First15 Devotional

In the last devotional in our series on honesty, today we’re going to focus simply on what it means to live honestly every day. My hope for today is that God will empower us all to continue this journey of honesty and humility on a daily basis. Let’s open up our hearts in real, intentional ways today, as we experience the power and love of our heavenly Father. Our Scripture for today comes from Ja...

Pre-Order Your Copy of  Living Intentionally  Here! Yes, relationships are hard.  But healthy relationships are also an important part of a healthy and thriving life.  So in today’s First15 Podcast Conversations, we’re continuing our series on how to live intentionally in every area of our life, and today’s focus is relationships.  So if I may, let me ask you a few questions… How are your relation...

As we near the end of our week on honesty, today we’re going to discover together how there is freedom in the light. Any part of our lives in which we’re walking in darkness, living isolated and unknown, makes space for our hearts to be chained to thoughts and temptations God wants to set us free from. So may the Spirit lead us into the light today, and may we find the courage to follow him. Our S...

As we continue our week focusing on honesty, today we’re going to look at how true honesty affords us the ability to be more fully loved. At the foundation of it all, we’re all searching for love. And the fullness of love can only be experienced when we allow true love to find its way into every part of us by bringing who we fully are into our relationships. May God love us powerfully today as we...

As we hit the middle of our week on honesty, today we’re going to explore how being truly honest, or living fully known, is critical to experiencing fullness of life. There may be nothing more terrifying to me than being fully known, but I also know there is nothing more liberating than being my full self with those closest to me. May God replace fear with faith today as we experience his grace an...

In today’s devotional, we’re continuing our focus on honesty by looking at how we can tear down walls we’ve built up in God’s presence every day. There is true life in vulnerability. And if we can trust God to be our shield, living with openness and love towards him, ourselves, and others, we’ll experience a greater abundance of life than we thought was possible. Let’s come before God today with c...

In day 2 of our series on honesty, today we’re going to look at the temptation to build a façade and invite God to tear it down as we seek to live more honestly. May God show you how loved you are, just as you are. And may his love bring you freedom and life as we rest in his presence right now. Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew 23:27 , and today's worship is Sails by Pat Barrett. ___...

Today we’re launching a brand-new series looking at the role of honesty in getting the most out of our time alone with God, and the most out of life. And we’re starting that series off by looking today at how honesty is the foundation. May God give us the courage to be who we truly are with him, with ourselves, and with others today. And may newfound freedom be the fruit in our hearts and lives. O...

In the last devotional of this series on God’s pursuit of our hearts, we’re wrapping it all up by looking at what it means to live from the heart. There are so many places to live from, so many different ways to go about a day. But God, in his power and love, wants to free us to live from the heart, to share with the world who we truly are, and how he is fully meeting with us. May God use our time...

Pre-Order Your Copy of  Living Intentionally  Here! When you think about health, what comes to mind? This past year, we’ve certainly seen how important our physical health is to our overall well-being, but we’ve also seen how our mental and emotional health are vulnerable to the challenging circumstances we’ve all faced. The truth is, the full picture of our health includes all three of these area...

As we near the end of our week looking at how God is after our hearts, today we’re going to look at how the Holy Spirit connects with the heart, and take time to today to invite the Holy Spirit to do a meaningful work in and through us. There’s no greater gift God gives every day than the gift of relationship with him through the Spirit. May he come and meet us right now, and reveal God’s love in...

In today’s devotional, we’re going to look at the opportunity God gives us every day to simply be who we are. His pursuit of our hearts frees us as we experience his unconditional, all-encompassing love. So as we open our hearts to his loving pursuit today, I pray that God would do a mighty work of freedom in our hearts. Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 139:13 , and today's worship is...

In the middle of our week looking at how God is after our hearts, in today’s devotional we’re going to focus on what it means to live with an open heart. Every day, every moment is an opportunity to live with an open heart, or to live with walls up around our hearts. And God’s pursuit of us, his steadfast love, affords us a pathway to open ourselves with confidence and security. May he fills us wi...

In our third devotional discovering the reality that God is after our hearts, today we’re going to look at how our hearts reveal our identity. May God call out from within us who he’s truly made us to be as we draw near to him in his presence. Our Scripture for today comes from Isaiah 43:1 , and today's worship is Mistakes by Influence Music. ________ Do you ever feel like life just happens to...

In our second devotional seeking to discover God’s pursuit of our hearts, today we’re going to spend time looking at our true purpose, why you and I were created. Every day, every moment, is an opportunity to choose the purpose for which we’re living. But only living in line with our true purpose has the power the produce an abundant life. May God reveal his purpose behind our creation today, and...

In today’s devotional we’re beginning a brand new series, focusing on the fact that God is first and foremost after our hearts. In a world that defines us by what we do, God looks at who we are. May we openly accept his gaze today, with faith in our hearts that he always looks at us with grace. And may his pursuit of our hearts stir up a pursuit within us of his heart, setting out every morning to...

As we end our week today on abiding in the True Vine, today we’ll explore how to abide in God’s promised joy. What does it mean for us to walk in joy and be people marked by joy in this world? How do we even go about doing that? May we be filled afresh with joy today as we seek these answers out. Our Scripture for today comes from John 15:11 , and today's worship is What Joy is Found by Jeremy...

Pre-Order Your Copy of Living Intentionally Here! I’m more convinced than ever that we desperately need a new understanding of God’s love for us, and I hope that this new season of First15 Conversations can help transform your relationship with him.  But first, let me ask you a question... Do you ever feel the disconnect between who you are now and who you want to become?  I feel that too. But I’m...

As we start to wrap up our week on different ways we are to abide in the true vine of God, today we’ll look at how God prunes us in his love. Discipline can often be a tricky subject, but it’s my hope our hearts would remain soft and open today as we remember how good and loving the God is that we serve. Our Scripture for today comes from John 15:2 , and today's worship is New Wine by Hillsong...

Did you know God has plans for your life specifically? He has dreams for you and vision for you. Things in store that would make your heart swell and soar. What does it look like to live a life that brings God glory? How does abiding in Christ bear fruit in our lives? As we explore these concepts and more, may our hearts be open to God’s word and all he has to say. Our Scripture for today comes fr...

Today we will look at what it means to be a friend of God. Friendship with God is a beautiful, sought after thing. And he has made his friendship fully available to us. What a gift! May you fall deeper in love with God today as you learn what it means to abide in God’s friendship. Our Scripture for today comes from John 15:14-15 , and today's worship is What A Friend I've Found by Kristene...

As we continue our week on abiding in the true vine of God, today we’ll explore obedience and how it relates to abiding in God. Take a moment even now to open your heart to trust God afresh. He will always be for us, and know what is best for us in every part of life. He is so good. He is so kind. And he simply wants to walk with us. Our Scripture for today comes from John 15:9-10 , and today'...

As we look at the different ways we are to abide in the true vine of God, today we’ll explore the concept of prayer. It is my hope today we walk away with simplified prayer lives. As you learn to seek out the heartbeat of God, may you grow in confidence in his love for you and those around you. Our Scripture for today comes from John 15:7-8 , and today's worship is Closer by Amanda Cook. _____...

The absolute, most important single act of the children of God is making space to encounter our heavenly Father in the secret place. Abiding in God is the foundation on which every other aspect of the Christian life finds success. It establishes roots which enable us to receive all that we need to bear the fruit of the Spirit. It guides us to constant refreshment and revival in God’s presence, the...

As we end our week on God’s longing to be encountered, today we’ll examine our hearts and ask the most important question, “Do we know him?” As we take time today to fix our hearts on the single pursuit of Jesus, may your heart swell with fresh love and devotion for him. He alone is worthy of all our hearts. And today may you place your heart solely in his hands. Our Scripture for today comes from...