Author Archives: Carl Simmons

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About Carl Simmons

See the About Me page, if you want to know more about ME. Otherwise, hopefully you'll know more about Jesus and some of his followers by reading here. And thanks for stopping by.

Lay Down Your Bitterness

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Carl Simmons

I had originally considered calling this entry “Lay Down Your Judgment” or “Lay Down Your Grudges.” Either would have worked, and I’ll touch upon them here. But I think the title I settled on captures both those ideas, and something … Continue reading →

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Honey, If You’re Walking Wounded… Then You Really Oughta Get This.

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Weeks later, I’m still trying to put my finger on exactly what’s different about this album, and why the danged thing won’t get out of my rotation—as if that were a problem…. But you if (and its creator) can bear … Continue reading →

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Lay Down Your Hurt

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Carl Simmons

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the following passage: “He (Christ) was numbered with the transgressors” (Mark 15:28, cf. Isaiah 53:12). I believe that in our own way we too are called to be “numbered with the transgressors,” and … Continue reading →

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Lay Down What’s Done

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Last week was about you receiving forgiveness. This week, it’s about you extending it—to others, and ultimately to yourself as well. So yes, this week we’re still more focused on the “negative” pieces of our lives, but the bigger focus … Continue reading →

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Lay Down Your Old Life: a small-group session

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Have everyone take their shoes off before entering your meeting area. If this is your first time together, ask group members to introduce themselves and share what they’re each hoping to get out of this study. (You can ask this … Continue reading →

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Lay Down Your Shame

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Carl Simmons

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8, NIV). One of the very first things Peter says to Jesus captures a huge issue for many of us. After a night of fishing and catching nothing, Jesus … Continue reading →

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Lay Down Your Sin

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Carl Simmons

No matter where you are in relation to Jesus, “sin” is an ugly word. Just saying the word causes problems, so let’s get on the same page before moving forward. In the days and weeks to come we’ll break this … Continue reading →

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Lay Down Your Pride

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Now that we know who we are in Christ and have our heads on straight, now we can begin to deal with laying down our sin. We’ll explore this more broadly tomorrow, but today let’s start with one sin in … Continue reading →

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A Leadership Skeleton Worth Putting Flesh On

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Carl Simmons

There’s a lot of concepts and practical ideas packed into this comparatively slender book—so much so that I wish it’d been noticeable thicker so that it all could have been unpacked more. Nonetheless, and especially for those who aren’t big-time readers, … Continue reading →

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Lay Down Your “Head”

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Carl Simmons

There’s a popular adage that’s been the chorus of at least a few good songs, which goes like this: “Everything you know is wrong.” That’s not entirely true, obviously (I think), but there’s still a lot of truth to it. … Continue reading →

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