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

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

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

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Jeffrey Pulse

01/17/21

Old Testament: Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 (Epiphany 3: Series B)

Jonah rejected his first call and job description and headed in the opposite direction . Now, after spending three days in the belly of the big fish, Jonah is called again.

Martin Luther

01/15/21

Of Works And Grace

The kingdom of Christ consists in finding all our praise and boast in grace. Other works should be free, not to be urged, nor should we wish by them to become Christians, but condescend with them to our neighbor.

Chad Bird

01/14/21

Hold on Loosely to Your Politics

Want to do yourself, your family, your friends, and the world a good deed? Hold on loosely to your politics. Don’t drop it. Don’t toss it aside. Don’t privatize it. But, above all, don’t hold on to your politics as if your life, your soul, and your salvation depend on it.

Gretchen Ronnevik

01/14/21

The Secret to Growing Your Faith

In our transactional view of our faith - “If I don’t… then God won’t.” “I need to, so God can” - we are seriously underestimating who we are dealing with.

Kathy Morales

01/13/21

What If?

What if I’ve used up God’s forgiveness—he’s given me far too many chances and I’ve blown them all. Maybe his grace is for you but not for me. What if Jesus loved me once, but now regrets everything he’s done for me?

Kevin Hale

01/12/21

Jesus Died for Life Wasters

Jesus knows you and everybody else come from a long line of life wasters going all the way back to Adam. Jesus died for life wasters! Let go of your bootstraps. Stand back up. Your Father loves you.

Luke Kjolhaug

01/11/21

God is Not an Abacus

Salvation is not simply transactional; it is fundamentally relational. Not anemic, but full-blooded. Not disembodied, but bodied.

David Schmitt

01/10/21

Gospel: John 2:1-11 (Epiphany 2: Series B)

We like to close with something great. We even have a saying for this behavior: “Saving the best for last.” God Himself has a way of saving the best for last.

John Bombaro

01/10/21

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (Epiphany 2: Series B)

What does being free from sin, which is obviously a good thing, have to do with being free from the Law, which sounds dangerous?

Jeffrey Pulse

01/10/21

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) (Epiphany 2: Series B)

Samuel plays a very important role in preserving the line of Judah by anointing and instructing the first kings of the united monarchy—especially King David.

Bror Erickson

01/08/21

When Salt Loses it's Taste

Good works do not give us a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. Rather, good works result from righteousness given by the good work of the Righteous One on the cross.

Brennan Manning

01/07/21

My Deepest Awareness of Myself

My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.

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