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
11/14/16

The Sex Worker Who Teaches Us the Fear of the Lord

Hear that confession of saving faith? Rahab may have been a prostitute in Jericho, but she was secretly a virgin daughter of Yahweh.
Cindy Koch
Cindy Koch
11/11/16

A Story of Freedom or Submission?

The Garden of Eden proved to be the first battlefield between God and his submissive people.
Joel Fitzpatrick
Joel Fitzpatrick
11/09/16

The Death of the Me Monster

A while ago I ran across a great comedy routine. In it Brian Regan riffs on those who he calls Me Monsters. This is a person who must be at the center of every conversation.
Steven A. Hein
Steven A. Hein
10/31/16

Human Depravity: The Doctrine on which Justification Stands or Falls

Lose trust in the free grace of the righteousness of Christ alone, and the holiness of the Church and all in her is lost.
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
10/13/16

Like a Frightened Dog

My husband and I just adopted Duke, a very cute beagle mix, from a nearby shelter. He is about three years old and was found wandering in a park several months ago.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
10/13/16

The Gardener's Blood, The Fruit of Brambles

They were incapable of covering their shame. They knew what they'd done was evil, but since they were only "like" God, there was no way for them to go back and replace evil with good.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
09/27/16

My Favorite Dirty Word in Church

You became, for a time, ritually unclean. Not sinful. Not immoral. To be unclean meant you bore in your own body the effects of a creation in bondage to decay.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
09/23/16

The Beast of "Should" at the Zoo

All our little laws reveal that we are, by nature, trying to justify ourselves before others, and before God, based on what we do and who we are.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
08/24/16

Interpreting Reality Through Redemption

If you know me in the least, then you know of my fondness for the 2010 film Inception.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/23/16

The Wrinkling Clock: The Irony of Calendar Girls

The flower of youth, as lovely as it is, cannot withstand the hot winds of time. There is a beauty, however, that remains.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/17/16

The Danger and Delight of Happiness

In happiness, we dare never forget that it is Christ, and Christ alone, who has restored our joy.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/16/16

The Beginner's Guide to Giving Your Sin a Holy Name

Although I was too young to have mastered the skill of lying, I also knew that I couldn’t tell this woman the truth.
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