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
07/18/16

Funeral Songs I Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead Singing

There are many funeral songs I wouldn’t be caught dead singing. Why? Because my funeral will not be about me.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
07/15/16

Nice, France, and the Heart of the Human Problem

Dear church, do not get sidetracked. This is about far more than terrorism, racism, gun ownership, and the like. This is about the evil of the human heart.
Erick Sorensen
Erick Sorensen
07/14/16

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction

It seems that no matter where we look in this world, we never quite find what we really need.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
07/07/16

What's The Big Deal About The Liturgy? (Part 4: The Dialect of Worship)

We are continuing our summer series on a theology of worship through the lens of language. Before moving forward, let me highlight a few points by way of review.
Bruce Hillman
Bruce Hillman
07/06/16

No Salvation Without Works

One of the interesting things about Paul’s writings that is not noticed enough is that Paul doesn’t really have an “application” section.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
06/25/16

Celebrating the Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession

The time constrained authoring of the Augustana caused great angst, for the part of Melanchthon that was never satisfied with his own literary output.
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
06/14/16

God's War Animal

No, when the Lord is ready for battle, of all creatures, he commissions Mary’s little lamb.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
06/14/16

What's The Big Deal About The Liturgy? (Part 3: The Syntax of Worship)

Like any language, the liturgy has syntax—a structure that provides order and intelligibly communicates meaning through all that is said.
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?
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