• Are we coming to worship entitled or thankful?

    Today is Friday. In two days from now Christians all over the world will gather together to worship God. They will do so in simple church buildings or fancy ones. They will gather in storefronts or movie theatres. They will gather in someone’s home or out in a field. No… Listen ⇢

  • Whose voice is louder?

    Bryce Crawford is a young missionary in Los Angeles. He says that many people move to L.A., make mistakes, regret those mistakes, and then wonder what to do next with their life.  Because of this, he says, people are hungry for Jesus. My sense is that this experience is not… Listen ⇢

  • Reflecting God or playing God?

    “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). As the children of our God and King, we strive to live up to our royal pedigree. Are we sinful and broken? Absolutely. But with God’s help we try to grow in Christlikeness and reflect the one in whose image we are made. One… Listen ⇢

  • Anger. The sleeping giant.

    Most of you have probably not committed murder.  But you have probably been very angry at someone. Here’s the connection. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be… Listen ⇢

  • Picture yourself as a literal sponge

    In 1 Corinthians 15:33 Paul quotes the poet Menander: “Bad company corrupts good character.”  The ESV translation says: “Bad company ruins good morals.” The NKJV puts it like this: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” You get the point. How are Christians to understand this? In Paul’s letter he is, in… Listen ⇢

  • Eyes open on Friday the 13th

    Today is Friday the thirteenth. There are a variety of theories about why this day is seen as “bad luck.” As Christians, we don’t believe in luck of course. We believe in the providence of God. The Westminster Confession summarizes some powerful biblical truth when it points out in chapter… Listen ⇢

  • The one constant element in revival

    “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Just because we know something is good for us that doesn’t mean we do it. For example, we know that regular exercise and a full night’s sleep have powerful effects,… Listen ⇢

  • A sanctuary of time

    When I say the word “sanctuary” what do you think of? Perhaps you think about a church sanctuary—a place where people gather for worship services. Perhaps a butterfly sanctuary—an environment created specifically so butterflies can thrive. Or maybe political sanctuary—what someone can receive in a new country if fleeing persecution.… Listen ⇢

  • Simplicity vs. Complexity

    Simplicity. Biblically speaking, simplicity is a good thing. In 2 Corinthians 1:12 Paul writes: “we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God…” Acting with simplicity involves pure motives. It involves honesty, being down-to-earth, and not buying into the… Listen ⇢

Meet the producer, Matthew Ruttan.

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

The Up Devotional

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