Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: COLOSSIANS 4:2-6; TITUS 3:1-9

I love Jesus, and I love talking to people about Jesus. I always have. But I’ve definitely made some mistakes in how I tell non-Christians about Him. So, I’m go…

READ: LUKE 10:25-37; 2 TIMOTHY 2:23-24

Jesus puts a high emphasis on loving God and loving our neighbors. But sometimes, a person we’re trying to show the love of Christ to has an opinion that we …

READ: JOHN 21:1-14

Cooking is an important part of the kingdom of God. Don’t believe me? Jesus Himself used cooking in His ministry.

After Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He app…

READ: ROMANS 15:7; COLOSSIANS 2:12-13; 3:9-14; 1 PETER 5:6

If we were real with God, that deep well of frustration,

discontentment, or fear could be emptied

one putrid bucket at a time

an…

READ: EPHESIANS 4:1-32; COLOSSIANS 3:1-17

There are certain people in our lives who test our patience. When we’re around them, we might find ourselves acting in ways we don’t normally act. For exa…

READ: ROMANS 8:1-2, 15-18, 26-39; 10:9-13

I shouldn’t have done that, you think to yourself after you’ve sinned. I’m a Christian now—or at least I thought I was. Maybe I’m not really saved after a…

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; MICAH 6:8; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

I love food. It’s a wonderful way God sustains us, as well as a source of joy, and it often provides opportunities for community. But sometime…

READ: GENESIS 1:26-28; ROMANS 8:22-25; COLOSSIANS 1:15-23; 1 PETER 1:3-5

“Humans have made a mess of this world. It’s time for them not to be in charge.” I backed away after the android said this,…

READ: MATTHEW 1:22-23; JOHN 8:1-11; ROMANS 8:1

The music blasted, and we sang so loud that dogs started barking. My car full of friends bounced as we moved to the thumping bass. Then—CRUNCH!

Th…

READ: MARK 4:35-41

We rocked violently against the waves and wind. The men I had grown to know and love over the last several months huddled together near the mast, what was left of the sail cover…

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-11; 8:1-3; PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11

I was just reading an article about sheep, and I learned about something called sheep bloat. Sometimes a farmer goes out one morning, and ther…

READ: ACTS 10:34-36; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; GALATIANS 3:28; JAMES 2:1-10

Equal, not just a term that’s used in math

Let me see others as equal, God, the way You see them

Help me see the cel…

READ: PSALM 1; JOHN 1:1-14; ROMANS 15:4

Trying to understand the Bible can be…overwhelming. The more I learn about it, the more I realize I don’t know. And I find myself wondering if I’ll ever tru…

READ: ISAIAH 7:13-14; MATTHEW 1:18-23

Another tool that can help us understand Scripture is genre. The Bible has lots of different genres, like historical narratives, parables, poetry, letters, wi…

READ: JEREMIAH 29:4-14

Another important piece to consider when interpreting a verse is the literary context. In other words, what’s going on in the Bible before and after this verse? To do this, …

READ: GENESIS 1-2

One of the most important parts of interpreting the Bible is understanding the historical-cultural context of the text. In other words, asking questions like, “How would the orig…

READ: PSALM 119:89-96; LUKE 24:13-27; JOHN 20:30-31; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:20

Did you know that you are a biblical interpreter? Whether we know it or not, all of us interpret the Bible when we read or l…

READ: JOHN 6:37-40; EPHESIANS 1:3-14; COLOSSIANS 1:9-14

Four months after Marmalade came out of the darkness of his stair home, he found his forever home with me. Last night, as he lay on top of m…

READ: PSALM 91; 1 PETER 2:9-10, 24-25

Sunlight cascaded through green leaves as I descended the stairs at one of my favorite parks off the shores of Lake Michigan. Suddenly, a furry flash of orang…

READ: PSALMS 19:1-4; 139:14; ISAIAH 40:26

There have been so many moments in my life as a Christian when I’ve doubted the existence of God. Praying just seems silly—like talking to the air. But I …