• Following Christ (or the crowd)?

    When someone asks you to describe yourself, what do you say?  I’m guessing you don’t use the word “holy.” After all, you don’t want to appear “holier than thou.” I get it. And perhaps you don’t think you’re very holy. That’s certainly a humble way of seeing things. But if… Listen ⇢

  • Readiness

    You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker which says: “Jesus is coming, look busy!” It’s supposed to be funny, of course. And although Jesus won’t be fooled, and although busyness shouldn’t be our focus, it does certainly remind us that when he comes we should be doing something. But what is… Listen ⇢

  • Plans that are firm-founded

    In Proverbs 16:3 Solomon wrote: “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” This is a great reminder to commit to God whatever you do—whether you’re in school, in the workforce, a retiree, or something else. When it comes to faith we can mistakenly relegate… Listen ⇢

  • Confidence not arrogance

    Paul was known for speaking confidently and boldly about God, even in the face of violent opposition.  He faced riots in Thessalonica (see Acts 17:1-10) and beatings and unjust imprisonment in Philippi (see Acts 16:16-24). Nevertheless, he said: “we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests… Listen ⇢

  • Followers of the Way, not of the moment

    In the previous few devotionals I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of our lives. Let’s say that someone wants give their child some good advice for a problem they’re dealing with. Over the course of… Listen ⇢

  • Preparing for big situations with little situations

    In the previous devotional I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of life. Let’s say that a sprinter wants to be successful in his race. That race represents 1% of his time. The other 99% is… Listen ⇢

  • Honouring God in big situations

    Jesus did big things. So did his early followers. They spoke boldly, even in the face of violent opposition. They loved enemies, turned the other cheek, gave freely, and laid down their lives for others. Too often, we find ourselves being people-pleasers instead of God-pleasers. Instead of saying or doing… Listen ⇢

  • Remain faithful in affliction

    When you read through 1st Thessalonians 1, don’t skip too quickly past verse 6. Here is what Paul says as he pays his readers a compliment: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given… Listen ⇢

  • Bread won’t help you if you don’t eat it

    Someone was telling me about a survival show on T.V. A guy was dropped way out in the forest. He had to make his own shelter and catch his own food. But he had to remain healthy. Otherwise he would be medically evacuated and taken to safety. He made a… 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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