WEBVTT 00:04.705 --> 00:12.917 [SPEAKER_00]: This week, we'll spend time breaking down the individual components of First Fistine by sharing God's desire for each of them. 00:13.738 --> 00:19.686 [SPEAKER_00]: The majority of First Fistine is dedicated to encountering God and learning about his character. 00:20.307 --> 00:27.878 [SPEAKER_00]: But every now and then we will cover some teaching and tools that will help in pursuing God to greater depths. 00:27.858 --> 00:37.485 [SPEAKER_00]: this week we will get back to the basics and learn some spiritual disciplines that will help us encounter him in deeper, more transformative ways. 00:38.328 --> 00:40.534 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast. 00:54.588 --> 01:17.570 [SPEAKER_00]: Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 27 verse 8, Scripture says, You have said, seek my face. 01:18.671 --> 01:22.755 [SPEAKER_00]: My heart says to you, your face Lord, do I seek? 01:26.431 --> 01:29.978 [SPEAKER_00]: We all have a hunger to know why we're here. 01:31.100 --> 01:36.851 [SPEAKER_00]: We all possess an insatiable desire for love, passion, and purpose. 01:38.294 --> 01:40.919 [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you've had a relationship with God for years. 01:42.061 --> 01:46.971 [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you're still trying to figure out if God even exists, or if He is noable. 01:48.048 --> 01:55.021 [SPEAKER_00]: Wherever you are in your journey with God, know this, God longs to satisfy your hunger. 01:56.123 --> 01:58.067 [SPEAKER_00]: He knows everything about you. 01:58.988 --> 02:05.120 [SPEAKER_00]: He's counted every hair on your head and thinks about you more than the grains of sand. 02:06.242 --> 02:09.448 [SPEAKER_00]: And he loves you more than you could ever comprehend. 02:10.795 --> 02:19.187 [SPEAKER_00]: So great is his steadfast love for you that he has a perfect plan for every one of your days. 02:20.869 --> 02:37.292 [SPEAKER_00]: He longs to transform your thoughts, emotions and actions with his loving kindness, that your life may be filled with passion, purpose, satisfaction, and the wonderful piece of his presence. 02:39.382 --> 02:41.584 [SPEAKER_00]: We all require transformation. 02:42.806 --> 02:48.371 [SPEAKER_00]: We all need the freedom and healing that comes from relationship with our creator. 02:49.633 --> 02:53.397 [SPEAKER_00]: And we serve a God of miraculous transformation. 02:54.578 --> 03:09.253 [SPEAKER_00]: Scripture says in Genesis 2 verse 7, God formed a man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. 03:10.887 --> 03:16.755 [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 139, 13 states that God made you together in your mother's womb. 03:17.756 --> 03:23.163 [SPEAKER_00]: You are fearfully and wonderfully made for relationship with your Heavenly Father. 03:24.705 --> 03:37.502 [SPEAKER_00]: Your Heavenly Father belongs to bring about miraculous transformation every day of your life so that you would be increasingly marked by the powerful work of His presence. 03:39.001 --> 03:42.406 [SPEAKER_00]: So how does God desire to bring about transformation? 03:43.448 --> 03:49.037 [SPEAKER_00]: What are his perfect plans for filling your days with passion, purpose, and love? 03:50.580 --> 03:58.292 [SPEAKER_00]: God's main avenue for transformation is through spending time alone with him every day. 03:58.272 --> 04:13.952 [SPEAKER_00]: No matter where you are in your relationship with God, time spent in the presence of your creator, receiving a tangible revelation of his steadfast love, will be the catalyst to living a life transformed. 04:15.333 --> 04:19.778 [SPEAKER_00]: Just as a candle must be ignited with a flame to burn. 04:20.819 --> 04:29.369 [SPEAKER_00]: So you must continuously encounter the fire of God's love to live a transformed joy-filled life. 04:30.951 --> 04:34.415 [SPEAKER_00]: He is the only constant source that you have. 04:35.856 --> 04:40.682 [SPEAKER_00]: You will only find lasting satisfaction through his nearness. 04:41.776 --> 04:47.844 [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing else will supply all you need to live the life you truly desire. 04:49.766 --> 04:52.009 [SPEAKER_00]: That's what 1st 15 is all about. 04:52.029 --> 04:59.258 [SPEAKER_00]: 1st 15 was created to give you a practical resource to meet with God every day. 04:59.278 --> 05:07.648 [SPEAKER_00]: No matter how busy you are, you can set aside 15 minutes to connect with your creator and sustainer. 05:09.080 --> 05:11.064 [SPEAKER_00]: God longs to meet with you. 05:12.166 --> 05:15.012 [SPEAKER_00]: He waits patiently to spend time with you. 05:15.072 --> 05:25.553 [SPEAKER_00]: Think of that, the creator of the universe of all things wonderful and good is patiently waiting right now to spend time with you. 05:26.950 --> 05:30.976 [SPEAKER_00]: The choice of how you will spend this year is entirely up to you. 05:31.016 --> 05:37.605 [SPEAKER_00]: I pray that you would be filled with the longing and strength to spend time with your heavenly Father. 05:38.747 --> 05:47.659 [SPEAKER_00]: I pray that this resource is helpful in connecting you to the Father that your longings would be fully satisfied in meeting with him. 05:47.639 --> 06:00.140 [SPEAKER_00]: God is a limitless ocean of grace and help, and all that's necessary to receive from Him is some time, open hands, and an open heart. 06:01.563 --> 06:13.022 [SPEAKER_00]: God calls you His beloved, and longs for you to know to greater depths, the breadth, and length, and height, and depth of His great love for you. 06:14.420 --> 06:18.650 [SPEAKER_00]: spend some time in guided prayer, receiving the love of God. 06:19.913 --> 06:28.092 [SPEAKER_00]: Answer the call to seek His face as David did in Psalm 27, saying, your face, Lord, do I seek? 07:08.099 --> 07:19.124 [SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, take some time to ask God how he feels about you. 07:20.567 --> 07:27.863 [SPEAKER_00]: God still speaks today, Jesus is still alive and at work through the Holy Spirit. 07:28.940 --> 07:31.664 [SPEAKER_00]: The Spirit loves to speak to us. 07:32.645 --> 07:34.608 [SPEAKER_00]: He loves to reveal God's heart. 07:36.070 --> 07:37.552 [SPEAKER_00]: God is not silent. 07:38.534 --> 07:40.276 [SPEAKER_00]: Simply make space to listen. 07:41.237 --> 07:43.981 [SPEAKER_00]: And don't be frustrated if it's difficult at first. 07:44.882 --> 07:48.147 [SPEAKER_00]: Listening to God can take time. 07:48.127 --> 07:55.742 [SPEAKER_00]: you are on a path to deeper relationship with him, just as it takes time to truly get to know someone. 07:56.363 --> 08:03.216 [SPEAKER_00]: It will take time for you to get to know the Holy Spirit, but it is time spent investing in eternity. 08:05.221 --> 08:12.478 [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 139 verses 17 and 18 says, How precious to me are your thoughts, O God? 08:13.600 --> 08:15.926 [SPEAKER_00]: How vast is the sum of them? 08:16.888 --> 08:20.015 [SPEAKER_00]: If I would count them, they are more than the sand. 08:21.358 --> 08:24.225 [SPEAKER_00]: I awake, and I am still with you. 08:39.832 --> 08:42.130 [UNKNOWN]: Thank you. 09:06.173 --> 09:06.774 [SPEAKER_00]: and next. 09:07.976 --> 09:12.043 [SPEAKER_00]: Write down or reflect on how you feel in God's presence. 09:13.465 --> 09:15.709 [SPEAKER_00]: What senses did you get about his heart? 09:17.311 --> 09:22.480 [SPEAKER_00]: Writing down what God says helps in stewarding what he is so faithful to reveal. 09:22.500 --> 09:33.177 [SPEAKER_00]: He may wish to keep a journal close by to record what God is showing you so you can read back, 10:12.340 --> 10:25.523 [SPEAKER_00]: And last, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the desire, self-control, and faithfulness to spend time each day in his presence, developing your relationship with God. 10:26.802 --> 10:44.473 [SPEAKER_00]: Galatians 5 vs 22 and 23 says, but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 11:22.861 --> 11:32.252 [SPEAKER_00]: The best way to consistently encounter the transformative love of God is to set aside time early each morning that you'll never miss. 11:33.553 --> 11:41.663 [SPEAKER_00]: Creating a habit can often be difficult, but there is no greater pursuit than a deeper relationship with God. 11:42.924 --> 11:47.029 [SPEAKER_00]: The time you spend with God is of eternal value. 11:47.009 --> 11:50.152 [SPEAKER_00]: Pick a time you can consistently meet with him. 11:51.113 --> 11:56.980 [SPEAKER_00]: Before you go to sleep, ask God to give you grace and desire to wake up and encounter him. 11:58.241 --> 12:01.164 [SPEAKER_00]: The more you do it, the easier it will become. 12:01.204 --> 12:09.653 [SPEAKER_00]: And as you grow in the knowledge of God and his goodness, time spent with him will become your favorite time of the day. 12:11.035 --> 12:16.020 [SPEAKER_00]: May your day be marked by his transcendent peace, intangible 12:18.869 --> 12:20.627 [UNKNOWN]: you 12:34.445 --> 12:36.730 [SPEAKER_00]: I hope you're having a great new year so far. 12:36.790 --> 12:39.196 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with first 15. 12:39.818 --> 12:45.711 [SPEAKER_00]: I just want to congratulate you on starting your year with some space set aside to meet with God. 12:46.533 --> 12:52.487 [SPEAKER_00]: No resolution could be more important than creating space every day for God to fill. 12:52.467 --> 13:07.128 [SPEAKER_00]: As we start this new year, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you won't miss a single day connecting with God and I'd also encourage you to head over to first15.org and subscribe to the email version of this devotional as well. 13:07.649 --> 13:12.676 [SPEAKER_00]: It can be an additional reminder to take that time to connect with God each day. 13:12.697 --> 13:18.525 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day and may God bless you as you see Kim.