Monthly Archives: April 2011

Experiencing God In Strangers

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Steve Simms

You don’t shoot salesmen, do you?” asked a 20 year old white boy as he stood on a black man’s front porch in Columbus, Georgia during the racial uprising of the summer of 1971. The smiling white boy was wearing … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, biography, black history, God, history, house church, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, organic church, popular culture, self-help, Uncategorized | Tagged 1971, a black Jesus, asked, better felt than telt, black history, black man's, Black Panthers, black woman, bless, Bobby Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, books, borther, burned out, Christian, Columbus, different race, discouraged homesick, door-to-door, ear-to-ear, Ebony's Pictorial History Of Black America, fellowship, front porch, GA, Glory to God, God's work, grocery store, hands, harmed, holding hands, Jackie Robinson, Jesus, kinship, love, lynching, Madame C.J. Walker, marched, Martin Luther King Jr., picture, police, praying for each other, President Kennedy, racial uprising, riot gear, sales presentation, salesmen, sample copy, Savior, seat, segregation police dogs, sister, slavery, sold, son, soul, Steve Simms, strangers, sweet Jesus, territory, testify, the Jackson Five, thrreatened, Where Could I Go But To the Lord, white boy, white owned, wiping away tears, yard, you don't shoot salesmen | 3 Comments

The Powerful, Lost Church-Format

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Steve Simms

Regardless of denomination, doctrine, or socio-economic group, church meetings follow pretty much the same format. This is true no matter where you go. You probably know the format. It begins with a Call To Worship and then includes some singing. … Continue reading →

Posted in God, house church, lifestyles, Nashville, organic church, popular culture, religion | Tagged 1600s early, AA, active, active participatent, Alcoholics Anonymous, amazing, announcements, another language, attending, audience, benediction, Berry Street, Bible, Bible-based, Biblical, building, Call to Worship, Christians, church meetings, churches, closing song, conducts church, confessing, controlled, daydream, denomination, different, direct the meeting, doctrine, drinking, each one has a, earliest, economic, embarrassment, encouraging, fidget, follow the same, foreign desperate for help, format, free, freedom from bondage, gather, God, God's Spirit, group, held, hidden, house church, international, interpretation, link, listen, liturgy, lost, may cause some discomfort, moved by, Nashville, New Testament, no pride, non-traditional, nothing to lose, offering, open, organic church, participation, passive listening, person up front, personal, psalm, Quakers, radically, rare, reading, Responsive Reading, revelation, sacraments, scoop, seeking, sermon, sharing, singing, snooze, socio, Spirit led, spiritual growth, support group, supporting, taken, talk, teaching, whenever you come together, willing to try, worship services | 36 Comments

Don’t Picture People In Their Undies!

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Steve Simms

How to make spectacular speeches: Have you ever heard the advice for public speaking: “Imagine the audience in their underwear”? Don’t do it! The thought of speech making to a bunch of folks in their undies can ruin your presentation. … Continue reading →

Posted in lifestyles, popular culture, public speaking, self-help, speech making | Tagged advice for public speaking, amazed, Imagine the audience in their underwear, ruin your presentation, speech making, ten techniques, undies, use | Leave a comment

The Ignored/Forgotten Human Rights

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Steve Simms

All human beings have God-given rights that should be respected by governments, religions, corporations, and individuals. Many human rights are being proclaimed, defended, and protected by individuals and organizations around the world. The following human rights, however, have been neglected, … Continue reading →

Posted in God, history, human rights, lifestyles, popular culture, self-help, social justice, Uncategorized | Tagged a job well done, about, accomplishment, beauty, behave, being alive, cooperations, daily, defended, demand your rights, encouraging, enjoyment of life, excitement, family, fear, fighting to protect, for yourself, forgotten, Friends, fulfilling, genuine self-esteem, God-given rights, guarantee these rights, human rights, ignored, individuals, inner compulsions, inspiring, make yourself think, motivating dream, nature, neglected, organization, proclaimed, protected, purpose, relationships, religions, respected by governments, right to freedom from bondage, secure them for yourself, self-destructive habits, self-respect, sense of personal fulfillment, shame, the right to enthusiasm, the right to freedom from guilt, the right to personal peace of mind, the right to victory over worry, tormenting, with other people, work, world | Leave a comment

America’s Forgotten Freedom Fighters

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Steve Simms

The new PBS series, The Abolitionists, features five forgotten American freedom fighters — William Lloyd Garrison, Angelina Grimke, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and John Brown (more about Brown in the 3rd paragraph from the end of this article). How … Continue reading →

Posted in abolitionists, Angelina Grimke, biography, black history, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Beecher Stowe, history, lifestyles, Quotations, Quotes, self-help, social justice, Uncategorized, William Lloyd Garrison | Tagged abolitionist, against slavery, Alton, American freedom, American Indians, American presidents, anti-slavery movement, attack, black Americans, brave, bravely, burned, burned at the stake, by a mob, chose to use violence, Civil Rights Movement, courageous decision, editorials, Elijah Lovejoy, families, fellow, foreign soil, Francis J. McIntosh, freedom fighters, freedom riders, hanged, Harpers Ferry, hero, history, history writers, honor, I won't forget the men who died, I'm proud to be an American, Ilinois, Jim Crow, John Brown, Jr., Lee Greenwood, liberation, liberty and justice for all, Lydia Marie Child, lynched, Martin Luther King, Medgar Evans, minister, modern wars, monument, Nat Turner, nobel deed, Observer, PBS Series, peaceful methods, prayer, Presbyterian, press, published, quotation, racial lines, religious newspaper, right here in the, runaways, sacrifices, saint, slaveholders, slavery is a sin, slaves, song, Southhampton County, St. Louis, the abolitionists, the South, to fight for freedom, to give that right to me, tool, tribes, turning point, underground railroad, USA, Virginia, where at least I know I'm free, white | 2 Comments

Have A Jesus Demonstration Sunday

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Steve Simms

Churches like to have special Sundays. For example, many churches have an annual Youth Sunday when the church teenagers actually run the church service, from song leading, to announcements, to sermon, while the pastor sits and watches. So I was … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, Creator, God, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, Nashville, organic church, popular culture, Quotations, Quotes, religion, Uncategorized | Tagged 2:4-5, alive and present, announcements, annual, awkward, beautiful, Biblical, churches, congegation, demonstration of the Spirit, enticing words of man's wisdom, facebook, faith, heart, I Corinthians, in the power of God, in the wisdom of man, Jesus Christ, Jesus demonstration, kids, lead, let Jesus, living, meeting, miss, morning, organic church, page, pastor, Paul, personally per year, power, preaching, really true, right things at the wrong time, sermon, sharing, simple church, sits and watches, smile, song leading, Special Sundays, Sunday, tapestry, teen leaders, to Jesus, unfold, voice, why not, Youth Sunday | 16 Comments

Where Is The Heart In American Christianity?

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Steve Simms

I wonder, where is heart-moving, life-changing Christianity in America? I hear the preaching, the teaching, the doctrines, the creeds; but where is the passion to follow and obey Jesus every day? I see the beautiful buildings, the preachers’ promotional pictures, … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, Creator, God, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, organic church, religion, resurrection, Uncategorized | Tagged a rescue, a thrill, American Christianity, attended, beautiful buildings, broken, brokenness, Christ, Christian celebrities, Christianity in America, conferences, consider others better than yourself, contemporary concerts, creeds, doctirnes, every day, fund raising, give their all for Jesus, heart-moving, hyped-up, lay down their pride, least of these, life, life-changing, love, manipulation, material blessings, miracles, no name recognition, passion, personal kingdom buildang, personality promoting meetings, poor, position, preachers' promotional pictures, preaching, promise of wealth, receive all the glory, religious services, revivals, seeking, service, spiritual feel-good experiences, Sunday meetings, teaching, tears humility, the heart, the sacrifices, their rights, to follow and obey Jesus, TV shows, unabashed self-promotion, where is | 3 Comments

11 Big American Lies About Sex

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Steve Simms

Here are 11 big lies about sex that Americans are continually fed through various forms of media: 1) It is perfectly acceptable to use a human being for your selfish physical pleasure (as long as they are consenting). 2) Whenever you … Continue reading →

Posted in lifestyles, popular culture, sex, Uncategorized | Tagged media, Americans, TV, pregnant, killed, 11, lies about sex, big, continually fed, various forms, perfectly, acceptable, to use a human being, selfish, physical pleasure, consenting, go for it, sleep around, cheapo sex, cool, discuss, birth control, hook up, Don't, use condoms, movie sex scene, baby, pay, executing, unborn, child, sexually transmitted, cervical cancer, sexually active, safely, urges, irresistable, give in, STDs, threat to your health, drugs, sex in marriage, married, couple | 9 Comments

This Week We Celebrate: Dead Man Walking Day

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Steve Simms

Dead Man Walking Day is better known as Easter. It is the day we remember the crucified Son of Man getting up from among the corpses and walking out of His tomb. For untold millions of people, the Resurrection of … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, biography, Creator, Easter, God, Good Friday, history, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, organic church, religion, resurrection, Uncategorized | Tagged dead man walking, Easter, empty tomb, He rose, Jesus Christ, resurrection | 1 Comment

How Did We Get The Bible?

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Steve Simms

Where did the Bible come from? The Bible didn’t just float down from Heaven on golden pages. It was written by human beings who were inspired by God. The first 5 books of the Old Testament were written by Moses. … Continue reading →

Posted in apologists, God, Good Friday, history, Jesus Christ, lifestyles, organic church, popular culture, Quotations, Quotes, religion, self-help, Uncategorized | Tagged accurately, Acts, address, anti-Christians, apsotle, authenticity, author, bear, cannon, careful, cell phones, centuries, Christians, collections council, commitment, copies, copy, copying the Word of God, devotion, disciples, Discovery Channel, e-mail, English, Ephesians, epistles, exchange, fellowshipped, first 5 books, friend, generations, generations monks, Gospel of Judas, Gospels, Greek, history, How did we get the Bible?, I Corinthians, inspired by God, intentionally left out, Jesus Christ, Jewish, large cities, Letters, Moses, mystical, name, New Testament, Old Testament, on golden pages, passed down, Philippians, postal service, prayer, preserved, read, religious, reproduce, revelation, Roman Empire, sacrifice, Scripture, scrools, sermons, snail, support groups, targeted, The Banned Books Of The Bible, The Torah, treasured, TV show, victorious life, Where did the Bible come from? float down from Heaven, wirtten by human beings, wives of the apostles, word, worshiped | 8 Comments

Monthly Archives: April 2011

Experiencing God In Strangers

Don’t Picture People In Their Undies!

Where Is The Heart In American Christianity?

11 Big American Lies About Sex

This Week We Celebrate: Dead Man Walking Day

How Did We Get The Bible?

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