First15 Devotional

Today we get to celebrate the amazing gift of Easter Sunday. Eleven words recorded in Matthew 28:6 changed human history: "He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” The stone that sealed the tomb of Jesus was but a pebble compared to the Rock of Ages. And because of the incredible miracle of the resurrection, we can all live with unshakable joy and hope. Our Scripture for today comes from...

Is guilt from your past part of your life today? Do you still feel shame over sins you’ve confessed? Are you carrying a silent burden of mistakes and failures you’re glad no one knows? I know the feeling. Here’s the good news: today, Saturday of Holy Week, has a lesson of hope for us. So let’s explore this great hope and how we can walk in complete freedom from guilt and shame.  Our Scripture for...

In today’s devotional, we are reflecting on Good Friday, the day Jesus went to the cross on our behalf. Thinking about the death of Jesus is a somber experience, yet it’s important for each of us to recognize the incredible length God was willing to go to on our behalf. So today, let’s explore why Jesus had to suffer and what his sacrifice means for each of us. Our Scripture for today comes from R...

In our weeklong journey toward Easter, today is known as Maundy Thursday. This is a significant day in the life of Jesus, and so it’s also a significant day for us as children of God. Yet  even as his children, we all have moments where we question whether or not he truly loves us. So today, may we be reminded of the depth of his love and the lengths he went to in order to restore a relationship w...

As we continue our week of preparing our hearts for Easter, today we’re going to look at how God speaks. We often associate prayer with taking time to talk to God. We may even be consistent in sharing our worries and requests with him. Yet the power of prayer isn’t fully realized until we learn not just to talk, but also to listen. God desires to speak to each of us. He longs to lead us, teach us,...

Loving God can sound so simple. But when we think about what it means to love God with everything we have, we all have to recognize that we fall short. Thankfully, our relationship with God isn’t built on our own faithfulness, but his. So as we continue to journey toward Easter this week, let us reflect on God’s great love for us and the distance he went to demonstrate it through the life and deat...

Today we’re launching a brand new series as we make our way toward Easter. God’s love is for everyone, and today we’re looking specifically at how God invites us to receive his mercy and grace by drawing near to him. May he guide us to a better understanding and a deeper experience of his promises today. Our Scripture for today comes from Hebrews 4:16 , and today's worship is Temple by Jeremy...

As we finish this week of looking at different ways God speaks, today we’re going to look at the role of taking action in hearing God. One of the most powerful ways to discover what God thinks and how God feels is joining him where he is at work in the world around us. So my prayer today is that God opens our eyes and ears to discover fresh parts of how he declares his heart to us, and that we’re...

In today’s devotional, we’re going to look at the value of solitude in making space to hear from God. In all the noise of our world, solitude is more important now than ever. We need quiet to tune our ears to the still, small voice of God. We need the type of peace that only comes from quieting our hearts and minds. We need the type of relationship with God that can only be formed in solitude. May...

In today’s devotional, we’re going to look at the role of meditation in hearing from God. Meditation for many reasons, seems to have found its way out of our Christian context. But the reality is that meditation has been central to our faith throughout its history. And the Bible is chocked full of encouragement to meditate on who God is, on his word, allowing space for God to fill in our daily liv...

As we arrive in the middle of this week-long focus on hearing from God, today we’re going to look at the role of Creation in God speaking to us as his children. Throughout human history mankind has gone to nature to get a deeper sense of the divine. And I believe that when we open our ears to hear what God is declaring to us through that which he’s made, we’ll find a wonderful avenue to stay in co...

As we continue this series looking at different ways God speaks to us as his children, today we’re going to look at what it means to hear God’s voice. The idea of hearing the voice of God is something I get asked about all the time. And I think it’s because, honestly, it sounds kind of crazy! But Scripture and Christian History tell us clearly that God loves to communicate with his people.   So ma...

As we continue our series looking at different ways God speaks to us as his children, today we’re going to look at the role of Scripture in hearing God. The pages of Scripture contain so many amazing stories of how God spoke to his people. Within these stories we see the power of a people focused on following God’s leadership, and the destruction that takes place when people go their own way.    M...

You and I have been given the invaluable gift of communication with God. This week we’ll learn some different ways to receive the seed of God’s word spoken to us. May your communion with God flourish as you engage in continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father. Our Scripture for today comes from Jeremiah 33:3 , and today's worship is Voice of God by Dante Bowe Feat. Steffa...

One of the greatest gifts of my life has been experience the presence of God. His presence is essential to experiencing and knowing him. And God has made himself so available to us through all that Jesus accomplished. May we simplify what it means to experience God’s presence today and gain a greater sense of confidence to experience the presence of God for ourselves at all times. Our Scripture fo...

  Today we’ll explore the experience of God’s freedom as it relates to our identity and what we believe about ourselves. Many of us have yet to truly taste the freedom available to us through the finished work of Christ. There is nothing else like it in the world. It is my prayer you are liberated today, and that your thinking toward yourself changes and in result changes your actions. Christ said...

Today we’ll explore the concept of partnering with God in his purposes in the earth. God is already at work all around us. He is asking us today to have eyes to see it, and step in with him to see his will fulfilled in the earth. As we assess our hearts today, may you go forward with a deep sense of purpose and calling. Everything with God starts and ends with relationship, and he simply wants to...

Life this side of heaven is plagued with all kinds of stress and anxiety. This time of year can be especially stressful too. None of us is immune to this reality, but thankfully we have Jesus who the Bible tells us is himself our peace. What a beautiful comfort we have found in him. May you lose yourself in Jesus today and allow him to wrap you in his peace afresh. Bring whatever fears, stresses o...

As we continue our week on knowing God through experiencing him, today we’ll explore what it means and looks like to experience his voice. This can often be an intimidating topic. Many of us feel inadequate or even unable to hear the voice of God—but nothing could be further than the truth. I hope today you will feel the pressure or weight lift off your shoulders as you learn just how simple relat...

As we spend this week wholeheartedly seeking to know God with all we are, we’ll take time today to experience God’s love for us. We all may live with the head knowledge that God loves us, but go long spurts of time without actually experiencing God’s love. God’s love is most radical and life-changing upon encounter, and it’s my hope today you’ll press into him and really feel first hand yourself h...

To know God is to experience God. Just as we experience aspects of one another as we grow in friendship, we experience the wonders of God as we seek to simply know him. God is calling us to a life of seeking him with all we are. He is calling us to value relationship with him above all else that we would worship no other but him. May you encounter wonderful aspects of relationship with your heaven...

As we wrap up our week exploring the tangible, life-changing presence of God, we’ll look to the baptism of Jesus and how the Spirit of God descended and rested upon him. What does this mean for us as Christ’s followers? Is the Spirit’s presence available to us just the same? Find rest today as we encounter the Spirit of the living God and allow him to minister to us. Our Scripture for today comes...

Pentecost means so much to us as believers. The day of Pentecost changed everything for us. Today we’ll explore walking with the Holy Spirit and how he affects our daily life so much. May your heart grow in gratitude and friendship with the Spirit today as a result of your time with him. Our Scripture for today comes from Acts 2:1-2 , and today's worship is Spirit Move by Kalley Heiligenthal. ...

Today as we look at the Holy of Holies, we’ll see how Jesus fulfilled the requirements of God’s law and is the perfect High Priest on our behalf. As we learn of all Jesus’ sacrifice accomplished, may our hearts swell in worship and thanks to our King. Our Scripture for today comes from Hebrews 10:19-22 , and today's worship is  Cathedrals by Tenth Avenue North. -- Jesus’ invitation in Matthew...

  Today as we explore the stories of the Israelites being led by the pillar of God’s presence, we’ll examine what that means for God’s leadership in our own lives. As we submit to his leadership, may we find how truly faithful he is to lead us in every single season. Open your heart to trust him afresh today, and remember he is for you. Our Scripture for today comes from Exodus 13:21-22 , and toda...