Tag Archives: religion

Drunk Christians?

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Steve Simms

Some observers of the early Christians made fun of them and said:  “They have had too much wine.”  (Would you use the word “drunk” to describe a gathering of Christians, nowadays?) Here’s the response to that accusation, given by Jesus’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts 2, acts of God, alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous, alternative lifestyle, Apostle Peter, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Biblical concept, booze it up, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, church, church history, church meetings, drinking, DUI, Ephesus, filled with the Spirit, free spirit, good sermon, guilt, hangover, inner peace, inner rivers, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus' mother Mary, life, lifestyle Christianity, makes change, miracles, missional, morality, morals, move of God, movement, Music City, mysticism, Nashville, New Testament, new wine, Oh my God, on the web, Paul of Tarsus, peace, persecution, Peter, preaching, presence of God, priesthood of the believer, prophesy, prophet, prophet Joel, quench the Spirit, quote, Quotes, reformation, salvation, sober up, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual drunkenness, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, testimony, This is that spoken by the prophet Joel, Why be a Christian? | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

The Judgment To Come / What Goes Around Comes Around

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Steve Simms

Here’s a shocking truth:  The full story of faith in Christ involves human accountability (also known as: what goes around comes around, reaping what you sow, payday someday, and the judgment to come). Let’s step back into history and listen … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts 24, alternative lifestyle, American, answer to God, Apostle Paul, authority, Bible, Biblical concept, choice, Christ, Christian, Christian history, church history, clear conscience, conscience, conviction, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, cravings, criticism, deciision making, deny yourself, discipline, Felix, God's authority, God's government, Gospel, grace, guilt, harmful habit, harmful thinking, hate speech, having a form of godliness, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heart care, history, Holy Spirit, inward change, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judgment, judgments, justice, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, normal Christianity, Oh Sinner Man, payday someday, phobic, political correctness, pride, reaping what you sow, repent, repentance, right and wrong, right conduct, right living, righteousness, Roman governor, Savior, self-control, sin, soul, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, the Gospel, voice of God, wages of sin, what goes around comes around | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Olympics — Thoughts For Spiritual Athletes

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Steve Simms

Life’s not about achievement.  It’s not about how many medals you (or your country) win.  Life’s about aligning yourself to God and to His will. That’s what matters most in the long haul. “If Christians were putting into their spiritual … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 9:25, 1 Timothy 4:7, alternative lifestyle, ancient Olympics, asceticism, ascetics, athletes, attitude, belief, belief system, burning heart, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, courage, disciple making, discipline, discipling, glory, God, godliness, guilt, guts and glory, I Corinthians 9:25, I Timothy 4:7, idealism, inward change, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is Lord, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, Lord, monastery, monastics, mystery, mysticism, Olympic athletes, Olympic medals, prayer, presence of Christ, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religious ceremonies, right conduct, sacrifice, saved, Savior, self-discipline, self-help, soul, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills, spiritual walk, spiritual warfare, surrender to God, tebow, tebowing, training, Warren Wiersbe, Why be a Christian? | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Am I A Victim Of Discrimination & Hate Speech For Being A Tongue-Talker?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Steve Simms

I have been a tongue-talker for forty-one years.  (Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit that enables a person to speak in languages he/she doesn’t know.  It is a powerful spiritual experience that fills a person with … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative lifestyle, attitude, belief, belief system, business, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, clear conscience, coffee, compliance, compromise, conscience, contemporary, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, criticism, cruel, cultural taboos, deciision making, deny yourself, disapproval, ethics, faith-based, fast food, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, guidance, hate, hate speech, human rights, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, message, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, natural laws, preference, prejudice, restaurant, right and wrong, right conduct, self-denial, sex, sex in marriage, sin, Starbucks, victims, Western world | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Where Is Evil? In Bad People Or In Me?

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Steve Simms

When terribly evil acts are committed like a gunman randomly shooting strangers, most everybody is deeply saddened.  We are shocked and awakened to once again realize that there is real evil in the world.  And sometimes we think about it … Continue reading →

Posted in atrocities, Baghdad, boundaries, Christ, Christian, compliance, conscience, corrupt culture, cravings, cruel, cultural taboos, destructive actions, freedom, harmful thinking, hate speech, human nature, idolatry, judgment, Katrina, magnet, meaning, meaninglessness, moral principles, moral restraints, morality, morals, motivation, Paul of Tarsus, persuasion of media, political correctness, popular culture, pride, pull of evil, punishment, Quotations, quote, Quotes, repent, repentance, salvation, saved, Savior, seduction, sets the captives free, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, temptation, thoughts, Uncategorized, values, victims, wrestling | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Inner Peace In A Troubled World?

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Steve Simms

Can you have inner peace in a troubled world?  This video uses 4 hand signs and creative sign language to show you how. The icon in the video is from the Abbey of Gethsemani, a Trappist monastery in Kentucky where … Continue reading →

Posted in Abbey of Gethsemani, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christian organizations, Christian values, Christianity, church, church history, congregational, creativity, cross, deny yourself, hand signs, hearing God, hope, inner peace, inner rivers, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, meaning, miracles, monastery, monks, mystery, mysticism, new birth, peace, power of the cross, salvation, saved, Savior, silent retreat, spiritual formation, surrender to God, video, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

In a country where you can get shot along with 70 others while going to a movie . . . we desperately need God.

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Steve Simms

A quotation from the ancient prophet, Isaiah: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

Posted in Christian values, Christianity, church, comfort, compassion, conviction of sin, corrupt culture, faith, God, God-shaped vacuum, His story, injury, injustice, Isaiah, justice, Lord, meaninglessness, morality, morals, political issue, popular culture, revelation, revival, salvation, search for significance, searching for significance, sinner, soul, spiritual awakening, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, surrender to God, values, violence, violent streak | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lifestyle (Real World) Christianity

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Steve Simms

Lifestyle Christianity is faithful faith — faith that lives faithfully according to its values and beliefs.  Its focus is to actually follow and obey the commands of Christ rather than to merely swallow a prepackaged belief system about Him. Lifestyle … Continue reading →

Posted in belief, belief system, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, challenges, change, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian community, Christian history, Christian organizations, Christian values, church, church history, church programs, church roles, church structure, commands, community, confession, creeds, deeds, disciples, discipling, faith, faith-based, faithfulness, forgiveness, gifts of the Spirit, guilt, inward change, life, lifestyle Christianity, lifestyles, Music City, Nashville, obedience, one anothers, organic church, peace, presence of God, real world, recovery, religious ceremonies, self-denial, simple church, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual disciplines, spiritual growth, supernatural, support group, team, values, witness | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

Taking An Amazing Flag To The Streets

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Steve Simms

The purpose of a flag is not just to be on a stage in a building but to fly outdoors over the territory that it rules.  There is an amazing, but little known flag, that has been in the forefront … Continue reading →

Posted in Blood and Fire, Catherine Booth, Christ, Christian, Christian flag, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, contemporary, conviction of sin, Coventry, Creator, drug dealers, dust bin, dustbin, East Nashville, England, evangelistic meetings, faith-based, faithfulness, fire, flag, God's authority, Gospel, Great Britain, Great Commission, hearing God, high tech, history, Holy Spirit, international movement, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, move of God, movement, Music City, Nashville, Nashville City Paper, national flags, non-church, normal Christianity, open airs, openairs, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, presence of God, prostitutes, Salvationists, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual warfare, testimonies, testimony, The Salvation Army, The Salvation Flag, to the streets, witness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Does LP Field Have A Message For Nashville? Perhaps. (New Name = Nissan Stadium)

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Steve Simms

Besides Tennessee Titans’ NFL games, does LP Field have a message for Nashville?  Perhaps. Since I wrote this blog post, the name LP Field has been changed to Nissan Stadium. Nisan is a Hebrew word. It is the name of the first … Continue reading →

Posted in 07/07/07, American, American church, American history, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christian, Christian history, Christian organizations, church history, conviction of sin, country music, East Nashville, freedom, Grand Ole Opry House, His story, history, intercession, Jewish New Year, Jim Crow, LP Field, move of God, movement, Music City, Nisan, prayer, prayer walking, prayer without ceasing, revival, Ryman Auditorium, slavery, spiritual, spiritual awakening, Tennessee Titans, The Call Nashville, The Salvation Army, Titans' stadium, Union Gospel Tabernacle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments