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PODCAST

The Up Devotional

In a minute or two, start your day with a shot of soul espresso—biblical and down-to-earth. It"s written and read by disciple, pastor, and author, Matthew Ruttan. www.TheUpDevo.com

religion & spirituality christianity

All Episodes

1:30

A request

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/17

Hi everyone, Matthew here with a quick reminder that The Up Daily Devotional is on pause this week. I'm having some dedicated study and prayer time. It will return this coming Monday. Until then, here's a short message and request for those who listen to the podcast version:

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2:07

The Lord of the Rings and encouragement

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/14

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).I was recently surprised to learn that JRR Tolkien could get discouraged about his work. He wrote the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, perhaps one of the greatest movie epics of all time. It chronicles the battle between … Continue reading The Lord of the Rings and encouragement

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1:45

Faithfulness is a team sport

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/13

My colleague Paul Carter says: “Faithfulness is a team sport.”*That’s an important reminder, especially for Christians in the modern west. Our society is highly individualistic. We can get sucked into the thinking that faith is only about “me and Jesus.”Don’t get me wrong. It is definitely about you and Jesus. But it is also more … Continue reading Faithfulness is a team sport

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1:29

The heart enlargement business

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/12

Look at the word ‘encouragement.’ In the middle of it there is the word ‘courage.’ It’s based on an old French word for heart: ‘corage.’ Encouragement is about enlarging or fortifying someone’s heart—who they are within—so that they can face the battles of life. As Jesus’ people, encouragement isn’t just something we receive, but something we share … Continue reading The heart enlargement business

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1:56

Help of the helpless, oh abide with me

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/11

Today is Remembrance Day, also called Veterans Day or Armistice Day in other countries.We remember and give thanks for those who lost their lives in the miseries of war.We wear poppies. We read In Flanders Fields. We thank veterans. We pray for peace. We consider the value of our freedoms. We attend Remembrance Sunday services … Continue reading Help of the helpless, oh abide with me

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2:10

Abide, abide, abide. Then abide some more.

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/10

Some of the biblical authors use repetition to drive home a point. It is an effective way to keep focusing our attention on something critical.The apostle John does this very well. He uses the word “abide” a lot. This refers to “a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God.”*I’m going to give … Continue reading Abide, abide, abide. Then abide some more.

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1:54

The Spirit helps us in our weakness

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/07

Let me share one of the most comforting verses in the Bible.There are times when we feel as if our prayer life is deflated. In fact, there are times when we feel deflated, generally speaking. Things are not as they should be. We feel as though we can barely do the basics let alone follow … Continue reading The Spirit helps us in our weakness

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1:42

What’s happening in your heart matters

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/06

We’ve been talking about prayer.Did you know that when it comes to effective prayer, what is happening in your heart matters?Recently I was struck by Psalm 66:18. The psalmist says: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”When someone “cherishes” something they are adoring it; they are protecting it. … Continue reading What’s happening in your heart matters

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1:47

He can answer our requests in a better way

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/05

Prayer is a significant part of our lives.However, when God doesn’t seem to respond in a way we want or expect, we can start to question him.When that happens—and even when it doesn’t—we need to trust in God’s wisdom and timing. He truly knows better than we do.A helpful verse that reminds us of this … Continue reading He can answer our requests in a better way

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1:48

If we ask anything according to his will

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/04

In 1 John 5:14 the apostle writes: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”This verse is about prayer. I invite you to notice four words: “according to his will.” John is providing a direct instruction about prayer. He is telling … Continue reading If we ask anything according to his will

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2:15

Following it helps, neglecting it hurts

The Up Devotional ·

2025/11/03

Let’s say you take some illegal drugs (I hope you don’t be the way, but just hear me out). Let’s say you take some illegal drugs and then ask God to bless your experience. Would you then think that God was bad or negligent if he didn’t bless it? Of course not. After all, you’re … Continue reading Following it helps, neglecting it hurts

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2:14

Your three enemies and overcoming the world

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/31

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5)In these verses, John introduces the idea of “overcoming the world.” What … Continue reading Your three enemies and overcoming the world

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2:07

And his commandments are not burdensome

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/30

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).Did the apostle John just say that keeping God’s commandments are “not burdensome”? Some of them, sure. But all of them?Friends, hear this: The closer you get to God, the less burdensome his commandments become.Something … Continue reading And his commandments are not burdensome

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2:14

When following God’s commands feels difficult

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/29

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3).What if I told you that you had to climb a steep mountain. It would be difficult and take several hours. You probably wouldn’t want to do it.But what if I then told you that when you got to the top … Continue reading When following God’s commands feels difficult

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1:45

The virtue nobody wants

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/28

John Ortberg writes: “Obedience has become the virtue that nobody wants.”*What does he mean?The apostle Peter says that to “make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue” (2 Peter 1:5). Patience is a virtue, as we often hear. So is kindness. So is loyalty. But many people find obedience a tougher pill to swallow.Perhaps … Continue reading The virtue nobody wants

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1:32

Loving people when you don’t “feel” very loving

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/27

We’ve been spending some time thinking about love. Makes sense. After all, it comes up in the Bible—a lot.Truth is critical. So is doctrine. Related to these is love. It is an outward expression of the faith that God has given to us.Today I want to share a word of encouragement to those who don’t … Continue reading Loving people when you don’t “feel” very loving

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1:46

Even if I could multiply myself a thousand times

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/24

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).Autumn is a time of gratitude. The leaves on the trees are beautiful. We sing “Great is thy faithfulness” and remind ourselves about the good people … Continue reading Even if I could multiply myself a thousand times

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2:28

God is love?

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/23

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).This is a famous verse. It’s inspiring. It’s also a verse that is frequently abused. Some people use it to justify any behaviour they want, including ideas or actions which directly contradict God’s own teachings. To them, “God is love” means … Continue reading God is love?

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2:02

Prioritizing what Jesus prioritizes

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/22

In the previous devotional we talked about “distracted living.” Just how someone can become a “distracted driver” when behind the wheel, we can lose our focus about what and who matters most in life.As the people of God, it can be helpful to think deliberately about this with the following question: Am I prioritizing what … Continue reading Prioritizing what Jesus prioritizes

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1:40

Distracted driving, or distracted living?

The Up Devotional ·

2025/10/21

One of the biggest threats to road safety today is distracted driving. The national collision database says it contributed to 25.5% of serious injury collisions in 2021. Each year it seems to be increasing. A national survey found that 79% of drivers admitted to being distracted while driving. But this devotional isn’t about distracted driving. It’s … Continue reading Distracted driving, or distracted living?

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