Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: PSALM 25:16-17; 1 SAMUEL 18:1-4; 20:1-42; JOHN 15:13-15 When I was sixteen, it felt like my world was crumbling. My best friend had a boyfriend, spent all her time dancing for a prestigious ballet company, and excelled at math and science. Meanwhile, I was lonely, struggling to improve at my hobbies, and hated math and science with a burning passion. What I thought would be a lifelong friendship was fizzling at the first hint of conflict. When we experience difficulties in our relationships, we have two paths we can take. We can act out of the anger, hurt, and jealousy that derives from comparison, or we can be vulnerable and admit our feelings to our friends and overcome the tension together. In the Bible, David had complicated relationships with King Saul and his son, Jonathan. King Saul viewed David as his enemy because he knew God wanted David to be king instead of him. He went as far as trying to kill David because of his jealousy! Meanwhile, Jonathan had every reason to dislike David. Jonathan was next in line for the throne, yet David was promised Jonathan’s future. However, Jonathan loved God and had faith in God’s promise. He cared deeply about David and encouraged him to accept his calling from God. Jonathan was a true friend. As we grow older, our relationships will either grow with us or fade away. Not all friendships are meant to last forever, but the ones built on godly love are the most important ones to fight for in the face of conflict. With time, and many tears, my friend and I realized we needed to give each other space to grow separately before restarting our friendship with more reasonable expectations and renewed trust. Experiencing changes in our friendships can be tiring and lonely. But Jesus wants us to call out to Him and lean on Him through this difficult process. Jesus is the best friend we could ever have. His love for us is so great, He was willing to pay the ultimate price for our friendship. He died and rose again so we can be with Him forever—both now through the Holy Spirit, and for all eternity when He returns. As you rely on Jesus, He will give you the strength and discernment you need to pursue godly friendships with courage. • Hannah Chung • Are you struggling with comparison in any of your relationships? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about this and ask Him to remind you of His great love for you. • Do you feel alone? Consider asking God to help you notice people who could become godly companions. Remember, even when you feel lonely, Jesus is with you. You are never truly alone. A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17 (NLT)

READ: EXODUS 14:14; PSALM 32; LUKE 15:1-7; JOHN 20:11-16 Lost in the dark, Can’t see the light, Too tired, too weary, Too sad to fight. Burdened by shame, Haunted by the past. Looking for help, Turning to God last. Suddenly He’s there. Suddenly there’s light. Don’t need to be strong. He’ll win the fight. Lost in His love, Mercy from above, Pouring down on me. At last I see. Darkness is gone, So is shame. Forgiveness is mine. He knows my name. Now go to Him first, Weak or strong. He’ll forgive Every wrong. • Haley Walts • Have you ever tried everything to fix a problem yourself instead of going to God? How did that turn out? • Have you ever been surprised by God’s merciful help and forgiveness when you were in trouble? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. • How could it be comforting to know that, even if we’re in over our heads, even if it’s our fault, we can go straight to God? What kinds of problems are you struggling with right now? Consider taking a moment to bring these to God in prayer. You can confess any sins that come to mind and rest in His sure forgiveness, knowing that Jesus has already paid the price for all your sins on the cross. You can also ask Him for help, guidance, and reminders of His trustworthy love. • Sometimes, it can be hard to talk to God about our problems, especially if we feel ashamed or overwhelmed. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of God’s love and pray with you and for you? It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (WEB)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; EPHESIANS 4:1-6 I attended the same church until I turned twenty-three. Through a service opportunity, I started attending a different church. But I wasn’t just switching buildings and service times. I was switching denominations too. Denominations are groups of churches (like Free Methodist, Church of God, Presbyterian, etc.) that are united by a particular set of beliefs and practices and have some kind of governing body. They each emphasize different elements of Christianity (and disagree in some areas). I grew up in a denomination that was a little reserved. Our sermons were scheduled to the minute, and songs functioned on a click-track. My new church repeats bridges of songs over and over, people will share testimonies in the middle of worship, and services could last anywhere from one to two hours. My new church focuses on spiritual gifts, while my former church focused on discipleship, educating believers, and serving. But guess what? God is in both places. I’ve learned so much from each one. God is not a straightforward, one-dimensional piece of paper. While He doesn’t change, He has many different characteristics that different churches emphasize in the ways they conduct worship. I think it’s easy to focus so much on denominations that we lose sight of what matters most. We get caught up on all these differences—or, even worse, we don’t critically examine our differences and just assume that one of us is “right.” The fact is, Jesus died for people in every church. His love for us goes beyond denominations. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” Yes, as fallen humans, we’re going to set up institutions prone to errors. And there are bad leaders everywhere, so it’s vital to be mindful of the teaching at any church. But Jesus lived and died and rose again for all of us. Let’s come together, learn from one another, and share the many ways God has shown His love to each of us. • Natty Maelle • Do you know what your church believes or what denomination it’s part of? Consider going to your church’s website or asking your pastors about what core beliefs your church holds. • Jesus calls the church to live in unity (1 Corinthians 1:10). How does Jesus make this possible? What might it look like to live in unity with denominations you disagree with? “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I [Jesus] am there among them.” Matthew 18:20 (CSB)

READ: PHILIPPIANS 1:3-11 Imagine you pick up a violin and attempt to play it for the very first time. You tuck it under your chin, pick up your bow, and draw it gently across the strings. Would you expect to hear lovely music? Of course not! You’d probably get some screeches and sour notes. But if you took time to learn and practice, eventually your playing would improve. In the same way, we can have sour notes in our lives too—habits and attitudes that are out of tune with who we are as God’s children. But if we confess our wrongs to Jesus, He forgives us and helps us play a new song. When we put our trust in Jesus to save us, He changes us and gives us the Holy Spirit, who works in us so others can hear the beautiful song of God’s love and saving power in our lives. It takes time to learn how to play the music God calls us to. But, although we’ll still struggle with sin, Philippians 1:6 says God has promised to continue working in us until the day Jesus returns and gets rid of sin forever. And, when we hear sour notes from our fellow Christians, it’s easier to be patient with each other when we remember our own struggles. Because the truth is, we all do sinful things every day. We all need God’s help and forgiveness. And God is so very patient with us. He delights in helping us learn how to play His music instead of our own noisy scrawls. While it can be discouraging when we hear sour notes in our lives, let’s not forget that God is still working in us. He’s patiently teaching us to turn away from sin and show His love to others, and He won’t ever give up on us. Whenever we sin, we can turn to Jesus, confess our sin, and rest in His sure forgiveness. Then trust Him to help us share His sweet song of salvation with those around us. • A. W. Smith • Because Jesus died for us and rose again, we can know God, the one who created music. Take a moment to look back on your life. What sour notes has Jesus worked to transform? Where do you notice His beautiful music breaking through in your life? Consider spending some time thanking God for this! And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 8:31-39; EPHESIANS 3:14-21 "Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill, and ev’ryone a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.” The lyrics in this hymn, “The Love of God” by Frederick Lehman, often run through my head around Valentine’s Day. These lines demonstrate the paradox of God’s incomprehensible yet knowable love. We see this paradox in Ephesians 3:19, when Paul prays that his readers may be able “to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge.” How can we know the love of God that surpasses all knowledge? Imagine if every person who ever lived, and ever will live, was given the job of describing the love of God in writing. For ink, they are given the equivalent of all the oceans on earth. For pens, they are given the equivalent of every blade of grass. The paper upon which they can write is as vast as the sky. Now, imagine they exhaust every faculty of language—writing in every dialect, using every metaphor, combing every thesaurus, mining every dictionary, offering every similitude—to describe God’s love. They would still fall abysmally short of adequately communicating the greatness and perfection of God’s love. Yet, as indescribable as God’s love is, it is still knowable. The Scriptures tell us that God’s faithful, covenant-keeping love endures forever. It never fails and never changes. And God has shown His love most clearly in this: He gave His Son to pay the penalty for your sin and to reconcile you to Himself. If you have put your trust in Jesus to save you, you are His. And I am persuaded that nothing can separate you from God’s great love in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). The indescribable has been clearly demonstrated. This Valentine’s Day, may you know the incomprehensible love of God, because you know the God of love. • Cameron DeCou • How would you describe God’s love? • What sorts of things cause us to doubt that God really loves us? How does refocusing our attention on Christ crucified help us when we don’t feel like God loves us? • This Valentine’s Day, consider taking a moment to pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 for yourself, and then pray it again for someone you know. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:1 (CSB)

READ: GENESIS 29:16-35; COLOSSIANS 3:12; 1 PETER 2:9 I went through my first heartbreak in high school when a boy I liked chose another girl over me. Have you ever had something like that happen to you? Maybe a friend is favoring another friend over you, or maybe, like me, you’ve experienced rejection from someone you like. Genesis 29 tells the story of how Jacob loved his wife Rachel more than his wife Leah. (Many men in the Bible had multiple wives at once. However, that was not God’s intention for marriage and is an example of sin in the world.) Verse 31 says, “The LORD saw that Leah was not loved.” But God gave Leah child after child. And every time, Leah thought it would make Jacob love her. Her heart was hurting, and she wanted the love of her husband. But even though Leah bore children and Rachel didn’t, Jacob still loved Rachel more. Yet God saw Leah in her hurting. God sees and loves the unchosen. Finally, after giving birth to a fourth son, Leah said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” After failing to receive her husband’s love time and again, Leah chose to praise the Lord, even in her affliction. God gave Leah four sons. There was nothing Leah could do to make Jacob love her, and yet there was nothing she could do to make God stop loving her. At first, Leah was so focused on the love she didn’t have from her husband that she couldn’t praise God for the love He was giving her. It’s almost like every time Leah had a child, God was saying, “Look at me! Look at all I’m giving you! I see you, and I love you. Don’t look to man for love, look to me.” Though Leah lacked love from Jacob, God led her into His love. In her affliction, He led her to praise. And Leah’s praise showed faith in God’s promise. Little did she know that her fourth son, Judah, would be a direct ancestor of Jesus, the Promised One. God was with Leah and cared for her in her hurting, and He is with you too. God’s greatest gift and greatest demonstration of love was in sending His Son Jesus to earth to die for our sins and be resurrected. Because of Jesus, we can be in close relationship with God and one day spend eternal life with Him, free from the fear of rejection. • Elizabeth Cooper • God’s love is greater than any other love we can experience (Ephesians 3:14-21). And He longs to comfort us as we tell Him about the ways we’ve felt rejected or unwanted. He reveals His love for us through His Word, and also through His work in our lives. One of God’s gifts to us is community. Who are people in your life, such as friends or family, who have shown you love? But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. c (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 1:18; 1 JOHN 1:6–2:2 Have you ever accidentally folded a basket of dirty laundry? At first, you probably didn’t even notice the clothes weren’t clean. But, when you took a closer look (or smell), you could probably tell that the clothes had been worn. If you decided to just fold them up and put them away, you wouldn’t deceive anyone—soon enough it would become apparent that the clothes hadn’t been washed. Hiding it doesn’t help. It’s the same way when we sin. If we try to hide things we’ve done wrong, we only deceive ourselves. If we try to convince ourselves that some wrong thing we’ve done is not so bad and isn’t really sin, we may sometimes manage to fool ourselves and even other people, but we can’t fool God. That’s why we should never try to hide our sin. Instead, God calls us to confess it to Him and rest in His forgiveness. The truth is, our sins—even the “small” ones—are such a big deal that Jesus went to the cross to pay the punishment we deserved, and then He rose from the grave so we could be made righteous in God’s sight. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. It’s all been dealt with on the cross. Jesus has given us His righteousness, and we’ve become new people. But, until Jesus returns to renew the world, we still sin. And God knows that. There’s no use trying to hide it, and we don’t need to. God sees us with grace and mercy. And even when we still struggle with feelings of guilt and shame, He invites us to come to Him. Trying to hide our sin from anyone—including ourselves—only creates more hurt. But admitting our sin and coming to Jesus with it helps us remember and experience His grace and love. And that can help us extend grace and love to others. Because the truth is, sin is real, even when we don’t want to admit it. But, praise God, His grace is even more real. • A. W. Smith • Is there any sin that you’ve been struggling to admit to yourself? Consider the following questions, either by yourself or with another trusted Christian: Why is this particular sin so hard to admit? What lie am I believing? Do I truly believe that God’s grace covers every sin—including this one? As you spend some time processing, you can talk with Jesus about it, telling Him about whatever comes to mind—confessing sin, and also naming confusion, lies, hurts, and anything else that’s stirred up in your heart—then thanking Him for His grace, love, and forgiveness. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 127:1-2; MATTHEW 7:24-29 At a youth group party, my friends and I gathered for a night of worship and fun. Afterwards, we piled paper plates with snack food and headed outside to eat. We squeezed ourselves around an outdoor table. In the dark, though, we didn’t notice the patio table that we thought held a clear glass tabletop actually held no top at all. That “table” was simply a metal frame with metal chairs situated around it. Before we could stop him, my friend Chris set down his plate full of food on what he assumed was the table. As it turned out, there was nothing there to offer support. We laughed at the mishap, but Chris was understandably annoyed and headed back to the kitchen for another serving of snacks. Although Chris could easily replace the food he lost, the food that had been dropped couldn’t be recovered. It was just trash at that point. The foundations we look to for support truly matter—not just with a paper plate at a party but with our lives as well. Putting our trust in Jesus—and believing that He died to pay the penalty for our sins and then rose again to give us eternal life—means starting fresh as a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Beginning a relationship with God through Jesus sets us up for a whole new life. So, what are we going to do with that life? We can haphazardly build our lives on what seems to offer a strong support for our futures—like the approval of others, physical strength, or higher education. But will that framework hold us up when we need a sturdy place to land? Or do those pursuits just place us on shifting sand? Only Jesus offers the rock-solid foundation we need to weather life’s storms and stand firm. • Allison Wilson Lee • What does it mean to build our lives on Jesus as our foundation? What choices are involved in that? What short-term sacrifices might we have to make to gain long-term peace and joy by building our lives on Jesus? And why is it so important to remember God’s love, especially when life gets hard? (Psalm 63:3; Romans 8:18, 31-39) • Throughout our lives, we’ll continue to discover many ways we haven’t built our lives on Jesus. But He has mercy on us. He wants to forgive us and help us move forward. Who are trusted Christians who can help you build your life on Jesus, notice and repent of sins you may not even have been aware of, and humbly rely on Jesus’s forgiveness and wisdom? Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 55:22; JOHN 14:27; ROMANS 8:15-39 He made the world, Yet He knows my name. With every glorious sunset And bright shimmering moon, God sighs the words, “I love you.” When ocean waves crash Against quiet, golden shores, When stars fall across the sky, God’s words touch against my soul, “I see you. I know you. I love you.” He’s never left me alone Not even when I’ve turned away. He’s never forgotten my needs Even though I’ve neglected to pray. Who am I to be loved by Him? He rescues and cares and protects Even as I doubt and fear and fret. Through the storm And through the flame, He’s always holding me the same. The night I found out my mom had cancer, I wrote this poem. When life feels out of control, it can be hard to remember that God is still in charge, and He still cares. Yet, even when we feel overwhelmed and hopeless, God is with us, loving us, always. • Janise Holmes • Can you think of a time you felt overwhelmed or hopeless? Can you remember any ways God reminded you of His love during that hard time? • Terrible things like cancer were never God’s plan for the good world He made. But when humans sinned, all this brokenness invaded His creation. God sees the pain we experience, and it grieves Him. That’s why Jesus came and lived among us, fully God and fully human. He suffered the cross for us, and then He rose from the grave so that all our sins could be forgiven, and all the world’s brokenness could be healed at His glorious return. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to the day when “‘there will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:1-5). And in the meantime, we can know that Jesus feels our pain as His own. He weeps with us, and He gently gives us comfort and strength. Consider taking some time to bring your pain to Jesus in prayer. You can be honest with Him—you don’t need to hold anything back. • Jesus has promised to be with us no matter what—even when life is in chaos, even when we don’t pray, even when we doubt Him (Matthew 28:20). And He generously gives us reminders of His loving presence through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). When you go through hard things, who are trusted Christians in your life you can honestly share your burdens with—people who will listen with compassion, pray for you and with you, and remind you of God’s never-ending love? • Sometimes, we experience thoughts and feelings that are too much for us to handle on our own, even by praying and reading the Bible. But God wants to help us in lots of ways, including through other people such as medical and mental health professionals. So, especially if you’re finding it difficult to rest or if it’s been more than a couple weeks since you’ve felt happy, tell a trusted adult today. • If you’re not sure who to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” Lamentations 3:57 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 12:4-8; 1 PETER 4:7-11 When you watch or play a sport, do you expect everyone to be good at every part of the game? For example, if you watch baseball, does everyone who bats get the same number of hits? Does everyone throw the exact same way? Of course not! Everyone on a team has different strengths. Maybe you play baseball, and hitting isn’t your biggest strength, but you’re a very good pitcher. We can’t all be great hitters, but we can do our best in the position we do play. It’s the same with the body of Christ—the church. As Christians, we all have different spiritual gifts and natural talents, and we each have an important position on the team. Romans 12:4-8 points out that every Christian has a different calling. So we don’t need to compare our talents to someone else’s. God only wants us to use the talents He has given us, not the ones He gave someone else. Instead of comparing ourselves to fellow believers, God invites us to use our different abilities to work as a team so that, together, we can show the world the love of Jesus. And all this is possible because Jesus died and rose again to save us, uniting us to God and placing us in community with each other. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit. And because we all have the same Spirit, we can work together in unity toward the same goal: sharing the good news with the world. From time to time, we’ll all have moments when we feel like we’re just not good enough at something. When we see someone else excelling in things like sports, music, or academics, it’s easy to wish we could be like that person. But instead of wasting our time comparing our talents, we can focus on the gifts and abilities God has given us. We can steward our own unique abilities as part of God’s team of believers, pointing others to Jesus. • A. W. Smith • When are you tempted to compare yourself to others? Which talents are you most tempted to be jealous of? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about these things and tell Him how you feel. Then take a moment to consider the spiritual gifts and natural abilities He has given you, and spend some time thanking Him for these good gifts. • Where can you use your gifts and talents on Jesus’s team? If you’re not sure, who is a trusted Christian you can talk to about it, such as a pastor, parent, youth leader, or friend? Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 1:12-13; ROMANS 8:15-30; 1 JOHN 3:1-5 I look in the mirror and meet my gaze. Who am I? I can study my looks and see bits and pieces of my parents, and similarities to my siblings. I can remember my ancestors and where they came from and know that they are the reason I look the way I do. But beyond the way I look, beyond what I see in the mirror, who am I? I am God’s child. That thought brings comfort. It gives peace. No matter who my looks remind me of, no matter my family or ancestry or anything else about me, the truth is that I am God’s child. And that matters more than anything else. I am God’s child, and I want to live like it. I want to live for Him. When others see me, I want them to know who I am. I want to shine the light of Jesus. I want to show the world who He is. I want to glance in the mirror and not just see myself, but see God working in me. I am God’s child. I am so loved by Him. And therefore, I’m free to love Him back—and free to live for Him. • Bethany Acker • Throughout our lives, we all wonder, “Who am I?” There may be times when this question feels more difficult to answer. We may look to our families or ancestry—or perhaps to our appearance, abilities, or accomplishments—to try to discover who we are. But any answer to the question of identity will always be incomplete without Jesus. While our families and ancestry are certainly important, they are not the most central part of who we are. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have been adopted into God’s family as His dearly loved child—and nothing can shake that. (You can find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) How could it be comforting and empowering to know that, above all else, you are God’s child? • In Ephesians 5:1, we are called to imitate Jesus like a small child imitates their loving parent. According to verses 2-20, what does this look like practically? See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 12:13-48; 1 TIMOTHY 6:3-21 Greed is a treacherous sin. But, because Jesus died on the cross for us and rose from the grave, we can be free from the power of every sin, including greed. As people who’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have His Holy Spirit living in us, so we have the power to reject greed—and not only reject it, but replace it. What do we replace it with? Hope: Instead of setting our hearts on money and other created things, which will pass away, we can put our hope in God, seeking His kingdom and trusting Him to provide for all our needs. When we rely on God, we are free to follow Him wherever He may lead. After all, our eternal future is secure—nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus (Romans 8:35-39). So we don’t have to give way to fear. We have an eternal hope that will never fade (1 Peter 1). Contentment: Instead of always trying to get just a little bit more for ourselves, which leaves us feeling exhausted and anxious, we can choose to be content with what we have. We can thank God for the many ways He has provided for us. We can rest in His love and enjoy His good gifts—both the material ones and the immaterial ones, like laughter, friendship, and sunshine. Generosity: Instead of clinging to the things we own, which is driven by the fear that our needs will not be met, we can open our eyes to the needs of the people around us. God has been so generous to us—Jesus gave up His very life to save us from sin and death, and now God calls us His dear children and lavishes us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3; Romans 8:15-18, 32; 1 John 3:1)! When we realize how much we are loved, and how much we’ve been given, that love overflows from us in acts of service and generosity to others. And whenever we notice greed lurking in our hearts, we can bring it directly to Jesus. As we continue to confess greed, turning away from it and back toward Him, we can choose daily to hope in Jesus, to be content with what God has given us, and to give generously to others, always remembering how dearly we are loved by God. • Hannah Howe • Which of the three “instead” options sticks out to you most: hoping in Jesus instead of setting our hearts on created things, being content and thanking God for what we have instead of trying to get more and more, or giving generously to others instead of clinging to what we have? What is one way you could practice this today? Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 6:19-34; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-20 I am guilty of greed. It’s one of those sins that seems to keep popping up in my life, sometimes in the same old ways, sometimes in new and surprising ways. But I’m thankful that God keeps pointing out this sin to me as I read His Word. It’s uncomfortable, and sometimes downright appalling, to realize how guilty I really am. But God’s correction also gives me hope—I know it’s because of mercy that He sheds light on our sins (Ephesians 5:12-13). He wants us to repent, to turn away from sin and back toward Him, so He can lavish us with forgiveness and help us live the good life He has called us to. Greed seems like a complicated thing, but in English the Merriam-Webster Dictionary only has one definition for greed: “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed.” That definition gives me pause. How often do I crave more of something than I really need? More time, more food, more things and stuff, and yes, more money. The frightening thing is, our greed hurts our neighbors. When we are only focused on ourselves, we neglect the needs of others, and even oppress them by our selfishness. So what do we do when, by God’s mercy, we recognize greed in our lives? We turn to Jesus. When He suffered the cross, He took all our sin upon Himself—including greed. And when He rose from the grave, He declared that all who trust in Him are dead to sin and alive in Him. That means we are forgiven, and we have been freed from the power of sin. The Holy Spirit reminds us that we have everything we need in Jesus, so we don’t need to chase after created things. What a relief! Greed is a cruel master, always demanding more, but Jesus has set us free. He is a kind and gentle shepherd. And in His love, we find rest. • Hannah Howe • In what ways have you been guilty of greed? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this, confessing your greed, resting in His forgiveness, and pondering how He may be inviting you to rely on Him and move forward into the good life He has called you to. • What questions do you have about money and greed? Who are trusted Christians in your life who you can have open and honest conversations with about these things? • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 23; Matthew 11:28-30; John 10. Then he [Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:15 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 19:1-4; 148:1-14 Have you ever looked around at nature and just felt in awe of how beautiful God’s creation is? God made a wonderful world, and He invites us to enjoy it with Him—from sunsets to ocean waves. Sometimes we’re so moved by the beauty around us, we can’t find the words to express how we feel. God made everything that exists, and He made it all good. Though creation has been deeply affected by sin, and we experience brokenness in so many ways, we still encounter many reminders of His beauty, His love, and His power in the world around us. God has no sin. While some of the beauty in creation is marred by sin, God’s beauty is not. His majesty and power are perfect. And He gives reminders of that in creation—all of it praises Him. We are in awe—and maybe a little fear as well—of something like a thunderstorm or a strong wind. But God is the one in control of it all. He’s showing us His power whenever there’s a storm, whenever the wind blows. Creation can leave us awestruck. Just imagine the awe we will feel when we see Jesus in all His glory! Everything was created through Jesus, and when He returns, it will be infinitely better than anything we’ve ever felt on this earth. Until that day, whenever we experience awe or wonder in nature, we can remember who creation is praising—and lift up our own praise to the Creator. • Haley Walts • What in nature leaves you awestruck? Consider taking a moment to remember this feeling of awe, and let it overflow in praise to God. • Because Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave to give us new life, we have the sure hope of His return—when He will restore the heavens and the earth, and He will raise His people from the dead to live with Him forever! Then, creation will no longer be marred by sin, and everything will be as our Creator intended. If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 11:6-10; Romans 8:19-22; Colossians 1:16-20. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Psalm 148:3 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 15:1-17 Have you ever seen someone prune a tree or another plant—or done some pruning yourself? Pruning involves cutting off part of a plant so there can be new growth. As a gardener clips, cuts, or saws off branches, sometimes it looks like they’re trying to harm the plant rather than help it. But pruning is an important part of helping trees and other plants grow and flourish. For example, if you strategically cut a few branches off a fruit tree, the tree will put more energy into creating fruit, making the fruit plentiful and better tasting. If you cut a stem off a basil plant in the right spot, two more stems will grow in its place, producing more basil. And if you lop off the top of a bush, it won’t just grow taller, it will also fill in more foliage near the ground. Just as a skillful gardener knows when and how to prune, God also prunes us. In John 15, Jesus says He is the vine, we are the branches, and the Father prunes us. Sometimes God cuts things out of our lives to help us grow the way we’re meant to. He may remove an idol—something we had been putting our trust in rather than Jesus, such as wealth, strength, success, or the approval of others—so we can learn to rely on Him for all our needs. Or maybe He’ll allow a favorite activity to be canceled so we’ll have time to hang out with someone who needs a friend. Or He may even allow the loss of a relationship that was hindering our spiritual growth. Pruning may be painful at times, but God does it because He loves us. Jesus died and rose again to save us and graft us into His family tree (Romans 11:17-24). Pruning is one of the ways God cares for us. He is helping us learn to trust Him more, and He is transforming us to become more and more like Jesus. Whenever God prunes something in our lives, we can be sure new growth will flourish in its place. As we look to Jesus, the one who laid down His life for us, we can trust Him to use times of pruning to help us grow in our faith and show His love to others. • A. W. Smith • In John 15, Jesus says He is the vine, and we are the branches. He calls us to remain, or abide, in Him. What might it look like to press in to relationship with Jesus during times of pruning? • Have you experienced a loss recently? Not all losses are pruning—some are simply the result of living in a world that has been broken by sin. Consider spending some time talking with Jesus and trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern whether this loss is a work of pruning, or if it’s something else. Also remember that it’s good to lament and tell God how painful a loss is, regardless of why the loss happened. He is always eager to comfort and help us. “He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.” John 15:2 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 51:7; ISAIAH 1:18; EPHESIANS 2:1-9; REVELATION 19:6-9 I squinted up at the castle as I waited for admittance to the feast. The King had to test all who came through, to see if they were worthy of acceptance. I was sure that I could get in; I hadn’t done many bad things in my life. I’d never murdered anyone. In fact, I’d done quite a lot of good things. I’d also saved up for a new outfit, one that was much better than my old work clothes. Surely the King would let me pass. I smoothed the front of my shirt. It was white, beautiful, and expensive. It’d cost me almost a year’s wages. As the line moved, I watched up ahead. The King—the King himself—stood at the entrance, and as one man stepped forward, the King bent down and said something to him. The man said something back, and the King shook His head. The man was dragged away. My heart began to pound as my turn approached. I was good enough…wasn’t I? My clothes, all my work—surely they had to amount to something. But I knew, even as I stepped forward for my turn, that it was hopeless. I realized now that it wasn’t enough. My clothes looked like dirty rags next to the King’s. And my good works weren’t enough to cover the bad things I had done, no matter how small I’d thought they were before. I have disobeyed the law. I cannot pass the test. I knelt before the King, my hope draining away. I didn’t deserve admittance. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up into the face of the King. “You are not worthy,” He said gently, “But if you receive my gift, I will give you admission.” I blinked. “But—how can that be?” The King smiled gently. “I am worthy, and I paid the price for your acceptance. You must simply take the gift. Do you want it?” “Yes, I do, my King.” He pulled me to my feet, and I looked down. My robes were white as snow. With joy in my heart, I walked through the entrance. I was accepted. • Macy W. • Like in today’s allegorical story, we can never do enough to earn acceptance into God’s eternal kingdom. But God has made the way for us to be forgiven and live in close relationship with Him forever through Jesus’s death and resurrection. Yet, even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we sin every day. And every day, our acceptance is based on Jesus’s worthiness, not our own. How does this truth reveal Jesus’s patient, faithful love? (If you want to know more, see our "Know Jesus" page.) All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 15 Have you ever wondered why Jesus often spoke in parables? Parables are short, metaphorical stories that point to a deeper truth. They illustrate what Jesus was teaching, and they can also make biblical truths easier for us to understand. It’s kind of like the difference between eating a lime and eating a slice of key lime pie. On its own, a lime is very sour. It’s too much for most of our taste buds to handle. But key lime pie is different. We can still taste the lime, but it’s much sweeter. It’s suited for our taste buds so it’s not too intense and we can enjoy the flavor of the limes that were used to make it. A parable is kind of like a slice of key lime pie. It helps our human minds understand the truth of God’s Word. It’s suited to the way God created our brains to learn—we respond to stories. Jesus could have told us God’s truth in a more straightforward manner, and sometimes He did. But He knew that we often listen and learn better from parables. Isn’t it so wonderful that God chose to communicate with us in a way that we could understand? It shows how much He knows us, and how much He wants us to know Him. Even though we will never have all His teachings completely figured out, at least this side of eternity, He made sure we could understand His heart. His desire is for us to know how deeply He loves us, and then to love Him and love each other. • A. W. Smith • Jesus tells three parables in Luke 15, and they all show different facets of the same truth about God’s heart toward us—His love for us is so great that He seeks us out, and He always wants us to come to Him, even after we’ve really messed up. That’s why Jesus died on the cross for us and rose from the grave—to rescue us from sin and bring us near to God. (You can find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) Which of these three parables resonates with you most today? Why? • Parables often invite us to examine the same truth from multiple angles. Consider reading Luke 15:11-31 three times—once from the perspective of the younger son, once from the perspective of the older son, and once from the perspective of the father. What differences and similarities do you notice? • Some parables are harder to understand than others, and Jesus even said that some people wouldn’t understand His parables (Matthew 13:10-17). What questions do you have about parables? Who are trusted Christians you could ask? If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 13. With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. Mark 4:33 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 51; EZEKIEL 36:16–37:14; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 Remove from me this heart of stone I know I’m more than these dry bones Create in me a heart that’s clean A steadfast spirit willing Restore your joy unto me Morning mercies covering Rebuild the rubble heaped around A garden where new life is found You alone can make me live Mending fast with breath and skin Hope once dead revived again Cleanse me from this guilt and sin A broken heart you won’t despise I’m made righteous in your eyes By the blood of Jesus shed for me Now I’m yours eternally • Savannah Coleman • God called Ezekiel to be a prophet to the Israelites. Even though they were constantly faithless to God, God remained faithful to them (2 Timothy 2:13). In His holiness, God judged their unholiness and idolatry. Yet He was always willing to draw them back to His heart, no matter how much they rebelled. He promised to give them a new heart and spirit, removing their hearts of stone and giving them hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). And this promise is also for us today! Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He cleanses us from our sin (Psalm 51:2, 7). And He gives us His Holy Spirit, who enables us to love God, love others, and follow God’s good ways. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, it’s true that you’ll still struggle with sin until Jesus returns. But it’s also true that all your sins are forgiven, and you have a new heart! (If you want to know more about trusting in Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.) How have you seen the Holy Spirit at work in your life? • In Psalm 51, David pours out his heart in repentance to the Lord because of his sins of adultery and murder. He knew that he had sinned greatly, but God’s mercy was even greater. Consider taking some time to bring God any sins that come to mind, following David’s example in Psalm 51. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 121; MATTHEW 11:28-30; 28:20 During the coldest days of winter, it’s almost difficult to remember what summer is like—how we can go outside in just T-shirts and shorts, and still feel too warm. The sun beating down on us in the summertime makes us long for pools and ice cream and all sorts of things that cool us down, while in winter we’re usually trying to find ways to warm up. On the coldest days of winter, we might get frustrated. It can feel like this time is lasting forever and a nice summer day will never come. But it will come again. It always does. And in the same way, when we go through difficult times in life, we don’t have to worry that life will never be good again. Things will turn around. They always do. God has created many seasons for us, not just winter and summer, but seasons in life as well. Sometimes the world around us feels cold, and sometimes it feels bright and warm. But we can trust Jesus to guide us through all of life’s seasons, and keep us right where we need to be. • Bethany Acker • When life feels cold, do you get nervous that it will never be warm again? We all have this fear from time to time, but the truth is, no struggle will last forever. And in every season, Jesus is with us. He sees all the hard things we go through, and He has not abandoned us. In fact, it was because of God’s great love for us that Jesus came and lived among us, died on the cross, and rose from the grave. So now, if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to the day He will return and make all things new. Then all our sadness and frustration will be gone forever (Revelation 21:1-5). In the meantime, we can rely on Him to provide warmth on cold days and refreshment on hot days—and to use every season to help us become more and more like Him (Romans 8:28-29). How can these truths help us weather the difficult seasons of life? • Can you think of any ways God has helped you in hard seasons before? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. • One of the primary ways God helps His people, is through His people. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can rejoice with you, mourn with you, pray with you, and remind you of God’s never-ending love? And how can you be this kind of friend to others? (Romans 12:15) The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8 (NIV)

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:8; JAMES 3:3-18 Have you ever seen a place that’s been destroyed by a forest fire? Forest fires can cause miles of destruction, leaving nothing but the charred remains of trees in their wake. And all this damage can be caused by something as small as an unattended campfire. When the weather is dry, just one stray spark can create a fire that quickly burns out of control. Did you know the Bible calls the tongue a fire? James 3:6 literally says, “the tongue is a flame of fire.” The things we say can have the same effect as an unattended campfire. Our words can destroy friendships and damage lives. Whether in person or online, we can hurt people’s feelings and their reputations—especially when we gossip. Sometimes we may think it’s okay to say unkind things about other people if those unkind things are true. And while, yes, sometimes there may be a good reason to tell someone, it’s important to think about our intention in doing so. Are we repeating certain information because we want to help that person—or hurt them? Are we trying to process something hurtful with a safe person, or report a dangerous situation to a trusted adult—or are we repeating unkind information to make ourselves look good or feel interesting and important? Like a tiny spark, a small bit of gossip can spread and cause a lot of harm. But once we know Jesus, having a fiery tongue doesn’t fit who we are anymore. Jesus saved us and filled us with His love so we can build others up with our words like He does, not burn them down. Instead of starting fires and spreading gossip, Jesus calls us to use our words to point to His love. Proverbs 26:20 reminds us that fires keep going as long as there is wood to burn, and gossip continues as long as there are people willing to repeat it—and as long as there are others willing to listen. God doesn’t want us to take part in repeating or listening to gossip. Instead, we can rest securely in Jesus, knowing that He loves us. We don’t need to gossip to be worthy of love and attention. We can find everything we need in Jesus. • A. W. Smith • Can you think of a time you participated in gossip? It’s an easy sin to fall into. Consider spending some time with Jesus, confessing any sins that come to mind and asking Him to help you move forward in love. You can rest in His complete, total forgiveness. Then, consider if there are any ways you can bring healing to anyone who may have been hurt by your words. • When you hear something that you think might be harmful or dangerous, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it? Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. Proverbs 26:20 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 26:3-4; MATTHEW 28:20; ROMANS 8:35-39 My husband lies in his hospital bed, asleep. He is recovering from open heart surgery. He needed a new valve, but first they had to break into the rib cage that protects his heart. My husband wasn’t too excited about that part. But he knew that if he wanted his heart to work better, he’d have to face the thing he dreaded. So, he did. But first he talked with a young friend of ours who was born with valve disease. She has faced this same surgery—twice. Our friend’s life is marked with a beautiful trust in God. She knows that her Father will meet her in the hard and scary places. And she trusts Him for every day she is alive. When my husband shared his reluctance to face open heart surgery, she was a fountain of encouragement. She said, “Oh, you’ll be asleep for that part!” He pondered her words, and he realized how utterly safe he’d be in the Savior’s nail-scarred hands, even as they picked up the saw and did what needed to be done. There was no need to worry. When we are consumed by worry about a hard thing ahead, our suffering just gets worse! It’s better by far to trust our lives to the One who holds us in His hands of loving kindness. Turns out our friend was right. While my husband was blissfully asleep, the surgeon did the work. Likewise, when we didn’t know anything, while we were yet unborn, Christ died for us. We didn’t have to face the punishment that sinners deserve. He did the work for us. Jesus went before us and provided the way for a relationship with Him! And relationship with God is everything. It’s the way we face hard, scary times. Hand in hand, with Him, into the darkness, and into the day. We can trust Him with everything. • Kristen Merrill • Is there something that you are dreading, just around the corner? You don’t have to be afraid to turn that corner. Remember that our mighty and loving God is right by your side! Consider taking some time to talk to Him about whatever is ahead of you. • Do you have any favorite Bible verses or passages that you can take with you as you walk forward? Consider choosing one to memorize. It will serve you well, your whole life through. • Because Jesus died and rose again, we can be forgiven and brought near to God. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that nothing can separate us from His love, and we can look forward to spending eternity with Him in renewed creation. For more about this good news, see page our "Know Jesus" page. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 90; 98; GALATIANS 6:14 Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is considered the father of English hymn-writing. Today, many of his hymns are sung, known, and loved. But that wasn’t always the case. In fact, while he was alive, Isaac Watts was considered by some to be a disturber and perhaps even a heretic! Isaac Watts became frustrated with the singing in his church. The church he attended used the Psalms as their worship songs, but Watts believed that the congregation wasn’t fully understanding and appreciating what they were singing. So, he was challenged by his father to give them something different to sing. That’s exactly what he did. A lot of his hymns were written based on specific Scriptures, and he also adapted the psalms of David to be sung by congregations in his book The Psalms of David, Imitated. “Joy to the World” was based on Psalm 98. “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” was based on Galatians 6:14. “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past” was based on Psalm 90. Isaac Watts loved to dwell on the gospel and weave its truth into his songs. He once said, “Where [the psalmist] speaks of the pardon of sin through the mercies of God, I have added the merits of a Savior. Where he talks of sacrificing goats or bulls, I rather choose to mention the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God…And I am fully satisfied that more honor is done to our blessed Savior by speaking his Name, his graces, and actions in his own language, according to the brighter discoveries he has now made, than by going back again to the Jewish forms of worship, and the language of types and figures.” Many were outraged that Watts seemed to be rewriting Scripture, but he wanted people to not just speak words by rote memory, but to fully understand and be inspired by the words of God. He desired for others to be moved by the Spirit of God while worshipping and praising. He decided that the spiritual growth and encouragement of the congregants was more important than the opinions of the naysayers. And because of that decision, generations of Christians have gained a deeper understanding of God’s love through Isaac Watts’s music. • Stephanie Mathews • Sometimes we need help grasping the language and imagery of Scripture, much like reading different Bible translations. When have you heard Scripture summarized or paraphrased in a way that struck you, whether in a song or somewhere else? What was that like? Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 136:1-9; ISAIAH 40:26-31; COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 Twinkle, twinkle, little star High above, so very far One of trillions, each in place In the vast expanse of space Yet they can’t start to compare With the God who put them there Who formed planets with a word And on each a name conferred A God all powerful and wise Yet on humankind He rests His eyes Infinite, eternal, but not far away He’s with us every single day The hands that formed the galaxies Made each and every part of me And now those same hands bear the scars That prove He loves my broken heart The voice that said, “Let there be light.” Whispers in my darkest night Twinkle, twinkle, little star Thank you, God, for who you are. • Faith Lewis • Have you ever thought about the fact that the same hands that made the stars were nailed to the cross for you? How does it feel to know that God, the one who said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), and created the entire universe, loves you so much that the Father sent His only Son Jesus to die and rise again so you could have a relationship with Him? If you want to know more about this amazing gift, check out our "Know Jesus" page. And if you want to dig deeper, read John 1:1-14; 20:24-31. • When we think about God’s power, it’s easy to feel like He’s unapproachable. God is worthy of all our respect and worship, but He is also personal, and He wants to be in a close relationship with us. Because He is all-knowing and all-powerful, He is never too busy for you. He is close when you’re happy and when you’re sad, and He cares about everything that’s going on in your life. Consider taking a moment to talk to God about whatever comes to mind—the good, the bad, the confusing, and the wonderful. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 26:26-46; 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26 A layer of white lace covered my new pink and white dress. At twelve years old, I’d been anticipating this evening for a long time. It was the Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter) when I would join church and be served my first Communion. Joining the rest of the confirmation class, I stood in the front of the sanctuary facing the congregation. One by one, our minister handed us a Bible. Opening mine, I smiled when I saw what was written inside. I knew the handwriting well. Our minister was also my father. Five times each year, I had watched Dad preside over the serving of Communion. Each time, I was struck by his profound reverence as he approached the bread and wine. Without fail, I felt as if I was witnessing a holy moment and a visit to the upper room, where Jesus served the very first Communion to His disciples and where He gave them a large part of His earthly teaching. Dad would review some of this teaching, then take us to the Garden of Gethsemane. In the garden, God the Son prepared for the cross by surrendering His will to the will of God the Father. However, His anguish was so great, “his sweat was like drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Blood that soon would be given for me. Sacrificed blood that Communion represented. Tonight, I would no longer watch as my father led others to these holy places. From now on, I would be part of it. • Kathy Irey • Have you ever contemplated the full meaning of Communion? What a privilege it is to participate in this sacrament, remembering Christ’s great sacrifice for each of us who have put our trust in Him! • Different churches and denominations practice Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist) in different ways. Some churches have Communion every week, others a few times a year. Some churches invite believers to take Communion from a very young age, and others require members to complete a class or give a profession of faith or be baptized before they can take Communion. How does your church practice Communion? Why is that? If you’re not sure, consider asking a pastor, youth leader, parent, or elder at your church. • Next time you are served Communion, imagine you are in the upper room and Jesus Himself is serving you the bread and the wine (or juice). How might this image deepen your experience? For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 5:16; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-18; 1 JOHN 3:1 Next time you see a full moon, try this: Grab a small coin, and go outside. Then, hold it out in front of you, close one eye, and see if you can cover the moon with the coin. Isn’t it strange that you can completely block out something as big, beautiful, and bright as a full moon with one small coin? Sometimes, little things can block out much bigger things. For example, we can get stuck focusing on only the small things that bother us, so much so that we can’t even see the big, beautiful blessings God has given us. Every day we experience little rough spots, whether at home, school, work, church, etc. It’s easy to fixate on these things and grumble, even to the point we don’t realize how our demeanor is affecting those around us. While God cares about every detail in our lives, and He wants us to tell Him about the things that annoy or disappoint us, we run into a problem when we let these things eclipse the immense goodness God has filled our lives with. He calls us to acknowledge the blessings He has lavished on us, including the biggest and brightest blessing of all—eternal life with Jesus. Why is it so important to acknowledge and thank God for these blessings? Well, when we do, we’re less likely to let the little things get in the way of recognizing God’s presence in our lives and reflecting His love to others. When we dwell on God’s goodness, it transforms us from the inside out, helping us know God’s love better—and share it with others more readily. If we know Jesus, we don’t have to let small disappointments get in the way of seeing His goodness and sharing His love with the people around us. Through faith, He has filled us with the light of His love, and we can shine out for others to see. When little things make us angry or disappointed, we can share our feelings with Jesus. Then focus again on the big, bright blessings He’s given us. • A. W. Smith • What disappointments or annoyances are getting in the way of seeing God’s goodness in your life right now? Consider spending some time naming these things and telling Jesus about them. • What blessings have you seen in your life lately? Consider writing these down and thanking God for them! Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34; MARK 14:32-36; 1 PETER 5:6-7 "I need this recommendation to submit this application,” I told my parents. “And I need to submit this application now because the program might run out of spots.” “Hey, have you considered that you might be anxious?” my mom asked me. “This seems like something you don’t have control over.” “No, no, I’m just considering all the options,” I said. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was indeed experiencing anxiety. The next day, new worries crept up. Cars! I don’t own a car, but how will I ever become a confident driver on unfamiliar Midwest roads? I thought. How will I afford a car in the first place, for that matter, not to mention gas and repairs and everything that comes with it? Anxiety. Oops. What does God’s Word say about anxiety? Well, for starters, 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” First, I realized that I needed to humble myself. I needed to realize that God has control, not me. Sometimes I think I would like to have control, but when I think about it more, control is something better left in God’s hands (Isaiah 55:8-9). He is my King, and He knows what He’s doing. Second, when we know that God has control, we can cast our anxieties on Him. We can throw out our worries like old crutches we don’t need anymore. Third, God cares for us. We can cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us. In Matthew 6, Jesus said that our heavenly Father already knows all our needs before we ask Him. He knows we can’t do everything ourselves, and He wants to help us. The truth is, there are many things in life we don’t have control over. But even in our powerlessness, God holds our future. Our hope is in Christ. Though He is God the Son, Jesus Christ completely gave up control to follow God the Father’s will, even to the point of death. Out of love, He gave up His life for us. Then, He was raised from the dead, making the way for us to live with God forever. One day Jesus will return and put an end to everything that is worrisome. Until that day, we’ll all experience anxiety from time to time, but Jesus will continue to hold us securely in His love (Romans 8:35-39). Maybe, just maybe, we can give our worries to Him. • Eliana Duran • What kinds of worries do you find hardest to give to God? • God loves us so much that Jesus endured terrible anxiety before He went to the cross for us (Matthew 26:36-39; Mark 14:32-36; Luke 22:39-45). When we experience anxiety, how could remembering that Jesus knows what anxiety feels like make it easier for us to come to Him? • There is no formula for how to cast our anxiety on God, but a good place to start is by simply talking to Him. We can be totally honest about all the things that worry us, we can tell Him about the anxiety we experience, and we can ask for His help. Remember, God doesn’t scold us for feeling anxious. Instead, He has compassion on us. Consider taking some time to talk to God about whatever is on your mind today. • Sometimes, we experience thoughts and feelings that are too much for us to handle on our own, even by praying and reading the Bible. But God wants to help us in lots of ways, including through other people, such as medical and mental health professionals who can help us figure out if what we are experiencing is worry, anxiety, or something else. If you find yourself feeling afraid, stressed, or worried a lot of the time, or if your thoughts keep going to dark places or “what if” scenarios and you can’t seem to stop, who is a trusted adult you could talk...

READ: GENESIS 1:26-30; PSALM 8 If you’ve grown up in church, you’ve probably heard the account of creation in Genesis 1 and 2. You know that God formed humanity out of the dust of the earth. But you may have been confused about the part where God created us in His own image. What does that mean? It’s true that we are not all-knowing or all-powerful like God. It’s true that we are not holy like God. But we are set apart and made differently from the rest of creation. Just because God designed us with some similarities to the animals (such as hair and bone structures) doesn’t mean we are just another animal. Being created in the image of God means we can have a relationship with the Almighty God that no animal can have. And even though humans rejected that relationship, Jesus became human, died on the cross, and rose again to make the way for us to be with Him again. It also means we share certain attributes with God, like emotions, intellect, and morality. God shows emotions like anger, sadness, kindness, frustration, and compassion—and we do too, because we are made in His image. In fact, part of what being made in God’s image means is that we are His representatives on the earth, charged with caring for and ruling over all that He has made. God is creative in His creation. From His beautiful lilies to His colorful cardinals, God’s handiwork is awesome. Because you are made in the image of God, you too have the capacity and calling to create. Can you speak matter into being like God can? No. But you can learn to draw, or build, or write, or make music, or dance, or garden, or develop mathematical equations, or use your innate creativity in any number of ways. God has given every person the ability to be creative. You can create things that rocks and plants and animals cannot. You were made in the image of God. And you are the most cherished of His creation. • Doug Velting • Being made in God’s image means we hold a special place in His heart. In fact, He loves us so much that Jesus came to die and rise again so we could be forgiven and live with Him forever. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that when He renews creation, we will reign with Him and joyfully express our creativity in ways we can’t even imagine yet! How might God’s love affect the way we live, and the way we use the creativity He has given us, here and now? • What are some ways you like to be creative? How could you make time for that this week? So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:9; 12:1–13:7 I held my breath and gently pressed my foot to the gas, driving up the icy road. Was my job worth dying for on my two-minute commute? I was needed at the Fire Department. Every January our firefighters select their vacation days for the year. This being my first year as a secretary, Chief gave me the job of keeping track of the days. The problem was, we were in the middle of a record ice storm. The station was insane. Upon my arrival, I learned that the guys had gone on sixty calls the shift before. Branches were falling. Power lines were down, “Arching and sparking,” as the firefighters said. Chaos. Between calls, we went through vacation picks. Toward the end of the day, a woman dropped off a bag of snacks from a local business, thanking the first responders for their service. As we dug through the bag, one of the firefighters offered me some snacks. “No, those are for you guys,” I said, shaking my head. “No,” he insisted. “You’re part of the team now.” In addition to food, there were also these big pins—too goofy to actually wear. He gave one to me. It read, I Am Valuable. I’m just the secretary. I don’t save lives. I don’t respond to 911 calls. But that day, the fireman reminded me that I’m still a valuable part of the station. I help things run smoothly in the office so the guys can serve well. We need everyone to do their part. In the same way, Paul writes to the church in Corinth that we are all needed (1 Corinthians 12:20, 27). As Christians, we each have different spiritual gifts that help propel the gospel forward. God calls all of us, together, to share the good news of Jesus’s death and resurrection. But, to neglect the gifts the Spirit gives us inevitably leaves a hole in our communities (1 Corinthians 12:17; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6). So let’s use our gifts to love and serve each other as Jesus loves and serves us, remembering that we are each a valuable part of the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10). • Natty Maelle • Do you ever feel like you’re not valuable in the body of Christ? Consider taking a moment to bring your hurts to Jesus in prayer. Then read 1 Corinthians 12 and ask Him to help you see yourself as He sees you. You can also ask trusted Christians to help you discover your gifts. • Have you ever seen someone else using their gifts well to serve God’s people? Have you told that person you notice and appreciate what they do? Remember, we all need encouragement! Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 28:13; ROMANS 7:21–8:2; 1 JOHN 1:5–2:2 My friend and I share a community garden plot at our church. But in the middle of the summer, there was a week when neither of us was able to take care of it, so the garden ended up being a bit neglected. And the weeds were absolutely thrilled. So, I got to work. The first weeds I saw were in between the rows of tomatoes and kale. I pulled them up easily, and I thought I was mostly done. Then, I saw more weeds lurking in the dirt, cloaked by tomato leaves right at the base of the plants. If I’d just pulled the obvious weeds and moved on, the garden would’ve looked well-tended and fruitful…for a while. But those hidden weeds would’ve stolen nutrients from the tomato plants, hindering their growth and resulting in fewer tomatoes. So I reached under the tomato leaves and pulled up the weeds. This whole process reminded me of dealing with sin in our lives. The obvious sins, like the weeds in between the rows of veggies in my garden, are quickly spotted and dealt with—if we’re paying attention. We can usually notice them right away and bring them straight to Jesus, receiving His forgiveness and restoration. But there are other sins—hidden, sneaky sins—that try to attack the most fruitful parts of our lives. Like the weeds that lurk in the shadows, they hinder our growth and steal our fruit. We might be doing things that look very good, like volunteering at church, helping our neighbors, and working hard at school. But those fruitful places can be where Satan would most like to attack, sowing seeds of pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness. We can easily be tempted to put our identity in our good works rather than in Christ. But praise the Lord, He is so good at helping us root out these hidden sins. Jesus died and rose again to forgive us, save us from sin, and bring us near to Himself. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are new creations, so those weeds have no place in our lives (2 Corinthians 5:17). He loves us so much, and He will faithfully tend to our hearts and show us where sins need to be pulled out. He is eager to help us be rid of them so we can flourish and thrive, resting in Him and doing the good works He has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). • Taylor Eising • Have you noticed any sin hiding under good works in your life? Consider spending some time talking with Jesus, asking Him to reveal any hidden sins and confessing whatever sins come to mind. Then, thank Him for His forgiveness and walk forward in His mercy and grace. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! Ephesians 5:8 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 33:12-20; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-6; 1 PETER 2:9-17 Do you pray for your country? No matter where you live, your nation needs prayer. We don’t need to pray for our country to be the best in the world, but we can pray that God will guide and bless our leaders so they can make wise, God-honoring decisions. The Bible teaches that nations do not rise or fall because of their own strength. It says safety comes from the Lord. So, even as we acknowledge and appreciate the ways God has blessed our country, we can also recognize that it’s full of sin and problems, just like every other nation in this broken world. Regardless of where we are from, God calls us to pray that both our leaders and our fellow citizens will put their trust in Jesus. Only Jesus can bring hope to our sin-stained world. Only He can save us from sin. He let Himself be put to death at the hands of an unjust empire, and then rose again so we could become part of His holy nation. And one day He’ll return to rule the whole world! On that day He will put an end to sin, and He will heal all the brokenness sin has caused. Nations rise and fall, but Jesus reigns forever. The only way any of us can truly have peace is by trusting in Him. Once we do, we are part of His nation—citizens of His kingdom who will spend eternity with Him. So let’s pray that people in our country—and in every nation of the world—will turn to Jesus and trust Him as their Savior. • A. W. Smith • How can knowing that every nation is temporary affect the way we view our home countries? • Where do you see God’s blessings in your nation? What sin and brokenness do you see? • Consider spending some time praying for your country. Pray that the leaders of your nation will turn to Jesus and seek His guidance in making decisions. Pray that the people in your country will trust in Jesus and follow His leading in their lives. Pray that God’s children of every tribe and nation will shine His light so the whole world can see it. And ask God to help you see how He is bringing healing to broken places in your nation, and how He might be inviting you to be part of His restoring work. • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 46:1-11; 127:1; 146:1-10; Matthew 5:43-45; Acts 17:26; Philippians 3:20; Revelation 3:12; 7:9; 11:15; 21:1-5. We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 139 I was tiny When You created me But already then You made great plans that would come to be You saw me when I was dust Loved me already then Called me Your child Know where I have ever been I was so small No one else knew I existed But You had a book My days, You had written From the tiny, small babe Whom You looked on and smiled To who I am today I have always been Your precious child • Bethany Acker • Isn’t it amazing to know that God created you? Before you were born, before your mom even knew she was pregnant, God saw you. And He had good plans for your life. Consider taking a moment just to think about that. How does it make you feel? • Not only did God create you, but His love for you compelled Him to make the way for you to be in close relationship with Him through Jesus’s death and resurrection. If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page. For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139:13-16 (WEB)

READ: JOHN 3:1-8; 13:33-35; 1 PETER 1:3, 23 Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized you look a lot like your family? We’ve all inherited traits from our parents, like hair color, freckles, or height. And whether we were adopted or born into a family, we may also have other family traits, like facial expressions, mannerisms, or the way we carry ourselves. Sometimes people share so many inherited traits and look so much alike that it’s obvious they’re related. And as Christians, we’re part of another family too—God’s family. When we put our trust in Jesus, the Bible says we were “born again” (John 3:1-8; 1 Peter 1:3, 23). We became God’s children. He freed us from sin, and through the Holy Spirit He put the characteristics that He Himself possesses into our hearts—traits like love, faithfulness, and patience, to name a few. When our lives reflect the character of Jesus, when what we say and what we do is motivated by His love, others can see that we’re God’s children. Of course, none of us will reflect Jesus’s character and love perfectly, at least until He returns. But we become more and more like Jesus as we grow in our faith. And as we develop the characteristics He’s given us and display them in our lives, it’s plain to see that we belong to Him. Isn’t it so amazing that we get to share a family resemblance with God? Jesus is the almighty, holy, transcendent King of the Universe. Yet He humbled Himself to die on a cross for us, and then be raised to life so we could become part of His family. He invites us to share His resemblance and carry His name. What an incredible gift. Once we belong to God’s family, His love overflows from us to the world around us. As we get to know Him better, He’ll help us grow to become more like Him. Our lives and the way we treat others can be a reflection of Jesus. Through us, people can see our heavenly Father’s love for them. And we can pray that they’ll want to become part of His family too. • A. W. Smith • Have you noticed any Christians in your life who bear a striking family resemblance to Jesus? What is it like to be around them? How do they live? • As we spend intentional time with God, we often find ourselves becoming more like Him. What are some ways you could spend intentional time with God this week through praying, reading or listening to His Word, and gathering with other believers? Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)

READ: JOSHUA 1:1-9; 3:7-17; 6:12-20; 23:1-11 Have you ever read the book of Joshua? It starts right after Moses dies and the Israelites are finished wandering the desert for forty years. They’re finally ready to enter the Promised Land—the land of Canaan, which God had promised to give them generations ago. The beginning of this book shows that, though Joshua is a new leader, he is like Moses was for the people of Israel. Joshua sends spies to scout out the Promised Land in Joshua 2, like Moses did in Numbers 13:2. And Joshua has the Israelites cross the Jordan River in Joshua 3, similar to how Moses had the people cross the Red Sea in Exodus 14. Once they’re in the Promised Land, the Israelites have several battles with the people who are already living there. One of their early battles is against Jericho, and God tells Israel to do a lot of marching and not much fighting. Then God destroys the city walls, and in this way Israel defeats Jericho. This actually shows how God is the one fighting these battles, not the Israelites. And through each battle, God is teaching them to trust Him and be obedient to His commands because He loves them, and He is working on their behalf. The latter part of the book of Joshua records how they divide up the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. This can seem like a long, boring list for us readers today, but for the Israelites, receiving this land was part of God’s promise to their forefather Abraham, and they got to see this portion of the promise come true (Genesis 12:7; 17:8). At the very end of the book, Joshua gives speeches—not unlike the speeches Moses gave at the end of Deuteronomy. Joshua calls the Israelites to a life of faithfulness and obedience to God. This life of faithfulness and the victories it produces point us toward Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God, and He is also a descendent of Abraham. Only Jesus could be completely obedient to God the Father, and through His sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the grave, He won the final victory over sin and death. And, just as the Israelites got to see a portion of God’s promise fulfilled when they received their land in Canaan, we’ll get to see how Jesus completely fulfills God’s promise of restoration for the whole earth (Hebrews 4:8-9; Revelation 21:1-5). • Naomi Zylstra • Where do you see God’s faithfulness in the book of Joshua? And what questions do you have? • Can you think of any ways you’ve seen God’s faithfulness in your own life? “But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.” Joshua 23:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:1-12; ISAIAH 65:24; ROMANS 8:26-37 Intense tears blocked my vision. My soul felt like dust. I was unable to stop shaking. My father was in the next room. He was lying in his casket. One look had sent me running. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. Dad could not be dead. Not my wonderful father. But he was. I was sixteen and my father was dead. I felt utterly hopeless. Utterly desolate. Utterly abandoned by God. “I’ll never survive this,” I told myself. “Never.” Wondering if anyone had ever survived such deep pain, I thought about my friend, Fred. Fred’s mother had died suddenly less than two weeks earlier. Only he understood my pain. I needed him. Instinct told me to pray even though I thought God had quit listening. Over and over, I asked the Lord to “please send Fred.” Minutes later, my arms were wrapped around Fred. God was still listening! He had answered my prayer! He still loved me! That was the moment I knew I would survive. Prayer. Countless words have been written and preached on the subject. It’s easy to make prayer sound complicated, but in my experience, prayer is pretty simple. It’s a conversation with God while remembering that He is Lord, and we are His servants. We ask, and we accept. Sometimes He provides what we want. He always provides what we need. When God sent Fred to that funeral home, it was what I needed. It wasn’t what I really wanted. I wanted my dad back, alive and well. Turns out, God’s decisions aren’t our decisions. I’ve wrestled with that one. A lot. But I can tell you God is always there. He is always listening. He never stops caring, and He will give you what you need. Keep the dialogue going. As 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Never stop praying.” • Kathy Irey • Have you ever been nearly swallowed up by grief and wondered if God was still listening to your prayers? There’s never a moment when God isn’t listening to us. There’s never a moment He doesn’t hear us. Jesus promises His presence with us always, and that presence often shows up in the comfort provided by friends who share our grief (Romans 12:15; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11). Can you think of a time God reminded you of His love and care for you? What was that like? “And be sure of this: I [Jesus] am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 16:24-25; MARK 4:18-20; PHILIPPIANS 2:12-18 We desire food, water, clothing, and shelter. We desire fulfilling relationships. Sometimes we desire knowledge, fame, or skill. Desire is a powerful thing. It is so deeply woven into the fabric of our being that it drives almost every facet of our lives. In the beginning, God created desire and placed it within us. But, as with every other good thing, Satan soon produced a counterfeit and cunningly sold it to humanity. Satan fooled Adam and Eve into believing the lie that God was holding out on them. So, instead of recognizing that our desires have boundaries established by God for our benefit, humans chose to cross those boundaries and go against God’s good ways. Their rebellion and rejection of God, also known as sin, broke God’s good world and subjected us to the power of sin. Now, instead of desiring the things of God, we selfishly lust after pleasure, power, and wealth (1 John 2:16). Let’s take a closer look at God’s original intent for desire, and how He wants us to use it. In Psalm 73:25, the psalmist says, “I desire you [God] more than anything on earth.” Twice in Proverbs, it is written that wisdom is to be desired above anything else, even precious stones (3:15, 8:11). In 1 Corinthians, Paul urges us to “earnestly desire” the most helpful spiritual gifts, and he does so twice (12:31; 14:1)! In Philippians 3:8, Paul says, “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” So how can our desires be restored to God’s original design? When we put our trust in Jesus, He gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). And His Holy Spirit lives in us, transforming our desires and helping us choose daily to delight ourselves in God and His Word—in intimately knowing the One who made us. All that this world has to offer pales in comparison to knowing Christ. And when our desires are aligned with His, He is delighted to grant them to us! • Anna M. Mast • When was the last time you delighted in God and His Word? God loves and delights in us. And the more we delight in who God is, the more our desires become aligned with His. What are some ways you can spend intentional time with God this week, both by yourself and with other Christians? Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 37:4 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 103:11-13; ISAIAH 57:14-21; EPHESIANS 2:13 Isaiah spoke what later became Isaiah 57:15 to the Israelites when they were held captive by the Babylonians. Before Isaiah spoke these words, God had warned the Israelites many times that He would not tolerate their lack of repentance and would punish them, but they continued to worship idols. So, God fulfilled His word and allowed the king of Babylon to capture them. The Israelites probably felt like there was no hope for them while they were in captivity. After all, they had repeatedly ignored God’s warnings. Surely there was no way God could forgive them now. But when they heard Isaiah’s message of forgiveness from God, it would’ve squashed that thought process. God said to His people, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15). God acknowledges the people’s sin and doesn’t sugarcoat His wrath against that sin. But He also assures them that forgiveness and peace are available as well—that though He lives in heaven, He also dwells with those who are humble and contrite. The Israelites were not doomed to be cast out of God’s presence forever. They were given a way to come back to Him. This message isn’t just for the Israelites. It’s for us too. We all mess up and ignore God’s warnings to turn away from sin and repent. When we finally realize what we’ve been doing, we may wonder if there’s any way we can have fellowship with God again. And the Bible shows us that yes, we absolutely can! Because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, we can be forgiven for our sins. God loves us, and once we put our trust in Jesus, all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. God sees our sinful ways, but He will guide us in the right path. He only asks that we repent and turn away from our sin and back toward Him. Sin doesn’t have to separate us from God forever. He extends forgiveness, grace, and healing. He promises to remove our sin and give us His righteousness. We don’t need to live under the burden of sin anymore. We can walk in freedom with Jesus. • Morgan A. Mitchell • Have you ever felt like you could never be forgiven? That is a lie from the pit of hell. Satan loves to convince us that we are unforgivable, and it’s easy to fall for his lies. But whenever we’re tempted to believe the lies, Jesus wants us to talk to Him about it. Do you have any favorite Scriptures that remind you of the truth? Who in your life can remind you of Jesus’s forgiveness? “I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners.” Isaiah 57:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 51:7; 103:8-12; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 The midnight bell tolled as Freya stood before the stone steps of the king’s library. She shut her eyes and for a moment she was just a child again, lying on the deck of her mother’s ship, black sails snapping above her in the wind. She saw her first dragon that day, silhouetted by the orange sun, his rider standing on his back, arms spread wide, laughing into the wind. I will be a rider, she promised herself then. Now, so many years later, only one final thing stood in her way. She stole up the steps and heaved open the heavy doors of the library, cringing as they creaked shut behind her. She darted through the maze of bookshelves to a spiral staircase at the far end. Climbing it soundlessly, she reached a stone door. Her hands shook as she picked the lock and slid into the room. There, on a carved marble table flooded with moonlight, was a huge book. Sweat trickled down her neck as she desperately rifled through the pages. Finally, she found what she was looking for: nineteen words scrawled on a single fragile page: Freya Stone, born in the year five hundred. Father: Unknown. Mother: Scia Stone, convicted Pirate of the Andorran Sea. She ripped the page free. Freya knew that on the day of her initiation as a rider, this record would be read before the king and his court. They would cover their mouths in shock and mutter among themselves, and all she had dreamed of and worked for would be stripped from her; for law commanded that the child of a pirate could never enter the king’s ranks. She lifted the page to the moonlight so she could read it one more time before destroying it. But as she lifted it, a voice spoke behind her. “You are the orphan girl,” the voice said, “the one training to be a rider.” She caught her breath and whipped around. A man stood in the doorway, cloaked in shadow. She backed up against the marble table, crumpling the page in her fist. “They tell me you have talent and determination, that you could be great,” the man said. “So why ruin your future with petty thievery?” “Let me leave,” she hissed. He blocked the only exit. “What’s in your hand?” he asked. She looked down at her clenched fist. When she did not show him, the man snapped his fingers—and the page vanished from her grasp, reappearing in his right hand. She wanted to run, to scream, to fight, but dread froze her limbs. The man summoned fire with his free hand and tilted his head down to examine the page. Freya’s blood turned cold, for the fire illuminated the man’s face: standing before her was the king himself. “I see,” he said, then looked up from the paper, directly into her eyes. “Do you truly wish to become a rider?” he asked. “More than anything,” she answered, her jaw clenched so hard it hurt. The king looked at her for a long time. “Then let it be so,” he said, snapping his fingers again. Fire leapt onto the torn page in his hand. It consumed the record till all that was left was white ash that fell to the floor like snow. “Now,” the king said, “welcome to my ranks, dragon rider.” • Margaret Bellers • Like Freya in today’s allegorical story, sometimes we can feel like we’re hiding or running from things in the past, even if those things weren’t our fault. The good news is that God sees and knows all that haunts us, but He does not define us by our past. Have you ever hidden parts of your life, afraid of how people would treat you or look at you if they knew who you truly were? • God knows who we are, what’s happened to us, and what we’ve done. But He never looks away from us in disappointment or shame. Instead, He looks at us with pride as beloved sons and daughters. How can...

READ: MATTHEW 6:9-10; ROMANS 8:26-39; EPHESIANS 6:18-20 Have you ever prayed for a win? Maybe you asked God for a home run or a goal or for a certain player to make a three-point shot. If you play a sport, you’ve probably prayed for yourself to make that shot. Many of us ask God to intervene in sports, and then we’re often disappointed if He doesn’t seem to answer. The truth is, Jesus cares about us and wants us to talk to Him about everything, including games we hope to win, and the disappointment we feel when we lose. But that doesn’t mean He’ll always answer our prayers the way we want Him to. Sometimes our prayers can be selfish, can’t they? Sometimes when we pray, we put the focus on ourselves and what we want, instead of God’s plan to do what’s best and help more people come to Jesus. When we focus only on what we want, our prayers can become small and self-centered. But when we think about what God wants, our prayers become bigger. We can pray for more people to know His love and be transformed by the gospel. We can pray for God’s justice, mercy, and goodness to flood the whole earth. We can pray for our spiritual growth, and for the spiritual growth of other Christians we know and love. These are things we know God wants to do. Of course, we can still ask for a win. But as we pray, we can submit to God and trust Him to help us do whatever He wants us to—even if that includes being a good sport when we lose. We can pray for God’s will to be done and that we’ll remember to show His kindness and love to the people around us, no matter how the game turns out. • A. W. Smith • Have you ever prayed for God’s will to be done while playing or watching sports? What was that like? • God cares about more than just who scores and who wins. He wants us to invite Him into everything that matters to us, including sports, humbly offering ourselves for His glory and His purpose. What might it look like to share His goodness through our words and actions while we play or watch sports? This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14 (NIV)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11; 11:23-33 My favorite football team made it through one game in the NFL playoffs, and then they lost. It was a heartbreaking loss because I knew they easily could have won the game. The disappointment I felt was instant, and it hung over me as time moved on. I can only imagine the disappointment felt by the players and their families. God is there in our disappointments, and He is working in everything that goes on in our lives. Some might say God doesn’t care about a sport or a specific game, but I believe He does care about people and their lives—and the way each game turns out definitely has an effect on people, especially those who are part of the team. A quarterback can experience real hurt when his team loses—and God cares about that. A linebacker might feel they have failed after their team doesn’t make it—God cares about that too. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Paul describes how God comforts us in our troubles. Then later in this same letter, Paul recounts the many ways he has suffered—how often he has been in grave danger and endured tremendous pain from flogging, hunger, and nakedness, and how he has been “exposed to death again and again” (2 Corinthians 11:23-33). Yet, in spite of all this, Paul says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). While Paul’s afflictions were certainly far greater than losing a football game, the truths he shares about God’s comfort can still apply to every disappointment we experience. When we have something happen in our lives that leaves us feeling disappointed, no matter how big or small it is, we can turn to God and know that He is there. He notices our hurts, and He wants to comfort us. He wants to remind us of His love, even in the midst of the pain. Remember, Jesus died and rose again so we could be brought near to God. So, in every loss, we can know that He is there for us. We never have to go through anything alone. From a lost game to a lost relationship to a lost family member, God sees the unique situation you are going through. And He is there, ready to listen as you share your pain with Him. • Emily Acker • It can be hard to believe that God cares about all the big and small things we go through, but He does! What is one of the disappointments you’ve faced in your life recently? Consider taking some time to talk to God about what happened and how you feel, and receive His comfort. May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Psalm 119:76 (NIV)

READ: JONAH 1:1-17; 2:1-10; 3:1-3; LUKE 15:11-32 Like Jonah I’ve been running away even though I hear God’s call above the crashing waves Still I’m sinking in my sin deeper than I’ve ever been shackled by the weight of my regrets and mistakes Three days spent searching for relief So many doubts as I cry out “God, do you really love me?” I hear Him above the noise A still and silent voice If you take My hand I’ll lead you to dry land Even when my flesh is weak and I run toward all the wrong things He is still holding on My breath when all air is gone Like Jonah I finally get it Our God is the King of second chances • Kara Krulick • In the book of Jonah, God called Jonah to go to the city of Ninevah and warn them of God’s coming judgment if they did not turn away from their wickedness and fall on God’s mercy. But instead of going to Ninevah, Jonah ran away from God. In what ways have you been like Jonah? Is there anything you think God might be calling you to that you have been running away from? • Sometimes, it can be hard to believe that God’s love is unconditional, and He will forgive us no matter how far we’ve run from Him. But God sent a storm, then provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah so he didn’t drown, and after three days God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land. Then God gave Jonah a second chance to go to Ninevah, and he did. In a similar way, God the Father sent Jesus, God the Son, to save us. Jesus tells us that Jonah’s story points to His story (Matthew 12:38-41). When we were stubbornly running away from God, Jesus went to the grave we were destined for, but after three days He was raised from the dead. So now everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is rescued from sin and death. As Christians, we are free to follow Jesus. And even though we will continue to mess up until Jesus returns and makes all things new, He keeps giving us forgiveness and second chances. Can you think of some ways God has given you second chances? (You can find more about the good news of Jesus on our "Know Jesus" page.) Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 119:9-16; ROMANS 12:1-2; PHILIPPIANS 4:8 As we go about our everyday lives, we will inevitably see and hear things that bother us—from things people talk about and jokes they make, to stuff we come across online. Sometimes we know these things are wrong, but they seem unavoidable. It all ends up filling our heads, and even when we don’t want to think about that junk, it can still give us bad thoughts. When bad thoughts come to our minds, just ignoring them usually isn’t enough. What helps is replacing them with good ones. Think about it this way: If a car’s radiator hose splits open, green liquid splatters all over the surface of the engine and smokes. You can’t leave the bad hose the way it is, and you can’t just take it out either. If you want the car to keep running, you need to replace the broken part. It’s the same with bad thoughts—they have to be replaced. But where do we get good thoughts to replace the bad thoughts with? If we know Jesus, we already have them. He’s changing the way we think. Whenever bad thoughts come, we don’t have to let them take control of our minds. Instead, we can set our minds on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3). He loves us so much that He died on the cross to free us from sin, and He rose from the dead so we could know Him and live with Him forever. Because of Jesus, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to actually reject bad thoughts and grab onto good thoughts instead (2 Corinthians 10:5). When we’re tempted to think hateful thoughts about someone, we can take those thoughts out and instead choose to focus on Jesus’s love for that person. When we’re tempted to lust after someone, we can replace that thought by considering how Jesus sees that person. When we’re tempted to see ourselves as worthless, we can remember the infinite worth God places upon us, which He showed when Jesus gave up His life for us. And, as we notice recurring patterns of specific kinds of bad thoughts, we can start to memorize Bible verses that address the particular lies and sins we’re struggling with. No matter what bad thoughts we encounter, they’re no match for the truth of Jesus’s love. • A. W. Smith • Do you notice specific bad thoughts that keep coming into your mind? Who is a trusted Christian you could talk to about these, such as a parent, pastor, youth leader, or counselor? Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 13; REVELATION 6:9-11; 21:1-7 Working in a fast-paced environment can be stressful, especially when you’re new. I used to work at a very busy coffeeshop, and I was so nervous and stressed for my first several weeks. Then, suddenly, I wasn’t the new person anymore—I was helping the new people. I remember one new barista who handled the pressure very well. She caught on quick, but she was still stressed. A few days into her training, in between steaming milk and pulling shots of espresso, she asked me under her breath, “How long does it feel like you’re dying?” I considered her question for a moment, then answered, “About a month.” She nodded decisively. “I can do that.” Years later, that interaction has stuck with me. Many times in life, I have gone through a painful, difficult season, and I’ve just wanted to turn to someone who’s done it before and ask, “How long does it feel like you’re dying?” Because the truth is, there’s usually an endpoint to whatever difficulty I’m currently facing, either because the situation gets resolved or because I grow and adapt. And if I just knew when that endpoint would be, I could say, “I can do that.” We see this same sentiment in the book of Psalms. Over and over, the psalmists ask God, “How long, O Lord?” When we’re suffering—whether we’re just adapting to a steep learning curve or enduring a painful season of loss—all we want to know is when the pain will go away. But there is hope embedded in that question. Asking, “How long, O Lord?” means we believe that the endpoint will come. The suffering is temporary. And, as Christians, we know this is true! We know that, someday, Jesus will return to rid the world of all suffering, sin, and evil. Praise God for that glorious hope! And, if we know Jesus, we also have hope for right now. We know that He is with us in our suffering, and He will walk with us through whatever trial we face. We can turn to Him and ask, “How long will it feel this way?” We may not get an answer immediately, but it helps to know that Jesus actually feels our pain with us. And He will carry us through to the endpoint of the trial in front of us. Remember, all the trials, pain, and suffering are temporary (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). But the Lord’s love and comfort are eternal. • Taylor Eising • Can you think of any trials or suffering Jesus has brought you through? What was that like? • Are you enduring a hard time right now? In addition to talking to Jesus about it in prayer, is there anyone you can talk to who has gone through a similar time in their life? • Do you know anyone who is going through something you’ve gone through before? What are some ways you could come alongside that person to listen well, offer comfort and gentle encouragement, and pray for them? • If you’re going through something really hard, and especially if you’re experiencing mental health concerns like anxiety or depression, talk to a trusted adult today. If you’re not sure who to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)

READ: PROVERBS 10:20; LUKE 6:43-45; JAMES 3:1-12 Have you ever had trouble with saying the wrong thing at the wrong time? I have, more often than I’d like to admit. At times I have my tongue under control, then someone will irritate me and boom! Out comes something that shouldn’t have come out. As much as we would like to ignore our troublesome mouths, we can’t. Jesus said, “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45). Our mouths can be used as a gauge for what’s in our hearts. Eventually what we think comes out, and that can be good or bad! When we speak words that are good, pure, or truthful, we can thank God and ask Him to help us cultivate a heart that continues to overflow with wholesome words (Ephesians 4:29). But when we say, or write, something that’s angry, hurtful, or sinful, we need to stop and ask where that came from. On any given day, we may think we’re not struggling with anything or that we have no problems, but then our words will indicate otherwise. Rude words reveal unkindness. Lying ones show dishonesty. Complaining can display ungratefulness. The list goes on and on. But the good news is, Jesus defeated sin on the cross and rose again, so we no longer have to let it rule over us. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has cleansed us of sin and given us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). So now, whenever we discover a wrong attitude or habit, we can take it to Jesus, and He will help us overcome it (1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:14-16). His Holy Spirit will replace things like resentment and pride with virtues like joy and peace, which will lead to good words (Romans 15:13). Jesus cares about what’s in our hearts, and when we say something we shouldn’t, He doesn’t leave us trying to figure out how to fix the problem. He’s right there to help us when we stumble, and with Him the evil things become good. • Morgan A. Mitchell • Our words are good indicators of what’s in our hearts. So, whenever we notice bitterness, jealousy, resentment, pride, greed, or any number of ugly things spilling out of our mouths, we can confess these to Jesus and ask for His help. Ultimately, our sin comes from a place of not trusting God. But as we spend time in God’s Word, in prayer, and with His people, He will help us see how trustworthy He truly is, how deeply He loves us, and how He wants to heal the places we’ve been hurt. Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about things you’ve said recently. In addition to talking to Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about this? “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 29:2; MATTHEW 2:1-12; JOHN 4:23-24 Today, many Christians celebrate Epiphany by remembering how the magi followed a star and traveled to Bethlehem to see Jesus. In many ways, the magi are a unique part of the Christmas story. First, they were probably the richest people to visit Jesus. Second, they likely saw Jesus when He was around two years old instead of a newborn. Third, they weren’t Jews. They were from the east—some speculate the Persian area (where Iran and Iraq are now). And fourth, unlike the other visitors, they presented Jesus with gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But the magi didn’t just visit Jesus to give Him gifts. They came expressly to worship Him, referring to Him as the “king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). Somehow, they knew that the unusual star they saw announced the birth of a king, and their immediate reaction was to find Him so they could worship Him. The word worship means reverent love and devotion, ardent admiration, or adoration. All this for a king who was born in a land far from their own! Notice the magi first worshipped Jesus, then presented their material gifts. They did things in the right order. Jesus desires our worship more than the money we give or how much time we spend caroling at nursing homes. These are all good things, but He’s more concerned with our love for Him than any of the good works we do (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). The hymn “O Come, All Ye Faithful” says again and again, “O come, let us adore Him.” Like this song proclaims, may the story of Jesus inspire reverent love and devotion in us. May we ponder the fact that God the Son willingly became human and was born as a baby, that He lived the life of a wandering preacher, that He let Himself be put to death when He had done nothing wrong, and that He came back from the dead as the Risen Savior, ascended into heaven, and promised to return one day and renew the heavens and the earth. May we celebrate and give thanks for God’s love. May we worship Him as the King of kings (Revelation 17:14). After all, no other god stepped down from His throne, gave up His life, and loved us with such abandon. As we remember all Jesus did for us, may we first respond in love, devotion, and adoration. And may our love then overflow in gifts of service to God and to His people. • Morgan A. Mitchell • Consider taking some time to express your love, adoration, and thankfulness to Jesus in worship. They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-10; REVELATION 1:5-8; 21:1-5 Do you like having something to look forward to? I do! I think having something to look forward to keeps me in a positive mindset. Whether it’s a certain dessert or dinner that’s planned, a fun theme for Wednesday night church club, or just a nice day when I get to be outside a little more than normal. Have you ever felt like there’s nothing to look forward to? I definitely have. Like right after something big ends, and you feel like all the fun is over and you’re back to doing the same things over and over again. The good news is, we have one thing we can always look forward to—Jesus coming back! We can’t count down the months or mark off the days because no one knows exactly when He is coming (Matthew 24:36). But we do know He will return, and it will be amazing! Jesus died on the cross two thousand years ago so that everyone who puts their trust in Him has a new life. He shed His blood to cover all our sins, and three days later He rose from the grave so we could spend forever with Him. So now, we can look forward to what is coming! Jesus promises to renew our bodies. We will get to live in a new heaven and a new—perfect—earth! He is preparing a place for each of us (John 14:2-3). Best of all, we will get to see and talk to Jesus face to face. How amazing is that going to be? • Kimberly Brokish • Is there something you’re looking forward to right now? What is it? • When Jesus returns, He will right every wrong, restore the heavens and the earth, and raise us from our graves! Everyone who has put their trust in Jesus will live with Him, and with all our fellow believers, forever. We can’t even imagine how wonderful it will be, but we know we will finally be free from all suffering and sadness, and we will have good, purposeful, creative work to do. What do you look forward to most when you think about Jesus coming back someday? (If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 11:6-10; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 15:1-58; 1 John 3:1-3). “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man [Jesus].” Matthew 24:27 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 16:24; 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-7; EPHESIANS 4:29-32 Have you ever tasted unsweetened chocolate? By itself, chocolate is very bitter! When a dessert recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder or baking chocolate, it will also call for a sweetener, usually sugar, to take away some of the bitterness. Like chocolate, things we say can be bitter too. Have you ever been kind and polite while talking to someone face-to-face, and maybe even done nice things for them, but then used bitter words behind their back? It’s easy to do this to people at school, work, church, and even to friends. But that’s not how Jesus calls His people to live. Our words should match our actions. We can’t show love to people through one but not the other. Think about it this way: If you tried to make a chocolate cake without any sweetener, it might look good at first, but the taste would be all wrong. Chocolate needs to be sweetened to taste good, and our actions and words need to be sweetened too—sweetened with love, compassion, and genuine kindness—to show others the love of Jesus. As 1 Corinthians 13 says, all the good works in the world mean nothing if they’re not done out of love. It’s important to remember nobody’s perfect. We aren’t, and neither are the people we’re tempted to speak bitter words about. Yet Jesus shows love to all of us through both His words and His actions. The Bible recounts many of the things Jesus said during His ministry on earth—and, in fact, all of Scripture speaks of God’s love for us. And God has also shown His love to us in countless ways, from Genesis all the way through Revelation—and in our own lives. In His ultimate expression of love, Jesus died on the cross for our sins so we could be saved. Then He was raised from the dead, defeating sin and bitterness forever. It’s only because Jesus has lavished His love upon us that we can show His love to others (1 John 3:1; 4:19). Since we’ve been forgiven, bitterness has no place in the way we treat each other. It’s not okay to be patient and helpful to someone’s face but then talk about them behind their back. Instead, we’re called to show love through both what we do and what we say. How sweet it is when we use our words to build others up and benefit those who hear us. • A. W. Smith • Have you ever been uplifted by sweet words that reminded you of Jesus’s love? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this, and maybe thank the person who said those words too! Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up…that it may benefit those who listen…Get rid of all bitterness. Ephesians 4:29-31 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 56:8; ISAIAH 53:3-5; HEBREWS 4:14-16 She was sick and had been for a long time. Her siblings were at school and her parents were at work. All she had to keep her company was the rain tapping at her window. No one understands what it’s like to be sick all the time, she thought. Everyone else is living their lives while I just lay here alone. She squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn’t cry. Suddenly there was a frantic tapping on her window, much louder than the rain. She opened her eyes and her mouth fell open. Sunlight flooded her room. A tiny bird tapped at her window, darting back and forth. Rolling out of bed and squinting, she looked out to find that her street was gone, replaced by a huge, sprawling garden. Opening her window, she crawled out into the garden beyond. She followed little cobbled paths that wound under trellises covered in thick ivy, through patches of mushrooms as tall as her shoulders, and beside beds of wildflowers dancing with butterflies. Her headache and fever were gone, and her feet felt light as air as she explored. After what seemed like hours, she came upon a bubbling stream and a huge weeping willow that swayed in the breeze. And there she saw him, on a bench beneath the willow. “Do you know where I am?” she asked. He smiled. “You are in my garden.” “But how did I get here?” His eyes twinkled, and she wondered how they could look so sad and so happy at the same time. He didn’t answer her question, but instead he said, “Here, I have something for you.” He held out a brilliantly blue flower. It was her favorite color. She took it, and as she did, she saw deep wounds in the man’s hand. “I’m afraid I must send you home now,” the man told her. “But before I do, I wanted to give you this. Keep it so you can remember that you’re not forgotten. I am always with you.” When she looked up, she saw the pain of her long sickness reflected in the man’s face. She felt tears burning her eyes, so she shut them tight. When she opened them again, the man and the garden were gone, and she was back in bed. What a beautiful dream, she thought, her heart heavy. Her headache and fatigue were returning. As she turned to get more comfortable, she saw something brilliantly blue in a tiny bottle on her bedside table. She caught her breath. It had not been there before. She picked it up, a tear finally escaping her eyes. I am not alone, she thought, I am not forgotten. Gently held in her hand was the blue flower the wounded man had given her. • Margaret Bellers • Can you think of a time you felt like the character in today’s allegorical story, alone and forgotten? Sometimes when we suffer, it can feel like God has forgotten us or doesn’t love us anymore. But the truth is, Jesus draws near to those who are hurting (Psalm 34:18; Matthew 5:4; 11:28-30). Can you think of any ways Jesus has reminded you of His presence and love during hard times? • When Jesus came to earth, He suffered and died as a human. How can knowing that Jesus sees and understands our suffering make it easier for us to draw near to Him and talk to Him about what we’re going through? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him right now. • Terrible things like sickness and loneliness were not part of God’s original design. At the beginning of time, the first humans walked with God in a perfect garden. But then, they sinned, rejecting God’s love and going their own way instead. Sin fractured God’s good creation in deep ways. Because God is holy, He cast the people out of the garden and away from His presence. Yet, in His perfect love, God immediately promised them a coming deliverer. That deliverer is Jesus the Messiah. He...

READ: GALATIANS 6:9-10; COLOSSIANS 2:6-7 A wise friend of mine once said, “I never realized how much of my adult life would be choosing between good things.” He’s lived longer than I have, so I paid attention to his words. And the more I reflected on them, the more I realized how true they were. Growing up in church, I was taught how to reject bad things and choose good things. So, I expected most of my life decisions would be choosing between a bad thing and a good thing. And while I do sometimes face those choices, more often I’ve found myself choosing between multiple good things. Should I go help a struggling friend, or spend time investing in my family? Should I focus on working more hours, or volunteering more at church? Not every situation has a clear right or wrong option. But one thing is clear: if we always try to choose all the good things at the same time, that won’t work. That is a one-way ticket to burnout, exhaustion, and anxiety. And it’s not how the Lord invites us to live. Instead, when we are faced with a decision between two good things, we can start from a place of peace and rest, knowing that Jesus will be with us no matter what we choose. He has promised to guide us, and He is at work in every situation. So we can spend time with Him in prayer, and we can ask questions like, “Which option lines up with the gifts and abilities God has given me? Where am I needed right now? Do I have to be the one to meet this need, or is God inviting someone else to step in? What would be my motivation for choosing each option?” Whichever option we choose, we can step forward with confidence when we’ve sought the Lord’s guidance. And He makes His guidance wonderfully abundant! We can find it in His Word (the Bible), His people (the church), and the Holy Spirit, who lives in us if we’ve put our trust in Jesus. He doesn’t leave us to make any decision alone. He loves to help us. We can trust Him always, no matter what decision we face. • Taylor Eising • Can you remember a time you had to choose between two good things? What helped you make your decision? • Are there any choices you’re struggling to make right now? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to about these—people who will pray with you and point you to Scripture? If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 12:1-21; 14:7-9 I purchased a new calendar, Am I silly for wanting one for the wall? I look at the days that await me, I want you to be Lord of them all. There is so much life coming, There are so many new days, The year will be filled with opportunities, And chances to give you praise. I look at each little box, each square, I think about how they belong to you. I don’t want to make plans to fill them, I want you to plan all that I do. My new calendar helps me understand, It helps me make plans, it helps me see, And as I move into each new day, I want it to be all about you and not me. • Emily Acker • Do you like using a calendar to plan your days? It’s certainly not wrong to plan, and it’s good and healthy to think about the future and what we might do. But as we look ahead, God calls us to hold our plans loosely and be open to what He might call us to. After all, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, let alone a year from now! As this new year begins, what kinds of plans do you want to make? What are some of your hopes and dreams for this year? • When we put our trust in Jesus, we are saying that He is Lord of our lives. Because He died and rose again to save us, our lives are not our own; He bought us at a price when He ransomed us from sin and death (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So, as Christians, we are called to honor God in every decision we make. And living this way is so much better than living for ourselves. Of course, Jesus knows we won’t follow Him perfectly. Yet God helps us realize when we have strayed, and He mercifully calls us to repent, to turn around and keep following Him. As you look ahead to this new year, how could you invite God into your planning? • Remember, just as we can trust Jesus with our eternal future, we can also trust Him with every day of our lives. Sometimes God invites us to do less, other times He calls us into more, and often He directs us to do something different from what we may have expected. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you pray about your commitments and discern how God might be leading you? • If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 6:25-34; 16:24-26; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 5:8-20; James 4:13-17. Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Romans 12:1 (CSB)

READ: LUKE 22:24-27; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-18 “Pastor, could you follow me to make sure I get home okay?” Mrs. Nelson asked this question. The pastor was my dad. It was New Year’s Eve, and it was very late. In fact, it was technically New Year’s Day. Our church always had a potluck, games, and a service on New Year’s Eve. This year it started snowing while we were at church, and the roads were bad. Mrs. Nelson was 114 years old. Okay, I don’t know how old she was, but to my kid brain, she was 114 at least. She also lived about ten miles from church. My dad agreed, which was fine, but then he told me to go with him. “What? It’s like 1:00 in the morning. I’m tired. Can’t I go home with mom?” I could tell by his response that the decision was made. “Okay, fine,” I grumbled. I didn’t get into bed until 2:00 AM. Not how I wanted to start my New Year. But now it’s many years later, and I think about that night often. I think about how nice my dad was, how grumbly and immature I was, but mostly I think about serving people. Serving people sounds nice in theory. As you’re reading this maybe you’re inspired to serve a 114-year-old lady. But the opportunity doesn’t come until you have plans and serving doesn’t fit in the schedule. The grumbly, immature self comes right back. Philippians 2:5-8 says we should have the same mindset as Jesus Christ, who was in very nature God but “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” He served to the point of death on the cross. He laid down His life for us so we could be forgiven. And then He rose from the dead so we could have new life. That’s amazing. I’m glad Jesus wasn’t grumbly and immature like me. Jesus loves and serves us selflessly. And so, we can look to Him as our model for loving and serving others—even, and especially, when it’s inconvenient and we’d rather be home in a warm bed. • Jeff Weddle • Jesus is God in flesh, and He came here to serve sinners—including us (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 13:1-17). How can this truth affect the way we think about serving others? • What are some ways you can prepare yourself to serve others? Are there any adjustments you can make in your schedule to provide time for spontaneous opportunities to serve? Rather, he [Jesus] made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:7 (NIV)