Tag Archives: book of Acts

Passive Church or Participatory Church? (Rest or Revival?)

Posted on March 11, 2013 by

Passive or participatory church?  Rest or revival? Is church passive or is it participatory? Is it structured or is it Spirit-led? Is it forced or is it flowing? Is it lifeless or is it lively? Is it dull or is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Christianity, church structure, Music City, religion, Spirit's flow, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual, TN | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Who Will Carry Me When I Feel Like I Can’t Go On?

Posted on November 15, 2012 by

Who will carry me when I am so weary and/or discouraged that I feel like I can’t go on?  There is Someone who comes as an inner flow — the Holy Spirit. “‘Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible type revival, biblical, Biblical concept, Christ, Christ followers, Christian, Christianity, discouragement, God, God experiment, John, joy, Judeo-Christian, motivation, move of God, movement, New Testament, power, power of the cross, powerhouse, praise and worship, prayer, prayer without ceasing, praying, praying in tongues, presence of God, Scriptures, speaking, speaking in tongues, spirit, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, spiritual skills | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Drunk Christians?

Posted on August 3, 2012 by

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 , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Was Matthias A Mistake? — The Human Need To Institutionalize Spirituality

Posted on July 22, 2012 by

Was replacing Judas (who had betrayed Jesus) with Matthias a mistake?  Was it a very early example of the human desire to institutionalize church?  Perhaps. The Book of Acts begins with the resurrected Jesus spending 40 days with the apostles … Continue reading →

Posted in 120 in upper room, Acts, acts of God, Bible, choice, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christian history, Christian values, Christianity, church, church history, church meetings, church programs, church roles, church structure, disciples, ekklesia, empty tomb, faith, fire, gift of God, gifts of the Spirit, God's authority, God's government, Gospel, Gospels, Greek word, guidance, hearing God, hearing Jesus, heirarchy, His story, history, Holy Spirit, house church, insight, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus' mother Mary, Judas, kingdom of God, life, lifestyle Christianity, Luke, Matthias, missional, move of God, movement, mysticism, non-church, organic church, Pentecost, pentecostals, presence of Christ, presence of God, quench the Spirit, Quotations, quote, Quotes, religion, revelation, revival, rivers of living water, Scriptures, speaking in tongues, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation, spiritual warfare, supernatural, The Voice, tongues of fire, tradition, unprogrammed church, voice of God, voices, What is church?, words on fire | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

What Rube Goldberg Machines Can Teach Us About Church

Posted on July 9, 2012 by

Rube Goldberg machines are complex contraptions that produce a sequence of what appears to be random actions that lead to a final result.  They are fun to watch.  You can find many videos of Rube Goldberg machines on YouTube. Perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century, American church, Berry Street, Bible, Biblical concept, bored in church, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian community, Christian history, Christian values, church history, church programs, church roles, church structure, East Nashville, ekklesia, good sermon, having a form of godliness, Holy Spirit, house church, I Corinthians 14:26, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, Kevin Brockmeier, Music City, non-traditional church, order of worship, organic church, participatory church, priesthood of the believer, relational church, religious ceremonies, Rube Goldberg, simple church, soul, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Can The Contempory Church Say “This Is That”?

Posted on May 5, 2012 by

Can the contemporary church say, like Peter did in the Book of Acts, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel,” as we point, like Peter did, to something supernatural that God is doing in our midst? It … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century, Acts, acts of God, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, Bible, Biblical concept, church, church structure, denominations, discipling, early church, evidence for God, eyewitness, gifts of the Spirit, house church, Jerusalem, lifestyles, missional, movement, Music City, mystery, mysticism, New Testament, non-traditional church, order of worship, organic church, Paul of Tarsus, Peter, popular culture, priesthood of the believer, proof of God, prophesy, prophet, prophet Joel, relational church, religion, show and tell, speaking in tongues, spiritual growth, supernatural, testimonies, the way we do church, this is that, tradition, which was spoken by the prophet Joel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Words

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

When I was a boy my dad had a book called:  Eloquence in Public Speaking: How To Set Your Words On Fire by Kenneth McFarland.  It was about how to put sparks in human hearts and it helped to create … Continue reading →

Posted in a hunka hunka burnin', Acts, alternative lifestyle, apologists, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, burning heart, change, Christian, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, early church, Jesus Christ, Kenneth McFarland, message, Music City, Nashville, organic church, participatory church, religion, revival, riot, simple church, spiritual combat, spiritual warfare, testimonies, The Salvation Army, the way we do church, turned the world upsidedown, witness, words on fire | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jesus Christ — Dead Or Alive?

Posted on April 9, 2012 by

Easter celebrations are over — the traditions, the religious ceremonies, the decorations, the egg hunts, the dress-up, the family gatherings, the greeting cards, the candy.  So what do you do after Easter?  Here are two choices: 1)  You can send … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts, adventure, alternative lifestyle, Bible, celebrations, challenges, choice, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian history, Christianity, church, dead man walking, deciision making, early church, East Nashville, God, greeting cards, hearing Jesus, holiday, holidays, jail, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Movement, meaning, Music City, mysticism, non-material reality, non-traditional church, opportunity, organic church, participatory church, presence of Christ, religion, religious ceremonies, spiritual, spiritual growth, supernatural | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What does the contemporary American church have that the early church in the Book of Acts didn’t have? Here are some possibilities . . . Christian tradition, ministries that people named with their own name, hierarchy, money, church buildings, self-confidence, freedom, one person in control of a church, denominations, laymen, the separation of life into sacred and secular, Bible schools and seminaries, conferences, religious TV networks, televangelists, tax-free status, clergy, a high level of organization, the fear of witnessing to others. Can you think of more things that we have that the early church didn’t have?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by
Posted in Acts, American, American church, Christian, Christian history, Christianity, church, church history, church structure, clergy, denominations, early church, ekklesia, freedom, laymen, non-traditional church, organic church, religion, sacred and secular, simple church, televangelists, the way we do church, Uncategorized, values, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wake Up Church! Present The Pervading Holy Presence!

Posted on March 31, 2012 by

Should church consist of: A pre-arranged program or a pervading Holy Presence? A man-made message or God-breathed spiritual life? Passively watching a pastor or priest perform or people passionately pursuing God’s Presence and Person? Religious head-knowledge or radical heart-transformation? Being conformed … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts, American church, Bible, bold statements, Christ, Christ-centered, Christian, Christian community, Christianity, corrupt culture, early church, ekklesia, going viral, guts and glory, kingdom of God, lifestyles, missional, movement, mysticism, Oh my God, organic church, people of God, religion, revolution, sermon, sermons, simple church, the way we do church, Uncategorized, Viral Jesus, wake up, What is church? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments