• More than just waiting around

    “Life is tough. Heaven is great. I guess we just need to wait it out.” Unfortunately, we can often get caught in this mode of thinking. Having said that, it’s true that life is often difficult. And yes, heaven is also going to be amazing. I appreciate that life includes… Listen ⇢

    More than just waiting around
  • Being a part of a plan even when life isn’t going as planned

    Over the past several months we have been spending some time with Daniel.  When he was captured, he was most likely around 15-years-old. At the end of the book, he was in his late 80’s or early 90’s. After the Babylonian captivity had formally ended, many of his people were… Listen ⇢

    Being a part of a plan even when life isn’t going as planned
  • Focus on what’s best

    1 Corinthians 10:31 is well-known. That’s where Paul writes: “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Several years ago, I was discussing this verse with a group of high school students. One of the students asked: ‘Why does God want us to focus on him so… Listen ⇢

    Focus on what’s best
  • Born again?

    The phrase “born again” gets thrown around a lot. But what does it actually mean?  The original context was John 3 when Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).* Nicodemus struggled to… Listen ⇢

    Born again?
  • With both wings, not just one

    In 1 John 3:23 the apostle writes: “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another…” Catherine of Siena was a well-known Christian from the 1300’s. She lived in Italy. She became known for her extreme devotion to God… Listen ⇢

    With both wings, not just one
  • Keep believing and keep going

    [Request in footnotes] ~ In these devotionals not only have we been spending time with Daniel, but we have been spending time thinking about the big picture hope we have as the people of God. The Bible tells us the large-scale narrative arc of human history. Although there are many… Listen ⇢

    Keep believing and keep going
  • Wounded on the battlefield, but help is coming

    [Request in footnotes] ~ Hope is the underrated weapon of our faith. Even if it’s not underrated, it’s certainly underappreciated.  Since the Bible is the very word of God, we know how human history is going to unfold and turn out since various biblical passages speak about it. For example,… Listen ⇢

  • When you’ve seen the final score

    When you know the end of the story it can change your experience as you live through the middle of the story. Let me provide a small analogy from the world of baseball.  I cheer for the Toronto Blue Jays, but I don’t watch all the games. They play most… Listen ⇢

  • Waiting for the light to break

    Recently, my wife Laura heard something on the radio. She shared it with me, and now I’d like to share it with you.  It was about Chris Tomlin, the well-known singer of songs like How Great is our God, Glorious Day, and Whom Shall I Fear?  When he was young,… 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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