When Churches Are Abused by Their Pastors
By Donavon Riley
10/08/25
11mins

When Churches Are Abused by Their Pastors

When a congregation is abused by its pastor, it loses more than a shepherd. It loses its threshold place; that fragile seam between earth and heaven.
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
10/07/25

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

We can lay down our sledgehammers of moralistic performance, which aren’t effective anyway, and we can trust that we are his and his life is ours.
Big Questions About Faith, Love, and, Salvation
Jason Oakland
Jason Oakland
10/06/25

Big Questions About Faith, Love, and, Salvation

Faith takes God at his word and holds his promise to be true for me because I know God would not lie to me.

All Articles

Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
05/23/17

Our Strength and Song

Jesus is faithful even when we are faithless. He is our Strength, and Song, and Salvation. He's all this for us because He is God, and God is love.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
05/21/17

God Daily Gives Us More Than We Can Handle

He has given you clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home—as well as grocery stores, carpenters, and farmers to provide those goods.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
05/18/17

Singing "Stand Up, Stand Up, for Jesus" While Sitting Down: Disembodied Worship

The church’s worship should boldly and explicitly do two things: confess the incarnation and practice for the resurrection.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
05/16/17

News That's Too Good to be True

True faith, saving faith that receives the good news about the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world is a faith created in us by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel.
Wade Johnston
Wade Johnston
05/12/17

When the Last Becomes First, and First Becomes Last

You are God’s people. Yet you are nothing in the world’s sight. To be honest, often less than nothing. Don’t feel bad, I’m nothing with you.
David Rufner
David Rufner
05/08/17

Beware The Lament

Beware the lament, dear readers, that is not soothed with the good-goods of Jesus.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
05/06/17

When Denominations Think They're God's Chosen Group

You may be surprised to discover that, rather than changing your theology, these other voices deepen and expand it in ways that never would have happened if you listened only to the “approved” voices.
Wade Johnston
Wade Johnston
05/05/17

The Lord’s Dogs Aren’t Too Proud to Beg

Jesus didn’t lie. He was called to preach to Israel. He would send His disciples out into the world. But that didn’t mean His message wasn’t for all.
Joel Hess
Joel Hess
05/04/17

Hey Pastor, Your Church Is Not Healthy (goggles required)

Your church is not healthy. If they were healthy, they wouldn’t need someone to heal them.
Daniel Emery Price
Daniel Emery Price
05/03/17

The Wicked Way We Become More Like Jesus

I'm always surprised to hear people say, “If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing.” But we’re all sinners and we all sin every day.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
05/03/17

God's Not Angry At You

Even a sinner who is crushed by the weight of her offenses, who feels in her bones the weight of judgment, shame, and doubt can expect to receive God's good word.
Bob Hiller
Bob Hiller
05/02/17

Can I Be a Sinner in Your Church?

You can talk to me about how Jesus is really forgiving and how you want me around, but what happens when things don’t change in a month?
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