This article is the first part of a two-part series. The second part will take a look at when pastors abuse their congregations.
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
Why did the church dedicate a day to St. Michael anyway? Who is he, and what does he do?

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Because peace is a gift and not a product, you can’t work your way into it. However—you can receive it by grace.
"Whom shall we fear?" We fear no one. We're not afraid of anything. Instead, we wait for the Lord with good courage. He will strengthen our hearts, as the psalmist writes (Ps 27:1).
The wisdom of God became man, lived, died, and was raised for the justification of sinners, great and small.
The scope of catechesis from the Reformation was broad and included not only instruction at church but in the home and in schools.
What doesn’t kill you might actually be a cheapened law that leaves wiggle room and space in the door for your old man to stick his foot in and get in on the work of Christ.
Jesus isn’t any ordinary leader. In spite of all the ways the leaders of our world may let us down, you can trust Jesus to always lead you well.
As much as Luther calls Christians to a sober belief in the devil, he also calls them to a firm and steadfast faith in Christ
One day at a time, God provides us with a heart of wisdom, and in this way, our Lord teaches us to number our days. 
Christians have the rare faculty, above all other people on earth, of knowing where to place their care, while others vex and torture themselves and at length must despair.
Predestination is a promising teaching as Paul teaches it in Romans 8. It’s promising when Christ and his work for us are held firmly in hand.
The gospel fires up within us the gratitude, joy, and love to pull off what the law never could get us to do.
Everything normal for the Church of Christ is abnormal for those who reject Jesus as Savior. We worship a God who creates new life... and who gives His blessing, declaring, "I am pleased with you."