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.
READ: 1 SAMUEL 17; 2 TIMOTHY 1:9-10
Dear Mother,
Grandfather’s stories are true. The giant smells. Now his stories feel like mine. But I suppose that’s the purpose of a story. To let you know y…
READ: ROMANS 8:31-39; 1 PETER 5:6-11
I have many tactics that I use to try to deal with anxiety, and it seems like I am always trying something new. Recently, I was thinking about how I tend to tr…
READ: MATTHEW 5:43-47; JOHN 16:29-33
My brother was selected to participate in his middle school’s play, so my family gladly showed up to watch the performance. While we sat in the audience, some …
READ: MARK 14:66-72; LUKE 19:1-10; ACTS 3:18-22; ROMANS 2:4
What do you do after you sin? That probably wasn’t the question you were expecting. We all know that we sin, but do we like to think abo…
READ: JOHN 15:12-17; ROMANS 5:10-11
When you look around at school or at church, how can you tell which people are friends with each other? It’s pretty easy, right? They hang out together. They ch…
READ: PSALM 107:1, 23-32; MATTHEW 8:23-27
My life lately has been more like a ship tossed around on a stormy sea than a little canoe making its way across a peaceful pond. Relationship issues have…
READ: ISAIAH 61:1-3; LAMENTATIONS 3:22-26; LUKE 4:14-21
Picture this. You’re standing barefoot on the shores of a beautiful ocean. As you walk along the water’s edge, breathing in the salty air an…
READ: MATTHEW 22:35-40; JOHN 6:27-29; 1 JOHN 4:7-19
There’s so much pressure on me…I can’t do everything my parents want me to do. I can’t please all of my teachers. I can’t be someone others look…
READ: MARK 13:11; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-9; 1 PETER 2:12; 3:13-18
Have you ever eaten sprouts—like bean sprouts with rice noodles or broccoli sprouts with salad? They’re crunchy, delicious, and nutrien…
READ: PSALM 23; ISAIAH 49:16; 2 TIMOTHY 3:16
As far as I can remember, the first Bible verse I learned was Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I …
READ: JOHN 11:28-36, HEBREWS 4:14-16
Composed of just two little words, John 11:35 is recognized as the shortest verse in the entire Bible; John simply wrote, “Jesus wept.” Because of how short it…
READ: GENESIS 1:1-3; JOHN 1:1-18; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20; HEBREWS 1:8-12
Have you ever dreamed of being a paleontologist? There’s something awe-inspiring about fossils, whether you find a rock with an…
READ: PSALM 95:1-6
The ocean…the powerful water coming up to the beach and splashing against it. The beautiful color. The sparkling. The place for people to gather on the sand and spend hours swim…
READ: PSALM 91; JOHN 15:1-5; ACTS 16:22-25; COLOSSIANS 3:15-17
Today, while I was getting the hose and sprinkler sorted, I stood in the sunshine. It was nice, for a bit. But eventually the blaring…
READ: PSALMS 23; 46; MATTHEW 10:29-31; EPHESIANS 1:3
Though I walk through darkest valleys In the shadows of my fear I can hold my head up high because I know You’re here The sparrows do not worr…
READ: PSALM 119:105; PROVERBS 3:5-6; ROMANS 12:1-21
Umar and Krish waited in anticipation. Today was the day they would go through the Maze, an important final test in their training. After this, …
READ: PSALMS 32:6-11; 91:15; 94:17-19; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5
Help! Someone help! You’re falling and there is nothing to grab onto to catch yourself. You awake with a start, your heart pumping hard. …
READ: PSALM 115:1-13; MATTHEW 6:7-8, 19-34; 1 CORINTHIANS 8:4-6
There is no one like God. There is nothing that could replace Him. Yet, all throughout history, people have been trying to make othe…
READ: PSALMS 16:9-11; 94:17-19; JOHN 15:1-12
Rejoice, delight, jubilation, glee, ebullience, exhilaration…all of these words mean to have joy. Not only are there lists of words about joy, but ther…
READ: ISAIAH 43:1-7; MATTHEW 10:29-31; JOHN 10:1-18; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27
Have you ever felt invisible? Like no one knew who you were? Sometimes it seems like other people have really great relatio…