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
06/16/16

Unhappy Father's Day: When Dads Are Failures

There is no pain like the pain of being mistreated by those who, above all others, you expect to love you unconditionally.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/15/16

Let's Talk About Shame

What we see in the face of this God is not a loathing expression. We find the face of a compassionate man who knew all about shame himself.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/14/16

God's War Animal

No, when the Lord is ready for battle, of all creatures, he commissions Mary’s little lamb.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
06/10/16

We Need Less Goliath and More Bathsheba

I became like God’s child David, whom the Lord pardoned of his adultery and murder. I became like Noah, Abraham, Judah, Aaron, Gideon, and so many more wayward children.
Kathy Morales
Kathy Morales
06/07/16

Real Strength

God cannot love me unconditionally without prerequisites, especially after all I’ve done, can He?
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
06/06/16

Can You Be a Christian Without Your Rituals and Traditions?

Take away the water, words, bread and wine. Can you be a Christian without water, words, bread and wine?
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
05/25/16

God Isn't Looking for Brown-Nosers

Faith does not require that we always Hoorah what the Lord does. God wants children, not brown-nosers.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
04/22/16

The End of "As If" Christianity

“As if” Christians aren’t allowed to reflect; that they’re not kind, generous, brave, or loyal. They’re not living up to the example of biblical saints.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
04/04/16

Imagine...

Imagine a church's mission statement is: "You Don't Have to Fake It Till You Make It." That is, you walk into church and an usher hands you a bulletin
Dominick Santore
Dominick Santore
03/31/16

Repentant Enough

If you’ve been in church long enough, you might have seen the worst of someone’s unrepentant sin get them kicked out, cast out, excommunicated or “handed over to Satan so their flesh might die and their soul might live.”
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
03/24/16

Golgotha: The Place of Adam's Skull

That man you see on the tree—he is the re-Genesis of the world. He has come to remake us alive and free and beautiful on the Friday of his crucifixion.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
03/22/16

Putting a Gag Order on the Gospel

The first person who attempted to stop people from talking about Jesus was not a tyrant, a secular government, or a bully religious mob.
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