First15 Devotional

There is no better father than 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 heart of God, may a fresh revelation of his love for y...

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 devotional, 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 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 devotional, 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.   Our Scripture for today comes from Pro...

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. Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 85:8 , and today's worship is Pea...

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 podcast, 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. Our Scripture for today...

In today’s First15 podcast, 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. Our S...

In today’s First15 podcast, 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 o...

In today’s First15 podcast, 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.   Our Scripture for today comes from Isaiah 6:3 , and today's worship is Devot...

In today’s First15 podcast, we’re going to take time 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. Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 9:10 ,...

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 on the 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. Our Scr...

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 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 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 relationship...

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 we...

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 t...

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 Scripture...

In today’s devotional, 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 mak...

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 Gifts from God by Ch...

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...