Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9; LUKE 11:1-13 In the churches I’ve grown up in, prayers were almost always made up on the spot. And these prayers are great! But lately, I’ve also been appreciating pre-written prayers. And I’m not the only one! In the early church, it wasn’t uncommon for Christians to pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4) three times a day. And before that, the Israelites would regularly recite a prayer called the Shema (based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9) and the Ten Commandments (found in Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21) as part of their prayers. While spontaneous prayer is certainly important, I think these pre-written prayers offer a lot of value as well. They can remind us of the unchanging truth of the gospel, center us (the church) around our mission, and keep us focused on God’s goodness. Plus, sometimes when I’m praying, I don’t have the words to say. These pre-written prayers can give me a place to start, and they can be a jumping-off point—something in these prayers will often remind me of something else I want to talk to God about, thank Him for, or ask Him for. And, by reciting these prayers, we are joining in with a tradition thousands of years old. We can pray prayers that have been prayed by hundreds of generations of people following God. And they’ll be prayed for years and generations to come. Not only that; we’re also uniting with believers around the world. These prayers have been spoken in thousands of languages by people from hundreds of different cultures. How amazing is that? By trusting in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, we are united with our loving God and with each other. Reciting these prayers alongside our spontaneous prayers, especially with other believers, can be a powerful way to remember these truths. • Taylor Eising • Consider taking a moment to reread Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Luke 11:1-13. What can these passages tell us about who God is? What can they tell us about who we are? • As we read prayers from the Bible, we may end up memorizing them, and we can also use them as models for our own spontaneous prayers. Remember, pre-written prayers are great, but we shouldn’t stop making up our own prayers, too! Consider writing down some ideas of ways you could incorporate a prayer from the Bible (there are lots to choose from) into your life. Perhaps you could pray it before a meal, when you wake up, when you go to bed, with friends or family, etc. One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 (NIV) 

READ: PROVERBS 11:14; 12:15; 15:22; 20:18 Do you have people in your life who want to give you advice, like parents, teachers, pastors, counselors, or coaches? They want us to listen to what they have to say, and often we can be tempted to shrug them off, but there may be a lot we can learn from them. Someone who has been through different seasons of life can offer a lot of wisdom, and not in the “I-told-you-so” kind of way. There are people who genuinely care and want to help. And the Bible tells us how wonderful this kind of advice can be: “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” (Proverbs 27:9). When we seek the advice of others, we can be given more direction. Fellow Christians can point us to Christ and help us discern what He wants for our lives. Because the truth is, God doesn’t expect us to be able to figure everything out on our own. He provides loving wisdom and guidance through His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus—believing in His life, death, and resurrection—He gives us the Holy Spirit, who gives all wisdom. And He gives us the church—people who follow Jesus and also have the Holy Spirit inside of them. Through the church, we can surround ourselves with people who can offer biblical advice so we can do what Proverbs 19:20 says: “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” When we talk to mature Christians, they can help us align our plans with God’s good ways. So often, it’s easy to see the way we want things to go, but when we turn to different advisors, we can see if we are on the right track or completely off base. It’s a blessing to have these people in our lives. Sometimes, it feels like other people want to criticize what we’re doing, but when we humbly seek the advice of others and truly listen to their wisdom, it can have a profound impact on our lives. • Tynea Lewis • Have you ever been hesitant to ask for advice because you were afraid of being criticized, demeaned, or teased? This is not how God treats us, and it’s not how He calls us to treat each other. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about your hurts and the ways people have looked down on you, receiving His compassion and healing. • What is one thing you’re facing that you could use advice on? Who are mature Christians in your life you can go to for advice, people who display the kind of wisdom described in James 3:13-18? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future. Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. Proverbs 15:22 (NLT) 

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; GALATIANS 1:10; COLOSSIANS 3:23-24 Have you ever felt pressure to get straight As or be the best athlete on the field? There are so many things in this world telling us to be the best at this or that. When we feel this pressure on our shoulders, it can start to crush us. The truth is, it can be good to use the skills and abilities God has given us as we work hard for things and do our best—this can be an act of worship, honoring to God. But once we allow ourselves to be controlled by achieving the highest standing because we want to be well-liked, accepted, or feel valuable, then we know we’ve crossed a line. This can be a sign that we’re starting to forget that we are perfectly loved, accepted, and valued in Christ. And when we forget this truth, we start allowing ourselves to do things for the approval of other people, turning away from what God wants for us. Instead of walking in God’s good ways because His unshakeable love has transformed our hearts, we begin to do things to get people to like us or accept us. But, when we return to the truth of the gospel and we start to turn our focus on God, His Spirit works in us to align our thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes with His good ways. In the gospel, we see how Jesus died and rose again to make the way for us to be with Him, free from sin and death. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us. He loves us, He will never leave us, and we never have to earn His approval. This truth changes everything. When we rest in God’s love, we begin to do things out of our love for Him instead of to earn the approval of people. • Tynea Lewis • When are you most tempted to idolize the approval of the people around you? Consider spending some time in prayer, asking Jesus to show you where you’re chasing after human approval, and to help you rest in His perfect love instead. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV) 

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 14:13-23; MARK 5:21-43 One of my biggest pet peeves is slow walkers. I remember in high school I would inwardly scream when I was caught behind someone dillydallying. And now, when I go to the grocery store, I weave my cart in and out of families on busy afternoon shopping trips. I drive over the speed limit. It never seems to matter that I get up hours before I need to leave for work or class—I’m always rushing out the door with my shoes untied and coffee spilling out of my mug. But then I think, and I wonder: Was Jesus a slow walker? If I were lucky enough to be one of the disciples who lived with Jesus for three years, what would I learn about the pace of His life? Everywhere Jesus went, He taught and healed and saved. Although His days were packed with action, Jesus allotted time for interruptions to His rhythms and routines. In Mark 5, a father named Jairus pleaded with Jesus to heal his dying daughter, and Jesus agreed to go with him. Now just consider Jairus’s panic and desperation, but also hope, as they made their way through town. This man was in a rush to get home. But then, Jesus just stopped, and said, “Who touched my clothes?” I imagine Jairus thinking, What does He mean ‘who touched me’? The crowd is all around Him! In the middle of Jairus’s darkest hour, Jesus stopped for a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. Then, Jairus found out that his daughter had died during Jesus’s short delay. The messengers said, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?” (verse 35). But Jesus knew it wasn’t too late. He knew there was enough time for both the woman who was bleeding and for Jairus’s daughter. On that day, He healed them both. Jesus was present. He was keenly aware of His surroundings, and He had compassion on those around Him. Jesus paused to listen to others’ needs and love them well. In the same way, Jesus is attentive to us, and He invites us to live and love like He does. When we slow down, we can begin to notice the Holy Spirit moving within and around us. Rather than always focusing on “the next thing,” we are invited to come and see what He is doing in the present moment. So yes, I think Jesus was a slow walker…and I want to be one, too. • Zoe Brickner • Do you know anyone who lives their life at a slower pace, making an effort to be attentive to the Holy Spirit and to the people around them? What is it like to be with them? • Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you be more aware of His constant presence with you, and more responsive to His invitations to rest in Him and to love and serve those around you. “For my [Jesus’s] yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30 (NIV) 

READ: PSALMS 23:5-6; 34:8; HABAKKUK 3:17-19; JAMES 1:17 In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice! He has given Life to me— His sinless sacrifice set me free. In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice! In the grave His body lay— Sin’s ransom fully paid. In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice! On the third day Hell did weep— Death’s final, dark defeat! In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice! May His grace be ever praised, Oh, the glory of His ways! In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice! In the goodness of the Lord I will rejoice!What comes to mind when you hear the words: “God’s goodness”? If I’m honest, I think of the times that God helps me out when I’m in trouble. Especially if the problem was brought on by...uh, dubious choices of my own! Don’t get me wrong— thanking God for His help in times of trouble is good. But in the Scriptures that inspired this poem, I noticed that God’s Word portrays His goodness as far more than His kindness or help in trouble—though it is that! God’s goodness is a part of His very nature (Exodus 33:19; Psalm 34:8). It is evidence of His unceasing, divine work on our behalf—recrafting and redeeming all things for our ultimate deliverance from sin and all its effects. His goodness is His presence experienced in the midst of pain—or His restraint when we desire vengeance. It is His relentless, pure, and undying love—which is displayed on the cross: God in flesh, dying to conquer sin and rising again to restore all that was broken, shamed, or lost. God’s goodness is the glory of this redemption. And glimpses of His goodness lie in every beautiful thing we experience—made not only to draw us to Him, but to delight in through all eternity. Therefore, let us say with the psalmist: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1). • G. Kam Congleton • As you read today’s Scriptures, what are some ways you notice God’s goodness portrayed? Consider taking a moment to praise God for His goodness to you personally, and ask Him to help you recognize the ways His goodness is made real to you. You could even write a letter, poem, or song to God, thanking Him for some of the ways you see His goodness in your life. “…may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness.” 2 Chronicles 6:41b (NIV) 

READ: PSALM 23; 2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7 Once again, intense pain had brought me to the emergency room where I waited to be admitted to an upstairs room. Beyond discouraged, I asked the Lord, “Do You still love me?” My depression deepened as one nurse after another poked me with needles and questioned me. The paramedics had been concerned and caring. At the hospital, the staff seemed determined to add to my suffering. How I longed for someone gentle to care for me. Someone like Annie. Annie was the friend who had introduced me to my boyfriend. A few days earlier, she had begun her first nursing job in this same hospital. “Lord Jesus, please fix it that Annie is my nurse.” It was a crazy prayer. The hospital was large, and I had no idea what department or shift my friend was working. Still, I repeated my prayer until the shots did their work and I fell asleep. Before I knew it, I was at an upstairs nursing station. A familiar voice nudged me awake. Opening my eyes, I looked into the face of my admitting nurse. It was Annie. • Kathy Irey • Have you ever felt like God had stopped listening to your prayers? Was there a way He showed you He still cared? If not, you can ask God for this anytime. The Lord may not always take away our pain, but He’ll let us know, He has not abandoned us. (If you want to dig deeper, read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; 12:7-10.) • When we feel like no one understands our suffering, Jesus does. He suffered for us so that we could befree from the bondage of sin (Isaiah 53). When Jesus returns, He will make all things new; then sin and all its effects will be gone for good, so terrible things like pain and depression will be no more (Revelation 21:1-5). Until that day, He stays with us through everything. Even when it feels like He’s distant, He is always so very present with us—through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. Are there any Bible passages that have resonated with you in times of sorrow and pain? Are there any people in your life who have embodied the kindness of Jesus to you, like Titus did to Paul, and the Corinthian Christians did to Titus, in 2 Corinthians 7:5-7? How might you be able to share the comfort He has given you with others? “I [Jesus] am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NIV) 

READ: MARK 2:13-17; JOHN 6:37 It’s common sense that showers are for the dirty, hospitals are for the sick, and life preservers are for the drowning. So why is it so hard for some of us to accept that we don’t have to fix up our lives before coming to the very One who promises to clean us, heal us, and save us? We may resist coming to God for help because we think we’re too far gone. We are correct in seeing that our sin separates us from a Holy God; we were all once totally lost in spiritual darkness (Ephesians 2:1-10). But God didn’t leave us there! Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead paid for all of our sins and made the way for us to be with Him forever (Colossians 1:12-14). If we think we’ve sinned too much to be forgiven, we are severely underestimating the power of God’s grace and perhaps even missing the point of the gospel. Sometimes those of us who know we’re forgiven still struggle to come to God because we feel like we’ve wandered too far. We think that since we’ve been straying into different sins, or haven’t been keeping up with our devotions, or haven’t been praying enough…that God doesn’t want anything to do with us. But God always wants us to draw near to Him! I think it makes God sad when His children try to live apart from Him. He has called us to live in pursuit of Him, and once we have been redeemed by Christ, we can do so with the Holy Spirit’s help. But God’s love doesn’t require our obedience in order to reach us (Romans 5:8). God’s love has no strings attached. Whether you’ve never asked God for forgiveness before, or you’ve recently wandered, don’t wait to come to Him. There is true forgiveness for all of us in Christ’s work on the cross, and Christ promises to never cast you out (John 6:37). • Katherine Billingsley • Have you ever felt too far gone? If you know Jesus, all your sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. When God looks at you, He sees His Son’s perfect righteousness. And He loves you more than you could ever imagine. You can come to Him in prayer anytime, asking Him to help you draw near to Him once again. If you’ve never come to Jesus, find out more on our "Know Jesus" page. • In John 6:37, Jesus promises that He will never cast out those who come to Him. How can this truth comfort us when we have doubts about our salvation? When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17 (CSB) 

READ: JEREMIAH 42:1–43:7; EPHESIANS 2:1-10 “Rhode, tell us what to do. We will die here on the planet Yavorah! The Kuvil Regime took the rest of our people to their planet, and they won’t let us live here peacefully. It’s been years since Juro’s old dynasty held us in slavery— maybe if we go back, their new rulers will help us.” The desperate shouts and worried exclamations filled their meeting space, a hollowed-out tree trunk aglow with jars of lightening bugs. Rhode closed his eyes for just a moment, resting in Yahweh’s presence despite the contentious atmosphere. After generations of sin and idolatry, Yahweh’s judgment had come to pass. Kuvil had conquered Rhode’s people, the Yavorians. Now, only a remnant was left on their home planet under the Kuvil Regime. Their ships swarmed the sky, as numerous as the bugs, blocking the two Yavorian suns, slowly killing the planet’s lush greenery. Soon, their livelihoods would be upended, and they’d starve. Bora, the Yavorian army captain, stepped closer and shook Rhode’s shoulders. “Go, ask Yahweh for mercy. Ask Him to show us the way, and we swear we will follow it— whether that means we stay here as captives of Kuvil or we return to Juro for refuge.” Rhode was appalled at the idea of returning to the very planet Yahweh had delivered them from. He wanted to be compassionate and hopeful, but he could only be suspicious of Bora’s plea. Of course now they wanted to hear from Yahweh, after generations of ignoring Yahweh’s commands. Were they merely desperate to avoid destruction, or were they sincere in their desire for repentance? “I will pray,” Rhode decided. “Whatever Yahweh says, I will tell you.” The moment Rhode was alone, he collapsed with exhaustion. A few glimmers of light shown in the sky through the dense canopy. As Rhode stared up at them, he wondered if they were stars or impending spaceships. Sighing, he prayed, “Help me be faithful. Please, reveal Your will to me.” For ten days, Rhode remained silent before Yahweh, until He spoke. Rhode called the commanders together, but the cold and determined look on Captain Bora’s face made him hesitate. Gathering himself, Rhode said, “If we remain on this planet, the one Yahweh promised to us, and trust in His protection, He will be gracious and we will prosper. We can trust that He will be merciful to us.” Everyone was silent, but Bora’s eyes were ablaze with anger. “You lie! Your words are treasonous! If we stay, Kuvil will destroy us all.” “But Yahweh promises He will preserve a remnant of our people,” Rhode said. The leaders began filing out of the tree, casting dirty glares and muttering “traitor” in his direction. Rhode hollered after them, “Fleeing to Juro would just be another idolatrous response. Yahweh is giving us another opportunity to put our trust in Him!” No one listened. Before the suns had even set, Rhode was corralled onto a shuttle with a hoard of other Yavorians. They slipped through Kuvil’s blockade with a cloaking device. Rhode pressed his face against the window and watched as the green planet’s surface grew dim. Yavorah was a gift from Yahweh, a place for prosperity after slavery. And now, instead of leaning into His mercies, Rhode was taken with the rest of his people back to Juro. But Yavorah was his home, their home. “I am with you, and I still give my mercy to my people,” Yahweh said to Rhode as Yavorah faded from sight. “One day, I will bring you home. I am making all things new, and I will dwell with you forever.” • Zoe Brickner • Today’s story is an allegory of Jeremiah 42–43. Israel sought Egypt’s help when Babylon attacked them, desp

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; PSALMS 119:73; 139:14; EPHESIANS 2:1-10 Who am I? This question is one we wrestle with throughout our lives. And it’s an important question to ask, because much of what we do flows from who we believe we are. Here’s the thing though—we can’t answer this question without God. And thankfully, He provides the answer in His Word. Take a look. God created human beings, and He did so out of love. Genesis 1:26-31 says that God made us in His image, and He entrusted us with the important job of caring for His creation. Furthermore, if we are in Christ, Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s masterpiece—we are created anew in Christ Jesus, and God has given us good and purposeful work to do. Have you ever thought of yourself as God’s masterpiece? How amazing to think that God created each of us, purposefully crafting us to be unique and wonderful (Psalms 119:73; 139:14). Yet, oftentimes we don’t realize how valuable we truly are. As we go through life in a world broken by sin, we are bombarded with lies about ourselves, lies that say we’re not worthwhile, not capable, not lovable. As we’re confronted with our own sins and shortcomings, we may even start to believe our very existence is a mistake. But God knows the truth about us. He made us, and so He’s the only one qualified to tell us who we are and what we’re worth. The fact is, we are so precious to God that He came to be with us. The second person of the Trinity, the Father’s only begotten Son, became human and lived among us. It was worth it to Him to pay the ultimate price to save us from sin—Jesus was willing to lay down His life so that we could be forgiven, brought near to God, and made new. And God the Father is glorified in all of this (John 17:1-3; Galatians 1:3-5; Philippians 2:11). So now, as people who’ve put our faith in Jesus, we can rest in God’s love for us. And, because the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with His love (Romans 5:5), we can rejoice in the ways He has made us, using both the natural abilities and the spiritual gifts He has given us to express our love for God and for the people around us. And whenever we find ourselves struggling with lies about who we are and what we’re worth, we can turn to Jesus. He will remind us that we are His priceless work of art. God doesn’t make mistakes, He makes masterpieces! • Hannah Howe • When you struggle to see yourself as God sees you, who are trusted Christians who can remind you of what God says about you in His Word? How could you be this kind of friend to others? For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) 

READ: NUMBERS 13–14 Numbers—funny name for a book, don’t you think? Five of its thirty-six chapters contain lists of people. But most of this book records the story of a people on the move. The best part of Numbers? We find God’s loving intervention in the lives of His people, over and over again. Numbers not only includes records of people and lists of ceremonial regulations, it also contains stories. Have you ever heard the story of a flashing sword, a shining angel, and a talking donkey? It’s in chapters 22-25, and it involves blessings and curses, bribes and greed. In this passage, and throughout the whole book of Numbers, we discover the underlying theme of God’s unceasing goodness, His personal interaction, and His abiding care for His people. He plans good things for them, even when they are ungrateful, stubborn, and faithless. God’s plan for His people, the Israelites, was to give them a home—the Promised Land. And this was crucial. For from this nation would arise His Son—the Savior, Jesus. And Jesus would be the perfect Israel that the Israelites could never be— faithful, loving, and sinless. God’s strategy all along was ultimately to provide the way of salvation for His people through Jesus’s death and resurrection. And the book of Numbers is part of His rescue plan. It’s in Numbers that we get the inside story of how God’s people responded to Him in defiance, faithlessness, and fear right on the borders of their Promised Land. We learn how that broke God’s heart, and then we see how He directed His people back into the desert to wander for forty years, until that faithless generation had died out. Then, we learn about how Joshua and Caleb finally led the people into the Promised Land, and we see God’s undying faithfulness through it all. We learn how trustworthy God is, and how important it is for us to trust Him. His ways are good, and trusting and following Him is the best thing we can do. Today, if we know Jesus, He lives inside us through the Holy Spirit, helping us to faithfully follow our loving God. This treasure of a book has much to offer the student of the Word. May He reveal Himself to you as you read it! • Kristen Merrill • Which of the stories mentioned above sounds the most interesting to you? What questions do you have about them? • How could remembering the ways God has been faithful in the past (either in our own lives or in the lives of people in the Bible) help us trust Him to be faithful in the future? “Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid… the Lord is with us!” Numbers 14:9 (NLT) 

READ: PSALM 104:10-28; MATTHEW 6:19-34; 10:29-31 There is a lot of nature outside my window. I hear birds singing their morning songs and talking to each other all day long. Occasionally I see rabbits and even a few deer. I hear coyotes howl at night, and I’ve seen turkeys strut across the yard. All of these animals have a home out there. They know how to survive in the forest and get what they need to make it through each day. And God is the One who made all of them. He gave them the ability to make a home in the wild and survive. When I think about all the animals and what God has given them, I know that He will take care of me. After all, Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26). Humans are God’s most precious creation. We are the ones He came to seek and to save (Luke 19:10). It was for our sins that Jesus died on the cross. And just as He rose from the grave, He promises to raise us when He returns. We are the ones He loves. God cares so much for us, even more than He does for all the animals in the wild (Matthew 10:29-31). When I am afraid or wonder about what to do with my life, I can remember that. I can know that God will help me and show me what to do. He takes care of all the animals, and He will do even more for me. • Bethany Acker • What kinds of animals can you see where you live? Consider taking some time this week to pause and watch them and be reminded of how God is taking care of them and you. • Because our world has been broken by sin, sometimes animals hurt each other and compete for what they need to survive, and humans do too. But one day, Jesus promises to return and make all things new. Then “the wolf will live with the lamb...and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy” (Isaiah 11:6-9). How can the hope of the new creation Jesus is bringing free us to trust Him, and to love others the way He calls us to, instead of hurting other people for fear that we won’t have enough? (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:13-14) “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NIV) 

READ: PSALM 107:21-24, 31; COLOSSIANS 1:16; REVELATION 4:11 Have you been to an art gallery or installation recently? It’s amazing to see the way artists create memorable and beautiful works of art using paint, pencils, clay, stone, fabric, metal, wood, glass…the possibilities are nearly infinite! And just think about how our ability to create art reflects the Creator who made us—He is the greatest artist. Have you ever thought of God as an artist? Have you noticed how creative He is? Both the cold winter snow and the warm summer sunshine were His idea. He made oceans, and He also made deserts. He made plants and animals, some that live in oceans, others that live in deserts, each perfectly suited to their environment. He made stars and galaxies, atoms and photons…And He wasn’t content to make everything in grayscale—He painted the universe in more colors than we can count! God created everything there is as an expression of love. And that includes us. God didn’t create the universe because He was lonely or bored or because He needed anything. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have always existed in perfect love and joy. No, He created because it delighted Him to do so! God has boundless creativity. He has made so many wondrous things, each one just the right color, just the right shape, and just the right size. And even though sin brought brokenness into God’s good creation, He has promised to redeem it. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He is making all things new. And if we put our trust in Jesus, we get to take part in His wonderful work. Because Christians have the Holy Spirit living in us, we can use the creativity He has given us to glorify Him and bless others, both today and in the age to come. And, as we behold God’s beautiful creation, we can remember how awesome He is and how much He loves us. He’s the greatest artist, and He invites us to enjoy His creation with Him! • A. W. Smith • What is one of your favorite things in all of nature? Why? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this and tell Him what you like about it! • In what ways do you like to be creative? How do you like to take what God has made an arrange it in a purposeful way—such as through painting, sculpting, building, designing, cooking, etc.? Is there something new you’d like to try but haven’t yet? The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV) 

READ: ROMANS 6:11-14; EPHESIANS 5:1-20; 1 JOHN 1:7-9 Have you ever finished cleaning a room…only to notice the sun shining on a dusty spot you missed? In our Christian lives, the same thing happens in our hearts. Often, we don’t even notice our own sin. But, through God’s Word, through our prayer times, through our times at church, or through something else, Jesus continues to show us forgotten places in our hearts where we are struggling to love God and our neighbors well. Think about it this way—Jesus is the Light, and in His mercy He shines on us, showing us sin in our lives that He wants to clean away. It can be unsettling to realize we have sin in our lives that we weren’t even aware of, but we can trust that whenever God brings an area of sin to light, it’s because He wants to help us and bring renewal to that messy place. As 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Like a dust rag cleans dust off a forgotten table, Jesus cleans away our sin. And this good news is multi-faceted. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He frees us from both the result of sin—which is death—and also from the power of sin. That means, once we put our trust in Jesus, we can know that all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. And, because the Holy Spirit is living inside us, we don’t have to give in to the temptation to sin anymore. The Holy Spirit empowers us to say “no” to sin and live in God’s good ways instead. And even though we’ll never do this perfectly until Jesus returns, His forgiveness remains sure. Has something you’ve done that’s wrong been made visible to you by Jesus recently? We all sin every day, and that’s why He invites us to confess our sins to Him often, resting in His sure forgiveness. Then, we can live by the light of His Spirit, trusting Him to help us do what’s right. We can live in love toward God and our neighbors because of Jesus. • A. W. Smith • Where in your life do you struggle to truly love God and your neighbors (Matthew 22:36-40)? Jesus invites us to talk to Him about this—we can be totally honest with Him because He knows what temptation is like and He empathizes with us, but He Himself never sinned, so He can help us (Hebrews 4:14-16). He reminds us how much He loves us, and He often reveals underlying lies we’re believing that might be causing a struggle to continue—lies about God, ourselves, or others. Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about whatever comes to mind. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 (NLT) 

READ: MATTHEW 18:20; ROMANS 12:9-18; EPHESIANS 3:14-21 "Is it enough?” The question rolled around in my brain as I drove home. A family in our church was experiencing a number of medical problems, so a few of us went to their house to pray with them, bring a meal for us to eat together, and share communion. “Is what we did enough?” I asked myself on my drive home. Suddenly, the answer sprang to life in my mind, bringing a smile to my lips and easing the tension in my shoulders. Of course it wasn’t enough. I laughed at myself. Because of course, it was never meant to be enough. Nothing we do as the church is ever meant to be enough. Instead, we point to the One who is enough. I can’t solve all the problems in the world. I can’t remove all the suffering. And that’s not my job. It’s not your job either. But it is my job, through my presence, my words, and my actions, to point people to Jesus and His love for them. And it’s also my job to let myself be pointed to Jesus by the presence, words, and actions of my siblings in Christ—the church. And this is only possible because Jesus has already done enough. Jesus—God in human flesh—lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead to save us from sin and death. If we’ve put our trust in Him, He lives in us through the Holy Spirit. And one day, He will return to resurrect us from the dead and destroy all sin, suffering, hurt, and death forever. There’s nothing I can do to add to what He has already done. And resting in that truth frees me to let go of my arrogant, “I-can-fix-all-your-problems” attitude and instead enter into the lives of others with humility, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. Together, we can throw ourselves into Jesus’s loving arms, trusting Him to care for us. And that’s enough. • Taylor Eising • Can you remember a time when others pointed you to Jesus through their presence, words, or actions when you were going through a hard time? What was it like? • Is anyone in your life struggling right now? If you’re ready, you can spend some time in prayer, asking Jesus to show you how to show them His love. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 (NLT) 

READ: PSALMS 42:1–43:5; 46:1-5; MATTHEW 26:37-38 Sometimes, you cry tears They fall as hard as the rain It feels just like a storm This life, full of pain But just as quickly, the sun appears A smile comes to your face Joy in your life again It’s a beautiful time and place God is with you through these moments The ups and downs of days He gives light to the darkness Has a listening ear when you pray Pain and joy are a part of life Both times will come, you know Tears and smiles until the end Our God will hold you and not let go • Bethany Acker • How could it be comforting to know that Jesus personally experienced all the joys and sorrows of being human, and He promises to be with us through all the ups and downs of life? • Even when we experience deep sadness, it can be helpful to remember that these feelings won’t last forever. We will feel happy again, maybe in a few minutes, maybe in a few days. However, if it’s been more than a couple weeks since you’ve felt happy, you may be experiencing a form of depression. This is nothing to be ashamed of—depression can be the result of several factors, and many people will experience depression at least once in their life. God does not stand far off when we are depressed. Jesus grieves our hurts alongside us and wants to help us heal, not only through His Word and through prayer, but also through community with fellow Christians and the expertise of professionals like counselors, therapists, and doctors. If you think you might be experiencing depression, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it? • If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. “And be sure of this: I [Jesus] am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NLT) 

READ: PSALM 139:1-3; ISAIAH 53; HEBREWS 4:14-16 I know someone who lost part of his leg due to health issues. Now he has a prosthetic and is able to get around just fine. Seeing him in long pants, you would never guess he has anything going on with his leg. You would have no idea of the struggles he’s faced or the fact that he still has to deal with things now that a person with two good legs would never think about. You might have an illness that most people don’t know about. This may cause you to act differently at times, and you may feel judged because of it. You might have a mental illness that affects the way you feel but is hidden to those around you. Maybe no one knows the pain you are in or how much you’re struggling to look “normal.” The world around us thinks they know us based on what they see when spending limited time with us, but they don’t know our background or what is going on inside. The average person would never guess that the man I mentioned has something going on with his leg, and there may be things you’re dealing with that the average person would never know either. God knows it all, though, and He understands. Your pain is not hidden from Him. God created you and loves you, and He feels your pain with you. Others might not see or understand, but you can know that He does. He will hold you even when others have no idea what is going on. • Emily Acker • Do you have a painful situation in your life or in your past that nobody knows about? God does not want us to suffer alone. He is with us, holding us in our hurts and offering comfort, strength, and healing. And He also gives us His people, the church. Who are trusted people you could talk to about the difficult situations in your life, such as parents, pastors, youth leaders, or counselors? • Because of God’s great love and compassion for us, Jesus came to save us. He lived among us as “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (Isaiah 53:3), and He befriended and healed those who were isolated in their suffering. Even when most of the world doesn’t know about your pain, how could it be comforting to know that Jesus sees you and He cares? • Jesus suffered and died for us, and He rose again so we could be with Him. One day, Jesus will return to restore creation and resurrect His people from the dead, free of injury, illness, and suffering. In the meantime, He is with us through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). How could these truths remind us that we are never alone in our suffering? You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 (NLT) 

READ: PSALM 63:1-5; JOHN 4:1-14; 7:37-39; PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13 Imagine how good it feels to take that first sip of cold water after a long, hot run. Imagine how good it tastes to take that first bite of your favorite meal after you’ve been smelling it cooking all day long. Water and food sustain us. We need them to survive, and it can feel so good to consume them, especially in more desperate times. Now, think about how God is our living water. Jesus said to a woman He met at a well that if she believed in Him, she would never thirst again. That doesn’t mean physically. We will always need food and drink to survive on earth. But think about how much food and water mean to us. If God says we will never thirst again with Him, that’s a big deal. God is everything we need. He gives us life. He gives us purpose and meaning. God helps us through the hard times and gives us joy. He is our living water. He is enough for us. Jesus is God the Son, sent by the Father to die for us and rise again. Before He went to the cross, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). And during the last supper, Jesus broke bread and gave it to His disciples, saying, “‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it’” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). In communion, the bread is broken, and we remember how Jesus’s body was sacrificed for us. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, He promises that everyone who trusts in Him will have His presence with us always—and the sure hope of eternal life to come. When we know Jesus, He not only sustains us, He satisfies us (Psalm 63:5) and fills us with “a glorious, inexpressible joy” (1 Peter 1:8). • Bethany Acker • Jesus is the bread of life, and He gives us living water, which is the Holy Spirit (John 4:14; 6:35; 7:39). Why do you think God describes Himself as bread and water? How might this help us understand Him better? (If you want to dig deeper, you can read more about communion in Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.) “But those who drink the water I [Jesus] give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:14 (NLT) 

READ: PHILIPPIANS 3:7-21; 4:10-13 Do you ever feel like there’s something you need to have in order to be happy? In our world of uncertainty, it can be tempting to think that something— some piece of technology or clothing or jewelry, some rental property or car or brand name—can bring us the satisfaction we crave or solve all our problems. Sometimes, we can get so focused on getting that thing, that we lose sight of our neighbors and our Creator. We end up choosing greed and violence instead of following the way of Jesus. We get lost in chasing after created things rather than walking in the love and service of our Savior. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Because the reality is, in Christ, we already have true riches. We have the promise that God loves us, that He is with us every moment of every day, and that He is making all things new through Jesus’s death and resurrection—He is freeing all of creation from sin and its effects. Yet, as we wait in eager anticipation for Jesus’s return, we live in the already-not-yet tension of God’s kingdom. We see glimpses of His restoration, but we also long for the day all things will be made fully right and whole (Revelation 21:1-5). So, as we live in this tension, we can count our blessings. And that’s not as cliché as it sounds. Because as we spend time pondering all the good things God has done for us, we find ourselves becoming more joyful, more peaceful, and more able to say “no” to the greed and violence and other temptations of our broken world. And counting our blessings can be as simple as making a list. We can list the promises we find in the Bible. We can list things in nature that remind us of our Creator’s love and goodness. We can list all the ways He has been providing for our physical needs through things like food, clothes, and shelter. We can list things that delight us, like our favorite flavors and colors. And we can list the relationships in our lives that remind us of Jesus’s love—whether we see that in friends, family, teachers, pastors, church family, or other loved ones. All these good gifts come from God! And as we rest in God’s abundant love for us, we start to crave possessions less and less. Things we own don’t last that long, but knowing Jesus lasts forever. In Him, we find true riches—love that satisfies our deepest longings and purpose beyond ourselves. • A. W. Smith • Consider making a list of blessings—where do you see God’s love in your life? Then, put your list in a safe spot so that, when you need encouragement, it’s readily available to you. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) 

READ: PSALM 36:5-9; 2 CORINTHIANS 7:8-13 "Made it. I’m free!” Sultan yelled, jumping on the train as the doors bleeped shut behind him. Where is everyone? He thought, sitting in the empty carriage, a knot of dread weaving itself inside him. Is this the right train? “Tickets,” the guard’s rasping voice called. With trembling hands, Sultan handed over the ticket, watching in horror as the destination letters changed to Nowhere. Staring out of his dark, empty eyes the ticket collector grinned. “You’re on the right track, to Nowhere” he laughed, handing the ticket back before striding away. Wiping the prickling sweat from his forehead, sadness physically dragged Sultan down. Past mistakes flashed before his eyes. “You’re wasting your life. They aren’t your true friends.” Mom’s words haunted him. “I wish your grandpa was still here. He’d know what to say.” Pushing himself up with his last remaining dregs of strength, Sultan stumbled along the carriages as the train hurtled along. Nothing. The ticket collector had vanished. If only you were alive Grandpa, Sultan thought. I miss you, your faith, your Bible stories and adventures. When you died, it felt like I lost my trust in God. I don’t know if I even believe anymore. Sliding to the floor, Sultan shuddered, recalling how he’d flung Grandpa’s well-worn Bible in his closet. He felt an ache in his stomach. Is it too late? “Help!” His plea was a strangled whisper. “Father, Jesus. My grandpa loved you. Please help me trust You again. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.” Tears poured down his face. His eyes stung and every bone ached. A glimmer of light appeared, glowing brighter and brighter until it dazzled. A loving voice cried out, “Sultan, weep no more. You are my precious, beloved child, and my Son Jesus died for you so you could be cleansed of sin and brought into relationship with us. We have not forgotten you. We have not abandoned you. We see your sorrow, your pain. We will help you trust in us, and we will heal you.” Sultan nodded, choking on the words. “I-I believe,” he cried out. The heaviness lifted. He could feel peace beginning to heal his brokenness. Sultan stood up. The train was buzzing with the chatter of people. Glancing at his ticket, his destination had changed to Hope. • Cindy Lee • Have you ever felt like Sultan in this story? Sometimes, when we experience a tragedy or life-changing event, it can make us question our beliefs or make us angry with God. But the truth is, once you become a Christian, nothing can ever separate you from Jesus’s love (Romans 8:38-39). We live in an imperfect world, but Jesus has restored our broken relationship with God through His death and resurrection. And one day, Jesus will return and restore the heavens and the earth—then death and sorrow and pain will be gone forever (Revelation 21:1-5). As we wait for this glorious day, Christians don’t need to be afraid of losing our faith. Faith is a gift from God, one He gives generously (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Peter 1:1; Philippians 1:29; Acts 3:16). No matter what, you can share all your worries, your anger, your hurt, and your fears with Jesus, the One who died for you and loves you dearly. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about whatever is on your mind. • If you’ve never put your trust in Jesus and you want to know more, check out our "Know Jesus" page. • Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be open and honest with about your struggles? How could you encou

READ: 1 SAMUEL 3:1-10; 2 KINGS 5:1-5; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27; GALATIANS 5:13-14 Do you ever feel too young to do anything important for Jesus? Sometimes, when we hear stories of people traveling overseas as missionaries, or becoming foster parents, or starting a career they sensed God guiding them into…we can be left wondering, What about me? Though we may love Jesus and want to follow Him with our lives, it can feel like all we’re able to do during our teen years is wait and prepare to be an adult. But that’s not how God sees us. Just look at the Bible—there are teenagers and even kids who served God. For example, in 2 Kings 5 we find an Israelite girl who was taken captive by raiders from Aram, and she became a servant to Naaman’s wife. But when Naaman had leprosy, this girl said the prophet Elisha could cure him. Because of her compassion and her courage to speak up, Naaman journeyed to Israel, found Elisha, and was cleansed from the deadly skin disease. Then Naaman became a worshipper of the one true God (verse 15). And in 1 Samuel 3, we see that Samuel was only a boy when he “served the Lord by assisting Eli [the priest]” (verse 1). One night while he was sleeping in the Tabernacle, young Samuel heard God call to him! Samuel listened and shared the message God gave him. As he grew up, he continued to be attentive to how God was calling him to serve in his community. No matter how old we are, as Christians, we’re a part of God’s kingdom and family. Since we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we all have the same Holy Spirit. As 1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” The Holy Spirit equips us to share Jesus’s love in our words and actions wherever we are. Maybe you could pray for a friend, encourage a church leader, rake a neighbor’s leaves, help a sibling with something they’re struggling with, or look for ways to help members of your community who are experiencing homelessness. All of these loving acts of service can reflect how Jesus first loved us (1 John 4:19)—and none of them have to wait until you’re older. • A. W. Smith • What are some practical ways you could show Jesus’s love to others by serving them? Consider taking a moment to pray and ask God to help you notice opportunities to serve the people in your community, church, or home…and write down anything that comes to mind. And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10 (NLT)