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love of God

How you respond

October 27, 2020October 26, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Chuck Swindoll has been known to say, “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond.”* I don’t think he was quoting a scientific study. My sense is that he was making a general observation: Your life isn’t all about what happens to you, but how you respond to what … Continue reading How you respond

Greater than your grip on him

October 9, 2020October 8, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Last year I wrote a devotional called “God’s grip on you.” I don’t normally do repeats, but as I was thinking about what to share with you today, it struck me that there might be some people who need to hear this message again. Perhaps a global pandemic has given you a shake and you … Continue reading Greater than your grip on him

No matter what

May 4, 2020May 3, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Today I want to share a word of grace in a difficult time. Something I’ve noticed is that many people are being really hard on themselves. I get it. You want to do well. You want to put your best foot forward in every area of your life. You want to hit the proverbial ball … Continue reading No matter what

When high ethical standards seem hard

January 9, 2020January 7, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Followers of Jesus are called to a high ethical standard. Do you ever read about those standards in the Bible and then feel bad because you realize of how often you mess up? Maybe it’s the passage about loving your neighbour (Mark 12:31), or even your enemy (Matthew 5:44). Or maybe it’s Colossians 3:12: “clothe … Continue reading When high ethical standards seem hard

The darker it gets

December 3, 2019December 2, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

In Matthew 24, Jesus answers a question from his disciples about when the Jerusalem temple would be torn down, and also when he would return one day in glory at the “end of the age” (v. 3). In response, he offers various insights about things that are going to take place, including this: “Because lawlessness … Continue reading The darker it gets

God’s grip on you—kind of like a sleepwalking rope

November 26, 2019November 25, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

No matter how often we’re told otherwise, it’s easy to slip back into the thinking that God only loves us if we do a really, really good job of loving  him back. All the time. ‘If we’re really bad,’ we think, ‘he won’t forgive us.’ ‘If we miss the mark, have an off day (or … Continue reading God’s grip on you—kind of like a sleepwalking rope

Why your love outlasts you

November 4, 2019November 1, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes four responses to God’s word—three lead to nothing, and the fourth to everything. People in this last category “hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown” (Mark 4:20). Wow! That’s definitely something to shoot for! But … Continue reading Why your love outlasts you

But what does the Spirit actually DO?

July 25, 2019July 24, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

This week I’m answering some questions about the Holy Spirit. So far we’ve talked about whether the Spirit is an “it” or a “who,” on whether the Spirit makes you “feel” different, and what holiness means. Here’s today’s question: What does the Spirit actually DO? After all, if the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us … Continue reading But what does the Spirit actually DO?

I love you

May 20, 2019May 17, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

When you’re proud of someone, you tell them. When you miss someone, you tell them. When you’re thankful for someone, you tell them. And when you love someone, you tell them. That’s what I love about Psalm 18:1. It starts with David’s simple statement of love: “I love you, Lord, my strength.” If you feel and … Continue reading I love you

Love boldly. But when you miss the mark…

May 10, 2019May 9, 2019 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

James 2:8 says, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.” With that in mind, let me tell you a story. In 1993 a well-known theologian from Croatia named Miroslav Volf was doing a talk on loving your neighbour. Afterward someone asked him, “But … Continue reading Love boldly. But when you miss the mark…

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