Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

How well do you know the streets around your home? As you drive by, you probably know by heart that there’s a gas station on the right and, up ahead, there’s an old blue van that’s been parked in the…

“I am so stupid! How could I mess up like that? I know better. I’m just no good. I can’t do anything right!” None of us are perfect, so at some point we all think these kinds of thoughts about ourse…

Have you ever felt depressed or faced discouragement? When you’re in pain, talk with God, even if it’s just to be mad. Remember: two-thirds of the Psalms are complaints. Psalm 73 is my favorite grip…

How do you detect a fake? The best way to spot counterfeits is to be intimately familiar with the real thing. Based on this idea, the United States government offers an online currency education pro…

I love my family. I’m confident that the women in my life who I’ve been told are my sisters are actually my sisters. The same is true with my brothers. I see similarities between all of us, and so I …

Imagine you’re in a superstore full of what the Bible calls “good works”—all the things you’ve been told you need to be as a Christian. “Kind” “helpful” “loving” “always willing to bring potato sala…

An invisibility cloak—that’s what she needed. Maddie slumped in her seat at the back of the school library. She wished just such a cloak would come out of the fantasy novel she was reading. Anything …

Regret: everyone experiences it at some point. I recently sold my truck before I really needed to at a price that was too low. And, afterward, I was full of regret. I had no plan for what I was going…

Maybe you’ve heard of the Reformation. A guy named Martin Luther had a huge part to play in it, but he didn’t realize how far the impact of him simply reading the Bible would spread. He didn’t know h…

Have you ever wanted to be a missionary to a foreign country? If so, you could follow in the footsteps of one of Christianity’s most influential missionaries, St. Francis Xavier. Francis Xavier was …

We all wonder what our purpose is in life. We wonder why we’re here and what we’re called to do. The good news? We don’t have to search far to find the answer, because throughout the Bible, God’s Wo…

I recently adopted a rescued cat from my local animal shelter. She had been at the shelter for a long time because most people looking for a pet choose one that is more outgoing than the scared, cowe…

Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist) is deeply meaningful for Christians, but why is that? Well, it’s a reminder of how God has worked over and over again to bring His people to…

“You don’t matter.” “You’re ugly.” “You don’t belong.” Have you heard these lies before? Have you ever started to believe them? Or did you cling to God’s truth about you? The world is full of lies, …

Do you know someone who has dementia? Dementia is a group of conditions that involve declining thinking skills—such as memory and communication. Since these changes usually happen over time, family m…

In today’s world, social media is huge! There are so many apps to connect us with friends, family, and maybe even a few celebrities—almost instantly. Unfortunately, we tend to compare ourselves to …

Wouldn’t it be great to have God speak to you today as He did to Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18)? Sometimes, when I have a particularly pressing concern, I just want God to speak audibly to me so I can know…

Fear gripped Elijah’s heart as he made his way toward the mouth of the cave. Forty days of traveling to the mountain of God. Forty days ago, he had prayed to God that he might die. Forty days ago, El…

I was unsure what I should do about my upcoming class schedule. I looked at the available classes, credits, and time slots. There were so many options to choose from but the countless options made my…

A few months ago I thought I was about to get a new Job It was exactly what I wanted: the pay, the hours, the people I would work with, the duties. Everything was lining up. At the same time, I was …