“The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)We live in a time when many Christian movies and T.V. shows are being produced. They are high quality and can be very inspiring. Some of you have seen The Chosen (about the life of … Continue reading How to approach faith-based TV shows and movies
Author: Matthew Ruttan
Is A.I. neutral?
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).A chatbot is a computer-simulated feature of artificial intelligence. It mimics a human and is designed to interact with the … Continue reading Is A.I. neutral?
Life is more than possessions
One of the benefits of reading the whole Bible (instead of just small bits of it) is that you begin to gain a clearer understanding of certain concepts. Each time a biblical author mentions something about a specific word or idea it helps you understand more about it.Take, for example, the idea of coveting. The … Continue reading Life is more than possessions
The great beautifier of souls
Genesis 1:27 famously states that we humans are made in the image of God. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”Not only is this a statement of fact, but it’s something to aspire to. Yes, we are made in God’s … Continue reading The great beautifier of souls
The secret is Christ in me
After a week of vacation, The Up Daily Devotional is back five mornings a week. To the new subscribers who have joined us in the past week, welcome! Okay, on to today’s devotional…Your circumstances have a big impact on you. They can influence how you see the world. If someone in your day-to-day life is constantly … Continue reading The secret is Christ in me
“I’m doing this for God’s glory!” Um, really?
[1-week pause alert. See notification at the end of today's devotional.] ~ In 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul writes: “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”It’s a famous verse. It reminds us to give God the glory no matter what. It’s not about us; it’s about him.When we feel overlooked or taken … Continue reading “I’m doing this for God’s glory!” Um, really?
Without him nothing, with him everything
In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul writes: "We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God."As the people of God this is what we want for all people, including our friends, family members, schoolmates, co-workers, everybody!But what's the big deal about reconciliation?Think first about separation and hostility. There are two opposing sides. Reconciliation happens when … Continue reading Without him nothing, with him everything
If you are “in Christ” his Spirit is in you
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)In the previous devotional we talked about how Jesus' righteousness, faithfulness and perfection gets credited to us. When his people stand before their Maker, God he sees not their sin (because Jesus has paid … Continue reading If you are “in Christ” his Spirit is in you
Very very good news: The verdict before the performance
The Bible verse I'm about to share is not one people tend to memorize, but it stands at the heart of what we call the gospel, a word that simply means "good news."It's found in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we … Continue reading Very very good news: The verdict before the performance
The trivialization of God
Donald McCullough has a book called “The Trivialization of God.”* You should never judge a book by its cover, of course, but the cover is particularly good. It shows a yellow pin-on button that says “God.”It’s the kind of button you might get at a political rally, or perhaps with the name or logo of … Continue reading The trivialization of God
