First15 Devotional

In today’s podcast, 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 lives...

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 c...

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.  Ma...

You and I have been given the invaluable gift of communication with God. Last week we learned about the process of making the soil of our hearts soft and receptive to God. This week we’ll learn some different ways to receive the seed of his word. May your communion with God flourish as you engage in continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father. Our Scripture for today comes fro...

As we wrap up this week focusing on tilling the soil of our hearts, today we’re going to look at the role of hearing God’s voice in living open and responsive to God.  I know for a lot of us the idea of hearing God speak can be a confusing, sometimes too far out there subject. But as God’s children, he wants us to live in communication with him. And through the Holy Spirit, you and I have the abil...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to continue our week long focus on tilling the soil of the heart by looking at the power of prayer. There is no better way to soften our hearts towards God than making space to have a real conversation with him. His voice breaks down our walls. His answers give us the peace and direction we need. And his presence, simply resting in him, builds the solid foundation o...

As we near the end of our week focusing on tilling the soil of the heart, today we’re going to look at the role of community in positioning ourselves to receive all that God longs to give.  God is calling us into a deeper commitment to love others, and be loved by others. He wants to use us and those he’s placed around us to guide us deeper into fullness of life.  So as we set our eyes on him, may...

As we reach the middle of our week-long focus on tilling the soil of our hearts, today we’re going to look at the power of Scripture in receiving all that God longs to give us.  Within the pages of Scripture there is a wealth of stories all conveying how God has met with and restored his people from the beginning of civilization. And these stories are powerful resources in softening our hearts tow...

As we continue this week-long focus on tilling the soil of our hearts, today we’re going to look at the power of worship in opening our hearts to receive all that God longs to give.  For most of us, worship is something we engage in in a corporate setting. It’s a collective expression of adoration and relationship. But worship can be so much more than the songs we sing together. It’s a powerful av...

As we continue this week focusing on tilling the soil of our hearts, today we’re going to look at the role of thankfulness in opening our hearts to receive all that God longs to give.  While Scripture is filled with encouragements to be thankful, I think our own lived experience tells us that being thankful is essential in the pursuit of an abundant life.  So may God remind us of all we have to be...

This week we'll look at a vital spiritual practice to all those seeking to grow in God: tilling the soil of the heart. Jesus spoke in Matthew 13 of two different types of soil—hard and soft. God longs for us to till the soil of our hearts that we might be receptive to the seed of his word and bear fruit. May your heart become more responsive to the presence, will, and love of God this week as...

Today we're wrapping up our week-long series of stirring up our affections for God by looking at what it means to have friendship with the Holy Spirit. The nearness of God's Spirit, the reality of his voice and leadership, is our deepest connection to God on this earth. And like any other relationship, any other connection, it takes time to develop a true friendship with the Spirit. So tod...

As we near the end of our week, creating space every day to simply have our affections stirred up for God, we're going to take time today to look at God's heart to forgive us. God's forgiveness is as constant as our need for his forgiveness. And today, I hope and pray that he reveals his heart to forgive us completely and immediately when we confess our sin to him, and his heart to con...

On today’s podcast, we’re going to look at the reality that God loves to heal hearts. As we continue this series allowing who God is and what he does to stir up our affections for him, may his desire to heal us emotionally, to bind up our wounds, draw us closer to him in meaningful ways. Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 147:3 , and today's worship is Could You Be This Good  by Kristene...

As we reach the middle of our week-long focus on stirring up our affections for God, today we’re going to create space to simply delight in God’s love.  Oftentimes focusing on the simple, foundational aspects of our relationship with God will produce more fruit than trying to journey beyond them. And I pray that God reveals his love in a tangible and fresh way today for you and me as we open our h...

In the third day of this week-long series, taking time every day to stir up our affections for God, today we’re going to look at all it means for him to be our Father. Out of all of the metaphors used for our relationship with this eternal, transcendent God, the concept of him being a Father today has been most meaningful.  May he draw us closer as he reveals what a good Father he is to us. Our Sc...

As we continue our focus on simply stirring up our affections for God this week, today we’re going to take time to focus on the fact that God is present in our lives. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, God is with you in and through it all. And his presence, his nearness is the foundation on which we are meant to live as his people.  May we develop a greater sense of his nearness today and l...

This week on the First15 podcast we'll spend time stirring up our affections for God through the renewing of our minds. Your mind is the gateway to your affections. What you think is worthy of your affections is what will receive them. So, as we grow in our understanding of God’s overwhelming goodness we will naturally give him our hearts. May you be stirred by the unconditional love of your h...

As we wrap up this week looking at the longings of the human heart we all share, we’re going to look today at the longing to make a deep and lasting impact.  God has a plan to use you in ways far beyond what you could ask or imagine, a plan for you to make a deep and lasting impact in the world.  As we make space for God to speak and lead today, may he give us a deeper sense of purpose and calling...

In today’s podcast, we’re going to explore the longing we all share to be wholehearted.  Everyone of us desires to give our lives to something, our passion to something that truly matters. And God has given us all that desire with a perfect plan to satisfy it in a unique way, a way he’s perfectly wired each of us for.  May each of us get a greater sense of how we can live more wholeheartedly in hi...

In today’s podcast we’re going to look at the longing we all share for intimacy without shame.  You and I were made to be fully known, and fully loved. And pursuing that sense of knowledge and love from the world has left so many of us wounded.  But the good news is that God has a path for healing, relationship, and love that’s void of shame, and wants to guide us down that path today as we create...

I'm thrilled to share one of my favorite conversations I've had with one of my favorite pastors, Pete Yoshonis from All Shores Wesleyan Church in Spring Lake, Michigan. In this conversation we talk about worship, the value in life of spiritual disciplines, and how his church is using First15 to go deeper in relationship with God and each other as a community. I hope that this podcast will...

Today as we continue our series looking at 7 longings of the human heart, we’re going to take time to recognize and satisfy our longing for greatness.  The longing for greatness within the heart of man has produced tremendous and terrible things. It’s produced peace and war, advancement and destruction. And as we look at this longing today, I pray that God reveals the purity and power of it as wel...

As we continue our week-long focus on 7 longings of the human heart, today we’re going to look at the longing we all share for beauty.  God has created beauty all around us, beauty we can see and beauty we can feel. And in a world so inundated with false notions of beauty, today my prayer is that God reveals the purity within this longing that resides within each of our hearts, and his perfect pla...