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

Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
07/10/18

The Shameless Nature of God’s Grace

To be sure, the devil has an incredible arsenal of assaults with which he can waylay believers into ineptitude and ineffectiveness.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
07/09/18

Why Confess Sin?

Why confess sin? Is it so we can get rewarded by God? A little extra grace or material good for our troubles, maybe.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/02/18

The Church of Polytheists

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” But the fool also says in his heart, “There are many gods.” And we, dear friends, are the fools.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/30/18

How We Use Outrage to Mask Our Shame

The commonly accepted wisdom is that we feel guilt over what we’ve done and we experience shame over who we are. If guilt is the blemish on our face then shame is the cancer in our heart. It’s deeper, harder to dig out.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
06/29/18

In Celebration of True Liberty

The reason the U.S. is blessed by God is that we are essentially a “good” nation. And this is the root of Bob’s problem (and that of all civil religion).
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
06/28/18

Lord, Help My Lack Of Love

The author, Flannery O'Connor, said, "All I can say about my love of God is, Lord help me in my lack of it."
David Rufner
David Rufner
06/25/18

Mind the Gap Between Dreams and Reality

Led by God’s Word we can grasp why this gap exists, grows, and threatens us. Simply put, we don’t take sin seriously. We don’t take the effects of our sinful rebellion on all of creation seriously.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
06/12/18

Seeing All Sin On The Cross

It's easy to become habituated to sin. It comes naturally, after all. The power and pressure of sin on us, from conception to the grave, is immense.
Daniel Emery Price
Daniel Emery Price
06/11/18

Grandma Joy and Psalm 139

My Grandmother recently lost a long battle with cancer. Her name was Joy, and a name has never been more fitting.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/10/18

False Guilt and the "What-If" Game We Parents Play

We need a God who can heal us of true guilt and false guilt. We need a Christ who not only removes the shame we feel for what we’ve done, but who washes away the shame that others have smeared upon us.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
06/08/18

Simultaneously Righteous and Sinner: An Introduction

Without the “simul” distinction, theology lapses into moralism.
Bob Hiller
Bob Hiller
06/01/18

The Real Threat to Our Preaching

Many Christians are worried—perhaps legitimately—that the state is a short step away from turning the Law of God into hate speech and silencing the legal preaching of God’s Word.
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