First15 Devotional

As we near the end of our week on living an unveiled lifestyle, we’re going to take time today to discover and reflect on the omnipresence of God. The tearing of the veil at Jesus’ death tells us that God’s presence is no longer contained to a specific place, but wholly available. In fact Scripture tells us that we’re now the temple of God’s Spirit, that God’s presence is with us. May you have a p...

In today’s First15, we’re going to explore the connection between faith and living an unveiled lifestyle. There is so much life, peace, and joy for you if you will join God in the work he is doing, and has already done in your life. May your faith increase today, and may your experience of God’s presence deepen as we create space to seek God together. Discover our limited podcast series, Peace in...

As we continue our series on living an unveiled lifestyle today, we’re going to look at the essence of what an unveiled lifestyle is. May you hear and take the invitation of God to live differently, to live closer, to abide and rest in his presence in all you do today.  More from First15 Read today's devotional or listen to today's worship song at First15.org/today Download the First15 ap...

As we continue our series on living an unveiled lifestyle, we’re going to take time today to look at the tearing of the veil at Jesus’ death. While all things are not yet restored, today we’re going to discover that the closeness humanity was missing with God has been restored. You and I are the temple of the Spirit, his presence is with us. May we gain a deeper knowledge and experience of God’s c...

In our second day of looking at how to live an unveiled lifestyle, we’re going to apply the example of Moses to our own lives. Specifically, we’re going to look at the closeness he had with God, because it is the same God who loves you and I today. May God draw us closer to him, and give us eyes to see his face today.  More from First15 Read today's devotional or listen to today's worship...

In this week’s First15 we’re going to explore what it means to live with an unveiled lifestyle. It’s when we live our lives in light of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus that you and I begin to experience all his death was purposed to bring us. God longs for his children to walk in intimacy with him directly connected to his wellspring of love for us. May you experience a more tangible, loving, and p...

Today we’ll finish up our week on living poor in spirit by exploring how spiritual freedom is tied to spiritual poverty. May you be stirred up today to live free as you hold tightly to the truths of God’s kingdom. Abundant life is available to us now as we seek to live low and abide in Jesus.  More from First15 Read today's devotional or listen to today's worship song at First15.org/today...

As we begin to wrap up our week on living poor in Spirit, today we’ll examine the life of Jesus as our example and how he always put others first. As we seek to understand how to live a lowly life of love, may you be envisioned and encouraged today to love God and others well. God wants to use you as a vessel of his grace and love in this world. Will you let him?  More from First15 Read today&#39...

A cornerstone to living poor in spirit is living with an acknowledgment of our need for God. We must learn to tap into our weakness and lean on Jesus in all things if we want to experience the blessing of God’s grace. The beauty of God’s way is that it will always turn the ways of our world on its head. To be strong you must become weak. To be rich, you must be poor. To find, you must lose. Discov...

Today as we continue our week on being poor in spirit, we’ll assess our hearts regarding storing up treasures on earth verses in heaven. We see this theme repeatedly in the words of Jesus, and it is my prayer we’re able to heed his words and embrace what they mean for us. As we seek to have one devotion today, may our hearts be fully open to the One who’s worthy.  More from First15 Read today&#39...

Not one of us is without sin. And each of us lives with a need for consistent repentance and an active receiving of God’s forgiveness. This is so crucial to living poor in spirit. The beauty of our God is that his forgiveness is promised at our repentance. There is no fear or shame in God’s perfect love and mercy. May we learn to embrace this aspect of walking with the Lord rather than shy away fr...

As we continue our week on becoming poor in spirit, today we’ll explore the concept of living a lifestyle of grace. Many of us struggle with pride and self-sufficiency. But those things are in stark opposition to what it means to live poor in spirit. When we choose the road of humility, we open ourselves up to a life dependent on God’s grace to sustain us, a life fueled by God’s power rather than...

The biblical concept of being poor in spirit is foundational to every aspect of the Christian life. Foundational to salvation is a heart-level acknowledgment of our need for a Savior. Foundational to experiencing God’s love is acknowledging our great need of love. Foundational to heavenly peace and joy is an acknowledgment that this world truly offers us neither. If we want all that God in his gra...

In the last day of our week-long focus on the parable of the prodigal son, we’re going to make space to set our eyes on the father in the story, and ask the Holy Spirit to make us more like him. Our ultimate calling is to grow up into the clearest reflection of who God is, as his children made in his image. And we see an incredible picture of who we are to be in the character of the father in the...

As we near the end of our week looking at Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, we’re going to look today at the restoration of authority the father gave to the son. And we’re going to create space today to look at what it means to be granted the authority of the Father in our own lives. May we be positioned to work with God in bringing his powerful love to earth all around us as the result of our t...

In today’s First15, we continue our week on the parable of the prodigal son, by looking at the son’s restoration of identity. The way we see ourselves changes our lived experience every day. And the world around us often sends us a totally different message about who we are than who our Father in heaven says we are. Get your copy of Wisdom Matters!  More from First15 Read today's devotional o...

In today’s First15, we’re going to look at the moment in Jesus’ story of the prodigal son, where the Father restores his sonship. May the incredible love of the Father displayed in this moment of Jesus’ story give us a glimpse into how our heavenly Father feels about us today.  More from First15 Read today's devotional or listen to today's worship song at First15.org/today Download the Fi...

In our third day looking at Jesus’ story of the prodigal son, we’re going to take time today to look at how quickly, how instantly God forgives us. May regret, and fear over God’s judgement be washed away as we see an incredible picture of how quickly and easily God forgives our sins. Get your copy of Wisdom Matters!  More from First15 Read today's devotional or listen to today's worship...

In today’s First15, we’re going to look at how incredible patient God is with us, as we begin our second day in a week long focus on the story of the prodigal son. So often we judge ourselves, we can be our own worst critic. But today, if we’ll open our hearts and minds to listen and receive, we’ll find a patient God whose never surprised by our mistakes, and who never casts us out in the midst of...

The story of the prodigal son moves my heart to delve into new depths of God’s limitless grace. I find myself in every facet of Jesus’ words of this story. I identify with the younger son’s rebellion. I identify with the older son’s judgement and resentment. I identify with the experience of the father’s compassion and love. Today we begin a week long focus at this lifegiving, and perception shatt...

In our last podcast in our weeklong focus on forgiveness, today we’re going to look at what it takes to forgive ourselves. For some of us, forgiving ourselves can be the hardest part of forgiveness. May God give us the grace to see ourselves as he does, and offer ourselves love, compassion, and forgiveness regardless of what we’ve done. Get your copy of Wisdom Matters! More from First15 Read today...

As we near the end of our week on forgiveness, today we’re going to look at a more foundational aspect of forgiveness, living without expectation of perfection. The goal today isn’t to adopt a pessimistic way of looking at the world around us, but to actually see others the way that God does. God isn’t surprised by our sin, but looks at us with eyes of hope and love. May we gain his perspective to...

In today’s First15, we continue our weeklong focus on forgiveness by looking at the idea of separating out our forgiveness of the person from their actions. It’s often our failure to do this separation that keeps us from engaging in the lifegiving command to forgive. But God has wisdom and revelation for us today as we look at his word, and freedom for our hearts today if we’ll engage with him in...

In the middle of this week on forgiveness, we’re taking time today to look at what it means to live a lifestyle of continual forgiveness. Over time, as we open our hearts and allow God to do a continued work in us, we’re equipped to develop a new normal, a new way of living. So today we’re looking at how we can live with a constant openness towards forgiveness, equipped to both receive it and offe...

In today’s First15, we’re going to explore God’s healing for our past wounds and present scars. There is so much power in forgiveness, so much healing in reconciliation. May you find healing today for any wounds or scars you’ve been carrying, whether big or small. And may you find a greater measure of abundant life as the result of God’s presence and mercy.  More from First15 Read today's dev...