First15 Devotional

In the midst of this crazy season, it is important to remain sensitive to the Spirit of God. It can be so easy to miss out on the uniqueness of this Advent season because we get busy serving, celebrating, shopping. We are all guilty of it. But I can promise you, if you commit yourself to practicing sensitivity this Advent season, you will be so blessed for it.

Our Scripture for today comes from Ephesians 5:15-17, and today's worship is Whisper by Jason Upton. 

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The Songs Tell the Story, the 25 day Advent devotional is perfect for starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day! 

Each reading only takes a few minutes and the stories behind how these Christmas hymns came to be are sure to make you hear & sing them in a whole new way. You and your family will want to listen to the songs with a newfound appreciation for how God worked to bring such timeless songs into our yearly celebrations of the gift of Christmas. Our hope is that each story reveals more of God’s heart for you in this season and renews your sense of wonder for the birth of our Savior.

So make sure to grab your copy at first15.org/advent while it is still available and to ensure you can begin reading it on December 1!

Sometimes we just need a reminder that things with God are simple, and the weight of our experiencing God is not on us or dependent upon our ability to be spiritual. Jesus wants to remind us today of how he is pursuing our hearts in this life, and all we need to do is say yes. May you find God today as you open your heart to him, and experience the rest that his presence brings.

Our Scripture for today comes from 1 John 4:19, and today's worship is Come Closer by Mark & Sarah Tillman.

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The Songs Tell the Story, the 25 day Advent devotional is perfect for starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day! 

Each reading only takes a few minutes and the stories behind how these Christmas hymns came to be are sure to make you hear & sing them in a whole new way. You and your family will want to listen to the songs with a newfound appreciation for how God worked to bring such timeless songs into our yearly celebrations of the gift of Christmas. Our hope is that each story reveals more of God’s heart for you in this season and renews your sense of wonder for the birth of our Savior.

So make sure to grab your copy at first15.org/advent while it is still available and to ensure you can begin reading it on December 1!

As we spend the week focusing on drawing near to God this Christmas season, today we’ll explore a fun concept. Every morning is like Christmas morning when you know and walk with God. God is so, so good. And he desires for us to walk in the gifts of his goodness all the days of our lives. May we reorient our thinking so that each morning with God is more exciting than the next as we experience afresh his love and kindness.

Our Scripture for today comes from Lamentations 3:22-23, and today's worship is Morning Song by Steffany Gretzinger.

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Thanks for listening to today’s First15 Podcast. My name is Ryn, and I’m a part of the First15 Team. If you haven’t downloaded our brand new First15 app, click here. One of the new features that you can enjoy when you download the app is our Guided Prayers. 

 In today’s First15 Podcast, we wanted to give you a preview of a new Guided Prayer titled “Slowing Down with Jesus”  that our friend Paulina Faundez wrote. In the midst of our busy lives, Jesus is inviting us to slow down and rest in him. We don’t need to fill our agendas to impress God or to deserve his love. He wants us to enjoy his peace and to have a meaningful relationship with him. I pray this Guided Prayer helps you to slow down in his presence.

The Christmas season is a powerful and unique time of year to remember that Jesus came to make a way for us to be near God. In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus built a bridge between us and God allowing us to have continual, unhindered communion with our Creator. But God can’t force us into nearness with him. Even as believers filled with the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live as if God is still far off. So this Christmas season, may we choose to open our hearts to the living God that we might experience fullness of joy in his loving presence.

Our Scripture for today comes from James 4:8, and today's worship is As The Deer by Shane & Shane

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Thanks for listening to the First15 Podcast. My name is Ryn, and I’m a part of the First15 Team.  If you haven’t heard, we just launched a brand new First15 app, available now in your app store! One of the new features that you can enjoy when you download the app is our Guided Prayers. We’ve created unique guided prayers that are created specifically to help you connect with God in prayer wherever you are. 

Today, we’re sharing a preview of a Guided Prayer I wrote titled, “Of Repentance.” What a gift it is that our God calls Himself our Father and invites us to bring all the wrongs that we’ve done and lay them down so that they no longer hinder us from the life He calls us to live. Taking inventory of our hearts in God’s presence is one way to experience deeper intimacy and freedom with Him. I pray this guided prayer helps you to do that today, friend. And I pray it serves as a template for your own prayers of repentance so that you can walk in the fullness of the life God has for you to live, free of the weights and chains that keep us bound.

As we end our week looking to Jesus, today we’ll explore one of my favorite aspects of his nature: his humility. Jesus, the King of all the earth, the one who has every reason to boast and show his power, chooses the path of humility, of submission, of lowering himself. We have so much to learn from this beautiful King. It is my hope that you are encouraged and challenged today. But also that your heart is burst open and flooded with worship at the beauty of our Jesus.

Our Scripture for today comes from Philippians 2:5-7, and today's worship is Humble King by Vineyard Worship.

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The Songs Tell the Story, the 25 day Advent devotional is perfect for starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day! 

Each reading only takes a few minutes and the stories behind how these Christmas hymns came to be are sure to make you hear & sing them in a whole new way. You and your family will want to listen to the songs with a newfound appreciation for how God worked to bring such timeless songs into our yearly celebrations of the gift of Christmas. Our hope is that each story reveals more of God’s heart for you in this season and renews your sense of wonder for the birth of our Savior.

So make sure to grab your copy at first15.org/advent while it is still available and to ensure you can begin reading it on December 1!

As we begin to wrap up our week celebrating Jesus our King, today we’ll celebrate the justice of God. What does it mean for God to be just? Does that stir up fear in you or peace? As we take a closer look at what God’s justice means for us, I pray you are filled with immense gratitude and worship today. God has looked on us with so much love. And Jesus, our just King, has done so much on our behalf.

Our Scripture for today comes from Isaiah 30:18, and today's worship is Agnus Dei by Brooke Ligertwood, Jenn Johnson, & Chidimah Ubah. 

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The Songs Tell the Story, the 25 day Advent devotional is perfect for starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day! 

Each reading only takes a few minutes and the stories behind how these Christmas hymns came to be are sure to make you hear & sing them in a whole new way. You and your family will want to listen to the songs with a newfound appreciation for how God worked to bring such timeless songs into our yearly celebrations of the gift of Christmas. Our hope is that each story reveals more of God’s heart for you in this season and renews your sense of wonder for the birth of our Savior.

So make sure to grab your copy at first15.org/advent while it is still available and to ensure you can begin reading it on December 1!

We have spent this week looking at different aspects of Christ’s kingship. Today we’ll explore how the Lord is merciful in nature toward us and the world. May you come to treasure the mercy of God in your life as we take time today to explore it. He is truly so good to us, and it is fitting for us to celebrate him in all of his goodness.

Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew 9:13, and today's worship is Mercy bt Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music.

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The Songs Tell the Story, the 25 day Advent devotional is perfect for starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day! 

Each reading only takes a few minutes and the stories behind how these Christmas hymns came to be are sure to make you hear & sing them in a whole new way. You and your family will want to listen to the songs with a newfound appreciation for how God worked to bring such timeless songs into our yearly celebrations of the gift of Christmas. Our hope is that each story reveals more of God’s heart for you in this season and renews your sense of wonder for the birth of our Savior.

So make sure to grab your copy at first15.org/advent while it is still available and to ensure you can begin reading it on December 1!

As we continue our week exploring various aspects of Jesus’ kingship, today we’ll celebrate his triumphant nature. What does it mean for God to be triumphant? Like most things with Jesus, the deeper we look, the more we’ll find he is contradictory to the ways of this world. His victory is no different. Jesus’ victory confounded the Jews on his time, and still confounds many to this day. May the nature of Jesus’ triumph astound your heart and provoke worship and awe in you today.

Our Scripture for today comes from John 12:15, and today's worship is Victors' Crown by Darlene Zschech. 

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The Songs Tell the Story, the 25 day Advent devotional is perfect for starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day! 

Each reading only takes a few minutes and the stories behind how these Christmas hymns came to be are sure to make you hear & sing them in a whole new way. You and your family will want to listen to the songs with a newfound appreciation for how God worked to bring such timeless songs into our yearly celebrations of the gift of Christmas. Our hope is that each story reveals more of God’s heart for you in this season and renews your sense of wonder for the birth of our Savior.

So make sure to grab your copy at first15.org/advent while it is still available and to ensure you can begin reading it on December 1!

As we explore the gift of Jesus this advent season, today we’ll dig into what it means for him to be our Savior King. Is salvation just for a time in the future, or could it also be for the here and now? What would it look like to take hold of our salvation this side of heaven, and experience the fruit of eternal life today? May you feel your faith and desire for more be spurred on today as you encounter this Savior King.

Our Scripture for today comes from 2 Timothy 2:19, and today's worship is Savior King by Hillsong Worship.

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The Songs Tell the Story, the 25 day Advent devotional is perfect for starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day! 

Each reading only takes a few minutes and the stories behind how these Christmas hymns came to be are sure to make you hear & sing them in a whole new way. You and your family will want to listen to the songs with a newfound appreciation for how God worked to bring such timeless songs into our yearly celebrations of the gift of Christmas. Our hope is that each story reveals more of God’s heart for you in this season and renews your sense of wonder for the birth of our Savior.

So make sure to grab your copy at first15.org/advent while it is still available and to ensure you can begin reading it on December 1!

As we spend this week to celebrating who Jesus is and what he’s done, today we’ll remind ourselves of the great authority and victory of Jesus as our King of kings. There is so much peace available to us today found solely in our shared victory with Christ, our King and his sovereignty over all of our circumstances. Allow this victorious King to settle your heart and mind today as you experience his presence. Revel in his power and might. And worship him as the worthy King that he is.

Our Scripture for today comes from Revelation 19:16, and today's worship is You and You Alone by Upper Room.

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The Songs Tell the Story, the 25 day Advent devotional is perfect for starting on December 1st and ending on Christmas Day! 

Each reading only takes a few minutes and the stories behind how these Christmas hymns came to be are sure to make you hear & sing them in a whole new way. You and your family will want to listen to the songs with a newfound appreciation for how God worked to bring such timeless songs into our yearly celebrations of the gift of Christmas. Our hope is that each story reveals more of God’s heart for you in this season and renews your sense of wonder for the birth of our Savior.

So make sure to grab your copy at first15.org/advent while it is still available and to ensure you can begin reading it on December 1!