• Counter-cultural modesty

    “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) Over time some things become less common—like Sunday night dinners, board games, or home-made gifts. But that doesn’t mean they don’t still have value.… Listen ⇢

  • Get secure

    Lee Strobel was on a sailing adventure with some friends in the British Virgin Islands.* Since he was a novice he really enjoyed learning how things were done, and the importance of things being done right.  One example is when they would drop the anchor. They would go into a… Listen ⇢

  • The wilderness

    In the previous devotional, I shared Mark Sayers’ idea that we are at the start of a new era of human history.* We aren’t there yet. In fact, we have one foot in the previous era, and one foot stepping into the emerging era. He calls this present moment a… Listen ⇢

  • A new and uncertain era

    Mark Sayers makes the case that we are at the start of a new era.* When you look back on human history you can see how one era gives way to another. The early 1500’s was the start of a new era; so was the industrial revolution. At the time,… Listen ⇢

  • He had mine

    A Christian in China was about to be baptized. The pastor asked her a question to ensure that she understood the meaning of the cross: “Did Jesus have any sin?” The answer, of course, was “No.” Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus “has been tempted in every way, just as we… Listen ⇢

  • Selective listening

    If a child is in the other side of the house, and if you say something that interests them—something perhaps about getting ice cream—they can hear you. They have great hearing when it is to their benefit. But if that child is sitting in the other side of the house,… Listen ⇢

  • Born blamers

    Relationships can be hard. They can be hard on a good day, let alone a bad one. I doubt there’s a person on earth who hasn’t put their foot in their mouth, said something they regret, or did something they wish they could undo. Yup, relationships are hard. So let’s… Listen ⇢

  • Lovingly disagreeing

    Maybe you’ve never thought of it like this before, but one of the ways you can contribute to a more thoughtful and respectful world is to learn how to lovingly disagree with someone. That’s right. Disagree with someone. Lovingly. Pastor and writer Rick Warren has expressed how we, as a… Listen ⇢

  • Rushing to conclusions

    Jesus said “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24, ESV). We know we’re not supposed to judge by appearances. We might struggle with it sometimes, but we know it makes sense. Never judge a book by its cover, right? Well, the same goes for people.… 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

Skip to content ↓