Unlocked is a daily teen devotional, centered on God’s Word. Each day’s devotion—whether fiction, poetry, or essay—asks the question: How does Jesus and what He did affect today’s topic? With daily devotions read by our hosts, Natalie and Dylan, and questions designed to encourage discussion and a deeper walk with Christ, Unlocked invites teens to both engage with the Bible and to write and submit their own devotional pieces.
“It’s over! The shocking words crush you. I’m breaking up with you. Your emotions are in turmoil. What can you do? First of all, don’t bottle up the suffering, as this is damaging in the long term. I…
Joseph is only seventeen when his story beginsand he is having serious problems! Joseph is the youngest of eleven brothers and his father’s favorite. Even before their father has a colorful coat made…
READ: PSALM 51; 2 CORINTHIANS 7:8-13
Guilt is hard. Sometimes, Satan will try to convince us that we are guilty of something terrible when we really aren’t. This “bad guilt” tells us the lie that …
There will always be people who bring you down, and you can choose one of two responses: revenge or love. Some people say hate your enemies, but Jesus calls us to love and pray for our enemieslike He…
Fleeing from my mind, My fractured soul How far I run I do not know. Attacking my heart, Emotions, burning Branding me within, Fear inside churning. Alone, I shout out, LORD, HELP ME, Fallin…
Their opinion meant the world to me. Their acceptance was what I craved. Their attention was what I longed for. I was an outsider with the popular girls. They laughed at me, not with me. They talked …
I pulled the borrowed blue coat tighter around me and followed our guide. I hadn’t expected the weather in Iceland to feel so cold in May. After graduating from college, I’d ministered for a year in…
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the devil started by challenging Jesus’s deity: If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread (Matthew 4:3). Because Jesus is God, H…
Before I entered middle school, I felt confident I’d join the school band. And I did, playing a trumpet that had belonged to my uncle. Performing with the county-wide honor band was a special memory …
I started following Jesus at age thirteen, and I constantly got comments such as, I can’t believe you’re so young yet have a strong faith! And yes, those comments are lovely, but they secretly struck…
Oftentimes, we do not think before we speak. We can be quick to speak and slow to hear (James 1:19). We tease, tell jokes, and ramble on about things without thinking. And these things may be totally…
Thoughts waging war upon this tortured soul I want to be thankful, I long to have hope But some days the darkness won’t seem to end My eyes are bone dry, my faith feels thin Send forth Your truth to…
People can do good, but there is only one person who did good all His life, and that’s Jesus. Even though He is fully God, Jesus came to live among us. He interacted and celebrated with different kin…
Have you ever found yourself desperately praying for someone in a situation that seems helpless? Perhaps it’s a parent who isn’t following Jesus, a sibling struggling with addiction, or a close frien…
I was a very shy kid and struggled to fit in at school. At home, my older brother teased me endlessly. Yet, I knew my family loved me. I also knew Jesus loved me and was always with me. By middle sch…
Have you ever tried to solve a Rubik’s Cube? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried and failed to unscramble this complicated mess of colors. It amazes me that there are people out there who can …
We all struggle, and it can be both heartwarming and strengthening to know that someone is praying for us during those times. Have you ever been in a really tough situation and found yourself just wi…
In kindergarten, I owned a pair of sturdy brown shoes with thick, black shoelaces. My mom often insisted I wear them, but I hated them. I thought they were hideous and felt embarrassed to wear them. …
There is a truth that is unfolding before me: God is holy, and He requires holiness of us. For years, I never saw this tRuth I became a Christian at age eleven and through the years I have been in c…