When Pastors Are Abused by Their Congregations
By Donavon Riley
10/01/25
13mins

When Pastors Are Abused by Their Congregations

This article is the first part of a two-part series. The second part will take a look at when pastors abuse their congregations.
An Excerpt from Untamed Prayers: Psalm 123 and Psalm 136
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
09/30/25

An Excerpt from Untamed Prayers: Psalm 123 and Psalm 136

The following entries are excerpts from Chad Bird’s new book, Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of the Psalms (1517 Publishing, 2025), pgs. 311 and 335
St. Michael, Defender of God’s People
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
09/29/25

St. Michael, Defender of God’s People

Why did the church dedicate a day to St. Michael anyway? Who is he, and what does he do?

All Articles

Joel Hess
Joel Hess
05/31/18

He Must Be Out of His Mind

Out of His mind indeed, as He took our place between murderers and received the insults and torture of humanity.
Daniel Deen
Daniel Deen
05/21/18

Mordor and Evangelism (Part 1)

Mordor’s bleak existence and the successful salvific mission of Frodo and Samwise is what makes Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings such a psychologically enjoyable epic.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
05/02/18

Ill-Conceived: Pinpointing When Our Lives Went Wrong

The little psychologist within us is often hard at work to pinpoint the origin of life’s problems.
Scott Davis
Scott Davis
04/26/18

Reading Paul With A Southern Drawl

How should we read Paul, ya’ll? Why reading the Bible like a Southerner makes sense of confusing passages.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
04/21/18

Studying the Bible with Dead People

The greatest, wisest, most mind-blowing teachers in the church are all dead. Yes, they’re fully alive with Christ, but for our purposes, they’re dead.
Scott Davis
Scott Davis
03/31/18

Chocolate Bunnies, Bouncy Houses, Bread And Wine

Well, it is springtime! Just as you can always expect flowers to begin blooming, the days getting a little longer and everyone’s mood getting a little brighter, there’s something else you can always expect this time of the year.
Jessica Thompson
Jessica Thompson
03/29/18

God at the Feet of Sinners

The disciples and Christ have just finished their last meal together. The disciples, of course, didn't know this, but Jesus did.
Valerie Thur
Valerie Thur
03/29/18

Seven Stanzas at Maundy Thursday

There is something about high art forms that touches the soul.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
03/28/18

When the Whole World Rests Upon Our Tongues

It is the icon of the resurrection, for if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live into eternity, for this bread is the flesh of Christ for the life of the world.
Kyle G. Jones
Kyle G. Jones
03/28/18

God’s Word in Our Mouths

What makes a meal more than food? We all have important meals in our lives; birthday meals; anniversary meals; traditional holiday meals.
Sam P. Schuldheisz
Sam P. Schuldheisz
03/28/18

The Tolkien Option, Part 3: Escape

Jesus is the great Houdini of the grave for us. And through His death, He gives us the Great Escape from death that leads to the great joy of the Resurrection.
Zack James Cole
Zack James Cole
02/26/18

Knowing is Half the Battle

I cannot recall how many times I sang along to this theme song, punching and kicking as a kid in the 80s. But much of my desire to join the Marine Corps had its genesis in the 80s cartoon “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.”
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.
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