First Fifteen
Ron Oltmanns
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Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best First Fifteen episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to First Fifteen for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite First Fifteen episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Holy Holy Holy (Psalm 99)
First Fifteen
06/17/20 • 9 min
To call God holy is to speak truly about him as wholly good. If we’re honest, it also involves us confessing that we are NOT holy or good, not like he is. Any goodness we have is a very dim reflection of his dazzling brilliance. Psalm 99 repeats three times: He is holy!
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
Spend your first fifteen minutes of the day listening to God and responding in a personal way. This podcast will show you how and teach you in an easy to follow process.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
We are listening to Psalm 99 from Book 4 of the Psalms. At first it seems to be an elaborated version of Psalm 93. It begins by proclaiming "Yahweh reigns" (so does Psalm 97 by the way). It lifts high God's praise, but then it starts laying down its own fresh emphases. As we said before, all the Psalms from 90-100 have some intricate links between them and you would be blessed from in-depth study of all of these psalms.
Psalm 99 names three of Israel's leaders who had priestly functions and intimacy with God (Moses, Aaron and Samuel), though they served in other ways too. Moses was a messenger for God's law, Aaron was the first high priest to serve at the tabernacle, and Samuel also anointed Israel's first two kings. Psalm 99 emphasizes that God is holy, his name is holy, and he reigns. Besides the links to Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, this psalm also echoes the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Today, pray the Lord's prayer while keeping in mind the rich background of Psalm 99.
Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.
As we progress in season three get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
Download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
You Know Me (Psalm 139)
First Fifteen
09/09/20 • 18 min
We want to be known, to be heard, to be understood. Our biggest problem is we expect another flawed, broken human being to fully understand us when only God can. Psalm 139 celebrates the truth that God knows us completely and well, but it also wrestles with the implications of that in our lives.
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
We are nearing the end of season three and we've prayed a lot of different psalms. Toward the end of the book there is a greater concentration of praise songs and hymns, and Psalm 139 is one of the most profound of those.
God knows me and God is everywhere. These are great spiritual truths. But there are other realities in Psalm 139 that we might miss or wish to avoid. The 24 verses of Psalm 139 are divided into four sections with six verses each. The main idea of each section is stated up front in the first verse: vv. 1, 7, 13 and 19. If you read those, you'll get the overall sense of the entire psalm instead of seeing this as a random collection of inspirational verses with a weird ending you might want to avoid.
Psalm 139 shows us how complete God's knowledge of us is and the instinctive reaction we might have to flee from him. But God's goodness and desire to bless us above everything else reassures us that being known by him isn't nearly as dangerous as trying to live life apart from him. There is also no neutral ground; it's worship or rebellion, and not serving God puts you in the camp of his enemies.
Four verses from this psalm to meditate on at length are vv. 1, 14, 23 and 24. Choose one of more of these and let God work out its truth in your life.
While we can't exhaust the riches in these verses, you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process. You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 . Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.
You can get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
Blessing of Forgiveness (Psalm 32)
First Fifteen
05/22/20 • 12 min
You’ve done wrong and you don’t want to admit it. How long do you keep quiet about it? Psalm 32 talks about that situation and then trains us in the best way to handle it. When we delay or defend ourselves, we're just prolonging a long slow death.
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
Spend your first fifteen minutes of the day listening to God and responding in a personal way. This podcast will show you how and teach you in an easy to follow process.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's w/Sin/ord for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
We are listening to Psalm 32 today and talking about forgiveness, specifically our need for God's forgiveness. When we delay confession or justify our sin, we end up suffering. God is quick to forgive and to hide our sin so that it can never be recorded against us or used to condemn us. But that doesn't work if we on our own try to hide our sin from God and others. Read and meditate on this psalm and let it lead you to rapid repentance over any sin you've not confessed or dealt with before God.
The penitential psalms include: 6, 32, 38, 51, 103, 130 and 143 (these are the Hebrew numbers; in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles the numbers are off by one). We hear of these seven psalms being used in the early church by the fifth century and that could be based on an even earlier tradition. They were prayed especially during Lent, the 40 days of fasting leading up to Easter. Each of these psalms of forgiveness show us different things about the experience of confession and being reconciled in our relationship with God due to sin.
Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.
As we get into season three get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
Download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
Grace and Peace (Colossians 1)
First Fifteen
10/10/20 • 13 min
What’s missing in our culture today are courtesies, those words of respect, graciousness and sincere regard at the beginning of a conversation, a visit, a letter. So much is often said in those first few words if you only listen! We get to hear how Paul and Timothy greet the believers in Colossae today and catch a glimpse of how to pray for others to grow in their faith.
If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. It's a perfect way to get started!
We are at the start of season four and praying through some of the letters in the Bible. Today we start one of Paul's shorter letters which has some very deep ideas and practical instruction, Colossians. The letters are unusual because we only hear one side of a two-way conversation. We have to try to understand in some part the other side of the conversation if we want to hear God's word for us in these writings.
Paul and Timothy write to the Colossians, believers who lived in a small Greek city about 100 miles inland from Ephesus in modern-day Turkey. Most likely Philemon lives in Colossae and these two letters (Philemon and Colossians) are carried at the same time to this city perhaps by Tychicus. Paul mentions another letter we don't have that he writes to Laodicea, a city about 10 miles west of Colossae that any traveler from Ephesus would have passed through first. Paul intends for his letters to each of the churches to be exchanged and read in each assembly.
Where do you need filling with God’s truth? Head, heart, feet, hands, will, emotions or spirit? If you know, make that your prayer today. If you don’t, I suggest you start with head and heart--knowledge, wisdom and understanding—and ask God to fill you. And whatever you have received, wherever you have gotten your fill, make it your job to share some of that with others today.
We are using the letters to grow closer to God as season four starts. We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process. You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 . Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.
We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme". If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.
A classic book that does an imaginative retelling of the Onesimus-Philemon story that will appeal to young and old is Twice Freed by Patrician St. John. You can find it on Amazon.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
Free in Christ (Philemon)
First Fifteen
10/07/20 • 13 min
A fundamental problem of humans is our tendency to think we’re free while living under the influence or control of people and ideas that we seem blind to. When Christ comes into our life, we are set free from all of that and that’s really good news! Listen to the short letter to Philemon today and learn more about the freedom and responsibilities of love.
If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. It's a perfect way to get started!
We are starting season four and praying through some of the letters in the Bible. Today we start with Paul's shortest letter which is very warm and personal, Philemon. The letters are unusual because we are only hearing one side of a two-way conversation. We have to try to understand in some part the other side of the conversation if we want to hear God's word for us in these writings.
Paul and Timothy write to Philemon, an early Christian who was probably well off and owned slaves which was quite common in the Roman world. Onesimus is likely a runaway slave who has since become a Christian, connected with Paul, and now he is returning to his master with this letter from Paul asking Philemon to receive Onesimus as he would Paul--his debt cleared and free to serve the gospel.
Apart from the dynamic of slavery in the background, the relationship between Paul and Philemon and the love shown and requested are in focus. Paul could have made some demands and exercised power over Philemon; instead he appeals to him as a brother who is free to decide and who is influenceable to "do the right thing." There's a lot for us to learn here about how to treat other people as well.
We are using the letters to grow closer to God as season four starts. We can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture we cover, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process. You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @WordofPrayer15 . Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.
We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme". If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.
A classic book that does an imaginative retelling of the Onesimus-Philemon story that will appeal to young and old is Twice Freed by Patrician St. John. You can find it on Amazon.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
Out of the Depths (Psalm 130)
First Fifteen
09/06/20 • 17 min
I hate to wait. If I really want it, I want it right now. God’s sense of timing sometimes frustrates me, which is why I have to learn to ask, trust and hope while I grow in my understanding of his will and his ways. Psalm 130 gives me language in prayer to call on God, trust in him, hope and declare the certainty that he will put things right for me and for the world.
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
We've prayed through Psalm 119, the longest psalm of the Bible within Book 5 (Psalms 107-150). We continue through the Songs of Ascent, the collection of short pilgrim songs for those going up to the temple and we'll listen to Psalm 130.
The eight verses of Psalm 130 work progressively to take us from the dark pit of despair and sin to confident hope in God's deliverance.
Psalm 130 is one of the 7 penitential psalms used in the Christian Church during Lent, the 40 days of preparation before Easter. The penitential psalms include Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143. We've covered several of these on First Fifteen.
What truth do you need to repeat or demonstrate today?
We can't exhaust the riches that are in these verses, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process. You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter @WordofPrayer15. Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.
You can get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
Lift My Eyes (Psalm 121)
First Fifteen
09/02/20 • 12 min
Where do we look for help? In most situations, where do you turn for help? Psalm 121 begins by asking where we look for help and then affirming our protection, our keeper and watcher is God alone.
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
We've been praying through Psalm 119, the longest psalm of the Bible within Book 5 (Psalms 107-150). Today we start the Songs of Ascent, the collection of short pilgrim songs for those going up to the temple and we'll listen to Psalm 121.
The word shamar is repeated 6 times in these 8 verses, and it emphasizes the fact that God watches over us, keeps us and protects us.
What truth do you need to repeat or demonstrate today?
We can't exhaust the riches that are in these verses, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process. You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter @WordofPrayer15. Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.
You can get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
Even If (Psalm 119:81-88)
First Fifteen
08/09/20 • 12 min
What do we do when we have faith in God and confidence he will come through for us, but we have to wait? What if we fail or our life runs out before then? That’s the question posed by our section today. Psalm 119:81-88 (Kaph) is like a lament that keeps asking heart-wrenching questions while running to God in faith, not rebelling against him.
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
Spend your first fifteen minutes of the day listening to God and responding in a personal way. This podcast will show you how and teach you in an easy to follow process.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm of the Bible and it's like a complete class in listening to God's word and growing closer in our faith and devotion to him. We are listening to one or two stanzas at a time (8 verses each), and today we focus on the eleventh stanza (kaph) in which all the lines begin with the K sound.
The main feature of this stanza is the difficulties, suffering and vulnerability of the poet and questioning God. In the first seven of the verses (vv. 81-87) there is some mention of affliction, trial or challenge, and in many of those a question is raised to God. These verses sound a lot like the laments that feature prominently in the first half of the book of Psalms. The last verse (v. 88) expresses trust in God, and this is the midpoint of the entire psalm.
One way to slow down and remember God's teaching is to write out one stanza (8 verses) of Psalm 119 each day until you finish it. After you've written out the stanza for the day, pick one verse from that section to meditate on throughout the day. Choose whichever verse expresses your own experience with God. For today's reading, I recommend v. 88.
If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter @WordofPrayer15. Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.
You can get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
Yahweh Reigns (Psalm 93)
First Fifteen
06/11/20 • 11 min
Who (or what) is in control? That is a question we have to ask today. Psalm 93 gives us an emphatic answer: Yahweh reigns. He is in control. And he is not like any other god you might have encountered.
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
Spend your first fifteen minutes of the day listening to God and responding in a personal way. This podcast will show you how and teach you in an easy to follow process.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
We are listening to Psalm 93 from Book 4 of the Psalms. It is a psalm of God's reign and rule. In five verses, just 45 words in Hebrew, it captures an entire worldview. Yahweh reigns, he created the world and all the mighty forces of nature are beneath him. He has revealed himself faithfully, and he is holy. From these truths, our response is to live acknowledging God's reign and his holiness and making daily choices that submit to him.
The "waters" in v. 3 (this translation) are literally "rivers" in Hebrew and could refer to the mighty rivers of the ancient world, the seas (and their currents), or both. "Yahweh" is repeated five times, and he is clearly central in this psalm.
Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word.
As we progress in season three get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
Download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
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FAQ
How many episodes does First Fifteen have?
First Fifteen currently has 168 episodes available.
What topics does First Fifteen cover?
The podcast is about Christianity, Spirituality, Daily Devotional, Discipleship, Bible Reading, Religion & Spirituality and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on First Fifteen?
The episode title 'Free in Christ (Philemon)' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on First Fifteen?
The average episode length on First Fifteen is 14 minutes.
How often are episodes of First Fifteen released?
Episodes of First Fifteen are typically released every 2 days, 22 hours.
When was the first episode of First Fifteen?
The first episode of First Fifteen was released on Jan 6, 2020.
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