Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

What does it mean when Jesus called Himself the vine? He gave His disciples
this picture on the night before He went to the cross, saying, I am the
vine; you are the branches (John 15:5). Jesus as th…

God knows why things are happening the way they are in our lives and in
this world. We can look at everything going on around us and wonder how
it’s all going to make sense in the end. We can see bad…

To be in the shadow of God is everything. This world is a scary place;
there are so many rules, expectations, and dangers waiting for us around
every bend. It’s more than scaryit’s paralyzing. Like a…

I like to feed hummingbirds. As I was researching how to feed them well, I
found
that many websites say to watch for stragglers at the end of the warm
season. This year, we’ve had a couple stragglers…

God created the changing seasons Colored leaves, sunny skies So much autumn
beauty I look at it and wonder, how small am I? But God sees me in the
beauty I’m not too small for Him He created each uni…

I’m in my forties, and one thing I wish I’d known when I was a teenager is
that it really is true when people say God loves us just as we are. We
don’t have to earn His approval. In the book of Isaia…

READ: JOHN 10:10; ROMANS 15:13; 1 JOHN 5:19

I’m twenty-six years old, and I wish I had known sooner that God wasn’t the maker of my depression.

When ninth grade rolled around, I faced depressio…

If you ever feel left out or mistreated, if people talk about you instead
of talking to you, you are not alone. It can be hard to deal with the pain
of rejection or getting less than what is fair, bu…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved stained glass windows. When
sunbeams reach through colored glass and paint the room with rainbows,
something inside me stirs. These mosaics of color awaken m…

One of the most enduring tales of all time is the story of a wish granted.
Whether it’s the three wishes of a genie’s lamp in “Aladdin,” the ironic
twists of “The Monkey’s Paw,” or just a discussion …

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to make an important
decision, but you weren’t sure how to go about it? Do you sometimes fear
that taking a wrong path would cost youmaybe jeopardiz…

They were beautiful, but wild and seemingly untamable. These horses of mine
galloped across the white sands, surging at times into the foaming sea. A
jet black mane and a tail that looked like wispy …

In James 3, we are given metaphors for what our “tongue” (or the words we
say) is like. James says our words have inherent power, and that power can
be used either for good or evil.

He explains the p…

Have you ever heard such wonderful phrases as these?

“You are precious to me.”

“I love you.”

“I am with you.”

“Do not fear.”

Do you know anyone who would speak so tenderly to you? This is how the Go…

Not everyone has great parents. Not everyone has a family history they are
proud of. If that’s you, know this: God loves you no matter who your
parents are. They might be criminals. They might be peo…

Horatio G. Spafford was a lawyer, an investor, and a follower of Christ who
suffered many tragedies in his life. Spafford’s son (also named Horatio)
died of scarlet fever at age four. And in October …

I can’t. But God can. I am weak. But God is strong. I am afraid. But He can
make me brave. I can’t do it alone. But I don’t have to be alone. In my
darkness, God is my light. In my pain, He gives hea…

When God created the world, He saw that it was good (Genesis 1:31). But
when the first humans went their own way against God, sin and brokenness
messed up that goodness. While we are still made in Go…

This morning as I was reaching for my Bible, I was soul-weary from a week
of grief and tears. I needed to be saturated in the tRuth Then, a picture
popped into my mind so instantly and clearly, I fe…

Two of your closest friends are whispering to each other, glancing at you
every now and then, giggling. What thoughts enter your head? Does your mind
spin something negative without knowing the truth…