Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

We’ve all been let down by other humans. Maybe someone close to you suddenly became distant. Maybe someone failed to be there when you needed them. The situations are different for each one of us, b…

I love that when kids are adopted they receive a new or expanded family history. It takes time for them to learn about their new family, but it’s so worth it. As children adopted into God’s family, …

“I wish I could play the piano as good as they can.” “At least I’m a better swimmer than she is.” “I finally got a better exam grade than he did!” Comparison, at first, may seem fun—like a contest…

We all know someone who tries to be perfect in every way. They comb their hair just so, they are always doing nice things for others, and they never seem to do anything wrong. They long for perfectio…

Have you ever had an argument end a friendship? Or have you ever said things to someone you wish you could take back? Whether you have been wronged or you have wronged someone, reconciliation can be …

God calls some Christians to marriage and some to lifelong singleness (1 Corinthians 7). So, as you think about the possibility of marriage in the future, there are some important truths to keep in m…

You can’t catch your breath. You feel weak, and you just want to lie down and give up. If life is a race, you’re in last place and the finish line is miles away. Should you even try to keep going? M…

“I’m a failure! Does God even want me? I’ll never succeed at anything.” The lies wouldn’t stop, and I’d begun to believe them. Begun to believe that, because I had sinned, I was a mistake. Have you …

Trusting Jesus for the future can be hard during the teen years. For many of us, at age six, trusting God was all we knew, but we have long outgrown that stage. Now, it’s often harder to fully trust …

Our world is full of uncertainty. We’re surrounded with comparison and competition, causing us to feel overwhelmed. However, in my experience, the more certain we are of our identity in Christ, the m…

I sat on the couch, overwhelmed. If only the fluffy pillows could shield me from all the decisions I had to make: what to do with my major, how to make a living, who to marry (scratch that—who to eve…

To try to express a love so real, That far surpasses all we think or feel, Can one define it—can picture or song? Yet we have this assurance: We know we belong. The Lord of love, yes, it is He, Who…

Jeremiah was just a young man when God called him to be a prophet—a messenger to speak to the people on God’s behalf. Jeremiah was to tell the people of Judah to repent of their evil and to follow Go…

Have you ever felt misunderstood? Have you ever wondered why your life has taken the twists and turns it has? Sometimes our circumstances and disappointments lead us to become frustrated, and it can …

Ordinary students—like me—kept to themselves in order to avoid fists or knives. Paralyzed by fear, teachers ignored bullying because it was dangerous to interfere. Only blood and severe violence forc…

I have recently experienced the joy of having prayer after prayer answered with a “yes.” It feels wonderful to know God is listening as I cry out to Him and to know He cares enough to give me things…

When you think of your church, what comes to mind? Do you picture a friendly, generous welcoming of any newcomer? Do people watch for and greet any new person who enters the church? Or is there an at…

Satan smirked, squinting in the sunlight. He hated the sun, almost as much as he hated the dirt. But violence, fear, pain? These he loved. And he was about to witness and influence some more. He beca…

We deal with anger for a number of different reasons. We get angry at ourselves when we fail. We get angry when we see others being treated in an unjust way. We get angry when the people in our lives…

Do you watch the news? I know some people who refuse to because it can be so depressing. There are a lot of sad stories: school shootings, people losing their homes in devastating storms, terrible di…