First15 Devotional

Expressing gratitude and thanks to God has a miraculous way of opening and changing our hearts. Today we’ll explore the discipline of thanksgiving, and encounter God in response. May you take away from our time today, timeless principles that quickly get your heart in the right place despite your season or circumstances.

Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 100:4, and today's worship is Thank You (feat. Steffany Gretzinger & Chandler Moore) by Maverick City. 

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God is the only One who can bring lasting transformation to our world as he transforms people’s hearts into the likeness of Christ.

It’s for this reason that we pray you’ll help reach the $216,584 Summer Initiative goal!

So please give today and please pray for our Summer Initiative! 

Prayer is so simple, but often times our minds convolute and complicate it. Today we’re exploring how to encounter God through prayer, and I pray you take away a simplified, childlike approach to spending time with your heavenly Father. May your heart and mind be at peace today as you encounter the living God.

Our Scripture for today comes from Jeremiah 33:3, and today's worship is House of God Forever by John Foreman. 

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Thanks for listening to today’s First15 Podcast. If you haven’t downloaded our brand new First15 app, make sure to click the link in today’s show notes to check it out! One of the new features that you can enjoy when you download the app is our Guided Prayers. We are adding new prayers to our library every month, so if you need a moment of peace with God, let these prayers be your guide!

Today’s episode contains a guided prayer that aims to help remind us to slow down with Jesus when our bodies and our minds are racing. When it feels like things are going so fast that you’re having a hard time keeping up, our prayer is that this Guided Prayer helps center your heart and mind on the one who holds it all together.  

Laura Woodworth is a writer-producer-director, a script consultant for Stage 32 and a development executive for Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles. More than anything, she is a wife, mom and friend who loves to inspire God’s people to arise as a light for a hurting world. Connect with her further at LauraWoodworth.com.

Having consistent and transformational encounters with God while on earth is meant to be foundational to the Christian life. Our God has not left us. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we’ve been filled with the very Spirit of God who longs to reveal to us daily the nearness and love of our heavenly Father. We are never alone. There is nowhere we can flee from the presence of our God. May this week be filled with transformational encounters with the living God as we learn what it is to seek the face of the one who has formed us, knows us, and loves us unconditionally.

Our Scripture for today comes from Hebrews 11:6, and today's worship is Man of Your Word (feat. Chandler Moore & KJ Scriven) by Maverick City.

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Changed Lives =  A Changed Culture. This is what our First15 Summer Initiative is all about!

First15 has just launched a $216,584 Summer Initiative with the goal of connecting more people to God. 

In our final devotional of this week-long series on the marks of a true Christian, today we’re looking at God’s command to overcome evil with good. May God show us the pathway to his power today, and illuminate specific ways we can overcome evil with good today.

Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 12:21. Today's worship is The Thief and the Friend by Jason Upton.

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A First15 reader, Kim, recently shared with us, “Thank you for this blessing. It is like a balm to my soul. You are bringing the love of Christ to me.”

When you help reach the $216,584 Summer Initiative goal, you’ll be a part of connecting more people like Kim with God. And when you give today, your gift can be DOUBLED up to $20,000!

When you help reach the $216,584 Summer Initiative goal, you’ll be a part of connecting more people like Kim with God.

If you haven’t given yet — or you’re led to give again — please do so today.

As we near the end of our series on the marks of a true Christian, today we’re going to explore together what it means to live in harmony with one another. There’s hardly a better feeling than being in harmony with those that are close to you. We were created for close, thriving relationship with God and others. And God in his power and love wants to equip us to build and keep harmony, even in the midst of our brokenness. May God give us wisdom, and empower us to walk the path of humility and love as we seek to live in harmony today.

Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 12:16, and today's worship is To Be In Love by YWAM Kona Music. 

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Thank you for listening to today’s podcast. 

Tomorrow we’re wrapping up our series on the marks of a true Christian by exploring how we can overcome evil with good. Make sure to subscribe so you won’t miss this wrap up of our series. 

And if this series has been especially meaningful for you in some way, consider taking a moment to write about your experience in a review. Ratings and reviews are how people find this free space for God’s presence, and your story could be just what someone needs to start spending meaningful time alone with their Creator. 

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and may God bless you as you seek him.

In today’s devotional, we’re going to continue our series on the marks of a true Christian by looking at Paul’s encouragement to rejoice and weep with others. One of the most powerful acts of love we can make is to follow the way of empathy and compassion. Jesus allowed himself to be burdened by others burdens, pained by their pain. And may we follow the way of our Savior today as we spend time in his word, and in his presence.

Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 12:15, and today's worship is 

Every Table is An Altar by Jason Upton.

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When you give to our Summer Initiative, you’re helping with upcoming projects like: 

• Writing and editing of our brand new product line, First15 devotionals for kids,

• Translation of more resources into Spanish through Primeros15,

• Continued development and expansion of our website and app, and

• Production of the First15 podcast.

And your gift can be DOUBLED up to $20,000 when you give today!

And your gift will help us reach our goal of $216,584.

So please give to help us meet the Summer Iniative goal!.

In the middle of our week on the marks of a true Christian, today we’re looking at Paul’s command to bless those who persecute you. Truly blessing those around us that seem to be against us is an incredible act of love, producing fruit not only in the lives of others, but in our lives as well. May God give us insight into his heart for this command today, as well as the courage to live it out.

Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 12:14, and today's worship is Love is a Miracle by Maverick City. 

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Thanks for listening to today’s podcast. 

As challenging as it may be, look for an opportunity to bless someone who seems to be against you today. Give them a gift, ask them a meaningful question, look for a way to add value and meet needs in their life. And watch as an act of love carries the power to change the very nature of a perspective, and even a relationship. 

Make sure to rate and review the podcast today and subscribe if you haven’t already. 

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and may God bless you as you seek him.

In our third devotional in this week-long series on the marks of a true Christian, today we’re going to explore together what it means to rejoice in hope. In a world that can so often bring us down, so often appear to be without hope, today we have the opportunity to make room for God to give us his perspective, that we might rejoice in his hope. May God give us wisdom, joy, and eternal perspective today as we make space for him to fill.

Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 12:12, and today's worship is Rattle by Elevation Worship. 

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God is the only One who can bring lasting transformation to our world as he transforms people’s hearts into the likeness of Christ.

It’s for this reason that we pray you’ll help reach the $216,584 Summer Initiative goal — knowing a $20,000 matching grant will DOUBLE your best gift to usher more people into God’s presence so they can be transformed by his grace and truth.

So please give today and please pray for our Summer Initiative! 

As we continue this week on the marks of a true Christian, today we’re going to look at what it means to be fervent in spirit. You were made to live with a fervent faith, zealous in response to God’s passionate love for you. May God fill all our hearts with his love in a meaningful, authentic way. And may we find the courage in him to live our faith passionately.

Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 12:11, and today's worship is Too Good Not To Believe by Elevation Worship. 

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Thanks for listening to today’s First15 Podcast. If you haven’t downloaded our brand new First15 app, make sure to click the link in today’s show notes to check it out! One of the new features that you can enjoy when you download the app is our Guided Prayers. We are adding new prayers to our library every month, so if you need a moment of peace with God, let these prayers be your guide!

Today’s episode contains a guided prayer that aims to help remind us to slow down with Jesus when our bodies and our minds are racing. When it feels like things are going so fast that you’re having a hard time keeping up, our prayer is that this Guided Prayer helps center your heart and mind on the one who holds it all together.  

Laura Woodworth is a writer-producer-director, a script consultant for Stage 32 and a development executive for Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles. More than anything, she is a wife, mom and friend who loves to inspire God’s people to arise as a light for a hurting world. Connect with her further at LauraWoodworth.com.

This week in First15 we’re going to take a look at seven principles found in Romans 12 that describe the marks of a true Christian. The intent of studying this passage is not to condemn or lead you to comparison. Instead, let Paul’s teaching fill you with a deep, transformative longing to wholeheartedly pursue the life God intends for you. Ask God to help you see yourself as he sees you, to see the grace he’s placed upon your life by the blood of Jesus so that you might walk more fully in the power and anointing of the Spirit. May you discover God’s grace and perspective this week as you examine your life in light of this powerful passage of Scripture.

Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 12:9-10, and today's worship is First Love by Music Meets Heaven.

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Changed Lives =  A Changed Culture. This is what our First15 Summer Initiative is all about!

First15 has just launched a $216,584 Summer Initiative with the goal of connecting more people to God. And today your gift can be DOUBLED up to a total of $20,000!