• Dealing with questions in a healthy way

    At some point in their lives some people question certain things about their faith.  That’s normal. It could happen for any number of reasons. Perhaps they experience some sort of suffering and wonder how (or if) God works in and through it. Perhaps they struggle with a moral issue. Perhaps… Listen ⇢

  • It’s not a matter of if doubts come, but when

    “In today’s skeptical culture, it’s not a matter of if doubts come, but when they come.”* That’s a statement by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett in their new book, “The Deconstruction of Christianity.” Wow, that title seems pretty ominous. What’s it all about? There’s a trend today called “deconstruction.” It’s… Listen ⇢

  • If you’re singing the same song

    “…make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). You can only have harmony if you’re singing the same song. That kind of seems obvious, doesn’t it? A song has a melody. A harmony is a different series… Listen ⇢

  • Prayer, meditation, affliction

    The biblical writers were very honest! What God says through them is refreshing, helpful, hopeful, truthful… and sometimes challenging. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. Technically, it’s anonymous. Verse 71 says: “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” Can… Listen ⇢

  • Getting heaven into you

    “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). There are days when we need a reminder that… Listen ⇢

  • It’s not physical armour, but it is actual armour

    As you grow in your discipleship, and as you start to know more and more about the Bible, certain scriptural ideas will become increasingly prominent in your mind.  For example, you will most likely be able to quote the greatest commandment or the golden rule. You will be familiar with… Listen ⇢

  • A good life than a long

    Generations ago, Lewis Bayly wrote a devotional book. It was a how-to manual for living faithfully in the modern world, beginning at home. A lot has changed in society since Bayly’s book was first published in 1611. But many of his insights endure, like this one: “wish rather a good… Listen ⇢

  • God is under no illusions

    “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:17-18). Jesus’ first followers had different professions. Some were fishermen. Matthew was a tax collector. Jesus himself was called a carpenter, having apprenticed under Joseph.  Clearly, these… Listen ⇢

  • When you don’t get a thank you note

    As a part of our daily discipleship, I think it’s helpful for us to continually think about how theory meets reality. If an idea is theologically important, I start to wonder about the influence it is supposed to have on my life as I walk out of the church and… 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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