The Up Devotional

  • You can’t illuminate darkness with darkness

    The apostle John walked and talked with Jesus, the one who said he was the very light of the world (John 8:12).  In 1 John 1:5 he shared this insight of clarity and power: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” As his people we are… Listen ⇢

  • Close or distant? Permanent or occasional?

    “By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:5-6). What does it mean to “abide” in Jesus?  After all, this is an important word. It comes up 40 times… Listen ⇢

  • Your advocate in the divine court room

    “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1) This verse was written by the apostle John. In it, he offers a powerful word of encouragement. But to see the full scope of his reassurance, we need to keep something… Listen ⇢

  • If all your prayers were answered

    In his book, Your Story Has a Villain, John Pokluda asks: “What would you change if all your prayers were answered?” When I first read that question, I paused and tried to think about all the prayers I had said the previous day. Pokluda’s question made me wonder if my… Listen ⇢

  • A trustworthy eyewitness is speaking to you

    The first letter of John the apostle starts with a lot of enthusiasm—and this energy is for a reason: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of… Listen ⇢

  • Are you dying for him?

    “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). In A Tale of Two Cities two men look a lot alike. Their names are Charles and Sydney. They both fall in love with the same woman.… Listen ⇢

  • Wisdom. Purity. Clarity.

    In 1 John 1:5-6 John the apostle says “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” In this verse, what does “light” mean? In the Bible, light often refers to wisdom. It “illuminates” our understanding. It can also refer to purity or holiness. It also provides clarity.… Listen ⇢

  • Evicting dark thoughts

    “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). Nectarios Trevino is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He was as a squadron commander and also worked in intelligence. He served on General Schwarzkopf’s… Listen ⇢

  • Who is your highest authority?

    There’s usually more happening in the Bible than we realize. Here’s an example. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus famously said: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44).  That’s huge. The love that Jesus taught and exemplified changed (and changes) the world. But let’s… Listen ⇢

Meet the producer, Matthew Ruttan.

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

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The Up Devotional

Your 1-minute shot of soul espresso

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