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.
Have you ever reached boiling point? You’ve been trying so hard to do the right thing, and in a weak moment, you sin. Your temper bubbles over, scalding hot. Your good intentions vanish, and you lose…
It can be hard to sit back and be still. Some people will call us lazy if we do this. Some will say we need to get going and take action. There are times when we need to be still, though. There are t…
In Luke 15, Jesus told a story of a prodigal son who asked for his own portion of the inheritance from his father instead of waiting for him to die, and the father granted it to him. Years later the …
Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit, and it’s vital for every Christian, in every walk of life (Galatians 5:22). When we are faithful, we are rooted in motivations and desires that are in line with…
Ever struggled to focus on reading the Bible? You’re not alone! Today, I want to talk about one of my favorite ways to read and focus on God’s Word. It’s called “lectio divina,” which is Latin for “d…
The book of Philippians is a letter written by Paul and Timothy to the Christians in Philippi. There are many uplifting verses and passages in this letter, and many Christians choose one of the verse…
The following is a fictional story inspired by 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin and what he did to Bathsheba and Uriah) and it also takes ideas from Psa…
Editor’s note: Today’s reading discusses abuse.
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Daniel. Esther. Peter. Paul. As a teenager, I knew them all. If there was a Bible trivia show, I could have been a champion. I went to church and kne…
I decided to search the island for a spring to quench my thirst. As I passed under vibrant green vines, there before me was a tiny pool of crystal clear-water surrounded by periwinkle blossoms. Cuppi…
I rose from my bed, thoughts swirling like tornado winds. “Does anyone really know me? What is the purpose of my life?” Resolution filled my veins like urgent flames. Today I would search and seek un…
Jesus is often called the Messiah, but what does that name mean? And why is this name an important title for Jesus?
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“Messiah” means “Anointed One” in Hebrew. It was later translated as “Christ” in…
One day, I was paging through my Bible and stopped on the book of Habakkuk. I had never read this book in the minor prophets before, and I found it fascinating. Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah who lo…
I started noticing the word “unrighteousness” in the Bible. I thought, why not use a stronger word like wickedness or depravity? Why just put an “un” in front of righteousness? But I’m not an ancien…
My heart throbs with each bound I take, my breath growing heavy. “Run, run, run,” a voice whispers, and I struggle to obey. When I’d found that I had once again veered from the path called straight a…
Things change here on earth so quickly. Your parents get divorced and suddenly you’re living in two homes. Your grandparent moves
into an assisted living community and no longer has the yard that the…
I am lost
The world shatters
I am alone
Nothing matters
I am done
Reality has broken into a million pieces
And I am lost in the chaos
I am finished; the nightmare’s begun
Beaten and bruised; scarre…
Throughout history, people have asked the question, “Who is Jesus?” Some consider Him to be a good man, a prophet, a teacher. Others believe that He is in fact God, but consider Him to be distant, u…
One of Jesus’s names is the Lion of Judah. But what does this name mean? We have to go way back to the beginning of the Bible for this question, to the book of Genesis. The ancestors of the Israelite…
When we are falsely accused, it’s natural to try to defend ourselves to prove our innocence. I used to try to defend myself by tarnishing the image of my accusers. But now at age sixty, I have learne…
The Revana people, including Layla, had been flying at near-lightspeed for close to three years to settle on the new planet they were missioned with terraforming. It was going to be their new home.
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