The Consuming Fire and the Holiness That Comes Down
By Bradley Gray
10/02/25
23mins

The Consuming Fire and the Holiness That Comes Down

He doesn’t consume us, even though that is what we deserve. Instead, Jesus comes down to us and consumes all our sin by taking it on himself.
When Pastors Are Abused by Their Congregations
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
10/01/25

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

All Articles

Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/19/19

How Can a Blind Man Thank God for His Eyes?

We’re messed up people with messed up bodies. All of us. Even Miss America gets hemorrhoids. The Fall mocks us in our own skin. We’re all walking sermons.
Philip Bartelt
Philip Bartelt
06/14/19

Luther's Counsel for Miscarriage

They cannot know that I am already a father, but, this side of eternity, I won’t ever meet my child because of a miscarriage.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
06/14/19

Christians in a Time of Pride and Shame

Shame is shameful. That may seem obvious but ponder this observation from the authors of Scenes of Shame: “Shame, indeed, covers shame itself—it is shameful to express shame.”
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
06/11/19

One of Those Days

I'm having one of those days. You know, the kind where you're filled with confusion, guilt, and fear? If you don't know what I'm talking about, just stop reading now.
Kelsi Klembara
Kelsi Klembara
06/07/19

Luther's Counsel for the Worried and Anxious

Today’s advice for the anxious and worried would have likely horrified Luther.
Bror Erickson
Bror Erickson
05/31/19

Luther's Counsel on Persecution

While most of his letters were written as semi-private counsel and consolation, some, like the “Letter to the Christians of Miltenburg” were written openly for public consumption.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
05/31/19

Our Biography in a Single Word

One of the sweetest gifts you can give humanity is to commit an infamous act. It doesn’t have to be a mind-boggling evil. We’ll settle for a run-of-the-mill variety of sin. It just needs to be documented, well-known, and simple. Think Monica Lewinski.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
05/28/19

Jesus is Our True Happiness

We hold fast to Christ Jesus where He’s most God, most Savior, for us: in His gifts of word, water, bread, and wine.
John W. Hoyum
John W. Hoyum
05/24/19

Luther's Counsel for the Bereaved

For Luther, Jesus does something much better for those who grieve than simply identify with them: He brings suffering and evil to an end in His own death.
Dan van Voorhis
Dan van Voorhis
05/22/19

Dante and Our Obsession with Hell

Throughout the centuries, “Inferno” has also played a large role in the development of Christianity, particularly in the Western Medieval church.
Jessica Delgado
Jessica Delgado
05/21/19

Why We Die

Death is quite the undertaking. To die when one wants desperately to go on living is the most gruesome kind of labor any of us will ever know. It’s painful and bloody and empties our pockets of the fortune we think is ours. But we must do it.
Ken Sundet Jones
Ken Sundet Jones
05/17/19

Luther's Counsel for the Sick and Dying

As usual, Luther took what he received and turned it inside-out, so that it shifted from a series of demands and became a bestowal of God’s gracious promise.
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