First15 Devotional

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 tool God’s given us to seek him. I’d encourage you to open your heart today in full surrender to anything the Spirit might speak.

Our Scripture for today comes from Ezra 8:23, and today's worship is Blessed Are Those Who Follow You by Chris Renzema. 

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Podcast Wrap up Script for Craig:

“ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” - James 1:5

We live in a world saturated with information but yet seemingly starving for wisdom. Glory to our good God that He is a fount of wisdom and offers to pour out His beautiful truth and wisdom into our hearts whenever we ask. Jesus modeled this beautifully through his parables and teachings, both of which are included in our Wisdom devotional!

Wisdom will take you through four weeks of quality time with the Lord. Experience a fresh glimpse into the life-giving grace of God!

• How to be responsive to the presence of God in our lives
• How to fulfill our deepest longings through intimacy with God
• How to hear Jesus speak directly to our situation through his parables

• How to free ourselves of the tyranny of constant busyness by creating boundaries

And every dollar you give today goes to help more people like you experience the nearness and love of our God. 

Get your copy today at supportfirst15.org, or click the link in today’s show notes.

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 6:6, and today's worship is Spirit of God by Canyon Hills Worship.

--

Podcast Wrap up Script for Craig:

“ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” - James 1:5

We live in a world saturated with information but yet seemingly starving for wisdom. Glory to our good God that He is a fount of wisdom and offers to pour out His beautiful truth and wisdom into our hearts whenever we ask. Jesus modeled this beautifully through his parables and teachings, both of which are included in our Wisdom devotional!

Wisdom will take you through four weeks of quality time with the Lord. Experience a fresh glimpse into the life-giving grace of God!

• How to be responsive to the presence of God in our lives
• How to fulfill our deepest longings through intimacy with God
• How to hear Jesus speak directly to our situation through his parables

• How to free ourselves of the tyranny of constant busyness by creating boundaries

And every dollar you give today goes to help more people like you experience the nearness and love of our God. 

Get your copy today at supportfirst15.org, or click the link in today’s show notes.

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 heart. And God is ready and waiting to meet with you today, eager to meet all your needs and exceed all your expectations. May your heart be opened to God’s truth today as you experience his presence.

Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew 4:4, and today's worship is Heal Our Land by Kari Jobe.

--

Podcast Wrap up Script for Craig:

“ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” - James 1:5

We live in a world saturated with information but yet seemingly starving for wisdom. Glory to our good God that He is a fount of wisdom and offers to pour out His beautiful truth and wisdom into our hearts whenever we ask. Jesus modeled this beautifully through his parables and teachings, both of which are included in our Wisdom devotional!

Wisdom will take you through four weeks of quality time with the Lord. Experience a fresh glimpse into the life-giving grace of God!

• How to be responsive to the presence of God in our lives
• How to fulfill our deepest longings through intimacy with God
• How to hear Jesus speak directly to our situation through his parables

• How to free ourselves of the tyranny of constant busyness by creating boundaries

And every dollar you give today goes to help more people like you experience the nearness and love of our God. 

Get your copy today at supportfirst15.org, or click the link in today’s show notes.

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 with the power of his manifest presence.

Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 132:7, and today's worship is Psalm 34 (Taste and See)  by Shane & Shane.

--

Podcast Wrap up Script for Craig:

“ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” - James 1:5

We live in a world saturated with information but yet seemingly starving for wisdom. Glory to our good God that He is a fount of wisdom and offers to pour out His beautiful truth and wisdom into our hearts whenever we ask. Jesus modeled this beautifully through his parables and teachings, both of which are included in our Wisdom devotional!

Wisdom will take you through four weeks of quality time with the Lord. Experience a fresh glimpse into the life-giving grace of God!

• How to be responsive to the presence of God in our lives
• How to fulfill our deepest longings through intimacy with God
• How to hear Jesus speak directly to our situation through his parables

• How to free ourselves of the tyranny of constant busyness by creating boundaries

And every dollar you give today goes to help more people like you experience the nearness and love of our God. 

Get your copy today at supportfirst15.org, or click the link in today’s show notes.

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 would he have us spend our days?

Our Scripture for today comes from Ecclesiastes 3:11, and today's worship is Taste of Eternity by Bellarive.

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If you’ve wrestled with making Bible study a consistent habit of spiritual formation, A Light Unto My Path will inspire and encourage you to drink more deeply from the unending well that is the Bible. 

A Light Unto My Path will answer these 7 critical questions: 

• Why do we read the Bible?
• How was the Bible created?
• Why do we need to interpret the Bible?
• What is the Bible about?
• What are the best tools for studying the Bible?
• What can I learn from others?
• How can I learn for myself?

I love that the goal of this book is not to learn more about the Bible (even though you will), but to better understand the Bible as one of the primary ways God seeks to have a relationship with us today. 

Get your copy today  at supportfirst15.org!

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, we will see new life spring up in our lives everywhere we look. May this be the case for each of us today.

Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 103:24, and today's worship is Never Be The Same by First15 Worship feat. Ashley & Bryan McCleery. 

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If you’ve wrestled with making Bible study a consistent habit of spiritual formation, A Light Unto My Path will inspire and encourage you to drink more deeply from the unending well that is the Bible. 

A Light Unto My Path will answer these 7 critical questions: 

• Why do we read the Bible?
• How was the Bible created?
• Why do we need to interpret the Bible?
• What is the Bible about?
• What are the best tools for studying the Bible?
• What can I learn from others?
• How can I learn for myself?

I love that the goal of this book is not to learn more about the Bible (even though you will), but to better understand the Bible as one of the primary ways God seeks to have a relationship with us today. 

Get your copy today  at supportfirst15.org!

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 Ephesians 2:10, and today's worship is Future / Past by Bridgetown Music.

--

If you’ve wrestled with making Bible study a consistent habit of spiritual formation, A Light Unto My Path will inspire and encourage you to drink more deeply from the unending well that is the Bible. 

A Light Unto My Path will answer these 7 critical questions: 

• Why do we read the Bible?
• How was the Bible created?
• Why do we need to interpret the Bible?
• What is the Bible about?
• What are the best tools for studying the Bible?
• What can I learn from others?
• How can I learn for myself?

I love that the goal of this book is not to learn more about the Bible (even though you will), but to better understand the Bible as one of the primary ways God seeks to have a relationship with us today. 

Get your copy today  at supportfirst15.org! 

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 Psalm 27:8, and today's worship is Simple Pursuit by Passion ft. Melodie Malone. 

--

If you’ve wrestled with making Bible study a consistent habit of spiritual formation, A Light Unto My Path will inspire and encourage you to drink more deeply from the unending well that is the Bible. 

A Light Unto My Path will answer these 7 critical questions: 

• Why do we read the Bible?
• How was the Bible created?
• Why do we need to interpret the Bible?
• What is the Bible about?
• What are the best tools for studying the Bible?
• What can I learn from others?
• How can I learn for myself?

I love that the goal of this book is not to learn more about the Bible (even though you will), but to better understand the Bible as one of the primary ways God seeks to have a relationship with us today. 

Get your copy today  at supportfirst15.org!

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 invitation. Will you consider saying yes today?

Our Scripture for today comes from Revelation 3:20, and today's worship is Never See The End by Mission House.

--

If you’ve wrestled with making Bible study a consistent habit of spiritual formation, A Light Unto My Path will inspire and encourage you to drink more deeply from the unending well that is the Bible. 

A Light Unto My Path will answer these 7 critical questions: 

• Why do we read the Bible?
• How was the Bible created?
• Why do we need to interpret the Bible?
• What is the Bible about?
• What are the best tools for studying the Bible?
• What can I learn from others?
• How can I learn for myself?

I love that the goal of this book is not to learn more about the Bible (even though you will), but to better understand the Bible as one of the primary ways God seeks to have a relationship with us today. 

Get your copy today  at supportfirst15.org!

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 Scripture for today comes from John 4:23, and today's worship is Where You'll Find Me by First15 Worship feat. Mark Alan Schoolmeesters.

--

If you’ve wrestled with making Bible study a consistent habit of spiritual formation, A Light Unto My Path will inspire and encourage you to drink more deeply from the unending well that is the Bible. 

A Light Unto My Path will answer these 7 critical questions: 

• Why do we read the Bible?
• How was the Bible created?
• Why do we need to interpret the Bible?
• What is the Bible about?
• What are the best tools for studying the Bible?
• What can I learn from others?
• How can I learn for myself?

I love that the goal of this book is not to learn more about the Bible (even though you will), but to better understand the Bible as one of the primary ways God seeks to have a relationship with us today. 

Get your copy today  at supportfirst15.org!