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
08/25/18

Our Retribution Shrines: Why Forgiving Others Hurts Like Religion

For on the other side of the death of forgiveness is the resurrection of joy. An easter in which we emerge from the tomb in the arms of the man whose scars glow with mercy.
Ken Sundet Jones
Ken Sundet Jones
08/15/18

A Look at True Proclamation of the Gospel

The Confessions instead look forward and provide a critique of the world and of all my various religions and idolatries.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
08/06/18

Marriage Is Settling for the Okayest Spouse

Marriage is the ideal school in which to learn that we are not the center of the universe. We’re not created to live for ourselves. We find our true humanity only when we live for other people.
Gretchen Ronnevik
Gretchen Ronnevik
08/06/18

Carseats, Gluten, and Opinionated Bloggers

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.
Bror Erickson
Bror Erickson
08/01/18

When Church is Exhausting, You're Doing it Wrong

When those who are serving joyfully and willingly are instead encouraged to complain that they are carrying the load for the rest of the body, all hope is lost.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/31/18

No, Kids, You Can't Be Anything You Want to Be

Rather than telling our children, “You can be anything you want to be,” let’s tell them, “Be the best possible servant you can be.”
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
07/31/18

Set Free to Forgive and Love

Jesus dies for the sin of the world. That means he dies for the person who disappoints us. He shed His blood for the person who doesn’t love us the way we want to be loved.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
07/26/18

Justification Is Simple

The Gospel is simple to confess. That is, we are justified by faith alone, through Christ alone, without the works of the Law.
Bob Hiller
Bob Hiller
07/23/18

Is James Preaching the Social Gospel?

No matter which side, it’s easy for all of us to build Bible verses into grenades aimed at obliterating the political other.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/22/18

The Birth of Childhood: How Jesus Revolutionized Our Understanding of Children

Jesus comes to pop our bubbles of pride, implode our towers of vanity, expose our arrogant adulting ways, and brings us down, down, down. Down to his level, which is the level of crucifixion.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
07/20/18

Confessionalism and Why It’s Important

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.
Kelsi Klembara
Kelsi Klembara
07/19/18

Ideology, Theology, and Women Without Tattoos

You may have seen the uproar from a recent blog post suggesting that virgins who forego college, learn to cook big meals and abstain from tattoos make more desirable wives.
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