First15

As we near the end of our week on loving people, today we shift to loving those we don’t know. We are all so busy, and most often unaware of those around us, becoming too focused on ourselves to notice others. Perhaps today God would shift our focus upward to see the faces we pass on the streets or on the elevator. How much could a kind word or smile help someone out having a rough day? Let’s try to take our eyes off ourselves and see those we pass every day and don’t seem to notice. Could God want to use you to minster to someone you don’t even know? Let’s find out. Our Scripture for today comes from Hebrews 13:2, and today's worship is Love God Love People | (ft. Michael W. Smith) by Danny Gokey (Lyrics). --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to pro

In today’s devotional, we’ll be learning about what it means to be a friend who loves well. Think about your dearest friends. What role have they played in your life in the best and in the worst times? Does your heart fill with thankfulness as you acknowledge what a good gift God has given you in them? May we pinpoint exactly what it means to intentionally love our friends well today. May we be filled with the love of Jesus and grace of God to go out of way to love and minister to those special people in our lives today. Our Scripture for today comes from Proverbs 17:17, and today's worship is Friends are Friends Forever by Michael W. Smith. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that

As we continue in our week of loving people well, today we’re going to learn about loving family. For some this is an easy task, but for many this is a little more difficult. The beauty of it is, our God is with us every step along the way. He has purpose and power for you in loving the family in which he’s placed you. Our families have the potential to be our greatest place of influence. How might he use you today to minister for his goodness and glory? Let’s take a closer look. Our Scripture for today comes from Exodus 20:12, and today's worship is The Blessing by Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes.  --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gosp

As we continue our week on loving people well, we’re going to fix our eyes on Jesus. What better example or model is there for how to love than the One who laid his life down for the world? Today may you catch a glimpse of this beautiful King who loves perfectly. May you not only get a picture of how you could love others, but experience his incredible love for yourself afresh. Our Scripture for today comes from 1 John 3:16, and today's worship is Jesus, You're Beautiful by Jason Upton. -- Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel opportunities in front of you.    We pray our printed devotionals, Faith and Trust, help people like you

We are all broken people, living in a broken world. It’s that simple. Unfortunately, no one is exempt from the effects of sin. The good news for all of us is that Jesus steps into the midst of our brokenness, is near to us and makes us whole in his love. What’s even more amazing is God wants to use you to see past the broken exterior to the hearts of the people in your life. Brokenness can often make us hard, bitter and difficult to deal with. But we’ve been given the call to see past that hard exterior and love people in the midst of their pain. In today’s podcast, we’re looking together at how we can see past the brokenness in others to love them well. Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 34:18, and today's worship is Providence by United Pursuit. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It w

Loving others is one of the most important and difficult commands Jesus gave us. We are a messy, needy, and broken people. We constantly have to deal with our own wounds and the wounds of others. But if we can learn to love others well, rich, life-giving relationship will be our reward. May you receive the love of your Father given you by his grace, and be empowered to love others this week as we look to grow in our obedience of Jesus’ command to love others. Our Scripture for today comes from Proverbs 19:11, and today's worship is Forgiveness by Jason Upton. -- Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel opportunities in front of you.    W

As we wrap up this week of simple Christianity, today we look at grace. Many of us are so hard on ourselves and struggle to allow ourselves to taste the grace the Father has for us. We look to earn love and acceptance in this world, but God’s way of grace couldn’t be more different from the world who tells us we are what we do. May today be a breath of fresh air as you encounter the grace of God that requires nothing in return. Our Scripture for today comes from 1 Corinthians 15:10, and today's worship is By the Grace of God (Official Lyric Video) by Bethel Music & Brian Johnson | Peace. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel

As we near the end of our week on simple Christianity, we look today at the simple truth of our freedom in Christ. Our sin and bondage often feels like a convoluted web that entangles us. Satan would like nothing more than to keep us foggy and confused about the freedom and righteousness bought for us through the precious blood of Jesus. Today I’m praying that chains are broken in God’s presence. May we gain clarity and deep understanding of the freedom afforded to us as children of God. May we adopt the simple truth of our freedom and truly be set free. Our Scripture for today comes from 2 Corinthians 3:17, and today's worship is This is the Sound by Steffany Gretzinger. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. A

Today we are going to explore the actual discipline of simplicity by answering questions like, What does it mean to simplify life? How would Jesus have us actually simplify our lives? How can embracing simplicity enrich our day to day experience? May your heart and mind be open to all the wisdom and goodness God has for you today. And may you find comfort in making Jesus your one necessary thing. Our Scripture for today comes from 2 Corinthians 1:12, and today's worship is Simple Gospel by United Pursuit. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel opportunities in front of you.    We pray our printed devotionals, Faith and Trust, help

As we continue our week on simple Christianity, we have the joy today of discovering what it means to truly rest in God. In all the stress and hurry of life, don’t we all need to find even just a few moments of rest today? May God reorient the way you see him today, and show you his purpose and pleasure over his children taking time for true rest in him. Our Scripture for today comes from Matthew 11:28-30, and today's worship is Rest by United Pursuit.  --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel opportunities in front of you.    We pray our printed devotionals, Faith and Trust, help people like you experience the life changing reality

On the third day of our series on pursuing simple Christianity, we’re looking at what it means to live a life of sacrifice to God. May we discover what it means for our hearts, minds and will to be fully surrendered to Jesus, and in return may we find the abundant joy he has promised. He is trustworthy and true. And we will find the life God has planned for us when we surrender all to him. Our Scripture for today comes from Luke 9:23, and today's worship is Refiner by Maverick City Music. -- Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel opportunities in front of you.    We pray our printed devotionals, Faith and Trust, help people like you ex

As we continue our week exploring the simple principles of the Christian faith, today let’s look at what it means to love people. Many of us know that God asks us to love others, but often loving people is easier said than done. God knows our weaknesses, and any command he gives, he has a plan to empower us and give us grace to be obedient. As you explore how God may want you to love people today, may your heart be opened to his profound grace. Our Scripture for today comes from 1 John 4:7, and today's worship is Love People by Chris Tomlin. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel opportunities in front of you.    We pray our printe

This week we’re going to focus on the simplicity the Christian life is meant to be marked by. Jesus summed up our purpose with two statements: love God and love people. But in our humanity we have made complex what God designed to be peaceful, purposeful, and simple. A. W. Tozer remarks in The Pursuit of God, “Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all. If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity.” May we discover

As we wrap up our week on the simplicity of love, today we’ll look at the concept of simplicity itself and what it means to have a solitary pursuit. As you fix your eyes on Jesus today, may you find that the weight of the world falls away. And may you choose the path of simplicity and love going forward living out in joy and peace. Our Scripture for today comes from Colossians 3:14, and today's worship is Simple Gospel by United Pursuit. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel opportunities in front of you.    We pray our printed devotionals, Faith and Trust, help people like you experience the life changing reality that faith and

God is the perfect parent. He is unlike anyone we’ve ever known, and his love is unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Imagine knowing your parent loved you perfectly, and that their intentions and motives behind giving you direction was literally perfectly loving? That’s how God is with us. His wisdom and direction is something we can trust implicitly because he can trust his heart toward us, and that truth makes obedience a joy. As we explore love-based obedience today, may your heart be open to the goodness of your loving Father. Our Scripture for today comes from John 14:21, and today's worship is Child of Love by We The Kingdom. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that wil

Most of the time our emotional happiness is based on our life’s circumstances. As we continue our week on the simplicity of love, today we’ll be taking a look at the joy that comes from living a love-based life. Once we know that God’s love is for us always, unconditionally—no matter what, our hope is secure and joy is ours for the taking. May you walk in joy today as you lean into this love-based reality a bit more. Our Scripture for today comes from Philippians 4:4, and today's worship is Joy of the Lord (feat. Katie Torwalt, Dante Bowe & Naomi Raine) by Maverick City Music | TRIBL. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gospel opp

It has been and always will be easy for people, especially religious people, to become focused on the wrong things in life. I constantly find myself making things more difficult or convoluted than they really are. The reality of this life with God is that all he asks of us is love. As we continue this week on the simplicity of love, today we’ll explore God’s heart on the subject. What does God require of us? What does he ask of us? May we take a step back today, examine our own hearts’ pursuits, and rest in the reality of how simple God’s love really is. Our Scripture for today comes from 1 Corinthians 13:13, and today's worship is All That Lives Forever by Steffany  --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it

There is nothing in the world more freeing than being loved as you are. Today we’ll be exploring how God’s love has set us free as we continue in our week of the simplicity of love. Having God’s love and affection from the start before giving him anything in return frees us from the burdens and weight of having to earn his love and strive for his affections. Today God wants us to step out in and fully live experiencing that freedom as beloved children. May your heart be even a little more free today after a fresh encounter with the Father’s love. Our Scripture for today comes from Romans 8:1-3, and today's worship is Champion by Bethel Music (Lyrics) feat. Dante Bowe. -- Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’

As we explore the simplicity of love this week, today we’ll look at how God’s love has redeemed us. There is an amazing Brennan Manning quote that says, “In loving me, you made me lovable.” And that is basically the concept we’ll be unpacking today. God’s love has come in and given us meaning, beauty, redemption, and purpose. It is through God loving us that we become sons and daughters; we become saints. I hope today you’ll open your heart up to this life-changing love, and never be the same again. Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 130:7, and today's worship is Say So by Israel Houghton. --   Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allowed Paul to sing even while in chains. It was supernatural faith that allowed Peter to proclaim the gospel, even unto death. And it’s supernatural faith that will carry you to and through the greatest gos

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” The greatest of all aspects of the Christian life is love. Love is to be at the foundation of all we do, all we are, and all we hold on to. If we focus on love and allow the Holy Spirit to strip everything else away, what will be left is a life of blessed simplicity rooted in face-to-face relationship with our heavenly Father. As we spend time this week looking at the simplicity of love, I pray that all the weighty, frivolous things of the world that rob you of an abundant life fall away in light of the glorious goodness of God’s unconditional and wholly available love for you. Our Scripture for today comes from 1 John 4:19, and today's worship is More Than Enough by Music Meets Heaven. -- Faith doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a byproduct of time spent experiencing the faithfulness of our God. It’s a gift given to us by the Giver of good gifts, himself.    It was a supernatural faith that allow