Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ISAIAH 9:6; LUKE 2:1-20; JOHN 14:27 “Peace on earth” is a common phrase on Christmas cards. Usually it’s accompanied by a picture of a dove or a nativity scene with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus in a manger. As I reached my older teen years, I felt like “peace on earth” was a ridiculous thing to say. After all, evil doesn’t stop because it’s the Christmas season. People still do evil things. Sickness and death take their toll. And for many people, getting ready for Christmas day generates anything but peace. Why would anybody say “peace on earth” during Christmastime? The events leading up to Jesus’s birth weren’t calm either. The Romans ruled their vast empire with an iron fist, and the Jews were under severe oppression. But in the midst of all this, angels appeared to a group of shepherds one night, “praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:13-14). The angels announced the birth of the Savior, and they talked about peace because Jesus would bring the peace everyone longs for. In Isaiah 9:6, we see that one of Jesus’s names is the “Prince of Peace.” That doesn’t mean He’ll take away all difficult situations immediately; in fact, He told us that we would face tough times. But it does mean He’ll give us peace in all circumstances. And one day, when Jesus returns, He will restore the heavens and the earth. Then all things will finally be at peace. When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the price for our sins, He paved the way for peace. When we put our trust in Jesus, peace enters our lives and fills our hearts. Peace on earth is possible through Jesus, and we can have it any time. • Morgan A. Mitchell • Can you think of a time you’ve experienced God’s peace? What was that like? If you’ve never experienced His peace, or if it’s been a while since you have, consider taking a moment to talk to Him about it. • We live in a broken world where we often feel anything but peaceful. Yet, as we wait for Jesus to return, we can rest knowing that He has promised to always be with us. He doesn’t scold us when we feel stressed or afraid. Instead, He has so much compassion on us, and He reminds us of His presence, His love, and His peace through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be honest with when you feel unpeaceful? And how can you offer compassion and peace to others? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 16:33; Romans 5:1; 15:13; Philippians 4:4-9; Revelation 21:1-5.) “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 2:8-10; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-31 My worth is not found in how many friends I have or how many likes I get My worth is not found in my height, my weight, or how I look My worth is not found in my successes, achievements, grades, or awards My worth is not found in my GPA or how many hard classes I can pack into my schedule My worth is not found in being the star athlete, star musician, star student My worth is not found in doing more or being more My worth is not found in what the world deems successful… My worth is found in Jesus…in being chosen, loved, and made new. I am worthy because He made me worthy. Because of His death on the cross—because of the incredible grace, mercy, and forgiveness that He lavishes on me—He has made me worthy. Worthy of His love, worthy of forgiveness, worthy of an intimate relationship with Him, worthy of being His. And I don’t need to earn it, try harder, do more, be more. He has done it all. He doesn’t need my efforts, my striving—He wants my heart. Every part. Rather than trying to prove my worth or strive toward more, I can give Him what weighs me down and let Him carry me. I can give Him my efforts as an offering of love and worship to Him—not as a payment. I can find my true worth in Him. • Cara Campbell • We all have times when it feels like our worth is dependent on what others think of us, what we look like, what we have or don’t have, what we do or don’t do, etc. What kinds of things do you find yourself placing your identity and worth in? • Why is it so important that our true worth isn’t found in what we do but in what Jesus has done for us? Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27 (CSB)

READ: ZEPHANIAH 3:17; JOHN 11:31-36; ROMANS 12:9-21 A young man sits in his home, weeping. His mourning song goes unanswered by all but the One who hears everything. A knock on the door startles him. An older man, a fellow member of the Body of Christ, comes in the house and, without prompting, throws his arms around the young man and weeps. The young man freezes. Then, slowly, awkwardly, he places his arms around the old man. A few of his tears, freed by the tears of the old man, leak out of his eyes despite his best efforts. Then another believer comes through the door, a young woman this time, and joins the huddle. A middle-aged man with his child come in and follow suit. Soon a dozen believers surround the young man, letting their grief flow freely. The young man’s pain, freed by the pain of those around him, finally dislodges the lump in his throat, and tears stream down his face. He opens his eyes and, for a moment, sees the face of his Savior, wet with tears. A young man sits in his home, laughing and singing. His joyful song goes unanswered by all but the One who hears everything. A knock on the door startles him. An older man, a fellow member of the Body of Christ, comes in the house and, without prompting, throws his arms around the young man and laughs. The young man freezes. Then, slowly, awkwardly, he places his arms around the old man. A few chuckles, freed by the laughter of the old man, leak out of his mouth despite his best efforts. Then another believer comes through the door, a young woman this time, and joins the huddle. A middle-aged man with his child come in and follow suit. Soon a dozen believers surround the young man, letting their joy flow freely. The young man’s joy, freed by the joy of those around him, finally dislodges the lump in his throat, and his voice sings out loud. He opens his eyes and, for a moment, sees the face of his Savior, singing along. • Taylor Eising • Everyone who knows Jesus is part of His family, the church. In the church, we are called to share our joys and sorrows with each other. How does this reflect what Jesus does for us? Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 41:10-13; 49:13-16; MATTHEW 10:29-31 My cell phone was set to full volume—there was no way I would miss this call. A small tech company had expressed interest in hiring a freelance writer to create promotional material for a new app, and they were considering me. What an impressive addition to my writing portfolio! Actually, it would be the only addition so far. I was just starting out. I could pay the electric bill and get a long overdue haircut. My mind was churning out ideas and making plans and…then the call came. They had changed their minds and gone with someone else. No reason, no explanation, just a big no. The disappointment washed over me like a mini tsunami. I didn’t know what to do, so I called out to the Lord. He reminded me of Isaiah 49:16, “Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” My walls were closing in on me. Fear gripped me. I didn’t know how I was going to pay the rent or bills. I didn’t even know whether another opportunity was around the corner…or miles down the road. What I did know was in God’s Word. I held on to His promises. The Lord knows exactly what’s going on with me. Every detail. Every moment. He has helped me through tough times and disappointments before, and He will again, because He loves me. He is in control, and He will work out the details. Nothing can stop His good purposes, His kingdom will never be shaken, and His people will never be outside of His loving presence and care (Romans 8:28-39). Whenever it feels like the walls are starting to close in on us, we can go to Jesus. And we can go to the Word—God’s love letter to us—and find hope. • Rosemarie Pagano • In Isaiah 49, God comforts His people who are in exile. He promises to be with them in their hurt and to one day restore them from their sin and brokenness. We now know that all God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). As Christians, how can His promises to be with us and to restore us from sin and death affect the way we view the tough circumstances we face? • When you feel overwhelmed by a mini tsunami of disappointment, fear, or sadness, who are trusted Christians in your life who can support you and remind you of God’s promises? Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16 (CSB)

READ: LUKE 19:10; JOHN 3:15-21, 36; ROMANS 8:14-17; 1 JOHN 3:1 Oliver, the cat I adopted years ago, is asleep on the couch beside me right now. He’s gained a little weight over the years, and now he’s quite fat and happy. He’s had a wonderful life since he decided to trust us and take the gift of grace my family extended to him that week we left food out on the porch. And now he’s reaping the benefits! But about a month after Oliver joined our family, another cat was spotted wandering around our house. He was a beige cat with orange spots, and he was very skinny. We’d see him jumping in and out of our garbage can, searching for food. I named him Popeye, and he looked like he was in pretty bad shape. In my cat-adopting enthusiasm (I may have a small problem), I left a bowl of food out for our new guest! Popeye was afraid—I could see it in his eyes. He never let anyone from my family get within ten feet of him before darting into the woods. Every once in a while, he would venture up to the porch for a few bites of food. But I only saw him a few times before, one day, he took off and never came back. The same grace that was extended to Oliver, the fluffy, chubby gray cat sleeping beside me, was extended to the fearful cat who spent a few cold weeks living in our garbage can. If Popeye had only accepted our free gift like Oliver had, his life would look a lot different. This was another huge lesson about grace that I learned from cats. If we reject the free gift God is offering to us—the gift of adoption into His family and eternal life with Him—we only hurt ourselves. But when we embrace the gift, when we open our hands to the grace God wants to shower on us, our lives will never be the same. • Emily Tenter • What questions do you have about God’s gift of grace and adoption? Who could you talk to about these questions? (For more about what it means to receive this gift, check out our "Know Jesus" page.) • What are some of the reasons someone might reject Jesus’s gift of eternal life? How can we pray for people who don’t know Jesus yet? • Even when we reject God, He keeps pursuing us. He has compassion on us when we’re hurting, and He never gives up on us. One of the ways He reaches out to us is through the kindness and gentleness of His people. How could you show someone around you the love and grace of Jesus? So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 3:20-24; EPHESIANS 2:8-10 Being adopted by my family wasn’t the only way my cat Oliver demonstrated a lesson of grace to me. You see, it’s common for cats to leave little presents for their humans. And when I say “little presents,” I mean dead mice that we’d find just outside the front door. Cats leave dead animals to show loyalty to the humans who take care of them—how cute is that?! As you can probably imagine, my family had no use for dead mice. But I can’t tell you how excited I was when Oliver began to demonstrate to my family that he loved us back! That’s how God’s grace works in our lives. He pours His grace out on us. He’s the One who gives us every single blessing we have (James 1:17). And what do we have to give Him in return? Dead mice! Isaiah 64:6 says that all our good deeds “are nothing but filthy rags.” That means the best we could ever give to God is still trash. Like dead mice. But you know what? I still smiled when I saw those mice because they meant that my cat—the cat I adopted and named and loved—loved me back! God offers to save us from sin and death and bring us into His family with no strings attached. I didn’t adopt Oliver because of anything he could give me in return. And even if he never gave me a dead mouse, I still would have adopted him. Our God treats us the same way. We don’t have to do anything to earn His grace—and we couldn’t even if we tried—but once we know Jesus, we begin to respond to the heaps of grace He has dumped on us. Going to church, obeying parents, telling a friend about Jesus, working hard without complaining—those are all dead mice. They will never earn us eternal life. Our relationships with God are already secure because of what Jesus did when He died on the cross and rose from the grave. But Jesus still wants what we have to offer. Because even though He doesn’t need our offerings, He still delights in them, and He uses them for good in His kingdom. • Emily Tenter • What are some of the “dead mice” you offer God? Can you think of a time you compared your “dead mice” to those of other people? Why is that wrong? (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) • If the best gifts we can give God are still worth so little, why does it matter if we give them at all? (Hint: read 1 Corinthians 12:7; Philippians 2:13; 1 Peter 4:10) When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 15:1-7; COLOSSIANS 1:13-14; 1 PETER 2:22-25 I’ve learned a lot about God’s grace from my cat. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out! When I was in high school, I looked out the living room window and saw a fluffy gray cat striding through the trees in our backyard. After talking with all the neighbors, we concluded that he had no home. So, I made it my mission to give him one! I began leaving small bowls of food out on the porch for him. I was delighted to see him creep up the steps one day to eat. He came back every day for food, slowly becoming more comfortable with my family. It wasn’t long before he allowed us to pet him. A few days after that, my mom was cooking dinner in the kitchen, and when she turned around he was sitting on the floor staring up at her. He just snuck right inside the house! I named him Oliver, and in no time at all my entire family considered him to be a permanent resident. We gave Oliver a home, an identity, protection, love, and even medication for a nasty ear infection. We embraced our new furry buddy with open arms. What exactly did this homeless cat do to deserve any of it? Absolutely nothing. Does that sound like grace to you? Because it sure did to me! I was reminded of how God adopts us and gives us a new identity. Without Him, we’re all broken. But Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” The entire Bible is one enormous story of grace. God showed grace to the nation of Israel, even when they messed up time and time again. This pointed forward to how God would show us all grace in Jesus. He came to die on a cross and rise from the grave to offer us the free gift of salvation! Through Jesus, we can become children of God—fully forgiven, forever saved from sin and death. There is nothing we have done or ever could do to earn such an enormous gift, but Jesus gave Himself for us anyway. And He did it so we could have a family, an identity, love, and eternal security…just like Oliver. Only better! • Emily Tenter • In what ways can you relate to Oliver the cat? • What are some ways God has shown grace to you in your own life? • Without that grace, how do you think your life would be different? For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 1:18-25; LUKE 2:1-21 I was gifted a beautiful Advent wreath for Christmas. The ceramic candleholders depict a winter scene, with the four words that represent the four weeks of Advent labeled in gold. I must admit, for a few years the labeling bothered me. The word wonder was used for the first week of Advent instead of hope. When I hear the word hope, I think of anticipation for something to happen. When I hear the word wonder, it makes me think of feeling doubt or surprise at something beautiful and unexplainable. For me, hope and wonder weren’t interchangeable words. Then one year, while reading Matthew 1, I considered Joseph’s point of view. Joseph had to wonder, “What on earth is happening?” In good faith, he’d pledged to be married to Mary. She’d accepted, then they found out she was expecting a baby that Joseph knew wasn’t his. He had doubts about the situation and formed a plan. Matthew 1:19 says, “Joseph…was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.” After an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, he had even more to wonder about. The angel said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (verse 20-21). So Joseph accepted Mary as his wife. The message from the angel may have removed some of Joseph’s doubt, but for months he had to wonder what exactly was going to happen. After a long journey to Bethlehem, Mary gave birth. Joseph was there when the shepherds found the newborn Jesus and praised God for the message the angel had told them: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:11). Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds witnessed something beautiful and unexplainable. Wonder was turned to hope by Jesus’s birth—for them, and for us. • Rose Ross Zediker • For years, God’s prophets foretold the advent (coming) of the Savior. In dark days, the prophets’ message gave people hope of light coming into the world, yet they must have wondered how and when this Savior would come. Now we know the answers! When you read the Scriptures about Jesus’s birth, what makes you wonder— what questions or doubts do you have? And does anything fill you with wonder—with awe and amazement? • Why does Jesus’s coming mean hope for the world? (If you want to know more, see our "Know Jesus" page.) All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished. Luke 2:18 (NLT)

READ: 1 SAMUEL 1:9-20; MATTHEW 28:19-20; JOHN 16:33 Sun sets. Moon rises. Joy dies Within me. Silver stars Cool and pure. Pain inside Black as night. A prayer. No answer. I cry out In the dark. You still hear, I will not fear. Joy comes In the morning. • Lorna Garlets • Have you ever felt like there was no way anyone could understand the troubles you’re facing? We all feel like this at times, but the truth is, Jesus always understands us, and He always has compassion on us. God’s great love for us moved Him to endure the excruciatingly painful death of the cross and the cold darkness of the grave so that we could be with Him. Now, we can know that Jesus is truly able to empathize with us. He has entered into our pain, and when we are in distress, He sits beside us and weeps with us. (John 11:32-35; Hebrews 4:14-16) • If we know Jesus, we can rest knowing that everything will be okay—perhaps in the near future, and certainly when He returns and makes all things new (Revelation 21:1-5). As we look forward to the glorious dawn of the new creation, how does Jesus’s promise to be with us give us the freedom to lament, to honestly cry out to God in all our pain and sorrow? Consider taking a moment to bring Him your lament. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 (WEB)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; COLOSSIANS 3:17; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:11 I grew up around gamers. I remember spending hours of my childhood curled up on the couch watching my older brothers, Tony and AJ, play Legend of Zelda. I admired their skill and problem-solving abilities, and I often wished I could play as well as they did. Many people look down on video games, considering them a waste of time at best and a corrupting influence at worst. But is that always true? It’s true that we can sometimes spend too much time and money on video games, and it’s true that some games contain questionable content. But did you know video games are also one place we can reflect God’s image? We are created to create because we are created in the Creator’s image (say that five times fast). This allows us to make incredible works of art using all kinds of different mediums. Since the beginning of time, we have been painting, sculpting, writing, singing, and directing plays. And now that artistic expression can be found in developing video games. Video games can actually tap into our good, God-given desires and abilities to be creative and to solve problems. Many games require strategic planning skills— including resource management, cooperation, and persistence—and all of these skills are vital to the kingdom of God. And many games are played alongside other people, creating a wonderful opportunity for community and connection. I’m not saying everyone should play video games. I’m just saying that God can be glorified in all our hobbies, including video games. Even though our world is broken by sin, Christ died and rose again to save us from sin and death. He redeems our creativity. So, if we’ve put our trust in Him, we are free to serve and glorify Him in our daily endeavors. As the Creator, God loves beautiful art, and He loves a problem well-solved. And He loves it when we have fun! So, as Christians, we can think carefully about any art form we create or consume, including video games. And as we enjoy the creativity, strategy, and cooperation found in video games, we can give praise to the Originator of all creativity, strategy, and cooperation, who loves us more than we could ever imagine. • Taylor Eising • Where do you see God’s creativity in video games or other things you enjoy doing? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this! So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 17; ROMANS 8:34; HEBREWS 7:25; 1 JOHN 2:1 All of John 17 is a prayer that Jesus prayed to the Father on the night before He was arrested. He prayed for several things, but the most prominent theme was His concern for His followers. In these 26 verses, Jesus uses the pronouns they, them, and those 47 times. Jesus was praying for the disciples. But the shocker comes in verse 20, when Jesus says, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…” Do you believe the old, old story of the good news of Jesus Christ? Then this verse is talking about you. Jesus prayed for you on that awful night, just before He was led away to die on the cross for your sins. All the things Jesus prayed for His followers are also for you: • To be protected (verse 11, 15) • To be unified (verse 11, 21-23) • To have the full measure of His joy within us (verse 13) • To be holy, or sanctified (verse 17, 19) • To be with Jesus and see His glory (verse 24) • To be filled with God’s love (verse 26) Two thousand years ago Jesus prayed for you. And did you know that Jesus is also praying for you today? This wonderful truth is found in Romans 8—that Jesus rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and is now at the Father’s right hand praying for you. Paul writes in verse 34, “Christ Jesus who died— more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Jesus prayed for you then. Jesus is praying for you now. How great is that? • Daniel Dore • Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus prayed for you on the night before He died on the cross? How does this make you feel? • Read Romans 8:31-39. What do you think Jesus is praying for you today? [Jesus said,] “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” John 17:20 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 12:1-9; HEBREWS 12:1-3 I grunted as I gazed through the viewport. Black space. Tiny white dots in the distance. Nothing new here. I side-eyed my dad. This was his fault. He acted like he knew where we were going. As he looked up from the blinking lights of the console, the silver commander’s tattoo on his bald scalp gleamed in the near darkness. “Still not speaking to me, Tai?” I fingered one of my braids. He’d named me Tai—Swahili for eagle. I was born to fly, he always said. Born to explore the unknown. Though I wanted to continue my silence, I caved. “I’m concentrating. You gave me the helm after all.” It was what I’d aced in flight class. “How do you expect me to calculate the entry trajectory if I don’t know where to go?” Dad laughed like I’d said something hilarious. “I gave you the vector to the jump point. We’ll make planetfall then. Just follow the coordinates.” He acted like this was no big deal. But we were in the middle of nowhere space. I wasn’t sure our tiny ship could make it to the planet he claimed was in Rho Quadrant. I’d left everything behind in Gamma Quadrant. All because Dad claimed there was a planet that might have water—a precious commodity back home. Now there was no chance of me applying to advanced flight school when I turned eighteen—and maybe little chance of us surviving at all. I broke the silence again. “There are too many unknown variables. What if we overshoot wherever we’re going?” “Do you trust me?” I took in a breath. I knew what he meant. I tensed my grip on the controls, then slowly let out my held breath. He’d always been there for me. He’d never let me down before. “Jump point ahead,” I said. It was now or never. “Throttle up.” The ship shook as it made the jump. Seconds later, there it was in front of us: a small, blue planet. That meant water. Maybe this would be a good place after all. • Linda Washington • Today’s allegorical story echoes Genesis 12:1-9, when Abram—who was later called Abraham—heard from God, “Go…to the land that I will show you” (verse 1). God invited Abram to trust Him—to believe that God was good and loving and that He would provide like an attentive father. Why do you think Abram followed God? • Later in the Bible, we see God’s goodness, love, and provision on full display when Jesus gave up His life for us on the cross. Because of Jesus, we can become God’s dear children. There may be times when our Father calls us to follow Him without knowing where we’re going, like He called Abram. Have you ever experienced something like this? What happened? • Why can we trust our heavenly Father no matter what? (Hint: read Matthew 7:9-11; Romans 8:32-39; Philippians 4:12-13) • As Christians, we know we will one day be raised from the dead to live with Jesus forever. What kind of life do we have to look forward to in eternity? And how can our confident hope for the future affect the way we follow Jesus now? (If you want to dig deeper, read Philippians 1:19-25; Hebrews 11:8-16; Revelation 21:1-7) But I trust in your unfailing love. Psalm 13:5 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 1:18; ACTS 3:19; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:11; EPHESIANS 3:18-21 It’s almost impossible to describe snow to someone who’s never experienced it. When I was asked to explain snow once, I was at a loss for words. The nearest I came was confectioners’ sugar. But that’s not even close! Snowflakes don’t have any taste, they’re cold, they fall from the sky, they’re not sweet, and they can’t be bought in a box at the grocery store. And imagine a fort made of confectioners’ sugar. Not possible! If I were to try again, I might say each snowflake is unique, and it has six perfect points. And in large quantities, snow is fun! I could talk about sledding, skiing, snowboarding, making snow angels, building snow forts, designing snowmen, having snowball fights. If the snow is deep enough, it can cover up anything left outside: rusty rakes, dog poop, the dead stems of autumn flowers, little red wagons, last fall’s unraked leaves. Before the snowplow comes, before the dogs go outside, before someone tramps to the mailbox, the ground is an amazing expanse of white. A beautiful blanket reaching as far as you can see. Unblemished. Pristine. It’s almost impossible to describe snow to someone who has never experienced it. It’s almost impossible to describe the love of Jesus to someone who believes He was only a good man. A good teacher. But not Lord of all. In God’s eyes, our sins are more unsightly than dog poop and rotting leaves. But Jesus’s death on the cross covers them more perfectly than the snow covers the ground (Psalm 32:1; Ephesians 5:27). The snow will eventually melt and reveal the mess beneath. But once we’ve put our trust in Jesus—whose death on the cross and resurrection from the grave provided payment for our sins—we will always be, in God’s eyes, unblemished and pristine. And, most of all, beloved. If you really want to experience snow, you have to step in it, play in it, revel in it. If you really want to experience the love of God, you have to receive Jesus as your Savior—through faith in Him and Him only—and step into His wonderful love. • Carol Raj • Why is hearing about Jesus’s love different from experiencing it? • If you want to know more about Jesus and what it means to put your trust in Him, see our "Know Jesus" page. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 (NLT)

READ: JEREMIAH 29:1-14 Jeremiah 29:1-14 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible, and, if I’m being honest, one that I struggle with a lot. In this passage, most of Israel had just been taken captive by the Babylonians, who were pagans and had been enemies of Israel for a very long time. After the Israelites were taken captive, some prophets started saying God would come to their rescue quickly, defeating Babylon and restoring the Israelites’ freedom very soon. But God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah to say these predictions were lies, and the people touting them were false prophets. Instead, God told His people to get comfy because they were going to be in captivity for a while. Yet He promised to be with them, even in Babylon, and He had good work for them to do there. He said, “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren” (verse 5-6). Even more surprising, He told them to pray for Babylon and “work for the peace and prosperity of the city” of their enemies (verse 7)! Sometimes I feel like the Israelites—stuck in a situation I hate, just looking for a way out. I spend so much time looking for future rescue that I don’t see what Jesus is doing right here, right now, in the middle of my “exile.” I forget He is here with me. Instead of asking Jesus what He wants me to do, I look for ways to take control and even to withdraw into myself—trying to isolate myself from God and others. When we find ourselves in situations we hate, as Christians, we can take comfort knowing Jesus is right there with us. If we rely on Him to help us resist the temptation to rush through the present, He will show us all the richness He has for us right here, right now. • Taylor Eising • How might knowing that Jesus is with us in our times of “exile” bring us comfort and purpose? • When we’re hurting, God doesn’t tell us to ignore our pain, stuff it down, and just get to work. Instead, He invites us to bring our pain to Him with raw honesty while we continue to serve Him and trust Him in the present. How could you practice this in your own life? • How can looking to Jesus make it possible for us to serve wherever God has placed us, even when we consider the people around us to be our enemies? (Hint: read Romans 5:1-11) “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” Jeremiah 29:7 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 15:5; ACTS 17:13–18:5 Waiting is the worst. Or maybe I’m just the worst at waiting. Especially in the high school years, “real” life seems far away and dreams look distant. It’s easy to think about what we want to do and how we want to serve God in the future. It’s way harder to live that out now. A few years ago, I saw a need at my school and decided that, no matter how small my platform, I’d let God work through me to meet that need. It was amazing to see God work as I stood on a literal stage (the smallest stage on campus!) and used the talents He had given me to point my peers to Jesus. I’d never felt more humbled to be used by the Creator. Paul found himself in a similar situation in Acts 17. He’d reached Athens and was waiting for his friends (verse 16). In other words, even Paul, one of the most famous people in the New Testament, knew what it was to wait! But, rather than just sit around, Paul used the marketplace to tell people about Jesus. He was waiting actively. Yeah, sometimes waiting is hard. But even in the waiting, God is working. Waiting actively means living life with Jesus, being attentive to His leading no matter where we are or what season we’re in—trusting that He is working even when we don’t see it. No matter what you’re waiting on, you can serve Jesus right where you are. You can use the crumbly floor of your cafeteria, the gravelly road as you wait for the bus, and even the carpet of your living room. Whatever season God has you in, wait actively. Know that He is working in your life right now. As you abide in Jesus, you never know what He’ll do through you! • Sarah Rexford • What are you waiting on in this season? How might this season of your life change if you started living like you believe Jesus is working during the waiting? • It’s easy for anxiety to creep in as we wait. Do you have any favorite Bible verses or passages that show Jesus’s faithfulness? If not, who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you find some? How could you set aside time to ponder Scriptures like these in times of waiting? For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 15:1-3, 8-10; 19:10 Cadlyn’s hand froze as she reached up to push her hair back, hovering over the empty space where the coin should have been. Her heartbeat quickened, and her fingers fumbled in her haste to pull the headdress off. Elegant silk and silver coins shone up at her. Cadlyn’s heart sank. It was as she had feared: a coin was missing. Nine silver coins like full moons embroidered into the headpiece, and one empty circle of thread. How could it have fallen out? What will I tell Jorar? she silently cried. She’d been married barely a month; the headdress had been his wedding gift, and Cadlyn treasured it dearly. Surely it was around here somewhere. Determined, Cadlyn set her headdress on a chair and took a match, lighting a candle. The coin had to have come loose while she was working, and she was going to find it. She snatched up the broom in the corner and set to work. There were nooks and crannies everywhere, and she wasn’t going to stop until she found her coin. A first sweep around the room proved futile, as did the second. “I’ll find the coin if it takes me all day,” she murmured to herself. And she swept again. When that too failed, she realized what she needed to do. The cobblestone floor looked daunting as Cadlyn knelt. Stone after stone riddled with cracks that a coin could slip into. Fingers over cobblestone, second after second, minute after minute, hour after hour. The sun was beginning to color the sky pink as Cadlyn’s raw, aching fingers brushed over a round shape wedged between two stones. Her heart leaped as she pulled out the coin. Cadlyn let out a breath of relief, rejoicing that she had found the lost coin. Just like Elohim rejoices when a lost sinner is found, she mused. Thank You for Your love, my King. The door gave a creak, and Cadlyn rose to her feet. Jarar was home. “Come celebrate, my love!” she called. “My lost coin has been found!” • Macy Walts • This allegorical story is based on a parable Jesus told in Luke 15. Consider taking some time to read this passage slowly. How is today’s story similar to the parable? How is it different? • Jesus searches for us, and He doesn’t ever give up. He went through the terrible pain of the cross because He loves us and wants us to be with Him forever. How does it make you feel to know that God searches for you—and rejoices over you when you receive Christ? [Jesus said,] “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 28:6; LUKE 15:1-7; ROMANS 3:23-24; 1 PETER 2:24 We are all human and we all sin, so, until we see Jesus face to face, there will be times when we mess up. When we stumble, slip, and fall, sometimes it seems impossible to find our way back. We let our failures keep us from going back to our forgiving, loving God, giving them far too much influence in our lives. Have you ever thought any of the following? God could never love me after everything I’ve done. He’ll never take me back now. He’s probably looking down on me now thinking, “Well, he gone.” What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just get it right? My friend, let me tell you some truth: you are never too far gone. There is nothing you can do to separate yourself from God’s love in Christ. We have all sinned and will continue to sin; there is no avoiding it. But the good news is that Jesus Christ, who is God, came to live here as a human and die for our sins. When He died on the cross, He took all our sin with Him. He paid the price for our sins so we don’t have to. Jesus loves us so much that He died for us—and He has promised that He will never leave us. Because of what He did, we find our new identity in Him, not in our sinfulness. He will go to the ends of the earth to find us and love us with all His being. On the cross, Jesus got rid of our sin, tearing the veil that separated us from God (Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 59:2; Matthew 27:50-52). Then He rose from the grave and made the way for us to live with Him eternally. Think about it. We can look at our sin and at that empty tomb and gladly say, “He gone.” • Heather Risher • In times when you feel like you are too far gone, do you have any favorite Bible verses that help you remember how loved you are in Christ? God always wants us to come to Him when we feel unforgivable so He can reveal Himself to us. In addition to talking to God in prayer, who are trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of His love and forgiveness? Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NIV)

READ: READ: PSALM 91; JOHN 1:14; 14:1-6, 15-23; REVELATION 21:1-7 During my first Thanksgiving break in college, I spent the weekend at my roommate Jade’s house. Her mom made delicious food and drinks, including a Thanksgiving punch called “Jade’s Specialty.” Their warm welcome greeted me with love. They were the closest thing I could get to a home away from home. On Thanksgiving night, Jade handed me her phone as I was eating my garlic butter roasted turkey. The phone showed a picture we’d taken before we started our Thanksgiving feast. It was me, standing in the middle of her family. “Look at you,” she said smiling. “You’re one of us now.” I chuckled and said nothing. My head tilted downward. Jade’s smile faded. “Do you not like the picture?” “Of course, I do,” I replied. “The picture’s great.” But my frowning face told Jade that something was wrong. Although they treated me like their own family, I couldn’t help myself from feeling discontent. I only thought about one thing. I wish my home was closer so I could celebrate Thanksgiving with my real family. Many college students struggle with homesickness, and they’re not the only ones. Throughout our lives, there are times when we feel lonely and lost because we’re away from home. Feeling homesick is normal, but it helps to remember that Jesus is our true home, and He is always nearby. Psalm 9:9 says, “The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Jesus promises to be a shelter for us. John 1:14 even says He came to make His home among us. He assures us that we can always go to Him whenever we’re struggling. When our hearts are hurting because we long to be close to our earthly home, we can come to Jesus. He will comfort us in His love and remind us that He gives us the protection, comfort, and security we need. • Tatiana Handoko • Can you think of a time you felt homesick? Jesus can empathize with us because He left His home with the Father to come and live among us, and then He went from town to town teaching and healing people. Ultimately, He died on the cross and rose from the grave so we could be eternally home with Him. When Jesus returns, everyone who’s put their trust in Him will live forever on the new heavens and new earth. Then we’ll never be homesick again. Until then, whenever we do feel homesick, we can rest knowing that Jesus is always with us, and He is our true home. Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.” John 14:23 (NLT)

READ: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:15-18, 23-24; HEBREWS 13:5 For as long as I can remember, my grandma has had a little hand-stitched sign in her home that reads: “There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.” As a child, I loved that sign. And as I grew into adulthood, I began to understand just how meaningful it was. My grandparents lived out true gratitude. Their lives were not easy, and yet, in the middle of trials and times of having little, they were so thankful. Why? Because they knew that whatever happened—no matter how difficult or uncertain things were—they had it all…because they had Jesus. They knew that no matter what, they were loved, forgiven, rescued, saved. They knew that no matter what, Jesus was there to walk beside them. They knew that no matter what, their identity in Him could never be touched. Their life with Him, both now and forever, was sure. And because they knew they belonged to Him, they could view life differently than the world. They could be thankful in all circumstances…the hard ones, the good ones, the uncertain ones, the joy-filled ones. A thankful heart radiates a deep-rooted contentment and joy that is only found in Jesus. Once we know Him, we can view life in light of the sacrifice He made for us on the cross. He gave up His life, and then He rose from the dead, making the way for us to be with Him forever. What He’s given us is more than we could ever deserve and better than we could even imagine. So, rather than looking at what we don’t have, we can remember that we have abundant life and unshakable hope in Jesus (John 10:10). We can give thanks in the hard things because we know that He is faithful, and He is near. And we can give thanks in the good because we see how incredibly blessed beyond measure we are, knowing every gift comes from Him (James 1:17). Because we belong to Jesus, there is always something to be thankful for. • Cara Campbell • What are some of the hope-filled promises we have in Jesus? Do you have any favorite Scriptures that reveal these? How can remembering these promises help us thank God no matter what? • What are some other things you are thankful for? Consider taking a moment to thank God for them! Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 1:22-23; ROMANS 15:4; HEBREWS 13:5-6; 2 PETER 1:3-4 Growing up, I was surrounded by God’s promises. In church, with friends, and at home, I heard people say things like “God will never leave you,” or “God has good plans for you.” I could even find these promises in the Bible, but I was still a bit skeptical. After all, God’s promises—especially in the Old Testament, like the ones mentioned above—were given to specific people in specific situations, so how could I be certain they applied to me? I had seen people take Scripture out of context or twist its meaning, and I didn’t want to make the same mistake. So when I heard God’s promises, I often felt anxious instead of comforted, wondering…did He really mean me too? I began seeking answers, and slowly realized that, because God’s promises are all fulfilled in Christ, they are indeed still relevant to me and you. Romans 15:4 states that everything written in the past was written to teach and encourage us today, and in Hebrews 13:5-6, the author quotes two Old Testament promises to reassure the early church. Both of these passages reveal that God’s Word applies to His people now just as much as when it was first given. The verse that finally convinced me, though, was 2 Corinthians 1:20, in which Paul tells us that all of God’s promises are “yes” in Christ. This means that not only do God’s promises extend to followers of Jesus, but they are actually fulfilled through Jesus: as Immanuel (God with us), He will never leave us; through the Holy Spirit, He gives us strength and hope; and since we belong to Him, He uses everything for our good and gives us a bright future with Him forever. Therefore, as a child of God who has put my faith in Jesus for salvation, I can know God’s promises are for me—and so can you. • Faith Lewis • What questions do you have about God’s promises and how they apply to you? Consider taking some time to talk to God about this today. Additionally, is there a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to about your questions—such as a friend, parent, or pastor? • Jesus completely fulfills all of the meaning and intent of the promises we find in the Old Testament. In fact, Jesus is the end goal and the point of the entire Old Testament, as well as the entire New Testament. How can this truth affect the way we read the Bible? For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 23:43; HEBREWS 3:3-6; 11:13-16 Home, sweet home, The volatile, the vile memories Of tears, and shrieks, and all the while The place meant to be safe is anything but, And the place meant to bring warmth… Freezing, we are exiles. Exiles battered by the pounding rain of Bruises and divorce, of foreclosures And, of course, the silence that wraps us In a home sweet homely hug. Home, sweet home, How sweet the sound of Thy kingdom come and heavenly bound. No tears, no screams…just light beams, Reflecting off the golden streets. This country I seek, The here but not yet here. When it comes, shining as the sun, I’ll crumple to my knees, sighing. “Home at last. Home at last.” • Hope Bolinger • What does home mean to you? • In Jesus, God took on flesh and bones to dwell with us and, ultimately, to be a home for us (John 1:1-3, 14; 14:23). Because He loves us so much, Jesus died and rose again so we can be with God. What will home look like for those who’ve put their trust in Jesus after He returns and raises us from the dead? (Hint: read Isaiah 11:6-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 7:9-17; 21:1-5, 21; 22:1-5) • Jesus is making all things new, and even though the world is still broken and full of sin right now, He is still with us. He has so much compassion on us, and He provides rest and stability in the midst of our struggles. Can you think of a time you were reminded of God’s love and care for you in a difficult time? What was that like? Were there any particular ways you noticed God providing for you? • If you or someone you know is experiencing home or family instability, who is a trusted adult you could talk to, such as a pastor, parent, teacher, coach, counselor, or youth leader? • If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, and especially if your situation is potentially life-threatening, call 911 (or the emergency number for your area) or go to the local hospital emergency room right away. If you need help doing this, who is a trusted person you can reach out to? • If you are not in immediate danger but need someone to talk to about hurts you have experienced or are currently experiencing, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. Hebrews 11:14 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 20:25-27; LUKE 10:1-9; PHILIPPIANS 2:3-8 Have you ever tried to be impressive to gain friends? Sometimes we operate under the mistaken belief that being stronger, smarter, or funnier than those around us will draw others to us. In reality, positioning ourselves above others often creates space between us and them—Jesus cautions His disciples against doing this. After all, healthy relationships are foundational to the kingdom He is building. Faith comes from hearing the message, and no one wants to listen to someone who is constantly signaling I’m better than you through their attitudes and actions. Often the opposite is the true path to friendship: vulnerability. When we know someone else makes mistakes and struggles just like we do, we can relax about our own flaws and relate to them more fully. Vulnerability isn’t self-deprecation or unloading all our negative experiences and feelings onto others, but it does mean letting people see us as we really are—and sometimes, this includes sharing the dark or difficult areas of our lives. It also means accepting help rather than pretending to have it all together. Jesus doesn’t have flaws or transgressions like we do—He’s sinless—yet He can truly empathize with all our hurts and temptations (Hebrews 4:14-16). And Jesus modeled healthy, relatable vulnerability throughout the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John): when He was tired, He fell asleep; when He was grieved, He wept; when He was distressed, He asked His close friends to keep watch and pray with Him; when He was hungry, He ate; and when He ministered, He accepted financial support. Jesus even sent His disciples out to meet people without taking supplies or resources that would make them self-sufficient. He told them to stay in people’s homes and eat the food they were offered, giving them time to get to know their hosts as they shared their faith and their own need for Jesus. We can do the same, walking in humility and kindness toward the people we meet, opening our true lives and selves to one another as we point toward God’s unflinching love for us. • Amber Vanderhoof • Can you think of a time when you were vulnerable with someone who made you feel loved and welcomed? What did they say or do that made you feel this way? • Can you think of a time when a friend challenged you to grow in your walk with Jesus, and you accepted that challenge? What about your relationship with that person made you willing to accept their advice and guidance? In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus… Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31–11:2; EPHESIANS 5:1-2; PHILIPPIANS 3:17; 4:9 I recently had the opportunity to play cello with my old high school orchestra as an alumni. Before the concert, our director held multiple alumni rehearsals, and I went to all of them. But an old cellist friend of mine was only able to come to one, and on that day we shared a music stand. As we started the first song, something in my brain told me to follow what he was playing. But as I did, my own playing became more messy and hesitating. We laughed about how he should probably be the one following me, since I’d been to more rehearsals, and by the day of the concert we were both playing more confidently. Reflecting on this later, I was reminded of something I’d read in the Bible that kind of bugged me. In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul says, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.” And I thought, That sounds a little presumptuous. Paul seems pretty confident he knows what he’s doing. But this example from orchestra helped me make sense of what Paul was saying. When I’m practicing cello by myself, it’s definitely helpful to be alone so that I can work on the parts of the music that aren’t coming easily to me. And then at rehearsal, it’s great to have the conductor telling me how fast to go, how loud to play, and which places to really emphasize. But there’s also this other element of listening to the people playing next to you that just really helps. Plus, playing the same music together with other people is part of the joy of an orchestra! I wonder if this is what Paul was getting at, that reading the Bible and talking to God by ourselves is super important. But sometimes, as we try to work out what it means to live out our faith in our everyday lives, it really helps to see some examples, especially from people we know personally. The older I get, the more grateful I am that God has set up His community this way, that He has given us each other so we can learn from one another and walk together as we follow Jesus. Because He loves us with an un-ending, death-defying love, He went all the way to the cross for us, sacrificing Himself so that we could live. And when He rose from the grave, He told us to teach and remind each other of the good news, and help each other follow Him. So now when I read this verse, I see God’s tenderness. As I long for the day I’ll see Jesus in the flesh, it comforts me to know that I have brothers and sisters here in the flesh with me, showing me imperfect yet powerful glimpses of the love and goodness of Jesus. • Hannah Howe • Is there a Christian in your life you admire? What about their walk with Jesus would you like to imitate? Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 (CSB)

READ: 1 KINGS 3:5-12; ROMANS 12:2 God did an amazing job when He created humans. Our brains alone are made up of about 86 to 100 billion nerves that communicate in 100 trillion connections, controlling all of the systems in our bodies and allowing us to communicate, think, and reason. But, because our world has been broken by sin, sometimes our brains give us the farthest thing from wisdom. Especially when we get overwhelmed, our thoughts run wild, often telling us things that simply aren’t true—about who we are, who God is, and what’s going on around us. And these thoughts influence our feelings and actions. For example, let’s say you enter a room. Everyone looks at you, then goes back to what they were doing. Wild thoughts might sound like this: “They all just looked at me. Nobody came over to talk to me. They probably hate me. I should just go home.” Then you might go stand in the corner because you think you don’t belong. But if you can capture those negative thoughts, you might be able to see the situation differently: “They all looked at me, but nobody talked to me. They might be just as nervous as I am. But Jesus loves me, and He loves everyone in this room. That table only has two people. I’ll see if I can join them.” Instead of standing in the corner, you choose to engage by showing Jesus’s love to others. So how can we change our wild thoughts? We can’t. Not on our own. We need God’s strength and wisdom, found only in knowing Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:2-3). In 1 Kings 3, Solomon asked the Lord to give him wisdom, and God was pleased. He’s pleased to give us wisdom too (James 1:5). God will greatly increase our wisdom when we read His Word, the Bible, because it shows us who we are in relationship to Him, our Creator. It tells us the good news of how Jesus came to free us from sin and death—and how that wonderful truth affects every area of our lives. Capturing your thoughts to obey Christ can help you over and over as you go through life. Instead of letting your wild thoughts push you around, you can rely on Jesus—the one who died and rose again for you—and tell yourself the truth from God’s Word. • Robyn Mulder • Step 1: Take out a piece of paper and try writing all of your thoughts down for five minutes or so. Read over them and see which ones line up with God’s Word and which ones are just wild, untrue thoughts. • Step 2: In the space below, take each wild thought and rewrite it as a Christ-captured thought. For example, the wild thought, “No one could ever love me” would become, “God loves me more than I can imagine, and He proved that I am lovable when Jesus died on the cross for me.” • Step 3: Find Bible verses that back up each Christ-captured thought (and debunk the wild thoughts). If you get stuck, who is a trusted Christian in your life who could help you? We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NLT)

READ: MICAH 7:18-20; ROMANS 8:31-39 Have you ever wondered if your sin is more than God could forgive? You’re not alone. We’ve all had moments when we’ve felt and seen the darkness in our own hearts and minds and wondered, How could God still love me? Sometimes we might feel as though God only forgives us because Jesus paid for our sin at the cross—so, you know, He kind of has to. But maybe He doesn’t like it. Maybe our sin has made God weary. In the Old Testament, the biblical authors have a favorite Hebrew word to describe God’s love: hesed. Most of our Bible translations translate this word as either “steadfast love,” “mercy,” or “lovingkindness.” The word hesed conveys the idea that God’s love is unfailing. In Micah 7:18, the prophet Micah declares that God delights in steadfast love. Did you catch that? It doesn’t weary God to love us. It’s a source of delight and pleasure for God to love us with His unfailing love! A passage like this frees us to be completely honest with ourselves before God. It allows us to look unflinchingly at the depths of our sin and to go before God with all our wrongs to confess, repent, and cry out for mercy. It allows us to be filled with the sweet confidence that when we do, it brings God delight to respond with His never-failing, never-stopping, steadfast love! • Jonathon Fuller • How can Bible passages like today’s shape our understanding of who God is? • Consider taking a few moments to examine your own heart before the Lord. You don’t have to be afraid to be honest with yourself as you look at your sin. Are there any sins that you feel as though God may not forgive? You can confess all those sins to God, repent (or turn away) from them, and then rest in the knowledge that God delights in forgiving and loving you with His unfailing love! • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 18:19; Ephesians 1:5; 5:25; Hebrews 12:2. You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! Micah 7:18-19 (NLT)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 10:18-19; 27:19; GALATIANS 3:28; REVELATION 7:9-10 At various times throughout US history, my nation has been shamelessly racist: enslaving African Americans, killing and relegating Native Americans to reservations, interning Asian Americans, etc. And while America has worked to put an end to these horrible practices, today we live in a time that continues those abuses with more subtle prejudices: off-color jokes, fear mongering, and hatred toward immigrants. Sadly, many Christians all around the world fall into these kinds of racial and ethnic stereotypes as well, treating people of different ethnicities with suspicion and cruelty. This behavior is not of God. And it’s nothing new. Ever since the first humans chose sin, we’ve all been struggling with racism in every nation in history. But God loves diversity. He created it! God loves us so much, and He wants to be with us. In fact, Jesus died and rose again to forgive all the sins of those who put their trust in Him, including the sin of racism. He made the way for people of all ethnicities to be saved from sin and death and live with Him forever. At the end of time, the kingdom of God will be the most diverse kingdom ever imagined. Revelation describes it as a group of people who represent every nation, every language, and every people group—from all time— worshipping God together as one. So, no matter what country we live in or came from, we are called to be welcoming to all people. Jesus Himself calls us to share our hope and our faith with “all nations” (Matthew 28:19). In Deuteronomy, arguably one of the stricter Old Testament books, God gave instructions about treating immigrants well, reminding the Israelites that they were refugees once too (how many of our ancestors were as well?). We are commanded by God to love our neighbors as ourselves, which certainly includes those whose ethnicities aren’t the same as ours. And Jesus is always with us, empowering us to see and love others like He does, and offering forgiveness when we fail. So, as we attend school, discuss politics, and ask for prayers in our churches, may we not fall into unseemly jokes, prejudiced behaviors or thought patterns, or fearful talk about those who were born somewhere else. Instead, let’s seek to welcome everyone into a kingdom as diverse as God’s heart. • Abigail Aswegen • Why do you think God created diversity? What can this tell us about what God is like? After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. Revelation 7:9 (NIV)

READ: PROVERBS 17:1; PHILIPPIANS 4:10-13; 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-19; JAMES 3:13-18 Cheerful colored cloths hung from candlelit windowsills and plump pumpkins crouched like friendly gnomes near doorways. The courtly procession was traveling through a village on the way to the autumnal feast. Around Crispin were other people wearing fine silks walking along to the lilting music of minstrels. Yet he felt anything but joyful. Glancing at his companions, dressed in rich attire but wearing no smiles, Crispin knew they felt the same. They quarreled constantly in court. And when they did get along, it was only because the members pretended to be friends to appease the king. As they would tonight. Sighing, Crispin glanced around at the simple surroundings of the village. Families laughed among makeshift tables spread with harvest dishes as children played with colorful streamers. But what caught his eye was an old man alone on a bench. He held a plate of meager vegetables, yet contentment was evident on his face. Crispin paused, allowing the procession to move ahead. “Excuse me sir, but how can you be glad when such a meal sits on your lap?” The man looked up from his plate and smiled. “Sit down, friend.” Crispin joined him. “Is all this not worth giving thanks for? But even if I was out in the wild, I would still rejoice—because I know the King.” Shifting in his seat, Crispin said, “I know the king and his court, yet our banquet will not be as joyous as yours.” “I am talking of the King of the stars and mountains. The one whose kingdom never ends. Where He is, love and joy overflow, and there is enough to go around whether I am eating vegetables or sitting as a guest at the great autumnal feast.” The man handed Crispin some roasted potato and began telling him the ancient tales about the King with nail-scarred hands and feet. As Crispin ate and listened, he slowly began to smile. “Love,” murmured Crispin. “That is what we are missing, the love of this King…but not for long.” Crispin jumped up and started to leave. Then he stopped and called back to the man. “I must tell the others—thank you for the feast!” • Sophia Bricker • Today’s allegorical story points to Jesus’s kingdom. Because God in flesh let His hands and feet be nailed to a cross, because He bled and died for us, then rose again from the dead, we can be part of that kingdom. Even when we don’t have much, we have everything—because we get to experience the overflowing love and joy that come from knowing Him! And we get to look forward to the day when Jesus will return to raise us to eternal life. Then we will join Him in the greatest feast of all, and we’ll never experience lack again. If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 34:8; 63:3-5; Mark 10:17-31; John 4:4-14; 10:10; Romans 8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 1:3–2:10; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Peter 2:1-3; Revelation 19:6-9; 21:1-5. • James 3 says there are two kinds of wisdom. Earthly wisdom is characterized by bitter envy, selfish ambition, disorder, and evil (verse 14-16). Can you think of a time you were in a group of people that felt this way, perhaps like Crispin described the royal court? Can you think of a time you lived according to earthly wisdom? • How does James describe heavenly wisdom in verses 17-18? How does knowing Jesus make it possible for us to live this way? (Hint: read 1 John 4:19) • It was the old man’s contentment that caught Crispin’s attention. And it was through his hospitality— sharing what he had—that Crispin was able to hear the gospel, or good news. How can contentment be a testimony of God’s love? What are simple ways we can offer hospitality using what we have?<...

READ: NUMBERS 12; MICAH 6:4; HEBREWS 2:10-18 If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God is always at work in our lives, forming us to become more and more like Jesus through our relationships and experiences. This is not always an easy process, especially when it comes to family relationships. Your sister can feel like a best friend and ally on Monday, but by Friday you could be at odds. Your brother can have you in a headlock during an argument, but then work seamlessly with you on an important project later that same day. Moses led the people out of slavery in Egypt and gave them God’s word, but he didn’t do it alone. His sister Miriam’s care and cleverness in approaching Pharaoh’s daughter saved Moses’s life as a baby. And his brother Aaron’s willingness to speak to the Israelites on Moses’s behalf made it possible for Moses to participate in God’s magnificent plan to rescue His people. God called Moses to something great, and He gave him siblings to help him carry it out. But much like our relationships with our siblings, these siblings experienced anger, disappointment, and disunity. One of these times is described in Numbers 12, when Aaron and Miriam doubted and complained against Moses. The Lord Himself corrected the two of them and struck Miriam with leprosy as a result. At this point, Moses was faced with a choice: to let Miriam sit in her punishment, and possibly die, or to show love and mercy. Moses chose mercy. He cried out to God on Miriam’s behalf, letting his love for his sister eclipse any desire for revenge he may have felt. This points forward to another Israelite who would love God and show mercy, even when His brothers and sisters betrayed Him unto death. Jesus made the way for us to be spared from the just punishment we deserve by taking our punishment for us. Instead of a death sentence, we receive a welcome into God’s family and a promise that we will live forever with Jesus and our heavenly Father. In God’s family we have a vast array of siblings—all the people who have trusted in Jesus around the world and throughout history. As we rest in Jesus’s merciful love for us, we can extend that same love to our brothers and sisters. • Amber Vanderhoof • How is the love Jesus has for us similar to the love between siblings? How is it different? • If you want to dig deeper, read Exodus 2:1-10, Exodus 4, and Exodus 15:19-21. So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. Hebrews 2:11 (NLT)

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 32:1-22; MATTHEW 4:1-11 At one time in Israel’s history, the army of Assyria came to invade Jerusalem, and the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, was sure that this Israelite God would be as easy to defeat as the gods of the other nations surrounding it. He laid siege to Jerusalem, then used fear tactics. He sent threatening letters to King Hezekiah of Judah and sent officers to yell threats at the Israelites standing on the city walls, directly addressing the people in their own language. Sennacherib did this “to frighten and discourage them in order that he might capture the city. They spoke against the God of Jerusalem like they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth, which were made by human hands” (2 Chronicles 32:18-19). Here’s some of Sennacherib’s long and pompous speech: “So now, don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!” (2 Chronicles 32:15). King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah both sought God’s help, and the story has a wonderful ending. I hope you read it for yourself. But notice how the enemy used lies to terrify God’s people. Sennacherib wanted to “frighten and discourage them.” Their fear could have become so crippling that Sennacherib could easily have conquered them. Our enemy does the same thing today. Satan’s lies abound. We might feel like nobody cares or that we are all alone. But none of those things are true! We are treasured and loved by God, and He is always with us. So how can we combat the lies? The best way to defeat the lies of the enemy is with the truth of God’s Word. That’s what Jesus did when His enemy tempted Him with half-truths (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus knew that He was going to defeat Satan through dying on the cross and rising from the grave—and He did! Today, we can know that if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He is with us, and His Holy Spirit fills us with truth and hope in the face of the devil’s lies. Whenever we’re afraid, let’s look to Jesus. • Kristen Merrill • How can things like memorizing God’s Word, talking with Him in prayer, and spending time with other believers help us remember the truth about who Jesus is and who we are in Him? • When we fall for Satan’s lies, God has so much compassion on us. He always wants to forgive and restore us. What lies do you need to bring to Him today? [Jesus said,] “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 25:1-5; ROMANS 8:35-39; REVELATION 6:9-11 I’ve been reading the book of Revelation recently, and Revelation 6:11 is one of the verses that’s really stuck with me. Though it describes John’s vision of events that haven’t yet taken place, it still feels very relevant. The martyrs described in this verse are waiting in heaven for the Lord to punish those who had killed them because of their faithfulness to Him on earth. Rather than acting in that moment, however, God waits. The time for Him to enact justice hasn’t come yet. Even though I’m not a martyr, I can relate to the people John sees in his vision, wanting God to act on their behalf but being told to wait. It can be difficult for me to trust God, especially because I know He can act. I don’t doubt His ability, but sometimes I doubt His timing. In situations when I’m tempted to doubt the Lord’s timing, it helps to remember He’s never early or late. His understanding of what the “right” time is far surpasses mine. Although I can only see a small part of the whole picture, He can see the entire thing. If you’re in a situation where you need God to intervene, you can trust that He’ll act at exactly the right moment—not a moment early or a moment late. You may simply need to wait a little longer. • Grace McCready • Is there a situation in your life where you want God to take action? God invites us to cry out to Him and be totally honest about what we want Him to do. As we draw near to Him in prayer, we often find it becomes easier to trust His timing in each situation and rely on Him while we wait. Consider taking a moment to talk to God openly about what’s going on in your life and what you want Him to do about it. • As we think about justice, it helps to remember that God is perfectly just, and He promises to right every wrong and punish every sin—including the sins others commit against us, and also the sins we commit. This is a sobering thought, and yet it makes the good news all the more wonderful, that Jesus took our sins upon Himself on the cross, taking the punishment for us. That means everyone who has put their trust in Jesus is spared from the punishment we deserve. This is God’s heart: He longs to forgive sinners and bring them into His family to live with Him forever. According to 2 Peter 3:3-9, why is God waiting to bring about full justice? Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. Revelation 6:11 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 46; JOHN 16:33; HEBREWS 4:14-16 I have heard that peace is like a river of serenity. I have heard that the Lord is the giver of tranquility. If peace can be revealed through the raindrops of a raging storm, Why does the thunder never stop? It leaves my heart feeling torn. My friends are gone. I’m alone in the dark. No peace can I find. Fear holds me as a slave. I feel like I am losing my mind. My heart races fast inside of my chest. I can’t catch my breath. The darkness closes in all around me. Is this the end: death? But wait! His scarred hands are lifting me high above the darkness. Though the raging waters are by my side, He is my fortress. Jesus knows the anguish that makes me tense. He is human too. His reckless love is never any less for me or for you. He is my peace in the raging storm when fear is all around. Even though things may fall apart, I will stand on solid ground. So, I will raise my head and fix my eyes, seeing only Him. Though Satan tempts, I know fear is a lie. Darkness will grow dim. • Brooke Morris • Jesus promises peace to everyone who puts their trust in Him. In fact, Ephesians 2:14 says that Jesus “himself is our peace.” Because He died on the cross and rose from the grave to forgive our sins, we can have peace with God (Romans 5:1). And we can look forward to the day Jesus will return and make all things new! But in the meantime, we all experience times when we feel anything but peaceful. Thankfully, Jesus invites us to take refuge in Him—to honestly tell Him all we’re thinking and feeling, and be reminded of His steadfast love and faithfulness. Can you think of a time you experienced Jesus helping you when you were afraid? What was that like? • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 88:18; 139:12; Isaiah 41:10; 66:12-13; Matthew 7:24-27; 26:37-38; Luke 22:44; John 20:24-29; Romans 8:15; Philippians 4:6-7; Hebrews 2:15; 12:1-3. [Jesus said,] “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 3:21-26; EPHESIANS 2:1-10; 3:14-21 Have you ever sat and watched a pendulum clock? The rhythmic back and forth motion can be mesmerizing, even relaxing. Many things have been likened to the swing of a pendulum. Most of them are not relaxing but instead refer to constant change. Clothing, for example, is compared to a swinging pendulum. This year, women’s pants are wide, and in a few years they will be skinny once again. Popular colors also follow the swinging pendulum. For a while, many new homes had various shades of gray inside, but we’re already starting to see colors return to tans and beiges. Those preaching the Word of God can also swing on a pendulum. When I was growing up, I remember mostly hearing churches preach on hell. We would regularly hear, “If you don’t repent of your sins, you are going to hell!” And I rarely remember the church teaching about the love and mercy of God. Today, most people who attend most churches will regularly hear about the wonderful truth of God’s love and how important it is to receive that love. Yet, at many churches, the heavy topics of sin and judgment are rarely spoken about. Both sides of this pendulum swing are problematic by themselves: the full gospel has to incorporate both parts. We are sinners who desperately need to repent of our sins—and if we don’t, we are on a slippery slope to eternal judgment. But God, in His abundant love beyond imagination, by grace and mercy, offers us forgiveness. We need only put our trust in Jesus to receive the gift of His blood, shed for your sin and mine. • Bonnie Haveman • Do you have questions about what it means to confess your sin and put your trust in Jesus—receiving His gift of love through His death and resurrection as payment for your sin? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) • Have you ever presented the gospel as God’s gift of love but skipped the fact that we need to repent? Or vice versa? How can we include both truths when we share the good news? For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 49:15-16; ROMANS 8:35-39 Have you ever wondered, “Where is God now? Doesn’t He love me?” Isaiah 49:15-16 presents one of the most beautiful expressions of God’s everlasting love in all of Scripture. God contrasts His love with one of the closest of human bonds: that of a mother with her nursing child. As unlikely as it is, a woman could forget her child. Yet God says He will never forget us. Then God says He has inscribed us—some translations even say “tattooed” us—on the palms of His hands! Why is this significant? Because our palms contain some of the most sensitive areas of skin on our bodies. Getting a tattoo on your palm is not only extremely painful, but it can also take weeks or even months to heal. When God says, “I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands,” He is using figurative language to say that He would go to the excruciating pain of having our names tattooed on His palms so that we would be ever before His face. Isn’t that incredible? And it gets even better. This Scripture points forward to Jesus. God loves us so much that He took on human flesh and went through the excruciating pain of the cross to be with us. And Jesus’s hands still bear those scars. If you know Jesus, you can rest assured that your name is permanently inscribed on God’s palm. This represents all of you—your fears, loneliness, circumstances, desires, and dreams. Everything that concerns you is always before Him. Because…He loves you. • Cheryl Elton • Can you think of a time God’s love felt distant? We all experience times like these, but the truth is God wants to be with us. Our sin separated us from God, yet Jesus came to endure the pain of the cross so our sins could be forgiven and we could have an intimate and lasting relationship with Him. How could it be helpful to meditate on this good news through Scriptures like today’s? • In Psalm 42, David struggles with acknowledging God’s love while feeling far from it, even crying out to God, “Why have you forgotten me?” (verse 9). How can David’s raw lament in this psalm provide comfort to us? • If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 53:5-6; John 3:16; 14:18; 20:24-27; Hebrews 13:5. “Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:16 (CSB)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13; 1 JOHN 4:19 Gunshots—they were distant, but the sound jolted through Kor’s body like bolts of lightning. He knew with every shot, another of his comrades could fall. CRACK! His friend Finn was going to be a doctor. CRACK! Mika dreamed of being a professional athlete. CRACK! Zade just wanted to get home. In the trenches, Kor always thought about how many were lost, praying that he wouldn’t be next. “Fight the good fight, Kor,” his dad had said before boarding the military jet. “There is no greater love…” his mother had said tearfully when they got the news that Dad wouldn’t be coming home. “You’re my hero,” his little brother had declared, the first time Kor tried on his uniform. “You know,” Kor had answered, “I’m fighting for lives that have already been saved by someone else. Jesus is the real hero.” Kor froze at the memory. Without Christ, there was no hope. He glanced at the others around him, crouched in the shadow of the trenches. Did Finn, Mika, and Zade know? Suddenly, from somewhere in the darkness, an object whistled through the air and hit the dirt with a thud: a grenade. Kor’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at the weapon about to destroy a trench full of soldiers. The memories swirled around him like a blur of silver stars in the blackness: “Fight the good fight.” “There is no greater love…” “You’re my hero.” Then, he thought of a night long ago, of dropping to his knees, asking for forgiveness, and putting his trust in Christ. “Is Jesus your hero?” his little brother had asked. Kor stood and began to run. “You bet.” Others needed to know Him. They needed what Kor already had. He jumped through the air, crossing the last few paces in a moment. They needed hope. He threw himself onto the grenade. An explosion shook the ground. • Anita Seavey • Today’s fictional story provides a poignant picture of the kind of love Jesus has for us—a love so strong that, once we’ve experienced it for ourselves, we are compelled to love others. Have you ever experienced a sacrificial love like this? What was that like? • Romans 5:7-8 says, “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” When Jesus died on the cross, He sacrificed His life for us so that we could be forgiven for our sins. And when He rose from the dead, He made the way for everyone who puts their trust in Him to become God’s friend and live with Him forever (verse 9-10). What questions do you have about what it means to know Jesus? Who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to about this? (You can also find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) • When we know Jesus, we have confidence that death is not the end for us and that Jesus will be with us no matter what. How could this hope give us courage when we find ourselves in difficult situations? (Romans 8:35-39; 1 Timothy 6:11-12; Revelation 21:1-5) [Jesus said,] “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 96:2-3; MATTHEW 28:19-20; ROMANS 10:9-15 When I was a young teen, I really wanted to go on a mission trip. And I mean really wanted—I read missionary biographies, researched unreached people groups (communities who have never even heard of Jesus) and was sure that when I grew up, I too would serve God in some far-off place. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work out that way. In my first few years of high school, I tried to go on four different mission trips—but each time, for one reason or another, when the plane left, I wasn’t on it. One day, though, I learned something that completely changed my perspective. Did you know the nation that receives the most missionaries each year is the United States of America? Yes, you read that right: the country I call home also happens to be where other countries send the most missionaries. Because it isn’t just people on the other side of the world who need Jesus—so do the people I see at the mall and sit with in class, and the same is true for you. No matter where you live, there are likely people around you who haven’t heard the gospel—who don’t know that God loves them, and that He sent Jesus to set them free through His death and resurrection. So, while I would still love to spread the gospel in distant lands, it transformed my entire mindset when I realized that I don’t have to get a passport to be a missionary—and I shouldn’t wait until I grow up either. When I go to school or the grocery store or the doctor’s office or sports practice, if I go wanting to share God’s love and truth with the people I’ll encounter, that’s a mission trip! Jesus commanded His followers to take the gospel into all the world, and that includes my neighborhood—and yours too! • Faith Lewis • The word gospel literally means good news. Once we’ve received this gift ourselves, Jesus has given us the responsibility and privilege of sharing the news with others. Yet, even after we’ve experienced the love of Jesus in our lives, sharing it can still feel intimidating. We may wonder how best to do it and worry about how people will respond. Remember though, God has promised to be with us and give us courage and wisdom. In the end, He’s the only one who can change a person’s heart, which means there’s no pressure. As we show His love and share the truth, we can trust Him with the outcome (1 Corinthians 3:6-8; Ephesians 4:15). Can you think of any opportunities you might have to be a missionary right where you are? Consider taking a moment to ask God for boldness and the words to say when the time comes (Acts 4:23-31; Ephesians 6:19-20). He [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (NIV)

READ: MALACHI 3:1; 4:5; MARK 1:1-3; LUKE 1:11-17 The book of Malachi in the Bible contains an oracle, or a message from God. The name Malachi means “my messenger,” and it’s the last book in the Old Testament. It’s God’s final message to His people before 400 years of silence. By the time the prophet Malachi came on the scene, about a century had passed since the first Israelites returned from the seventy-year exile in Babylon. This exile was a consequence of their disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. Shortly after their return to Jerusalem (538 BC), they began reconstruction on the Temple, which took about 20 years to complete (we read about rebuilding the Temple in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah). But it only took a few decades before the priests and the people became complacent in their worship and neglectful in the care of the Temple, as well as in their observances, duties, and devotion to God. Once again, God’s people had become disobedient and unfaithful. And once again, God sent yet another prophet, Malachi (around 430 BC), to call His people to repentance and restoration of their relationship with God. Malachi uses questions and answers from God, much like how a teacher uses questions and answers to get students to think and help them learn lessons. And like a loving parent, Malachi begins with God’s affirmation: “I have always loved you” (Malachi 1:2). After confronting the priests and people about their sins relating to worship, sacrifices, lifestyles, tithing, and twisting the truth, Malachi proclaims hope. As we read Malachi 3:1, we see God’s prophecy and promise to send a messenger who will prepare the way for the coming Messiah. When God’s 400 years of silence ends, we read in the New Testament about the fulfilled prophecy of Malachi. The messenger, John the Baptist, has come telling God’s people, once again, to repent of their sins. And as foretold, John proclaims the good news about the promised Messiah, Jesus, who will forgive sins and provide the way to spend eternity with Him. • Lynda Boucher • Isn’t it amazing to think that God kept His promise 400 years after He made it? What can this show us about God’s character? • What questions do you have about the book of Malachi? Who could you talk to about it? Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Hebrews 10:23 (NLT)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-5; 6:3-10; 10:3-5 "God won’t give you more than you can handle,” many well-meaning people have said. However, when you’re going through that dark night of the soul—such as the death of a loved one, an unexpected diagnosis, or other deep pain—this saying does not ring true. Why does God allow these hard things we don’t, and may never, understand? Is He even still good? Whenever I read the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6, I feel comforted. He endured so many hard things for the sake of Christ, including beatings, prison time, and hunger. Instead of making light of his trials, Paul acknowledged them for what they were: painful! But what gave Paul the endurance and the ability to stand up under his troubles? The answer is in verse 7: “the power of God.” He relied on God to give him strength. As children of God, we belong to Jesus. Paul says we have His power to demolish strongholds. We have the Holy Spirit’s help to take our every thought captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Even though Satan would like to keep us in our place of pain, sorrow, and discouragement, he doesn’t have the final word—because Jesus Christ has defeated sin and death through His own death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-26; 1 Peter 2:22-25). Perhaps you feel like Paul felt many times, beaten and broken. Be encouraged, for you are not alone. If you know Jesus, He has given you His power and He is with you! • Savannah Coleman • You or someone you love may be in a place of deep pain and sorrow right now. We live in a broken, sin-filled world, and God never promised an easy life, but He did promise that He will be with us always (Matthew 28:20). How could it be comforting to know that Jesus, the God of the universe who went to the cross for you, will never leave or abandon you? (Deuteronomy 31:8) • Do you ever feel like God doesn’t want to hear about your troubles and your pain? God loves you and wants you to share the good, the bad, and the ugly—your joys, and even your cries of anger (1 Peter 5:7). What are some things weighing on you that you’d like to share with God? • The Bible never says, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” The closest verse we have is 1 Corinthians 10:13, which is about God providing a way to withstand every temptation. When we hear sayings that don’t ring true, how can we examine the Bible for ourselves? By the word of truth, by the power of God; through weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left. 2 Corinthians 6:7 (CSB)

READ: ROMANS 5:1-11; EPHESIANS 2:1-10; TITUS 2:11-14 God’s ability to rescue and transform is incredible. “I once was lost, but now am found,” wrote John Newton in his famous hymn “Amazing Grace,” and these striking words weren’t simply for dramatic effect. Newton had experienced God’s grace—His undeserved kindness— firsthand, and his story is a beautiful example of God’s power. Newton was born in England in 1725. His mother was a Christian, but after her death, he spent much time at sea with his father and abandoned his mother’s godly teachings. Eventually, he joined the crew of a slave ship, where he embraced a rough lifestyle. However, God was still pursuing Newton. One day, a storm arose at sea, and Newton was terrified. Realizing he was a sinner unworthy of help, he nevertheless cried to God for mercy, and he was spared. That very day, he turned back to God. That wasn’t the end of God’s grace in Newton’s life, though. When he was twenty-nine, illness forced him back to land, where he sought God earnestly and threw himself into ministry. He was soon ordained as a minister and then started writing hymns. Later, he felt called to pastor a church in London, and many people came to hear him preach about the grace that had saved him. As he grew spiritually, he also repented of his part in the British slave trade and began to oppose it passionately. All his life, Newton remained awed by God’s love and kindness toward him— that God would not only rescue a poor sinner, but would continue working in and through him to reach many people. Newton’s story shows that because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, no one is too far gone. God can save and change anyone. Like Newton, we are all sinners unworthy of rescue. And God offers us the same amazing grace that transformed John Newton’s life. • Faith Lewis • History is full of stories of sinners who God saved, just like John Newton, just like us. Jesus lived, died, and rose again to make the way for anyone to come to Him. No one is beyond His reach. And salvation is only the beginning of God’s grace—after we place our trust in Jesus, He continues to transform and work through us for the rest of our lives. We still struggle with sin, but when we rely on God’s grace instead of our own efforts, He can do great things in and through us. How have you seen God’s grace at work in your life? What about the lives of others? For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 119:10-16, 50-52, 103 I used to have crippling anxiety during violin recitals because I put too much pressure on myself to nail every note in front of an audience. No matter how well I knew the music, my fingers, arms, and legs would shake uncontrollably. Instead of playing the beautiful flowing melody I spent months learning and rehearsing, my performance would be choppy and somewhat screechy. It would crush me every time. But I finally learned how to tackle this anxiety—I would memorize my music. Through the process of memorizing, I would know the music so well that I wouldn’t need to think about it while playing on stage. I could simply close my eyes and let my violin sing. I could even pray while playing! And I stopped feeling so anxious at recitals. Violin recitals aren’t the only things that have made me anxious. Tests at school, trying out for sports teams, and having hard conversations with friends—just to name a few—have made me anxious. But, like I’ve learned that memorizing music calmed my anxiety during recitals, I learned that memorizing God’s Word calms my anxiety throughout everyday life. In Psalm 119, David says, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word” (verse 15-16). Memorizing God’s Word helps us focus on Jesus and what He has done for us, especially in times when we feel anxious and our minds easily stray from the truth. Memorizing my violin music helped my mind and body calm down because I didn’t have to overthink what I was doing—the music was engraved in my mind and heart. God’s Word is like that too. When we carve His Word on our hearts, we often find that anxiety-inducing situations are not as overwhelming. Though we’ll all have times when we experience anxiety in our bodies and minds—that is, until the day Jesus returns—we don’t have to go through it alone. Jesus is with us, and He helps us relax as we join in the music of His truth. • Rachel Wierenga • We all feel anxious from time to time, but God has so much compassion on us, and He wants to help us through His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Do you have any favorite Bible verses that help you when you feel anxious? Consider choosing one to memorize this week. • Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk openly with when you feel anxious? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:15-16 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 32:1-11; 139:7-10; JEREMIAH 17:7-8 Sometimes, when God seems silent, it’s easier to ask, “Where is God?” than to consider what the silence really means. There are so many stories in the Bible of God working through people in major ways. Moses led thousands out of slavery, Joseph saved entire nations from starvation, not to mention Jesus—God in human flesh—made the way to save the world from sin and death. What we often ignore are the stories before the story. God took Moses to the wilderness of Midian before sending him before Pharaoh. Joseph was taken to the figurative wilderness of slavery before becoming a great leader in Egypt and saving the lives of countless people during a famine. Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days before starting His ministry, which would culminate in His death on the cross and victorious resurrection. Often, God takes people through a wilderness before working in their lives. The key word here is through. He doesn’t just take people to the wilderness and leave them there. No, the wilderness is a training ground. And training grounds are meant for us to pass through, not to stay in. In His faithful timing, God will lead us not just to the wilderness, but through it. Wildernesses can feel like valleys of isolation and silence. But remember that even in the valley, the Holy Spirit is growing our roots into Jesus Christ. So, if God seems silent, draw in close to Him. Closeness with God requires dropping our walls and getting silent sometimes. It’s often in the silence that we hear God’s truth and experience His love in new and profound ways. As we hear truth, we are trained in truth. And it’s only after we’ve been trained that we can confidently go out from the valley—and onto the battlefield. Psalm 32:7 says God surrounds us with “shouts of deliverance.” So, embrace the valley for the training ground it is, then go out with the confidence that comes from resting in Jesus’s love—God’s shouts of deliverance leading the way! • Sarah Rexford • Can you think of a time God used a valley in your life to deepen your relationship with Him and teach you new things about the good news of Jesus? What happened? • Has God seemed silent to you lately? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this. • If you want to dig deeper, read Genesis 37; 50; Exodus 2–3; Romans 5:1-5; 8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 10:1-5; Ephesians 6:10-20; Colossians 2:6-7; 1 Timothy 1:12-19. He led his people in the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:16 (CSB)

READ: EPHESIANS 1:17-19; 2 PETER 3:18; 1 JOHN 5:20 In fifth grade, I wrote a report on Eleanor Roosevelt. For weeks I studied her, read many resources about her, and wrote down all kinds of information and facts about her. I even had to dress up like her to make my presentation to the class. By the end of all that research, I felt like I knew just about everything about her. But even with all of my fact-gathering, I didn’t really know Eleanor Roosevelt at all. I knew about her, but I didn’t know her personally. I didn’t know her voice, the way she smiled, what made her laugh, her character, or any of the things you know about someone when you have a close relationship with them. The same is true for our relationship with Jesus. We can participate in Bible studies, Christian camps, youth group, Sunday school, and a multitude of other good things. But unless we are seeking to know Jesus better through them, it’s all just head knowledge. We can know all sorts of facts about Jesus without really knowing Him at all. Jesus wants more for us than just head knowledge. He desires a deep, personal relationship with us. That’s why He was willing to die on the cross— because He loves us and wants to be with us forever. When we put our trust in Jesus, we enter a relationship with God, and His Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, our relationship with God becomes more and more central to our everyday lives. Jesus invites us to spend time reading His Word—and asking Him what He wants to say to us through it. He invites us to talk with Him throughout the day. To ask Him for guidance, for help in difficult situations, and for strength on hard days. To bring our worries to Him. To bring our joys to Him. And He invites us to rest in His deep, unconditional love for us. • Cara Campbell • If you want to know more about entering a relationship with God through Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page. • Even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus by believing in His death and resurrection, sometimes we can fall into pursuing head knowledge about God while forgetting that we have a relationship with the God we’re learning about. We might also be hesitant or even resistant to interact with Him, and this happens throughout our lives for a variety of reasons. How would you describe your relationship with God lately? What do you want your relationship with Him to be like? [Jesus said,] “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me.” John 10:14 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 12:46-50; MARK 6:4; JOHN 1:12-13 If anyone understands messed up families, it’s Jesus. Imagine the ridicule He could have received growing up when His neighbors and friends assumed His mother had Him out of wedlock (Matthew 1:18-25). People at school might have muttered about how neither Jesus nor Mary deserved to live. Their cruel words could have rivaled some of the insults I received from bullies in middle school. Or the fact that His father, Joseph, likely died before He began His ministry. With few occupations available for widows back then, taking care of Mary became Jesus’s responsibility as the firstborn (John 19:25-27). No pressure there, especially on top of the whole Messiah gig. Not to mention His mother and siblings stormed one of His sermons, likely to tell Him to keep quiet. Even James, Jesus’s brother, doubted Jesus’s true identity as the Messiah until long after His death and resurrection (John 7:2-5; Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:7; James 1:1). You heard that right: His own brother didn’t believe in Him. Growing up, when confronted with constant sibling fights and my parents’ divorce, I hated the meaning of family. To me, family meant slamming doors and shouting matches. I would forget that I have a family bigger than the one in my house. Even though my biological mother and brothers may cause disappointment, my family in Christ gives me hope because, in Him, I always have a family—one that lasts forever, rooted in His promises. Sure, we mess up. Our Christ-family still slams doors and causes deep hurts. But we all take part in a restoration process. Messed up? Sure. Storming Jesus’s kingdom to tell Him He’s not doing a good job? Guilty as charged. But Jesus calls us family, walking with us and restoring our broken selves through His death and resurrection. If anyone can turn a messy family into something beautiful, it’s Him. • Hope Bolinger • Everybody has brokenness in their family. What kinds of brokenness do you see in your family? Consider taking a moment to ask Jesus to restore your family and heal your hurts. • Maybe your family is also part of your Christ-family. You can praise God for that! But maybe your family doesn’t believe in Jesus. You can pray for them and ask God to show you how to tell them about Jesus. Consider taking some time to do this now. [Jesus said,] “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:50 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 16; HEBREWS 13:5-6 Moment by moment He is always there Never have to worry Don’t have to be scared Moment by moment He sees my pain He gives me comfort I cannot explain Moment by moment He shows He cares I am a sinner But my life, He spared Moment by moment He is always good I can rely on Him Always be understood • Bethany Acker • Isn’t it good to know that God is with us moment by moment? Think about it: if you know Jesus, the Creator of the entire universe is with you right now. And He will never leave you. When you feel afraid, or hurt, or worried, or alone, He’s there. Always. He loves you, and He wants to help you know His love more and more (Ephesians 3:14-21). Can you think of a time you were acutely aware that God was with you? What was that like? • Consider taking a moment to thank God for His constant presence with you, and ask Him to help you notice some of the ways He is showing kindness to you today. [Jesus said,] “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 3:16-18; PHILIPPIANS 1:6-11; 1 JOHN 3:1-3 When you were younger, did you ever think gemstones came out of the ground perfectly cut and polished? I did. It shocked a younger me to learn that, when gems are mined, they come out looking like small, lumpy rocks—dusted with grime and seemingly fit to be tossed aside. People are like that too. We’re covered from head to toe with the dirt and grime of sin. And, though many of us may appear clean on the outside, we’re all equally grimy deep down. From the beginning of your life, the dust of the earth covers you, and there is no going back or erasing the sin and brokenness. But there is a way forward. Jesus came to earth to save us: to turn thieves, traitors, and liars into emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. He removes us from the ground, gently picking away at the sin we are encased in. Then He cleanses us, renewing our hearts, souls, and minds so we can praise Him! He shapes us into His image, and the journey, though slow and difficult, transforms us. Jesus showed that we are more precious than the largest diamond ever found when He gave up His life for us on the cross. And then He rose from the dead— so now, if we put our trust in Him, we become clean in our hearts, pure in our minds, and polished from our baby toes to the tops of our unruly heads of hair. We’re still a work in progress, but we can look forward to the day when we will see Jesus face to face, and we will be completely free from sin and death. In the meantime, we rejoice that we are saved through faith in Jesus, but we shouldn’t assume our lives will necessarily be easy. As Christians, we will face persecution and other trials. When all of it seems unbearable, we always have God to turn to: He is our expert craftsman, the One who dug us out of sin and cleansed us, making us new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). As we go through life, we can remember that we are God’s gems—immeasurably precious in His sight. • Sophia Grogg • If we know Jesus as our Savior, we can rest in His promise to complete the work of saving us from sin and death (Philippians 1:6). How can this promise encourage us when we fail? • When you look at your flaws and shortcomings, how could it be helpful to think of yourself as a gemstone in the hand of God—inherently valuable and treasured, but not finished yet? I rejoice greatly in the LORD, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 (CSB)

READ: MARK 7:20-23; ROMANS 3:10-18, 23-24; 1 TIMOTHY 1:15-16 It didn’t matter how good people tried to make themselves look. The mirror never lied. Not to Amiah. She could see a person’s true image in their reflection. And what she saw were monsters. She didn’t know why no one else saw them, but the monsters were always there, flickering across sheets of glass and curves of metal. A spoon at a restaurant would betray the maniacal rage of a friendly waitress, her yellow, blood-rimmed eyes popping out of her head. A subway window would illuminate the green, slimy jealousy of the well-dressed man sitting next to her. On the street, the side of each building became its own danse macabre as grotesque figures stumbled across the glass. But they weren’t the reason she avoided reflective surfaces: she was. She was the worst monster of them all. Whenever she looked in the mirror, she shuddered at the horrifying creature gazing back at her, hatred and rage rotting the flesh off her bones. She wanted to scream and run away, but it followed her from one pane of glass to the next. One day, a man sat down across from her on the subway. He had long, stringy hair and wore a faded T-shirt and tattered jeans. Before she could stop herself, Amiah turned toward the window to see what monster he was hiding—and felt the air go out of her lungs. There was no monster. Only his pure reflection smiling back at her. She was suddenly pierced with the realization that he could see the monster she was, and her face grew hot with shame. But as the train screeched to a halt, he nodded toward the exit. Come, his eyes said. Follow me. He pushed open the doors and walked out. This wasn’t her stop, but everything in her propelled her to follow him off the train. She hurried toward the beeping doors and stepped out just as they swooshed close behind her. She joined him on the platform, and as the train pulled away, she caught a glimpse of herself in the window and gasped. For the first time ever, she saw her face. Soft black curls fell across her shoulders, and her eyes shone clear and bright. The monster was gone. • Courtney Lasater • What monsters have you seen in the mirror—even if no one else can see them? • Read 1 Samuel 16:7. How does God’s view of people differ from the way humans see each other? • Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. What does it say about how God sees those who belong to Jesus? How can knowing Jesus change the way we see ourselves? Today’s story is an allegory. If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 1:16-20; John 1:43-46; 5:24-25; 10:27; Ephesians 2:1-5. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 8 Halloween can be a controversial time for Christians. While some view Halloween as a celebration of all that is dark, demonic, and evil, others view it as a community-building opportunity to share Jesus with their neighbors. Both sides have valid points, so which one should we pick? The origin of Halloween is definitely worrisome. It was a pagan holiday, believed to be a day when spirits came to earth to wreak havoc. To avoid being haunted, people would disguise themselves so that the spirits wouldn’t recognize them. Halloween has long been linked with witchcraft, evil spirits, and death, so naturally some Christians feel we should avoid it. Other Christians, however, view modern-day Halloween as so far distanced from its pagan roots that it has turned into a harmless night of fun and fellowship. They note that many Christmas and Easter traditions have pagan roots too, but Christians now use these celebrations to glorify God. “So,” they say, “Why not do the same with Halloween?” They may use Halloween as a way to connect with neighbors they rarely see and even tell them about Jesus. So who is right? Well, probably both. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul is discussing a very controversial issue in the Corinthian church: is it okay to eat meat that has been sacrificed to an idol? Paul says, if I may paraphrase, “Well, it’s up to you. You are free in Christ, so idols hold no power over you. Eat if you want, but watch those around you. Are you causing a fellow believer to stumble? If so, then don’t eat. It’s not worth it.” Paul’s wise advice can be applied to many controversies that are not central to our faith. If your family celebrates Halloween, take full advantage of the opportunity to reach out to others, but don’t make other Christians feel bad because they choose not to recognize this holiday. And if your family doesn’t celebrate Halloween, don’t look down on those who do. The most important thing is to love one another in Christ even when we disagree. • Taylor Eising • Do you celebrate Halloween? Why or why not? • As Christians, how can we demonstrate love to one another even while discussing topics we disagree on? • Why is it important to know your reasons for practicing the things you do (or don’t do)? Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 28:18-20; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:6-8; 1 PETER 3:15-16 Sharing our faith can be exciting, especially if someone is eager to listen. How can we do this well? Here are some tips: First: Be prepared. The Bible tells us we should always be ready to explain our hope (1 Peter 3:15). If we want to bear witness to the good news of Jesus, it’s important to be investing in our relationship with God and continually deepening our understanding of our faith. Regularly reading God’s Word, talking with Him in prayer, and gathering with His people will help us be ready to share how the death and resurrection of Jesus saved us from our sins. Second: Choose the right timing. For example, if a friend is going through something really difficult, we might think that telling them about Jesus is the best way to help. That might be true, but we might also need to just be a friend, letting them talk about what they’re going through and really listening to them. If we try to push our faith on others, or if we try to talk about spiritual things in the wrong timing, they may walk away feeling more alone than ever. Third: Watch your language—and your attitude. If we grew up around Christians, we might be familiar with words and concepts that others won’t understand right away. We might also assume that everyone knows certain things about God. It can be helpful to use simple language when sharing our faith, at least in the beginning. Maybe we start by asking the person we’re talking with what they have heard about God or how they feel about Him. It’s important to be patient and kind too, speaking “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). This can be difficult sometimes, but as we rest in Jesus’s love for us, He will help us have the same loving attitude toward others that He has toward us (John 15:5; Philippians 2:5). Finally: Follow God’s lead and direction. Above all, when we’re sharing our faith, we should pray often. We can ask God about how we can invite others to know Him. And we can listen when He calls us to talk with someone, and when He calls us to wait. Remember, timing matters, and we can trust that God’s timing is just right. • Emily Acker • Have you ever talked about your faith with someone who didn’t know Jesus? What was that like? • Do you feel prepared to tell others about Jesus and invite them to follow Him if you get the chance? What steps could you take to become more prepared? How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14 (NIV)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 31:6-8; PSALM 23; MATTHEW 28:20; JOHN 8:12 My father wheeled me out of the outpatient infusion center where I had just received my first iron infusion. I watched the bare walls and bleached floor pass by in a watery blur. By the time my dad pushed me into the box-shaped hospital entryway, now empty of people, I was crying and holding my purse like a teddy bear. Parking my wheelchair near the sliding doors, my dad paused. “Are you okay?” I didn’t know what to say. Did he want me to explain how I had gone to bed the night before, afraid I wouldn’t wake up? Or should I say that I was terrified of facing a chronic health issue? Honestly, I didn’t have an answer. I just nodded. When my dad left to get the car, I felt the emptiness encircle me. The volunteers were gone, and chairs stacked away. The lights were off, but brilliant sunlight shone into the room, contrasting the shadows of the trees. Why do I have to experience this, Lord? Will I ever get better? I have learned that Jesus is present in those empty moments, like the vacant room of a hospital where I sat alone in a wheelchair, sobbing with fear as the daylight streamed in. No, not truly alone, for Jesus was there. The light and beauty testified to my Savior’s love and goodness. I just couldn’t see it at the time. If I could go back to that day, as that girl sat waiting for her father, I would push her out into the world underneath the shifting shadows of the trees and say, “Our lives are like those shadows. They are punctured with light. All we must do is look for the Light. He is always there.” “But what if I don’t get better?” she would ask, her face moist from weeping. “No matter what, He will be there.” • Sophia Bricker • Have you ever faced an illness or a situation in life that really scared you? Were there any ways you experienced Jesus’s nearness in that time? • Walking through hardships is not something any of us want. Yet, how can knowing that the Lord is with us, by our side even in the darkest valleys, give us hope and strength? “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

READ: HABAKKUK 3; ROMANS 8:28-39; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 What are you most grateful for? It’s often easy to praise God for joyful blessings, but sometimes we forget we can also be thankful in suffering. In the book of Habakkuk, God announced His severe judgment on the rebellious people of Judah. The prophet Habakkuk was devastated. God would send the dreaded Chaldeans, and the effect of their brutal attacks on Judah would be complete destruction, ruin, and captivity. The prophet lamented to God, and God answered him with three assurances: His grace would protect the righteous who live by faith, His glory would be revealed, and His sovereign rule would prevail. After Habakkuk presented his complaints to God and listened for His answers, the prophet was left awestruck at the greatness, power, and majesty of God. He recounted God’s miraculous interventions and deliverance, His trustworthy character and mighty deeds throughout Israel’s history. Though trembling on the threshold of doom, Habakkuk’s focus was redirected from the impending disaster onto the holiness, righteousness, and faithfulness of God. In the end, Habakkuk’s primary concern was no longer personal safety or deliverance for the people of Judah, but the work of God and the glory of God. Once he’d experienced a vision of God’s goodness and sovereignty, his priorities changed: he desired that God should accomplish whatever He wanted to do and receive the due glory for His work. If that involved pain and suffering, so be it. If judgment and discipline were necessary to achieve His divine agenda, so be it. Habakkuk’s outlook echoes the prayer Jesus would later teach His disciples: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Habakkuk teaches us that, as we draw near to God, He guides us to a point where His work and His glory become more important to us than our comfort and safety. God loves us, and when our desires are subordinated and yielded to His higher kingdom plans and purposes, we can be truly praiseful and thankful in any circumstance, even trial and suffering. • L.C. Nuttall • Habakkuk got to hear exactly how God was going to work through the suffering and pain in his life. We, on the other hand, may never know how God was at work in our suffering until we see Jesus face to face. Yet, we do know that He is always with us, providing comfort and strength. And He invites us to bring all of our pain, anger, and complaints to Him. How can resting in God’s love and presence with us lead us to praise and gratitude even in painful times? [Jesus said,] “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 14:6; 1 JOHN 5:19-20 They blare in our headphones, they shine out from our devices: defining voices of this world. They come subtly, yet suddenly. They echo as a whisper, yet in our minds they resound as a shout. They avert our gaze off of where it should be, redirecting our focus onto worthless lies. The voices of this world try to define who we are. We get distracted by these voices that try to tell us who we should be, so much so that we start to believe that their lies aren’t lies at all, but reality. And when we try to follow these voices, it’s exhausting. They tell us we should look a certain way, act a certain way, and be a certain way. They distract us from the Way, which is the only way that really matters. It is vital to redirect our eyes onto Jesus. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The reality is, the things of this world don’t have to define us. Ephesians 5:8 says that all of us were once darkness, but those who know Jesus have become children of light. We are chosen and dearly loved by the True King. He laid down His life for us, dying on the cross and rising from the grave so that our sins could be forgiven and we could become part of His eternal family. Once we belong to Jesus, He is the only one who can define us. That’s why it’s so important for us to slow down and take time to dwell on the truth that Jesus is God, the King of the world, and He loves us with an unshakable love (Romans 8:38-39; 1 Timothy 1:16-17). When we spend time with Him—by talking with Him in prayer, reading His book, the Bible, and gathering with His people, the church—we have the opportunity to remember again and again that, indeed, He is God and we are His children. And because we no longer belong to the darkness, we are no longer defined by the voices of this world. • Emma Pamer • What things in your life divert your eyes from Jesus? Can you think of a time Jesus redirected your eyes back onto Himself? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. • Lies are from the devil, but sometimes people—even people in the church—repeat his lies, either on purpose or unknowingly. That’s why it’s so important for us to study God’s Word for ourselves and not be afraid to ask hard questions. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you weigh the messages you’re receiving—from people you know, from books, online, and even at church—against the Bible? (If you want to dig deeper, you can read more about who we are in Jesus in Romans 8:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 1–2; 1 Peter 2:9.) You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (CSB)