Don't Lead with Wrestling
By Ryan Matthias
01/30/26
6mins

Don't Lead with Wrestling

When we consider our own end, it will not bring us into a final wrestling match with the messenger of God, but into the embrace of the Messiah of God.
The Callings of Jesus
Jason Oakland
Jason Oakland
01/29/26

The Callings of Jesus

What do such callings look like? They are ordinary and everyday.
Why Christian Tradition? Why Absolution and Mercy
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
01/28/26

Why Christian Tradition? Why Absolution and Mercy

This is the third in a series meant to let the Christian tradition speak for itself, the way it has carried Christians through long winters, confusion, and joy for centuries.

All Articles

Chad Bird
Chad Bird
01/08/16

The Myth of Forgiving Yourself

I know now that to “forgive yourself” is not only impossible; it is foolish, dangerous, and futile. It is the vain attempt of a soul plagued by guilt to seek relief in the very last place he should be looking: in himself.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
01/05/16

Reconnecting Through My Father's Ghosts

I’m still piecing together fragments. I’ve spent my life collecting scraps of personal stories that will explain my father to me.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/28/15

The Plastic Jesus: Reshaping Christ to Meet Our Expectations

Isn’t it strange how the Jesus we end up with bears such a striking resemblance to ourselves? Our Jesus thinks as we do, acts as we act, speaks as we speak.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/22/15

The Dad Who Didn’t Have to Be a Dad

It’s one of my favorite family pictures. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on a couch are my granddad, my dad, me, and my son. A four-generation snapshot: Lee Roy to Carson to Chad to Luke.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/07/15

Shielded by Blood

Behold the seemingly foolish ways of our wise God. He bids us embrace what appears impossible: that blood alone is our defense, that blood alone saves us from destruction, that the blood of a lamb is more than enough.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
12/02/15

Father Connection and Christmas

He loved me, to be sure, but in a very nondescript, emotionally detached way, which is the way my grandfather loved him.
Bonnie Petroschuk
Bonnie Petroschuk
11/30/15

The Answering Voice

Have you ever read scripture and been caught by a crippling wave of guilt, shame and fear? Have you sat with your Bible open in front of you and thought, “Well, if this is the case, I might as well pack it in right now, because there’s no hope for me!”
Paul Dunk
Paul Dunk
11/19/15

On Getting Rid of Sad People

Last night our family watched Pixar's Inside Out and yes, I'm very late to that Pixar party. I enjoyed the film. The personification of Joy and Sadness was extraordinary.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/18/15

A Sinning Church with a Preaching Problem

We are a sinning church with a preaching problem.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/29/15

Please God, Let There Be a Purgatory

We harbor a clandestine doctrine in our hearts: we secretly hope there is a purgatory.
Rick Ritchie
Rick Ritchie
10/27/15

That Sermon Was Perfect For Those People

If there was a proclamation of grace, it was an afterthought, given in the sense of “just in case anyone needs this.”
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
10/13/15

Building Towers of Babel to the Glory of God

Here’s what lurks beneath this seemingly righteous behavior: they wanted to make a name for themselves, these tower-builders.
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