• You can’t stand on quicksand

    Yesterday I said that wisdom is hearing Jesus’ words and putting them into practice. Sounds good, right? But it also sounds STABILIZING. Here’s why. Listen ⇢

  • What does it mean to be wise, anyway? [Plus, new book announcement!]

    Yesterday I said that when you gorge on information, you’re too full for wisdom. But what does it mean to be wise, anyway? Fear not. We don’t have to guess. Jesus tells us. Listen ⇢

  • When you gorge on information

    Saying that we live in the “information age” seems like an understatement. There is more information coming at us than ever before. In 2019 YouTube reported that 500 hours of new video content is uploaded every single minute. Yup, every minute. Combine this with news, blogs, radio programs, social media, Netflix,… Listen ⇢

  • Based on what we think is true

    We live our lives based on what we think is true. For example, if I think it’s true that it’s going to rain, then I’m going to grab an umbrella when I head outside. But if I don’t, I won’t. If I think it’s true that my child is about… Listen ⇢

  • It determines the day

    Good morning! Many of you are opening this in the morning, whatever your time zone happens to be. If you fall into this category, I hope your sleep was refreshing, long enough, and didn’t include any creepy dreams. Let me get right to it. Even when times are tough—and especially… Listen ⇢

  • The clean of heart

    In Matthew 5:8 Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” The words “pure in heart” imply being clean before God. He’s not talking about taking a shower. He’s talking about holiness and integrity in God’s eyes. By adding the words “in heart,” Jesus is… Listen ⇢

  • Blessed are the merciful

    In Matthew 5:7 Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” As I shared yesterday, my Gingrich New Testament dictionary tells me that someone who is “blessed” is the “privileged recipient of divine favor.” In other words, blessed people have been shown generosity (or favour) from… Listen ⇢

  • Blessed are the deflated

    Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To understand what he’s talking about, we first need to ask what it means to be “blessed.” A lot of people say they feel “blessed” or use #blessed as… Listen ⇢

  • No other hope

    The Beatitudes are a short-but-mighty collection of Jesus’ teachings. Here is how they begin: “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs… Listen ⇢

Meet the producer, Matthew Ruttan.

Matthew is a disciple, pastor, husband, and dad of three who lives in the psalms.

The Up Devotional

Your 1-minute shot of soul espresso

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