testimony Church

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Steve Simms

Show & Tell Church  (A song/poem about testimony church.) We each one speak about What we’ve seen and heard Our experience With the living Word, Showing and telling God’s great wonders Our lives are changed As the Spirit thunders! “I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, churching | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments