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

Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/28/15

The Plastic Jesus: Reshaping Christ to Meet Our Expectations

Isn’t it strange how the Jesus we end up with bears such a striking resemblance to ourselves? Our Jesus thinks as we do, acts as we act, speaks as we speak.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/05/15

Samson: A Testosterone Poem

With but a donkey's jawbone He whacked a thousand men And iced yet even more
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
11/30/15

The Answering Voice

Have you ever read scripture and been caught by a crippling wave of guilt, shame and fear? Have you sat with your Bible open in front of you and thought, “Well, if this is the case, I might as well pack it in right now, because there’s no hope for me!”
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/18/15

A Sinning Church with a Preaching Problem

We are a sinning church with a preaching problem.
Rick Ritchie
Rick Ritchie
10/27/15

That Sermon Was Perfect For Those People

If there was a proclamation of grace, it was an afterthought, given in the sense of “just in case anyone needs this.”
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/13/15

Building Towers of Babel to the Glory of God

Here’s what lurks beneath this seemingly righteous behavior: they wanted to make a name for themselves, these tower-builders.
Paul Dunk
Paul Dunk
08/25/15

You're Boring

Whether you're a fan of the School of Rock legend or not, there's no denying that Jack Black knows how to own the moment when he's given one at the Oscars.
Jonathan Ruehs
Jonathan Ruehs
06/18/15

Dirty Saints and Stain-Free Sinners: A Story

His face was gaunt and his eyes had a haunted look to them as he strode into the office. He resembled a man beaten down, a wreck of an individual who looked disheveled and worn out.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/12/15

Christianity That Jesus Doesn’t Believe In

No wonder that when young people grow up in a law-saturated, grace-dry church, they leave the faith by droves for all they’ve heard their whole life is a life they can never live up to.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
05/22/15

Jesus Is Our Peace

The kind of peace Jesus points to can't be achieved with words.
RJ Grunewald
RJ Grunewald
05/05/15

To Those Beaten Up by the Church

Bloody, bruised, and burnt out—our friends, family members, and coworkers are walking out of churches, giving up on God’s family, and at the same time giving up on the message that the Church has been entrusted with.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
04/23/15

The Lady Jesus Called a Dog

She had obviously heard about Jesus previously, maybe even from off-handed comments or even rumors. Her daughter was sick so she sought the gossiped-about Jesus as he was leaving for Tyre and Sidon.
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