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

Peter Nafzger
Peter Nafzger
07/22/19

Gospel: Luke 11:1-13 (Pentecost 7: Series C)

When we pray, we should have in mind His name and His provision and His forgiveness. In other words, we ask God to do what God promises to do.
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
07/22/19

Epistle: Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19) (Pentecost 7: Series C)

Believers are reminded—and the preacher is to remind them—baptism marks the forgiveness of sins, the end of legal demands, justification and regeneration, and the ultimate triumph over rulers and powers.
John T. Pless
John T. Pless
07/15/19

Summer Reading List for Preachers

Good reading is an ingredient for good preaching. Here are a few books –most of them relatively new- which you might want to put on your summer reading list.
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
07/15/19

Epistle: Colossians 1: 21-29 (Pentecost 6: Series C)

Baptized believers are in Christ and of Christ. Once they were alienated from and hostile to God, now they have been reconciled through the work of Christ. This forgiveness is not unconditional. Christ is the condition and, indeed, He fulfills all the conditions.
Peter Nafzger
Peter Nafzger
07/15/19

Gospel: Luke 10:38-42 (Pentecost 6: Series C)

Like Mary, they (with you) are at Jesus’ feet to learn and hear from the Lord of all Creation. It is a privileged place to be if there ever was one!
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
07/08/19

Epistle: Colossians 1:1-14 (Pentecost 5: Series C)

The Father, then, “has qualified you” through the work of Christ to share in the family inheritance. This inheritance is the Family of God itself and the family of the triune God Himself.
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
07/01/19

Making Preaching Great Again

The whole Reformation, and the reason for Lutheran theology at all, is to improve preaching.
John Bombaro
John Bombaro
07/01/19

Epistle: Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18 (Pentecost 4: Series C)

According to the Law, everyone will be judged by their own deeds, on his own work. So, before the judgment of God we only have our own works to boast in and not our neighbor’s. But the Gospel shows us a wonderful exception.
Peter Nafzger
Peter Nafzger
06/20/19

Gospel: Luke 8: 26-39 (Pentecost 2: Series C)

[This text] describes a journey to a foreign region where Jesus engages in a confrontational conversation with a legion of demons, performs a violent and scandalous exorcism, and leaves behind a community gripped by terror. Apparently, the only thing more frightening than a naked, graveyard-dwelling demoniac is this visitor from Nazareth who reigns over everything.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/19/19

How Can a Blind Man Thank God for His Eyes?

We’re messed up people with messed up bodies. All of us. Even Miss America gets hemorrhoids. The Fall mocks us in our own skin. We’re all walking sermons.
Steven A. Hein
Steven A. Hein
05/29/19

Without a Doubt

Thomas was without a doubt a skeptic. And he was a skeptic without a doubt.
Haroldo Camacho
Haroldo Camacho
05/27/19

Post-Easter Musings

With this declaration of peace, Jesus was telling His disciples, ‘Because I died for you, you are now justified.’
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