Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PROVERBS 18:21; EPHESIANS 4:14-32; JAMES 3:1-18

I grew up wearing lots of hand-me-downs from my aunts, a few friends, and an older cousin. Once, I got a second-hand dress that I felt great wearing. The following Sunday, I showed up at church in it feeling polished and put together. Then came the comment—from someone I’ll call Bonnie. Bonnie complimented my dress, remarking that it looked pretty. I thanked her e...

READ: GENESIS 27:41-45; 32:3-6; 33:1-11; ROMANS 5:6-11

The story of Jacob and Esau is a roller coaster. These twin brothers started fighting before they were even born (Genesis 25:21-23). Jacob’s name can be translated “trickster,” and he lived up to it. Jacob stole Esau’s birthright (the unique privileges Esau had as the firstborn) and later tricked their dying father into giving him Esau’s special...

READ: PSALM 119:97-104

I used to read my Bible because I felt like it was something I was supposed to do. I thought I had to read a chapter a day, minimum, and that’s usually what I did. I read one chapter at the end of the day and left it at that.

In recent years, though, I’ve completed a number of different Bible reading plans using an app on my phone. These plans always require multiple chapters each day. And s...

READ: PROVERBS 3:1-8; MATTHEW 11:28-30; JAMES 1:5

When I try to figure my life out, that’s when it tends to feel the most overwhelming and confusing. When I entrust it to God, that’s when I have peace.

When I try to think too far into the future, I feel uncertain. When I look to God to lead me step by step, I feel much better.

God is a great planner. He is a great leader. In fact, He’s the best. And He in...

READ: ISAIAH 55:9; ROMANS 8:28-39; 11:33-36

“I’m not going to make you take out any stinky potatoes this time.” My grandma laughed as my sisters and I entered her house to help with some chores. I smiled. I was okay with the smelly task we’d done before—and all the jokes that had come from it.

Growing up, I would join my siblings in helping my grandparents care for their home. One time, that requ...

READ: PSALM 27:1; JOHN 1:1-5; 8:12; 16:33; COLOSSIANS 1:11-22

How do you detect a fake? The best way to spot counterfeits is to be intimately familiar with the real thing. Based on this idea, the United States government offers an online currency education program so the public can study the security features of various bills. The better acquainted a person is with the real currency, the less likely they will be deceived by fake...

READ: PSALM 46; MATTHEW 11:28-30

Holding, grasping tightly,
Hands clenched,
Heart clenched,
Tightly.

Out of fear, mistrust.
Must not lose what I worked to get.
Earned? Or received?

Too tight, can hardly breathe,
I need to exhale, need to breathe.
Need.

Stuffed up, stopped up,
Losing it all anyway.
So, I pry my fingers away,
One by one, loosening up.
Opening up.

Heart unclenched,
Hands...

READ: MATTHEW 28:18-20; LUKE 12:11-12; 1 PETER 3:15-18

Recently, I volunteered to help teach at my church’s weeklong Vacation Bible School (VBS). I was super excited to have an opportunity to tell these kids about Jesus, but I was also terrified I’d say the wrong thing.

So I prayed as I practiced my lessons every day before I taught.

Even though I was scared, God was at work. I enjoyed teaching the kids, and&md...

READ: MATTHEW 5:14-16; PHILIPPIANS 2:15-16; 1 JOHN 1:5-7

Every night, after darkness falls, my sister and I don headlamps and head outside to close up our family’s chicken coop for the night. It’s a mundane daily task…but it turns out God loves speaking profound truth through our everyday routines.

As we were going out one day, I pushed the button on my headlamp, and it didn’t work. I wasn’t sho...

READ: JOSHUA 1:9; ISAIAH 41:10; JOHN 14:16-20; ROMANS 8:35-39

“Bye!” I called to my parents. As they walked down the hall to leave, I ducked into the college dorm room where I would live for the next five days.

At the end of seventh grade, I tried out for drum major of my middle school marching band. After our band director chose me for the position, I received a brochure in the mail. It advertised a weeklong summ...

READ: PSALM 55:17; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7; COLOSSIANS 4:2

Have you ever chosen not to pray about something because it felt too small, too unimportant to talk to the God of the universe about? You’re not alone. We all have.

Yet, the Bible tells us to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). What does that look like? Well, think about it this way. If I spend a day with my kids, I guarantee they will ask me for th...

READ: ROMANS 10:1-4; EPHESIANS 2:8-10; PHILIPPIANS 3:8-9; HEBREWS 9:14-15

Imagine you’re in a superstore full of what the Bible calls “good works”—all the things you’ve been told you need to be as a Christian. Kind…helpful…loving…always willing to bring potato salad to the church potluck. You’ve been hearing how you need to be these things all your life—from your par...

READ: JOHN 11:1-45

John 11:35 is famous for being the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” We can so easily overlook just how powerful those two words are!

Throughout our lives, we all face times when we don’t understand. Times when sorrow crushes us, and injustice seems to reign. Times when we ask, “Why, God?” and maybe wonder if He’s even there.

Mary and Martha were asking those ...

READ: MATTHEW 5:17-19; LUKE 24:27, 44-45; JOHN 3:16-17; 5:39-47; 20:31

Have you ever heard that “everything in the Bible points to Jesus”? That seems kind of weird, doesn’t it? How can it be all about someone who isn’t even named until the last quarter of the book? True, the Old Testament is sprinkled with prophecies about the Messiah: it’s easy enough to link those to Jesus Christ. But there’...

READ: JOB 8:8-10; ROMANS 3:21-26; 15:4; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:6-12

When I visited Gettysburg for the first time, my imagination whirred to life. I wanted to know the people who fought there. I wanted to hear their stories, to comprehend their politics, to peek in at their way of life. Because the events that happened on that field directly impact the world I live in now. By understanding the past, I can better understand today.

Th...

READ: PROVERBS 15:32; 27:17; EPHESIANS 4:1-6, 15-16

Imagine a confrontation between two guy friends from the perspective of the one being confronted.

Josh comes up to me and says the dreaded words, “We need to talk.” My stomach turns sour. He tells me I’ve been letting bitterness get in the way of our friendship—and my faith.

Guilt starts to seep in. He has a point. At first, I was just angry becaus...

READ: MATTHEW 18:15-17; GALATIANS 5:13–6:2

So now that you’ve decided to confront your Christian friend about their sin, how do you do it well? According to the Bible, one important part of confrontation is gentleness.

In Galatians 6:1, Paul uses the Greek word katartizō to talk about setting a person right, and that same word can also be used to describe setting a joint. This gentle process hurts, but ultimately ...

READ: MATTHEW 7:1-5; 1 CORINTHIANS 5:9-13

The lifelong question: When do I confront someone about a sin I’ve noticed in their life? As Christians, the gospel of Jesus should always carry our conversations when we confront others about sin, allowing us to extend the same grace and forgiveness we have been given. In light of this, here are some truths to keep in mind when weighing the situation.

First, remember final judg...

READ: EXODUS 34:6; ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12; LUKE 15:1-7; EPHESIANS 4:2

I recently adopted a rescued cat from my local animal shelter. She had been at the shelter for a long time because most people looking for a pet choose one that is more outgoing than the scared, cowering cat I met. In fact, our first meeting left me bleeding from some scratches. But when I looked into her eyes, I saw that she was merely terrified, not mean. And s...