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.

What Are YOUR Re-Reads?

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Consider this one light and personal. Or a mandate to get into some heavy reading. Or an excuse to mutter, “He clearly has too much time on his hands.” Your call. Anyway, since it’s Thursday (i.e., Other Voices Day) I’m … Continue reading →

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The Battle of Your Life

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Carl Simmons

“My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil’s best trick is to persuade you that he doesn’t exist!”—Charles Baudelaire, “Le Joueur Généreux” This is a long one, but it needs to be, … Continue reading →

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Help! (or, You Can’t Do It Alone, Part II)

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Carl Simmons

There’s a great series of scenes in the movie Walk the Line, which portray Johnny Cash trying to kick his drug addiction and face the demons that drove him there, especially the tragic death of his older brother when he … Continue reading →

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Lay Down Your Old Identity… part 2

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Perhaps the most difficult part of laying it down is the most basic—laying down who we’ve been, in order to become the people God created us to be. Many Christians today believe—or at least live as if they believed—that Jesus … Continue reading →

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The Cost of Discipleship: megachurch edition

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Still waiting on that other new book. Fortunately, Keith Meyer (he of Whole Life Transformation) hooked me up with this new one in the meantime, and I’m glad he did. In some ways, it’s similar to the journey Keith took … Continue reading →

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Living in the Spirit… or not….

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Got some fruit handy? Go grab some right now. Try to grab more than one of the same kind; grapes are ideal for this little meditation. Take a few moments to really look your fruit over. Then, look over the … Continue reading →

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Uncovering Our Blind Spots

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Think about your last trip down the highway… the last time you tried to switch lanes, then suddenly had to swerve back because someone in your blind spot was coming up, fast. Not a great feeling, was it? You know, … Continue reading →

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Lay Down Your Reputation: a fragment

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Carl Simmons

I was recently hanging out in a wildlife area of Colorado, where informative plaques abounded. One in particular caught my eye, highlighting families who’d owned ranches where this area now stood, in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. It got me … Continue reading →

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Getting Your Small Group Where God Wants It

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Carl Simmons

I’m still on hold with the new stuff, so one more blast from the past…. This isn’t a brand-new book — it’s a couple years old now, actually — but it’s certainly fresh even if it’s not new. • Finding … Continue reading →

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We’re In This Together

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Carl Simmons

We often tend to expect more from other Christians, don’t we? Just about as often, though, these expectations set us up for a fall. Scripture in fact says we’re all fallen people. We’re going to let each other down. It’s … Continue reading →

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