Author Archives: Carl Simmons

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About Carl Simmons

See the About Me page on my site, 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.

The Brutality of Salvation

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Carl Simmons

A friend sent me this one, and I get why. The most obvious being: She’d grown accustomed to kicking my butt in the five-plus years we’d worked together — and now being 1,000 miles apart, she sent this book to stand … Continue reading →

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Lay It Down: The Book — It’s ALIVE!

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Carl Simmons

You can get the full information here, but for now, here’s the back story: After close-but-no-cigar rounds with a couple publishers I respect (and that you’d recognize) – and a few more just plain frustrating rounds with agents – I’ve … Continue reading →

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Dem Bones Gonna Rise Again

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Carl Simmons

As it was with our last entry (and for much the same reasons), I’ve been a fan of Paul Ford’s approach to ministry for nigh on a decade now. In fact, I’ll go one further and mention that his resource Unleash … Continue reading →

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Going OUT and Making Disciples

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Carl Simmons

Confession time: I’ve always—OK, for the past eight years, anyway—had a decided aversion to the term “missional.” I’ve never objected to what it actually means (or should mean), but I’ve also never quite understood why living out the Great Commission … Continue reading →

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Of Obedience, “Hidden Tendencies,” and the Grace in Between

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Carl Simmons

I’m currently in the process of my half-dozenth or so go-round with Watchman Nee’s The Spiritual Man. If y’r familiar with the book (and even if you’re not), it may not be Summa Theologica or Institutes of the Christian Religion … Continue reading →

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Living Out of Death

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Carl Simmons

Let me eat when I’m hungry let me drink when I’m dry two dollars when I’m hard up religion when I die… —”Moonshiner,” traditional (via Dylan and esp. Uncle Tupelo, in my case) Religion, in its truest form, is for … Continue reading →

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Finding a Greater Desire

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Carl Simmons

There’s no question that you know someone who struggles with a sexual addiction, whether you’re aware of it of not. What’s more: If you’re a guy, there’s a very good chance that person is you (and that you’re all too … Continue reading →

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Reframing the Gospel, or Diluting It?

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Carl Simmons

Yeah, this one’s decidedly more scholarly than the usual fare here. And yet, at the heart of it is a very practical question: How does one adapt the gospel to the culture it’s being presented to—and when does it cross … Continue reading →

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It’s Easier to Talk About Grace Than to Give It in a Book Review

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Carl Simmons

I wanted to like this book; I really did. And once again, I got sucked in by the recommendations (and the apparently now-near-obligatory Rick Warren imprimatur foreword). But when all is said and done, it just left me kind of … Continue reading →

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Power Is Not Fruit

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Carl Simmons

True spiritual power comes in the wake of spiritual fruit, not as a predecessor to it. The trouble is, we often confuse power with fruit. We see an influential or charismatic leader, and assume that natural ability (and the numbers … Continue reading →

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