The Up Devotional

In 1991 Scott Norwood played for the Buffalo Bills football team. It was the Super Bowl.  There was time for one last play. The Bills were down by one point. That’s when Norwood came onto the field. He was their leading scorer. If he scored, they would win.  The world watched as he got ready […]

I attended a conference where Don Carson was talking about faith. In the New Testament faith is about its object. In other words, faith is about trusting IN someone—namely God. This turns the focus from us to him! Let’s consider a few of the implications.  Faith isn’t about knowing everything, but trusting in the one […]

It was Max Lucado who said: “Most people suffer from small thoughts about God.”* In other words, when we underestimate the sovereignty, wisdom, love and power of God, we do ourselves a radical disservice. Time for a perspective corrective. The world has a lot of problems. Your life has challenges too. But what is puzzling […]

Summer is upon us. It’s a time to change gears. A lot of us are still working, but most of us will probably have a bit of vacation time here or there. Kids are out of school and teens are meandering to the beach. But many people still find it hard to rest. And when […]

Generally speaking, people want to be happy. But what is happiness, anyway? Is it related to status, money, or an all-expenses paid vacation? What about a lollipop while watching the sunset? I want to briefly share four “ingredients of true happiness” according to John Calvin, a theologian from the 1500’s.  I value his insight not […]

This week I’ve been talking about when we try to satisfy our deepest spiritual appetites with things or people who aren’t God. Today let me share one last idea. This is something people do to satisfy their spiritual cravings, but in so doing miss the point. It’s religion. Wait, isn’t religion good? Yes it is. […]

This week I’ve been talking about when we try to satisfy our deepest spiritual appetites with things or people who aren’t God. Jesus is the “bread of life” (John 6:35). He is our ultimate source of nourishment and satisfaction. So if we try to totally organize our lives around feel-good pleasures, experiences and escapes, or […]

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another…” (Isaiah 42:8). I’ve been writing about your soul’s appetite. Fill it with the wrong thing and be eternally corroded; fill it with the right thing and be eternally contented. We’re spending a few days on “wrong things,” contrasted with […]

Jesus said: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Last week we spent time talking about your soul and about how your soul has an appetite. Fill it with the wrong thing […]

This week we’ve been talking about your soul and about spiritual appetites. A man goes to a fast food restaurant. He has twenty five dollars in his pocket and nowhere to be. He orders his favourite combo and supersizes it. He stuffs himself to the brim, refills his coke, and goes back for a vanilla […]

In his book, A Hunger for God, John Piper writes: “we are less sensitive to spiritual appetites when we are in bondage to physical ones.”* Fair enough. Here’s where I want to focus us. Some of your physical appetites can be good. But they’re not your boss. Previous generations were much more used to denying […]

In yesterday’s devotional I talked about your soul’s appetite. Fill it with the wrong thing and be eternally corroded; fill it with the right thing and be eternally contented. In light of that, I suggested that you think proactively about how you are responding to your deepest longings since they can only and truly be […]

Hello! I’m back after a week away, and so is The Up Daily Devotional to your email inbox, social media feeds or podcast subscriptions five mornings a week! Let’s get to today’s devotional. A lady who was hard up for cash tried to sell her soul on eBay for $2000. Apparently eBay now has a […]

In his book Person of Interest, detective J. Warner Wallace highlights how many political, practical, and linguistic factors came together to maximize the impact and influence of Jesus on the world at that specific time in history.  At the pinnacle of Roman Rule, vast areas “were unified under the same economic, military, and linguistic systems.”* […]

Several years ago I led a workshop about faith formation in children and youth. ‘What can we do or say to help them trust and follow Jesus?’ Is there anything more important? No, there isn’t. Here’s where we landed. The best way to teach someone else to trust and follow Jesus is to trust and […]

In the Old Testament, God is described as master over the waves. God “alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). So even though it’s surprising, it’s no surprise that Jesus walks on water in John 6. After all, he is God come to us in human form. Not […]

There is a lot to feel uncertain about: global armed conflict, differing opinions about the pandemic, other illness, potential food shortages, gas prices, a troubled relationship, random acts of violence, interest rates… Not only are there uncertainties, but sensationalism in the media can further contribute to fear and panic. Frank Furedi counted how many times […]

“Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (Revelation 5:5). In a book by C.S. Lewis called Prince Caspian, a girl named Lucy sees a lion named Aslan. She hasn’t seen him in many years. He has changed; he is bigger. “Aslan, you’re bigger,” she says. […]

Evangelism. It’s sharing the good news about Jesus. But in a society that is increasingly apathetic or hostile toward the things of God, it can be intimidating, or even scary. A few years ago I helped organize a talk on the subject by Will Han. He’s a Buddhist monk-turned-Christian, church planter, former classmate, and friend […]

In the epic story Moby Dick, there is a turbulent scene where a whaleboat races to try and catch the great whale. The scene is frantic. Sailors are yelling and working hard. The enraged Captain Ahab is at the helm. But one person is calm amidst the chaos. He is steady and focused. It’s the […]

In John 15:16 Jesus said: “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” What impact will I have on the world? What will my legacy be? What kind of a difference will I make? In my experience, people tend to think of their impact or influence in the world […]

John 6:9 says: “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Good question. Turns out, they went a very long way! Jesus took them and miraculously fed thousands of people! Let’s focus on some of the details. In the ancient world […]

Do you ever wonder whether or not you can really make a difference? Paul Tudor Jones is the founder of the Robin Hood Foundation. It has channeled 1.45 billion dollars into noble causes. One of Jones’s passions is helping students at under-privileged, inner-city schools. He tells a story about when he was four. He was at […]

Much is made about Jesus being the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. Messiah is a Hebrew word meaning “anointed one,” which refers to God’s chosen king and representative on the earth. Much is also made about prophecies he has fulfilled which confirm that Jesus is in fact this Messiah. We could reference Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem […]

“Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). Violence upsets me. Does it upset you? I’m deeply saddened by the death of children. Perhaps this is a strange way to say it, but even though I’m shocked at the presence of real evil in our world, I’m not surprised by it. That itself is a reason to […]