Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 2:12-17 A child and a spoil of war. Forced to live with the enemy, far from home. Then, as a young woman, a war prize again, forced to serve the nation’s most powerful leader. Finally, exiled to an island for her Christian faith. This was the life of Julia Ota, who lived over four hundred years ago. Japanese warriors invaded her Korean home and swept her back to Japan, an unjust and tragic event, especially for a child. But Julia also grew up experiencing God’s blessing, goodness, and transforming love. In Japan, an influential Christian general and his wife raised her as their own. She was baptized and named Julia. Life changed again for Julia, however, when Tokugawa Ieyasu won a decisive battle, became Shogun, and executed the Christian general. Julia became the Shogun’s lady-in-waiting. When she was faced with an ultimatum, Julia refused to deny Christ, who loved her and had sacrificed Himself and been raised for her. So, the Shogun exiled her to the Izu Islands. On the islands, she cared for those who were weak, sick, or in need of encouragement. Like a beautiful flower, Julia’s love for Christ spread a healing fragrance of joy and hope everywhere she went. Her charity and evangelism are still remembered in Japan and Korea today with various memorials and even an annual festival! How amazing is it that Jesus is at work even in the worst of circumstances? • Sonja Anderson • As Christians, when we go through terrible circumstances in our lives, we can know that Jesus Christ holds us through it all and He is working for our good (Romans 8:28-29, 35-39). How might this truth embolden us to share His goodness with others, even in the midst of hardship? • Has anyone in your life shared Jesus’s joy, hope, and healing with you? What was it like? • Is there anyone in your life who might need the fragrance of Jesus’s joy, hope, and healing in their life? Consider spending sometime in prayer, asking God how you might spread the love and knowledge of Christ to that person. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; PSALM 139:12-16; ISAIAH 64:8 When you look at yourself in a mirror, what do you think? Maybe you like who you are, or maybe you’re critical of yourself. Either way, God shows us the right way of seeing ourselves in His Word. In Psalm 139:13-14, King David pondered how the Lord created us. He said: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” The Lord created YOU! When He made you, He thought of you and created you as a marvelous work. Isn’t it amazing to think that you are “wonderfully made”? You’re not just an okay work, but a marvelous work. And, because God is everywhere, He was present even when you were still in your mother’s womb, and He will continue to be present throughout the rest of your life. Not only did God create you, He longs to be with you. That’s why Jesus—God in human flesh—died and rose again to make the way for you to be in close relationship with Him. Once you’ve put your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). You can take comfort in the fact that this all-loving God is the same One who created you as a wonderful and beautiful being. The next time you look in the mirror and are tempted to criticize yourself, you can remember that the Lord lovingly formed every bit of you and created you as a marvelous work. You are fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of all things, and you are the work of His hands. • Lydia Lancie • Isn’t it amazing to think that God made each of us as a marvelous work? Yet, it’s easy to forget this truth as we go about our daily lives. One way you could remind yourself is by writing down a verse about how God created you and sticking it on your mirror, your locker, or somewhere else you’ll see it often. Does one of today’s verses resonate with you in particular? • When you create something you’re proud of, how do you feel? How do you think God feels about making you? I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 46; MARK 4:35-41 Have you ever heard the meteorological term supercell? It’s an unusually large storm cell, and its clouds form the shape of a huge anvil. This kind of weather system has separate updrafts and downdrafts, and it produces severe wind and thunderstorms, large hail, and even tornadoes. A supercell can be a good analogy for what it feels like to have a panic attack. It begins as a gentle breeze in the corner of your mind. “What if…?” Soon, though, it picks up velocity and force and begins to spin out of control, growing larger with each worse-case scenario imagined. The panic takes your breath away and causes your heart to pound as it rips through your mind, leaving you torn and broken, your peace and hope in shambles. A panic attack is just as real and scary to the person having it as a tornado is to those in its path. Although the damage isn’t always visible, it can be as devastating as a violent storm. If you’ve experienced debilitating anxiety or a panic attack, you know that it feels like the world is spinning out of control. Fear can be coupled with physical symptoms like heart palpitations, dizziness, or even chest pain. But aren’t Christians supposed to be protected from such things? Doesn’t the Bible say over and over, “Don’t be afraid”? True, God does give us His protection, His comfort, and His presence, but that doesn’t mean Christians are immune to the brokenness in the world, including anxiety and panic attacks. So how can we find shelter from the winds of worry and fear? The God who made the world and saw that it was good is the same God who came to live among us after that world was broken by sin (Genesis 1:31; John 1:14). He is the same God who was with His disciples in the storm-tossed boat. He stilled the winds, and He says, “I will never leave you or abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). He died and rose again for us, and He promises to return one day and make all things new—free from sin and its effects, including anxiety and panic attacks. In the meantime, He offers healing in Himself but also by the gifts He has given through medicine and counseling. If anxiety and panic are blowing your calm to bits, know that you are not alone. This doesn’t make you a “bad Christian,” and it doesn’t mean you don’t have true faith. God is with you, even in the middle of your storm. • Mary Rozendal • Have you experienced anxiety or panic attacks? Sadly, in our world that is broken by sin, many people experience these things at some point in their lives, and this is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead of hiding our pain, God invites us to be honest with Him and with people we trust so we can experience healing.* • The American Psychological Association describes panic attacks this way: “a sudden onset of intense apprehension and fearfulness in the absence of actual danger, accompanied by the presence of such physical symptoms as heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, chest pain or discomfort, choking or smothering sensations, sweating, and dizziness. The attack occurs in a discrete period of time and often involves fears of going crazy, losing control, or dying” (dictionary.apa.org/panic-attack). A panic attack might follow troubling thoughts or begin during a stressful situation, or it might happen unexpectedly. And panic attacks are not necessarily caused by anxiety; sometimes they are a result of treatable medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism. While having or witnessing a panic attack can be frightening, God is right there with us, grieving our hurts alongside us and holding us securely in His love (Romans 8:38-39). And He provides help, not only through His Word and through prayer, but also through professional counselor...

READ: GENESIS 2:1-3; MATTHEW 11:28–12:13; LUKE 5:16 Are you running on empty? Are you overburdened with clubs, hobbies, schoolwork, sports, church activities, part-time jobs, or other commitments? In our fast-paced world, it can be easy to say “yes” to too many things and fill our lives so full, there’s no room left for rest. The following might be signs you need to take a step back and take some time to be refreshed. Irritability: When we’re overloaded, we often feel tired, frustrated, and impatient. The smallest things become hugely annoying, like an offhanded remark, a person’s mannerisms or quirks, a chatty friend or sibling when you want to concentrate, etc. So, if you find yourself losing your temper over things that normally wouldn’t bother you, this might be an indicator you’re running on empty. Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted: Are the hobbies, social events, work, and other things you normally enjoy starting to lose their excitement, instead sparking a sense of dread as you wonder how you can possibly manage your time? Do you find your mood changes rapidly and you are more sensitive than usual? Do you need to rely on adrenaline to motivate you? The problem with living this way is, when we do stop and take a break, we find ourselves needing lots of rest because we have burned ourselves out. Physical aches and pains: When we are swamped with a hectic schedule, it can take a toll on our bodies. Headaches, fatigue, and being more susceptible to colds and other bugs can be indicators that we are rundown. What can you do? Remember, even Jesus needed time to rest (John 4:6). He preached to crowds and healed countless people, but at times He needed a solitary place to recuperate. God the Son would make time to be alone with His Father. In the same way, we need moments when we can relax and hand over our burdens to Jesus, whether that looks like taking a walk outdoors, sitting quietly and meditating on Scripture, or even just taking some deep breaths. Remember, you are important to God. When we take time to rest, it can be an opportunity to remember that Jesus has already done the work of saving us, and there’s nothing we need to do to earn His love. • Cindy Lee • How could you prioritize rest? Is there anything in your schedule that needs to change? Who is a trusted Christian who could help you discern God’s guidance in how to use your time wisely? Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 15:1-17; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-11; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-13 If you’ve been part of a church, you’ve probably been told that, as Christians, we are called to serve others, help the hurting, and bring about justice (Micah 6:8; Matthew 25:35-40). That’s part of how we participate in the kingdom of God. And we also know that Jesus will return to right every wrong, make all things new, and get rid of sin and death forever. So, if we know that Jesus is going to come fix everything, why do we bother to do anything? This is a question I’ve bumped into in my walk with Jesus. It’s true that if I did nothing but sit twiddling my thumbs all day, Jesus’s plan to return and restore all of creation would not be thwarted in the slightest. But I think this mindset misses the point of the gospel. When we put our trust in Jesus, His Spirit dwells within us and transforms our hearts in ways that compel us to serve (Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 5:5; Philippians 2:13). When God shows us how deeply He loves us, we can’t help but love others. When He shows us how utterly good He is, we want others to experience that goodness. When He shows us the things that break His heart, our hearts break, too. When we realize how He has served us, we are drawn to serve others. When we’ve experienced the power of the gospel—that Jesus, out of His great love for us, died on the cross and rose again from the dead, and that He desires for His people and His creation to be made whole—that power takes root in us. It shapes our desires into God’s desires. And that desire moves us to action. So, through the power of the gospel, we can serve others out of love, hope, and peace. Not out of anxiety that things won’t get done, or fear that we’d better serve or we’ll get in trouble, or shame for not living up to certain expectations, but out of an overflowing of God’s love and a deep desire to see His goodness on display. Until the day we die or Jesus returns, we can serve because, from the very core of our being, we want to. Because Jesus and the wholeness He brings is just too good to keep to ourselves. • Taylor Eising • When have you felt a desire to serve others? What was that like? • How can knowing Jesus’s love for us compel us to share that love with others? We love each other because he loved us first. 1 John 4:19 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; ROMANS 3:23-24; 5:6-11; COLOSSIANS 1:12-14 I’ve decided to begin looking for a house. Prices are coming down a little, and I have a good chunk of money in savings. It just feels like the right time. My parents explained the best next step would be to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan. This will let me know how much I can spend. So, I called the bank down the road to start the process. They directed me to fill out an online application, and I immediately began working on it. It was extensive. There were so many tabs and little boxes to complete. The final section was likely the scariest—my employment history. It reminded me of filing my taxes. And, just like filing my taxes, I was terrified of making mistakes. Would the bank disqualify me? Would I be good enough? Did I make enough? Suddenly every coffee, every bag of chocolate-covered peanuts, every pack of fake nails I’ve ever bought played in my head. Had I even saved enough? That fear made me reluctant to even finish the application. As I considered this, I thought of how people often don’t come to Christ because they feel like they have to get themselves together first. They think they have to get back on the right track and get everything right before God will even accept them. But this isn’t true. Unlike my loan that I have to “qualify” for, there is no qualifying for God. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we are still sinners, guys! Jesus Christ meets us where we are. He paid our debt. We don’t have to tally it all up for Him. We don’t have to hurry and walk old ladies across the street or serve in fifteen countries before God will be willing to “consider our application.” The only thing we need to do is come to Him. • Natty Maelle • Do you ever feel like you have to “get yourself together” before you can go to God? Why do you think that is? (For more about how to have a relationship with God, see our “Know Jesus” page.) • When was the last time you talked through your heart with Jesus? Consider taking some time today to tell Him everything. Your hurts. Your sins. Your anger. And allow the Holy Spirit to speak into that moment. • Have you heard this message before but still just don’t believe it? That’s okay. You can do a few things from here. First, you can reach out to trusted believers in your life and talk to them. But also, just take sometime and talk to God about it. He wants us to question and grow. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 12:34-37; ROMANS 5:1-11; 1 JOHN 4:16-19 We all know the feeling. We’re going about our day and something happens—a difficult conversation, a snag at school or work, a major food spill on our clothes, forgetting our lunch, etc. When something happens to mess up our plans or efforts, it’s like a bump that pushes us off course. When things don’t go our way, often a bit of what’s in our hearts spills out. If our hearts are filled with patience and kindness, gentle words spill out. But if we’re still working through hatred or fear, harsh words sometimes spill out instead. What comes out when you get bumped—when things don’t go right for you? When we realize we’ve acted in a harsh way toward someone, we can confess it to Jesus and to those we were harsh toward. We can rest assured that when we come to Jesus there is always forgiveness—no matter what we’ve said or done. He has already paid for all our sins through His death and resurrection, and He’ll help us remember that He has filled our hearts with His love through the Holy Spirit. So, no matter what happens to bump our plans off course, His love can spill over onto others through our words and actions. But what about when cruel words keep spilling out of us and we can’t seem to stop? Jesus wants to help us with this too. Even when we mess up, out of Jesus’s mouth flows grace, forgiveness, love, and promises for us—because that’s what’s in His heart for us. Through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church), He’ll help us untangle any lies or false assumptions that get in the way of resting in the truth of His love for us and others. Remember that the kind of love He has for each of us is full of patience, kindness, and understanding…and that’s the same love He’s filled our hearts with. So, when we get bumped, we can trust Him to help us rest in His love and let others see that love overflowing from within us. • A. W. Smith • Can you think of a time someone spilled unkind words on you? How did it feel? What might have been going on in their world when that happened? Even though unkindness is not excusable, understanding where people are coming from can help us have compassion on them. • Can you think of a time you’ve been harsh when you’ve gotten bumped? How can resting in the truth of Jesus’s love help us communicate with love and clarity, even when we get bumped? • When you experience big emotions that you’re not sure how to process, who are safe people in your life you can talk with—such as counselors, parents, pastors, etc.? “…the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” Matthew 12:34b (CSB)

READ: PSALMS 136:1-26; 139:7-12; 1 JOHN 4:7-21 I was driving my usual route in town when I noticed something out of the ordinary—a mystic cloud of steam puffed from the streets’ vents alongside my car. It looked majestic, floating there in the broad daylight of the winter day. I kept driving and noticed the street was lined with other billowing vents, large cotton-ball puffs floating next to me while I drove. I’d been living in that town for months but never noticed the vents before. Yet they were always there, releasing their steam into the world. Only when the temperature got cooler could I notice the white floating clouds. In a way, God’s love is like a street vent. God is always there, releasing His love into the world, surrounding us with it. As we move forward, His love lines the road alongside us. On a warm spring day when life is sunny and bright, we might not notice it. Our hearts are full, and we might not feel like we need to search for His love. Then winter comes. Cold, hard times settle in. We’re still moving, driving down our paths, but now we might search out God’s billowing love. It was always there, though, on the warm days and the cold ones. God’s love was perfectly displayed in Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. No matter where we are, that same love is always, always with us. I want to remember the street vents are there on those warm spring days. When things are going well, I want to remember God’s love. I want to remember it’s surrounding me and others too. My spring season might be someone else’s winter. They could be moving through the cold, unaware of God’s love surrounding them on all sides. I want to help them feel the love, show them that even though it’s cold, God’s goodness is still billowing, still surrounding them during the journey. • Jenna Brooke Carlson • Happier seasons in life can point us to God’s goodness, while more difficult times can remind us of our dependence on Him. What season of life do you find yourself in right now? Where do you see God’s love present? Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 119:105-112; PROVERBS 3:3-6; ROMANS 8:35-39; HEBREWS 12:1-3 We face unknowns day by day. We don’t know what life will be like next year or even next week. There are constant twists and turns. Some things happen so suddenly and so out of the blue that, left to our own resources, we could be left paralyzed. Sometimes the unknowns, and the fears that come with them, can be overwhelming. But through all the change and uncertainty, one thing remains steady. God never changes. He loves us with a never-ending love. He never gives up on us, even when we give up on Him. And He always wants to help us. God’s never-changing goodness was put on full display when He became human and lived among us. Jesus, God in flesh, gave up His life for us on the cross so we could live with Him forever. And then He rose from the dead, totally victorious over sin and death. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us. And when we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can keep walking forward. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” We are never stuck in darkness with Him at our side. Through the Holy Spirit, God helps us to trust Him. To believe He is who He says He is. To rest in Him and His promises. And to follow His gentle leadership. We are never going to be sure or certain about the things that will happen in our lives. Oftentimes, even the things we plan for don’t turn out exactly how we expect. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We can’t plan ahead and know that it will be exactly how we want it to be. But we can trust God no matter what. He will be with us through it all. And as we follow His trustworthy guidance, the unknowns become a lot less scary. • Bethany Acker • The unknowns of life can be overwhelming at times. But God generously provides comfort and guidance through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Do you have any favorite Bible passages that have helped you through difficult times? Which one(s)? • Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with about your struggles? How could you be intentional about encouraging and comforting each other this week? • None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. How might it be freeing to rely on Jesus and commit ourselves to following Him in everything, instead of trying to figure out what to do in our own strength and wisdom? (John 10:27-30; James 4:13-17) “I the LORD do not change. So you…are not destroyed.” Malachi 3:6 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 32:1-5; ROMANS 6:12-14; 8:1-4; 1 JOHN 1:9 Do you ever feel down and defeated by things you’ve done that were wrong? Do you find yourself asking God for forgiveness several times before you really feel forgiven? If so, you’re not alone; we all feel this way sometimes. But there is good news. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God has already forgiven all our sins—past, present, and future—because of Jesus’s death and resurrection. As we walk through life with Jesus, we will continue to struggle with sin until He makes all things new. But even when we stumble and fall, Jesus doesn’t leave us. He is right there with us, inviting us to confess what we’ve done wrong and rest in His sure forgiveness. Then we are free to leave our sin in the past, get back on our feet, and keep walking with Him. No matter how many times we fail, God forgives us and continues working in our lives to make us more like Jesus. We don’t need to let ourselves feel defeated by sin, because Jesus has already defeated sin for us! When He died on the cross for us, His last words were, “It is finished” (John 19:30). God Himself paid the full penalty for our sin with His own life. There is no debt left to repay. And after three days in a tomb, Jesus rose from the grave—declaring His joyous victory over sin and death! Our God is so much more powerful than any sin we could ever commit. And His love for us is far greater than any guilty feelings that might creep into our lives. So, whenever we’ve done something wrong, we can confess it to Jesus, knowing with absolute certainty that He promises to forgive us. We don’t have to keep dwelling on what we’ve done in the past. Instead, leaving the sins we’ve confessed behind, we can go forward in our walk with Him. He loves us, and He will never leave us. • A. W. Smith • How can resting in Jesus’s victory over sin and death empower us to “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:1-2), to freely love God and people as we go through life, instead of being weighed down by guilt and shame? • Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with about your struggles? How can you comfort and encourage each other when you’re facing a particularly tempting sin pattern? Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 (CSB)

READ: GENESIS 12:1-4; 21:1-5 One thing I’ve always had to keep practicing is patience. I’m more patient now than when I was younger, but having to wait for things still irritates me more than I would like. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to wait longer for the things that are important to me. When I was in school, I was surrounded by change, even if it didn’t feel like it at the time. Every year I was in a new grade, with new teachers and new materials to learn. But now, a few years after I’ve graduated from college, things have slowed down. I’ve been at the same job for some time and moved into a house with my husband. Life has slowed down, and now I’m in a waiting and resting period. Waiting is a huge part of God’s story. I don’t always see the full effect of waiting in the Bible because for me, I can turn the page and time has already passed in the story. For instance, in Genesis 12:1-4, God promised Abraham he would have many descendants. But then it was twenty-five years before Abraham and Sarah had their son Isaac (Genesis 21:1-5). This delay between God’s promises and their fulfillment happens throughout the Bible. For example, David was a teenager when he was anointed to be king, but he didn’t start his reign till he was thirty (1 Samuel 16:10-13; 2 Samuel 5:4). The Israelites also had to wait hundreds of years for the Messiah, the Rescuer God promised them. And when Jesus the Messiah was born, He was not what the Israelites expected Him to be, but He was exactly what was promised. Even now, we are waiting for Jesus to return to make all things new. God has always included waiting in His story, but God has also always delivered on His promises. So, the next time we’re waiting on God for an answer or a sign, let’s look around and see what unexpected things we already have, and remember that our loving God’s timing is often different from our own. • Naomi Zylstra • Is there something you’ve prayed for that you’re still waiting for an answer on? Even in the midst of our waiting, Jesus is with us. He is always at work behind the scenes. How could it be comforting to know that God’s people have always experienced periods of waiting, and God has always fulfilled His promises? Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14 (CSB)

READ: OBADIAH 1:1-21 I hadn’t read the book of Obadiah until about two years ago. It’s the shortest book in the Old Testament (it’s only one chapter), and it can be confusing. The book mostly centers on poems that cast judgement on the people of Edom, who were related to the Israelites through Abraham’s family and who lived on the opposite side of the Dead Sea from the Israelites. These two people groups had a rocky history that went all the way back to the twin sons of Isaac: Jacob (who would be renamed Israel) and Esau (who would also be called Edom). These twins fought and had a falling out (Genesis 25-28), and even though they had a moment of reconciliation (Genesis 33), their descendants would continue to have conflict throughout the years (Numbers 20:14-21). This conflict culminates in Edom raiding Israelite cities after Babylon takes Israel into captivity (Obadiah 1:10-14). The first half of the book of Obadiah is about God holding this Israelite neighbor accountable for their raiding and their pridefulness as a nation. But then the author shifts their focus in verse 15 to talk about how the day of the Lord is coming for all nations. The author shows how all nations that are prideful like Edom will fall. The nation of Edom is a symbol for all the nations that will be repaid for their evil deeds when God’s judgement comes. But there is hope. God is full of love and mercy, so the book ends in a promise of restoration. God will bring justice, and He will do this through Jesus. Jesus is God the Son, and He is also a descendent of Jacob. First, by Jesus’s death and resurrection He will defeat sin and death and forgive all who trust in Him, making us part of His new, holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). And when Jesus returns and ushers in the new creation, He promises to bring full restoration and peace. The fall of Edom points to the day Jesus will rid the world of all evils so there can be a new and glorious creation where all God’s people live together in harmony. • Naomi Zylstra • What is a pain or hurt that you’re looking forward to God’s justice correcting? • How can knowing that God’s perfect justice and restoration will come some day give us hope and strength to pursue justice and restoration as we follow Jesus here and now? But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance. Obadiah 1:17 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 77:10-15 Have you ever made a scrapbook? Whether in digital form or with paper pages, scrapbooks can be a creative way to remind us of the people we love and the things we learn as we go through life. Thinking about scrapbooks can help us understand an important part of our relationship with God. It’s good to take time to remember all the ways God has blessed us, whether by helping us with problems, giving us family, friends, and experiences, or any number of ways we’ve seen His presence in our lives. In the psalms, we find songs and poems that people created to praise and thank God for all He has done. And people in the Old Testament sometimes set up stones as physical reminders of the times God had shown His presence and faithfulness to them (Genesis 28:18-19; Joshua 4:1-9; 1 Samuel 7:12). If you wanted to have a tangible way to remember God’s presence and faithfulness in your life, you could write a song or set up a stone or some other kind of reminder, or you could even make a scrapbook with pictures and words detailing the ways God has blessed you and revealed His goodness. But in a way, a book like this already exists. The Bible—sometimes called the Good Book—is full of God’s goodness throughout history. It tells us how He answers prayer and cares for people—and most importantly, how Jesus came to defeat sin and death and make us His children. Reflecting on all the things God has done for us in the past helps us remember that we can trust Him with our present and our future. Because He loves us so deeply, God calls us to take time to look back and see how He has blessed us and helped us through all kinds of difficulties. He is eager to remind us just how trustworthy He is, and He invites us to rely on Him more and more. As we read about how He helped people in the Bible and how Jesus died and rose again to beat sin and death, we can know that the same God who helped His people generations ago still helps us today. He has not changed. We can always trust Him to help us and take care of us. • A. W. Smith • Are there any Bible passages that have been particularly meaningful to you? What moments in your life would you like to hold on to as reminders of God’s trustworthiness? Is there some tangible way you could remind yourself of some of these good things God has done for you? I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. Psalm 77:11 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 124:6-8; LUKE 12:22-31 As Valeria and Galena sat in the courtyard, working away at some handicrafts to sell at the market in the next town over, Galena watched the setting sun and pondered their situation. The famine continued with no signs of letting up. Their parents had died several months ago, and the two sisters had to care for each other in their small, impoverished village. “Galena!” Valeria called suddenly. “Can you help me with something?” Galena set down her work, shook away her thoughts, and came over to where Valeria was leaning over a tiny green hummingbird as it flopped around, struggling with a string tangled around its spindly legs. The bird’s needle-like bill tore at the strand, but the string wound around tighter and tighter. “Valeria, run and get me a soft rag,” said Galena. When Valeria returned with the clean cloth, Galena draped it over her hand and gently picked up the colorful little bird. The humming sound grew louder as he flapped his long, narrow wings. “Be still, little one.” Galena’s voice was so quiet Valeria could hardly hear her. One twist, two twists. The humming sound quieted, and the stubby body relaxed. Valeria let out a big breath of air when Galena handed her the string and carefully placed the bird on the ground. After resting for a few moments, he took flight. “Do you remember that story Mama told us,” Valeria asked, “something about how the Creator cared for birds and would do the same and more for humans?” Galena leaned back against the cool stone wall. “Ah yes. The birds, they store no food and gather no crops. Yet the Creator feeds them. And today, we helped that tiny hummingbird because we cared for it. That’s a good reminder. We don’t need to worry because the Creator loves us and takes care of us.” Valeria twirled the string around her finger. “Did you realize? We freed the bird’s legs from the string, and the Creator came to free us from sin and death!” A smile spread across Galena’s face. “You’re right! We’re not trapped in sin any longer, and we can look forward to eternity with Him, where there will be no more famines, no more sadness. Until then, even when the troubles of life come, we can trust Him to be with us and help us through them.” • A. W. Smith • When you go through difficult times, do you have any favorite Bible passages that remind you how much God loves you—so much that He became human to die and rise again to beat sin and death so you could be with Him forever? Even when you go through difficult times, He will be with you. You can always talk to Jesus about your worries and rely on Him to take care of you. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 41:8-14; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-20 I gulped. A flat tire? What now? I’d recently joined a ministry to share the good news of Jesus with others. To take on this role, I needed to raise money for expenses. I talked with lots of people in my hometown about supporting me financially, hoping they would partner with me through their donations and prayers. That evening, I’d set up an appointment to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Peters about my ministry plans. I didn’t know them well, but the conversation at their kitchen table went smoothly. But as they walked me out, I spotted a problem. Although I did have my driver’s license, I didn’t own a car. I’d borrowed my grandfather’s old vehicle to travel to the meeting. Then, right there in the Peters’ driveway, one of the tires had gone flat. Help, Lord! I thought, swimming in embarrassment. I’d just asked them to contribute money, and now would I be asking for even more help? Mrs. Peters quickly offered a can of foam tire inflator that would re-inflate the tire enough for me to drive home. Mr. Peters fetched the canister and even took care of applying it to the leaky tire. After thanking them profusely, I drove safely home. When I noticed the problematic tire that evening, I could think of no solution. But when I couldn’t imagine a way through, God made a way. God cares for His creation, and He assures us we don’t have to give in to fear, because He helps us (Psalm 145:8-21). He invites us to rely on Him for everything, instead of trying to do things in our own strength and wisdom. Since He provided the way for our sins to be forgiven—when we could never accomplish that ourselves—we can trust Him to help us whenever we feel stuck. The same God who died for us and rose from the grave is with us now. He strengthens us. He upholds us—through flat tires, fundraising, and much more. • Allison Wilson Lee • Are you facing a problem that feels like it has no answer? Consider taking a moment to come to God in prayer and ask for His help. • One of the primary ways God helps His people, is through His people! Yet sometimes, we feel embarrassed for needing help. Other times, we can easily fall into pride if we think we don’t need to rely on anyone else. How could we remind each other that it’s okay to need help, and in fact it’s good to rely on each other? For I am the LORD your God…Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 7:24-27; 1 PETER 2:4-10 Not long ago, we were scattered like pebbles across the ground. Unwanted, forgotten, far from found. That was, until the day He came. Bare feet scudding across the sand, bending down to gently pick us up and place us in His hands. Rejected by others, chosen by Him. He told us that He had been rejected too. Despised, beaten, spit upon, and ultimately killed. After that time of darkness and mourning, His Father raised Him to life, rolling the stone away. Chosen by His Father, precious to Him. For years, we waited for someone we could trust, someone who would speak what is true, about everything, about us. The world said He was a liar, a heretic, an imposter. The Father said He was the Cornerstone, chosen before the creation of the world, imperishable (1 Peter 1:18-20), one with the Father Himself (John 10:30). The world says we are worthless, He says we are chosen (1 Peter 2:9). Once we were covered in rags, but Cornerstone clothed us with His royal robes. We were created by Him, made to sing His praise. Cornerstone takes us, one by one, and builds, not on the sand, but on Himself. Each stone is unique and alive, every one precious. Some He sands down, others He chisels. These stones are being formed into a beautiful house with the only foundation that will remain. Though storms will come and waters rise, this truth endures: “The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6). • Savannah Coleman • The prophet Isaiah wrote that the Lord would lay a precious and tested cornerstone for us, one that would give us a sure foundation, and those who rely on Him will not be “stricken with panic” (Isaiah 28:16). Later, the Bible tells us that Jesus is that Cornerstone. Trusting in Jesus, believing He died on the cross for us, receiving His mercy, and building our lives on Him…is so much better than building our lives on piles of sand. Consider taking a moment to read Matthew 7:24-27. How might Jesus be inviting you to build your life on Him today? • How could it be comforting to know that Jesus was rejected by humans, just as we are from time to time, yet He was still chosen by the Father and precious to Him? God says we are chosen and precious to Him too. What else does He say about us? (Ephesians 1:4; 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5, 9) The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LoRD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Psalm 118:22-24 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 16:7-11; 139:1-12; ISAIAH 41:10; 1 JOHN 1:5 I lay to rest, where do my thoughts go?To dangers, to darkness, to fearsThough there’s no light around meI can see the light of my great GodMy heart pushes me to find my GodTo seek Him with prayers as I try to sleepI set my eyes on the One who saved meFears can do nothing to shake meSecurely, I rest in the hands of GodKnowing my Father holds me with loveWhen thoughts turn back to darknessI put a stop to them, staying in lightThe joy of my God fills my whole beingJoy that pushes out the fear and doubtI know who holds me and loves meI rest because I’m securely held by Him • Emily Acker • Sleep is an important part of our physical, mental, and emotional health. Sometimes, we need help in order to give our bodies the sleep we need, and that’s okay. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, who is a trusted adult you can talk to, such as a parent, counselor, or doctor? • Do your thoughts ever keep you awake at night? We all experience this from time to time, and God has so much compassion on us. As Christians, we can know that God is always with us, holding us securely. Jesus our Savior is the Light of the world, and darkness can never overcome Him (John 1:5; 8:12). Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us, nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:35-39). And His Holy Spirit lives in us, reminding us of His promises and empowering us to give our worries to Jesus and turn our thoughts toward the hope He gives us (Philippians 4:4-9; 1 Peter 5:6-11). Do you have any favorite Bible verses that give you comfort and help you turn your thoughts to Jesus when you’re feeling unsettled? • 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. It’s important to remember that we all need help from others, and it’s okay to be honest about our struggles. 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 to, such as a parent, pastor, teacher, or counselor? • If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. 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. Return to your rest, my soul, for Yahweh has dealt bountifully with you. Psalm 116:7 (WEB)

READ: JOSHUA 1:1-9; EPHESIANS 2:8-10 Joshua was given a monumental task. He was told to lead his people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River to their new home, the Promised Land. This happened directly after the death of Moses, the one who had led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the desert for forty years to the brink of the Promised Land. God told Joshua to be “strong and courageous” in Joshua 1:6, again in verse 7, and once more in verse 9. The Promised Land was agriculturally rich and highly desirable, which is why there were already tribes of people there. Joshua’s task was formidable: lead a massive group of people with no military training into a hostile land. But God’s command to Joshua to be “strong and courageous” is not a mere platitude. It’s based in something solid and unmovable. You see, before God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, He told Joshua what He Himself had already done: “I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads” (Joshua 1:3). Because God had done His part, Joshua could be strong and courageous as he followed God’s command to lead the people into the Promised Land. Joshua understood the difference between what he was commanded to do and what the Lord had already done. This truth is also the basis of the gospel. We, too, can learn to understand the difference between what God commands us to do and what God has already done. While God does command us to follow in His good ways, our very best works, full of good intentions for others, will do nothing to save us. Kind words, strong morals, helping little old ladies across a street—these are all good things, but none of them will save us from sin and death. It is only the finished work of Christ that can accomplish that. Jesus’s perfect sacrifice, made out of His unending love for us, paves the way. It is His death and resurrection that makes the way for us to be saved. Let’s never confuse what God wants us to do with what He has already done. • Mike Hurley • God does not command us to save ourselves. Rather, He made the way to save us through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. (You can find out more about this good news on our “Know Jesus” page.) Those who know Jesus are forgiven and made right with God, and we are also empowered by the Holy Spirit, who helps us follow God in every area of our lives. How could resting in what God has done for us help us be “strong and courageous” as we follow in His good ways? “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (CSB)

READ: ROMANS 6:1-23; 8:12-21 At times, the Christian life can feel a bit restrictive. Following God’s good ways means certain things are off limits because sin hurts us and those around us. Yet sometimes, saying no to sin doesn’t make us feel very free. It might feel like we’re missing out. But Romans 6 in the Bible has something else to chip in. It calls our life in Christ one of freedom, and it tells us to submit no longer to the slavery of sin. Slavery? Sin is bad, you might say, but is it really like slavery? Paul, the person who wrote much of the New Testament, says that yes, it is. When we were under the control of sin, we had no options. Sin was our default impulse, and we defaulted to it often. We could not have willingly obeyed Christ if we’d tried. But God made the way to save us from our slavery to sin. Jesus Christ, who is God the Son, came and lived among us. He depended completely on God the Father as He walked perfectly in God’s good ways—something we never could have done. Then He died on the cross and rose from the dead, defeating sin and death on our behalf. Now, if we know Jesus, He freely gives us His perfect righteousness (or sinlessness) because He loves us so much. In Christ, we’re free from slavery to sin. While we will still struggle with sin until He returns, the Holy Spirit helps us obey Christ out of love, not out of force. We can obey Him as we would someone who has our best interests at heart, because that’s exactly who He is. It’s by doing God’s will that we are truly free, and liberty is always better than slavery, if you ask me. • Ethan Terry • Read Romans 8:12-17. How would you describe our relationship with God because of what Jesus has done for us? • Read Romans 8:18-21. What else will God set free someday? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6:4 (NLT)

READ: 3 JOHN 1:5-8; ROMANS 15:7; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-6; EPHESIANS 4:1-6 In God’s family, we will encounter people who have different backgrounds, experiences, personalities, likes, and dislikes than ours. And this is a beautiful thing! But it can be challenging as we seek to learn from and be kind to each other through the differences. As fellow Christians, there’s good news. Even if we don’t have much in common with some of our siblings in Christ, we’re still siblings because we both know Jesus as our Savior. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus unites us with all Christians and makes us part of His family, called the church. He is with us through the Holy Spirit, and that same Holy Spirit is in every believer. And He loves all of us. That’s why we need to be kind and welcoming to each other, no matter where someone is from or how different from us they may be. Jesus’s love for us is what binds us together—and it’s what enables us to love each other. When you are kind and welcoming to people who are different from you, you may be surprised to find they’re not so different from you after all! But no matter how similar or different they may be, Jesus calls us to show kindness to others— especially if they know Him as their Savior too. Instead of drawing back from each other because of our differences, we can lean in and learn from each other as siblings in Christ. And who knows—maybe we’ll get to know God a little bit better in the process! • A. W. Smith • Is there someone you’ve found difficult to love? Consider taking some time in prayer, asking God to help you see as He sees and love as He loves in this situation. • Who are trusted people in your life who can help you love difficult people well, including setting boundaries where necessary—such as therapists, parents, teachers, pastors, etc.? • Can you think of a time you were pleasantly surprised when you encountered someone different from you? What was it like? Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone— especially to those in the family of faith. Galatians 6:10 (NLT)

READ: JOSHUA 23:14; 1 PETER 1:3-9; 2 PETER 1:2-4; 3:9 Imagine this. You’ve just arrived at the best theme park in the state. You’re ecstatic to finally have enough money to be here—and you wouldn’t even be going if you hadn’t found a coupon for half-price tickets. But when the woman at the ticket booth looks at your coupon, she shakes her head. “I’m sorry,” she says, “but this coupon has expired. I have to charge you the full amount.” But you can’t pay the full amount…so you can’t get into the park. Can you feel the pain of this disappointment, even though it’s imaginary? This story can help us understand something really important about the gospel, or good news. God has made many promises to us, and they will never expire. He promises to forgive everyone who puts their trust in Jesus and to rescue us from sin and death. He promises to hear us whenever we pray, to give us joy, and to supply all our needs. Jesus promises to return one day to right every wrong and make all things new, and to resurrect our bodies so we can live with Him forever in restored creation. We can find these and more of His promises in His Word—the Bible. And all His promises will last forever! In short, God’s promises are way better than any coupon offer. His promises will never expire—He keeps every single one. So, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rest knowing that God will never leave us, and we get to look forward to eternal life with Him. Now that’s good news! • A. W. Smith • Do you have a favorite promise from God? What is it? If you want to learn more about Jesus’s promises, check out our “Know Jesus” page. And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 1 John 2:25 (NIV)

READ: 1 SAMUEL 16:1-13; MATTHEW 23:23-39; COLOSSIANS 3:1-17 Appearances aren’t everything. We probably know this in our heads, yet how often do we find ourselves getting worried about what others will think of us based on how we look or what we do? Maybe you really care about your clothes, the image you portray to your friends, how you perform in school or sports, or having the latest technology. While caring about these things is not bad, it becomes a problem when we elevate anything to a place in our hearts above God. There’s a story in 1 Samuel 16 that shows us God’s heart on the matter of appearances. The prophet Samuel went to see Jesse’s family because God told him to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king and replace Saul. When Samuel saw Jesse’s sons, he thought the oldest must be the chosen one based on what he saw on the surface, but God told him, “Do not consider his appearance or his height… The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (verse 7). Our culture is, in general, obsessed with appearances. From our bodies to our homes to our reputations, the world system wants us to be concerned with the outer and superficial. And this is nothing new! In Matthew 23, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for being so concerned about their appearance on the surface. They dressed impressively, they loved being honored and respected by others, and they followed strict, human-made rules, but they neglected the most important things: “justice, mercy and faithfulness” (verse 23). They looked good on the outside, but inside they were “full of greed and self-indulgence…hypocrisy and wickedness” (verses 25-28). Jesus told them what was of first importance was attending to the inside, their hearts. We live in a broken world where appearances too often take priority. But the good news is, there is freedom in Jesus. God loves us so much that He was willing to die for us, taking the penalty for all our sins so we could be forgiven. We don’t need to try to impress Him or anyone else. Once we put our trust in Jesus, believing He died and rose again, we are children of God, and He empowers us to set our minds and hearts on the things that really matter (Colossians 3:1-2). As God’s chosen and dearly loved people, we are called to clothe ourselves with things like compassion, gentleness, and forgiveness (verses 12-17). We can grow to become less concerned with appearances as we rest in the love of God, the One who transforms our hearts. • Savannah Coleman • How can resting in God’s love for us free us to care less about appearances? “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 8:18-39; REVELATION 21:1-7 Some days, I end up not eating breakfast. I’m not saying this is something everyone should do, but sometimes it’s what happens to me. I may not eat anything till noon. All morning, my stomach groans and grumbles, communicating its annoyance. And when I finally do eat, I find a lot of joy and satisfaction in my food. My stomach is finally content. Lately, this experience has reminded me of a truth found in Scripture. In Romans 8, Paul (the author of Romans) says that all of creation groans in anticipation of Jesus returning to earth and making all things new. It (and we) long to be free of sin, death, and suffering. There is a holy groaning and grumbling that communicates all is not right. We see how broken the world is, and how broken we are. Alongside creation, we lament and cry out to God, telling Him how desperately His healing is needed. And someday, Jesus will return. He will right every wrong, destroying sin, brokenness, and death permanently. Everything will be made whole again. There will be immense joy and satisfaction, and all of creation will finally be content. We will get to dwell with Jesus forever, living in His perfect love and peace. So, during those days when my stomach remains empty till lunchtime, I let the grumbles and groans turn my attention to the brokenness of creation and my desperate need for Jesus. I let myself feel the hurt. Then, when lunchtime comes around, I let myself feel the joy. I smile, remembering the sure hope of Jesus’s return and the peace and contentment He will bring. I remember that, while there will be temporary suffering now, eternal joy is coming. Our holy hunger will be satisfied. We will feast with Jesus and each other. And I can’t think of anything better than that. • Taylor Eising • Where do you see brokenness in the world around you? This breaks God’s heart, and someday Jesus will return to bring healing to the brokenness. How could this truth provide comfort? • As we wait for Jesus to return, He invites us into the healing work He is doing. Consider taking some time to pray, asking Jesus to show you ways you can participate in His good work. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:3-4 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 27:10; ISAIAH 49:15; 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-13; 1 JOHN 4:7-21 People don’t always love each other the way they should. Our world has been broken by sin, and we experience this brokenness in so many ways. You might see divorces happen and witness the heart-wrenching sorrow of two people separating after promising to be joined to one another for life. You might see parents abandon their children. Maybe you suffered a big hurt when someone in your life walked away from you. We don’t always love each other as we should. We mess up and hurt each other, whether intentionally or unintentionally. But God’s love for you is always there. He will never take it from you. When you don’t feel loved by your family in the way you should, you can remember that you have a God and Father who always loves you. Psalm 27:10 says, “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.” When you don’t feel loved by your friends, you can remember that Jesus calls His followers His friends (John 15:15). He so much wants to be with you that He went to the cross to die for you—and then He rose again, defeating sin and death so you could be with Him forever. When you worry that you are not loved, you can remember that the One who created the whole world created you. He made you in your mother’s womb, and He knows you (Psalm 139:1-17). He knows exactly who you are and loves you. God always cares about you and wants you as His child. Through Jesus, He made the way for you to be forgiven and brought into His family, where He helps us grow in love. Even when others don’t love you as they should, you are still worthy of love, and God will always give His love to you. • Bethany Acker • When we fail to love each other, God sees all the ways we hurt each other and all the pain we go through, and He weeps. But He doesn’t stop there. He came to deliver us. Jesus, God in flesh, died and rose again so we could be forgiven and brought near to God. He also gives believers His Holy Spirit, who empowers us to love others the way He loves us. When Jesus returns, He will restore all things, and everyone who’s put their trust in Him will live together in perfect love and harmony, with every hurt healed and every wrong made right. Until that glorious day, why is it so important for us to take time to meditate on the truth of God’s love for us in His Word? • What kinds of hurts have you experienced? In addition to talking to Jesus about this, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to, such as parents, friends, pastors, or counselors? We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. 1 John 4:16a (NLT)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17; HEBREWS 12:1-3; 1 PETER 1:3 Growing up, I would eagerly await Easter. After long stretches of cold winter, I couldn’t wait for warmer months. The Easter season promised planting new flower seeds, hiding Easter eggs, and more time basking in the spring sun. During the six and a half weeks leading up to Easter, some Christians practice Lent, preparing for Easter by giving up certain things, reflecting on Jesus Christ’s suffering, and examining their lives and hearts for sin that needs to be surrendered to Jesus. Where I live, Lent begins while we are still under the snowy veils of winter. I begin Lent in the shadows, reflecting on Christ’s suffering and on my own sacrifices as I think about how to let go of whatever isn’t helping me grow in my relationship with Jesus. As the weeks go on, the days lengthen, with the light lingering ever more. Sunshine lifts my spirits. As I get to know the loving spirit of Christ more deeply, what I’ve given up leaves space for the light to enter. By the time Easter arrives, the sun has cleared away the slush to reveal where flowers have bloomed. I feel the light brightening my heart too. I can have hope for the future, keeping room for even more of God’s love to pour into my soul like the water from Christ’s pierced side, bringing forth blossoms from the hardened ground. In this season of Lent, I search, and prepare. I ready myself to open the tomb, discovering that Christ has risen. Seeds of faith planted grow as Easter Day arrives. In this time, let’s keep ourselves open to new possibilities, to finding Christ in the light that reaches us every day, even as we wait for winter to recede into the past. Every day we have hope in Jesus, and we can open ourselves to new surprises, new sources of joy—like a hidden egg found. • Kathryn Sadakierski • Waiting for Easter, and for all good things to come in our lives, can be difficult, but as we wait, what graces are there to be found? How has God helped you grow in seasons of waiting? • Have you ever found yourself surprised by joy? What was that like? By his power God raised the Lord [Jesus Christ] from the dead, and he will raise us also. 1 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)

READ: NAHUM 1:1-7; 2:1-10; 3:1-4, 18-19; ACTS 17:24-31 Sometimes I see all the bad in the world and I start to feel hopeless. With things like war and cancer in the world, does God even care? Well, the short book of Nahum in the Bible is a collection of poems that shows how God does address evil and does care about the bad things happening in the world. In it, the prophet Nahum tells about the coming downfall of one of Israel’s enemy nations: Assyria. The Assyrians captured and ransacked Israel in 721 B.C. Eventually, the nation of Babylon would topple the Assyrians, including their capital city of Nineveh. The imagery of the fall of Nineveh in the book of Nahum is vivid and gruesome. The book talks about the city being cut down with the sword and people stumbling over the corpses. God’s righteous judgement is coming down because the city and empire itself was built on the blood of the innocent. The book then contrasts the evil empire, and the judgment they will face, with the mercy God will show to His faithful remnant in Israel. Nahum 1:6 talks about how God’s wrath is pouring out like fire against the evil nation, and in Nahum 1:7, the very next verse, it talks about how God is a refuge to His faithful people who have humbled themselves before God. For the prophet Nahum, the fall of the Assyrians alludes to how God will someday bring justice to all evil empires of the world. We are familiar with evil and oppression in today’s world—we see it all the time. The book of Nahum shows that God does not ignore this evil; He grieves it. And He promises to bring judgement and restoration to the whole world one day. We have already seen this restoration in part through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but we also look forward to the day Jesus will return to earth, and our loving God will destroy all injustice and restore creation under His perfectly just reign. • Naomi Zylstra • Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the evil and suffering in the world? You can bring these feelings to Jesus in prayer anytime, and you can ask Him to show you how you can participate in the good work of His perfectly just kingdom here and now. (Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8; Mark 12:29-31) • Have you seen a piece of restoration and justice that previews the restoration to come? What was it like? If not, you can ask Jesus to help you catch glimpses of the good work He is doing anytime. The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7 (NIV)

READ: REVELATION 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 17:14; 22:1-5 Worthy, worthy is the Lamb,Worthy is the great I am.He was slain in my stead,Bruised and buried, He rose from the dead.Ruling now in majesty,Day and night He pleads for me.Clothed in robes of purest light,The Lamb returns, dispels the night.King of kings upon His throne,High and holy is the Saving One.Worthy, worthy is the Lamb,Worthy is the great I am. This poem was inspired by passages in the book of Revelation that show Jesus as the triumphant Lamb of God. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah said the Messiah would be “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7). And this is how Jesus let Himself be led to the cross. Yet, the Lamb we see in Revelation is no longer meek and submissive, but is now a ruling, warrior Lamb. This is because, when Jesus returns, the time will finally come for justice to reign! The Lamb arises as the only One worthy—worthy to enact justice. Why? With His own blood, the great I am (Exodus 3:14), paid the debt for every wrong. Because Jesus Christ the Lamb died on the cross for us and rose from the grave, only He can intervene with power to cleanse all who repent—and power to destroy evil forever. Christ the Lamb is “the faithful and true witness,” the final “Amen,” who always judges “with justice” (Revelation 3:14; 19:11). May we join in the joyous chorus of heavenly praise, singing, “Worthy is the Lamb!” • G. Kam Congleton • Consider taking some time to reread today’s Bible passages, asking God to reveal Jesus the Lamb of God to you in a new way. What words are used to describe this Lamb of God? How can what Jesus has done—and what He will do—make a difference in our lives? (Find out more on our “Know Jesus” page.) • Do you have any favorite Bible passages that fill you with awe at who God is? Consider taking a moment to praise Him using some of these words from Scripture. You could even create your own poem or song of praise. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Revelation 5:12 (NIV)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-17; EPHESIANS 4:20-32; COLOSSIANS 3:5-17 Closet clean-outs can be so satisfying. Getting rid of clothes that no longer fit can help make space for the things we really need—and like—in our closets. Instead of a cluttered and chaotic closet bursting at the seams with clothes that don’t really suit us, we see a space well-ordered with things that are functional and beautiful to us. Getting rid of old things to make room for new things is a lot like how our walk with Jesus goes. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.” Once we put our trust in Jesus, we become new creations! And some of our old ways of life don’t fit us anymore once we become Christians. So, it’s kind of like Jesus takes us shopping. He gives us new attitudes, new habits, and new desires to clothe ourselves in—and these new ways of life suit us much better. Are you putting on the things Jesus has given you for your new Christian life— things like kindness and self-control? Or are there some old habits and attitudes that you’re still hanging on to? Jesus wants to replace old habits and attitudes with something far better. Those old, selfish desires don’t fit you anymore. Instead, since you are already “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12), look to Jesus to fill your life with His love, peace, and joy. • A. W. Smith • Why is it important to remember that Jesus is the One who makes us new—not anything we do or don’t do? (Ephesians 2:8-10) • According to Galatians 5:22-23, what are some of the fruits that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives once we know Jesus? • How have you seen Jesus bring about change in yourself and in other Christians? Consider taking a moment to celebrate this work by thanking God in the space below! Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (WEB)

READ: JOHN 3:16-18; COLOSSIANS 4:3-6; 1 PETER 3:15-16 My niece got me thinking recently. She wrote me a letter asking what I would tell her about Jesus if she didn’t know about Him. She said she wanted to know so that she would know what to share with others. I was surprised when I didn’t have an immediate answer for her. As I spent time thinking, I considered the fact that you really need to know what someone has heard about God and Jesus before you can start sharing with them in a helpful way. You need to know what their beliefs are and how they feel about things. You need to listen to them. I told my niece some of that, and then I told her I would want her to know that God loves her. I would want her to know that she can be forgiven and that there is grace out there big enough to forgive us over and over again. As I thought about what I would share with someone if they didn’t know Jesus, I thought about how I would explain that they were carefully crafted by God. Rather than just jumping into Jesus’s death and resurrection, I would want to start with a bit of a backstory. I’m thankful that my ten-year-old niece got me thinking about all of this, and I’m in awe of how she wants to go out and share about Jesus with others. It can be so helpful for us to think about what we would say to someone who doesn’t know Jesus—and to consider how different people will need to hear His message of hope in different ways. • Emily Acker • Have you had opportunities to tell others about God’s perfect love and justice, and how He made the way for us to be saved through Jesus? What was it like? • Has someone ever shared the gospel (good news) with you? Did their explanation make sense to you, or did it confuse you? If you want to know more about the gospel, check out our “Know Jesus” page. • God invites us to be part of His good work of sharing the hope of Jesus with others, and He knows that everyone is different. Through His Holy Spirit, He’ll help us tell people about Jesus in ways that will resonate with them. The first step in telling others about Jesus is listening to them. You can ask questions like, “Who do you think Jesus was?” or “What do you think God is like?” or “What have your experiences with Christians been like?” I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness. Psalm 40:10 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 64:6; ROMANS 3:10, 23-24; PHILIPPIANS 3:3-11 Arlyn stood in a long line of travelers, each waiting for their turn at the weighing station. She watched the distance between her and the balance scale grow smaller. Her basket of jewels rattled as she tried to control her trembling. When she had gathered them in the dark depths of the mine, the jewels had appeared flawless. Now, against the backdrop of the splendid palace towering over her, she saw cracks marring the stones. She desperately hoped they would be enough. When it was Arlyn’s turn to step forward, she looked over at the curtained doorway beyond the giant scale. People whispered that the king presided over each weighing, though no one ever saw him. She placed her basket on the scale and glanced fearfully at the enormous rock on the other side of the balance. It was hopeless. There was no way her jewels, which seemed more like pebbles now, would ever outweigh the impossible weight of the boulder. But that was the only way to purchase entry into the kingdom. “Not enough,” a soldier declared, confirming Arlyn’s worst fear. Exhausted, she sank to her knees. It wasn’t enough. How could it not be enough? She had given everything she had. “Wait.” A voice called from the shadows. A figure stepped out from the curtain. It was the king’s son himself. He gestured to Arlyn. “Will you take your jewels off the scale?” “But…I can’t!” Arlyn whispered hoarsely. She had worked for years to gather the jewels—were they really worthless? “Do you trust me?” the prince asked, surprising Arlyn with his gentleness. This time, Arlyn nodded. The jewels turned to dust in her hands as soon as she picked them up. She turned her eyes to the prince. With scarred hands, he lifted the great boulder from the scale and hefted it onto his own shoulder. Then, he placed himself on the balance. The scale crumbled beneath his weight. Arlyn watched in wonder as the curtain separating her from the king ripped straight down the middle, from top to bottom. “Follow me.” The prince held out his hand kindly. “My father wants you to come and be part of his kingdom, part of our family.” As Arlyn took his hand and stepped into the kingdom, a peace settled over her. A weight she hadn’t known she was carrying disappeared from her shoulders. Her jewels hadn’t been enough. But the prince himself had saved her. • Katherine Billingsley • In today’s allegorical story, Arlyn struggles to let go of the jewels she worked so hard to collect. As humans we could never do enough good to outweigh our sin (anything we do, think, or say that goes against God); we could never make ourselves righteous. Yet, we often struggle to let go of our own good works. Arlyn finds peace when she realizes the prince alone can help her. We can feel a similar weight lifted from us when we recognize that we can’t save ourselves and instead put our trust in Jesus. He offers us rest because He has already done the work of saving us by living a sinless life, dying in our place, and rising from the grave. He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Have you experienced the freedom of trusting in Jesus? If you want to know more about this good news, check out our “Know Jesus” page. • Even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we all fall into striving to be good enough, instead of resting in what Jesus has already done for us. In what ways do you find yourself trying to be “enough” for God, for other people, for yourself…? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about these things. He has so much compassion for you, and He wants to help. • In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians you could talk to about what you’re struggling with, and di...

READ: MATTHEW 18:21-35 Many of us love a good revenge story. In movies, books, and TV shows, we love the story of someone who takes matters into their own hands and gets back at the bad guy—we want to see the bad guys get what they deserve. Many of us have been on the receiving end of bullying or mistreatment, and we know what it’s like to want revenge. But what happens when we’re the ones doing the bullying or mistreating? Well then we may be tempted to think it wasn’t a big deal. We may come up with all sorts of excuses and reasons to explain away what we did: “I was just joking. I was tired. You’re overreacting.” Or maybe we try to justify what we did: “Well, I wouldn’t have hurt them if they hadn’t hurt me first!” We may want revenge when we’re the ones who have been hurt, but when we hurt somebody else, we might try to explain it away. Do you see the problem here? We’re all hypocrites! In our sinfulness and brokenness, we have one standard that we apply to others, but we fail to live by our own standard. How often do we insist on punishment for others’ sin but excuse our own sin? In Christ, we’ve been forgiven a tremendous debt. Jesus has wiped away our debt of sin through His death and resurrection, and He calls us to show that forgiveness to others. We see this in Matthew 18:21-35, when Jesus tells a parable where one servant had been forgiven of a HUGE debt—millions of dollars. But he still refused to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a much smaller debt. When we refuse to forgive others, we are acting like that first servant. If you know Jesus, you’ve been forgiven, and His Holy Spirit lives in you, empowering you to forgive. Jesus knows that forgiving others isn’t easy. It’s normal to want revenge. But He showed us a better way. Even when He was being nailed to the cross, He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). That is amazing love. • Jacob Bier • Forgiving someone doesn’t mean saying that what they did is okay or even being in close relationship with them. When people sin, they need healing, and forgiving someone means you desire healing and wholeness for that person. How does Jesus, the ultimate Healer, enable us to desire healing for those who hurt us? Peter…asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 25:3; ROMANS 8:31-39; HEBREWS 10:19-23 Have you ever followed a celebrity who ended up in trouble? It can make us feel embarrassed that we were ever supporters of this person as their wrongdoings are exposed. We may regret ever spending time following them. It can be so disappointing. People disappoint us in other ways, too. Maybe you’ve looked up to a parent or other adult in your life, and then they left. Maybe you spent so much time trying to impress them, trying to win their love, but they simply left without a glance back. But even when people let us down, we have this hope: following God is not like following a person. When we know Jesus Christ, He stays a part of our lives. We can read His Word, we can pray to Him, we can gather with His people, and we can grow in our relationship with Him each day. We don’t have to be afraid that He will abandon us or turn out to be untrustworthy—His love never fails (Psalm 13:5). Out of love, Jesus died and rose again because God wants to be with us so badly. And one day, He will return to dwell with us forever in renewed creation. In the meantime, He is always with us, and He never leaves us. Nothing can ever come between us and God. Our relationship with Him is unlike any other. Throughout our lives, people will disappoint us. They will let us down and hurt us, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. But God never forsakes us, and He never changes. God doesn’t mess up or get in trouble. He is always good, always kind, and always the same. “No one who hopes in…[God] will ever be put to shame” (Psalm 25:3). • Emily Acker • Can you think of a time you felt disappointed by someone you looked up to, such as a parent, teacher, pastor, or celebrity? We all sin, and we’re all broken, so it’s not surprising that the people we look up to will fall short. Jesus is with us in these times of disappointment, weeping with us and inviting us to rely on His faithfulness, grace, and mercy. • While we may feel disappointed with God sometimes, He will never fail to keep His promises. He’ll never leave us, no matter what. How could this bring us comfort when we feel abandoned? • Community is a good thing. God designed it! He wants us to listen to wise people who love Him, so don’t be afraid to draw near to others and learn from them. Yet, our ultimate hope is found in Jesus and no one else. Who has helped and encouraged you in your walk with Jesus? Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 90:1-4; 136:1; 2 PETER 3:8-9 We humans were made to be curious creatures. God made us to learn and to always be full of questions about Him and the world He made. One deep question we very quickly reach is: “Who or what made God? If every effect has a cause, what caused God to exist?” The answer is, nobody made God; nothing caused God to exist. He didn’t come from anywhere—He just always was. Our minds are finite and limited, and there are some things we can’t fully understand as humans. It’s hard to wrap our minds around the fact that God is eternal, which means having no beginning and no end. God always existed and always will exist. Perhaps the closest image we have is a circle. Where does it begin or end? Technically, nowhere. And that’s kind of like God. He is the Eternal One. He never had a beginning, and He has no ending. We think of our lives in minutes and days and weeks and years, but with God, it isn’t like that. Second Peter 3:8 says, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” And because God has no beginning and no end, His love is like that too. We see God’s never-ending, unconditional love on display when Jesus, God the Son, willingly became human and died on the cross for us. But the Eternal One couldn’t be held by death. After three days in a tomb, Jesus rose from the grave, defeating sin and death once and for all so that we could live with Him—forever. No matter what, His love for us will never end. • A. W. Smith • God’s eternal nature is a mystery to our brains. What are some other mysteries about God that you wonder about? Who are trusted people in your life you could talk with about these wonderful mysteries? • How can God’s eternal, unchanging, unconditional love for us give us comfort in tough times? Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:2 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1 Lord, how I long to turn your creation into art.How I long to paint the light,Where there once was darkHow I long to sing of the waters,Where there once was nothingHow I long to write of the flowers,Where once no land was foundHow I long to sketch the stars,Where once the sky was emptyHow I long to play a melody the birds would sing,Where the fish will splash alongHow I long to photograph the animals,Where once nothing trottedHow I long to act as the people before me,Where once no people were aliveHow I long to be an artist,Where you were the original ArtistLord, how I long to turn your creation into art. • Kimberly Brokish • What is your favorite art form? Painting, singing, writing, drawing, sculpting, playing an instrument, photography, theater, etc.? God created everything out of nothing—and He specifically made humans in His image. He invites us to use whatever talents, abilities, and resources He has given us to create things that are beautiful, thought-provoking, or useful out of what He has already made. And, if we know Jesus, the Holy Spirit helps guide our creative process. How might God be inviting you to use your creativity today? In the beginning God created… Genesis 1:1a (CSB)

READ: MALACHI 3:6; HEBREWS 13:1-8; JAMES 1:17 We live in a world where things are constantly changing. Music, friendships, clothing styles, circumstances—they all change. Some changes are good; some are not so good. But even in the midst of all this change, we can rest knowing that Jesus will always stay the same. He will always love us and always keep His promises. And once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can be sure that He will never leave us and that we’ll live with Him forever. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” And Romans 8:35-39 tells us that nothing can separate us from His love. In fact, part of God’s greatness is that He’s always the same. He’s the one unchanging factor in an ever-changing world. So, no matter what changes we face in our lives, we can rely on Jesus. He is who He says He is, and He keeps all His promises. Jesus went to the cross, giving up His very life for us, and rose from the grave to beat sin and death. And He will return one day and make all things new—free from sin and death forever. In the meantime, God is working all things together “for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). This hope we have is real and unchanging: we belong to Jesus, and no matter what kinds of changes we experience in this broken world, we can know that His love never changes. • A. W. Smith • What kinds of changes are going on in your life right now? What about the world in general? How do you feel about these changes? Consider taking some time to talk with Jesus about these changes and how you feel about them. • Why is it important to remember that Jesus is unchanging? How could this truth help us rest in His love, and better love our neighbors? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 145:1-3; ACTS 16:22-25; ROMANS 12:10-18 When you think about snow days, what comes to mind? Maybe sleeping in, then going sledding in all that fresh snow, then drinking hot chocolate to warm up? Snow days can bring unexpected fun and rest, but they can also bring disappointment sometimes. Have your plans ever been derailed by a snow day? While it’s fun to get the day off from school, snow days also mean you probably don’t get to see your friends or do other things you may have been looking forward to because all that snow can make traveling questionable or even impossible. Throughout our lives, we’ll have many days when things don’t go like we expect. But Jesus wants to walk with us through all these disappointments, and He gives us unexpected gifts along the way. No matter what happens, we have an opportunity to rest in Jesus and enjoy being in relationship with Him—every day of our lives. Each day is a gift from Jesus, and He wants to help us rejoice in the days He gives us. We can use them to bask in His love for us, and to show that love to others—whether it’s a school day or not, whether it’s a sunny day or a snow day. We can find something to enjoy every day, even when things don’t go according to plan. So, how can you be attentive to God’s presence on this day He has given you? What unexpected gifts could He be setting in front of you? May today be a day where you find joy and hope in God’s abiding presence and His unchanging love. • A. W. Smith • What things have not gone according to plan today? Consider using the space below to talk to God about your feelings about what’s happened. • What are you thankful for today? Where have you seen glimpses of Jesus’s presence and love? • How would you like to use the remainder of your day? • On days when the disappointments just keep piling up, it can be helpful to remember that Jesus knows firsthand what it’s like to experience the pains of human life, and He longs to comfort us in all our troubles and give us hope. His love for us holds steady even on the hardest days, and He is always worthy of our praise. (Romans 5:5; 8:38-39; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Hebrews 4:14-16) This is the day the LORD has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 10:11-18, 27-30; GALATIANS 1:1-4; 1 PETER 3:13-18 I’ve heard many an argument about who raised Jesus from the dead. The truth of the matter is that God raised Him from the dead. Something important to know about God is that He is one God, and He is also three persons—that’s why we sometimes refer to God as the Trinity (from the Latin word for triple or three at a time). Scripture tells us that all three persons of the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit—raised Jesus from the dead! In Galatians 1:1, Paul says that “God the Father…raised him [Jesus] from the dead.” In John 10:18, Jesus, who is God the Son, takes responsibility for raising Himself from the dead when He declares, “No one takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.” And in 1 Peter 3:18, Peter writes that Jesus was made alive by the Holy Spirit: “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work in perfect unity with each other. That’s why Jesus said, “I can do nothing on my own” (John 5:30). He totally relied on His Father in what to say and how to say it (John 12:49-50), and also in what to do. On the night before Jesus went to the cross, He said, “So that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me” (John 14:31). In the same passage, Jesus shows the triune God working together in unity when He promises the Spirit: “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26). And remember that Jesus only said what God the Father told Him to say. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God. They all love us deeply, and they all work together in our lives, for they work together in perfect harmony. • Sharon Morris • As humans, we can’t totally wrap our minds around who God is, and that’s okay! He invites us to learn about Him, enjoy relationship with Him (which He made possible through Jesus’s death and resurrection), and continue to ask questions and wrestle with Him throughout our lives. Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to as you ponder the wonderful mysteries of God? If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (CSB)

READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12; ROMANS 12:15; HEBREWS 10:23-25 When my closest cousin, Jeanna, was barely a young woman, she lost her fight with cancer. I mourned her death with daily tears longer than I expected to. Then I learned of a way to honor Jeanna and others who were battling a cancer diagnosis. I signed up for a walk-a-thon to raise funds for cancer research. Most people taking part in this event had joined teams—from churches, families, or workplaces—and they took turns walking laps along the designated path. I had no team, though. I never thought of asking anybody to share in this effort with me. I just knew I wanted to recognize Jeanna’s life and find an outlet for my grief. Doing this alone did not deter me. But as the walk-a-thon wore on, I traveled lap after lap on my own. I had nobody to cheer for me or hand me water. I had no team member sharing in the goal of walking in memory of Jeanna, and I had nobody to relieve me when I needed to rest. By the end, I felt weary in more ways than one. That night at the cancer fundraiser, having the support of others with the same purpose would have made such a difference for me. God knows we need each other. He created us for a relationship with Him and for relationships with others. When we trust in Jesus—His work on the cross and His resurrection—we begin a relationship with God. He never intended for us to journey through life alone; He is present with us, and He also gives us each other. He calls us to encourage and seek fellowship with other Christians as we experience all the joys and sorrows of life. And as we grow in loving Christ, we not only learn to build each other up. We also grow to understand how we need support and strength from other Christians, too. • Allison Wilson Lee • Have you experienced a loss recently? Jesus has so much compassion on you and grieves your hurts alongside you. Who are trusted Christians in your life you could share your grief with, too? • One way God is present with us is through each other. As His love for us spills over into our love for each other, we find hope, love, comfort, and strength that we never could have found on our own. Do you find it easier to boost others up or to recognize your own need for support? Consider taking some time in prayer, asking God to help you grow in these areas. Additionally, who are trusted Christians you could talk to, such as parents, pastors, youth leaders, or friends? But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)

READ: 1 SAMUEL 17:34-36; PSALM 23:1-6; EZEKIEL 34:11-12, 22 One of Jesus’s names is the Good Shepherd. Throughout the Bible, we find glimpses of what this means, and in John 10:11, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” I’ve heard teachers illustrate what Jesus does for us by explaining how shepherds care for their sheep by feeding them and making sure they don’t get carried away by a raging river. That’s all true, yet there’s another aspect of being a shepherd that we sometimes forget. We don’t often think of a shepherd as a courageous hero. Think about sheep for a second. They do dumb stuff. And predators, like lions and bears, think sheep are a great snack. Whenever they get the chance, they snatch an unsuspecting sheep and trot off to enjoy their food. What does the shepherd do? Watch the bleating animal being carried away and think, “How sad. But at least I won’t have to deal with that pest anymore”? No. He grabs whatever weapons are available and takes off to take care of business. He kills that predator and takes the sheep home. He tends to their wounds and places them back with the flock, away from danger. In the same way our Good Shepherd looks after us. He first rescued us from sin by coming to sacrifice His life on the cross and then rise from the dead. In doing so, He defeated Satan and the grave once and for all. And now, He continually protects His people, because even when we’re Christians we still mess up—we sin, we make mistakes, and we get into trouble. When our circumstances and our own failures seem to carry us away and eat us, Jesus breaks in. He shows us the foes are beatable, because He is with us and He is Lord over all. The Good Shepherd is there whenever we call for Him. And when the world, its obligations, and all kinds of trials batter us around, He’s always there to care for us. • Morgan Mitchell • Jesus rescues us from sin and death, but He doesn’t stop there. He continues to rescue and care for us as we go through the struggles of this life. And when He returns to restore creation and right every wrong, we will live with Him forever, free from dangers and difficulties. How might picturing Jesus as the courageous Hero-Shepherd, and ourselves as helpless sheep, make it easier for us to call on Jesus when we’re in trouble? Why is crying out to Jesus better than trying to figure things out on our own? “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” Ezekiel 34:11 (NIV)

READ: MICAH 4:1-7; JOHN 10:11-18; REVELATION 21:1-5 In the book of the Bible called Micah, the prophet Micah speaks of God’s coming judgment against the nation of Israel: the impending invasion from the nation of Assyria. The book begins with an image of God coming down and bringing judgement. The vivid imagery describes mountains melting like wax (Micah 1:4). All of this because Israel had continued to rebel against God. The prophet Micah even goes through the names of different towns that have turned away from God, and he describes how he is in distress over this rebellion (1:9-16). So, what sort of rebellion deserved all this wrath and judgement? Micah calls out the leaders of Israel for their greed, saying they have wrongly become wealthy through theft (2:1-2). The leaders have also participated in bribery and bent the rules to favor the rich (3:9-11). Micah also blames the false prophets of Israel who gave sweet words of reassurance for the right price (3:5). But this book isn’t only about judgement. God shows His merciful character by bringing a message of hope. Micah describes how God will act like a shepherd and gather the remnant of His people back to Himself (2:12-13). The book also contains a message of hope about how God will restore all things after His judgement (4:1-7). Micah says that, after the Jerusalem the Israelites know is destroyed, God will bring about a new and restored Jerusalem. And the people of this new Jerusalem will be a blessing to the rest of the world. Micah also prophesies about the new king from the line of David who will rule over this new city (5:1-6). Today, we know that King is Jesus! Through His death and resurrection, Jesus forgives and saves His people from judgement, and one day He will return to make all things new. Jesus will reign over all creation as the long-awaited Shepherd-King. Even as the book of Micah shares the message of God’s judgment against injustice and greed, it’s also full of the hope of future restoration. It gives us a picture of the loving, merciful character of God. • Naomi Zylstra • Where do you see greed and injustice in the world around you? How could it be comforting to know that Jesus weeps over these things and will one day destroy all greed and injustice forever? • We all fall short of God’s justice, and we all fall into greed sometimes. Consider asking Jesus to help you identify greed in your life so you can confess it and rest in His forgiveness and restoration. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 1:7-9; 2:1-10; 3:14-21 When I was young, I didn’t realize the extent of God’s grace. As a child, I prayed over and over asking God to forgive me for my sins. I thought maybe it took a special kind of prayer to be saved from sin and death, and I wanted to make sure I said it. I knew that God loved me, but I just didn’t realize how big His love was. Now I can see God’s love much better, even though it’s still hard to fathom. God knew that I needed to be saved from my sins, so He sent His Son Jesus to live among us and ultimately die on the cross. And then, He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever. God knew I couldn’t be perfect and wouldn’t make it on my own, so He made the way through Jesus Christ, His perfect Son. Jesus is the way and the only way. I can’t get there on my own. No prayer I say is good enough to earn a place in God’s eternal kingdom. Nothing I could do could get me there. It’s only through His grace that I am saved. Once I have confessed my sin and, by faith in Jesus, accepted the gift He offered in His death on the cross, I am free from my sins. I am a new creation. The old me is gone, and the new me is washed in His blood and covered with His grace. When I was young, I worried that my prayer would somehow wear off or that God would no longer forgive me if I did this or that. Now I know that His love is so much greater than I imagined then, and His grace is big enough to cover me. • Bethany Acker • Have you ever worried that your prayers are not enough? Have you ever begged God over and over to save you? You may have heard that works can’t save us, but have you ever thought of prayer (or saying “the right prayer”) as a work? Anytime we find ourselves relying on something we do instead of something God does, He invites us to turn back to Him and rely on His grace. We can rest in His steadfast love, knowing that Jesus has already done the work of saving us. • Grace is sometimes defined as “unmerited favor” or “getting what we don’t deserve.” God’s grace is amazing—He freely gives us eternal life even though we could do nothing to earn it. If you want to know more about this grace and what it means to be saved through Jesus, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our “Know Jesus” page.) • If you want to dig deeper, read John 3:16; 14:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 7:14. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you…” 2 Corinthians 12:9a (CSB)

READ: PSALM 62; MATTHEW 7:24-29; JOHN 16:31-33 Perhaps you know how it feels to seek shelter from the storms of life. I know I do. We often look for safety and security in anything we can, like sailors trying to cast an anchor. But it soon becomes clear that “everything is futile,” or empty—like vapor that’s here one moment and gone the next (Ecclesiastes 1:2). No matter how hard we try to find the shelter we so desperately desire, when we put our confidence in the world’s unkept promises, we come up empty-handed. Because of sin, the world is often a dark place. Sometimes it’s hard to find light. But God doesn’t leave us alone in the storms. Look at how David begins the 62nd psalm by penning a testimony of God’s faithfulness. He writes, “I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.” In a world of uncertainty, God offers us shelter and rest. He made this world good, and though our sin brought brokenness, Jesus stepped into this brokenness to save us. He is the Light of the world who rescues us from darkness through His own death and resurrection. He is the solid rock that will not be shaken. And when He returns, He will make all things new and whole. But as we wait for this glorious day, life in the midst of brokenness can sometimes seem like an insurmountable challenge. We are often surrounded by difficulties, and we may even feel as if we’re completely alone. If God promises us that we will not be shaken, shouldn’t He protect us from the trials that roll our way? In John 16:33, Jesus tells His disciples, “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” Jesus does not promise a life free from trials. In fact, He guarantees that we will suffer. But He promises to be our stronghold who brings us hope above all else, a Savior to cling to despite the trials, and a God who loves His precious children. And so, while we can be certain that we will have trials, we can trust God completely when He tells us that those who have faith in Jesus will “never be shaken.” • Katherine Billingsley • What things, ideas, or people are you tempted to find security and identity in? How have these let you down? Jesus sees our pain and grieves our hurts with us. He comforts us in our troubles and invites us to take part in bringing wholeness to broken places. (2 Corinthians 1:3-11) • What are some of God’s attributes and promises we can count on as a firm foundation, no matter what? (Matthew 11:28-30; 28:20; John 8:12; 1 Peter 2:4-6; Revelation 21:1-5) He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:2 (CSB)

READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12; JOHN 15:9-17 I used to own a rock tumbler, a machine that takes ordinary rocks and transforms them into polished, gemlike stones. The process would last for days, and the tumbler was so loud I had to keep it in the garage! After I put rocks and grit into the barrel with some water, the machine would spin everything around so the rocks scraped against each other, slowly grinding away the edges. After all the grinding and polishing, I was left with smooth, shiny, colorful stones. Tumbling rocks takes grit and perseverance, and it isn’t a process that can be rushed, but it’s worth it—a lot like friendship. Building friendships is hard work for me. I’m an introvert, and talking to new people doesn’t come naturally to me. For all of us, it takes time and effort to get to know someone well, and it can be hard to trust new people. But friendship also offers opportunities to love and support others, find fun and encouragement, and, especially, learn from each other. Like how the rocks in the rock tumbler scrape against each other and become polished in the process, friends can strengthen each other by pointing out each other’s struggles and helping them grow. Proverbs 27:17 says it this way: “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Even if you struggle to make friends, know that you have a friend in Jesus. He is the King and Creator of the universe, but He knows and cares for us on a deeply personal level. He is a faithful friend who is closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). When Jesus came and lived among us, He showed us what it truly means to be a loving friend (1 John 4:11). He loves us so much that even when we were living in sin and rebellion against Him, He gave up His life for us (Romans 5:8). Then He rose from the grave, defeating sin and death so we could be forgiven and become friends of God. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Spirit lives in us, helping us grow in our relationship with God—and in our relationships with each other. Friendship can be difficult, but it is a beautiful treasure. • Abby Ciona • Good friendships involve conflict all the way through, not just at the beginning. We are different people, and we’ll disagree about things until Jesus returns and makes all things new. Do you know anyone who loves others well, even in times of disagreement and conflict? • As we seek to love others well, how could it be helpful to remember the way Jesus loves us, even when we get frustrated with Him and don’t listen to Him? As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 11:25–12:14; 18:1-17; JAMES 3:1-2 I’m a big rule-follower, but I was more so when I was younger. I really didn’t want to make waves or question anyone who was in charge. It’s something I’m still not really comfortable with to this day. But sometimes the rules we’re asked to follow do not align with our beliefs. And this is where life can get complicated. The same thing happened to Jesus. A group of religious leaders called the Pharisees tried to enforce rules about what people could and couldn’t do on the Sabbath. God commanded His people to rest on the Sabbath, which is the seventh day of the week (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:15), but the Pharisees extended God’s command to include more rules. When Jesus broke these additional rules by healing on the Sabbath and by letting His disciples pick grain, and then declared that He is Lord of the Sabbath, the Pharisees were upset and eventually plotted to kill Jesus. But Jesus corrected the Pharisees’ ideas about the Sabbath and explained not only the meaning behind God’s law, but also how He came to give us rest in Himself. The rules the Pharisees were following, and telling everyone else to follow, did not necessarily align with what God’s Word was actually teaching, so Jesus called these people out. Calling out figures of authority isn’t an easy role to play. For many people in the Bible, speaking out against authority led to harm or even death. Remember, the Pharisees were primarily the ones who were plotting to have Jesus crucified. But when people misrepresent the good news of Jesus, preaching injustice or evil, we are not supposed to stay silent in the face of oppression. We can speak out with courage and humility, knowing that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us (Romans 8:11). Standing up to injustice will look different for everyone. It may not be as dramatic as yelling or flipping tables (Matthew 21:12-17), but it could mean sending an email about a concern you’ve noticed. And as we do this, we can rest in the good news of Jesus—the One who died and rose again to free us from trying to keep the law in our own strength—and we can invite others into this rest, too. • Naomi Zylstra • Sometimes, those in authority teach things that do not align with God’s Word or help their hearers rest in Jesus. If they’re seeking to follow Jesus, they will want to be corrected so they can repent and grow. If you had a concern about someone’s leadership, how would you bring it up? Who is a trusted adult you could talk to if you experienced something unsettling? “Come to me…and I [Jesus] will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

READ: 1 JOHN 2:1-29 Recently, I was buying some pizzas, and when I handed the cashier my money she did something that made me freeze: she held up the dollar bills to the light, examining them closely. She was trying to see if they were authentic. At that moment, I thought to myself, Oh great. Did I get stuck with a counterfeit bill? Fortunately they were not counterfeits, and I got my pizza and went on my way. But counterfeit money is a real problem for businesses, and so cashiers are often trained to recognize fake money. Do you know how they do it? They don’t study fake money. Instead, they learn all about real money. When the Federal Reserve prints dollar bills, they add all kinds of markings that authenticate the true value. That way, no matter how a counterfeit bill is made, a cashier can tell what’s real and what’s not. When you know what to look for, you can spot a fake a mile away. In 1 John 2:18-25, John is warning us about spiritual scammers who pass on counterfeit gospel messages. They use spiritual language and sound very religious, but if you listen closely, what they’re preaching is a false gospel—such as a gospel of getting lots of money, or treating our neighbors in a fearful and hate-filled way, or trying to follow God’s commands legalistically rather than relying on grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). But the real gospel, which John often calls “the truth,” is purely the good news of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. So how do we avoid getting tricked by counterfeit gospels and falling for their lies? John says the best defense is to “remain in fellowship with Christ” (1 John 2:27). We could never study every single lie—there are too many of them! Instead, Jesus calls us to abide in Him (John 15:1-17). By faith, we can rest in the good news of Jesus’s death and resurrection, even as we seek to understand the truth of God’s Word. Throughout our lives, He will guide us through His Spirit, His Word, and His people, helping us discern what is true and what is false. When we understand the true gospel, we can better defend ourselves against false gospels. As we abide in Jesus, we will be prepared to face whatever messages are thrown at us. • Jacob Bier • How can looking at the true gospel help us recognize fakes? (More on the gospel on our “Know Jesus” page.) But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 1 John 2:27 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 63; JOHN 14:1-6; PHILIPPIANS 3:7-9 A lot of people think money is what makes you rich, but let’s take a closer look at the concept of riches. No matter how much money a person has, it never feels like enough. Just ask any wealthy person! Money won’t bring true satisfaction—and it doesn’t last. We can’t take wealth or status with us when we die. The reality is, what makes us rich—is love. The true and unending love of God. Humans were created to be in relationship with God, but humanity rejected Him to go our own way, and so we’re left searching for something to fill the deep longing that only God can fill. Yet, the good news is that God extends His love to us, even though we could never earn it, even though we’re all greedy and self-centered and, well, sinful. He loves us so much that Jesus—God in flesh— died and rose again to beat sin and death so that we could be with Him. Now, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is forgiven and welcomed into rich and satisfying relationship with God. And as Christians we also get to look forward to the day Jesus will return and we will live forever with Him and His people on the new heavens and new earth. Then we will enjoy the lavish abundance of everything we could ever desire, and nothing will be tainted by the suffering and confusion caused by sin. And even as we wait for this day, Jesus fills our hearts with His love through the Holy Spirit. He also places us in His family and blesses us with the love of our brothers and sisters who also know Jesus. And He transforms even our suffering into hope because He is just that good (Romans 5:1-8). Yes, in Christ, we are very rich indeed. So, when we find ourselves craving earthly riches like money or success, let’s run to Jesus instead. He’s eager to remind us that these riches aren’t the things that really count. A relationship with Jesus is more valuable than any treasure this world has to offer. • A. W. Smith • Earthly wealth doesn’t offer true satisfaction, and it can often cloud our vision so that we love money or status more than God or our neighbors. As Christians, how does Jesus help us view the things we have on earth in light of the greater riches we have as members of Jesus’s family? • To learn more about what it means to know Jesus, check out our “Know Jesus” page. “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” Matthew 16:26 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 33:5-6; MATTHEW 6:19-34; 1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19 Kellen knew that asteroid mining was a risky business. There were hazardous pockets of gas and metals too tough for the drill. For Kellen, though, the money to be made was worth the work. The material in this asteroid alone would fuel his entire home planet for a year. His share would be enough to buy his own mining gear, then he could really start making some cash. Lost in thought, Kellen was startled by the blinking warning light on his monitor, indicating someone had hit a gas pocket. With enough pressure, the entire asteroid could potentially explode—with them on it. Kellen heard his boss shout through the commlink, “We need to evacuate now! This is an emergency. All personnel proceed to your designated areas and secure yourself for an emergency departure!” Kellen pressed a button and his entire drill, with him inside, detached from the asteroid, rocket thrusters launching him back to the main shuttle where he could see dozens of other drill ships also loading up for a speedy getaway. A moment later Kellen felt bits of asteroid rattle his small compartment rather undramatically. As the main carrier raced away, Kellen took a glance on his monitor to see the asteroid, worth trillions, explode in a flash of light and space dust. All of his dreams, gone in an instant. Kellen tried to relax as the boss started roll call. But when they got to Freya’s ID number, the commlink was silent. Kellen felt his stomach drop. Freya was a good pilot, she had to have made it off the asteroid in time. But there was a chance… Kellen held his breath as he heard the boss call out her number a second, then a third time. No response. Then, there was a crackling sound, and a patchy voice said, “Docked…com damaged…I’m alright.” Kellen exhaled with a shudder. As he looked back at the field of debris, he realized Freya’s life was worth more than that—worth more than all the asteroids in the galaxy combined. He remembered something his mother had said, back on his home planet on the Illyrian system. How God treasured and desired and loved him…far more than anyone could desire an asteroid. How God’s love compelled Him to take on human flesh and die—for him. And then, to rise again with a promise to put an end to death and evil, all that’s wrong with the world. Thank you God, he whispered. Help me see as You see. Loving You, and the people you’ve made, is worth more than anything that could be bought. Help me lean on You and remember what’s truly worthwhile. • Peter J. McDonough • In today’s allegorical story, Kellen realizes that true wealth comes from God, not the world’s sin-broken system. In what ways have you seen how pursuing things—like money, success, possessions, or experiences—can get in the way of pursuing the true riches of loving God and the people He has made? (Matthew 22:36-40) • Human life is sacred because we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). God showed how much we are worth to Him—how much He treasures and desires and loves us—when Jesus, God the Son, willingly gave up His life for ours on the cross. Then He rose from the grave, defeating sin and death so we could be forgiven and live with Him forever. How can looking at Jesus, and remembering what He has done for us, help us discern what is truly valuable in life? (Hebrews 12:1-3) • Proverbs 10:2 says, “Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.” Jesus is our righteousness, and He is the only One who can deliver us from death (1 Corinthians 1:30). But, even as Christians, sometimes we forget that the only thing that will truly satisfy us is knowing God through Jesus. Until Jesus returns and makes all things new, we will all struggle with g...

READ: GENESIS 1:27; PSALM 139:13-18 I’m one of those people who likes to make a big deal out of birthdays. Whenever it’s someone else’s birthday, I try to at least send a happy birthday text, or get a gift, or even throw a party. When it comes to my own birthday, I always try to have a fun day planned. I never understood why people would hide or brush off their birthdays. Your birthday is the day that God knew you would take your first breaths! God watched over you as you grew in your mom’s womb. God knew what color eyes you would have, how tall you would be, and what your first word would be. Psalm 139 says that God knit us together. I love thinking about that image. I think of God hunched over, focused on pulling together the threads of your life to form all the different aspects of who you are. God loved you before you were born, and He still loves the person you are today. His love for you is so great that He sent Jesus to sacrifice His life for you and become your Redeemer so you could be adopted into God’s family. And even though Jesus’s sacrifice and miraculous resurrection happened long before you were born, it was still a sacrifice meant for you. And that’s why I like to make a big deal out of birthdays. Because each person is so unique and there’s no one just like them. Each person is loved so deeply by God, and each life is worth being celebrated. • Naomi Zylstra • Do you like your birthday? Why or why not? • What’s one thing you like about yourself? Consider taking a moment to imagine God creating this aspect of you carefully and purposefully, and thank Him for making you this way! • What are some ways we can show honor and value to the people we come in contact with, whether it’s their birthday or not? For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13 (WEB)

READ: MATTHEW 5:14-16; ROMANS 8:35-39 Picture this. The room is dark, and you blink as your eyes adjust to the light created by the glowing candles on top of a birthday cake. “Okay, make a wish and blow the candles out,” your friend says. You nod, close your eyes, and blow out the candles. But when you reach for the cake knife, you notice something strange. Every candle on your cake has started burning again. So, you take a deep breath and try a second time. Once again, all the flames disappear, but one by one the candles spark, and soon they’re burning again. What’s going on? You look at your friend, who’s grinning from ear to ear. You roll your eyes as you realize your friends put trick candles on your cake! These special candles are made to relight themselves, no matter how many times you blow them out. In a way, Christians are kind of like these everlasting candles. When we know Jesus as our Savior, His light glows within us. No matter how hard our broken world tries to blow out our lights, Jesus never lets the powers of darkness succeed. Because Jesus has defeated death and sin and evil by dying on the cross and rising from the grave, everyone who believes in Him has the Holy Spirit living inside us, and God’s presence can never be removed from us (Acts 2:1-24). Even death cannot separate us from God’s love! As we encounter challenges in our broken world, Jesus is right there with us, helping us trust in Him and show others His love. No matter how dark things may get, He empowers us to shine brightly for Him. So today, may we let the light of Jesus shine in our lives. We’re free to show His love in our words and actions, knowing that Jesus won’t let anything separate us from His love. • A. W. Smith • Can you think of a time you saw Jesus’s light shining through others? What was that like? • What are some ways you could show Jesus’s love to the people around you today? • How can we know that we’re secure in Jesus’s love? (Hint: look at Romans 8.) Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Philippians 2:15b (NLT)

READ: JOHN 4:1-42 When God amazes us, sharing our story with others can make a real difference. In John 4, we see how Jesus spent time with a Samaritan woman at the well near Samaria. He talked to her about God and also about her life, her husbands, the choices she had made…and about who He was. This woman was surprised at all Jesus knew about her, and when He said He was the Messiah they’d all been waiting for, she went out and told others about Him, saying “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” (verse 29). Because of what she shared, many people met Jesus and believed in Him; they said, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world” (verses 41-42). This woman was someone who probably didn’t have the best standing in her community. Because of the rejection she would’ve faced, she probably hadn’t spoken out or shared stories from her life before. When she told others about Jesus, though, people who heard her story wanted to meet Jesus for themselves. When we share about the ways we’ve seen God work, we can encourage both fellow believers and those who don’t know Jesus yet. Our stories can help lead people to Jesus and invite those who already know Him to go deeper in their relationship with Him. If there’s something God has done in your life that has left you in awe, why not tell others about it? Who knows if your story might encourage those around you to go and meet Jesus for themselves. • Emily Acker • Can you think of any ways God has worked in your life—any ways He has revealed how good He is or how much He cares about you? If nothing comes to mind, you can ask God to help you notice what He’s been doing in and around you. He delights in answering these prayers. • What could others gain through hearing about the ways you’ve seen God working in your life? And what could you gain by listening to others? • The biggest way God has worked in any of our lives is by saving us through Jesus’s death and resurrection—and this amazing story is always worth telling! If you want to know more about this good news, check out our “Know Jesus” page. Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. Psalm 66:16 (NLT)