Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

When Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem with the newborn Jesus, there were shepherds in a nearby field. Suddenly an angel appeared and told them about the baby Jesus—the Savior they had all been waiti…

Mary paused her vigorous kneading of the bread dough, her thoughts whirling. She was pledged to be married to Joseph. He was a good man who had shown her only kindness, but lately her life moved fast…

The holiday season isn’t always a time of joy. Stress can push at us from all sides—family, school deadlines, Christmas preparations, etc. Life is shaky. And not just for us. While Ahaz was king of J…

We’d all love to be wise sages, knowing exactly what to do each time a major life decision pops up. However, that kind of wisdom can take time to develop. Time spent in God’s word and time living thr…

The Incredible Sparkle, superhero and defender of Glimmer City, couldn’t tell whether her constant shivering came from the cold or from the raw terror she felt coursing through her body. Behind her, …

Curling up with a gripping read is something I love to do, and I’m blessed to regularly receive novels from family or friends so that I rarely have to buy one. For ages, after reading them, I would k…

Darkness. That’s all I’d ever seen. I’d heard countless people’s voices. I’d tasted numerous kinds of food. However, I didn’t actually know what humans looked like. I’d never seen one. I’d never seen…

Let’s face it relationships can be hard. Maybe you and your mom had another fight and you both used harsh words that hurt the other person. Maybe your best friend won’t talk to you and you don’t know…

Our world is full of turmoil—torn apart by wars, filled with pain and brokenness. And yet, despite all the chaos, we continue to rise. Abba’s Own, we call ourselves. No longer are we enslaved by the …

As I watch the snow fall outside my window, I notice all it is covering up. Just yesterday, my sister remarked that nothing really looked beautiful. The trees were gray and free of leaves. The little…

Fear is one of the most discouraging forces against us. Fear can emotionally and spiritually make a person weak. Fear is a joy-stealer. It can hinder us from doing what God calls us to do. But rememb…

Tuesday is my favorite day of the week because I get to sing with my friends in choir. I used to mentally divide my whole week into days that were Tuesday and days that weren’t. The non-Tuesdays only…

Have you ever had a debate with someone who belonged to a different Christian denomination? Maybe it was about baptism, styles of worship, whether to attend church or not, and if so, whether it’s imp…

What does it mean to live as a Christian in a non-Christian world? Many of the first Christians were asking this question, and God provided answers that still hold true for us today. For example, Go…

Marching up to the battle line Gleaming armor so sublime Ready to fight Satan’s evil Held in this dark His army, oh so stark God’s army was strong Heads held up in this throng Hearts brave and b…

“State your name and business,” the guard at the gate of the prison ordered. “And be quick about it!” Onesiphorus swallowed hard. “My name is Onesiphorus, and I am seeking Paul of Tarsus. Can you …

The story of the Israelites’ journey through the desert to the land God promised them is striking in many ways. One of my favorite parts is in Numbers 9:17, “Whenever the cloud lifted from over the s…

The sun descends on the horizon, and the thought comes: “Did I do a good enough job today”? Almost every night, I would evaluate this question. I realize now that this was kind of like asking myself:…

Torchlight flickered in the dark, casting shadows on faces, reflecting golden light off the water—beautiful, and wrong. My mother’s body was laid in the funeral boat and covered with flowers. Someone…