Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Have mercy on me, O God. For I have sinned against You. Will you rip up the rage Within my heart of dirt, And plant in its place love, The nutrient of ruined earth? Against You, against Your image-be…

When you know someone well, you generally know how they will act: your dog is going to eat any food that hits the floor, your teacher will stand in front of the class to teach, etc. But what if your …

Did you know that all birds do not eat the same kind of bird food? Some birds don’t even eat birdseed! Woodpeckers prefer to eat suet cakes as opposed to plain birdseed. Finches don’t like plain bird…

Abidan stretched, looking toward the sun. It was setting, so he left the field and approached the house. He stopped, listening. That sounds like a party, he thought, waving over Baanah the servant. “…

Have you ever felt like you had to work to get people to like you? School, church, homeschool co-op, work—anywhere you go there are expectations to act a certain way, to say certain things, to not do…

People are more important than things. It sounds so obvious, and yet we often forget this important tRuth This is where hospitality comes in. Hospitality, essentially, is acting as though the people …

Editor’s Note: Today’s reading mentions the subject of abortion. Sarah and I had been best friends since third grade. She was an amazing ballerina and began ballet years before we met. I think the on…

We all make wrong choices—we all sin. The struggle of a decision gone sour is real, but take heart. Mistakes don’t have to define us; they can refine us. Because of Jesus and what He did, God does no…

Mass shootings, racism, sexual assault, displacement—our world is riddled with injustices, and they sting. We live in a world broken by sin. But there is hope in the midst of these injustices. The bo…

Jesus won. He went up against the cosmic forces of sin and death and beat them. He died, but He didn’t stay dead. His body came alive after three days in the tomb, and He is no longer mortal. He is f…

When the night is dark, Your light dissolves the shadows. When sadness spills from my heart, Your mercy dries my tears. When fear extends its grip, Your protection shields me. When my weaknesses anno…

There’s something wonderful about French fries. But have you ever had disappointing French fries? Ones with no salt? It’s the worst thing that can happen to a perfectly good batch of fries because sa…

Have you ever trusted a friend and then found out they were not trustworthy? Maybe you confided in them, spilling your guts about something personal. And, even though your friend promised to keep it …

Have you ever read a psalm and thought, Wow, that person was really mad at God. Are you even allowed to say that to Him? The short answer: yes, and it’s called lament. In fact, about a third of the p…

Did you know God commands His people to party? Skim through Leviticus 23 to see how many times God orders His people to celebrate. In fact, Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding celebration (J…

A lot of us had big dreams as kids: to be astronauts, singers, chefs. But where do those dreams go when we’re older? As Christians, we have a great calling: to follow Jesus wherever He leads us, incl…

Last year, I went to traffic court after being cited for an illegal left turn. When the judge asked for my plea, I said, “Guilty, with circumstances.” I told him the sign prohibiting the left turn w…

Many people love snow. Others not so much! Some people love sledding, ice skating, tubing, snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and more. Others dread the trouble snow often causes—danger…

Ever heard of Habakkuk? This book of the Bible is rarely preached on or even discussed, which is a shame because it’s a fantastic gem in Scripture. Like the other eleven minor prophets, the book of H…

The more I study worship, the more frustrated I get with how we do or don’t do it in our churches today. From coffee snobs to music snobs, we all know “that guy.” Well, I might have become “that guy…