Pentecost and the Beautiful Mess of the Church
By Ryan Couch
06/06/25
15mins

Pentecost and the Beautiful Mess of the Church

Every time someone is baptized, every time bread is broken and wine poured, every time a sinner hears, “Your sins are forgiven in Christ,” Pentecost happens again.
Hymns at Midnight
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
06/05/25

Hymns at Midnight

They were still praying, trusting, and hoping. Why? Because they knew who was with them and who was for them: the risen Christ.
What Now?
Wade Johnston
Wade Johnston
06/04/25

What Now?

So Christ is risen, but what now?

All Articles

Larry D. Hughes
Larry D. Hughes
10/25/16

There Will Be Signs in the Sun and the Moon

In our time Christ has not left us bereft of unbroken signs of His promised return.
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
10/13/16

Like a Frightened Dog

My husband and I just adopted Duke, a very cute beagle mix, from a nearby shelter. He is about three years old and was found wandering in a park several months ago.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/11/16

Some of the Best People Are Not Christians

Christians are Christians not because of anything that they have done but because of everything Christ has done for them.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
10/10/16

Please, Sing to Me!

I once heard an old, retired Lutheran professor give in interview on a podcast. He was asked by the interviewer why people should bother going to church if they could just be saved through a personal relationship with Jesus?
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/07/16

Reading Life Backward: Why Hebrew is the Language of the Cross

Read your life like a Hebrew, from the end to the beginning, and you will see that the last is first. The dead are alive, the cursed are blessed, the humble are exalted.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/06/16

Mr. Ritual and Ms. Grace: The Ideal Marriage

We who fall within the Protestant camp of Christianity have longstanding issues with ritual. I get that. Ritual is often abused. Idolatrized. It can easily devolve into a hollow act of religious farce.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/04/16

When We Wish God Didn't Exist

The side of God he has made known to us is Jesus. He is the one and only revelation of the Father, the one and only revelation we need.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/01/16

R-Rated Prayers

He holds you tight and loves you even as you weep and fight in his arms. His Son suffers alongside you as your brother in the flesh.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
09/29/16

The Secret Weapon Angels (and Pastors) Carry to Protect Us

We need pastors who carry that same concealed weapon in their mouths, who are outfitted with the same word the angels have: the word steeped in divine blood, shed for you. That is all we need, for the word does it all.
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
09/28/16

The Criminal’s Prayer: “Remember Me!”

I'm afraid of dying. I am a Christian and I am horribly afraid of falling bridges, crashing planes, turned over cars and anything else that you can think of that would include my body being mangled into a mess of bones and flesh.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
09/27/16

My Favorite Dirty Word in Church

You became, for a time, ritually unclean. Not sinful. Not immoral. To be unclean meant you bore in your own body the effects of a creation in bondage to decay.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
09/27/16

Can Historical Accounts of Miracles Be Trusted?

Professional historians frequently assert that "miracles" are not a proper subject for historical investigation.
1517 is a Christian non-profit (501(c)3) multi-media organization. Our mission is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus alone.
1517.org
Search
Academy
Donate

1517 grants permission for our free online resources to be printed, photocopied, and otherwise used freely for private and church use. We require that authorship and source (1517.org) are referenced and maintained. These resources may not be sold or included in any publications for sale.