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mistakes

God’s work through you despite you

May 20, 2021May 19, 2021 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

As a person of faith, you should be aware of (and honest about) your own sin. At the same time, you should be confident that God’s power is not handcuffed by your sin or weakness. Handcuffs are meant to stop someone from doing something. Do you really think your flaws and foibles can bind the … Continue reading God’s work through you despite you

This is for those who fail

March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Unfortunately, failure is frequent. We don’t like to admit it, but it’s true. I’m not saying this to make you feel bad. I’m saying it to draw your attention to something good. God can use even the failures of his people for his good purposes. As we read through the Bible, we find a cacophony of … Continue reading This is for those who fail

Confidence in providence

September 25, 2020September 24, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Do you ever feel like God may have had a plan for your life at some point in the past, but since you keep messing up he’s probably moved on to someone else to help him accomplish his purposes? If that’s you, think bigger. You should broaden your understanding of God’s… Providence. In short, providence … Continue reading Confidence in providence

The God of pursuit

September 16, 2020September 14, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

God said to Jonah, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). Jonah didn’t go to Nineveh—at least not at first. He ran away and went to Tarshish (verse 3). But God didn’t throw his hands up and move on to someone else. … Continue reading The God of pursuit

Not disqualified

September 15, 2020September 14, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

When we’ve made mistakes or experienced failure in the past, we can mistakenly think that we are defined by those experiences on an ongoing basis and that God has no further use for us. But as I said yesterday, God is not limited by your limitations. To think that your previous failures handcuff God’s power … Continue reading Not disqualified

Failure is never final

September 14, 2020September 13, 2020 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26). Have you ever felt like a failure? We can feel like we’ve failed when our lives are not what we had wanted them to be, or when we haven’t handled a certain relationship well, … Continue reading Failure is never final

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…

Punishment? Or consequence?

November 22, 2018November 21, 2018 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

Today I want to address something that sometimes comes up in conversations. It’s kind of a big one. Someone will say, “Because of all this bad stuff happening in my life I feel like God is punishing me.” Have you ever said something like that? Have you ever felt it? I get where it comes … Continue reading Punishment? Or consequence?

When you haven’t kept your word

November 21, 2018November 20, 2018 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

For the past two days I’ve been talking about being a person of your word—a person who is honest and trustworthy. In Matthew 5:37 Jesus taught about the importance of speaking with sincerity: “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” It’s a statement that … Continue reading When you haven’t kept your word

The perfect day to begin again

November 5, 2018November 4, 2018 / MatthewRuttan / Leave a comment

I came across an unsettling statistic. It was that most suicides occur on Sunday nights, and that most heart attacks happen on Monday mornings. (If you’re reading this on Monday morning, don’t stress—take a deep breath!) Maybe it’s because, for many people, Monday signals the return to responsibility. And with it, a reminder that there … Continue reading The perfect day to begin again

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