First15 Devotional

As we explore the simplicity of love this week, today we’ll look at how God’s love has redeemed us. There is an amazing Brennan Manning quote that says, “In loving me, you made me lovable.” And that is basically the concept we’ll be unpacking today. God’s love has come in and given us meaning, beauty, redemption, and purpose. It is through God loving us that we become sons and daughters; we become...

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” The greatest of all aspects of the Christian life is love. Love is to be at the foundation of all we do, all we are, and all we hold on to. If we focus on love and allow the Holy Spirit to strip everything else away, what will be left is a life of blessed simplicity rooted in face-to-fac...

God loves to exceed our expectations and break our boxes. Today’s topic does just that. As we end our week, today we’re exploring God’s attributes that make him a fun, joyful Father. Let’s allow God to reshape our notion of him and free our hearts up to enjoy just how good God really is. He is better than anyone we’ve ever known, and it’s my hope today we can see that with clear eyes.  More from...

Discipline can be a tricky subject. Many of us have not seen discipline done well, and no one really loves being disciplined or having something they’ve done wrong pointed out. But something we must keep in mind with our heavenly Father is that he loves perfectly, so discipline must be a part of his perfect love. As we wrap up our week of looking at who God is, this is a crucial topic we have to l...

As we continue our week on God being our Father, we look today at how God encourages us. There is nothing like an encouraging word from the Father when we’re feeling low and discouraged. Sometimes life can be daunting, and our good Father knows just what to say when we need to hear it most. If you’re feeling discouraged today, I pray the Lord speaks courage to your weary heart and strengthens your...

In the kingdom of God, we find a culture different from that of our world. We are often taught to be self-made, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, and that it’s the survival of the fittest. God’s kingdom turns these principles on their head. We are encouraged to wait, trust, and receive from our God who supplies for our every need. Does your life mimic one of trust and waiting? One of open hands...

Many of us deal with a fear of abandonment, rejection, or loneliness, and often for good reason. The beautiful thing about our heavenly Father is that he is present in our lives, and we are never alone. As we continue our week looking at the ways God is good to us, open your heart today to the very tangible presence of your Father, even now in your midst. Allow truth to permeate the broken places...

In our fallen state, patience isn’t something we find very often in ourselves or others. I don’t know if I know one person who has perfectly displayed patience for me, myself included. What’s incredible about our Father in heaven is that he is an endless well of patience. He has patience in abundance, and it never runs out for us. Today allow God to reorient the way you understand him and his hear...

There is no better father than our Creator God. He formed us and knows us. He provides for us, loves us unconditionally, and longs for a real, life-giving relationship with us. He runs out to meet us in our sin, clothes us with a new identity, and restores to us the abundant life he has always planned for us. As we spend time looking at the father’s heart, may a fresh revelation of his love for yo...

In today’s devotional, we wrap up our week on God giving good gifts by looking at how God is the giver of courage. Fear is something that plagues us all in this life. But our Father’s way is better. The Lord wants to cast out all fear with his perfect love and empower you to live boldly, full of courage and confidence. Open your heart today in light of God’s love. Let go of anything holding you ba...

In today’s First15, we’re going to explore and experience the ways God gives us strength. There is not much better than becoming aware of our weakness and being met by God’s strength and grace in the midst of it. God fills in all the places we lack, and he wants to hold you up and strengthen you today in your weakness. We can release the need to appear strong because we have a very strong God on o...

As we near the end of our week on God giving us good, heavenly gifts, we’re going to take time today to discover and reflect on the ways God gives us direction. Sometimes life can be confusing, and it is difficult to know which decisions to make. Thankfully, we have a Father who has sent his Spirit to speak and lead us through life’s winding paths. He has a plan for each of our lives, and he desir...

In today’s First15, we’re going to explore the way God gives us contentment in the midst of every season and place he plants us. May you walk in immense satisfaction today as you open your heart and mind to the Lord’s presence and truth. As you fix your eyes on Jesus and trust him, I pray you experience rich contentment today in God’s love and provision. Click to request your copy of Who Am I? tod...

As we continue our series on God the Giver of Gifts, we’re going to take time today to look at the peace God is faithful to give. We all need peace in this chaotic world, and thankfully God has an abundance of it, which he wants to lavish on his children. Open your heart today, be still, and take in the peace of heaven.  More from First15 Read today's devotional or listen to today's worsh...

Today as we continue to explore ways God is a wonderful, giving Father, we’re going to focus on the delivering power of God to set the captive free and rescue his people. Wherever you find yourself today, know that God is a safe rescue and the deliverer of our souls. He loves you mightily and is working on your behalf at all times. May that truth bring you immense peace and comfort as you experien...

Our heavenly Father is the giver of every good gift. This week in the First15 devotional we’re going to explore the different gifts only God can give. His mercies are vast, powerful, and real. His love has the ability to completely overwhelm and satisfy every one of our needs. Everything he gives us satisfies, transforms, and leads us to abundant life. As we spend this week stirring up our affecti...

In today’s First15, we’re going to respond to God’s open invitation to seek his face. God desires to meet with you just as you are. So great was his desire for real, restored relationship with you, that he would send his only Son. May the weights and cares of the world fall off of your shoulders today as you set out to seek the heart of your good and loving Father. Click to request your copy of Wh...

In today’s First15 we’re going to create space to talk about and receive God’s great gift of love. You and I were made to be loved by God. And until we make room to receive the unselfish, steadfast, tangible love of God, we’ll spend the rest of our lives striving, vying for affection from others. May striving cease today as we receive the lavish affection of our good and loving God.  More from Fi...

In today’s First15, we’re going to dive deeper into the reality of God’s goodness. At every turn, just when I wonder how good God really is, he always has a plan to show me how truly loving and good he is. So as we begin, where are you questioning God’s goodness today? When things go wrong, when we get hurt, it’s only natural to start questioning and building walls. But rather than going our own w...

In today’s First15, we’re going to spend time reflecting on how worthy God is of our devotion. Life is never better than when God is fully at the center of our lives, and fully at the center of our hearts. May we authentically give God our devotion today as we take time to discover how holy and worthy he is. Click to request your copy of Who Am I? today!  More from First15 Read today's devoti...

In today’s First15, we’re going to take time today to simply focus on how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. Our trust is always meant to be a response to God’s trustworthiness, an act of love given as we receive the unconditional, life-changing love of God. May our hearts be filled with greater measures of trust as we make space for God to fill.  More from First15 Read today's devotional or...

Every day we experience fear in some way. Whether it’s fear over the opinion of others, fear of the future, or fear over the ways and plans of evil, we’re in need of comfort and faith. Today we’re going to spend time focusing to protection God offers us every day in his goodness and love. May our hearts be comforted and our hands filled with strength as we make space for God to fill. Click to requ...

It’s vital to the Christian life that we as sons and daughters of the most high God allow our affections to be stirred by the loving, powerful nature of our heavenly Father. Too often we feel that God is distant or separated from us. Too often we allow misconceptions or lies to place a rift between us and experiencing God. So as we spend time this week focusing on God’s character, allow who he is...

In the last day 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 faithfulness....

In today’s First15, we’re going to stir up our affections for God by looking at what it means, when Scripture calls us his 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 relationshi...