The Up Devotional

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). People who volunteer to teach Sunday School are special. Some churches called it “Youth Zone” or “Kids’ Club” or something else. No matter what you call it, it is a valuable ministry to our young […]

Have you ever wondered what Jesus’ prayer life was like? We know what he taught about prayer because those teachings are preserved in the New Testament. But what was his actual personal practice? Theologian Joachim Jeremias explains the daily habits of devout Jews in the first century. First, he would have said the Shema in […]

Jesus is coming back. He said so. But before that happens he said there will be wars and rumours of war, increased Christian persecution, false Messiahs, more lawlessness, and less love. Wow. The church in Thessalonica wanted to know how to live in light of these realities. They knew Jesus would be coming back, and […]

I like to be healthy. I’m sure you like to be healthy as well.  When we hear the word ‘health,’ the first thing many of us think about is physical health. A cold or a broken bone disrupts our physical health.  There is also mental health. Fortunately, more people are talking about mental well-being, and […]

Bob Goff really wanted to be a lawyer. He applied to law school, but got rejected. Undeterred, he went to the dean’s office. Goff said that the dean had the power to let him into the school. If he said four words–“Go buy your books”–he would change his life forever for the better.  But the […]

In the 14th century Henry Suso wrote: “Where is virtue preserved except in adversity?”* That’s intense. Let’s take a closer look.  First, what is virtue? It’s not a word we use very much anymore. But it’s a good one. It comes up in 2 Peter 1. It means ‘moral excellence.’ Second, where is it used […]

Hope often requires waiting, but waiting is made possible by hope. Let me explain. Hope often requires waiting. Makes sense. There is a future dimension to hope. If I hope that my best friend comes to visit, it requires some waiting.  But waiting is made possible by hope. In other words, when we are confident […]

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out” (Proverbs 18:15). John Chrysostom was an early church father who had a considerable influence on the faith of others.  He said that there were four things Christians can’t help doing: praying, praising, being generous, and reading Scripture and studying […]

Chris Colquitt is a campus minister for the Reformed University Fellowship at Northwestern University.  In a recent talk he was speaking about faith and Gen Z. That’s the generation born roughly between 1996 and 2010.  One of the things he talked about was how kids were (and are) raised, and the influence this has on […]

Wallace Alston wrote: “To be a member of a church… is to be an active participant in God’s unparalleled renovation of the world.”* That’s a big statement. Perhaps you don’t think about your church in that way. Perhaps you only think about your church as a place to sing songs or chat with nice people. […]

Some of you will notice that your calendars say “All Saints Day” on November 1st. But what is it? It’s also called All Hallows Day, which is why Halloween is called Halloween; it is the eve of All Hallows Day. But yes, we’re all still confused!  Something or someone who is “hallowed” is something or […]

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:1-2). When most people look at October 31st on their calendar, they think of Halloween. However, it is also Reformation […]

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). Have you ever been talking to a young child when they use a word that you know they didn’t come up with […]

Our yard has a beautiful hydrangea tree.  Actually, our yard used to have a beautiful hydrangea tree. It got knocked down by the wind. I took a close look. The blooms were gorgeous, especially in autumn. But the root structure was basically non-existent. I’m not sure why. For some reason, the roots weren’t spread out, […]

To some people, the Ten Commandments seem like a list of rules. In fact, when you read through the Bible, you start to notice that there are a whole bunch of rules and instructions about how to live. If you just think they are arbitrary rules then you are going to start resenting them. That’s […]

A man was in a nursing home. He wasn’t having a good day. He was feeling low and disheveled.  One of the nurses noticed. So she brought him a comb so that he would feel better. It did. Yes, he was able to brush his hair. But even more than that, he knew that someone […]

Every day we are exposed to countless arguments. We witness them on the news, online, and sometimes in our own homes. I’ve noticed a pattern. A lot of people try to belittle someone else’s viewpoint to make their own sound superior. There are two simple steps in this process. Step one: Oversimplify someone’s viewpoint to […]

In the ancient world, being poor was an incredibly desperate situation. If you didn’t have family to take you in, you were basically thrown into a world of hunger, begging, stereotypes, ridicule, slave labour, prostitution or violence. Christians or Jews often came into the picture and provided much-needed help. But beyond that, you were basically […]

In the previous devotional we talked about simplicity of lifestyle and how it can keep you focussed on what matters most. Today, let’s continue with that same theme.  To be clear, what matters most is God. If we fail to appreciate that, the mixed-up culture around us will also mix-up our priority list. Kevin Myers […]

Proverbs 15:16 says: “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.” Here is what it means. It is better to live simply faithfully, than to have a lot of money and constant trouble. There were some couples in Georgia who were talking about when they were the most happy […]

“I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish” (Ezekiel 17:24). Generally speaking, we do not like hardship. We try to avoid it.  But if we’re being honest, I think that most of us can look back on certain hardships from our past and see how some good was able to come […]

Jesus is going to come back.  He said that he would. The early church said that he would. Christians have looked forward to this powerful day ever since. There are two unhealthy extremes when it comes to this topic. One is to never think about it, or to downplay it. The other is to obsess […]

A soldier was in Nagasaki, a long way from home. On Sunday morning he saw what looked like a church. He went inside.  There were about twenty people there. The soldier wasn’t sure how it was going to go since he only knew one word: brother.  But that’s the word he heard: “Brother.” As you […]

When it comes to journeying through life—and to making decisions in general—discernment is important. It involves sifting through information, figuring out right from wrong, and going forward based on what you’ve discovered. If someone is “discerning,” it usually means that they are deliberate and proactive about their choices. When Solomon prayed to God to be […]

“Be devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:10). Let me start by asking you a question. Would you rather be known for what you’re FOR, or what you’re AGAINST? In other words, would you rather be known for beliefs, causes or issues that you are FOR, or would you rather be known for beliefs, […]