Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ISAIAH 12:2; MATTHEW 6:25-34; MARK 13:26-37 Do you have, in your area of the world, a tradition where people gather every year in a certain city and pull a type of rodent out of his home in order to predict the weather? Yes, it does sound funny! And if you live in the USA, you might recognize this day as Groundhog Day. Grown men in fancy suits gather around “Punxsutawney Phil” every February 2nd. They take the groundhog out of his hole, put him on top of a red-carpet-lined tree stump, and note whether Phil can spot his shadow. This “foretells” whether or not we will enjoy an early spring or expect winter for six more weeks. Then, they put him back. Groundhog Day is a funny tradition. Most people don’t believe it can actually predict the weather, but this holiday reminds us that people have always wanted to know the future. And yet God tells us throughout the Bible to trust Him for our future, even for important things, like when Christ will one day return. You might find a lot of people wondering about the state of the world, and whether or not Christ will return soon. Some start speculating about current events and think maybe they know the date. And yet, not even Jesus knew when He would return. As God the Son, He was leaving that to God the Father. I think we can leave it to the Father too. We don’t actually need to know anything more than what God has already said to us in the Bible. He has given us everything we need to get to know Jesus, to follow Him, and to live in the power of His Holy Spirit. Sure, it might seem fun to know exactly what’s ahead, but if God thought that was a good idea, then He would tell us. And since He hasn’t, we can focus on growing in Him and doing the good things He created us to do as we wait expectantly for Jesus’s return. • Kristen Merrill • Why do you think there are some things God doesn’t let us know in advance? • God calls us to trust Him with our future. And this isn’t a blind trust—we can have confidence that He loves us and that He will keep His promises, because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us. As Christians, we can look forward to Jesus’s return joyfully! What questions do you have about Jesus’s return? Who are trusted Christians you could ask? • If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 24:1-51; 25:31-46; Acts 1:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11; James 4:13-16; Revelation 21:1-5; 22:20 [Jesus said,] “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13:32 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 6:4-13 Once I belonged to a church that held services at a school cafeteria. For youth group on Wednesday nights, we met at a daycare that had closed for the evening. The daycare managers didn’t charge any fees to hold our youth group events there. To express gratitude, our church leadership organized an appreciation lunch for the daycare staff. The pastor asked volunteers to provide food, so I baked homemade cookies to contribute. On the day I dropped off my goodies, I realized some youth group parents had purchased sandwiches, side dishes, and desserts from a local shop for the staff lunch. My contribution (the only homemade item) looked out of place amidst the professionally catered meal. That day, I offered what I could but felt embarrassed it didn’t measure up. But when I consider a young boy mentioned in Scripture—and how his simple meal of a few fish and bread loaves blessed a multitude—I think God might have a different view of those cookies. When we entrust our lives to Jesus, we begin new lives as children of God. Because of His death and resurrection, not only can we receive forgiveness, but we can also believe God has good plans for all of us who trust Him; that includes joining in His work to provide for others. And the success of those plans depends on Him far more than it does on us. Just look at that one little basket of lunch that Jesus multiplied until it fed a whole horde of people! I’m sure the cookies I delivered to the daycare didn’t transform into enough to feed thousands. But I do wonder if what I shared brought a smile to the face of someone craving a chocolate chip cookie. No matter what, though, we can rest assured that God has the power to take whatever little we offer and use it in big ways. • Allison Wilson Lee • Do you sometimes feel you don’t have much to offer when it comes to blessing others or sharing in the work of God? What abilities or possessions has God given you that you might have overlooked? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this and write down whatever comes to mind. • How does God measure what we give differently than the world measures? [Andrew said to Jesus,] “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?” John 6:9 (CSB)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:15-32; 5:15-20; 6:18-20 There’s something wonderful about French fries. But have you ever had disappointing French fries? I have. They had no salt—the worst thing that can happen to a perfectly good batch of fries! Salt makes things taste good. But do you know what else salt is good for? Our words. If we know Jesus, the Holy Spirit seasons our words so we can communicate the gospel clearly. He adds things like kindness, gentleness, grace, and love—allowing us to build people up with our words, not tear them down. But our speech doesn’t just impact others, it also impacts us. If we spend a lot of time telling ourselves we are stupid, ugly, unloved, or failures, that negative self-talk can easily become part of our sense of identity. Having the ability to speak is special. In fact, language is one of the things that sets humans apart from the rest of creation. God calls us to keep a close watch over our mouths. But Jesus—fully God and fully human—is the only one who could do this perfectly. In His time of temptation, He quoted Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). When He was mocked and beaten, He chose silence motivated by love (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 26:62-63; 27:14). And while dying on the cross, He spoke with grace and compassion as He asked God the Father to forgive the people who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). When Jesus died on that cross, and then rose from the grave, He not only saved us from sin—He redeemed human speech. Once we put our trust in Jesus, He begins transforming our words. We can speak the truth in love as we learn to season every word with the salt of His love and good news. And even when we mess up, we can rest in His forgiveness and start fresh. So let’s stop the trash talk and start saying something good! • Rebecca Morgan • How have you been speaking about your friends, your family, and yourself lately? How do you talk about the difficult people in your life? • In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about what’s in your heart, asking Him to help you see others, and yourself, how He sees us— with truth and love. 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: COLOSSIANS 3:1-17 It’s a beautiful, sunny morning as I write this. I’m sitting in a comfortable and quiet space. When I was getting settled here at my computer though, I was drawn toward a news article that I saw about a sports player I’ve followed and some relationship drama he has going on. I considered opening one of the articles and reading about what he said was happening—and then, of course, what his girlfriend said as well. But then Philippians 4:8 popped into my head: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Now, I’ve read about celebrity drama before, and I probably will again. But I can admit that it doesn’t really make me feel good. It doesn’t benefit me in any way. It doesn’t even help me to know what’s actually going on. Each side claims they’re in the right, and I can’t really know who to believe. The sun is shining—that’s something good that I can focus on, rather than getting drawn into dramatic rumors about two hurting individuals. God is good and loving, and He is the one who has given me the sunshine and a safe, comfortable, and quiet place to write. I can focus on that. I can focus on praising Him. I can be attentive to the Holy Spirit and do the good things God is setting before me to do—things that will bless others, care for creation, and invite people to know and follow Jesus. I can focus my thoughts on God and all the good He has done and is doing, rather than getting pulled into a dark and sad story where I don’t really even know what’s truth and what’s fiction. What I think about and focus on matters. So, as Colossians 3:2 says, I can choose to set my mind on things above. • Emily Acker • As humans, we’re wired for connection with other people, and we’re drawn to stories. Sadly, sin twists these good desires toward things like gossip and drama, which are unhelpful at best, or harmful at worst. When do you notice your focus shifting to unhelpful or even harmful things? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this—telling Him how you feel, confessing any sin, and resting in His sure forgiveness and compassion. He will help you refocus on Him every time. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 62:1-8; MARK 14:33-34; JOHN 11:32-44 Have you ever been in a really emotional place—one where you’ve never been before? I have. Those situations are hard to navigate. They can be overwhelming, lonely, and sometimes scary. When complex feelings come our way, it can be easy to believe the lie that we need to isolate ourselves until we “fix” the problem or “get over” our feelings. But real freedom is found in asking friends and family to come alongside us and listen to our struggles. This isn’t always easy. We might worry that the situation will seem small or stupid because we “shouldn’t be feeling like this and just need to get over it.” Or maybe we don’t want to “burden” anyone else with our overwhelming feelings. These worries can make us feel even more lonely—maybe even worthless. But let me encourage you in your struggle. Any emotion we have, whether someone says it’s “correct” or not, is real. Because—whether we’re misunderstanding a situation or the circumstances truly are that difficult—our emotions are telling us it’s time to take a step back and figure out what’s going on. Believe it or not, no matter what we’re going through, God understands. He created us with emotions because He has emotions. Yet He knows that, for humans, processing emotions can be messy because we live in a world that has been broken by sin. Thankfully, God doesn’t just understand us—He empathizes with us. How? Because Jesus came and lived among us, fully God and fully human, He experienced all our brokenness firsthand, and every emotion that comes with it, even the deep pain of the cross. He wants us to come to Him with every single emotion we have so we can experience His mercy, His care, and His help (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 5:7). We find models of how to do this all throughout the book of Psalms. Many psalms were written by David—a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). David knew God loved him, so he repeatedly poured out his heart to God, no matter what he was feeling. When we have unexpected emotions, we can do the same. We can take deep breaths, call out to God and others, and remember we’re not alone. • Abigail Rose • What kinds of emotions have you been feeling lately? It could be this week, today, or right now. Consider taking some time to let out your emotions to God like David did in the psalms. • We all have times when our emotions feel overwhelming, and this is nothing to be embarrassed about. Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can be honest with about what you’re feeling? Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 34:6; 2 KINGS 5:1-16; EZEKIEL 36:26; LUKE 6:27-36 Aiyanna huddled behind a barrel as the raiders galloped into town. They were looking for slaves to take back to their tower cities. She had to get out of town—to the forest hut, the home of the prophet of Elohim. Hands grabbed her from behind, and the world turned upside down as she was slung over a raider’s shoulder. Immediately, a sweet smell smothered her into darkness. The next time her eyes opened, she screamed. She stared into cloud space. “Turn her away from the window,” a woman commanded. Rough hands pushed her onto her side, and she faced into a room where a woman stood. “I will untie you. But first, rules. You will obey. You will not leave my residence or visit other tower city levels. You are a rank zero servant. If you cooperate, you live. If you cause trouble…” She waved toward the enormous windows. “The sky scavengers may have you.” Aiyanna gulped. Elohim, protect me. Her days fell into a pattern of cleaning, washing, and repairing for the Mistress and her husband—a captain raider. Then one day, Mistress shrieked loud enough for citizens a tower city away to hear. Aiyanna found Mistress leaning over Captain. He raised one hand covered in green scales. “Two weeks,” Captain moaned. “Two weeks until I will be covered in scales, and you must expel me to dwell with the crawlers.” “No!” Mistress wailed. “Someone, help!” Aiyanna shrank back. The forest hut flashed across her mind, and she thought of the prophet—the one from whom she’d just begun to learn. Well, now Captain would know what it was like to be dragged from home. “Someone, help us!” Mistress wept. Aiyanna clutched her knowledge close. A new prison hardened around her heart—the last stronghold of her freedom—and she could feel herself beginning to sink into shadow. But then, another memory came to her, of the prophet telling an old story. He said when Elohim told us His name, He called Himself, “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Elohim, she prayed, is your love truly for these people too? Aiyanna took a deep breath and stepped forward. “The prophet back home. He has a cure for the scales.” Mistress and Captain stared at her, disbelief in their eyes. And wonder. Aiyanna felt the threat of darkness flee from her heart. Because she belonged to Elohim, she would always be free. • Judith DeStefano • Today’s allegorical story is based on 2 Kings 5:1-16. Consider taking some time to read this passage, and let the gravity of the situation sink in. How difficult do you think it was for this girl to offer help to Namaan? Why do you think she did it? • When Jesus came and lived among us, He called us to love others, even our enemies. The truth is, apart from Jesus, we are all God’s enemies. And yet, God loved us so much that Jesus was willing to give up His life for us on the cross. Because Jesus died and rose again, our sins can be washed away and we can become God’s friends (Romans 5:6-11). Once we experience God’s love for ourselves, His love overflows from us to others through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:19). Consider taking some time just to rest in Jesus’s love for you and thank Him for His sacrifice for you. • Is there someone in your life who feels like an enemy to you? God calls us to love and pray for our enemies, and He also helps us set up good boundaries (Luke 6:27-28). If someone has hurt you deeply, who is a trusted Christian adult who could help you discern how God might be calling you to love this pers...

READ: 1 SAMUEL 17:1-11, 32-51; EPHESIANS 2:1-10 Can you think of a time you tried to be someone you’re not? Maybe you were trying to act more talented than you really are, or you tried imitating someone you admire. Maybe you did it to impress your friends, or even to impress God. In 1 Samuel 17, David fought Goliath, a nine-foot-tall Philistine champion who terrified the Israelites. And David—who was likely a teenager at the time— wasn’t even a warrior yet! He was a shepherd. But David knew God was with the Israelites and would protect them from anyone who sought to harm them. King Saul clothed David in armor in preparation for the battle. But David wasn’t used to wearing armor, and he decided to go without it. He knew he didn’t need this protection because God was his greatest protection. He didn’t even take a sword—he took a shepherd’s weapons: a staff, a sling, and five stones. David went to battle as who he was. Not a warrior, but a shepherd. David faced the judgment of everyone on the battlefield when he went out with no armor. They probably considered him foolish. But David didn’t try to be or look like anyone other than who he was. Through God’s power, David defeated Goliath. God doesn’t ask us to be anything more than we are. He doesn’t expect us to be someone else; He loves us just the way we are. Even though we were all covered with the dirt and grime of sin, He valued us—so much so that Jesus died and rose again to save us from sin and death. God invites us to come to Jesus and be washed clean, and He gifts believers with His Holy Spirit so we can be in close relationship with Him. Now, we are free to follow Jesus with our God-given personalities, gifts, and abilities. Whenever God calls us to do something, He calls us to do it as ourselves—not as someone else—because He loves and values us just as we are. • Elizabeth Cooper • God doesn’t expect us to try to clean ourselves up or fix ourselves before we come to Him. How can knowing this give us greater confidence when we come to Him humbly in prayer? • God created you on purpose as a unique individual, and you have infinite worth as a child of God. As we yield to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, God transforms us more and more to reflect the character of Jesus, and He equips us to do the good work He calls us to do in each season of our lives. How have you seen God work through you just being yourself? [David said,] “And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 1 Samuel 17:47 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 119:105; ROMANS 3:20-24; 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17; HEBREWS 4:12 You’ve probably heard it in youth group or Sunday School: “It’s very important to have daily devotions.” But for many of us, we just can’t seem to make it happen. We have to do homework and study at night. We don’t have time in the morning before school. Sports practice, youth group, robotics club, orchestra concerts, volunteering, family activities, or all of the above fill up our time. It seems impossible to open our Bibles every day. We might even have a couple weeks go by before we find a few minutes to do devotions. It’s normal to wonder, If Bible reading is so important, why can’t I seem to do it every day? The Bible is important, of course! Why? Because it tells us the good news about Jesus—and that news affects every area of our lives. In His Word, Jesus teaches us how to live and gives us wonderful promises, not just for our eternal futures, but also for today. But we get stuck in legalism when we say that anyone should adhere to certain practices or habits to prove they know God or to somehow earn God’s favor. That’s what the Pharisees did in Jesus’s day, and Jesus was pretty clear the Pharisees did not understand the God they claimed to serve (Matthew 23). Instead of legalism, we can live in the grace Jesus has given us, going to the Bible regularly because we love Him and want to know Him better. Your best friend doesn’t chew you out when you don’t spend time with them for a few days, do they? Well, God doesn’t either. He wants us to spend time with Him, but He’s never legalistic about it (Colossians 2:6-18). He wants a relationship with us—not a performance. He loves it whenever we draw near to Him through reading His Word and talking to Him, even if it isn’t every single day. • Robyn Mulder • When you read or listen to the Bible and pray, how do you feel? Do you feel peaceful, anxious, hopeful, guilty, frustrated, fascinated, bored…a combination, or something else? • How often would you like to do devotions? What might make it easier for you to set aside this time? For example, what time of day tends to work well for you? Are there certain days of the week when you have more time or less time? Is there a place you can focus easier? • What is the difference between a legalistic habit and a grace-based habit? Why is it so important that our relationship with God is based on what Jesus did, not on what we do? For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (CSB)

READ: JOSHUA 1:9; JOHN 3:16; PHILIPPIANS 4:6 Have you ever been through a hard season in your life? I most certainly have. But just because we go through rough patches doesn’t mean we’re alone or that nobody loves us. God is with us every second of the day. He is there in our struggles and in our pain. God never leaves your side no matter how hard life gets. When I was 14 years old, I went through a heart wrenching time when I found out my great-grandpa had cancer. I believe it was stage 4, so it was pretty bad. I just remember praying to God and asking Him to heal my grandpa, but even though I was talking to God, I felt very alone. I felt like I was going through all these emotions that I couldn’t control. My grandpa passed away in March of that year, and it was like the whole world went dark. I had never felt so alone in my life, but I prayed to God, asking Him to help me through. And you know what? He did. He put two Bible verses on my heart that helped me through. The first one is Deuteronomy 31:8, which says, “The LORD is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” The second verse is John 16:33, in which Jesus says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” This really gave me a sense of peace and comfort and helped me not feel alone. Another verse, 2 Timothy 1:7, says that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” It’s okay to feel alone sometimes. I did. Just know that you are not alone. You have family, friends, and above all, God. He always loves you, cares for you, and sticks by you. Lord, I want to pray for the person reading this. I don’t know what they’re going through or the plans you have for them, but I know you do, so I just pray that you would guide them through their struggles and pain, Lord. That you would show your love to them and help them know they are not alone. That when the enemy tries to tear them down, they’ll know they have a loving God by their side. Lord, I pray you will bless this person and their family and help them have an abundance of joy and peace. In Jesus’s name, amen. • Eliana St. Cyr • Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). Can you think of a time Jesus reminded you that He is with you? We can ask Him for these reminders any time. [Jesus said,] “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 4:1-14; 7:37-39; ACTS 1:8; ROMANS 8:11 As long as we’re breathing, our bodies need a constant input of water; we must remember to drink, or we’ll perish. When Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman drawing water from a well, He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life,” and Jesus called this spring “living water” (John 4:10-14). When I read this, I used to think “never thirst” meant I would never need again or feel pain again or hurt again. So I had a disconnect between what I read in the Gospels and what I experienced. But it doesn’t mean that at all. “Never thirst” means living water never needs to be replenished. I don’t need to constantly remember to input another dose hour after hour, day after day. Since Jesus came, we no longer have to perform daily, monthly, or yearly rituals to have a relationship with the God of the universe. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, He is with us always, and His Holy Spirit is in us. God loves us, and He constantly works in us and through us to give us power—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). Now that’s pretty awesome power! If I need something or I feel pain, as I abide in Him, He gives me all the strength I require to experience His peace in the process. Living water is not like well water. Living water is with us always and forever. Sure, we’ll feel pain. Jesus felt pain! But the Holy Spirit will always be with us, giving us power, comfort, and strength—reminding us that God is working all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). • Andrea Bowden • As Christians, we have living water flowing from within us because we have the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). Yet, until Jesus returns, we will still experience difficult things like pain, discouragement, disappointment, and anxiety. These things are normal, and experiencing them doesn’t mean you have less of the Holy Spirit in you at any given moment. God is with us always, and He tenderly invites us to pour out our hearts to Him in prayer, expressing all of our grief, anger, confusion, and everything in between. Because we have the Holy Spirit in us, we have access to God’s peace, comfort, and joy—even if we don’t feel it for a while. Can you think of a time when God’s power has sustained you through a difficult time? What was that like? • If you want to dig deeper, read John 4:15-42; 14:16-27; Ephesians 3:18; Philippians 2:13. Jesus answered, “...whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” John 4:13-14 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 15:1-3, 11-31 Abidan stretched, looking toward the sun. It was setting, so he left the field and approached the house. He stopped, listening. That sounds like a party, he thought, waving over Baanah the servant. “What’s going on tonight?” Abidan asked. “Your brother has returned!” Baanah said, “your father has served the feasting calf to celebrate!” “Jabin’s back?” Abidan’s tone was angry. Baanah nodded. “Shall I get your father?” Abidan only threw up his hands in frustration. When Abidan saw his father coming, he turned away. “What do you want?” “I want you to join the party. Please come see your brother. It’s been thirteen months.” “I know.” Abidan’s voice was strained. “And I have been here. Working hard every day. Respecting you, always doing exactly what you’ve asked. I’ve given you everything, never once getting a goat to eat with my friends! Jabin runs off and wastes his inheritance. Upon his return, you restore him like he’s been a victim, and I don’t even get told to leave the field early? Isn’t what I do enough to please you? The disobedient son gets all your love?” “My son, you are welcome to a goat—and all I have!” said his father. “Abidan, you have not entrusted to me what I long for: your brokenness. You keep me at arm’s length all the time. You desire to be loved, but ‘doing enough’ cannot earn what you want.” His father continued. “Both my sons have been wrong in their perception of my love. One thought he could enjoy it by what he got from me, the other by what he could give to me. I celebrate Jabin’s return because he has come to discover what I will do with the truth about him, however ugly it might be. This is what I long for with you, Abidan. Will you come to the party, that I might celebrate the return of both my sons?” • H. K. Rausch • Today’s story is based on Luke 15. What was Jesus contrasting in this parable of two brothers? Who was listening? • Why doesn’t Jesus want us to clean ourselves up before we come to Him? (Hint: read John 15:3-4) Why is it impossible for anything we do (or don’t do) to sustain our relationship with God? How does God sustain His relationship with us? (Romans 3:22-28; 5:1-11; Ephesians 2:1-10) Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 5:31-32 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; ROMANS 8:28-29; 2 CORINTHIANS 3:17–4:6 Have you ever heard someone talk about how people are “made in the image of God?” What does that mean? Essentially, it means we are God’s representatives here on earth and He created us with some of the same qualities He has: creativity, love, intelligence, a sense of justice, wisdom, kindness, and mercy—just to name a few. Whenever people express these qualities, whether they are Christians or not, they are doing it because they were made in the image of God. And when we see that happen, we can praise God for it! Being made in God’s image gives each person immeasurable value—not because of anything we do, but because of who God is. Our Creator is perfect and holy and good, so anyone created in His likeness—including you, your best friend, and your worst enemy—is worth more than we can possibly imagine. And while we can’t reflect God’s image perfectly because sin has broken our image-bearing ability, each human life still points to the one who made it. As people made in the image of God, our primary identity is “people loved by God.” That is at the core of who we are. God made us in His image to love us. And we have an amazing job description: to do His will here on earth. That’s a very weighty (and sometimes confusing) job, but it all boils down to loving God, loving each other, and caring for creation (Genesis 1:28; Matthew 22:37-40). How do we do that in our broken state? We look to Jesus! He is the One who made it possible for us, as broken-by-sin-image-bearers, to resemble our Creator once more. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus Christ, believing in His death and resurrection, we can know that His Holy Spirit is now living in us, conforming us to the image of Christ. By leaning on the Holy Spirit, we can learn to see the ways God has made us—and others—in His glorious image. And that is a wonderful sight to behold. • Taylor Eising • Where do you see God’s image reflected in yourself? Where do you see it reflected in others? • When your friends are struggling with their identities or self-worth, what are some ways you could encourage them about who they are as image-bearers of God? And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust [Adam], we will also bear the image of the man of heaven [Jesus]. 1 Corinthians 15:49 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 145:14-19; HEBREWS 4:14-16 Today’s poem is written in the style of a rap. I’m here every night; too tired to fight. Just trying to make it, not fake it. It’s hard…to be a PK, knowing you want me to say, “It’s okay. I still believe.” Though in my heart I still grieve. But I see a world that’s gone bad. And it started when Dad Headed out of the door, said he wanted no more. Preacher dad who told me of God— what a facade. Now our family’s a mess, and each day’s got stress. I pray, but don’t know what to say. Can I be real? There’s nothing I feel except empty inside. See, last time I cried and said, “God, take it away— this pain, lift it I pray”— God, You left it there. And continued to tear my family apart. So, don’t start with me, people in pews, giving your views of what I should do. My best friend Kat—she’s got my back She has what I lack: Faith—faith to still pray, And wants me to be the same way. Though I wish God really cared And wasn’t just there, up in the air. • Linda Washington • Have you ever felt like Shenice? You might be a PK (pastor’s kid) whose dad walked out, or your pain might be totally different. Who, if anyone, did you talk to about what you went through? • How would you want to respond if Shenice was your friend? • What do you believe is true about the God who Shenice labels “just there up in the air”? Why? • When Jesus, the God of the Universe, came and lived among us, He experienced our suffering firsthand. He went all the way to the cross for us—to the grave and back—because He loves us, and He never wants to be apart from us. Jesus is never too far away to hear you when you call. There is nothing you can say or do to Him that will make Him stop loving you or hearing you when you pray. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about whatever hurts you’ve been carrying (Matthew 11:28-30). You don’t need to filter your thoughts before you say them to Jesus. • When we go through hard times, it’s normal to wonder if God has stopped caring about us. The pain of betrayal is especially deep. Healing from that kind of hurt can be a long, slow process. But God is faithful to bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted, and even to bring us joy again (Psalms 30:5; 147:3). God does His patient work of healing through His Word, through His Spirit, and also through His people. He calls us to pray for one another, to speak the truth—but never without love—and to weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15; Ephesians 4:15-16; 6:18). Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk freely with when you’re hurting? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.) The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 8:31-39; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9; 1 PETER 4:12-13 Have you ever heard of The Pilgrim’s Progress? This book, written in the late 1600s by a pastor named John Bunyan, is the most famous Christian allegory still in print. For centuries, it has encouraged believers to continue following Christ…despite the difficulties. At one point in the book, the main character, a man named Christian, is shown around a house by the Interpreter. The Interpreter shows Christian a fireplace with a tiny, trembling flame. Satan is standing near the fire, dumping water mercilessly on the flame to try and put it out. The Interpreter then takes Christian around the side of the fireplace where Christian sees a man pouring oil on the flame. The Interpreter explains that most of our lives, we only see the devil pouring water on the little flame of our faith. What we don’t see is Christ strengthening us with the oil. Christ warns us that struggles will come if we follow Him, and that our faith will be tested in many ways (John 16:33; James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:12). During struggles, it may feel like Satan will put out the flame of our faith, but we can look to Christ as the one who will never let us go. We can rely on Christ’s strength, trusting that nothing will ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:39), and that He will help us withstand all the devil’s temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 6:13). • Chloe Ann • Have you ever felt as if every hardship and struggle in life was trying to put out the flame of faith you have? Are you feeling that way right now? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus, asking Him to help you see the ways He is strengthening you in the midst of your trials. • Can you think of a time you realized God was strengthening you when you were in the middle of a trial? What was that like? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)

READ: AMOS 5:24; MICAH 6:8; LUKE 18:7-8; REVELATION 21:4 A girl stands in front of a judge and jury, retelling her traumatic assault, and her assaulter walks free at the end of the trial. A family breaks into tears after learning there was not enough evidence to convict their son’s murderer. You tell your teacher you’re being bullied, and they say they can’t do anything unless they see it. Our world is riddled with injustices big and small, and they sting. We say, “That’s not fair!” and someone responds, “Life’s not fair.” But there is hope in the midst of these injustices. The book of Amos says that God’s justice will pour outward like a river. And in the book of Revelation, the apostle John says Jesus will enact justice at His return, even removing our death, crying, grief, and pain. John paints a picture of God wiping away our tears as He takes away our suffering. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Part of God’s plan is to bring His justice. And Jesus revealed God’s justice. When Jesus died on the cross, He took on the sins of the world—and God’s just punishment for them—so that all of us who put our trust in Jesus won’t receive the punishment we deserve. God longs for people to turn to Jesus so they can be made right with Him. But those who reject Jesus will face His just wrath at Judgment Day, when He promises to bring justice for every wrong. So, whether through the cross or at Judgment Day, all injustice will be made right (John 3:15-18; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Peter 3:9-13). In the meantime, we can rest knowing that God hears us whenever we cry out against injustice, and He promises to bring an end to every wrong and heal our every hurt. Not only that, but God also calls His people to act justly here and now as we wait for His upcoming justice. When we look to Jesus, we see that He acted against injustice on our behalf—for example, He flipped over tables in the temple and stopped the money changers who were taking advantage of people who had come to worship God (Mark 11:15-17). This means one way we can show Jesus’s love to others is through seeking after justice. While we wait for our Savior to return and bring ultimate justice, we can rely on Him to help us shine His light on any injustice we encounter. • Naomi Zylstra • Where do you see injustice in the world today? Consider taking some time to pray about an injustice, asking God to help you notice any ways you could bring His love and justice there. “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Amos 5:24 (NIV)

READ: COLOSSIANS 3:16; HEBREWS 10:23-25; REVELATION 4:1-11 The more I study worship, the more frustrated I get with how we do or don’t do it in our churches today. From coffee snobs to music snobs, we all know “that guy.” Well, I think I may have become “that guy” when it comes to finding a church I like. I recently moved back home to the United States from Canada, and I’m trying to find “the right church for me.” Before this, finding my church was simple. It was the only one with a worship time late enough for me to attend after working third shift. Now, I’m church shopping and getting frustrated with myself and with the churches in my area. The megachurch nearby feels like a rock concert with a fog machine and laser light show, which irritates me. But when I go to the smaller churches, they seem lifeless and filled mostly with older people who seem to value tradition more than anything else. I do hope to get over myself soon. To humbly approach the altar and worship God is an incredible and unique aspect of the Christian life. When we do this, we’re joining the elders around the throne room of heaven that John describes in Revelation 4. I want to feel the rumble of the thunder, see the flashes of lightning, and smell the smoke coming off the lit torches in heaven’s throne room when I join in and sing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come” (Revelation 4:8). Maybe that fog machine isn’t as terrible as I first thought. Maybe it would do more to aid in my worship of Jesus if I decided to first humble myself before entering the sanctuary, remembering that Jesus—not me—is the one the service is about. He died and rose again for us so we could be forgiven and live with Him forever—He is truly worthy of our worship. • Andy Smith • How do you normally experience worship services at church? Do you look forward to it, dread it, or something in between? • How does your church worship service remind you of who Jesus is and what He has done? (If you want to dig deeper, read Acts 4:11-12; Romans 3:22-24; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Colossians 1:13-23; Titus 2:11-14; Revelation 21:1-7) Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Revelation 4:8 (NLT)

READ: LAMENTATIONS 3:21-26; 2 TIMOTHY 2:8-13 Baking treats for my family is one way I show love. Years ago, I learned to make brownies from scratch. But one day, something that wasn’t on the ingredients list found its way into the brownies. One family member, Dane, took his first warm, chewy bite—but was dismayed to find a sliver of paper in it. Apparently, I hadn’t removed the entire wrapper from the stick of butter I’d used in the recipe, and Dane found it in his brownie. I promised to do better. The next time I baked brownies, I offered Dane the first piece, and he enjoyed a paper-free dessert. The next day he got another serving. But this time he found a small scrap of butter wrapper. I’d made the same mistake twice! After that, I assumed it would take a while before Dane would trust my brownies again. People (and our cooking) can be unpredictable. Some days we treat each other kindly and keep our word. Other days we let each other down in ways that leave behind a trail of hurt and disappointment. Sometimes friends and loved ones break our trust, which can be difficult to rebuild. And sometimes we break theirs. Even after apologies and forgiveness, it may take time for us to open up again as we wonder, What am I going to get this time? Though we humans are often inconsistent, we can count on God to be true to His character. When we begin a relationship with God by putting our trust in Jesus—the one who took all our sins upon Himself when He died on the cross and rose from the dead—we become God’s children. As we grow in this relationship, we come to know how God relates to His people: with consistent forgiveness, love, and compassion. God poured out all His wrath toward sin and evil on Jesus at the cross, so now His children can rest in His faithful mercy and lovingkindness. Even when we are unfaithful, He will always be perfectly faithful to us, and He will never break our trust. • Allison Wilson Lee • When is it hard for you to trust God? Consider taking a moment to tell Him about this. • What are some things that remind you of God’s faithfulness—such as Bible verses, songs, personal experiences, the experiences of others, etc.? Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3:22 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 12; 1 PETER 2:9-12 Have you ever felt like you had to try hard to get people to like you? School, church, homeschool co-op, work—anywhere you go there are expectations to act a certain way, say certain things, do this, and definitely don’t do that! You might feel like you have to guard yourself to make sure no one sees who you really are—because they might not like that person. Looking for approval is something we all do, but we often look for acceptance in the wrong places. When we focus on being the cool kid or being the teacher’s favorite or wearing the right thing, we sometimes forget we belong to Jesus. He is our loving God, who laid down His life for us so we could become part of His family. We don’t need to earn acceptance, because He has already accepted us through the cross. And yet, it’s so difficult to fight the urge to fit in because, even though our world says, “Be yourself” and “You’re perfect just the way you are,” we’re still constantly being judged and even rejected by others. But why should we try so hard to fit in when God has called us to be different? In Jesus, He’s given us a new identity as His dearly loved children. When we focus on Jesus, we often find we don’t care how other people are acting. As we experience God’s love for us, our focus shifts to showing others His love and truth, instead of worrying about what they think of us. As teens, we especially have an opportunity to be a light to the world. Why teens especially? You’ve heard the stereotypes! Teens are lazy. They just want to have fun and be popular. They’re self-obsessed and addicted to their phones. But, in Christ, we can be the ones to break the stereotypes. We can be the ones who work hard, genuinely care about the people around us, and don’t care if anybody thinks we’re weird. We can be the ones who are respectful, intuitive, smart, and helpful—putting others first. We don’t have to conform to the world’s expectations. Once we know Jesus, we are being transformed to be like Him. • Leah Najimy • Can you think of a time you felt pressured to look or act a certain way? How did you deal with it? • According to 1 Peter 2:9-12, what are some things that come with having our identity in Christ? • How does knowing we are fully accepted and loved in Jesus affect the way we view others and what they think about us? Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 63:6-8; 119:103-105; MATTHEW 11:28-30 There are times when I have a few free moments, and I reach for my phone. My finger automatically taps on a social media app, a good place to go when I just want to browse for a little while, see some content quick, and move on. The types of things I see on social media, though, can cause me stress or make me feel down. I wish I was quicker to open the Bible app on my phone instead of social media. When we spend a lot of time on social media, we’re exposed to news that we wouldn’t otherwise see, the lives of others that we automatically compare our own lives to, and drama that has nothing to do with us but still draws us in. Plus, there’s a lot of untrustworthy information online. It’s hard to know what’s true, what’s partially true, and what’s completely made up—even if some people believe it’s real. There is good on social media too, but a lot of what we see on these platforms is not beneficial to us. The more time we spend on social media, and the more we turn to it when we’re bored or we have just a few minutes of free time, the more it can bring us down. Studies have even shown it can negatively affect our brains. But when we spend time with God, we can find peace. Often, the more time we spend with Him, the more peaceful we feel. We were created for relationship with the one who made us. He loves us so much that He suffered the cross for us—and He’s so powerful that He rose from the grave and promises to make all things new. God knows we need His love and strength as we live in a world that still bears the effects of sin. When we take just a few minutes to turn to Jesus by praying or reading the Bible, we may find our entire outlook changes and we feel better. Social media can be good and fun in moderation, but I don’t like the way it makes me feel sometimes. Think about how you feel the next time you get off social media. And then think about how you feel the next time you set aside your Bible after reading a passage. How do the two compare? I’ve found there is a special peace that comes through spending time with God in prayer and in His Word. • Emily Acker • How do you feel after spending time on social media? Are there certain apps or content creators that make you feel better or worse? Why do you think that is? • How much time, and what kind of time, do you think is healthy to spend on social media each week? • Have you ever felt stressed or bored, and then read or listened to the Bible? What was that like? Those who love your law have great peace. Psalm 119:165 (WEB)

READ: JOHN 14:6; ROMANS 3:21-26; EPHESIANS 2:8-9; HEBREWS 7:25 I looked up at the enormous shimmering gates guarding a city of wonders: streets lined with mansions, rivers of crystal water, and a peaceful people ruled by a just and powerful king. But no person entered the rich kingdom without first earning their spot, and there was only one way to do it. I gripped the rough, wooden bow and took my stance. I knew the king stood on the wall and watched me, but I wouldn’t look at him. I swallowed hard and narrowed my eyes at the target, a large wooden circle nearly a mile away. With shaky fingers, I nocked my arrow and pulled it to my face. I’d trained my entire life for this, practicing day and night so I would be able to make this one, impossible shot. I wouldn’t fail. I couldn’t. My muscles burned as I held my bow, arrow drawn, and pointed it at the target. Sweat was beading on my forehead, the muscles in my face twitched. Breathe. Focus. Release. My arrow, flying straight and fast, fell immensely short of the mark, disappearing into the thick brush. I crumpled to my knees and stared after the only chance I had of living in the shining city with the good king. I dropped my bow, buried my face in my hands, and wept. Someone touched my shoulder. I looked up, into the kind face of the king. He’d left the safety of the city walls to come to me. He held out his hand. Hesitantly, I picked my bow up off the ground and placed it in his outstretched hand. He pulled out a shining arrow and took aim, strong and steady, and confidently released the arrow. It flew across the expanse so quickly I nearly missed it hitting the target, directly in its center. My mouth fell open as I looked back at him. He smiled. “Come,” he said, his voice warm and kind. Again he held out his hand, and I grasped it with my own. The king walked me through the gates of his kingdom, welcoming me as his child. • Emily Tenter • Today’s story is an allegory. How does the king act toward the archer in this story? Is this what you would expect from a king? Why or why not? • The Greek word hamartia is often translated as sin in the Bible, but it’s also an ancient archery term that means “missing the mark.” How could it be helpful to think about sin this way? • We’ve all sinned, missing the mark of loving God and each other (Matthew 22:37-40), and the result of sin is death. But God loves us and wants to save us so we can be with Him in His good kingdom! That’s why Jesus came. He is fully God and fully human—the only human who never missed the mark. 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! How could it be freeing to know we can’t earn our place in God’s kingdom, but Jesus made the way for us? • When we put our trust in Jesus, He welcomes us into His kingdom as His dear children. And when He returns, He will raise us from the dead to live with Him forever in a world free from sin and death! For more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page. • Jesus is the King of kings, and we can boldly approach His throne because of what He did for us on the cross (Hebrews 4:14-16; Revelation 19:16). Even though we’ll all continue to struggle with sin until Jesus returns, we can know that He empathizes with us because He faced the same temptations we do—yet He didn’t give in. So we can be totally honest with Him about our struggles and shortcomings. He already knows it all, and He wants to cover our faults with His mercy and help us walk in His good ways. Consider taking a moment now to come to Him in prayer. Whatever you want t...

READ: JOHN 13:1-17, 33-35; 15:5 Have you ever done something good…because an adult told you to, or because you wanted to be a “good person,” or because it seemed like the “right” thing to do? Was your heart in the right place? As humans, we’ve all done good things for the wrong reasons. But Jesus makes it pretty clear that following Him means servanthood—the first will be last, and the last will be first—as He had to remind His disciples many times (Matthew 20:16). In John 13, Jesus gives us an example to follow when He washes His disciples’ feet. Look at verse 3, before Jesus ever makes a move to clean His disciples’ feet. John 13:3 tells us that Jesus knew He was God the Son, that He shared God the Father’s authority over all things, and that He was ultimately headed back to the Father after He suffered the cross and rose from the dead—Jesus knew who He was. And in verse 4, because He knew who He was, Jesus got up to wash His disciples’ feet. Do you see how that worked? Before Jesus served others, He remembered His identity, and He acted in accordance with the Father’s plans for Him. I think God wants it to be the same for us—before we can serve others (and do it from the right heart space), we have to know who we are. We have to be reminded of our identity in Christ, which is affirmed all throughout His Word. As people who belong to Jesus, we are children of God, coheirs with Christ, and God’s masterpiece. He has good plans for us that we can’t even begin to imagine. Jesus died for us and rose again so we could be freed from the grip of sin, shame, and death. We are the people whose feet have been washed by Jesus. We need to be reminded of these truths often. Thankfully, God knows this. And as we rely on the love of Jesus and the power of His Holy Spirit within us, He blesses us to serve others and step into the good work He has for us. • Hannah Ruth Johnson • Have you ever found yourself serving others because you felt obligated or because it seemed like the “right” thing to do? How did that feel? • In God’s kingdom, we don’t serve to earn love. Rather, we serve because we are loved. How could remembering the ways Christ serves us, and who we are in Him, change the way we view service? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 1:12, Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 6:11; Ephesians 2:1-10) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 5:14-16; JOHN 13:12-17, 34-35; 1 JOHN 4:19 Recently, some friends and I gathered to pray in someone’s living room for a specific need. It was evening, and the room was lit with warm lamplight. As we were finishing praying for the night, it occurred to me that, from outside, people passing by would see a glowing yellow light coming from the windows. And it reminded me of something Jesus said, about a city on a hill. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Since I was a kid, I’ve always pictured this city on a hill aglow with yellow light. But for some reason, this passage never really resonated with me before that night I prayed in the living room with friends. I had this sense of the hope and power we have access to as people of God. We know Jesus, and nothing is impossible for Him (Matthew 19:26). In fact, He loves working on behalf of His people. And even if He doesn’t answer our prayers in the specific ways or timing that we hope He will, we don’t need to be afraid of any darkness, because His love surrounds us. And the peace and confidence we have in Jesus is something that will, hopefully, be noticed by people who don’t know Jesus yet. Maybe they’ll want to lean in, to see where the light comes from. A couple weeks after that prayer night, I noticed a connection between what Jesus said in Matthew 5, and something else He said in John 13: “Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (verse 34-35). Do you know that I always took Matthew 5:14 to mean that I, as an individual, was supposed to be like a city? But it makes so much more sense that we, together as the family of believers, are like a city. As we love each other out of the overflow of Jesus’s love for us, we shine His light for all to see. And we invite those who don’t know Jesus yet to draw near, and experience His love too. • Hannah Howe • Have you ever been in a gathering of Christians that felt warn and inviting? What was going on? [Jesus said,] “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14 (CSB)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 14:26-27; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-13 Relax your shoulders. Take a deep breath, and let out the tension you’ve been holding. Feel any better? God calls Himself our Comforter. In John 14:26, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit Paraklētos, which can be translated helper, advocate, counselor—or comforter. Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 1:3, Paul praises God the Father as “the God of all comfort.” One way God acts as our Comforter is by giving us His peace. This is a peace for the soul that goes beyond our understanding—showing up even when we face situations that are anything but peaceful. Have you ever encountered someone who has lost a loved one, yet they speak about feeling God’s peace? This doesn’t mean they aren’t grieving, or that they feel no emotion. Rather, God’s peace is a way He meets His children in the midst of their grief. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus calls all people to come to Him for rest. This is a rest that goes beyond a simple power nap. God’s rest is a deep rest for your soul. It’s a rest rooted in the fact that we are saved through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and because He died and rose again, everyone who puts their trust in Him has peace with God (Isaiah 9:6; Romans 5:1). We can rest in Jesus’s promises to be with us no matter what—and to one day make all things new, free from sin and death and all the suffering sin causes (Matthew 28:20; Revelation 21:1-5). So today, consider taking a moment to just rest in God’s peace. Whatever you go through—times of stress, grief, or discontentment; times of rejoicing, celebration, or worship; and everything in between—you can know that Jesus loves and comforts you, always. • Naomi Zylstra • Have you ever experienced peace beyond understanding in your own life, or seen it in someone else’s life? What was that like? • What kinds of things have been causing you stress or worry lately? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about whatever is on your mind. (Philippians 4:6-7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 1:1-4, 9-14; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5; HEBREWS 4:14-16 Have you been rejected by your family? Jesus can relate. His own brothers didn’t believe in Him (John 7:5). Have you been rejected by your friends? One of Jesus’s best friends denied that he even knew Him three times (John 18:13-27). Do you feel alone in your hometown? Jesus was driven out of His (Luke 4:14-30). Have you been kind to someone who showed no gratitude in return? Jesus healed ten men with leprosy, and only one came back to thank Him (Luke 17:11-19). Have you been criticized for doing the right thing? Jesus was constantly chastised by the Pharisees for healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-14) and for hanging out with people they considered to be the worst of sinners (Luke 5:27-31). Have you been bullied? Jesus was mocked by His own people (Matthew 27:41-42), brutally tortured by the Romans (John 19:1-6), and taunted and tempted by the devil himself (Matthew 4:1-11). Have you lost someone close to you? Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus died (John 11:1-44). Just because Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world doesn’t mean He can’t relate to us. He is fully human. He faced the full range of human experiences and emotions, which gave Him a profound understanding of human rejection, sadness, suffering, and pain—He even endured the deepest of suffering by dying on the cross for our sins. That means He can fully empathize with us in whatever we’re facing right now. He did all of this for us. He is with us. He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). What’s more, Jesus is also fully God. That means He can comfort us in a way no one else can. He offers us the peace that comes from resting in His love— and looking forward to the day He will return and make all things new. Let’s turn to Him for comfort today. • Sarah Elizabeth Child • What kinds of hurts have you experienced lately—whether physical, emotional, mental, relational, or spiritual? Can you think of any times Jesus experienced something similar? If nothing comes to mind, who is a trusted Christian in your life who could help you find Bible passages that reveal just how much Jesus gets what you’re going through? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3 (WEB)

READ: ACTS 8:26-35 William Tyndale was publicly executed in 1536 in Belgium for translating the Bible from its original languages into English. When the King James Version was published in 1611, it was made up mostly of Tyndale’s translation—the translation he was executed for writing. For over 300 years, the King James Version served English speakers well. Many people still love its beautiful poetic language. In the 1950s, a seminary graduate named Ken Taylor and his wife Margaret were raising their ten children in suburban Chicago. As they read to them from the King James Bible (KJV) each evening, the children had difficulty understanding the old English. Ken remembered his own struggles with understanding the KJV in his youth and wanted to make the Bible understandable to his children—and to everyone. So, he began writing a modern English paraphrase of the Scriptures, first completing the New Testament epistles. He formed them into a book called Living Letters. Unable to find a publisher, Ken and Margaret formed Tyndale House Publishers, named for William Tyndale. Living Letters caught on when world famous evangelist Billy Graham began offering it on his telecasts. The Living New Testament was published next, followed by The Living Bible in 1971. By the end of the twentieth century, 40 million Living Bibles had been sold. Tyndale House later asked 90 Greek and Hebrew scholars to revise The Living Bible. The result was the 1996 publication of The New Living Translation. From the beginning, Ken and Margaret Taylor used all the royalties from The Living Bible to support missions, making the Bible available around the world. The Taylors knew the love Jesus had for them, and they wanted everyone to understand the gospel—the good news of how Jesus died and rose again to save us. That is always news worth sharing! • Kathy Irey • Can you think of a time someone explained a Bible passage in a way that made sense to you? What do you remember about that experience? • Paraphrases like The Living Bible are very easy to understand, but they do have some limitations. While translations (like The New Living Translation) seek to translate the original text word-for-word, a paraphrase focuses more on relating the thoughts and ideas behind the original text. How can translations and paraphrases be useful in different ways? Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. Psalm 119:18 (NLT)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 6:1-9; ROMANS 12:1-2; 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-13, 19; 3:16 Originally, the Bible was written in three languages: most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, parts of Daniel and Ezra were written in Aramaic, and the New Testament was written in Greek. While Jesus was on earth, He most likely spoke Aramaic. The English language only began to form around 450 years after Christ’s ascension. And by the 1400-1500s, it was against the laws of England and the Catholic Church to translate the Bible into English. Most church services, and most Bibles, were in Latin—an old language that only clergy and religious leaders had access to. As bizarre as it seems, people were killed for translating the Bible into English. Along came William Tyndale, born in the 1490s, who believed God wanted everyone in England to have access to the Bible in their language. And while John Wycliffe had translated the Latin Bible into English a few decades earlier (and was executed for it), nobody had translated the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Scriptures into English. Tyndale—an ardent scholar of biblical languages—went into hiding for twelve years, translating the New Testament and part of the Old Testament into English from their original languages. But his work was cut short when he was betrayed by a trusted friend and arrested. Tyndale was eventually taken to a public courtyard and tied to a stake. Before he was strangled and set on fire, he called out, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” The year was 1536. Tyndale’s dying prayer was answered 68 years later when James became king after Henry VIII. Some religious leaders asked King James to have the Bible translated into English. He agreed and appointed 54 scholars to do the work. This was a remarkable answer to prayer! The scholars worked for seven years using Tyndale’s translation. In fact, 84% of the King James New Testament is actually Tyndale’s work, and most of Tyndale’s completed parts of the Old Testament were used word-for-word in the King James Old Testament. So, 75 years after Tyndale’s execution, his translation was combined with the work of other Bible scholars, and the King James Version of the Bible was published. • Kathy Irey • The Lord loves us so much that He has worked through countless people to bring the truth of the gospel—the good news of Jesus’s death and resurrection—to us. What questions do you have about how the Bible was translated? Who could you talk to about this? Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 12:1-8; ROMANS 8:28-39 “But I don’t want to go.” For months I begged Mom. I didn’t want to leave our home to move to a new state hundreds of miles away. I didn’t want to say goodbye to friends and neighbors I had known forever. I didn’t want to start all over again, especially in the middle of the school year. “Why can’t I stay here?” But I knew why. Cancer. We had lived in Florida my whole life, but now Mom’s doctor said the Florida weather didn’t pair well with her treatment. So my dad took a new job in North Carolina. And they would not leave me behind. I just wished we didn’t have to move so far away. Change was scary. Making new friends had always been hard for me. Would they like me? Would I do well in school? What if I didn’t like it? In Genesis 12, God told Abraham to leave his home in Haran and take his family to Canaan… hundreds of miles away. So Abraham gathered his family and everything they owned and walked across a hot, dusty land to their new home. When they arrived, he pitched a tent and built an altar, “and he called on the name of the LORD” (verse 8). But I often wonder: Was Abraham afraid to go? Did he ever ask God if he could stay? What gave Abraham hope during this time of transition? The answer? Abraham looked ahead at what God had promised him—to make a great nation in this new place. In the same way, we can trust in the promises God has given to us, His people. Because Jesus died and rose again, everyone who puts their faith in Jesus is part of God’s family, His nation (1 Peter 2:9). God is always working in our lives, and He is using even the toughest situations for our good (John 5:17; Romans 8:28). One day, Jesus will make all things new—then terrible things like cancer and homesickness will be gone forever. But in the meantime, we can take the next step knowing He’ll be with us through it all. • Carolyn Bennett Fraiser • What changes are you facing in your life? What next steps might God be calling you to take? • How can Jesus’s promise to be with us affect the way we see any situation? [Jesus said,] “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (CSB)

READ: MATTHEW 11:27-30; JOHN 1:14; 5:19-20; HEBREWS 1:1-12 Have you ever celebrated the Day of the Epiphany? While most North Americans celebrate December 25 as the big gift-giving day of the season, other cultures celebrate January 6 as the day for presents and other surprises. On January 6, the Day of the Epiphany, many people traditionally remember the day when the Magi brought gifts to young Jesus. In many Spanish-speaking countries, children leave out grass and water for the Magi’s camels the day before Dia de los Reyes (the day of kings). They awake to find their shoes filled with gifts “from” the visiting Magi. In Germany, children dress up as the Magi and carol from house to house, asking for charity donations. The Epiphany is celebrated in Italy with bonfires and special treats; the French make a holiday gateau des rois or king cake. There are many other traditions as well. The word epiphany means revelation or manifestation. The Day of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God, born as a baby into the world. As He lived among us, Jesus was a living revelation of who God is—that means Jesus reveals to us what God is like. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Throughout His life, Jesus demonstrated God’s power, His love, His mercy, His holiness, His wisdom, and more. The words Jesus spoke were the very words of God (John 5:19). And Jesus’s death and resurrection fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for His people. The Magi experienced the epiphany of seeing young Jesus. And Jesus invites each of us to have this epiphany as well. Do you see Jesus as God Himself? He invites us to see His glory as “the one and only son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). That’s exactly who He is! • Laura N. Sweet • How did Jesus demonstrate God’s power while He lived among us here on earth? How did He demonstrate God’s mercy? His love? • Why is it important that Jesus is both God and human? How does this affect the way we understand His death and resurrection? The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; 3:1-11; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20; GALATIANS 2:20 I’m fat. My skin is broken out. My nose is too big. I’m ugly. Thoughts like these have haunted me most of my life, particularly during my teenage years. I often wondered what was wrong with me. Why couldn’t I look different? Sometimes, just looking in a mirror made me want to cry. My weight bothered me most, so I tried anything to reduce it. I refused my body nourishment, exercised too much, adopted specific and irrational eating rituals, and spiraled into binge eating. All of this was an attempt to quiet the sadness inside. I thought if I could control my weight tightly enough, I would be happy. What I couldn’t see back then was that I was believing a lie. I hated my body for how it looked. I thought it was worthless. I didn’t think God cared or had anything to say about it. It took me many years and much wise Christian counsel to realize that nothing could be further from the truth. God created all of us in His image, the crown jewels of His originally good creation. It was only after humanity’s fall into sin that we began misusing our bodies and considering them shameful. But even in our broken state, God came to save us. Fully God and fully human, Jesus was born into the world. He has a body like we have, and that’s why He could die on our behalf and make us right with God again, no matter what our bodies look like (Psalm 34:5; Romans 3:22-26). And there’s more good news. Before Jesus came, God provided His people with a temple, a place for His presence to dwell so they could worship Him. But now, God doesn’t make His home in a physical building anymore. He lives in us. That’s right, He chose to make the body that I hated and mistreated for so long into His new temple. Scripture tells us that we are not our own, we were bought at a very high price. And that price was the blood of Jesus. Therefore, we are called to glorify Him with our bodies. So, if you are ever tempted to view your body as I did, please remember that you are worth much more than you think. The staggering reality is that we, bodies included, are immeasurably valuable because God created us, loves us, died for us, and lives in us. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. • Alissa Griffin • Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them.” How does the fact that we bear the image of God affect how we view our bodies? • After Jesus died on the cross, He rose from the grave, and His disciples saw His resurrected body. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to the day He will raise us from the dead—then we’ll have resurrected bodies too, and we’ll live with Him forever in restored creation! On that glorious day, we won’t struggle with sin and brokenness anymore. How might knowing that our bodies will be resurrected change the way we view ourselves? What does this say about how valuable our bodies are to God? • What does it mean to honor or glorify God with our bodies? (Hint: read Romans 6:13 and Ephesians 5:29) • Today’s devotion mentions disordered eating. If you are struggling with disordered eating or think you might have an eating disorder—such as anorexia nervosa (extreme restriction of food intake), bulimia nervosa (eating large amounts of food followed by purging), or binge eating disorder (repeated episodes of consuming large amounts of food in short periods of time)—who is a trusted adult you could talk to about getting help? Treatment for eating disorders can be long and complex, usually requiring therapy and nutritional counseling, but Jesus will walk with you every step of the way, and He’ll provide fellow Christians to...

READ: JOHN 16:33; ACTS 16:16-25; ROMANS 8:28-39; HEBREWS 12:1-3 So cold. Such nasty weather. The wind is terrible. The voice in my head was full of complaints. I was ready to get inside and tell everyone just how miserable I had felt on my morning walk. I can’t do this. I frowned. How was I even going to make it inside? It was too cold. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head: I needed to change my thinking if I wanted things to get easier. A hymn came to mind, and I started singing it in my head as I continued forward. In what felt like just moments, I had covered all the ground I needed to cover, and I was back in the warmth. In Acts 16, life couldn’t have been fun for Paul and Silas when they were in prison. They hadn’t done anything wrong, yet they were publicly “stripped and beaten with rods” (verse 22), then locked up with criminals in the worst part of the jail. What did the two men do as they sat in the dank inner cell, bloody and bruised, with their feet held fast in stocks so they couldn’t even move their legs to ease the pain? They sang. What did they sing? Songs to God. Sometimes we need to change our focus in order to get through difficult times. Instead of focusing on the trouble in front of us and the pain we’re dealing with, we need to focus on how great our God is and all that He has done for us. Instead of focusing on the cold wind against our faces, we can thank God for the sunshine He created to go along with that wind. There are going to be struggles in our lives. There is nothing we can do to stop them from coming. When they come, though, will we store up complaints to share with others—or will we turn our focus onto Jesus and praise God? • Emily Acker • Have you ever found yourself praising God in the midst of a hard time? What was that like? • God sees all that we go through, and He has so much compassion on us. Jesus has promised to be with us in all our troubles, and He can truly empathize with us because He experienced our suffering when He lived among us and was put to death on the cross. Whenever we’re struggling, He weeps with us— and He also reminds us that He loves us, that He rose from the dead, and that He promises to raise His people too. We can trust that God is in control, and He will work things out for our good. How can these truths help us praise God in the hard times? Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! Psalm 147:1 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 34:17-22 I wasn’t hiding I’ve always been here All of this time There is no need to fear I wouldn’t leave you This is not the end Broken as it is Your heart, I will mend I am always good I have good plans for you My gentle hand will guide In all that you do I am your Father You can come to me Always, in any moment I will give you peace • Bethany Acker • Can you think of a time you felt like God wasn’t there for you? Throughout our lives, we all go through times like these, and it’s easy to wonder if God has left us. Thankfully, God has given us so many promises in His Word, assuring His people that He will never leave us. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, He is always with us. (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 139:10; 147:3; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 7:7-11; 11:28-30; 28:20; John 14:27; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Hebrews 13:5) • God always wants us to turn to Him. When we are brokenhearted, He wants to give us the comfort we so desperately need. He is a loving Father who is always there for us. Consider taking a moment to talk to God about times He’s felt far away, asking Him to help you see how He was with you then, and how He is with you now. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

READ: MARK 10:17-22; LUKE 15:11-24; JOHN 13:1-5 Duke Zeroth pounded on the cell door, then slid to the floor. Every gold piece, mansion, animal, field, and even his wardrobe—gone to pay debts. And still he owed more. Zeroth clutched his head. Surely he couldn’t have invested everything in that partnership with Lord Drune—the traitor! Even now, Drune was duping a new victim. Zeroth crawled onto a pile of hay. Something dug into his back as he tossed and turned. He reached into the hay, expecting to find a rock. Instead, he withdrew a metal cylinder. As he raised it, something rustled. He removed the cap, releasing a warm glow. A parchment fell out—a note. “I will come for you. Only write and ask.” Below the words was the seal of the king. A second piece of parchment and writing supplies tumbled from the cylinder. Zeroth moaned. Was it just last year he’d offered himself to be a king’s courtier? The king had seemed to approve of him, but then! That condition—to give everything away before entering the palace. Everything! All that made Zeroth powerful and respected and self-sufficient. To write to the king now would seem cheap. It was too late. If the king knew into whose hands this message had come, he would never give Zeroth a second chance. Zeroth shoved everything back into the metal container and closed out the light. Prisoners’ cries and the jailer’s laughter haunted him. Too dark! He uncapped the cylinder again, releasing the glow. He took a breath. The king never lied. Ever. This was his last hope. “I’ve been so foolish,” he wrote. “Please, would you come for even me?” He slipped the missive into the cylinder and replaced the cap. As he fell asleep, the soft glow remained. He awoke to someone washing his bruised feet. Zeroth sat up straight and stared into the face of his king. “Sire! You shouldn’t—” The king held out his hand. “Will you come to my court now?” Zeroth’s face burned. “But I have only these filthy rags.” “Leave them,” the king said. “I have brought you a new robe. Come, follow me.” • Judith DeStefano • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by several passages. In Mark 10:17-22, we see Jesus’s conversation with a rich young ruler. And in Luke 15:11-24, Jesus tells a parable—a story of a son who rejects his father and ends up destitute. How does the end of Jesus’s conversation with the rich young ruler compare to the end of Jesus’s parable of the lost son? • How do both of these passages show the heart of God for people? (Hint: look especially at Mark 10:21 and Luke 15:20-24) • Having a relationship with Jesus is worth everything we have, and more (Matthew 13:44-46). Maybe you want Jesus, but you feel like you’ve really messed up. Remember, Jesus has already done all that was needed to forgive you and bring you into His eternal kingdom by dying on the cross and rising from the grave for you. He loves you with an unshakable love. If you want to know more about what Jesus has done for us and what it means to receive Him, see our "Know Jesus" page. • Throughout our lives, we all find ourselves prizing earthly things above a relationship with Jesus. Even after we’ve put our trust in Him, our hearts still wander sometimes! Yet He always longs for us to repent—to turn back to Him and follow where He leads. Are there any choices you’re making that are keeping you from pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this. The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “...

READ: PHILIPPIANS 3:1-11 Have you ever read Philippians 3:1-11? Paul says some pretty surprising stuff in this passage. He talks about all the good things he did—studying God’s Word, living a holy life, and obeying God’s good law—and he calls it all garbage, rubbish, or dung. We might look at passages like this and wonder, “Why on earth would Paul say that?” By this point in his life, Paul had learned a few things about God. He encountered Jesus on the way to Damascus, and Jesus totally changed his life. Paul realized that all the old things he had been doing were fruitless attempts to earn his own righteousness—or right standing before God. And anything we do to try to earn our own righteousness can rightly be called “garbage.” Only Jesus can actually make us righteous, and He offers it to us as a gift. So, when we do good things to try to earn our righteousness or favor with God, we are trying to do Jesus’s job for Him—and that never works. Jesus is the only one who can save us. He lived a sinless life, took our sins upon Himself, and died to give His righteousness (or sinlessness) to anyone who trusts in Him. Then He raised Himself from the grave, defeating sin and death and ensuring the resurrection of His people so we can be with Him forever. As followers of Jesus, it is important for us to study God’s Word and seek to follow God’s good law. But if our actions don’t flow from resting in Jesus and what He has already done, then no matter how good those actions may seem, they are worthless. Good behavior can never make us whole and right before God; only Jesus can do that. But when we rest in the truth of the gospel, it changes the way we approach everything. It frees us to see how Jesus cares about every aspect of our lives, not just the ones we might consider “holy,” like going to church and doing devotions. Our relationships, our health, our work, our hobbies—all of these things are transformed by the gospel. Jesus cares about all of these parts of your life because He cares about you. Rest in Him, friend. He’s got you. • Taylor Eising • It can be difficult to discern when we’re doing things to earn our righteousness, and when we’re doing them because of what Jesus has done for us. And we’re never going to get it right 100% of the time— that’s what forgiveness is for. When we’re not sure about our motivations, it can be helpful to ask, “Am I doing this to get God to love me, or am I doing this because God loves me?” I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. Philippians 3:9 (NLT)

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 34:29-33; ACTS 19:18-20; ROMANS 12:1-2; HEBREWS 12:1-3 “King Josiah!” Shaphan called out as he burst into the palace. “We found this book in the temple.” The king said, “Read it to me.” When the scribe did, Josiah tore his robes and wept. Shaphan read the Book of the Law, the story of God’s love for His people and the rules He gave to sustain His covenant with them. Josiah recognized that Jerusalem was full of sin—the breaking of God’s good rules. There were idols at every corner. So Josiah destroyed them. The next era of Jerusalem was filled with fire—but instead of burning incense to false gods, the city had a thick cloud of smoke over it from burning the shrines, altars, and temples of the idols. It’s easy to think we don’t have idols like they did. But consider this: when tragedy strikes, do you post about it, or pray about it? When you’re overwhelmed, do you start scrolling, or open your Bible? Often, we go to created things before we go to the Creator (Romans 1:25). Humans have a desire to worship. But we tend to forget who made us with that desire, and we try to fulfill it by worshiping unworthy idols of many different forms. But only God is worthy of being at the center of our lives, and anything or anyone else we put there is an idol. For example, social media, scrolling, and gaming can be idols if they occupy God’s rightful spot. So what can we do? We can look to Jesus, the only one who could fulfill the law and forgive our sin—including the sin of idolatry (Matthew 5:17; Romans 10:4). Once we know Jesus, we have the power of His Holy Spirit in us, so we can burn those idols like Josiah did long ago. (Note: please don’t literally burn your phone—the fumes are toxic.) “Burning” could look like setting restrictions on our technology usage and asking others to keep us accountable. Once we’ve removed an idol, our hearts need to be built up to become an altar to the true God. Like Josiah called Jerusalem together to read God’s laws and recommit themselves to the Lord, we can read God’s Word and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us refocus on Jesus. Because when we look at what He did for us on the cross, every idol pales in comparison. • L. M. • Consider taking a moment to ask God what created things have become idols in your life. What could you do to “burn” them? Who is a trusted Christian you could talk to about this? • When you’re tempted to go back to old idols, how could you take time to pause and draw near to Jesus, relying on Him to provide your sense of worth, security, and satisfaction? “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (WEB)

READ: 1 KINGS 19:3-8; MATTHEW 9:20-22; REVELATION 21:4 Pain and illness are terrible results of the Fall, which is when sin and death entered the world. Whenever we or someone we know is affected by an illness, God wants us to pray for healing in faith that He will heal all believers in one of three ways: natural healing, supernatural healing, or ultimate healing when Jesus comes back. Jesus, who is God, is at work in all three types of healing, and we see examples of each type in the Bible. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is suffering from utter exhaustion to the point of having suicidal thoughts. In this case, God uses natural means to solve his ailment: sleep and food. Unfortunately, not all illnesses can be cured by a snack and a nap (but those things certainly don’t hurt!). God also uses doctors, counselors, and modern medicine to bring about incredible healing using natural means. When we pray for natural healing, we can thank God for the gifts He has given to the people administering treatment and pray for wisdom in forming a treatment plan. Jesus uses supernatural healing in Matthew 9 when He heals a woman without any medical intervention (see also, Luke 8:43). God brings supernatural healing several times throughout the Bible with the end goal of guiding someone to trust in Him. Often, He heals in this way to deepen our faith—to show He is undeniably in control. When we pray for supernatural healing, we can do so with bold faith, knowing that God is certainly capable of healing in inexplicable ways, and that He is at work whether supernatural healing is His plan for a particular person or not. Lastly, Jesus will heal all believers when He returns to make all things new and resurrect us from the dead. As Christians, we might not experience full healing now, but we can know that Jesus will bring an end to our pain and suffering. On that glorious day, we will have perfectly healthy bodies, minds, and souls through the power and promise of Jesus’s death and resurrection. Until that day, never stop bringing your pains and illnesses to Him in prayer. He loves us so much. He sees, He cares, and He will act in His perfect timing. • Taylor Eising • Have you ever seen natural or supernatural healing? What was that like for you or the person being healed? • Why does Jesus care about our health? • Why can we always have hope in Jesus, even when we are surrounded by pain and illness? (Romans 8:19-39; Hebrews 4:14-16) The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health. Psalm 41:3 (NLT)

READ: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1; JAMES 5:13-18 You’re halfway through the story, and the heroes are stuck. Nothing is working, and the enemies are closing in. You don’t see any way of escape. But, somehow, things turn out okay. Maybe a sudden turn of events changes everything. Maybe they knew something you didn’t. Or maybe they had a secret weapon, more powerful than you or their enemies ever dreamt of. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a secret weapon, something we could pull out to help us when we just aren’t powerful enough? If we’re soldiers of God’s kingdom, shouldn’t He have equipped us with some really strong way to influence our world? Good news: He did! It’s called prayer. What? No bolt of lightning? No neon laser beam? Words we say to God…what sort of a weapon is that? But look deeper. Our actions are limited in ways that prayer isn’t. The fact that we don’t have to do anything is exactly what makes it so powerful. We can influence the other side of the world as we pray for God to change people’s hearts and even work miracles. And the reason we have access to the all-powerful, all-loving God is because of Jesus (Hebrews 4:14-16). Ever heard of George Müller? He took care of 10,000 orphans in nineteenth century England, receiving tens of millions of British pounds in today’s money without ever asking anyone—except God—for money or help. George Müller knew the power of his secret weapon. You might be thinking, “Well, he’s basically a missionary. But can I be a prayer warrior?” Absolutely. Who do you know who needs prayer? A friend who doesn’t know Jesus? Someone who’s going through a tough time? Consider making a commitment to pray for them every day for a week. Choose a specific time to help you remember—maybe right before bed or on the way to sports practice. Keep building up the habit of prayer. As you bring your requests to Jesus, the ultimate Healer, you can rest in His promise to restore what is broken—whether it be now, later, or when He returns to make all things new. • Christiana Albrecht • Can you think of a time you experienced an answer to prayer? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this! • What are some things in your life, or in other’s lives, that you could start praying about today? • When can you set aside time to pray? What could help you remember? • Why is it hard to motivate ourselves to pray? Why do you think Satan would tempt us not to? The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 28:16-20; ROMANS 10:14-15; 1 PETER 3:15-16 In the Bible, Jesus commissioned His disciples to tell people about Him. As Christians, that is our commission too. And, personally, it’s one area I’ve struggled with. You see, I’m not an extrovert. In fact, there have been times when I’ve wondered if my voice is actually being heard at all. I’ve never imagined myself as the outspoken Peter or the zealous Paul, who both spoke passionately about their devotion to Jesus and His teachings in front of large crowds. When I was younger, there were many times I worried about not being able to share Jesus with others in the same wonderful ways I’d heard preachers do. It would have been easy for me to give up, thinking, “What use am I to God? Why can’t I be like the courageous witnesses I’ve seen openly professing their faith?” Now I am older, and I’ve realized that God, the Creator, knows exactly who I am. He knows my strengths and weaknesses. So I write about faith, trials, and dilemmas in the hope that it helps a reader follow Jesus in this broken world we live in, or even trust in Him for the first time. All of us are called to share Jesus, but all of us have different skills that enable us to reach out to a variety of personalities. Witnessing doesn’t have to look like speaking in front of large groups, and it doesn’t have to be on a platform. It can be in the songs we sing, the words we write, or the loyalty and patience we have. Most of all, it is the kind actions and the integrity we show in our everyday lives that are a testimony to God, who loves us dearly. • Cindy Lee • How might God be inviting you to share Jesus with other people? There are many different ways we can reach out in a troubled world. Consider taking a moment to talk to God about this. Additionally, who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you discern the Holy Spirit’s guidance and tell you what gifts and skills they see in you? • How did you hear the good news of Jesus? Was it through your family, friends, a preacher, books, or some other way? Then he [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 1:12; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17; GALATIANS 2:20; 1 PETER 2:9 What am I? I thought as I stared down at my hand, now covered in words written in permanent ink. Cruel words, words that had been carved into my heart for years, now written all over my hands—they stabbed me, again and again, like knives in my heart. This can’t be who I am. I thought desperately. Lazy, slow, fat, short, stupid, weak… Every word stung with fresh pain when I looked at it. Insult after insult, crawling up my fingers and over my knuckles like ugly insects. Oh, God, no. This can’t be who I am. Where had the prayer come from? How had God come into this? God didn’t belong here, with this hand, covered in my failures; with this heart, full of bitter self-hate. But I looked out the window, over the bare trees reaching for the open sky, flushed pink with the evening sun. I was kneeling on the floor, crushed beneath the weight of the letters on my hand. What am I, God? This isn’t who you are, Becca. I blinked at the soft whisper in my heart. That writing isn’t you. That writing is what they think of you. It isn’t what defines you. I will tell you what you are. You are beautiful. You are strong. You are treasured… Above all, you are loved. Replace those words with My words, Becca. All that matters is what I think of you, what I say of you. Because I know you. And I love you. “Okay, God,” I sobbed. “But it’s so hard. These words—they won’t just go away.” By My power, they can. Slowly and painfully, they will leave as you replace them with My words. It won’t be easy. But I will help you. I will remind you. I will love you. I looked up, back out the window at the setting sun. I lifted my hand and looked at the words, feeling their sting. No. I picked up a red marker from the floor. I opened my hand and, right over my palm, wrote the words, YOU SAY. The red ink, like Christ’s blood, covered some of the letters of shame on my hand. A sense of calm that I hadn’t felt in a long time settled over me. And while I knew it wouldn’t be easy, little by little, the poison of the words of shame would give way to the peace of the red letters, of what God thought of me. I would let His words guard me from the sting of lies. God would define me. I am what You say of me. • Rebecca Roskamp • What letters of shame have you been carrying? Consider taking a moment to bring these to Jesus. You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. Psalm 139:1 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 18:15, 21-35; COLOSSIANS 3:13 Have you been hurt by something someone said to you lately? Maybe you were left wondering how they could have been so insensitive. In my own life, I recently experienced a family tragedy. To make matters worse, one of my relatives said something unkind to me. I thought about how I should react. Should I just get angry and bitter? The verse Matthew 18:15 spoke to me: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” Instead of getting angry and complaining, I decided to let my relative know how I felt. Since we live far away from each other, I texted her. I simply let her know that, even though I assumed she had no intention of hurting me, I felt hurt when I heard what she said. We should instead pray about God’s will for my family. She realized her mistake and stopped all those unkind remarks! In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells a parable of a servant who owes a large debt to his master, but his master has mercy on him and forgives the whole thing! But then, this servant acts unmercifully, attacking a fellow servant who owes him a much smaller debt. Jesus calls us to be merciful and show grace to others. God has forgiven our sins, and so we should forgive others. I know that sometimes I say wrong things too, and God has forgiven me. I could have lashed out at my relative, but instead I chose to give her grace because God has shown me grace. We all need the grace of God, and I was glad this matter was resolved in a peaceful way. It’s important to direct our focus on the grace of God and what He has done for us, and not on the people who have hurt us. For all we know, they may have already confessed their sin to God and received His forgiveness for what they did to us! In Ephesians 4:32, Paul says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Let us think more about Jesus and His love and sacrifice for us. • Kelly Choy • Have you ever told someone that their words hurt you? How did it go? • Can you think of a time you said something you regretted? God has so much mercy on us, and through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He has already made the way for us to be forgiven. If you have the chance, consider apologizing to the person you said those hurtful things to. But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 2:1-12; LUKE 2:8-20 On the night Jesus was born, there was a lot of celebrating going on! And those celebrations continue on to this day—all around the world. In the USA, where I live, our Christmas celebrations center around putting up a Christmas tree and a nativity scene. On the actual day, we have a big meal and exchange presents. In Norway, they start celebrating on Christmas Eve. They generally have porridge for lunch, and one lucky person gets an almond hidden in their bowl. That person wins a pig made of marzipan! Then, church services start after the church bells ring at 5:00 pm, and afterwards people go home for a special dinner. In Poland, on Christmas Eve everyone watches the sky, eagerly waiting to spot the first star of the night. Once a star is spotted, dinner begins! This tradition is to remember the magi, who followed the star to find Jesus. They also have a tradition of putting hay on their dinner table underneath their tablecloth. This reminds them that Jesus was born in a manger. In the Gambia, they have parades at Christmas time. They carry with them something called a fanal. It’s like a lantern they make out of bamboo with white paper hung over it, usually in the shape of a boat and decorated with candles or lights. In Russia, they celebrate Christmas on January 7th. They go to church and then come home to a meal with twelve dishes—one dish to honor each of the first twelve disciples. In reality, it doesn’t matter how we celebrate Christmas but rather who we celebrate. Christmas is the time we set aside to celebrate Jesus: He loves us so much that He became human, died on the cross, and rose again to save us from sin and death. And that’s always worth celebrating! • Melissa Yeagle • What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Why is it so important that Jesus—who is God—became a human? (Hint: read John 1:1-17; Romans 8:3-4; Hebrews 2:14-15, 17) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 2:1-12 Three wise men, three kings, three magi—who were these people? The truth is, we don’t know a lot about them. But the Bible and history together do tell us a few things. To begin with, the Bible never says there were three. The only reason we say “three wise men” is because they gave three gifts, so historically, Christians have talked about three people. And what are they called, anyway? The technical term is magi, which is a Greek word referring to a certain group of people, possibly from Persia, who studied the stars and offered predictions and words of wisdom to rulers. When they traveled, they tended to do so in large numbers, so maybe a better title for the song “We Three Kings” would be “We Caravan of Magi.” God showed these magi a star that predicted the coming of a great King. As they traveled, probably for months or even years, He led them to Jesus, who would have been about two years old at the time. They recognized Jesus as the King whose birth had long been foretold. God opened their eyes to show them that this toddler was their Savior, and they bowed down and worshiped. These travelers from afar recognized Jesus as God before most of Israel, Jesus’s own people, did! This incredible part of the story of Christ’s birth shows that Jesus is fully God. The very stars proclaim who He is. Jesus is God, and because of His goodness and holiness, His handiwork cannot help but praise Him. His Name and His divinity are written all throughout creation, and if we earnestly seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us. Like the magi, we can join creation in praising our Savior (Psalm 19:1-3; Romans 1:20). • Taylor Eising • Why is it important that Jesus is fully God? Could His sacrifice on the cross have saved us if He wasn’t fully God? (Hint: read 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11) • Has God revealed Himself to you in any unexpected ways? What are some ways we can catch glimpses of God’s goodness in creation? • It can be really hard to wrap our minds around the fact that Jesus is both completely God and completely human. It’s a divine mystery that can only be understood through faith. What questions do you have about this? God invites us to bring all our questions to Him! Additionally, who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk to about this as well? All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. Psalm 145:10 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 2:1-7; HEBREWS 4:14-16 Did you know that Jesus probably wasn’t born in a stable? If you take a look at Luke 2:1-7, it doesn’t say “stable” anywhere. We usually hear about Jesus being born in a stable because it says He was laid in a manger, which is where animals eat, and in our current time and place, animals live in stables. Makes sense, right? The problem is, in the time and place that Jesus was born, animals were often brought into a special room in the house at night to protect them from thieves and predators. Archeologists are discovering that most homes in the area were built with one small room for the animals, one larger room for the family, and one room upstairs for guests. The room for the animals even had large bowl-shaped indents in the floor, called mangers, to hold their food. Also, the Bible says Joseph had family in Bethlehem, so he and Mary would have been welcomed into a relative’s house with open arms. In that culture, failing to show hospitality brought an incredible amount of shame. When the Bible says there was “no room” for them, it probably means the upstairs guest room was full, so they likely stayed downstairs with the family and animals. So, when Mary gave birth, she was probably surrounded by family to help with the delivery. But the house was packed so full that the only place they could put Jesus was in the manger. Why does this all matter? Well, the circumstances of His birth say something very powerful: Jesus is human. He had a relatively ordinary birth for His time and place in history. He was surrounded by the people He came to save, right from His first moments out of the womb. Jesus experienced everything it meant to be human. Although He is also fully God, He became every bit as fleshy as we are, so that He could save every bit of who we are. • Taylor Eising • Why is it important that Jesus is fully human? Could He have taken our place on the cross if He wasn’t fully human? (Hint: read John 1:14; 14:6; Romans 5:12-21) • How could the fact that Jesus is fully human affect our relationship with Him? • As we study God’s Word, why is it important to understand the culture and history of the Bible? This High Priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 1:18–2:6 What a fairytale! Angels, a virgin birth, a manger, shepherds, magi…it’s a great story to make us feel all fuzzy and warm at Christmas. But can we seriously believe the story of Jesus’s birth is true? God knew the Christmas story was going to be wildly unique. In fact, He made it that way on purpose. Why? So we could know that it really is true. How? He told us about it beforehand. The Old Testament prophecies aren’t just Christmas poetry—they’re compelling evidence that the baby in the manger was the Son of God and the Messiah, the promised Rescuer. Micah 5:2 says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.” The prophet Micah said the Messiah would be from the lowly town of Bethlehem…and these words were written about 700 years before Jesus was born in that exact town! Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.” Isaiah’s words were also written about 700 years before Christmas. The name Immanuel means “God with us.” So Isaiah is saying that God will come to be with us, born of a virgin. This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus’s mother Mary became miraculously pregnant while she was still a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38). Isaiah 11:1-3 says, “Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding…His delight will be in the fear of the LORD.” Jesse was the father of King David. When we look at Jesus’s genealogy, we see that He is a direct descendent of Jesse (Matthew 1:6; Luke 3:32). And the fact that Jesus is found discussing theology with the religious leaders at age twelve, and later the Holy Spirit comes and rests on Him at His baptism, shows us that He fits this prophecy entirely (Matthew 3:13-16; Luke 2:41-52). Those three verses only scratch the surface of all the prophecies that were fulfilled in the miracle called Christmas. Truth stranger than fiction? Sometimes it’s meant to be, so that we know it’s no coincidence. • Christiana Albrecht • Why is it important to know that Jesus fulfills the promises of Scripture? (If you want to dig deeper, read Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 10:43; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Timothy 3:15) He [Jesus] began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.” Luke 4:21 (CSB)

READ: MATTHEW 2:10-11; LUKE 1:46-49; REVELATION 21:3 All the trappings of Christmas fill me with joyful expectation leading up to the day we celebrate Christ’s birth. However, last year sadness stole my joy. In mid-December, our granddaughter was diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumor on her fibula, requiring surgery and extensive physical therapy. Sad and worried, I began just going through the motions of Christmas. A week before Christmas day, my daughter-in-law’s great-aunt died—followed by the death of my cousin, who was as close to me as a brother. At that point, I felt no joy. I wanted Christmas to be over. But then, something happened. Messages of joy surrounded me. Our Sunday sermon revolved around the joy of Jesus coming into the world, and the benediction from Romans 15:13 stayed with me all day: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” So, when I was overwhelmed with sadness and grief, I repeated, “I trust you.” My daily devotions focused on finding joy in difficult situations, like a change of plans, a bad accident, or hurt feelings during the holiday season—and they used non-Christmas verses like 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” and Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.” All these prompted me to pray for joy. When I awoke on Christmas Eve thinking of Philippians 4:4, which says “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” my outlook changed. Our grand darling was under the best care at Mayo Clinic. I remembered happy times spent with my daughter-in-law’s aunt and many Christmases with my cousin. My joy returned. My trust in Jesus deepened. An angel didn’t appear to me like one did to the shepherds, but I do believe I was reminded about the “good news” of “great joy” so I could celebrate with joy the birth of my Savior. • Rose Ross Zediker • Have you been going through something difficult lately? Do the holidays stir up painful memories or grief for you? Many of us feel melancholy during the Christmas season, and that’s okay. God invites us to be honest with Him about all these things. He longs to comfort us in His love, and He doesn’t stop there. He also reminds us that He is the source of unchanging joy. We can carry His joy in our hearts because God’s promise was fulfilled. Our Savior was born! Consider taking some time to talk to Him about the hard things, and also to take hold of His joy today. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 9:6-7; 53:3-12; MATTHEW 1:21-23; PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11 Every Christmas, when I read about the coming of Christ, I linger over the beautiful, contrasting descriptions of how Jesus draws near to us, even though He is holy. It’s truly a profound mystery—for Jesus IS a paradox. These contrasts led me to write today’s poem (which is also a song for me personally) because at Christmas, we celebrate history’s most incredible contrast: God Himself being born, fully human, as a sacrificial Savior—while also ruling the universe as highest Lord and King. I hope meditating on these paradoxes in Scripture will help us see how God may sometimes draw us near in unexpected ways to help us experience true fullness of joy, perhaps in losing our life to save it (John 15:11; Luke 9:24). Holy Child, the Prince of Peace,O promised Savior King!Come to fill our hearts with joy—O Man of Suffering! Mighty God, a virgin’s child,Maker of stars who cried;Creation groaned to see it so—Yet Christ was glorified! Slain for the world He fashioned,God’s holy arm laid bare;Come to free us from the curse—To conquer dark despair! Jesus Christ, begotten Son,Risen that we might be…Freed from sorrow, sin, and grave—Made new eternally! Come now, come see,on bended knee—Rejoice, O earth and sing!Our guilt and shame He cast away—Hail Jesus, Savior King! • G. Kam Congleton • Jesus is fully God, and He is also fully human—what a paradox! Those two statements seem to contradict, but both are equally true. Which of the paradoxes about Jesus from today’s poem catches your attention? • What questions do you have about paradoxes in the Bible? Who are trusted Christians you could talk to about this? • If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 2:1-2; Romans 8:22-23; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 13:8; 21:1-5; 22:1-5 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Isaiah 52:10 (NIV)

READ: LEVITICUS 19:18; ROMANS 12:14-21; COLOSSIANS 3:12-15 A friend and I returned from Christmas shopping. I checked my jewelry box. Another pair of new earrings was missing! I had been excited about wearing them to school on Monday. I told my mother, and she discovered it was that same friend, who I’ll call Josie. My heart hurt that one of my best friends was stealing from me. I had trusted her. We shared meals and secrets, but she stole from me. I was so mad I felt like I couldn’t forgive her. At school, she was always smiling. My anger and bitterness didn’t cause her pain. I was miserable while she was happy. Later, I learned that Jesus Christ came to earth to die in my place for my sins and rise again to give me new life. I chose to admit my wrongdoing, receive His forgiveness, and follow Christ. I knew that I had been forgiven much—and that Jesus called me to forgive others as well. I wanted Josie to apologize to me so I could forgive her, but I realized that I can forgive her no matter what she does. It felt like forgiving her meant we had to be great friends again. But while forgiveness is freely given, trust is earned. It’s okay to let go of the hurt in my heart without inviting someone who has stolen from me back into my house. It felt like I should hold back forgiveness to punish her, but the Bible tells us that revenge belongs to the Lord. When I hold resentment in my heart, the only person it hurts is me. As Christmas approaches, I remember that Jesus was born to bring us forgiveness. Since He laid down His life to offer me forgiveness, He will empower me to forgive others. Jesus was born to bring peace on earth (Luke 2:14), and letting go of unforgiveness brings peace to my heart. • Mary Schilling • Are you struggling to forgive someone who has hurt you? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about the wrongs that have been done to you. Jesus grieves our hurts with us, and one way He helps us heal is by helping us let go of unforgiveness. And as we reflect on how much God has forgiven us, we often find it becomes easier to forgive others. You can thank Him for forgiving you, and you could even try picturing God’s forgiveness flowing through you to others. • God will punish every sin at judgment day—but the sins of those who trust in Jesus have already been paid for by Jesus’s death on the cross. How might knowing that God will handle every wrong in His perfect justice help us let go of the desire to punish someone? (Psalm 86:5; Proverbs 20:22) Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 7:14; MATTHEW 1:18-23; 28:20 When I entered the auditorium, my stomach fluttered with nervous energy. But spotting Debbie in the audience reminded me that a friend would be there cheering me on. During my first year at college, I was a drum major in the marching band. Then, near the end of that school year, I tried out again for the position of drum major, hoping to continue in this role. Auditions took place in a large auditorium and were open to the public. Debbie had been mentoring me in my faith that year, and I asked her for prayers for the upcoming tryouts. She agreed to pray but also committed to more. Debbie told me I could count on her presence in that auditorium. When I walked into the building on the day of tryouts, my friend and mentor had already taken her seat and greeted me with a wide smile. Debbie showed up for me, and she showed up to be with me. One of my favorite ways the Bible refers to Jesus is as Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). When we trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness for our sins, we enter a new relationship with God as our Father. Sin no longer separates us from Him because Jesus has bridged that gap through His death and resurrection. In this relationship with God, as His children, we can count on Him to be available to us with His power and comfort. Yet Christ offers more than the opportunity to lean on God’s wisdom and look to Him for compassion. In the Person of Christ, God has come to be with us—walking alongside us, suffering with us, rejoicing with us. Though Debbie supported me from the audience, Jesus was right there with me on stage as I performed. • Allison Wilson Lee • Jesus came to be “God with us.” Why is this good news? What encouragement does it give us? • Where in your life do you need to experience Jesus as Immanuel right now? Maybe you’re facing an overwhelming decision, a season of loneliness, or a tough situation that calls for perseverance. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about whatever is on your mind. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 19:4-6; EPHESIANS 5:25-33; HEBREWS 13:4-5 Christians are notoriously bad at talking about sex. We gloss over it, give incomplete information, and usually end the conversation with, “Sex is bad. Don’t do it.” So, on behalf of Christians everywhere, I want to apologize. Sometimes we struggle with awkward subjects. We make the mistake of believing that sex has nothing to do with the gospel. But God’s Word says otherwise. The Bible is overwhelmingly clear: creation is very good, and that means sex is very good when it’s used as it was created, in its God-given context of marriage (Genesis 1:27, 31; 2:23-25; Song of Songs 7:10-12). God created us male and female, and He did that on purpose. Males in their male-ness and females in their female-ness. When couples are brought together in the one-man-one-woman-one-lifetime covenant of marriage before God, they reflect His image in a unique way. According to Scripture, this points to God’s relationship with us, His church. You see, sex is a reminder of a covenant that has already been made. It physically acts out the fact that, in marriage, spouses have given their whole selves over to that other person, just like Jesus has given His whole Self over to us. Sex is an act of loving completely, faithfully, and freely, mirroring the way Jesus loves us completely, faithfully, and freely. Sex says, “I give everything I am to you. I will never leave or abandon you. I have made a covenant with you, and I will never break that covenant.” Has Jesus ever said things like that? Here’s the hard part for you, as people who, I assume, are not yet married: we cannot act out a covenant that we have not made (and that covenant must be made publicly, before God and the church). If we choose to have sex outside of marriage, we are lying with our bodies. Sex is a good gift from God, and when we misuse this good gift, it is a sin just like any other sin. But, my friends, there is abounding grace in Jesus. You can rest in the one who loves you more than anyone, including a future spouse (if that’s what He has planned for you) ever could. • Taylor Eising • How can knowing that we bear God’s image affect the way we view sexuality? • God created sex as a good gift to be shared and enjoyed by a husband and wife within marriage. Why are all other expressions of sexuality (lust, pornography, etc.) not good? • Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk to about questions you have about sex? God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Genesis 1:31 (CSB)

READ: LUKE 10:38-42 I often find myself caught up wondering if I’m doing enough for God or others. The Bible tells us to do good, serve God, and love others. All these things are important, but sometimes I can forget what’s most important. In Luke 10, Martha is in a similar predicament. Jesus and His disciples were staying at her house, and Martha “was distracted with much serving” (verse 40). She was serving Jesus and His disciples and being hospitable, which seems good! But her sister Mary was not helping her serve. Rather, Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet,” taking the posture of a disciple and listening to His teaching (verse 39). Martha told Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her” (verse 41-42). It’s better to sit at Jesus’s feet and listen to Him than to be distracted with serving Him. It’s not about what we can do for Jesus, but what Jesus has done and is doing. God is calling us to be with Him and listen. We don’t need to be anxious about serving or doing “enough.” Jesus has already done enough. He died on the cross and rose from the grave, defeating sin and death. All we need to do is listen. When we come to Him in belief, He forgives our sins and gives us the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit means God dwells in us and we are always with Him. So we are always free to set aside the distractions and draw near to Him. • Elizabeth Cooper • Have you been striving to do “enough” to serve God? How can knowing that Jesus has already done enough help us rest in Him? • God calls us to serve Him, but He also calls us to listen to Him. What is the difference between serving God as we listen to and rely on Him, versus serving God as a distraction from listening to and being with Him? Who are trusted Christians you could talk with more about this? • In some cultures and communities, being busy and sometimes overworking is seen as a good thing. But this is not the way of God’s kingdom (Matthew 11:28-30). Do you struggle with overworking yourself? How could you set aside time in your day just to rest and be with God? “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (WEB)

READ: PSALMS 18:2; 73:26; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10 Susannah Spurgeon was born Susannah Thompson in London, England, on January 15th, 1832. Her family often attended New Park Street Chapel, where she first trusted Jesus Christ as her Savior. There she met Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a new preacher who later became a pastor. On January 8th, 1856, Charles and Susannah were married. After their honeymoon, her husband left to preach, often leaving her behind. He would send letters to her almost every day, often filled with things to make her laugh and saying how much he missed her. On September 20th, 1856, their twin boys were born. Thankfully Charles was able to be home all day and take care of his wife. Nothing could cloud the joy and happiness they had. Through the next couple years, life was hard. Tragic events happened that left Charles experiencing depression. His wife was always by his side and helped him get through that time of life. Susannah was often bedbound and weak from sickness, and she leaned on God’s strength and trusted Him to take care of her. Later on, she started “The Book Fund” to help preachers who needed books and couldn’t afford them. She herself sent out books every week. She always gave glory to God in providing the funds and the strength to keep going, stating, “Yes, I truly have reason to bless the Lord for abundant supplies; His treasury has been wide open to me, His riches have constantly outweighed my necessities. He has multiplied His mercies above all my desires.” She herself wrote several books while handling the Book Fund. She often compared the Book Fund with a lemon tree she had planted. Both the tree and the fund had grown together and borne fruit together. She continued the Book Fund until her death on October 22nd, 1903. In total, Susannah sent out about 200,000 books to pastors in need. The Lord carried her through sickness and hardships, blessing her and many others through her work. Because of Christ’s faithfulness, Susannah Spurgeon’s legacy still affects many today. • Sarah Nazir • If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit lives in us, giving us strength and comfort. Throughout the hardships in her life, Susannah knew the Lord’s love and trusted His strength to carry her through. Have you ever felt like the Lord’s strength was carrying you through a difficult time? What was that like? My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 (NIV)