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

Chad Bird
Chad Bird
02/16/15

How Delilah's Razor Carved a Cross

Poor Samson, he always seems to make the list of bad role models in the Bible. He’s put out there as the ripped hippie who whacked Philistines, chased skirts, got his head shaved, and eventually got himself killed.
Brandon Hanson
Brandon Hanson
02/09/15

The "Matrix" Moment

Have you ever watched The Matrix? Crazy movie, right? The thing that continually keeps reminding me of that movie is the last thing you’d probably think of, even though the movie is rife with motifs, themes, and analogies of it.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
01/30/15

God’s First Words: “Let There Be…Gospel”

First words may be simple, but they affirm a deep, abiding truth.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
01/28/15

Police Dispatched at Midnight to Loud Party at Local Church

You see, officers, this son of our congregation was dead, and has come back to life again; he was lost, and has been found.
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
01/23/15

Gospel Transparency

Sometimes I think transparency is the bastard child of Christianity. Everyone is willing to talk about transparency (and its cousin, accountability), but when it walks into the room and stays awhile, most people pretend it doesn’t exist.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
01/22/15

When Your Children Stray from the Church

Scattered throughout all denominations are moms and dads whose greatest disappointment in life is that their children have seemingly abandoned the faith.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
01/20/15

Preachers with Soiled Resumes

Case in point: Jonah. Calling this man to be a prophet makes about as much as sense as hiring an executioner to be the CEO of a hospital.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
01/20/15

Preachers With Soiled Résumés

Headhunters have a straightforward job. There’s a position to fill, usually in the corporate world, so they hunt down a candidate for that position.
Daniel Emery Price
Daniel Emery Price
01/08/15

Who Puts His Hand to the Plow?

“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” These are the words of Jesus to a man who promised to follow him after saying good-bye to his family in Luke 9:62. Tough stuff.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/15/14

The Dad Who Didn't Have to Be a Dad: Even God Needed a Father

The Son that He is sending into this world will need more than a mother; He needs a father.
12/02/14

Misunderstanding Luther, St. Paul, or Both?

Martin Luther has proven to be one of the most important figures in church history in light of his teaching on justification, which resulted in the sixteenth-century Reformation. However, in our own day many are seeking to rethink Luther.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/03/14

Can God Count? A Children's Story for Sinners

The son asked, ''What else does God count?'' The father said, ''When we get sad, or hurt, and we cry, God counts our tears.'' ''Every tear?'' the son asked. ''Yes, every tear,'' the father answered.
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