When Pastors Are Abused by Their Congregations

By Donavon Riley

10/01/25

13mins

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

Amy Mantravadi

09/29/25

St. Michael, Defender of God’s People

Why did the church dedicate a day to St. Michael anyway? Who is he, and what does he do?

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Dan Chrismer

02/04/19

The God Who Sees Me

There have been so many times in my life where I have thought to myself; God isn't paying any attention to me. He doesn't care what I do down here on this inconsequential planet in the middle of the huge universe He controls.

Donavon Riley

02/04/19

Defeat Evil with Good

Peace comes when we give up worrying about self-interest, self-preservation, and self-satisfaction and instead keep our eyes fixed on good God and Savior Jesus.

Wade Johnston

01/31/19

Jesus Ruins the Cause

From political parties to sports teams, we know all too well how quickly we can ruin a good thing, turning a temporal allegiance into a spiritual one

Brandon Hanson

01/30/19

Something Greater

When I was a young boy I was constantly trying to assert my superiority over my siblings. I had to be the best at everything, and it was easy to believe I was the best.

Chad Bird

01/28/19

Forgiving Others Is Not All About You: When Forgiveness Mutates into Self-Help

Just as we believe ourselves to be forgiven because God sees us in Christ, so to forgive others is to see them as God sees them in Christ. To forgive, in other words, is to put God’s eyes in our eyes and our eyes in God’s eyes.

Dan van Voorhis

01/28/19

Why Ok is Everything

Despite the death all around us, the death that is assured us, we know there is a way out.

Jessica Delgado

01/25/19

Sin Like Coffee Cups

I have this really terrible habit. A habit that involves my car and days-old coffee and a willpower so weak that nine out of ten coffee cups get left behind.

Donavon Riley

01/24/19

We Go to God with Bold Confidence

We surrender confidence in God because we lack faith in Christ, and we lack faith in Christ because we rebel against the fact that each, single moment of self-destruction is nailed to that cross.

Bradley Gray

01/23/19

Obedience That Is Already Finished

The rich young ruler’s inquiry to the Lord Jesus in Mark 10:17–22 (along with Matt. 19:16–22; Luke 10:25–28) remains increasingly prescient for us today.

Valerie Thur

01/23/19

History is Written by the Victim

Any and all failure is re-written to portray us as either victor or victim.

Donavon Riley

01/21/19

The Old Testament Roots of The Lord's Supper: Part 2

Blood is the thing. In the Scriptures, sin must be covered or "atoned for" as it's called, by blood.

Wade Johnston

01/21/19

God's Two Contradictory Words

Both these words, Law and Gospel, are from God. The sinner needs both of them. Both are true and good.

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