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

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

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?

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Luke Kjolhaug

01/11/21

God is Not an Abacus

Salvation is not simply transactional; it is fundamentally relational. Not anemic, but full-blooded. Not disembodied, but bodied.

Robert Kolb

01/10/21

He Doesn’t Make Things Like We’re Used To

God makes all things new. He refashions us from those turned in upon ourselves, turned to idols of our own choice and making, to experience the freedom He gives by pronouncing us His righteous children.

David Schmitt

01/10/21

Gospel: John 2:1-11 (Epiphany 2: Series B)

We like to close with something great. We even have a saying for this behavior: “Saving the best for last.” God Himself has a way of saving the best for last.

Bror Erickson

01/08/21

When Salt Loses it's Taste

Good works do not give us a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. Rather, good works result from righteousness given by the good work of the Righteous One on the cross.

Brennan Manning

01/07/21

My Deepest Awareness of Myself

My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.

Steven A. Hein

01/07/21

The Man Born to be King

Epiphany celebrates that we have not been left in our hearts’ cold darkness and this spoiled creation.

Valerie Thur

01/06/21

I'll be Home for Epiphany

This year, I’m more excited for Epiphany than I am for Christmas.

Jason Lang

01/04/21

Tempted & Delivered

Jesus is our sympathizer, our propitiation, and our advocate. We will be tempted but God will provide the way out, the way out is Jesus, the one who died for our sins.

David Schmitt

01/03/21

Gospel: Mark 1:4-11 (The Baptism of Our Lord: Series B)

John has been preaching a radical vision of God, where God holds people accountable for their sin and calls them to repent. What will Jesus do?

Martin Luther

01/01/21

Our Sufficiency is From God

Any good work we perform among you; any doctrine we write upon your heart – that is God’s own work.

Ken Sundet Jones

12/31/20

The Sad State of My Backyard

The setting for Luke 2 is the first century analog to my backyard. The stage is dressed with rust and decay, guilt and shame, sin and death.

Bruce Hillman

12/29/20

Is Jesus the Only Way?

To the extent that God is exclusive by offering salvation only through Christ we can say he is more gracious than other systems because he takes on our guilt upon himself while gifting us his righteousness.

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