This article is the first part of a two-part series. The second part will take a look at when pastors abuse their congregations.
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
Why did the church dedicate a day to St. Michael anyway? Who is he, and what does he do?

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When I hear the word “repentance” my mind quickly goes to those old terror inducing Chick Tracts.
As a bass player, when I listen to music, I listen for what the bassist is doing. But, when I listen to music in my 2004 Honda Civic I have a problem: only one of the four speakers works.
This is a weekly article series working through the book of Revelation.
The Confessions instead look forward and provide a critique of the world and of all my various religions and idolatries.
Too often, we equate “repent” as the final warning to stop a particular sin before God ceases to love you and sends you to hell for your evil deeds.
This is a weekly article series working through the book of Revelation.
Never has the law fallen so hard on me as in motherhood. Never before was I more aware that my best wasn’t good enough.
It’s the First Century, the early days of the of the Post-Pentecost Church. Something is in the air.
The Gospel is simple to confess. That is, we are justified by faith alone, through Christ alone, without the works of the Law.
All other wonderful teachings of Holy Scripture from creation to Christ’s coming again are absolutely worthless without being understood in light of Jesus, death, and resurrection for sinners.
It may seem like a strange place to begin: the end of the beginning.
Where once we confessed reliance only in ourselves and our own power, now we confess reliance on Christ alone. So, for our relationship before God, our confession of faith matters.