Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: JOSHUA 1:9; PSALM 96:11-12; ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 What’s your favorite season? I don’t know if I have one; I always have trouble answering that question. There are things to love—and not love—about every season. In winter I love the snow, the beauty of the world just being covered with a blanket of white. The cold certainly isn’t my favorite thing though. In spring watching the plants sprout and the earth come back alive is rejuvenating. In summer the heat makes it fun to swim and kayak. In autumn watching the trees change color before the leaves begin to fall is beautiful. With every season, I’m reminded of God’s wisdom in creation. He is the One who crafted the seasons with beauty; He is there in every season. This is true not only for the seasons of the earth, but also for the seasons of our lives. He is there, and He adds beauty—things to be thankful for—in every season. I’ve been going through a season of health issues and unemployment, and this is a season that definitely has struggles. But through all of it I’ve felt God’s presence, and He has shown me beauty many times over. I’ve found out how many people care about me in my church and are praying for me. I’ve also had more time to pursue my writing. Whatever season you’re going through right now, no matter if it’s a great one or a not so great one, God is with you. He loves you, and He is making this season beautiful. • Kimberly Brokish • Isn’t it amazing that the God who created the earth, with all its beautiful seasons, wants to be in relationship with us, His creation? Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), and because He died and rose again, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus gets to be with God forever. When Jesus returns, He will put an end to all pain, sorrow, sickness, and evil (Revelation 21:1-5). And in the meantime, Jesus promises to be with us, moment by moment. He brings beauty to our lives, often when we least expect it. What beauty can you find in your current season? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this. • What season of your life have you felt God’s presence most in? If you’ve never felt close to God, that’s okay. You can ask God for this anytime—He loves answering these prayers. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11a (NIV)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9; PSALM 1:1-2; MATTHEW 22:36-40 I recently accepted a job working in the office of my local fire department. This was something I never expected to do. I had very little knowledge about how fire departments even worked. But the fire chief knew this when he proposed the plan for me to take over some of his responsibilities. He knew it would be a long journey, but he offered to take the time to teach me. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with my position. I spend hours working with the chief to learn what he does. I have a picture of the firefighters to memorize names and faces. I put military time on my phone to understand how their 24-hour shifts are recorded. I made a study guide that I add to daily as I learn new information. I’ve read up on topics like mental health in firefighters, consolidating fire and police forces into public safety officers, cancer in firefighters, and how to support them. I ask a million questions: “How do you name fire engines? What do fire investigators do? How do you become a captain or lieutenant?” All that I’m learning consumes my thoughts, day and night. I see fire trucks and stations everywhere I go. And this made me wonder, maybe I can pursue knowing God, His Word, and my role as a Christian like I am learning to be an assistant in the fire department. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, God calls His people to learn Scripture and think about His Word every day, all throughout the day. As we read the Bible, we get to know more about Jesus and how to live in relationship with Him. The more time we spend in God’s Word, the more we’ll be reminded of Scripture and God’s promises everywhere we go. Dedicating ourselves to learning Scripture could include using the tools we have available to us, like putting verses as our screen backgrounds or researching Bible study resources like scholarly books, articles, videos, and podcasts. The fire chief wanted me to work there even though he knew I would be learning from scratch and there would be lots of failures ahead. When I’m struggling to get something, he is patient and forgiving. In the same way, God knows we won’t be perfect, and He has covered all our imperfections through Jesus’s death and resurrection (Romans 3:23-24). We could never uphold God’s law perfectly, but Jesus did. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are His forever, and God helps us grow in loving Him and loving others as He loves us. • Natty Maelle • What are some practical ways you could take time to ponder God’s Word this week? “I [Jesus] did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” Matthew 5:17b (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 2:1-3; EXODUS 20:8-11; MATTHEW 11:28–12:13; MARK 6:27-32 The other day, I heard someone say, “Rest is productive,” and I flinched a little. That can’t be, can it? Resting is the opposite of being productive, right? Sometimes I struggle with feeling guilty when I rest or take a break. Or I’ll remember how productive I was in the past and think I’ll never compare to that now with all the rest I’m taking. But God teaches us that not only do we need rest, but it’s also an important and productive part of becoming more like Christ. God created the Sabbath with the purpose of resting in mind. In the book of Exodus, He commanded His people not to do any work on the Sabbath, the last day of every week, inviting them to trust Him to provide for their needs. And in Genesis, God even gave us an example of rest right at the beginning: God finished His work of creation, and then He rested. When we rest, we can quiet our minds and listen to what God may be trying to tell us. Or we can simply enjoy and be present in the gifts of creation God has given us. Jesus often went off alone to pray, and in Mark 6:31, Jesus called His disciples to come away with Him to rest and take a break after they had just come back from their missionary journeys and heard the news of John the Baptist’s death. Jesus is fully God and fully human, and He shows us that rest is an important and integral part of our daily lives. Not only that, but Jesus also said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). God wants us to rest, and He provides that rest in Jesus. • Naomi Zylstra • As Christians, we don’t practice the Sabbath the same way God prescribed in the Old Testament. These laws were just a foretaste of the ultimate rest God was preparing to give His people in Jesus. But God still calls us to take times of intentional rest, and to do this often. (And one way we can rest is by gathering with other Christians and listening to His Word together.) When was the last time you took an intentional break? How did you feel during your break? • Jesus is the One who provides rest. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing He died on the cross and rose from the dead for us, we get to enter God’s rest. We can be free from striving because Jesus has already done the work of saving us, making us whole, and restoring us to relationship with Himself. So, when we take time to pause from our work and from what seems productive to us, we get to express our trust in God and enjoy His good gifts. What makes you feel well-rested? How could you incorporate at least one of these things into your life this week? “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (WEB)

READ: PSALM 139:6-12; EPHESIANS 3:14-21 We try to comprehend a lot of things in life. And the fact is, God created us with the ability to learn. Knowledge and discovery are gifts from Him. He invites us to explore this vast universe He has made, and He calls us to dig deep into Scripture so that we can understand more and more about who Jesus is and what it means to live in relationship with Him. But can we ever really understand just how much God loves us? Can we ever really know just how much He cares about us? Can we ever wrap our minds around the fact that He never stops loving us, no matter what we do? Ephesians 3:19 says that God’s love “surpasses knowledge.” And yet, throughout the Bible God gives us glimpses of how amazing His love is. God created us and was happy with His work. From the beginning, He loved us. He loved the first humans. He loved humankind. Even though humans rejected God, His love for us did not change. In the Old Testament, we see how God led generations of individuals, caring for each group and helping them through struggles. He loved them even when they continued to reject Him and go against His good ways. In the New Testament, we see how God came and lived among us. Jesus is fully God and fully human, and He revealed the depths of God’s love by giving His own life to save us. Jesus went to the cross and let Himself be killed…but then He rose from the dead, because nothing—not even death—can stop God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all, so now everyone who puts their trust in Him is forgiven and restored to relationship with God, and they will live with Him forever. God’s love is eternal. We deal with humans every day who love and then stop loving. God is not like that. We will always be loved by Him. There is nothing we can do that will take us so far away from Him that His love won’t reach us. We will always have a place with Him if we just turn back. He will welcome us home with open arms (Luke 15:11-32). • Emily Acker • Consider taking some time to reread Ephesians 3:14-21. What do you think it means to “know this love that surpasses knowledge” (verse 19)? • If you want to come home to God’s love, you can, right now. You can find out more on our “Know Jesus” page. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 12:1-11; EPHESIANS 2:8-10; 1 JOHN 4:19 Have you ever found yourself playing the comparison game? When we look around us and see what everyone else can do, it’s easy to try to figure out if we’re better or worse at certain things than others. Maybe your friend Blake is better at soccer than you are, so you might try to make yourself feel better by comparing yourself to Skye, who is a weaker player than both of you. But comparison is a never-ending game, and it leaves us feeling stressed, not satisfied. We all struggle with comparison from time to time, but thankfully we don’t have to keep playing the comparison game. Instead, Jesus frees us to embrace the gifts God has given us. He created each of us with different talents and abilities—He didn’t leave anyone out. And once we put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts too. God calls all of us to share His love with others, but every person does this in their own unique way. So, when we try to measure ourselves against other people, it doesn’t really work. But when we focus on using our own gifts to serve the Lord, we find joy in discovering how He made us. All our abilities come from God, and He’ll help us use them for His glory and to point others to Jesus. Playing the comparison game is a waste of time. But in Jesus, you’re free to be who God created you to be—yourself! You have an important purpose in His kingdom. When you feel like others are more valuable than you because they can do different things, remember: you belong to Jesus. He made you and delights in you just as you are. You are eternally valuable because God made you. And you are infinitely loved by Him, no matter what you do. • A. W. Smith • We live in a broken world where comparison is all around us. From social media to athletics to academics and more…we’re constantly given ways to measure ourselves against other people. But, as we find our identity in Jesus, we find freedom from the comparison game. As Christians, we are forgiven children of God who have meaningful work to do in His kingdom. Instead of trying to figure out if we are better or worse than others, we can thank God for how He created each of us wonderfully unique. Consider taking a moment to thank God for a few of the people you might be tempted to compare yourself to, and also thank Him for the abilities He’s given you. • Do you know what some of your talents or spiritual gifts are? Who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you discern what your abilities are and how to use them well? God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 3:14-18; 14:5-10; ROMANS 3:21-27 I jumped when the solid oak door slammed behind me, its banging echoing through the empty chamber. The dust from the floor blew up into my nose, and I coughed, the nervous pit in my stomach growing even tighter. Just one shot…one shot… I repeated to myself as I looked up to see the fabled target, glaring down at me from its perch on the wall. One day every year, the king allowed new prisoners the chance to walk free if we could do one thing: shoot an arrow into the very center of this target with only one shot. Each prisoner got to try once. It was either make this shot and rejoin the kingdom with a clean slate, or miss and spend the rest of my life in the dungeons. Our kingdom was famous for its archers. Our nobles were some of the most accurate and skilled—I’m even excellent according to some. But better archers than me had missed this shot. And now it was my turn. Trembling, I reached back into my quiver and pulled out the one arrow I was allowed, anchoring it on my bowstring. Breathe… breathe… I lifted my bow, aiming the tip of my arrow for the target’s bright red center. My fingers clenched, threatening never to loose the arrow. And then I saw him. The prince. Like a ghost, he had appeared in the doorway out of the dungeons. Of all the king’s archers, he was the best. He never missed. I looked at the target, then back at him. Suddenly, I knew. He was the only one who could make this shot. His kind eyes met my terror-filled gaze, and without another thought, I barely whispered, “I’m sorry… Help me… please.” He approached me and said, “Don’t be afraid. My Father sent me.” He took the bow from my hands, and I felt the weight of the task lift from my shoulders. He anchored, aimed, and… The arrow hit—dead center. I’m free. • Raven Merz For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:23-24 (NLT) • Today’s story is an allegory. Did you know the Greek word “hamartia” is often translated as “sin” in the Bible, but it’s also an ancient archery term that could be translated as “missing the mark”? How could it be helpful to think about sin this way? • We’ve all missed the mark of loving God and each other (Matthew 22:37-40), and that means we’ve all sinned. The consequence of sin is death. There’s no way we could undo our sin or escape death…but God wants to save us. Because God loves us and wants to be with us, Jesus came and lived among us as a human. Jesus is God the Son, and He is the only human who never sinned, never missed the mark, and so He was able to save us by living a righteous life of obedience to God the Father, dying on the cross for our sins, and rising from the grave to defeat death. He hit the mark on our behalf. So now, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus can stand before God as though they never sinned. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you can rest in God’s unbreakable forgiveness and never-ending love for you. And you can look forward to the day when Jesus will return and raise you from the dead to live with Him forever in a world free from sin and death! (If you want to know more, go to our “Know Jesus” page.) • According to Hebrews 4:14-16, we can boldly approach God’s throne because of Jesus. Even though we will all continue to struggle with sin until Jesus returns, we can know that Jesus empathizes with us because He faced the same temptations we do—yet He didn’t give in. We can be totally honest with Him about all our struggles and shortcomings. He alread...

READ: ISAIAH 61:1-3; 64:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-10 Have you ever heard of the Japanese artform called Kintsugi? The word means “golden joinery” or “golden repair.” The art is created when a treasured ceramic, like a clay bowl, is broken. Instead of throwing away the old pieces and making a new ceramic altogether, the artist takes the broken pieces and mends them together by mixing lacquer with powdered metal such as gold. The effect is the same shape as the original beloved ceramic, but with all the cracks now filled in with gold, the cracks become the focus of the clay pot. Repairing the damage in this way creates a stronger and more beautiful object than what existed before. The artform of Kintsugi can remind us to embrace the beauty found in our flaws and develop resilience through the hard parts of our lives. Greater still, the art of Kintsugi can help us see God’s great love for His own Creation. The prophet Isaiah describes human beings as clay in God’s hands (Isaiah 64:8). In His love, God not only gave us life, but sculpted something He thought was beautiful and “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Sadly, sin brought brokenness throughout creation, and in our brokenness we tend to forget how great our beauty is in the eyes of our Lord. I often focus on my imperfections, giving me a low view of myself. It’s hard not to look at our bodies and notice where we’re broken or what we think our flaws are. But this is not how God views His children or how He wants us to view ourselves. He wants to restore brokenness. He invites us to acknowledge our pain and receive His compassion and forgiveness. But we don’t stop there. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, God is redeeming us, making us stronger and even more glorious than before. Second Corinthians 12:9-10 even says we can delight in our weaknesses because Jesus’s power “is made perfect in weakness.” Remember, when Jesus rose from the dead, He still displayed His wounds from His crucifixion. Jesus’s body was and is broken for us. His wounds reveal how deeply He loves us and our bodies. Because of His love, we can love every part of our bodies, looking forward to the day Jesus will raise us from the dead and all our broken places will be fully healed and glorified. As the artwork of our Creator, let us use our bodies to bring glory to our great Artist. • Peter J. McDonough • Can you think of a time you viewed an imperfection in your body in a way that made you feel bad about yourself? God takes the same exact moment and says you are beautiful, His Creation He is redeeming. How might God be inviting you to view this imperfection in light of His grace? We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8b (NIV)

READ: PSALM 119:34; PROVERBS 1:1-7; ACTS 17:10-12; EPHESIANS 1:15-23 As we grow in our faith, it’s good to ask questions. Questions help us dive deeper into the Bible and learn more about God and how He reveals Himself in Jesus. God loves it when we bring our questions to Him. And it’s rewarding to pursue answers that help us live out our faith with wisdom and share the gospel (or good news) with others. The Bible is full of wisdom, mysteries, truth, and life. It tells the story of Jesus: God in flesh coming to live with His people, die on the cross, and be raised from the dead to make the way for us to be with God forever. There are so many things you might be curious about when it comes to the Bible and your faith. Maybe you wonder about the people who came before you, who walked with God thousands of years ago. You can study the Bible to learn more about them. And what you find may leave you with even more questions! It’s so good to take the time to ask all the questions you have. Jesus gives us community with other believers through the Holy Spirit, so you can talk to those who share your faith and bring your questions to them. You can learn from those who’ve been following Jesus and studying their Bibles a lot longer than you have. You can seek out trusted mentors and friends who will get into deep conversations, listen to your questions with patience and understanding, and pursue answers with you. You can also look for good books and other scholarly resources that will teach you some of the things you want to learn. When you have questions to ask, ask them. Find answers. And when you don’t find answers, ask more questions. Dive deep into the Word and learn more about the God who loves you more than you could ever imagine. • Bethany Acker • What kinds of questions do you have about God, the Bible, and your faith? Do you have someone in your life who can help you pursue answers, such as pastors, parents, youth leaders, or counselors? If not, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future. • God wants us to live according to His wisdom because He loves us and He knows that His ways lead to true life. He generously reveals His wisdom in Scripture and gives us understanding through the Holy Spirit. What are some ways we can study the Bible, either alone or with others? I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:18-22; GALATIANS 6:2-5; HEBREWS 10:19-25 On the way home from a road trip, I peered out the window of our minivan and noticed a slogan that said, “Helping the World Keep Promises.” This bold statement emblazoned on the side of a truck advertised the company’s reliability.* I assumed they wanted customers to know they would deliver their cargo on time, every time. We DO need help keeping our promises, I mused. Maybe we need reminders, to-do lists, or a date circled and highlighted on the calendar. Maybe we need to have accountability, a friend or mentor who will check in with us to be sure we’re following through on our commitments and goals. Keeping promises can present challenges for us, even when we long to keep our word and fulfill what we’ve committed to do. But something else came to mind. We may need assistance in keeping our promises, but God never does. Righteous and holy, God will never fail to keep His word. He will always remain faithful to His character. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that His promises are for us, too. We can pour out our hearts to the Lord. He listens to our cries, He hears the stories of our brokenness, and He gives us rest in Himself. We can have confidence that He delivers on His promises on time, every time. • Allison Wilson Lee • When do you need help keeping your promises? God knows that we all need support to follow through on our commitments, and He invites us to lean on Him and trusted people in our lives to help us. But sometimes, we bite off more than we can chew, and we need to apologize and tell others we won’t be able to do what we said. God wants to help us in these times too. Who are trusted people in your life who can help you set good boundaries around your commitments? • When is it hard for you to trust that God will keep His promises? We all experience this from time to time, and it can be helpful to remember examples of His faithfulness…Jesus promised to rise from the dead, and He did! Jesus also promised the Holy Spirit would come after He ascended, and that’s exactly what happened. Now, we’re waiting for Jesus to fulfill another huge promise: to return and make all things new, free from sin and death, so that everyone who trusts in Him can live with Him forever. Then, there will be no more broken promises, and all will be well. *Old Dominion Freight Line Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Hebrews 10:23 (NLT)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 8:2-18; PSALM 13; MATTHEW 11:28-30 What are deserts? Many people think of places like the Sahara—rolling dunes of hot sand with no signs of life. Some consider parts of the Arctic to be a desert. It makes sense—rolling dunes of snow with no signs of life. In either case, deserts are big, empty, and hostile. Do you ever feel like you’re living in a desert? I do. Sometimes the season of life we’re living in feels extreme, difficult to bear, and void. We may think: “How could God possibly be working in my life right now? I’m doing nothing but surviving—barely. My life isn’t like the heroes of the Bible. My life is empty.” However, nearly all the people in the Bible had what I call “desert years.” One of the most obvious examples is the Israelites’ forty years of desert wanderings (Numbers 32:13). But there are also Moses’s years as a shepherd in the desert before God called him back to Egypt (Exodus 2:15–3:10), David’s years of hiding in desert caves before God fulfilled His promise to make him king (1 Samuel 23:25), and Abraham and Sarah’s years of nomadic desert life before God gave them a child (Genesis 12–20). And Jesus didn’t skip the desert experience when He came as a human to die for our sins and bring us new life through His resurrection. He spent forty days in a desert before He began His ministry (Matthew 4:1-11). For some of these people, not much is written about their desert years. But that doesn’t mean God was absent or that these years were meaningless. Think of the Israelites wandering aimlessly in the desert. In that time, God showed His loving, fatherly faithfulness. Their shoes never wore out and God provided them with food and water (Exodus 16–17; Deuteronomy 29:5). God showed that in the absence of all other things in life, He was present. How is God working in your desert years? I don’t know. But I know His life-giving presence is there. • Abigail Scibiur • Have you gone through a season of your life that felt like a desert? Do you feel like you’re going through desert years right now? Are there any Bible passages, memories of past experiences with God, or trusted Christians you can draw near to for comfort during this time? • When we’re in our desert years, it doesn’t always feel like God is present. But if we know Jesus, He lives in us through the Holy Spirit. We can bring these feelings of loneliness and distance to God in prayer and ask Him to remind us of His nearness anytime. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 17 How amazing is it to think that Jesus took time to pray for His followers, including us? In John 17, we read Jesus’s prayer—a conversation between Jesus, who is God the Son, and His Father in heaven. Jesus knew that He was going to the cross in a matter of hours, that He would die, rise again, and then ascend into heaven while His followers stayed on earth. He knew they would have struggles. He had seen the darkness this broken world holds, the darkness He came to save us from. And though Jesus promised to be with us always through the Holy Spirit, and to one day come again and make all things new, He knew there would be hardships before He returned. So, Jesus asked His Father to look out for His followers and protect them after He ascended. Jesus went on to pray not only for the followers who were with Him at the time, but also for us…for those who would someday hear and believe the message His first followers would share. This chapter hit me differently when I read it recently. I don’t remember knowing that Jesus took the time to pour out His heart regarding us and that He asked for help for us. John 17 shows how much Jesus cares about us. It can encourage us and remind us of how much He loves us. Jesus knew how difficult life could be (Hebrews 4:14-16). He knew that trouble and persecution would come for those who follow Him. He reached out to the Father to ask for help for those people. For us. • Emily Acker • Have you ever had someone tell you they were praying for you, such as a friend or family member? How did it make you feel? How similar or different does it feel to know that Jesus prayed for you? (In fact, Jesus continues to pray for you. See Hebrews 7:25 and 1 John 2:1.) • Consider taking some time to read John 17:11-26 slowly and imagine Jesus’s voice praying these words for you. What sticks out to you? “I [Jesus] am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.” John 17:20 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 34:1-8; JOHN 1:35-51 John 1 is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. Twice in this single passage, we hear the words, “Come and see.” First, the words are spoken by Jesus Himself. John the Baptist is with two of his disciples, and when Jesus passes by, John can’t keep the excitement to himself. “Look!” he tells them. “There is the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). The two disciples immediately follow Jesus. He asks them what they want, and when they ask him where He’s staying, Jesus replies, “Come and see” (verse 39). And so, they do. They stay with Him the rest of the day. One of these disciples is Andrew, and he goes to get his brother Simon (also known as Peter). Andrew says, “We have found the Messiah” (verse 41). They can’t keep this news to themselves. The next day, Jesus calls another disciple, Philip, saying “Come, follow me” (verse 43). Then, Philip goes to Nathanael and shares the news with him: “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth” (verse 45). Nathanael is skeptical and says, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (verse 46). Philip responds with the same words Jesus said earlier: “Come and see.” This short statement contains two verbs: come and see. A movement toward Jesus, and then a reminder to open our eyes. It’s simple and yet so profound. An invitation to join Jesus’s family and see how much He loves us. Like Andrew and Philip, we have the power to share the love of Jesus and the good news of His kingdom. We can invite those around us to come and see. We might get questions along the way, but Jesus will help provide the answers. Why should we want to follow Jesus? Come and see. Is He really as good as the Bible makes Him sound? Come and see. Come and see, friends. Experience the joy and goodness of His presence, then welcome others to experience it as well. ” • Becca Wierwille. • What might it look like in your life to come and see Jesus today? • What is one way you could invite a friend to come and see the love of Jesus? Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 5:38-42; MARK 15:33-37; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11 I was reading about different ways Christians have prayed throughout history, and I came across something that struck me. Christians in the early church used several different poses to pray, and each pose was connected to a different type of prayer: lying face-down on the ground was often connected with repentance, standing was associated with praise, etc. But one pose caught my attention. Sometimes, early Christians would pray standing with their arms stretched out to the sides and their heads turned up toward the sky. And while poses like these have been used in different traditions and religions throughout history, early Christians connected this last pose to Jesus’s body on the cross. And Jesus wasn’t the only one who was crucified. During the time period when Christians in the Roman Empire were praying like this, they themselves were in danger of being crucified. Reflecting on this, an early church leader named Tertullian said, “Let crosses hang us, fires light us, swords cut our throats, beasts attack; the actual stance of the praying Christian is ready for any kind of punishment.” These Christians knew what it was like to live a life of self-sacrifice. They knew they were in danger. They knew they were vulnerable. But they could face that vulnerability because they followed a vulnerable Savior. Jesus laid down His own life for us because He loves us. He let Himself be killed, willingly assuming the same pose His followers would later use for prayer—a pose some of them would be killed in. Then, He rose from the dead, making the way for all His followers, including those who were killed by Rome, to be raised when He returns. I’m blown away by the humility and vulnerability demonstrated in this form of prayer. It’s a pose of peace and nonviolence—one that accepts pain instead of returning it. It communicates total praise and total self-sacrifice. It’s the pose of Jesus. And I pray that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, He will help me embody this praise and self-sacrifice. • Taylor Eising • Have you ever prayed in different poses—standing, kneeling, laying down, hands folded, palms open, arms out, head up, head down, etc.? How could using different poses help us focus on different types of prayer? • How has Jesus’s self-sacrifice on the cross made it possible for us to live self-sacrificially? And being found in appearance as a man, he [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2:8 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 13:44-45; PHILIPPIANS 3:7-21 The luxury car went first. Then the jeep. Then the convertible was sold too. Neighbors scratched their heads, and whispers started running through the neighborhood. Lawsuits? Debts? Drugs? No one knew. All the designer clothes went next. And the shoes. Instead of high-end heels, she was seen walking around town in dirty old sneakers, and her shirts and jeans looked worn and outdated. The whispers intensified. Maybe her company was sued and her day in court didn’t go well. Maybe drugs were messing with her head. When the house went up for sale, the neighbors were shocked. It had been in her family for generations. She must be desperate, they whispered to one another. The day the new owners were scheduled to move in, she gathered her few remaining items and put them in a plastic bag. She left the house key under the doormat and threw the bag in the trash can on the curb. Eager to begin her journey, she didn’t even turn to give the house one last look before crossing the street. She started walking. She didn’t have enough money left to catch a bus. Mile after mile she walked, her muscles aching more with each passing hour. When rain began pouring from the sky, she pulled the frayed hood of her sweatshirt over her head and kept walking. When she got to the edge of her new property, her steps grew lighter. Burrs stuck to her sneakers and thorns poked at the thin threads of her clothing as she started running through the brambles. It didn’t matter. She would have new clothes soon enough. Clothes that would never wear out. Soon she came to a large boulder in the middle of the field. She gently touched the side of the stone, and it began to roll, revealing a hole just big enough for a person to fit through. When she looked down into it, she felt a pure, golden warmth swathe her face. Without a backward glance, she dropped down into the kingdom of eternal light. • Courtney Lasater • Today’s story, like the Bible verse it’s based on, is a parable—a symbolic story meant to teach a deeper biblical truth. In Matthew 13:44, Jesus isn’t telling us it’s bad to have money or that we have to give up all we own in order to be part of God’s kingdom. Instead, He shows us that being part of His kingdom is so much more valuable than anything this world has to offer. • Take a closer look at Philippians 3:7-11, 17-21. Why is knowing Jesus and being part of His kingdom so valuable? • Is the way you view your money and possessions in line with Matthew 13:44? If not, why do you think that is? • Whenever we realize we’re guilty of sin, such as greed, God invites us to come to Him. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is fully forgiven. And, through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to follow Jesus in every aspect of our lives, including how we view—and use—our money and possessions. Yet, Christians will still struggle with sin until Jesus returns, and so He calls us to confess our sins often, resting in His forgiveness and relying on His power to turn away from sin. Consider taking a moment now to pray, confessing any sins that come to mind, thanking God for His forgiveness, and asking for wisdom in how to move forward in the joy and rest of His kingdom. (Matthew 6:24-30; 11:28-30; 1 Timothy 1:12-17) “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44 (NIV)

READ: JOB 2:11-13; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7; 1 PETER 1:3-9 Have you ever tried to cheer someone up, only to accidentally make them more upset? I’ve had times when I wanted to help someone who wasn’t doing well mentally or physically, but when I tried to say something, I felt like I only made the situation worse. Proverbs 27:14 says, “If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.” It’s a funny proverb, but it reminds us that our good intentions can be taken the wrong way when we speak up in the wrong situation. It can be hard to know how to help someone who is hurting. Job’s story in the Bible is a great example of how NOT to help a friend. Job went through tons of hard times: he lost his family, health, and wealth. For a while, his friends sat with him in silence. But when they spoke up, their bad advice and false accusations hurt Job even more. So how can we love and support others when we have no idea what to say? (1) Be present. As the saying goes, “Actions can speak louder than words.” In the hardest times, just sitting with someone and listening to them reminds them they’re not alone. Jesus sits with us in our sorrow, and our presence with others can remind them of Jesus’s presence with them. (2) Mourn with them. Don’t try to compare the situation or make it seem better than it is. In John 11, Jesus wept at the death of a friend, Lazarus, moments before He raised that friend back to life. Jesus didn’t skip over the sadness or mourning. Sadness and hardship are part of living in a world broken by sin (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), and we don’t have to be afraid or ashamed of feeling that sadness and hardship. (3) Pray for them, and offer to pray with them. This can be a powerful reminder of God’s loving care toward us, especially when we are hurting, as well as an opportunity to process our feelings with God. We live in a broken world, but through Jesus’s death and resurrection, God gives us hope and strength through hard times (John 16:33). He is with us in our suffering, and He will return to end all suffering and heal all brokenness forever. We can rest in this sure hope…and share it with others. • Abby Ciona • Has anyone ever come alongside you during a hard time? What was it like? • Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God who you could come alongside today. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 (NIV)

READ: ACTS 9:1-31; COLOSSIANS 1:9-14 That person will never change. I just know they won’t. Have you ever had this thought? Sometimes, there are certain people in our lives who seem unchangeable, like they’ve just always been the way they are. They might be angry, mean, or just apathetic. We may long for them to be different, but it can be hard to believe that there’s actually any chance they’ll change. But we can have hope. God has the power to change anyone. Through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, God has made the way for anyone to come to Him— all because He loves us. And, when we put our trust in Jesus, He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us live lives that reflect Him. The Holy Spirit never gives up helping us become more like Jesus (Philippians 1:6), so we never have to give up hoping—and praying—that someone will change. Let’s look at Paul for example. In Acts 9, we see that Paul (also called Saul) was doing truly evil things, and nobody expected him to change. He was hurting and killing followers of Jesus, but when Jesus reached out and touched his life, Paul became someone entirely different. He not only stopped persecuting Christians, but he started spreading the good news of Jesus, even risking his life to tell others about Him. If God had the power to change Paul—someone who was living a terrible life of violence—He can also change the people we know who are acting in harmful ways. His love can transform our angry family member, lying classmate, and cruel neighbor. Through the Holy Spirit, we can pray for these people, believing God has the power to change them. And we can remember how God has changed us—removing stubborn patterns of sin in our lives to help us love Him, love our neighbors, and even love our enemies (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14). • Emily Acker • Is there anyone in your life who seems like they will never change? How can stories like Paul’s give us hope to keep praying for these people? • What are some ways you’ve seen God work in your life to help you live more like Jesus? If you can’t think of any, you can ask God to show you how He is, and has been, working in your life. • If you want to dig deeper, read 1 Timothy 1:12-17 and 2:1-7 (written by Paul). So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 9:7-10; 33:4-5; MICAH 6:8 He almost made it. My friend Cliff had almost sat all the way down in his desk when the tardy bell rang. But still, our ninth-grade civics teacher counted my friend late, and this carried a punishment: a 1000-word essay due the next day. Like most of us in the class, Cliff had arrived well before the late bell rang. He’d sat in his desk and pulled out his books—just like the rest of us. I had wanted to borrow a pen from my friend Melissa, who sat in front of Cliff. He’d offered to pass the pen from Melissa to me. This required him to get up from his desk, and as he returned to his seat he’d gotten caught by the bell. I approached the teacher to explain how Cliff had only been helping me; it was actually my fault Cliff was counted late. But the teacher wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t persuade him to reconsider or assign the punishment to me. I knew it wasn’t fair that Cliff would suffer for something that wasn’t his fault. Yet I couldn’t do anything about it. This moment of unfairness in my civics class troubled me, but it soon passed. Cliff penned the essay and harbored no anger toward me; we moved on. But our world teems with injustice much deeper than this. And God takes note of it all. Our loving Lord cares about justice. In fact, He is enthroned as the Righteous Judge of all creation. And through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can be counted as righteous before Him, and we can find hope knowing that Jesus will return to get rid of all injustice, permanently. In the meantime, God charges us to care about justice as He does. God has called us, His people, to be His agents for justice and righteousness on the earth—for one classmate in civics class or for people around the globe. As we do this, we can rest in His sure love and in the hope of Jesus’s return. • Allison Wilson Lee • Are there problems in the world that frustrate or grieve you? What are some of them? Consider bringing these things to Jesus in prayer. He cares too—even more than we do. • The big issues in the world can feel overwhelming, but what are some ways—big or small—that you could speak up for justice right where you are? • If you want to learn more about how God defines justice, check out Isaiah 1:17, Zechariah 7:9, Proverbs 29:7, and Leviticus 19:15. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Psalm 89:14 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-9; 2 PETER 3:9; 1 JOHN 4:19 Have you ever worked behind the scenes in a theater production? Much of the work that goes into making a show great—designing the set, moving set pieces during the performance, timing special effects, running the sound systems, doing cast members’ makeup and hair, etc.—is not seen or noticed by the audience. All the audience sees is the successful show, not what goes on behind the closed curtains. God often does a lot of behind-the-scenes work too. Have you ever been praying for someone and felt discouraged when you didn’t see any change in that person? Have you done your best to tell someone about Jesus, but it hasn’t seemed to make any difference? Be encouraged! You don’t know what God has been doing in that person’s heart. It could take a very long time for them to come to Jesus, but keep sharing God’s love with them and keep praying. As Christians, we can trust God with the results, knowing He “is patient…not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God is working, so keep praying (John 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:1-6). We can trust Him to bring about His good purposes. He has promised that all things will be made new, free from sin and death, and that everyone who puts their trust in Jesus will dwell forever with Him and His people in the new heavens and the new earth (Romans 8:20-29; Revelation 21:1-5). Even now, He is continuing to work behind the scenes, drawing people to Himself. • A. W. Smith • If you know Jesus, who were the different people God worked through to show you more about Him? Consider taking a moment to thank God for them—and maybe thank the people too! • What are some ways we can show God’s love to those who don’t know Jesus yet? As we pray for these people, we can ask God to give us ideas and opportunities to share His love. I [Paul] planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 8:22; PSALM 46:1-7; 104:19; HEBREWS 13:5-8 Today is an equinox! On two different days every year, day and night are the same length. All around the world, the day lasts twelve hours and so does the night. We call those days equinoxes. There are two different types of equinoxes: vernal and autumnal—one for spring and one for fall. But which one is which depends on what part of the world you’re in because the seasons are flipped in the northern and southern hemispheres of the world. So, because I’m writing from the northern hemisphere of the earth, today is the autumnal equinox for me, marking the beginning of the fall season. Equinoxes are two days that we use to help us determine when the seasons change. But they’re only the tip of the iceberg. I haven’t even gotten into solstices, which are the two longest and shortest days of the year that usher in winter and summer. But, once again, which season each solstice brings in also depends on what part of the world you live in. Complicated as they are, equinoxes and solstices remind me of Jesus’s faithfulness. God made the whole universe and knew about the seasons long before humans figured out how they worked. He made the seasons follow predictable patterns, so even though there’s change, there’s still order. And here’s the most amazing part: Jesus Himself doesn’t change, even though our seasons do. That’s really good news. No matter what we face as Christians, no matter what changes we experience—good or bad—we can know that Jesus is with us and His presence and promises will never change. Simply put, Jesus has promised to be with His people through everything we face, and He also promises to work everything for His good purpose—to make all things new, free from sin and death (Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:28-29; Revelation 21:1-5). No matter the season or circumstance, these promises will never be shaken. Regardless of the changes we see, we can know that Jesus’s love for us will never change. This hope will endure through every solstice and every equinox. • Aurora Scriver • What part of the world do you live in? Which season is being ushered in where you live? • Take a moment to reread today’s Bible passages. How can the truths in these verses bring us comfort and encourage us to come to Jesus with all our concerns when we face changes in the world and in our own lives? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 1:12; GALATIANS 4:4-7; COLOSSIANS 1:9-14 Imagine you were royalty…and didn’t know it. Here’s the scene: you were kidnapped as a baby. Then, after years and years, your family finds you! But even after they do, you’re not sure how to live like royalty. You’re offered a place to live in the palace, but you’re afraid of the change, so you opt to keep on living in an old shack. Your parents, the king and queen, even bring you beautiful new clothes, but you decide not to wear them and choose to keep wearing your dirty, raggedy clothing. Wouldn’t this be strange? Yet, as Christians, we sometimes live out a story like this. When we enter a relationship with Jesus, we become royalty. We are adopted into God’s family as His beloved children. Our Father is a King—and not just any king, but the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15-16). But sometimes, we forget that we’ve joined Jesus’s glorious kingdom of light and justice. We’re tempted to go back to our old, sinful ways of living—to move away from the love God has for us and believe old lies, even if we now know those lies aren’t true. Sometimes, we fall into believing we are worthless, insignificant, unlovable, or just plain bad. We’re tempted to run away from the rest God freely gives us and the royalty Jesus bestows on us, instead choosing things that reflect the world’s sin-broken system: things like greed, power-grabbing, hatred…the list goes on. Simply put, sometimes we forget to embrace the new life Jesus has given us. We act as if we don’t know we’re children of the King. But, when we run to those old lies and dress ourselves in them like dirty rags, let us remember our true identity: we are children of God, His beloved heirs. We can know that we are infinitely valuable to God because Jesus died and rose again to save us and bring us near to Him. Whenever we stray from the goodness He has for us, Jesus pursues us and guides us home (Luke 15:1-7). What He says about us is true, and His Holy Spirit empowers us to receive these truths and live more and more like Jesus—reflecting our beloved and royal identity as children of God. • A. W. Smith • In what areas of your life do you struggle to embrace your new life in Jesus? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this. (Romans 13:12-14; Colossians 3:1-17) • Read Luke 15:20-24. We all struggle with sin and stray from God’s good ways. When we confess and turn away from our wrongdoing and come to God, how does God receive us? Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And…his heir. Galatians 4:7 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 3:1-17; 4:12-17; JOHN 4:13-14; ACTS 3:19-21 I thought this would quench my thirst I’ve felt so empty And this promised to fulfill But something is wrong I’m so caught up I barely hear the whisper “Repent,” You say I stop in my tracks Realize what I’m doing hurts others Hurts You I feel a pull inside myself An urge to right what is wrong My heart turns toward You My body moves with it My mind knows the truth And now I face the other way And step toward my Savior • Naomi Zylstra • Did you know the word repent means to turn? When we repent, we confess and turn away from our sin, and turn to God. Repentance is a gift from God. Sin is harmful, and God the Holy Spirit moves in us, helping us recognize our sin, and empowering us to turn away from it and receive His forgiveness. What might it look like for you to turn away from sin in your life with your heart, mind, and body? (Psalm 119:36-37; Matthew 22:37-40; Acts 14:15) • In Matthew 3, many people were coming to John the Baptist and repenting, but the religious leaders were clinging to their power and influence. What are some of the barriers to repentance in your life? Jesus invites us to bring all these things to Him and behold His goodness. He died on the cross and rose from the dead for us. Knowing Him is far better than anything else we crave. In Him we find forgiveness, newness of life, and love that fills all our deepest longings. Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17b (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1:27, 31; EPHESIANS 1:2-10; 3:14-19 You might not believe you are good enough, but to the God who created the universe and every human on earth, you are enough. You might find it difficult to believe you are capable or attractive or talented or special, but the God who made every colorful flower, every sweeping cloud, every gorgeous beach, and every towering mountain is the One who created you too. When you start to doubt your worth, think about who it is who created you. God made everything and everyone in this world. He made it all good, and He made you (Genesis 1:31). And, as a human you are even more important than the flowers, the clouds, the beaches, and the mountains…because you are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). God knows who you are. He made you on purpose. He loves you just for being you. You don’t have to try to be anything special to earn His love. The reality is, you could never do enough to earn it—He gives His love as a gift. Before God created the world, He already knew you and loved you. He even knew that you would sin and reject Him, and He still loved you. That’s why Jesus came…because even though all humans sin and fall short again and again, God doesn’t give up on us. He died on the cross for us and rose from the grave so that everyone who puts their trust in Jesus can be forgiven and live with Him forever. As we grow deeper in our relationship with God, we grow more confident in who we are. Because our identity is in Jesus, He has declared that we are enough. We are fully loved by the Creator of the universe. We are completely forgiven through Jesus. We are called to be part of His kingdom work, and we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to follow wherever God leads us. So, when you start to doubt your worth, think about who it is who created you. Think about how He was willing to suffer and die for you. Think about the way He invites you to a life of purpose. That’s how much you’re worth to God. No matter what you do, God sees you as worthy of the love that He so generously gives. • Bethany Acker • In what ways have you felt like you’re not enough? • How can remembering the good news about Jesus help us understand our worth and rest in God’s love for us, instead of striving to be enough? …how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1:27; LUKE 8:1-3; MATTHEW 27:45-56 Sometimes, when I look at our broken world and I see more and more ways that women have been treated as less than men, I just get overwhelmed. Sometimes I wonder, does God see women as less than men? Are we less? One day, I was sitting alone in my car and praying, and this question was once again pressing on my heart. And I was reminded of how Jesus interacted with women. Their stories began to soothe the ache in my core. Jesus is God in human flesh. He reveals the way God sees women. (1) The arrival of the Son of God was announced first to a woman. Her name was Mary, and she lived in Nazareth. The angel Gabriel called Mary “highly favored” and told her that Jesus—who is Immanuel, God with us—would grow in her womb. The Son of God would take His first breath when she gave birth to Him. (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:26-38) (2) Jesus revealed His identity as the Messiah to a woman. She lived in Samaria, and she was coming to a well to draw water when no one else was there—except Jesus. He asked her for a drink and had a conversation with her, even though, in that society, men weren’t supposed to talk to women, and Jews certainly weren’t supposed to drink from a Samaritan’s water jar. But Jesus treated her with dignity and listened to her questions with respect. When He told her that He is the Messiah, the Savior who God had promised, she ran to tell everyone! And many believed in Jesus because of what she said. (John 4:1-42) (3) Jesus commended a woman for sitting under His teaching. Her name was Mary, and she lived in Bethany. In a society where girls didn’t receive schooling from rabbis, this woman took the posture of a disciple, and Jesus honored her for it. (Luke 10:38-42) (4) After Jesus rose from the dead, the first person He appeared to was a woman. Her name was Mary, and she was from Magdala. Then, Jesus sent her to tell others that He was alive! In a society where a woman’s testimony in court wasn’t considered as valuable as a man’s, Jesus entrusted the most important news, first, to a woman. She became the first person to proclaim His resurrection. (John 20:1-18) These examples and many more from the Bible kindle hope in my heart, because even though our world has been broken by sin and we see injustice in so many ways, when I look at Jesus, I see that God honors women. He made women on purpose, not as an afterthought. He made both women and men in His image. And He loves all of us. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave so that everyone who puts their trust in Him can be part of His eternal kingdom. I follow Jesus, like many women who came before me. • Hannah Howe Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he [Jesus] had said these things to her. John 20:18 (NIV) • In what ways have you seen people being treated as less than others? How can knowing that we are all created in God’s image help us see ourselves and each other as God sees us? (Genesis 1:27) • Have you ever felt less than? You can bring these thoughts and feelings to Jesus anytime. As Christians, we can rest in our true value in Christ. In God’s eyes, we are His masterpiece—all of us. And He equips each of us to be part of the good work of His kingdom. (Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:10) • Can you think of any examples of women being treated as less than men, either throughout history or in your own life? God invites us to process these things with Him. He grieves alongside us, and He gives us hope. One day, Jesus will return and right every wrong (Revelation 21:1-5). In the meantime, He has promised to be with us through everything we face (Matthew 28:20). How can these truths comfort us when we encounter unfair situations? • How can looking at the ways Jesus interacted with women affect the way we view women? <...

READ: PSALM 77:11-12; ROMANS 15:4; 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 Do you find parts of the Bible boring to read? You’re not alone. The Bible was written by lots of people who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and these different people lived over a long period of time. The Bible is made up of all kinds of different genres, and it includes complicated historical details and complex spiritual ideas. Sometimes, when we’re reading a part of the Bible that goes into a lot of these details—like ancestry or building instructions or accounts of different battles and political changes—it can be a challenge to find these details interesting. We might struggle to see how things that happened thousands of years ago could apply to our lives at all. The good news is that the Bible, complete with all its details, is one unified story. It tells us about how humanity fell into sin, how we were separated from God and each other…and the story continues with God stepping in to reconcile us to Himself. Through Jesus, God is calling people to know Him personally, and He is rescuing all of creation from sin and its effects. So, when you’re reading a part of the Bible that seems pretty dry and uninteresting, remember that the story of the people in those pages is our story too. When we read about people in the Bible, we hear how God helped them and kept His promises to them—even when they sinned—which reminds us that Jesus will do the same for us. Hearing these stories helps us know how great God is and reminds us that we can trust Jesus in every situation. After all, we sin just like the people in the Bible did, but Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave so we could all be brought near to our Creator who loves us dearly. As we read the Bible, let’s take time to think about each story and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us understand His Word in a deeper way, asking questions like, “How does this passage invite us to think and live as a child of God?” “How does it show us who Jesus is and what He is doing throughout all of history?” As we ponder and question, we can rest in the love of our God, the One who is weaving our lives into His great story. • A. W. Smith • What are your favorite parts of the Bible? Why? What are your least favorite parts of the Bible? Do you find things that annoy you or make you confused or angry? These feelings are normal, and they can be a sign that you are really trying to work through and understand what the Bible says. You can bring these thoughts and feelings to God in prayer anytime. Additionally, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to? Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4b (NLT)

READ: ACTS 2:42-47; EPHESIANS 2:13-22; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:11 When God created Adam, He said that people shouldn’t be alone. And so, God created Eve. From the beginning, God created people for community. God designed Adam and Eve to thrive in fellowship—in companionship and intimacy with one another (Genesis 1-2). But then, Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Adam blamed Eve, and she blamed the serpent. No one wanted to take responsibility. Trust was broken. God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and He warned them that life would be different. And it was. Humanity was trapped in sin (Genesis 3). Years later, Adam and Eve’s son, Cain, killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4). After the Fall (when people first sinned), how can we trust each other? Do we even want to live in companionship and intimacy in this broken world? Isn’t it easier to fend for ourselves without depending on others? Maybe it is easier. Bad things continue to happen in relationships. We’ve all experienced this. Friends betray each other. People abandon their families. We feel hurt by those we love. But easier is not always better. We are created to thrive in fellowship, just like Adam and Eve. When Jesus came to earth, He emphasized the importance of community. “For where two or three gather in my name,” He said, “there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). After Jesus ascended and sent the Holy Spirit, His followers acted out this model of fellowship: “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:46-47). Because of this, more people came to know Jesus. Jesus brings us redemption, so we can live in fellowship. While this world is still broken, and there may be places where we need to put up loving boundaries, that doesn’t mean we need to live our lives in isolation. Jesus makes us part of His family, and He makes it possible for us to live in fellowship with each other. He saves us through His death and resurrection, places us in community, unites us by His Holy Spirit, and holds us together in His love. So let’s live in companionship and intimacy with our fellow believers in Jesus. And, in our fellowship, let’s draw others into the love of our Savior. • Becca Wierwille • Why do you think God cares so deeply about fellowship? • Do you carry hurts from trusting others in the past? Who are safe people in your life that you can talk to about these hurts, such as pastors, counselors, parents, or youth leaders? Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11a (NIV)

READ: PSALM 13:1-6; MATTHEW 11:28-30; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11; HEBREWS 4:14-16 I am tired, so ready to give in I am weak, I cannot stand on my own I need rest, some way to take a break I need peace, a chance to put away my thoughts I am anxious, so much to get done I am frozen, no way to move forward I need help, some way to push on I need strength, direction to go forward I need to sleep I need to rest I need to know that You are holding me I need Your love I need Your peace I need to know that You will care for me I am tired, so ready to give in Reach down, remind me of your love Let me see the peace and strength You’ve given me • Emily Acker • Have you ever felt like the narrator of this poem? We all go through times when we feel exhausted, anxious, and weak. In these times, God does not scold us—He has such compassion for us. He reaches out, and in tenderness He comforts us. God wants us to come to Him for help in every struggle we face. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, know that Jesus empathizes with you and you can talk to Him about it. In addition to talking to Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to? • One of the primary ways God helps His people is through His people. If you’re experiencing things like anxiety or insomnia and you’re not sure who 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. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 12:15; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-14, 25-27; GALATIANS 6:2 Have you ever had a really bad ear infection? For such a small part of the body, the ear really makes a big difference! If your ear is infected, your entire body feels bad. In addition to your ear hurting, you might have trouble sleeping—not to mention hearing—and you could also experience headaches, difficulty balancing, or a loss of appetite. Thinking about ear infections can actually help us understand a truth we see in the Bible. As Christians, we are all part of the body of Christ. We need each other, and, like different body parts have different functions, we are each equipped with different spiritual gifts so that we can build one another up and share the good news about Jesus. As people bound together by Jesus’s love for us, we make up a single body. When one member has something to rejoice about, we get to rejoice with them! And when one part of the body of Christ is hurting, we have the opportunity and privilege to grieve with them. Now think back to ear infections. When you have one, your whole body suffers, and you do whatever you can to make your ear feel better, right? It’s similar in the church. When someone who is part of the body of Christ is hurting, we do what we can to help that person feel better too. This is one of the ways we share each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). As we care for one another’s physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational needs, we remember that our Savior is present with us through His Holy Spirit. And even when the hurts are slow to heal, we get to be present with one another and rest together in the love of Jesus. • A. W. Smith •How could you ease someone’s burden today? • When you are burdened, who are trusted Christians you can reach out to? • How does caring for one another help us share the good news about Jesus—that God became human, dwelled among us, died for our sins, rose from the grave to beat death, and is returning one day to make all things new, free from sin and its effects? (You can read more about the good news on our “Know Jesus” page.) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:13-16; PROVERBS 14:30; JOHN 10:7-11 “If only I could be like Carter,” I wished for the millionth time. “Just naturally confident.” Trudging through the crowds on my way home, I thought about all the popular college students. Unlike me. Everyone in front of me seemed to stride with purpose, while a heaviness dragged me down. Without warning, thunder rumbled. Lightening flashed as if ripping the darkening sky in two. Long needles of rain bounced on the ground, but I wasn’t soaked. I was dry. I turned to call out, wondering how I could still be dry in a downpour, but I was alone. Something’s terribly wrong. I shuddered. Where’ve they all gone? “Hello,” I cried out, my throat burning. Silence. The storm stopped. The scenery had changed. Vivid colors from trees and blossoming flowers. A mixture of their perfumes surrounded me. I wanted to stay here in this peaceful beauty forever, but my body was propelled toward a sign: Comparison Road. Looking back, everything was dazzling. But as I moved onward, out of control, the road started to crack. Flowers were bleached of vibrancy. Trees were bare. Further on, other trees had withered, and some drooping shoots looked as if they had given up and refused even to grow. The grass changed to earth and dust. Sadness swirled inside of me at the decaying environment. At the end of Comparison Road was a large gate, ajar. “Go through,” a Fatherly voice instructed. As I stepped through the gate, I felt immediate relief. Then the same voice said, “Comparison Road is a dangerous place. Many people try to travel it, but everything of beauty and growth withers there. When you are tempted to take its path, remember that I created you. You are my beloved child. I love you. I made the greatest sacrifice for you. So, when you are tempted toward comparison, come to me. Chasing after someone else’s dream or lifestyle is a waste of precious time. But when you choose my way, listening to what I say about you and following where I lead, you will find a life of true fulfilment.” His powerful love welled up inside of me. Falling down to my knees, I praised God and repented of my comparison, surrendering myself anew to the One who made me and called me. Words tumbled out until I was back home. This time, peace filled my heart. • Cindy Lee I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14a (WEB) • In what ways are you tempted to compare yourself to other people? • Why do you think comparison causes decay? How have you seen the damaging effects of comparison, either in the world around you or in your own life? • We live in a broken world where comparison is all around us. Whether it be social media popularity, academic accomplishments, athletic abilities, material possessions, or what we do in our free time…we’re constantly given ways to measure ourselves against other people. Where can we go when we’re surrounded by all this comparison? We can come to Jesus. As we find our identity in Him, we find freedom from comparison. If we belong to Jesus, we are children of God, we are fully forgiven, and we are called to a life of freedom and purpose in following the One who died on the cross and rose from the grave for us. Consider taking a moment to come to Jesus now. You can tell Him about what you’re thinking and feeling, bring your hurts to Him, confess any sins that come to mind, ask for His help, and rest in His unwavering love for you. • Our loving God created us as diverse individuals, each of us beautifully designed to make a difference in the world. So, when we find things to admire about other people, we don’t have to try to figure out if we are better or worse than they are. This leads to death and decay, not life and peace (James 3:13-18). Instead, we can thank God for creating these people, and we can also...

READ: MATTHEW 5:13-16; COLOSSIANS 4:2-6 In Matthew 5:13-16 and Colossians 4:2-6, we read that Christians are like salt. But what does that mean? What does salt do in practical terms? And how does this apply to our everyday lives? First, salt adds flavor. As Christians, we can add flavor to the lives of the people around us by sharing the love of Jesus. When we add salt to other people’s lives, they get a taste of what Jesus is like (Psalm 34:8). Second, salt makes you thirsty, letting your body know you need water. And like salt, Christians can help people around us become aware of their need for Jesus. When people see what knowing Jesus truly means to us and hear about what He’s done for us, they might become interested in knowing more about Him for themselves (John 7:37). Third, in the days before modern medicine, salt was often used to disinfect a wound. In a similar way, Christians have the good news of Jesus. He has provided the antidote for sin and all the brokenness it causes through dying on the cross and rising from the grave for us. Because we know Jesus, we get to look forward to the day He will return and fully restore His creation, and in the meantime, we get to see glimpses of His healing in our own lives—whether it be physically, spiritually, emotionally, or relationally. Sharing the story of Jesus in a loving way reminds us of the healing work Jesus has done in us and introduces others to the healing He can do in their lives. So today, as Christians, let us consider how we might share the salt of God’s healing love with our community, and let us rest in that same salty story where we found—and continue to find—our healing. • A. W. Smith • Which of the three characteristics of salt listed above stuck out to you the most? Why? • What questions do you have about how to share the gospel in a loving way? Consider taking some time to pray, asking God about this in the space below. • Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk with about loving ways to share the good news of Jesus? Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 26:19; EZEKIEL 37:1-14; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-20, 51-52 Earth will give birth to you. Your body, as it decomposes, will scatter particles back into the biosphere of our planet. This has happened to all members of the human race, the highborn and the lowly. But this isn’t permanent. A day is coming when Jesus will raise the bodies of the dead, putting all the little pieces back together. Earth will give birth to our bodies again, after absorbing them, like it first gave birth to humanity at the Creator’s touch (Genesis 2:7; 3:19). Our planet is a giant recycling system. Things that die go back into the mix, and more life is created. It seems impossible that, once we die, we could be taken back out of the earth and reassembled. That is, however, the sure hope that God promised through His prophets and will accomplish in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself was dead, and for three days in the tomb, His broken body began to return to the biosphere. But He could not be held by death and decay. God the Father raised God the Son from the dead, putting His body back together and reversing the natural process. When Jesus returns, we will also be raised from the dead, and all who have put their trust in Jesus will live with Him forever in restored creation. Then, our bodies will be in better shape than they ever were before, but make no mistake, the bodies we have now are the same bodies we will have after the resurrection. Humans were never meant to be recycled. God made us to live on the earth with Him, glorifying Him always. We fell into sin and death, but He will retrieve us. That is our sure hope. • Kevin Zeller • Our bodies matter to God. How might the resurrection affect the way we view our bodies now? • When Jesus returns, He will make everything new. Then “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). What pains and sorrows have you experienced in your body lately? Jesus cares about all these things; He empathizes with us, and He grieves with us. But there will come a day when our bodies will no longer get hurt or sick or sore. Consider taking a moment to tell Jesus about the hurts you, or people you know, are experiencing, and ask for His healing. Even if we don’t experience healing today, as Christians we have the sure hope of complete healing when Jesus returns. But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise—let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy…the earth will give birth to her dead. Isaiah 26:19 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 5:43-47; LUKE 21:9-11; JOHN 14:1; 1 JOHN 4:19 War. Terrorism. Violence of all kinds. In a world that’s broken by sin where these terrible events are the reality—and in an age of unending information in which we constantly hear about them—what are we as Christians to do? First, let’s remember why these terrible things happen. Since humanity fell into sin, grasping for power and rejecting God (Genesis 3), people and nations want to be powerful, and many will do anything to gain that power. That’s the reason we see rampant violence in our world today. So where is the hope? What do we do now? As Christians, we know Jesus. He is the loving God who saw our sin—our power-grabbing, our violence, and our disregard for God and neighbor—and He stepped into our world, becoming human to dwell among us. Then, He died and rose again to beat sin and death. Jesus is the One who weeps with us at the sin that wreaks havoc on the world He made. He is the One who will return one day to make all things new, free from the brokenness sin brings. And, as the just judge, He is the One who will make all wrongs right. In light of these truths, we can know that we are loved by God and that He is at work in the world—taking even the bad things that happen and working them for His good purpose: to bring us back to Himself and to restore all the good in creation that we, in our sin, have destroyed (Romans 8:18-39). So today, we can rest in God’s love for us. As we receive His comfort and peace, we can love and care for our neighbors (and even our enemies) in a world that’s full of violence and hatred. Because Jesus first loved us, we can walk into our broken world, transformed by His love and radiating that love toward everyone we encounter. We can trust Jesus with every situation, knowing that He cares deeply for His creation. Things won’t be like this forever because Jesus will one day put an end to sin and death in this world once and for all. • A. W. Smith • How can resting in Jesus’s love and the hope of His return, when He will rule with perfect justice, help us work for love and justice when our communities experience violence and hatred? • What tragedies of violence are on your mind right now? Consider taking some time to cry out to God and lament these things in the space below. And remember that Jesus weeps with you. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me [Jesus].” John 14:1 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 34:1-22; 61:1-2; 121:1-8; 139:1-5 When I whisper Answer me, God When I scream Be the One who hears When I can’t speak Hear my thoughts When I break Put all of my pieces together When I’m lost Bring me home, God When I’m scared Calm my fears When I fail Show me the way When I praise you Accept my praise • Emily Acker • Today’s poem is written in the style of a psalm. Did one of the phrases in this poem stick out to you in particular? Which one? • We can pour out our hearts to God at all times (Psalm 62:8). He is always eager to listen to us and help us. What does your heart long to say to God today? • Throughout the book of Psalms, we can find echoes of the gospel. For example, in Psalm 34:20 we find a prophecy that none of Jesus’s bones would be broken (John 19:30-37). Whenever we cry out to God, we can rest knowing that our rescue is in Jesus. He came so that we could be close to God. He is the healer of our brokenness, the One who seeks us when we’re lost and brings us home, the One who delivers us from fear and gives us His peace. He died for us while we were still sinners and rose from the grave so that all who trust in Him can be forgiven and made righteous. He is the Way, and He is worthy of all our praise. How can remembering who Jesus is give us hope to cry out to Him in every struggle we face? (If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 53:5; Luke 4:17-21; 15:1-7; John 14:6, 27) I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 (NIV)

I adored the cowboy boots Papa bought me at the feed store. But running in them for gym class had gotten difficult. I just had to find my missing purple sneakers; they were my only other shoes appropriate for school. Now, if I could only remember where I’d left them. . For almost two weeks, I searched our house. I looked in our truck, around my grandparents’ home, everywhere I imagined the shoes might be. Then, one day at the end of dance class, I gathered my belongings to go home. Suddenly, I spotted a flash of lavender under my classmate’s coat. Could it be? There, in the corner of the drafty old building where I met weekly for dance class, I located my missing sneakers. My long-absent and much-loved shoes had been found! Happy and relieved, I tossed them into my dance bag, eager to tell my mother the good news. . I had a story to tell about shoes that had been lost and then found. In the Bible, Jesus uses “lost and found” stories to teach us truths about His commitment to rescuing us. In three parables”about a lost sheep, a missing coin, and a son who abandoned his family”Jesus makes it clear that He cares, not just about the many, but the one. As a good shepherd, Jesus values each of His sheep, and He will search for us intently (John 10:11). God rejoices when we are found, when we”like a runaway kid who finally returns to the family” come home to our loving Father. . Through all these “lost and found” parables, we see how Jesus pursues us, searches for us. And when we turn to Him as our Savior and Lord, we receive forgiveness and eternal life, and our heavenly Father celebrates that we have returned to Him and His love. “ Allison Wilson Lee . “ Have you ever searched for something that was lost, and then when you found it, you were so happy you wanted to tell people? . “ Have you ever stopped to think about how God celebrates when just one person returns to Him and begins a relationship with Him through Jesus? What can this truth reveal about God’s love for us? (Psalm 18:19) . “”” …let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:23-24 (CSB) Read Verses: Luke 15:1-Luke 15:24

READ: EXODUS 34:5-7; MATTHEW 18:23-35; ROMANS 2:4 Patience is a virtue we all need. It took me many years to realize my need for this virtue. This realization came to me when I had a misunderstanding with someone I was helping. She was not willing to take a step I thought was right for her, and so I became impatient with her. My friends tried to advise me on how to handle the issue patiently, but I just felt I could not do so. I even started thinking of withdrawing the little help I was giving her. But then one day as I was reading the Word of God, the truth dawned on me that God is patient with us all. I thought of the many times I have not done what God wanted me to do, and yet He has been patient with me and forgiven me, like it says in Romans 2:4, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” As I had seen God’s kindness and patience lead me to repentance, I also decided to treat this person the way God has treated me, believing that God is patient with her too and that His kindness and patience would lead her to repentance. And so our relationship was restored. God calls us to be patient with one another, and through His Holy Spirit, who lives inside Christians, God empowers us to extend the same loving patience to others that He extends to us. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni • Can you think of a time you struggled to be patient with someone? How could resting in God’s patience toward us make it a bit easier to be patient with others? • Do you ever struggle to be patient with yourself? God is incredibly patient with you, and He loves you more than you can imagine. Scripture is full of stories of God’s people refusing to obey Him, getting themselves in trouble, and then being rescued by God anyway. He never stops pursuing us with love and mercy—which is why Jesus, God in flesh, came to die and rise from the grave to make the way for us to be with God. And if we know Jesus by faith, His Holy Spirit lives in us, helping us extend His loving patience to others. So let us sit in awe of God’s amazing patience with us, even as we ask Him to help us be patient with others. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 5:17; ROMANS 8:18-28, 38-39; REVELATION 21:1-5 Have you ever stopped to really look at a piece of wood? Straight lines, intermingled with lots of circles and twists—that’s the diverse beauty you’ll see in wood grain. And those circles and twists, called burls or knots, tell a story. Burls are found where a branch went out from the tree trunk. They can also be caused by a problem in the life of the tree—like when insects invaded a certain section, or when the tree had a disease. Isn’t it interesting that, even though trees experience problems, their Creator brings beauty out of those difficult times? Jesus, who is our Creator God, does the same for us as humans. He sees the brokenness our sin causes in our world, and He weeps with us. Because He is such a good God and is free from sin, He does not sit idly by, doing nothing about suffering. He is at work. He stepped into our world, sinless and full of compassion and mercy. Jesus met us in our suffering with love, and He suffered for us. He died on the cross for our sins; then He rose again to defeat death, ascended to the throne of heaven, and is with us now—through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. Jesus will one day return to make all things new, completely free from the effects of sin. In the meantime, we get to see glimpses of the healing and wholeness He is bringing to our hearts and to all of creation. Simply put, He is taking even the worst things and making them work out for His good purposes. It hurts when we experience difficult things, but we can trust that Jesus will be with us through every hurt and sorrow, and He will work all things for good. One day, all the hurt will only exist as a beautiful burl in the grain of the story of humanity. One day, everyone who trusts in Jesus will dwell together with Him in the new heavens and earth, forever free from sin and the suffering it brings. So, no matter what burls and knots we encounter in our lives, we can rest in Jesus’s love for us—a love so strong it can bring beauty even out of suffering. • A. W. Smith • What have been some of the burls and knots in your life? How might Jesus be bringing beauty out of this suffering? How did Jesus bring beauty out of His own suffering? (John 20:24-28) • In moments when it’s hard to see Jesus’s presence in the midst of pain, who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk with, such as friends, parents, therapists, pastors, etc.? The creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Romans 8:21 (NLT)

READ: COLOSSIANS 4:2-6; TITUS 3:1-9 I love Jesus, and I love talking to people about Jesus. I always have. But I’ve definitely made some mistakes in how I tell non-Christians about Him. So, I’m going to confess some of these mistakes—and what God has taught me through them. Often, I would spend a lot of time and energy trying to get people to believe in particular theological stances rather than the gospel. I would try to argue people into believing in a literal six-day creation (a position not all Christians agree on) instead of telling them about Jesus’s incredible love for them, and the miracle of His death and resurrection. I would try to convince them of the benefits and importance of waiting to have sex until marriage instead of talking about Jesus’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy. I would try to correct a person’s behavior instead of introducing them to the One who could heal their hearts. And perhaps worst of all, I would push for political stances instead of welcoming people into the good news of the kingdom of God. Friends, this didn’t work. At all. I pray that the Holy Spirit used these conversations, in spite of my mistakes, to draw people to Himself. But let’s not waste our energy expecting non-Christians to think and act like Christians. Conversations about creation, sex, and politics have an important place in our lives—especially when we listen well and seek to understand different perspectives—but let’s not confuse these conversations with the gospel. For me, learning this truth meant letting go of control and accepting that I cannot fix people, and I cannot change hearts. Only Jesus can do that. And when I try to change people myself, I’m trying to take over for the Holy Spirit and do God’s job myself. Only God can bring people to faith. I had to repent of my desire for control and accept my limits as a human being. As I’m learning to accept this truth, I’m growing in my ability to talk about Jesus in a way that flows from the joy and peace I’ve found in Him, rather than from a fear-filled, self-righteous desire to control people. Jesus is amazing. The gospel is incredible. When we let the truth of God’s love for us and the hope of Jesus’s resurrection permeate our lives and our hearts, we can show people what the gospel looks like. And that is more powerful than any argument. • Taylor Eising • How has the hope of the gospel affected your life? What are some ways you could share this? Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 10:25-37; 2 TIMOTHY 2:23-24 Jesus puts a high emphasis on loving God and loving our neighbors. But sometimes, a person we’re trying to show the love of Christ to has an opinion that we completely disagree with. Maybe they’re even part of an entirely different religion. Are they still our neighbor? In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus made it clear that everyone is our neighbor, not just people we share a lot of opinions with. It can be easy for us to get along with people who think like we do and agree with us on life’s big topics. But when Jesus taught the parable of the Good Samaritan, He showed that God calls us to love everyone—even people we deeply disagree with. The Samaritans and the Jews hated each other, and they disagreed about where and how to worship God. So when Jesus told the parable of a Samaritan taking care of an injured Jew, it would have been shocking to His audience. That kind of love was radical. Jesus Himself demonstrated this radical love by asking tax collectors—who were considered traitors—to follow Him. He often visited and healed people who would have been on the outskirts of society, such as lepers, women, prostitutes, and people with disabilities. And, in His greatest act of radical love, Jesus died for us and rose again, defeating death and sin so we can live with Him forever when He returns. As we wait for that glorious day, sometimes extending radical love means not engaging in an argument that would only make both people upset. Sometimes showing love to our neighbors means not jumping up to correct them, or not endlessly debating an issue that you don’t see eye-to-eye on. It’s not our job to convince people to share all of our views. God is the One who works change in people’s hearts. And because His Holy Spirit lives in us, empowering and equipping us, we can show everyone Christ’s transforming love. • Naomi Zylstra • Have you gotten into an argument or debate recently? Did anyone change their minds? What happened after the argument? • Who is someone in your life who has a different view on something that’s important to you? What are some ways you might be able to show love to this person? • What might it look like to talk with someone lovingly about a topic you disagree on? Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 21:1-14 Cooking is an important part of the kingdom of God. Don’t believe me? Jesus Himself used cooking in His ministry. After Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He appeared several times to His followers. But one particular appearance involved a fishy breakfast. The night before it happened, some of Jesus’s disciples went fishing but caught nothing all night. Then, as morning broke, Jesus called from the shore and told them to throw out their nets on the other side of the boat. When they did, the net became so full of fish they couldn’t pull it into the boat—Jesus had done a miracle! And when the tired, hungry Jesus-followers reached shore, Jesus cooked a delicious breakfast of fish for them over an open fire. But why do you think Jesus bothered to cook? Why didn’t He just do another miracle and make cooked food suddenly appear? It might have been because He wanted them to see that He had risen from the dead. Eating is an essential part of living, and He cooked and ate a meal with His disciples to show them who He is and that He cared for them. So, when we think about all the times Jesus commands us to love others as He loves us (John 13:12-15, 34; 15:10-13), we can remember how He cooked breakfast for His disciples. As Christians, we can share God’s love with others by taking care of them—even in small ways. Cooking is just one of the tangible ways we can show the love of Jesus, remembering that “we love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19). • A. W. Smith • Can you think of any small ways other Christians have shown Jesus’s love to you? • Can you think of any small ways you could help someone and care for their tangible needs today? Consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice opportunities to share His love as you go about your day. “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said…Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. John 21:12-13 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 15:7; COLOSSIANS 2:12-13; 3:9-14; 1 PETER 5:6 If we were real with God, that deep well of frustration, discontentment, or fear could be emptied one putrid bucket at a time and filled with His unfailing love, faithfulness, and grace. Without recognition and an honest emptying of the ugly, how can we make room for the beauty so we can be filled with healing? If we were real with ourselves, allowing the truth of the gospel to seep into the depths of our soul, it would illuminate that which needs change Uncomfortable, exposed, but necessary. Once we let go of the facade, the real work begins Truth, acceptance, change. If we were real with others, perceptions could be past Strongholds would be smashed. Looking into each other’s eyes, we would see the reality and breathe deep, knowing we are not alone. The struggle is real. The reality? Everyone struggles. Yet, because of Jesus, we can embrace the real, because really, who wants to live a lie? Make way for the awkward, hard, embarrassing, in-your-face truth Make way for real. • Savannah Coleman • In what ways do you feel like you can’t be authentic? How does Jesus’s forgiveness free us? Don’t lie to each other…Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you… Colossians 3:9, 13 (NLT)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:1-32; COLOSSIANS 3:1-17 There are certain people in our lives who test our patience. When we’re around them, we might find ourselves acting in ways we don’t normally act. For example, we might struggle to spend time with little children, or we might find it difficult to relate to older people. Or there could be certain personality types we have a hard time interacting with, regardless of the person’s age. But when we come across people in our lives who frustrate us and make us feel impatient, we don’t have to respond negatively. Because God is patient and loving toward us, we can be patient and loving toward others. Because Jesus is gentle and humble, and Christians have His Holy Spirit living in us, we can be gentle and humble too (Matthew 11:29). When we’re struggling to get along with someone, we can reach out to God. He empowers us to respond to people in the way He calls us to. If we can’t keep our anger and frustration in check on our own, we can take a step back and rest in the calm of God’s presence. As we recenter our attention on Him, we may find ourselves seeing things from His perspective. God calls us to be an example of His love, and He knows that we need Him in order to do this. As Christians, we can rely on the Holy Spirit, who is forming us in love and understanding. As we grow in our relationship with God, our lives bear the fruits of the Spirit—including patience (Galatians 5:22-23). And even when we get impatient with others, even when we mess up and lash out, God is still patient and gentle and loving as He interacts with us. Through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, God has sealed our forgiveness and made us part of His family. So, whether we feel frustrated or not, whether we are with someone we usually get along with or not, we can rely on the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with God’s love, to treat that person kindly (Romans 5:5). Emily Acker • Have you noticed that it’s more difficult for you to interact with certain people or groups of people than others? God invites us to talk to Him about all this, and He helps us examine the reasons behind our hesitancy to interact with, or even our disgust toward, other people. In addition to talking to God, who are trusted Christians you can talk to about these things? • When we feel impatient with others, how could it be helpful to remember God is patient with us? • Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 8:1-2, 15-18, 26-39; 10:9-13 I shouldn’t have done that, you think to yourself after you’ve sinned. I’m a Christian now—or at least I thought I was. Maybe I’m not really saved after all. This is a common worry among Christians, but take heart. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus to rescue you from sin and death, you belong to God’s family. He has adopted you. You’re His child forever. That’s worth repeating: you are His child forever. It’s like being born or adopted into your earthly family. Your parents don’t disown you every time you do something wrong, do they? Hopefully not! Well, our heavenly Father is better than any earthly parent could ever be (Psalm 27:10; Matthew 7:9-11), and He isn’t going to disown us every time we sin either. If He did that, none of us would be His children. We all sin, repeatedly, even Christians. Whenever we do something wrong, we can confess it to Jesus right away. He already knows what we’ve done, and He has already secured our forgiveness. As we come to Him, He reminds us of His faithful love, and through the Holy Spirit, He helps us grow to become more and more like Him. Christians aren’t perfect, but Jesus didn’t die for us and rise again only to disown us when we do something wrong. He went to the cross and conquered sin and death so we could be part of His family and have eternal life with Him. When you trust in Jesus, you’re part of His family—forever. • A. W. Smith • Can you think of a time you felt unsure of your salvation? Was there something that helped comfort you? • Take a moment to reread today’s Scripture passages. What promises from Jesus can we rest in when we feel worried about whether or not we’re saved? Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for His promises and talk to Him about any worries that come to mind. • Who are trusted Christians in your life who can encourage you and pray with you when you experience doubt and fear? How could you be this kind of friend to others? Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39b (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; MICAH 6:8; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 I love food. It’s a wonderful way God sustains us, as well as a source of joy, and it often provides opportunities for community. But sometimes I get bogged down wondering about my food. I’ll pull a bell pepper out of its plastic bag, put the bag in the recycling, and wonder if that bag will end up floating around in the ocean for decades. I’ll start cutting up the pepper, and I’ll wonder if it was grown in a way that nourished God’s precious earth, or in a way that robbed the earth of its resources. As I munch on a slice, I’ll wonder if the people who worked to plant, grow, harvest, package, ship, and stock this bell pepper—people made in God’s image—were treated well and paid fairly for their labor, or if they toiled under unjust employers like the Israelites toiled under an unjust Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. Would these people be able to afford to buy the food they’re growing and transporting? I’ll hand a piece of pepper to my three-year-old daughter, and I’ll wonder what the world will be like when she grows up. Some might say I shouldn’t worry about these things. After all, it’s just a bell pepper. But I don’t think God sees it that way. God cares deeply about the way we treat each other and how well we steward the earth He made. He loves justice, mercy, and compassion…and all of us—including me—fall short of His justice. But I can find rest, even in the midst of this messy world, because God forgives me through Jesus, and He cares about injustice even more deeply than I do. And He is way more powerful. When I’m overwhelmed by the injustice in this world and in my own heart, I can look to Jesus, who took all that sin and brokenness on Himself as He hung on the cross, then rose from the dead to defeat it. And I can trust that, one day, He will return to resurrect us from the dead and rule over the earth with perfect love and justice. In the meantime, I can weep with Him, knowing that He feels the hurt even more deeply than I do. And I can listen to the direction of His Holy Spirit to see how I can participate in His kingdom of love and justice, bringing healing to broken places because He is bringing healing to my heart. • Taylor Eising • How might knowing that God redeems us—even when we feel unredeemable—help us find rest in His goodness and mercy? In the midst of our broken world, how does He give us hope? Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants. Psalm 89:14 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-28; ROMANS 8:22-25; COLOSSIANS 1:15-23; 1 PETER 1:3-5 “Humans have made a mess of this world. It’s time for them not to be in charge.” I backed away after the android said this, clicking its long metal fingers together. A product of the recent technological singularity, this artificial intelligence was trying to take over the planet. “I hope you will all listen to me,” it said, “and do what I say. We are going to make another world, a better one. But for those who stand in the way…” Its fingers formed into a fist. I had to stall the vile machine, since my friends were furiously cooking up something that might be able to stop it. I cleared my throat nervously. “You can’t make the world better, even if we are the ones who messed it up. Besides, I don’t think you are in charge.” Red eyes fixed themselves upon me. “Really.” “In fact,” I said, still backing away, “humans will always be in charge. A human being is ruling the entire universe right now. His name is Jesus. And even though we’ve made a mess of things because of our sin, Jesus is sinless. And He loves us. He is the One who’s going to make a better world when He returns. So even if you take over the whole world, you aren’t really in charge.” The thing came after me, metal feet clanking on the floor. The stalling was done, it seemed. I dove under a table as it lunged. The lights went out, and for a second I thought I had been knocked unconscious. Then the lab flickered with candlelight, and I gasped as I saw the motionless android hovering above me, arm raised with clawed fingers ready to strike. My friends pulled me away. “We used its own weapon!” they said, holding up a pocket-sized EMP device that delivered an electromagnetic pulse and disrupted electrical systems. “Took out the electricity for half a mile. If we hurry, we can reach the main backup computer before the intelligence finds a way to reboot.” I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. • Kevin Zeller • Do you ever feel like humans are messing up the whole world? How does God respond? (John 3:16-17) How might knowing that Jesus rules everything affect our view of all creation? • The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to follow all God’s commands, such as Genesis 1:26-28 and Matthew 22:37-40. What are some ways we can show Christ’s renewal in the world today? Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 1:22-23; JOHN 8:1-11; ROMANS 8:1 The music blasted, and we sang so loud that dogs started barking. My car full of friends bounced as we moved to the thumping bass. Then—CRUNCH! That wasn’t part of the song. Did I hit a mound of icy snow? I wondered. I opened my door and looked back. I had backed out into the driver’s side door of a pickup truck parked on the other side of the road. The fun video scavenger hunt we were on was officially over, and it was my fault. I sat frozen for a couple minutes, unsure what to do. I had never been in an accident before. My friend suggested we go to the closest house and see whose truck it was. I was scared, and I think I would’ve sat there numb if it weren’t for my friend sitting with me and suggesting some next steps. We knocked on the door and explained the situation. My friend stayed with me and helped me with communicating when I couldn’t get the words out. Although it was a difficult situation, it helped having someone there with me. I love how there are so many moments in God’s Word when Jesus simply sat with people, ate with people, sailed with people, stood with people—even when they had messed up in some big ways. One example of this is in John 8:1-11, when a group of religious leaders were about to put a woman to death by throwing stones at her because she was caught in adultery. They humiliated her, but Jesus stayed near her until all the threatening religious leaders left, one by one. Jesus didn’t condemn her—He wanted to forgive and restore her. In Matthew 1:23, we see that Jesus has another name: “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” And He is. He is with us when we feel lonely, when we mess up, when we are frozen and don’t know what to do next. God is with us. • Amanda Gott • Can you think of a time when someone stayed with you during a difficult situation? • Jesus came to live among us—fully God and fully human. Because of God’s great love for us, He made the way for everyone who puts their trust in Him to be with God, no longer condemned but fully forgiven. He did this by dying on the cross for us and rising from the grave. If you want to know more about this, who are trusted Christians you can talk to? (Also check out our “Know Jesus” page.) • If you’ve already put your trust in Jesus, can you think of a time(maybe a difficult situation) when you were reminded that God is right there with you? How did it feel? “…and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

READ: MARK 4:35-41 We rocked violently against the waves and wind. The men I had grown to know and love over the last several months huddled together near the mast, what was left of the sail covering over them like a massive cloak. They held it tightly, but still the vicious weather fought to tear it from their backs. “Is all hope lost?” Thomas shouted over the storm. Despite the despair that was plain upon his face, he stayed at my side to help steady the rudder. I wondered if he did so as a kindness to me, or rather if, like myself, he simply could not forfeit the illusion of maintaining control as the wet gale slammed against us and the black sky flashed angrily above. I pushed the wet hair from my face and looked at him. We trembled together and through the fear in my gut, I was selfishly glad that I would not have to die alone. “Should we not wake the Rabbi?” Levi shouted, having made his way aft by holding tightly to the gunnel. “How does he sleep through this?” Thomas shouted back in hopeless frustration. “If only we all could sleep,” I yelled back. “It would be a mercy to die peacefully.” “We wake him,” Thomas decided and made his way to the stern where the teacher rested, Levi in unsteady pursuit. I could not hear what was said, and I could barely see the exchange, but I watched as Jesus sat up, listening to our alarm. He nodded, then stood and faced the storm with arms outstretched. I heard his words clearly over the wind’s terrible howl. “Quiet! Be still!” As the waters calmed and the clouds immediately fled, the stars emerged and not even a breeze remained of the storm. How can this be? In terror, I watched the master as if seeing him for the first time. He not only commands spirits and illnesses. He commands nature itself! “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” he said quietly. There was neither accusation nor disappointment in his words, only gracious instruction. • James Long • Today’s story is how one author imagines Mark 4:35-41. By calming the storm and rescuing His disciples, how did Jesus reveal His trustworthiness, His identity, and His love for us? (If you want to dig deeper, read Genesis 1:1-10; Exodus 14:15-16, 21-22; Psalm 46:10; Colossians 1:15-22.) “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:41 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-11; 8:1-3; PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11 I was just reading an article about sheep, and I learned about something called sheep bloat. Sometimes a farmer goes out one morning, and there’s this dead sheep laying on its back, feet up in the air. Its belly is swollen tight. And sheep bloat has slain another one. What causes sheep bloat? It happens when a sheep eats too much lush, delectable, protein-rich pasture. The sheep can’t handle the richness, and the gases fill its belly until—pop. It’s dead. What does that have to do with us? God calls us His sheep, and He is our Good Shepherd. And, much like sheep, we have the potential to bloat. Paul tells us that “knowledge puffs up while love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Too much rich knowledge without love can actually hinder our spiritual life. If we haven’t been built up and strengthened by love, we can’t sustain all that richness, so we too could bloat up with pride and noxious fumes until we’re knocked flat—like the sheep that fall victim to sheep bloat. But dwelling in Jesus’s love builds us up. When we rest in the gospel—the truth of Jesus’s love for us embodied in His death and resurrection—His love equips us to take in all kinds of good knowledge without bloating. How can we tell if we’re being puffed up or built up? Here’s a good test: Does new information make us excited to show other people how smart we are, or does it give us a burning desire to help others enjoy it too? Do we follow knowledge-rich podcasts to make ourselves more useful to others, or to make others think we’re bigger than they are? We won’t be helpful to others if we’re paralyzed by our own bloatedness (Ephesians 4:29). Nobody likes knowledge gas. But because of Jesus, we can be built up by God’s love, extend that love to those around us, and then acquire some vital knowledge that will bless all of us—not just impress people with our hot air. • Rebekah Dorris • Jesus calls us to love Him and to love others (Matthew 22:37-40). How can pursuing knowledge help us love God and each other better? • What can happen when we pursue knowledge without love? But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 1 Corinthians 8:1b (NIV)

READ: ACTS 10:34-36; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; GALATIANS 3:28; JAMES 2:1-10 Equal, not just a term that’s used in math Let me see others as equal, God, the way You see them Help me see the celebrity and know they are just another human Help me see the poor and know they have a story Equal, let me look to those struggling in class Let me see them as equal, God, and just as valued as the prodigies Help me see the leaders at my school and know they are like the rest of us Help me see the bullied and the bullies and know they have value, too Equal, something that is hard to grasp Let me see everyone as equal, God, not all perched on different levels Help me see everyone as loved Help me not judge those around me, even when I feel judged Equal, it’s how You see the world Let me see as You see, God Help me understand that You value all people the same Help me treat others equally, since we are all made in Your image • Emily Acker • All people are incredibly and equally valuable to God. We can know this is true because God made humans in His image (Genesis 1:27) and because Jesus, God in flesh, came to die for us on the cross and rise from the grave so that ANYONE who puts their trust in Him will be saved and become part of His kingdom (John 3:16; Romans 10:11-13). When do you struggle to see people—others or yourself—as all equal in value and worth? In what ways are you tempted to put people on different levels? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about these things. You can be totally honest with Him—He wants to help and forgive you, not condemn you. • Every person we meet is someone God has made, someone Jesus was willing to die for. How might remembering the gospel help us see all people as equally loved and valuable? For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 1; JOHN 1:1-14; ROMANS 15:4 Trying to understand the Bible can be…overwhelming. The more I learn about it, the more I realize I don’t know. And I find myself wondering if I’ll ever truly know the Bible—and the God it reveals. If you’ve ever felt this way too, take heart. The Lord is with you. And He doesn’t expect you to get it all—especially your first time reading it. The Bible is meant to be read and listened to over and over. God designed it for us to discuss at length with others, learning from each other and encouraging one another in our walk with Jesus. Learning Scripture takes a lifetime, and even then, we won’t have everything right. And in this lifelong endeavor to know Scripture, we are not alone. Generations of Christians have studied Scripture, and we can learn from their insights. Books, commentaries, study Bibles, websites, and videos contain immense riches of knowledge to help us know the Bible better. If you’re not sure where to start, try asking a pastor, youth leader, teacher, or parent. They will probably be thrilled to help you. You can also search out Bible study groups and classes to dig into Scripture with other people. Plug into your church and seek out wise people who are following Jesus. Ask lots of questions. Don’t try to go on this journey alone. Along the way, we’ll bump into Scripture’s many mysteries. There are things we’ll never fully understand until we see Jesus face to face. But as we sit with these mysteries and dig deep into the message of Scripture, the Spirit is at work. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer, and even when we aren’t sure what a passage means, He is helping us know God better. The whole of Scripture tells the incredible story of our loving God rescuing His people through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And while interpreting Scripture may take some work, that is a story worth knowing. It’s worth studying and mulling over and wrestling with until the story seeps deep into our bones. Because this story reveals the heart of God, and as we draw nearer, we see that His heart beats for us. • Taylor Eising • What questions do you have about the Bible? Who can you talk to about these questions? Can you think of any resources that could help you understand the world of the Bible more, such as study Bibles, commentaries, websites, podcasts, etc.? So the Word became human and made his home among us. He [Jesus] was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory. John 1:14a (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 7:13-14; MATTHEW 1:18-23 Another tool that can help us understand Scripture is genre. The Bible has lots of different genres, like historical narratives, parables, poetry, letters, wisdom literature, apocalyptic literature, and more. Today, we’re just going to take a look at one genre: ancient biographies. Specifically, we’ll look at the book of Matthew. Like the rest of the four Gospels, Matthew is an ancient biography about Jesus. And while modern biographies attempt to cover all the facts of a person’s life in chronological order, ancient biographies only cover certain events about a person’s life, and they aren’t necessarily in chronological order. Instead, the author chooses different events and facts about the person and arranges them in a certain order to make a point. For example, Matthew (who was one of Jesus’s disciples) makes the point that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures. To do this, Matthew tells the story of Jesus in a way that embodies the story of Israel. Jesus is called out of Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23) like God called Israel out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 13:17-22). Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17) parallels Israel’s journey through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-31). Immediately after this, Jesus wanders in the desert for forty days (Matthew 4:1-11), similar to how the Israelites wandered the desert for forty years (Numbers 32:13). Finally, He climbs up a mountain to teach His followers (Matthew 5:1-2), like Moses climbed Mount Sinai to receive the law from God (Exodus 19-20). Matthew also arranges Jesus’s sermons into five long segments (chapters 5-7; 10; 13; 18-20; 23-25) to parallel the five books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This makes the point that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Torah, and He is the perfect, sinless Israel that the Israelites could never be. Understanding the genre the book of Matthew was written in helps us grasp its message: Jesus is the One the Israelites had been waiting for. And, because we know that ancient biographies are arranged to make a point, we can understand why the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) look slightly different: they’re making slightly different points about who Jesus is! When we look at all of them together, we get a fuller picture of Jesus—who loves us so much that He died and resurrected from the dead to save us from sin and death. • Taylor Eising • Why does genre matter in the Bible? How does Jesus’s fulfillment of promises show God’s love? All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said…Matthew 1:22a (NIV)

READ: JEREMIAH 29:4-14 Another important piece to consider when interpreting a verse is the literary context. In other words, what’s going on in the Bible before and after this verse? To do this, we have to zoom all the way out to consider where the verse fits into the larger story of the Bible, then zoom in to see where it fits into its book of the Bible, and then where it fits into the surrounding verses. For example, let’s look at Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” First, let’s zoom all the way out. God created everything good, but people sinned and brought brokenness to all of creation. So God promised a future Rescuer who would come through Abraham and His descendants, the Israelites. But the Israelites kept on rebelling against God, so He sent people called prophets to warn them to turn back to Him. But they refused and were captured by their enemy, Babylon. It’s around this time that we find our verse, but let’s keep going. Later, Israel was delivered out of Babylon and, even later, God sent Jesus to rescue us through His death and resurrection. And someday Jesus will return to make all things new. Now, let’s zoom in to the book of Jeremiah. In the first half, Jeremiah (a prophet) accused Israel of sinning against God—oppressing the poor, doing violence, and worshiping idols. He warned them about God’s judgement. Around Jeremiah 29:11, Israel was conquered by Babylon and many were taken into exile. God’s judgment came through Babylon, but He reminded His people of a coming Rescuer. The book then shows God’s judgement against other nations, including Babylon, and it ends with a glimpse of hope: that the Rescuer would come. Now, let’s look closer at the passages around Jeremiah 29:11. Israel had been captured by Babylon, and false prophets were saying that God would save them soon. We see God’s response in Jeremiah 29:4-14. God, through Jeremiah, told His people to settle down in Babylon, because they would be there for seventy years. But Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God will rescue them. One day Israel will return to their home, and one day, much later, the Rescuer will come. Looking at the broader context of Jeremiah 29:11, we see God was telling Israel that, while the people He was talking to would die in captivity, His ultimate plan to redeem the world would not be thwarted. And in that plan we find hope. • Taylor Eising • How can looking at a verse in its literary context help us understand the Bible, and God, better? “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)