First15 Devotional

As we continue this week on the marks of a true Christian, today we’re going to look at what it means to be fervent in spirit.  You were made to live with a fervent faith, zealous in response to God’s passionate love for you.  May God fill all our hearts with his love in a meaningful, authentic way. And may we find the courage in him to live our faith passionately. Our Scripture for today comes fr...

This week in the First15 podcast we’re going to take a look at seven principles found in Romans 12 that describe the marks of a true Christian. The intent of studying this passage is not to condemn or lead you to comparison. Instead, let Paul’s teaching fill you with a deep, transformative longing to wholeheartedly pursue the life God intends for you. Ask God to help you see yourself as he sees yo...

In the final episode of our series on experiencing God’s promises, today we’re going to look at what it means to live for God’s glory.  There are a wealth of promises that can only be experienced when we choose to lay down our own glory, and live for the glory of God instead.  We weren’t created to live for our own advancement, and attachment to advancement only breeds pain and suffering. But if w...

As we near the end of our week long series on experiencing the promises of God, today we’re going to look at how living with faithful action, being the hands of feet of Jesus, position us to experience more of God’s promises.  May God guide us to into a work birthed from the place of abiding in him, that our lives would be marked by the fruit of God’s promises coming to fruition every day. Our Scr...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to look at how being wise with our time, and investing it in the place of meeting with God face to face, positions us to more fully experience God’s promises every day. May God open our eyes to see the true value of our time, and how deeply he cherishes when we choose to spend it on him. Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 37:7 , and today's worship is Endl...

As we continue our series looking at how we can position ourselves to experience the fullness of God’s promises, today we’re looking at how we can cast off negativity, so that we, right here and now, can experience to greater depth the joy that’s available to us in God.  May God grant us the courage and perspective to choose life over death today as we seek to live the abundant life wholly availab...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to go deeper into the place of trust, seeking to open up more of our hearts to our good and loving Father, so we can experience more of his promises, moment by moment. W ithout trust, we’ll miss out on so many of the gifts God wants to give us every day. Without trust, our hearts will be closed off to the fullness of what this life has to offer us.  May we as God’s...

In our second episode positioning ourselves to more fully experience God’s promises, today we’re going to look at the role of renewing our minds in opening our heads and hearts to receive all God longs to give.  May God do a mighty work today as we make space for him to fill. Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 12:2 , and today's worship is Your Word  by Hillsong Worship featuring Jad Gi...

In today’s podcast, we’re launching a brand new series seeking to position ourselves to receive more of the reality of God’s promises every day. There is so much available to you and to me in God that we fail to tap into.  And today we’re looking specifically at how waiting on the Lord, sitting patiently and intentionally at his feet, positions us to receive God’s promise of strength.  May God gui...

In the last episode of this series on God’s promises, today we’re looking at the promise of his return.  The suffering and pain we’re right now experience is not for forever. There is a conclusion to this story, to all of our stories. And that conclusion is being written by a God so good, so loving, and so powerful, that we know this story of humanity ends triumphantly.  So may God fill us with ho...

As we near the end of series on God’s promises, today we’re going to look at the promise of his presence.  The nearness of God is always to our good. In every situation, good or bad, challenging or easy, it’s so good to be near to God.  So wherever you are today, lay down every other pursuit, just for the next few minutes, and focus simply on resting on God’s presence. Our Scripture for today come...

In today’s podcast, we’re continuing our series focusing on God’s promises by looking at his promise of comfort. We serve a God of all mercy and comfort, a God who knows our pain, weeps with us, and has a perfect plan to lead us to abundant life even in the midst of it all.  Let’s come to God today open-hearted, ready and willing to receive his comfort, that we might be nearer to him as the result...

As we enter the middle of our series on God’s promises, today we’re going to look at his promise of freedom.  Every day this world tries to chain us to its ways, holding us down where God is trying to lift us up. But in Jesus, we’ve been offered total and complete freedom. And in the Spirit we’re offered a continual pathway to exercise that freedom.  Whether it’s fear, lust, pride, or something el...

On today’s podcast, we’re going to look at God’s promise of compassion.  Few things draw me nearer to God, faster, than a fresh revelation of his compassion. In a world that judges us so quickly, and so often fails to offer second chances, compassion is in short supply.  May we not only get a revelation of God’s compassion in our own lives today, but may God mold and fashion us into his likeness,...

In today’s podcast, we’re continuing our series of taking hold of God’s promises by looking at his promise of strength. Every day I wake up, I’m reminded of my weakness. No human has ever lived a perfect day. But the goodness of this promise lies in that God promises his strength when we are weak. In his grace, you and I can live with the real, meaningful, and powerful strength of our God. Our Scr...

In today’s podcast, we’re launching a brand new series looking at various promises our heavenly Father makes towards us, and creating space to take hold of them a little bit more every day. Today we’re looking at how God promises us his will, and how we can live our lives in connection to his desires and plans for us.  May God stir our hearts to surrender anything that isn’t best for us, and may h...

In the last episode of this week where we’re seeking to stir up our affections for God, today we’re going to look at God’s faithfulness. You and I can have faith, because God is faithful. His faithfulness lays the foundation we need to love him, follow him, and walk with him. May God draw us closer to him, and give us a greater measure of faith today as we focus on his steadfast love and faithfuln...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to stir up our affections for God by looking at what it means when Scripture calls us God's children.  As a child of God, you are adopted into the family of the Creator of all. And you have a good, and loving Father, filled with grace, mercy, and compassion.  May God give us eyes to see who we are to him today, and the courage to abide in him in life-giving rela...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to stir up our affections by looking at God’s invitation to us in Revelation 3:20 to share a meal with him.  This metaphor, this image of sitting across the table from God, especially in the context of the author of Revelation, John’s, culture, creates a pathway for you and me to journey down that leads to real, close relationship with our Creator and Savior.  May w...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to stir up our affections for God by looking at his wisdom.  Not only is our God wise, but he longs to share his wisdom with us as his people. Living with true wisdom, true perspective, knowing how to order our desires and our days is one of the real keys to living an abundant life.  May we praise God for his wisdom, and ask him with boldness and confidence to share...

We're so excited to share this conversation Craig recently had with our friend Alison from Living Water International. In addition to discussing some of the amazing work Living Water is doing around the world, Alison and Craig also got to talk about the challenges we all face in staying connected to God in our work, some of the difficulties of working in a faith-based organization, and how we...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to continue our series seeking to simply stir our affections toward God, by looking at his boundless grace.  On a daily basis, it’s God’s grace that always draws me close first. His forgiveness, his loving compassion, his gaze changes everything.  May God open our eyes and hearts in a special way today to receive his grace in every corner of our hearts. Our Scriptur...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to continue our pursuit of stirring up our affections for God by looking at how God exchanges our burdens for his peace.  As a society, we are more continually stressed now than ever. Stress has become our new normal. But in God, we have the opportunity to live with a peace that surpasses our understanding.  May God guide us down his path to peace today as we make s...

This week we’ll start a new series, making space to simply stir up our affections for God every day.  Today, we’re going to look at the reality that our God loves to give us good gifts. May God empower us to live with open hands and an open heart, ready and willing to receive all that he longs to give. Our Scripture for today comes from James 1:17 , and today's worship is Garments  by Cory Asb...

In our final day of this week-long series seeking to put our faith to action, today we’re going to look at the victory we have in God’s love.  As God’s people, he’s inviting us into his victory, a victory we so desperately need.  May God establish us in his power today, and may chains fall off us and others as God guides us into a lifestyle of victory in him. Our Scripture for today comes from Rom...