Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Where is He? Where is Jesus of Nazareth? Where is our crucified King? We’ve come to mourn Him, to weep and wail. On Friday, we watched Him die. This world bullied Him, beat Him, broke Him. Man drove…

This is ridiculous, I said, adjusting my helmet while keeping my spear crooked in my arm. Why do we need all of these soldiers here. The man is dead, isn’t he? The guard next to me shrugged. They s…

It was the worst Saturday ever. The sun had come up, and the birds were still singing just like any other day. But to Jesus’ disciples, the whole world had been destroyed. Jesus had died on a cross. …

I’m a people watcher who loves hanging out at restaurants, observing the crowd around me. As people pass by, I wonder who they are and sometimes try to guess their story. I do the same with Bible cha…

Traditionally, purple means royalty. For example, Roman magistrates wore white togas with a wide purple border, and Roman emperors and victorious generals wore purple togas with gold trim. Purple als…

You’ve probably seen costume crowns made of plastic or cheap metal. But a true king’s crown is usually made of the finest metal and jewels. When it’s not on the king’s head, it is locked up under the…

A rooster crowed at the moment of the apostle Peter’s biggest failure. Let’s back up to a few hours before that awful choice. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus warned His disciples that they would…

My skin is cold. Though I can’t know for sure how coldsince corpses can’t feel anything. They can’t do anything at all, really. If I had the ability to touch, I’d feel the icy, rough dirt that holds…

The Bible can be hard to readseemingly old-fashioned religious practices, strange cultural rituals, and impossible-to-pronounce names! So how are Bible scholars, let alone teenagers, supposed to make…

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me! This saying couldn’t be further from the tRuth The Word of God says our words do matter. They have the power to build up or tear…

The mall food courts in Guatemala City are very different from those I visited in the US. When I came back from four years away from my country, one of the first outings we had was to the mall. Mall …

If you’ve ever struggled to be accepted by any particular groupyour friends, your family, or even your work environmentyou aren’t alone. Everyone struggles with finding a place to belong. But if you’…

When I was little, I would talk with God, praying, God, if you’re really up there, please show me a sign! I think my prayer is one that, at one point or another, we all pray. We want to know if God …

What does Jesus want me to do with my life? Have you ever asked that question? I know I have. There’s so much pressure to know what you’re going to do before you even leave home. And at the same time…

I had finished my six-month dental checkup and was walking back to the waiting room at the dentist’s office. To pass the time before my appointment, I had brought my Rubik’s cube. I’d been practicing…

You might have been told by people in church to try your best and forget about earthly things (i.e., anything that is fun or enjoyable) and focus your attention on heavenly things (stuff like singing…

A warm wind blows through the trees And stirs the face of the water. Wandering about the garden free Echoes of songs and laughter. A soul, a smile, A song to be sung; The start of a fire, His wo…

What does it mean to repent? Often we think of repentance as turning away from the wrong things we do every day. And this can be a result of repentance. But repentance in the biblical sense is less …

The term slumber party has always amused me. You all get into your pajamas, go to your friend’s house, and spend the night eating, watching a movie, and sharing stories with each other. You do everyt…

Your friend beat you out for the role you wanted. Maybe it was a spot on the varsity soccer team, the lead in the musical, or the job you applied for. It’s so difficult not to let bitterness fester a…