First15 Devotional

As we near the end of our week on joy, today we look at another aspect of the joy available to us in God, specifically how our joy could be so great that the Bible would call it inexpressible. May our hearts be opened to a greater measure of joy than we’ve yet experienced, and the wisdom and faith to hold on to that joy as our portion in God. Our Scripture for today comes from 1 PETER 1:8-9 , and...

Today we’re going to explore the role of the Holy Spirit in living with the joy available to us in God. Know that as a believer, the Holy Spirit is with you, ready to search the heart of God for you, and to give you this free gift of joy, if you’ll simply trust him and receive it. May your relationship with the Spirit deepen today, and yield a joy so real and strong that no trial or tribulation co...

I think one of the hardest things to do in life is to live with joy in the midst of trials and challenges. It’s so easy to let life dictate to us our emotions and state of being. But in God, there is a joy available to us right where we are, no matter how good or bad the situation may be. Today we’re going to make space together to simply open our hearts and minds to receive the joy of the Father....

In our third day of looking at Joy, we’re going to take time today to look at David’s statement in  Psalm 16:11 , where he describes a “fullness of joy.” There is a greater fullness of life available to you and in me in God that most of us will ever experience. To experience more of God almost always requires laying down more of the things of the world. But if we, today, will give a greater measur...

As we continue our week of looking at Joy, we’re going to take time today to receive a fresh revelation of how God rejoices over us. God not only loves you, but he likes you. He rejoices over you, just as you are. I hope and pray that you get a real, tangible sense of God’s joy over you today as we create space in his presence together. Our Scripture for today comes from ZEPHANIAH 3:17 , and today...

In a world that knocks us down, joy can feel so elusive. But Scripture is filled with encouragement, that there is a joy available to us in God that transcends the pain and suffering of the world. This week on the First15 podcast, we’re going to take time every day to open our hearts and receive the joy of the Father, that we could be children marked by the joy of heaven. May you discover the grea...

In today’s devotional we wrap up our week on seeking God by looking at the act of seeking God through community. You may be a people person, or a total introvert, but either way, God wants to use his church to encourage you and draw you closer to him. The Lord loves unity in his body, and he longs for his church, his Bride to worship and seek him as one. May God open your heart and mind today to t...

As we near the end of our week on seeking God, today we will focus on seeking God in solitude. Our world is a busy place. Our home lives are busy. Our church lives are full. When are you ever alone to simply fix your eyes on the Father, and be uninterrupted by the things going on around you? If we will take up the discipline of solitude, our lives will look very different. Imagine for a second the...

In today’s devotional, we’re going to explore the act of seeking God through his creation. God wants to use the world around us to declare his glory, goodness and love for us. May we take the time to open our eyes and hearts, to slow down for a minute and behold the beauty of our God in all that he has made. Our Scripture for today comes from Nehemiah 9:6 , and today's worship is Providence by...

As we continue our week on seeking God, today we’re exploring what it means to seek God through fasting. This may be a new or even unpleasant topic for some, but my hope is that you would be energized and encouraged toward the act of fasting today. There is power in surrender and self-sacrifice for the sake of more of God, and I pray you experience that power as you learn more about this important...

As we continue our series on seeking God, today we’ll explore the intimate closeness of seeking God through prayer. How amazing is our Father that he wants to commune with us? With you? With me? Take a second to fathom how beautiful that truly is. Today, may your heart be stirred to take advantage of the unbelievable gift of prayer as you experience God. Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew...

In our second day of exploring what it means to seek God, we’re going to focus in on the act of seeking God through the Scriptures. We have been given an endless well of life-giving truth through the gift of God’s word. Whatever need you have, God wants to use his words to bring peace, life, strength, guidance and hope to you today. He promises you will find him when you seek him with your whole h...

Worship through song is one of the most powerful ways to connect directly to the love, compassion, power, and grace of God. In worship, walls we’ve placed between God and us get torn down, just as God tore the veil at the death of Christ. In worship, our hearts become soft, aware, and open to the glorious majesties of God’s nearness. In worship, God makes his nearness known to us and fills us anew...

As we finish this week on living an abundant life, today we’ll explore where we’re placing our priorities, hopes, fears, and affections. God doesn’t want us to spend our days waiting for heaven, but instead wants to shift our perspective to see that eternity has already begun. Though we spend our days on earth, they matter immensely. And nothing is wasted or pointless in the eyes of God. So how wo...

Living an abundant life means letting go of lies and past sin patterns that hinder us. These lies and bad habits can often feel comfortable, but they are truly keeping you from experiencing abundant life every single day. The best truth of all is that they have no power or authority in your life anymore through the power of Jesus. Once we release the lies and old patterns of thinking and acting, w...

A huge aspect of living an abundant life is the realization your life has purpose and meaning. God truly has a beautiful plan for his glory and your good set before the foundations of the earth, not only for mankind, but for your life. As we begin wrapping up our week on living an abundant life, I hope you leave today encouraged, envisioned and empowered. Our Scripture for today comes from Ephesia...

As we continue our week on living an abundant life, today we’ll explore the topic of pursing Jesus passionately in our daily lives. As we discussed the past couple days, abundant life is a gift, but doesn’t mean it comes without a choice on our part to receive. Open your heart to the Father today, and allow your mind to be renewed to the good life he has for you. Our Scripture for today comes from...

Living an abundant life here and now is as simple as tapping into the rich, boundless, intimate relationship God has made available to us with him through the sacrifice of Jesus. We tend to believe so many lies about the Father’s heart for us, when he really has made it so simple for us to come to him. God is for us and desires to walk closely with us, all we have to do is say yes to his invitatio...

Did you know you have the ability to stir and satisfy the heart of God, here and now? God has given us the ability to choose him here on earth, and nothing blesses the heart of God like his beloved people intentionally turning their hearts toward him. As we examine how to live an abundant life here on earth, today we’ll search out what it means to choose to worship God in our daily lives. Our Scri...

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we have been afforded an opportunity to live an incredibly abundant life here on earth. Our God is nearer, more tangible, and has a greater ability to make his presence known than we’ve yet realized. He longs to make his children more in tune and aware of the depths of his love, guidance, empowerment, and nearness. He longs for our days here on ea...

In the last devotional of this week on transformation, we’re going to wrap up this focus by finishing our exploration into establishing a resurrection culture. May God continue this work of ongoing transformation, as we invite him to resurrect us in meaningful, fresh ways today. Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 6:4 , and today's worship is Holy Spirit by Kari Jobe feat. Cody Carnes. C...

Isn’t it interesting that we live in one of the wealthiest and technologically advanced times in human history and yet we still find ourselves stressed out, fearful, and overwhelmed?   Why does every day feel like it’s a battle? On one hand, we can attribute this to things like our fast-paced culture, political tensions, and the increasing influence of social media in our lives. Yet there is also...

In today’s devotional, we’re going to examine what it means to have a life in Christ and the power of his resurrection. We think of resurrection primarily as the specific time when Jesus returns, and begins the process of finally making all things right. But the reality is that God invites us into a lifestyle of resurrection every day. Every day he wants to make us new, to renew us, transform us,...

In today’s devotional, we’re going to look at how God transforms us as we allow him to meet us at our place of weakness. You were never created to be self-sufficient, to have no need of relationship with God. Contrary to what the world tells us every day, weakness can actually be a tremendous source of strength when we allow God to meet us powerfully in humility. May God replace pressure and pride...

In the middle of our week on transformation, we’re going to take time today to discover how God longs to transform us through experience. Every experience we have in life shapes us in some way. And experiencing God is no different. When we make space to truly experience God, he molds and fashions us into who we were created to be in marvelous ways. May God stir up our faith and our passion to be t...