The Up Devotional

  • Destructive criticism

    Constructive criticism is good. After all, it’s constructive. But what is the opposite of constructive criticism? It’s destructive criticism! It’s when you want to tear someone down instead of build them up. Every once in a while a situation emerges when we are invited to provide input, make suggestions, or… Listen ⇢

  • Being Christlike to one another

    The great Reformer Martin Luther, wrote: “each person ought to become to the other a kind of Christ, so that we may be Christs to one another…“* One of our goals in life is sanctification. I know, I know, big word. But all it means is to become holy, or… Listen ⇢

  • Can we earn heaven?

    I was recently asked this question: “What Jesus says in Matthew 7:21 unsettles me because it indicates that you can only get into heaven if you do God’s will. I thought we couldn’t earn heaven so this seems a bit confusing to me. I’m also very aware of my many… Listen ⇢

  • WWJD? Be humble

    W.W.J.D.  That acronym has become very well known. It was started in the 1990’s by a youth pastor in Michigan. She made bracelets with those letters on them to encourage the youth in her group to think proactively about how they lived. It stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” Well,… Listen ⇢

  • Tears of sadness to gladness

    I’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ tears. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” But that’s not all he did. After his friend Lazarus had died, and after seeing Mary and Martha crying, Jesus “was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (verse 33). The phrase… Listen ⇢

  • A little pail of tears

    When Vernon Davis was just starting at a new church he went to visit a matriarch in the congregation. She was a lovely woman in her 90’s. She knew so much about the church. She had been there through all the peaks and valleys. They had a great visit and… Listen ⇢

  • The community of imperfect believers

    In yesterday’s devotional I told you about an interview I was privileged to have with Thom Rainer. It was about the rise of consumerism in the church. In light of that conversation I asked you to think about whether you are in passive mode or active mode when it comes… Listen ⇢

  • Church consumer or member?

    Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past three years, you know about how hard things have been. It has been—and will continue to be—a time of great change. As I’ve highlighted elsewhere, we are entering a period which will probably be marked by increased uncertainty, anxiety and… Listen ⇢

  • When things are not as they should be

    We want to be “like Jesus.” Definitely.  Should we be loving, humble and sacrificial for the benefit of others? Yes. That’s being like Jesus. What about crying like Jesus? That’s not usually something we put in the same category. But consider this. After his friend Lazarus had died, and after… 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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