Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

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)

READ: PSALM 18:19; ISAIAH 43:4; ZEPHANIAH 3:17; 1 JOHN 4:9-10 If you’ve ever had a pet you loved, or saw your favorite animal at the zoo, or had the opportunity to hold a beloved baby in your arms, think about what it felt like when you looked at them. When we truly delight in an animal or a baby, we don’t need anything from them. We don’t expect anything from them, except to just be themselves. Even though they can’t do anything for us, we love them anyway, and we enjoy the time spent together. And this is similar to how God sees us. Sometimes, when we think about God, we can be tempted to believe the lie that He is distant and cold, just waiting for us to slip up. But that’s just not true. We are His creation made in His image, and when He looks at us, He sees that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:14). God adores you so much more than you could ever imagine. He delights in you. And not because He needs anything from you (Psalm 50:9-11; Acts 17:25). He chose you because He loves you, and He wants to spend eternity with you (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:4-8). I don’t know what you’ve been told about God or what kind of experiences you’ve had in church, but no matter who you are, where you’re from, what you look like, or what you’ve done, Jesus loves you so much that He died on the cross and rose from the grave so that you would have the opportunity to walk alongside Him for all eternity. • Elizabeth Blanton • Do you have a family member, a friend, or an animal you delight in? God cherishes you even more than that. He even knows how many hairs are on your head! (Luke 12:6-7) • Can you think of a time you felt like God was distant and cold, just waiting for you to slip up? We all fall into believing this lie from time to time, even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus, but God always looks at us with love, He always wants to be with us—and He knows we need reminders. Can you think of a time God reminded you of His love? What was that like? But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

READ: HEBREWS 2:17-18; 4:14-16, 1 PETER 5:7-10 God wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. Think about that. God tells us to spill out all our wants, needs, emotions, dreams, troubles, joys, and thoughts to Him. We might be tempted to think God only wants us to confess our sins, ask for direction, and thank Him for our blessings when we pray to Him. But that’s not the case. God offers Himself as a safe outlet where we can vent, cry, and be fully ourselves. When we pour out our hearts to God, we don’t need to worry about Him telling others our dirty secrets or rolling His eyes because of our immaturity. He knows we’re fragile humans who struggle with life and don’t know how to act sometimes. And that doesn’t scare Him off. He wants to approach us for that very reason. He invites us to be totally honest about our struggles—this is one of the ways we can cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). As we pour out our hearts to God, we often find it gets easier to settle our minds and hear His voice. It isn’t good to bottle things up because the noise in our hearts becomes too much for us. But letting go of those things and telling them all to God not only brings relief, it opens the door of our hearts so we can more effectively listen to Him. As we talk to God, it helps to remember that He knows what it’s like to be human. Jesus is both fully God and fully human, and He faced more than His fair share of hardships here on earth. And every time, He went straight to God the Father in prayer. Even while Jesus was dying on the cross for our sins, He continued to speak to the Father from the depths of His heart. Whenever we start to feel the weight of the world, or we think we can never get through something, it’s time to take a step back and pour out our hearts to God. • Morgan A. Mitchell • When you pray, what kinds of things do you tend to hold back? What do you avoid saying to God? Why do you think that might be? • How do you think God feels when you share what’s on your heart with Him? Do you imagine He’s angry, annoyed, or disappointed—or do you picture Him responding with compassion, patience, and wisdom? Consider taking a moment to ask God to show you how He truly feels about you. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 51; MATTHEW 18:21-35; EPHESIANS 4:32 I witnessed my father and mother fighting at a very young age. As the years went by, I learned that my father was not only a gambler but was also unfaithful to my mother over and over again. As I grew up, my hatred for my father grew. He was not sorry for his faults. He was self-centered and insensitive, which made me abhor him all the more, even though I was his favorite child. And though I was studying in a Christian school where forgiveness was being taught, I did not forgive my father for his transgressions. I did not find any valid reason to forgive him, because he did not even ask for forgiveness. I only forgave my father many years later when the Holy Spirit prompted me to forgive him. Jesus was hurt and offended by the people who crucified Him, yet He forgave them despite experiencing humiliation, severe pain, and suffering on the cross. Because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, if we’ve put our trust in Him, we can know that we have been forgiven completely. And the Holy Spirit empowers us to forgive those who have offended us and caused us pain, knowing that Jesus has forgiven us for the pain we cause Him and others. Jesus loves us, and He wants us to forgive others because we have been forgiven. Further, He knows that forgiveness can help us move toward peace, joy, and better relationships. Jesus even forgave people who did not ask for forgiveness (Luke 23:34). He forgave and continues to forgive us in spite of knowing that we sin repeatedly. As we rest in His love for us, Jesus will lead us to forgive the way He has forgiven us. • Golda Dilema • As Christians, we live our lives in a constant rhythm of repentance and forgiveness. And Jesus’s forgiveness will never run out! Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for His amazing gift of forgiveness. And if any sins come to mind, you can always confess these as well. • Is there someone you’re struggling to forgive right now? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this. He invites you to share all your questions and struggles. He loves listening to you, and He is always eager to help you. • Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you have to be in a close relationship with them. If you’re struggling to forgive someone who consistently makes you feel unsafe, who is a trusted adult you can talk to about setting good boundaries? Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 6:19-33; COLOSSIANS 3:2-4; 1 TIMOTHY 4:8 I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve had a six-pack (abs, not sodas) on and off for about twenty years. Exercise has become part of my lifestyle. But something I realized about ten years ago was that my weight training had become an obsession. It slowly moved from low priority, to medium priority, to high priority, and finally to, “Life, get out of the way, because I’m working out no matter what!” This is called an obsession. Even if you don’t work out, obsessions come in many forms. My obsession may have been about health, but it wasn’t healthy. You see, an obsession is when something takes God’s place as the decision-maker for all other areas of your life—rather than Jesus being at the center of all your decisions. Obsessions can be about anything: appearances, video games, sports, clothes, relationships, etc. Schoolwork can even become an obsession. The bottom line is this: If you place your identity in anything other than your relationship with Jesus, then your life is built on unsteady sand (Matthew 7:24-29). Sure, an obsession may not be about an evil thing, but the way we pursue that thing can become evil when we let it take the place of God in our hearts. So what do we do when we realize something in our lives has become an obsession? We turn to Jesus. He loves us more than any other, and He has come to set us free. • David Shorts • God created us out of love, to be loved by Him and to love Him back. It’s because of God’s love that Jesus died for us and rose again. Any obsession we may have will leave us empty. But Jesus invites us to fulness of life with Him (John 10:10). In your own life, what things have become obsessions, decision-makers, or idols—either in the past, or in the present? • What might it look like to love God and honor Him through the activities you enjoy, without placing your identity in them? This is a question we need to ask ourselves throughout our lives, but God is so patient with us, and He is eager to help us. Consider taking some time to talk to Him about these things. In addition to talking to God, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to? We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (WEB)

READ: PSALMS 25:1-5; 32:8; ISAIAH 30:21; JOHN 8:12 God is the one who guides my way, Directs my path, and leads each day. I want to go where He takes me, Even in times when I can’t see. The road for me is dark ahead. He takes me by the hand and says, “I know the path that you should take. Trust me for the right choice to make.” So I press on, holding His hand, And with His strength, I always stand. Turn to the left, turn to the right, I trust Him because He’s my light. I don’t know what the future holds, But trust God’s plan to soon unfold. He holds the future in His hand. On His promises I will stand. • Brooke Morris • Life can be confusing, especially when we don’t know what the future holds or we need help making a big decision. Thankfully, Jesus is always with us, even when we feel uncertain about His plans for us. When we feel afraid or anxious about the future, how might it help to imagine Jesus holding our hand, walking with us? • God loves to help us discern the next steps to take, and He provides an abundance of wisdom through His Word (the Bible), His Holy Spirit, and His people (the church). Can you think of a time God gave you wisdom to make a decision about the future? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. • When we’re waiting to see how our circumstances turn out, what are some of God’s promises we can rest on? (Matthew 11:28-30; 28:20; Romans 8:35-39; James 1:5; Revelation 21:1-5) “The LORD will guide you always.” Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 20:24-29; ACTS 17:10-12; PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11 We all have doubts and questions from time to time. Does God exist? Are heaven and hell real? Does the Bible actually teach what people say it does? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Maybe it’s questions from a friend that make us doubt. Maybe it’s something we hear on social media, in a movie, in a book, or from a teacher. Or maybe it’s just our own wondering hearts. Let me assure you: it’s absolutely okay to doubt. It can even be good! Faith is not blind belief in what someone tells us. Instead, it’s a trusting reliance on a God we can know personally. Doubts can help us realize what we still need to learn… and what we don’t yet understand. That’s a healthy part of the Christian life. It wouldn’t be healthy, though, if we just ignored our doubts, or if we gave in to them. We have to do something about them. We have to answer them. How? The way we answer any question: with thought and research. But also, with prayer. God invites us to entrust our doubts to Him, asking Him to make the answers clear to us and to help us know Him better in the process. For example, if you can’t come up with reasons why you know God exists, maybe ask a trusted Christian in your life to tell you their reasons—such as a friend, pastor, or family member—or find a book by a Christian apologetics expert. If you’re wondering whether something you’ve been taught is truly right, be like the Bereans in Acts 17—pick up a Bible, and find out what God has to say! Easy? Certainly not always. But if we don’t challenge ourselves, if we don’t ask tough questions and search for tough answers, how will we grow? Remember, God can use our questions—and the things we learn from them—to equip us for the missions He has for us in His kingdom. So we don’t need to be afraid of doubts. As Jesus mercifully appeared to Thomas when he doubted—showing Thomas His wounds from the cross to prove that He was alive again—Jesus reveals Himself and comes near to us in our search for tough answers. • Christiana Albrecht • What doubts do you have about your faith? Which topics make you uncomfortable? • Is it hard for you to admit that you don’t have all the answers? Why do you think that is? • When you find yourself struggling with doubt, who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk openly with—someone who will listen well, pray with you and for you, and remind you that you are forgiven and loved, completely and eternally, in spite of your doubts? But test all things. Hold on to what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 139:23-24; 2 TIMOTHY 1:9-13; 2:19-26 As a kid, one of my jobs after dinner was to clear the table and help wash the dishes. Many of my mom’s fancy dishes couldn’t go into the dishwasher but had to be washed by hand. I can still remember the feeling of having finally rinsed them and put them on the drying rack, only to discover there were some spots I had missed. Bits of dried food would be left under the brim or deep in some crevice, and the dish would have to be washed again. The only way to be sure the dishes were completely clean was to turn them over and over under the hot water, searching out every nook and cranny with a soapy sponge. The same is true with our spiritual lives. In 2 Timothy 2, Paul says to Timothy, “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also those of wood and clay; some for honorable [or special] use and some for dishonorable [or ordinary use]. So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (verse 20-21). How do we purify ourselves like this? Paul goes on to instruct Timothy to flee the lusts of youth, to pursue what is good, to “reject foolish and ignorant disputes,” and to instead patiently and gently teach his opponents in hopes that God will grant them repentance (verse 22-26). In order to move toward righteousness and away from wickedness, we need to search out our hearts, thinking deeply and inviting the Holy Spirit to come into those places where, if we’re honest, we would really rather He not go. And this is something we do in community with other believers. Paul says in verse 22 that we are to do this “along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” Together, we pursue righteousness and obedience to Jesus Christ, who saved us from sin by His own death and resurrection. When we are in relationship with brothers and sisters in Christ, we can lovingly point out things in each other’s lives that need repentance and growth. We don’t do this out of pride or arrogance, but out of love for Christ and for one another. God wants to cleanse every nook and cranny of your heart. Will you invite Him to do that today? • Jacob Bier • To be holy is to be set apart. What does holiness have to do with service? How does unconfessed sin get in the way of serving the Lord? And how does Jesus cleanse us? So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 (CSB)

READ: LUKE 9:10-17; ROMANS 5:5; 1 THESSALONIANS 3:12 Do you like leftovers? I love them. I would prefer to take leftovers as my lunch over a sandwich any day! When I was growing up, I remember my grandmother would designate one day of the week to have “must-go” casserole for supper. That meant she would take all the leftovers from the week before and make some sort of casserole—it was always something unique. Personally, I’m thankful for leftovers because it means that my family has more than enough to eat. The amazing thing about today’s Scripture passage is that there were leftovers. Jesus was feeding over 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. There shouldn’t have been any leftovers at all. In fact, there should have been several thousand people who didn’t get anything to eat. Instead, Jesus did a miracle, and there ended up being more food than they started out with—that day was overflowing with leftovers. God can do that in the lives of His people too. He can take a sinner who has lots of bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness, and He can fill them with His overflowing love—so much so that they have leftover love to give to others. The truth is, we’re all sinners apart from Jesus. But once we know Jesus, we can share His abundant love in any situation because, as Romans 5:5 says, “God’s love has been poured out in our hearts.” And His love is too good not to share! • Melissa Yeagle • Can you think of a time someone showed God’s love to you? What did they say or do? • In God’s kingdom, there is always more than enough love, compassion, and forgiveness to go around—because Jesus’s death and resurrection is just that powerful! (You can find more about this good news on our "Know Jesus" page.) And if we know Jesus, we never need to worry about running out of love because His Holy Spirit lives in us. The love we share with others doesn’t come from us—it comes from God! When do you find it difficult to love others? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about this. You can always ask Him to remind you of how much He loves you and the people around you. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (CSB)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; MARK 6:30-44; LUKE 5:16; 6:12-13 Have you ever heard the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand? If you’ve spent a lot of time in Sunday School or youth groups, familiar stories like this one can be easy to skim over. But when I reread Mark recently, I found my eyes drawn to the verses just before this miracle. It’s fair to assume that Jesus and His twelve apostles are exhausted. They have been so busy they haven’t even had a chance to eat. So Jesus tells His disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). It is a quiet place…a solitary place. The disciples call it remote, far enough from civilization that, when the crowds follow them because they want to see Jesus, the twelve urge Him to send the people away to the surrounding villages to find food. In a place like this, there was nothing to distract the apostles from Jesus. Life can be exhausting. School and friends and chores eat up our time and energy, and before we know it our time alone with Jesus falls to the wayside. All of these things are important, but God calls us to take time away to rest in Him. When was the last time you spent time alone with Jesus? He doesn’t call you to work until you fall over, even if your work is all good things. He calls His disciples away to a remote place to rest…and then to return to work with renewed energy. • Rebekah DeVall • Can you think of a time you felt exhausted? Did you notice any ways God invited you to rest in that time? • What is a quiet or solitary place you can visit to spend some time with Jesus? It might be a private spot in your home, a peaceful nook in the library, or somewhere outside. If you’re not sure where you could go, consider taking a moment to ask God to help you notice where He is providing a place for you. So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. Mark 6:32 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 14:25-33; HEBREWS 12:1-2 Lemarti woke up on the third day doubting his purpose here in the treehouse village. As a dendrology intern he felt lonely and useless. Was he wasting everyone’s time? Sure, he’d studied trees in his classes the past couple years, but these people had been researching—and living in—the forest for generations. Every day he discovered more things he still had to learn, and he felt like he just couldn’t keep up. He growled into his pillow, “How do I think about everything, Lord? What do I focus on? How do I find courage to be a part of this village?” He rubbed his face and sat up. So far Lemarti had managed to stick to traveling by stairs, ladders, and the swinging rope bridges built with planks. Today Kolufo, his guide and trainer, told him it was time to learn a new crossing method. “Look, it’s not that bad,” said Kolufo. “Sure, you’re standing on a rope. But there’s another rope to hang on to! Easy sneezy! Just walk across.” Lemarti surveyed the two parallel ropes that reached ten feet to the lab. “Easy sneezy,” he murmured, and grabbed the hand rope that stretched across at arm level. He slid one foot onto the bottom rope. His eyes shot to the forest floor one hundred feet down. The net just below him was almost invisible, and he didn’t quite believe it would catch him. He froze. “Lemarti,” groaned Kolufo. “You’ve got to stop looking around. Look ahead at the lab and walk toward it.” “I can’t help it,” Lemarti hissed. “I keep looking at all those other houses and then at the ground, and then I have a heart attack.” “Here, let’s switch.” Kolufo grabbed the rope and scooted across. “Okay, now you try, but this time, just look at me. If you look down or at all these cool treehouses or whatever, I’m going to take the best microscope. Come on.” Lemarti grabbed the high rope, took a deep breath, and stared at Kolufo. He slid his feet forward. The treehouse village disappeared. The space below him was gone. All he could see was Kolufo. This was exactly what he needed to do with Jesus—keep his eyes on Him, and everything else would make sense. Kolufo grabbed his hand and helped him off the ropes. • Amy Glendinning • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by Matthew 14:25-33. Jesus was walking on the sea, and then Peter started walking toward Jesus—on the water—until he looked at the powerful wind and waves, and he began to sink. But immediately, Jesus reached out and rescued Peter. Similarly, when we keep our eyes on Jesus, instead of on all the overwhelming things in our lives and the world around us, He helps us follow Him one step at a time (John 8:12; 15:5). But, even when we take our eyes off Jesus and fall, He is our safety net. He knows we won’t follow Him perfectly, and He died and rose again to forgive our sins and give us eternal life with Him. How could these truths give us comfort and courage as we navigate life in our broken world? • Can you think of a time you were overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do? Were there any ways Jesus redirected your focus back onto Him. • Have you ever had a moment where looking at Jesus helped the things in your life make sense? What was that like? • What are some practical ways you can keep your eyes on Jesus? Remember, none of us can do this alone. Who is a trusted Christian in your life who can remind you of Jesus’s power and love, point you to Scripture, and pray with you and for you, especially when life is difficult. And let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God....

READ: JOHN 1:9-13; ROMANS 8:16-17; 1 JOHN 3:1-3 Have you ever heard someone say they were “created to be” an artist or an athlete or a leader? Growing up, I believed I was created to write because it brings me so much joy and allows me to encourage others. Perhaps there’s something you enjoy doing that has come to feel central to your identity too. But what if we weren’t created to “do,” but to “be”? The problem with basing our identity around any earthly thing is that when that activity or relationship isn’t going well, it can feel like our value plummets. That doesn’t mean those things are wrong. Obeying God may even look like participating in those activities, but these pursuits aren’t why God created us. God created us to be His children. You are God’s daughter or son, simply because you have believed in Him and trusted in Jesus’s finished work on the cross. As God’s children, we recognize that we need God to take care of us, just as children need their parents to care for them. God delights in us, even when we stumble and require His helping hand (Zephaniah 3:17). He reminds us that our identity as His beloved, forgiven children will not be shaken even if everything else in our lives crumbles. Before we can do anything to glorify God, we must first root ourselves in our identity in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). That doesn’t mean everything will come easy—just look at Jesus. Fully God and fully human, Jesus lived the perfect life and yet experienced tremendous suffering. But He was willing to endure the cross because He loves us, and He was determined to make the way for us to become God’s children. When Jesus rose from the grave, He promised to always be with us. So we can take heart knowing that even when we experience suffering, even if the things we love to do are stripped away, we will never have to walk alone. As God’s children, we will always be treasured in His eyes. • Hannah Chung • What activities, relationships, or other aspects of your life have contributed to your sense of self? • What do you think it means that we weren’t created to “do,” but to “be”? • How does it make you feel to know that God sees you as His child? How might rooting your identity in God’s love for you affect the way you approach life? See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

READ: ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8; ROMANS 8:28-30, 38-39; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:4-10 Here it is. Autumn. We see the first of the leaves beginning to change color. Even as they glow and look beautiful, the sight of them may fill some of us with a sense of dread. We know that as soon as the leaves fully change, they will begin to fall from the trees. Then the branches will be bare, the weather will turn chilly, and nothing will seem nearly as pretty or fun. But as the season changes, we don’t have to lose hope. God can use even our darkest, coldest, barest season for good. Jesus Himself went through the darkness, coldness, and bareness of death on our behalf; then He rose from the dead to bring us near to God and secure our resurrection when He returns. As we rest in the hope of what Jesus has done for us, God can help us grow so much, even in times when we feel like we are in a rut. He is at work in and through us even when we feel like we have nothing to offer. The coming of autumn doesn’t have to scare us. If we know Jesus, God is with us even now. He can use any season for good. When leaves fall, there is hope that they will come back again. It’s not the end for them. And when things end or change in our lives, there is always hope for something new. Even as the days get darker and the trees become bare and cold, there is hope for spring ahead. God will help you through this season, and as you lean into His love, you may even get to see how He uses it for good in your life. • Bethany Acker • Even in dark seasons, God is at work. Can you think of any ways you’ve seen God bring something good out of a difficult time, either in your own life or someone else’s? • We won’t always see the good things God is doing through our dark seasons, but we can know that He is with us and He will never leave us. How could this be an encouragement in your life? • During the darker, colder months of the year, it’s normal to feel more sad, lonely, or anxious than usual, and God invites us to process these feelings with Him and the people He has placed in our lives. If you find yourself experiencing an overwhelming amount of depression or anxiety, who is a trusted Christian adult you can talk to? • If you’re not sure who to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:4-13; COLOSSIANS 3:1-4; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 No one understands! I’m a failure—useless. People would be better off without me. I didn’t want to feel like this, but the thoughts came anyway. Would anyone notice if I was gone? Have you ever felt like this—hopeless and discouraged? If you’re a child of God, Satan is going to want to stop you. What better way to stop you from serving God than to make you feel useless and like a failure? But what does God say in His Word? In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul writes something shocking: “Give thanks in everything.” Paul, the man who had faced more discouragement than most—the man who had been beaten numerous times, imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, mocked, and who was struggling with a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)—tells us to give thanks! Not only that. He goes on to say it’s God’s will for us to be thankful. Didn’t Paul feel discouraged? Absolutely! He admits he wasn’t naturally thankful or content; it was something he had to learn (Philippians 4:11). When Paul told us to give thanks, he knew it would be hard. He knew heartache, pain, discouragement, and depression. But he also knew God. Hopelessness is not what God wants for us. And He doesn’t leave us alone in our despair—He came to us in Jesus. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can know that all the hard things we go through are temporary, and our struggles don’t define us. When we give thanks to God, it turns our focus onto Him and the abundant hope He has given us through Jesus. If we dwell on our difficulties, we will be discouraged, but when we turn to God, thanking Him in every situation, we experience His joy. Is it easy to give thanks during the hard things? When your friends betray you, when your mom is in the hospital, and when you don’t fit in? No, of course not. But the reason God calls us to thankfulness is because He loves us and wants to point us to Christ. He is the true source of joy. • Priscilla J. Krahn • What are some good things God has brought out of difficult things in your life? • How does the gospel, and looking forward to Jesus’s return, affect how we understand God’s call to give thanks in every situation? (For more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.) • If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless, who is a trusted adult you could talk to today? Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CSB)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; GALATIANS 5:13 Whether we have known Jesus for a long time or a little while, we are part of His body—the church— because He saved us through His death and resurrection. But we may mistakenly think we can’t do important things in the church until we’re adults. Thankfully, I wasn’t even a teen yet when I learned that was not true. I grew up in a very small church, so small that there were never enough adults to do everything. That was good for me—when they let me become a Sunday School teacher at only twelve years old. Obviously, they felt desperate. No adult was available, so they were kind of stuck. The crazy thing is that I loved it, the little kids loved me, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I loved telling the kids about the God who loved them, and the class grew. I learned that I was an important part of the body of Christ. The church needed me, and I needed them. You might not be part of such a small church as I was. You may not see obvious needs in front of you. But I encourage you to look for ways you can serve, because your siblings in Christ need you. This will require you to depend on the Holy Spirit in ways you may not have done intentionally before. But as you rely on His love to serve others, looking to Jesus—the one who served you by laying down His life for you—His love will overflow from you, and He will help you grow in spiritual maturity. Think about things you could do and enjoy doing. Greet people? Prepare food? Sing or play an instrument? Help with technology? Set up chairs? Do yard work? Organize food and clothing donations? Create art? Teach children? Give a friend a ride to youth group? Ask God to show you where He is inviting you to serve…and watch what He’ll do through you. • Lisa Bouma Garvelink • If you know Jesus, then you are part of the body of Christ, and God has given you gifts and abilities you can use to serve others in the body. How might God be inviting you to serve? In addition to talking to God about this, who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to? Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-30; PSALM 139:13-16; EPHESIANS 1:4-8; 5:1 I stare at my face in the lake below. I watch the ripples of the water grow. A precious human made by God above On whom He pours out His unending love. Who am I to serve the powerful King, The creator God over everything? Why did He choose me? I don’t understand What He thought when He chose me with His hand. But then, in my heart His voice I can hear. He speaks quietly, but His words are clear. “I love you, my child. Why do you not see You are a living reflection of me?” “You are always mine whatever they say. I will be with you and will guide your way.” I smile as the tears flow down from my eyes And I look up at the breathtaking skies. • Brooke Morris • It’s so easy to believe the lie that we’re worthless because of what others say about us or what we think about ourselves. Even though you might not like yourself at times, God always loves you. In fact, He even likes you! He created you on purpose, and He wants you to be with Him forever. That’s why He became human, died, and rose again—to take away the sin that separates us from Him. How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus sacrificed His life for you? • Every person is made in the image of God, and everyone has value! And, if you are a believer in Jesus, then you can also reflect God’s glory because you are His child and you have the Holy Spirit, who fills you with God’s love and helps you live in His good ways. When we’re feeling discouraged, how can these truths give us hope? So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 8:1-11; ROMANS 3:23-24; 8:1 Unable to speak, the woman felt fear pulse through her as heavy hands pushed her toward the temple. “We’ll see what the teacher has to say about this,” one of the religious leaders jeered. Despite the scorching heat and the sun shining in her eyes, the woman was cold. Not like this, she thought. A foolish mistake, and I’m paying for it with my life. Too shocked to cry, she felt her heart beat frantically. No escape, she thought, shivering as she turned away from the prying eyes surrounding her. “Teacher,” said one of the leaders, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” The crowd of men carried rough rocks in their hands, ready to throw. Silence. The woman glanced at Him, and He met her gaze—not with the cruel eyes of condemnation, but with compassion. She had to tear herself away from His gaze; for in that glance, she knew He could read her innermost heart and thoughts. She understood this was the man—Jesus—who she had heard rumors about. Stooping down, Jesus wrote in the sand, reflecting before finally breaking the ache of the silence: “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Silence fell once again. Anticipating the pain, the woman winced as she heard the thud of a rock colliding with the ground. Only it didn’t hit her. One by one, the stones were cast down, and the religious leaders walked away, until she was standing alone with Jesus. “Woman, where are they?” Jesus asked. “Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she replied. “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” Joy and relief flooded her. Jesus had set her free. • Cindy Lee • Today’s story is how one author imagines John 8, when some religious leaders tried to trap Jesus. Consider taking some time to read this passage slowly. What do you notice about Jesus? • Jesus came, not to condemn us, but to save us (John 3:16-17). We have all sinned, and we all need Jesus’s forgiveness just as much as anyone else. Because Jesus died and rose again, we do not need to pay the price for our sin because He paid it for us. How can this truth affect the way we view our own sin, as well as the sin of others? “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” John 8:11 (CSB)

READ: ROMANS 6:1-23; 8:1, 11 There’s nothing worse than feeling stuck in an endless cycle of sin. These sin cycles steal our life, slowly consuming us until we don’t even recognize ourselves. Pornography is a sin that is very difficult to give up, feeding the cycle of frustration and self-hatred. Thankfully, there is one who can break that cycle. Jesus helps you break the power of pornography, or any sin in your life, in a few ways. First, He offers forgiveness to those who know Him. Because Jesus lived a perfect life—then took our sins upon Himself when He died on the cross—He removed God’s righteous wrath from us and gave us His righteousness before God. In other words, when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin. He sees Jesus’s perfection. How does that help break our sinful patterns? By killing our self-hatred. Yes, it is right to mourn sin, and it’s okay to be frustrated with yourself and to bring those frustrations to God. But that doesn’t mean that you have to live there. Jesus came to bring an end to that mourning (2 Corinthians 7:10). By recognizing that Jesus has forgiven us and thanking Him for His incredible grace, we stop dwelling on our own sins and start to meditate on God’s goodness. Second, God also gives us help through Jesus’s resurrection. God’s power raised Jesus from the dead, and that same power lives in you if you know Jesus. God’s power, through the Holy Spirit, is the only way to defeat sin. You can always ask God to remind you that His Spirit lives in you and can defeat sin for you. You can also find hope knowing that, because of Jesus’s resurrection, you will one day be resurrected from the dead, free of sin and brokenness forever. Lastly, Jesus gives us community. Find a trusted Christian you can confess your sin struggles to, and ask them to keep you accountable. After all, breaking the power of pornography is often a group effort. Ask them to remind you of Jesus’s forgiveness and His power that lives in you. God is stronger than any sin, and He can bring healing. • Taylor Eising • What sin cycles do you struggle with? Who can you talk to about it? How does Jesus help you break it? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.) • How could you help your friends when they are stuck in a sin cycle? The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; 2:24; MATTHEW 5:27-30; 6:22-24 Most people do not realize how harmful pornography is. For many, porn consumption is considered a normal part of adolescence, and some say that it’s a healthy expression of sexuality. And God wants us to be healthy, right? Well, yes, He does. And that’s exactly why He warns us in the Bible that lust, in any context, is a sin. And sin is damaging. Whenever we lust after a person, we are dehumanizing somebody who has been made in God’s image. We are taking that person and, in our minds, using them for our own gain instead of viewing them with selfless love and honoring the dignity that person has as an image-bearer of God. You may not know this, but porn consumption fuels the sex trafficking industry. There is a good chance that the people in those pictures or videos did not consent to that lifestyle; they were likely threatened, coerced, or otherwise forced into producing pornographic content. Even if the actors in some content did consent, viewing porn from any producer supports the entire industry, including those who engage in sex trafficking. The good news is that Jesus lived a sinless life for us, despite the temptations He felt (Hebrews 4:14-16). He died on the cross to take away our sin and resurrected from the dead to give us victory over sin and death. If you or someone you know is struggling with porn, there is hope. If you know Jesus, you have the power of His resurrection living inside you, and He is there to help you fight sin every step of the way—even when you fall. All your sins— past, present, and future—are forgiven in Christ. Lean into His incredible, ridiculous grace. • Taylor Eising • Pornography, and every form of lust, are not good because they are outside of God’s good design. He created sex to be shared and enjoyed by a husband and wife within marriage. But lust and pornography warp the good gift of sex God has given us. Thankfully, Jesus offers us freedom. If you struggle with lust, who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk to about it? If you don’t struggle with this temptation, how can you support your friends who do? • In Christ, we are dead to sin (Romans 6:6-7, 11, 15-23). How does this affect the way we battle with temptation? • What are some ways you can pray for those involved in sex trafficking? And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11 (CSB)

READ: LUKE 15:11-32; JOHN 8:30-36 The walls of Andrew’s cell were closing in on him. Only this time, it was no figure of speech. He had heard of other prisoners being crushed by their prison cells, and it terrified him. Since he was a boy, Andrew had never known anything but the Prison of Self. He had been born there, along with everyone else who comes into this world. From ancient times, this dungeon had housed countless people, young and old, rich and poor. But now, for Andrew at least, time had run out. Andrew screamed for help as he huddled in the middle of the shrinking chamber. From experience, he knew the walls were soundproof, so it was useless to call for aid. He was truly alone. Andrew began to picture the moment when the walls squeezed together for the last time, but it was too horrible to imagine. He tried the door again, but it was locked and wouldn’t budge. Before this, Andrew had lived in three different sections of the Prison of Self. He began in the block called Self-Righteousness. Considering himself a good person, he refused to admit that he’d ever done wrong. In his pride, he hated correction and considered it weak to be meek or humble. But after a while, he grew tired of always acting good and transferred to the ward of Self-Indulgence. That block had large, beautiful rooms filled with luxuries, modern conveniences, and entertainment of all kinds. For a time, Andrew enjoyed himself there but soon found that his lavish room was still a prison cell. Every morning, he got up to a day of hard labor, for Self is a terrible master. And every night, he returned to the confines of his cell. Now he was in his third and final cell, Self-Pity—dimly lit and depressing. And it was starting to crush him. Would it all end like this? Did nobody care? In desperation, Andrew recalled that a man named Jesus often walked the prison halls, offering freedom. Many convicts rejected Him in mocking unbelief, but now Jesus was Andrew’s only hope. “Jesus! Jesus, save me!” he cried out. The door of His cell was yanked open, and a hand reached in. Andrew grabbed it and was pulled out just as the walls closed with a crash. Beyond the borders of Self lies a vast country with wide plains, mighty rushing rivers, and peaceful woodlands. It is the country of the Christ-life, and all who have been rescued from Self may freely enjoy this good land. Andrew has. • Jonathan Baker • What are some ways that living for self can make us prisoners? (Proverbs 29:25; 1 Timothy 6:9) • In today’s allegorical story, which prison cell did you relate to the most: Self-Righteousness, Self-Indulgence, or Self-Pity? How so? • No matter which prison cell we’re stuck in, Jesus wants to set us free (Romans 6:6-7; 8:2). He loves us so much that He died on the cross and rose from the grave to save us from sin and death. And once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we don’t have to let sin control us anymore—thanks be to God! It’s true that we’ll continue to struggle with sin until Jesus returns, but the Holy Spirit will help us continue to turn away from sin and walk in God’s good ways instead. How? By relying on God instead of ourselves. Instead of self-righteousness, we can be honest about how we fall short of God’s glory—and rest in Jesus’s perfect righteousness (Romans 3:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Instead of self-indulgence, we can be honest about all our needs and desires—and rest in His perfect peace and joy (Philippians 4:4-13). Instead of self-pity, we can be honest about all our pain—and rest in His perfect compassion (2 Corinthians 1:3-5; 7:10). What questions do you have about these things? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about this? “If therefore the Son [Jesus] makes you free, you will b...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; ROMANS 8:1-2; GALATIANS 5:1 Have you ever felt weighed down by this world? Like you were a slave to the sin and pain of the past? I’ve been down that road too. And all it led to was anxiety and exhaustion, the exact opposite of what God wants for His people. Every day, I’d wake up fearful, feeling as if I still hadn’t been cleansed from some sin in my life—dragging the past into the future. There was no rest or peace in me, only a vicious cycle of pain and mental torment. Satan had been feeding me the lie that I was a slave to my thoughts and sin. As a result, I felt helpless to live the life God desired for me. But, through God’s Word and insight from godly Christians, it became easier for me to stop feeling condemned by the past. The truth is, because I know Christ, I am no longer condemned; I am no longer a slave to sin (Romans 6:6). Because of Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, the chains that were once holding me have been released. I am forgiven in Christ through faith in what He did for me. Now, each day, the Holy Spirit is working in my life through the process of sanctification, helping me to live the life Christ has for me because I know His promises. I’ve learned that a life lived in light of the forgiveness of Jesus results in true peace. I may not always understand God’s forgiveness or His love, but I’m thankful for His constant, never-failing guidance that ultimately leads to an abundant, joyful life. When we’re forgiven in Christ, God doesn’t want us to be worried about our past sins. In fact, God doesn’t want us to worry about anything, but instead He wants us to present our requests to Him, the God of peace (Romans 16:20; Philippians 4:6-7). • Nathan Fisler • Have you ever been in a constant state of misery? What kinds of thoughts were going through your mind? • It can be so easy to worry about the past, even if we know Jesus has already forgiven us. Thankfully, He knows we need lots of reminders, and He always wants us to come to Him for help. What are some Bible verses you can use to battle against the devil’s lies? Who are trusted Christians in your life you can talk to when you’re struggling? [Jesus said,] “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” John 10:10 (CSB)

READ: COLOSSIANS 2:6-10; 1 CORINTHIANS 2:12-16; 1 JOHN 4:1-6 One summer, I was a bored 13-year-old who needed something to do. So, I decided to offer piano lessons at my family’s home. After all, I’d had almost two years of piano instruction myself—though I wasn’t taking lessons or even practicing much at the time. My grandmother had given us her out-of-tune piano; I could teach kids to play on that. I’d created a summer job! I haphazardly made a sign and planted it at the end of our driveway miles out in the country. The next day my brother asked, “You’re teaching piano lessons this summer?” His question sobered me: Who was I to be teaching the art of piano playing? I simply wasn’t qualified. Later that afternoon, I removed the flimsy sign. Not all who present themselves as “experts” or (in my case) teachers belong in that position. This is especially important when it comes to offering insight into Scripture or what God wants for His followers. When we put our trust in Jesus, believing the gospel (or good news) that He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave to save us, we receive God’s gracious forgiveness, eternal life, and His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. The Holy Spirit guides us in understanding the Bible and discerning right from wrong. Encouragement from faithful Christ followers helps too. But what happens when those we look to for help send a message contrary to the gospel? Like my friend who said, “God wants us to have nice things.” (Maybe?) Or the woman who suggested the Bible teaches reincarnation, the concept of one person living many lives over and over. (What?) Some say God desires to bless His people with great financial wealth. (Really?) Or, “If you desire to get married, God will certainly bring you a spouse.” (Always?) We will occasionally hear confusing teachings. Thankfully, when we do, we can look to Jesus. As we read His Word, His Spirit will help us understand what God really says. • Allison Wilson Lee • What teachings have you heard that cause you to wonder, “Does the Bible really say that?” Have you ever asked someone which Bible passages lead them to think the way they do? • Why is it important to read God’s Word for ourselves and prayerfully test whether someone’s instruction aligns with Scripture—as seen through the lens of the gospel? (More on our "Know Jesus" page.) And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:12 (NLT)

READ: PROVERBS 27:17; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:10-18; HEBREWS 10:24-25; 1 JOHN 1:7 We serve an incredibly intentional God. Even though God alone can satisfy our needs, He still designed us to be in Christ-centered community. The most natural place to seek that community is in a local church. But what if the youth group feels exclusive or there aren’t many teens in the congregation? As a teen, church was a lonely place for me. It was difficult to connect with other teens during the service, and most of them didn’t attend my school. At youth group, it felt like everybody was already satisfied with their existing friendships. And when there were changes in church leadership, the number of teens in the congregation shrank. Then at last, in my junior year of high school, God gave me the courage to participate in more youth events, reach out to the teens who served alongside me, and even start a Bible study with those new friends. Several strangers transformed into what I believe will be lifelong friends. While churches are meant to resemble the family of God, we live in a broken world where no perfect community exists. However, we are still called to pursue community because God designed us to grow together and encourage each other, and through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He places us in His family together. In fact, we can even experience God’s presence through healthy relationships with other believers. God offers to guide us and comfort us as we pursue godly friendships. He calls us to be prayerful about who we invest time in and what kinds of friendships we seek, relying on Him to help us every step of the way. While this process still takes courage, the blessing of godly community is worth it. • Hannah Chung • Do you have godly friends in your life who encourage you to become who God has created you to be? If so, how can you prioritize these friendships? If not, consider how God might be calling you to connect with other believers. Even though this may require going out of your comfort zone, it helps to remember that God is with you and will provide everything you need. • If you’re already part of a godly community, is there anyone God is calling you to invite into this community, perhaps someone who might otherwise be overlooked? • Consider taking a moment to talk to God about all this and ask Him to help you notice opportunities to invest in godly friendships in your life. Write down whatever comes to mind. [Jesus said,] “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1–7:4 One of the things I like most about autumn in New England is the county fairs. They have something for everyone. Blue ribbons for quilts and pies. Unusual poultry breeds and lop-eared bunnies. Giant pumpkins. Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, skateboarding, and live bands. Pigs racing for Oreo cookies. And food. Lots of food. Caramel apples and barbecued chicken and warm apple crisp. But for me the most interesting part is the pulling contests. I can sit for hours watching farmers urge their teams of horses or oxen to pull increasingly heavy loads of concrete blocks. The team that pulls the heaviest load wins a prize. But mostly the honor. Some drivers use whips. Some only their voices. I always root for the gentle drivers. I still remember one team years ago that was driven by a young teen. His oxen were a stunning pair. Perfectly matched in color and markings. They looked great together. Then they started pulling. It was immediately obvious that the ox on the left was much stronger than the one on the right. Instead of going straight to the end of the prescribed course, the team pulled to the left and out of bounds. With one more try to go, they somehow managed to cross the finish line. But the more weight was added, the faster they turned to the left. After a mere two or three rounds, they were disqualified. They were unequally yoked. The apostle Paul specifically warns Christians not to be unequally yoked. Does that mean you can’t have a lab partner who is not a Christian? Or play basketball with non-Christians on your team? Of course not! But if we’re partnering with someone for gospel work—serving others and proclaiming Christ—we should be equally yoked. And that includes dating and marriage. In these places, a Christian partner matters. But Jesus doesn’t leave us to make these decisions alone. Jesus loves us, and if we know Him, His Holy Spirit lives in us, giving us guidance and discernment about who to partner with as we do His work together. • Carol Raj • Who are some gospel partners God has put in your life right now? How are you working together? What are some ways you can encourage and strengthen each other? (Hebrews 10:23-25) Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 (WEB)

READ: LUKE 5:31-32; 19:1-10 Ever feel like people don’t like you? That loneliness feels horrible. Even worse? When people say you deserve that loneliness because of something you did. That’s what Zacchaeus must have felt every day. He cheated people out of money, so his whole town shunned him. When Jesus came into town, Zacchaeus didn’t stand in the crowd to watch Him. He climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. And as the Savior passed that way, the story takes an unexpected turn. Jesus called out to Zacchaeus: “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today” (Luke 19:5). By saying He wanted to go to Zacchaeus’s house, Jesus was basically telling everyone that Zacchaeus was His friend. The crowd was shocked: Why would Jesus ever want to be friends with such a bad person? Weren’t there people who had lived better lives and deserved to spend time with Jesus? The crowd was completely missing the point. Jesus said He “came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10). He didn’t come to tell all the “good” people how good they were. He came to rescue the people who weren’t doing so good. He came for the cheaters, the liars, and the sinners. And, because of Jesus, sinners’ lives are changed. After Zacchaeus met Jesus, he gave more money away than he’d ever taken. For being Zacchaeus’s friend, Jesus had to pay a price. People talked about Him behind His back and rejected Him because He spent time with Zacchaeus. Even greater than that sacrifice, Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave so that Zacchaeus could be with Him forever. The very best news of these verses, and of the whole Bible, is that Jesus did this for you too. The reality is, there are no “good” people. We all mess up; we all sin. Sinning makes you feel horrible about yourself, and others are often quick to judge you for your struggles. When you’ve been told you’re unworthy because of what you’ve done, remember this: Jesus didn’t come for those who thought they deserved Him. He came for Zacchaeus, who knew he didn’t. And He came for you too. • Thom de Boo • What makes you feel unworthy? Can you think of any moments when you’ve made others feel like outsiders, like they deserved loneliness? Consider taking some time to pray, bringing Jesus whatever hurts or wrongs come to mind and thanking Him for His great love and forgiveness. [Jesus said,] “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10 (NLT)

READ: ROMANS 6:6-14; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17-21; GALATIANS 3:26-29 Who am I? I wrestled with this question quite a bit during my teen years. I often felt lost, and I sought to define myself through lots of different things: friends, hobbies, how I dressed, my athletic ability, my looks, the size on my clothes…the list could go on and on. And, from conversations I had with friends, I knew I wasn’t the only one. As teens, we struggle with identity so deeply that it can feel like an issue only teens deal with. As adults, we like to pretend that, just because we’ve reached a certain age, we’ve figured out who we are. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: we haven’t. No matter how many trips we’ve made around the sun, we’re still striving to define ourselves. Adults might do it a little differently—through parenthood, college diplomas, careers, houses, salaries, and so on—but we’re still doing it. All of humanity is on a constant search for identity, and it often feels futile. And you know why? Because the things of this world will always fail to satisfy us. No matter where we search for our identity, we will never find it until we realize that, ultimately, we can only find our identity in God. He is the only One who can accurately define us. When we look to the person and work of Jesus, we find both who we are now and who we are called to be. In Jesus, God showed us how much He loves us. Through Jesus’s death on the cross and His resurrection, He made the way for us to become His children. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus’s righteousness—not our sins or anything the world tries to say about us. We are completely forgiven. And we are new creations, called to be like Him and free to follow His good ways through the work of the Holy Spirit! So, the next time you feel lost and wonder who you are, look to Jesus. Your identity is secure in Him. • Alissa Griffin • How do you tend to define yourself? What things do you consider important to your identity? Are there any things about yourself you either wish were different, or you hope never change? • How do those things line up with what God says about you? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this, telling Him about whatever comes to mind and asking Him to help you learn to see yourself more and more as He sees you. • What would you say to a friend struggling to define their identity? I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 25:8; HEBREWS 5:7; REVELATION 21:1-5 You say you keep all my tears in a bottle, keep track of them in your book. Do you write some of them small, for the tears I cry in private? Are others BOLD AND BIG for the tears that escape with intensity, with audible, soul-shaking sobs? Do you change the font, from broken-hearted to empty, from fearful to raging? Do you include each tear’s backstory or do the tears stand alone, telling their stories as only tears can? Or do you simply know, without a single word or commentary, and keep track of each one with a tally, a hashmark, simply because they’re a part of me— me, whom you love, eternally? • Abigail Aswegen • Is it easy for you to cry, or is it difficult? Why do you think that is? We all have times when the tears won’t come, and sometimes we feel like we need to hide our tears. Yet, tears are a gift from God to help us process the hard things we experience in a world that has been broken by sin. Jesus cried while He was on earth—both for Himself and for us. And because Jesus died and rose again to take away our sin and heal our brokenness, He promises that when He returns, we’ll have no more need for tears. • God not only hears our cries, but records our every tear in a book, never forgetting what has hurt us. How does this offer a glimpse into His love for us? How could knowing that God sees and treasures up all our tears help us feel more free to cry when we need to? You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

READ: ZEPHANIAH 3:14-17; EPHESIANS 2:1-9 Although my family hosted many guests in our home when I was a kid, the most memorable ones were strangers from Australia. Our house sat near a highway in a rural area. One afternoon, we spotted a young man and woman walking down the road. They wore heavy-duty backpacks and hiking boots. We said “hello” from our front yard, and my dad struck up a conversation. He invited them to eat with us, and as we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, we listened raptly to their stories of hiking across America. As a young kid, I wanted to entertain these special visitors from an exotic location, so I started tumbling and dancing around our living room. I turned flips and then did headstands on our couch where Mama and the Australian woman sat—hoping for their attention. Hoping to be noticed. Hoping to be delighted in. We all want to be seen and noticed, to be cherished and to be the cause of someone’s delight. God has created us that way, with a longing to be valued and to be assured of our value. The gospel gives us that assurance—that God loved us so deeply He sent His perfect Son to sacrifice Himself for us and to reconcile us with God. The gospel also gives us the bad news: that our sin separates us from God and that we deserve punishment for rebelling against God’s holiness. Understanding these gospel truths—that we deserve death for our sin and that God forged a way for us to be rescued by Jesus—draws us to trust in Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. To enter the relationship with God that He created us to experience. And to grow in that relationship for the rest of our lives. Zephaniah 3:17 assures those who trust in Jesus that God saves us, delights in us, and rejoices over us—no entertaining headstands required. • Allison Wilson Lee • Do you ever feel you work hard on doing things “right” to get God’s attention or earn His love? It’s easy to fall into this, no matter how old we are. But at the end of the day, living this way doesn’t bring the freedom God wants for us. Instead, Scripture tells us that God delights in His people. Is that hard for you to comprehend—that God is crazy about you? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this, asking Him to show you how He truly feels about you. “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

READ: LEVITICUS 27:30-34; MATTHEW 6:19-34; 2 CORINTHIANS 9:7 Have you ever looked at someone, maybe in youth group, and thought, “I wish I believed like they do” or “I wish I loved God and church as much as they do”? First of all, comparing our walk with Jesus to someone else’s is rarely helpful because we can never know what is going on in another person’s heart or relationship with God. However, the desire to grow closer to God, to be more in love with Him, and to be more committed to church—those are good things! If I’m honest, when I was a teen, sometimes I didn’t feel that desire. But that’s when Matthew 6:21 caught my attention: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And Jesus is the ultimate treasure! If my heart follows where my treasure (or my money) goes, that means the opposite is also true. I can choose to put my money into what I want to love. This was a game changer for me. Obviously, as a high school student, I wasn’t making a lot of money at my weekend job, but I began to budget with my heart in mind. I decided to tithe (which is the biblical Old Testament principle of giving ten percent of your income to your local congregation), and I picked an additional percentage of each paycheck to give to Christian missions and causes that piqued my interest. I even decided to spend some of my fun money on Christian books and Bible translations. Over time, I began to feel more connected to God, to His heart, and to His plan unfolding in my life, in my community, and around the world. Even now, when I feel distant or far from God, my knee-jerk response is to check my budget. I make sure I’ve done my giving this month, and I consider if I’m becoming too stagnant or routine and need to increase the percentage I give. It’s important to remember that, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus He is always with us, whether we tithe or not. But putting my money where my mouth—or my faith—is has truly deepened my relationship with God and my sense of His presence. • Abigail Aswegen • As Christians, we follow an incredibly generous God. He gave us this earth, the loving people in our lives, and the very breath we breathe. He loves us so much that He even provides the way to be saved from sin and death and live with Him forever through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. If we know Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us and moves us toward generosity and giving to others to help with their needs. Consider spending some time in prayer, thanking God for His generosity and asking Him where He is calling you to give in this season of your life. [Jesus said,] “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 22:36-40; JOHN 14:15-27; 2 JOHN 1:5-6 If you often go to church or read the Bible, you’ve probably been told over and over again, “Love the Lord your God.” But what does that mean? How do we do that? Should we just try to create positive emotions toward God and maintain that happy feeling for Him all the time? No, of course not! While feelings are an important part of love—and we will have times when we feel lots of love for God—love goes much deeper than feelings. Actions and choices are what ultimately define and sustain love. And God chose to love us first. He pursued His people in many ways in the Old Testament, and then Jesus came. As God the Son, Jesus obeyed and loved God the Father perfectly. Jesus died on the cross to take our sins upon Himself and to give us His righteousness before the Father, and then He rose from the dead to defeat Satan, sin, and death—making the way for us to be with Him forever. That’s a lot of love! For us, loving God means responding to His love by making choices that are in line with His good ways. Because God loves us, He gave us commands that reflect His goodness. And because of what He does for us, and in us, we can love Him by obeying those good commands. The problem is, none of us can do that perfectly. We all miss the mark. We fail to love God as He deserves to be loved. But the good news is, Jesus loved and obeyed the Father for us. And if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has given us the Holy Spirit, empowering us to love God too. That doesn’t mean loving God will always be easy. And, just like loving anyone else in our lives, loving God doesn’t mean you can’t share feelings of anger or fear with Him when things get difficult. Quite the opposite! There are many examples in the Psalms of lament—of people calling out to God in anger and frustration—but that doesn’t mean they failed to love Him in those moments. In fact, by drawing near to God in their times of pain and anger, they were demonstrating their love and trust in Him. Many of the psalms even end with a reminder of how good God is. Whatever season of life I’m in—whether I’m lamenting like the psalmists or overflowing with joy and praise in the face of God’s goodness—when He reminds me of what He has done for me through Jesus, it leads me to love Him more and more. • Taylor Eising • God loves us so much that, even when we fail to love Him, He doesn’t stop loving us. In Jesus, He offers us forgiveness. Consider taking a moment to praise God for His amazing love! We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

READ: RUTH 2:12; PSALMS 46:1; 57:1 In the summer, she knew God. Basking under burning sunrises, she knew His warmth. Dreaming in fields of wildflowers, she knew His freedom. Walking through forests while sunlight danced around her, she knew His joy. She reveled in her God of summer, who breathed life from His lungs and bled beauty from His veins. But autumn came, and she could not find Him. Leaves burned bright as fire, just to curl and shrivel into heaps on the forest floor. Wildflowers blew away like memories on the wind. The grass stopped growing. She walked through colorless fields, brown leaves catching at her ankles as she looked for the God she’d known. When black clouds formed over distant treetops and an icy wind howled, fear filled her. She ran alone through forests and fields that now felt foreign to her. But she could not outrun the storm. The clouds surrounded her like a trap. Exhausted and shaking, she curled between the roots of a tree as snow fell like blindness around her. Where are you? She asked her God of summer. Branches above her cracked and snapped like thunder. She looked up to see the shadow of a huge bird descending toward her through the trees. She cowered, covering her eyes. When nothing happened, she opened them again. A great bird stood before her, staring at her with fathomless black eyes. It opened its beak and cawed into the swirling snow. God of summer, she said, recognizing His voice, come to save me from the cold. But as she reached out to Him, He shook His head. He hadn’t come to carry her away. Winter was coming, and there was no escape. Hopelessness blurred her vision, and she turned away from the great bird. With the last of her strength, she tried to run again. But her foot caught on a root, and she fell. She lay there, staring up at the bare branches reaching endlessly toward the sky and the snow falling all around her. But when she turned her head, the great bird still stood there, wings outstretched toward her. He looked at her, and she at Him, till finally she went to Him and curled up under the blanket of His wings. The storm howled like wolves as day slowly turned to night. But she stayed safe and warm, wrapped in the arms of her God. When the storm finally ended, she crawled out from under His wings. All around her the world stood cold and barren, buried beneath piles of snow. But the great bird still stood beside her, tall and unmoving. And she realized that He had been there for her all along, just waiting for her to call to Him. Now, as He cawed into the rising sun, she found she was not afraid anymore. He may not save her from the coming storms, but He would stay with her through them, for her God of summer was the God of winter too. • Margaret Bellers • Today’s allegorical story echoes the heart of Jesus. In Matthew 23:37, He said He longs to gather us beneath His wings as a mother hen protects her chicks. Throughout the psalms, we find similar verses that all point ahead to Jesus. Because He died on the cross and rose from the grave to save us, we can rest in His promises to be with us through everything, and to one day make all things new. Then fear and suffering will be gone forever. (Matthew 28:20; Revelation 21:1-5) • Think back to a season in your life that was difficult for you. What were some ways God showed up for you during that time? Were there any ways He reminded you of His presence, comforted you, or gave you hope? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. • As summer fades to winter, what are some changes in your life that you find yourself dreading? How could knowing that God will be present during those ti...

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-9 When I was in middle school, I made friends with a girl name Mackenzie. We were complete opposites—I was pretty reserved and she was super outgoing—but we were immediate friends. We were in most of the same classes and extracurriculars together, and we hung out a lot. We were besties. But there was one thing that bothered me in our friendship: Mackenzie wasn’t a Christian. I desperately wanted her to know the love of Jesus. Especially because she had a tough life at home. Her parents were divorced, and her dad previously abused her. I wanted her to experience the life-changing love that can only be found in Jesus. So, I began to plant seeds by talking about my faith a lot. I’m sure I was even annoying about it at times! Mackenzie kindly listened to everything I said (and even came with me to girls’ small group on occasion), but she never decided to follow Jesus. I was disappointed, feeling like I must not have explained the Bible well enough or described who Jesus is correctly. I put so much pressure on myself to be the reason Mackenzie would trust in Jesus. Mackenzie and I naturally drifted apart when we got older and went to different colleges. But we remained friends and occasionally checked in on each other. I continued praying for Mackenzie, and a few years ago, she decided to follow Jesus! Maybe you’re like me—you put too much pressure on yourself to do what only God can do. You and I can’t change hearts; only God can. While we can (and should!) plant seeds of the gospel by sharing about our faith in Jesus— and how He died and rose again to save us—ultimately, God is the one who causes those seeds to grow. It’s all Him. In the meantime, we can continue to boldly share our faith and pray that God will grow the seeds we faithfully planted. • Rachel Wierenga • God calls us to plant seeds of the gospel, and also to water the seeds others have planted. What does it look like to do this well? Have you seen God grow any seeds you’ve planted? • When it comes to sharing your faith, are there any places you’re putting too much pressure on yourself? How could it be freeing to remember that God invites us to plant seeds, knowing we’ll plant imperfectly, and He is earnestly pursuing people with His steadfast love and kindness? • If you want to dig deeper, read Luke 15; Romans 2:1-4; Galatians 6:1-10; Ephesians 6:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; 1 Peter 3:15-16. I [Paul] planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 19:1-14; 119:11-16 How many times have you been told to read the Bible? Imagine sitting down in church and hearing the pastor say, “Don’t you dare read the Bible! Unless you’re a church leader, you are unworthy to study God’s Word.” And what if, on top of that, the only copies of the Bible you could find were written in a language you didn’t understand? That was the world John Wycliffe was born into in the early 1300s in England. He loved Jesus, and he knew that, in the Bible, Jesus spoke to people in their own languages. Jesus didn’t force His disciples to learn a foreign language in order to get to know Him. He wanted everybody to have free access to Himself, so much so that He died on the cross and rose from the dead to make it possible for people to have a relationship with Him. Does that sound like somebody who would want to keep people away? John Wycliffe, fueled by this love for Jesus and the gospel, fought with some corrupt church leaders (literally and metaphorically) and assembled a team to start translating the Latin Bible into English. Since the printing press hadn’t been invented yet, they had to write everything out by hand. Sadly, Wycliffe died before the translation was complete, but his team finished the job and published their English Bible after his death. Wycliffe’s translation planted the seeds of the Reformation, and it was so influential that, after Wycliffe had been dead for decades, corrupt church leaders had his body dug up and burned at the stake for heresy. John Wycliffe knew that it was wrong to keep the truth of God’s Word hidden. God wants us to know His Word so we can experience His love—and then share it with others. What a wonderful God we serve! • Taylor Eising • Why is it important for us to be able to read the Bible for ourselves, in our own language? • Jesus is the point of the whole Bible. By coming to live among us, dying on the cross for our sins, and rising from the grave, Jesus reveals God’s unwavering love for us (Romans 5:8). In what ways might God be inviting you to help give other people the chance to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus? (If you want to know more about this good news, check out our "Know Jesus" page.) From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:15-16 (WEB)

READ: COLOSSIANS 3:1-3, 16-17 Few Christians throughout history have taken Jesus’s call to drop everything and follow Him as literally as St. Francis of Assisi. His faithful service to God was so influential that his way of living is still followed by one order of monks, the Franciscans, almost 800 years after his death. St. Francis was born in Italy around 1181 AD. The son of a wealthy merchant, Francis did not know God as a teen. He threw wild parties and dreamed of becoming a famous, wealthy knight. But, in his very first war, he was taken captive and was imprisoned for a year—where he started hearing God’s voice. God spoke to Francis several times. Everything finally clicked for Francis when he was praying in a broken-down church, and he believed he heard God say, “Francis, repair My church.” At the time, Francis thought God meant the building around him, so he stole some cloth from his father, sold it (along with his horse), and tried to use the money to fix the church. His father sued him, so Francis gave his father the money and the clothes off his back, and then he gave up his inheritance. He walked away in rough clothes given to him by a priest and dedicated his life to living like Jesus. But why would Francis do this? Because of the gospel—or good news—of Jesus Christ. Because of God’s great love, Jesus died and rose again so that all who trust in Him could become God’s children. With His life, He purchased our freedom from sin and death. Since Francis knew that love and freedom, he could not stop telling others about it. For him, that involved living a life of voluntary poverty and caring for the poor, all while preaching God’s Word. And, because many church leaders at the time were obsessed with wealth, Francis even refused money in an effort to make the good news of Jesus clearer to those he ministered to. Instead, he worked for food and slept on the street, focusing his efforts on sharing the gospel and tending to creation. St. Francis recognized that Jesus loves His people with a crazy love, and he wanted to share that love with everyone he met. His methods may have been wild and sometimes too extreme, yet God worked through him powerfully to spread the good news of Jesus. • Taylor Eising • In your own life, what opportunities has God given you to spread the good news of Jesus? • How does caring for people who are poor and for creation show Jesus’s love? Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1; MATTHEW 6:26-33 As the trees start to change colors each year, I am in awe of all that God has created. Why did He choose to make the leaves turn different shades of orange, yellow, and red? Why didn’t He just make all of them turn a single color? Why did He choose to make maple trees, oaks, and palm? Why not just make a single type of tree? I think of old-school video games where you see the same tree repeated over and over again without a single change; God could have made the world simple like that, but He didn’t. As we experience different types of weather, I think about the creativity of God and the gifts He’s given us here on earth. For some, cooler weather is a welcome relief from the heat of summer. For me, I’m always extremely grateful when we get a surprisingly warm day in the middle of the winter. God gave us an earth that is truly beautiful and truly special. He could have kept things simple, but that’s not the way He likes to work. He delights in variety—He is an infinitely creative God! I look around at all that He has created, and I am in awe. We can trust this God, who made such a wonderful place for us to live, to take care of us each day and to prepare an even more wonderful home for us in the new creation. • Emily Acker • What is one part of nature that you really appreciate? What do you see around you today that leaves you in awe of God and all He’s done? Consider taking a moment to praise Him for this! • Even though we can see the effects of sin in the world, we can still see so many glimpses of God’s goodness. And just think about what it will be like when Jesus returns and renews the earth, healing all the brokenness caused by sin! Everyone who has put their trust in Jesus has this eternal home to look forward to. What do you imagine it will be like to live with Jesus forever in the new creation? (If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 11:6-9.) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 11:1-13; ROMANS 8:26-27; EPHESIANS 3:14-21 Have you ever tried to pray, but couldn’t seem to find the right words? Perhaps a friend was hurting, or you were going through a difficult season, or maybe you wanted to thank God—but for some reason, you couldn’t figure out how to express what you wanted to say. Prayer is essential in our walk with God. He calls us to pray at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). However, God understands that sometimes we aren’t sure what to say or how to pray, and He hasn’t left us alone to figure it out. Scripture says He already knows what we’re thinking and feeling (Psalm 139:1-4) and He knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:7-8), so we don’t have to worry about having all the right words. Those who have trusted Jesus for salvation also have the Holy Spirit, who speaks to God for us (Romans 8:26-27). In addition, God has given us the Bible—full of stories and prayers of real people just like us. When I’m struggling to talk to God, I will often simply pray through a relevant passage of Scripture. I’ve even memorized a few that are especially meaningful to me, and I use them frequently. Unsure how to pray for a friend? Check out one of Paul’s prayers for his friends in Ephesians 3:14-19. Going through a hard time? So did David, and his raw, honest prayers are recorded in the book of Psalms—which is also a great place to find prayers praising God. We even have several of Jesus’s prayers recorded in passages like Matthew 6:9-13 and John 17. In short, we all experience times when prayer doesn’t come naturally—and that’s okay. You can go to God with your messy thoughts and questions and requests, and you can let Scripture guide your prayers, trusting that God already knows your heart and is working on your behalf. • Faith Lewis • Can you think of a time you tried to pray, but you struggled to put your thoughts and needs into words? How does it make you feel to know that God already sees your heart, and yet He still wants to hear from you? • Did any of the verses mentioned in today’s devotion stick out to you? Are there any you’d like to use (and maybe even have memorized) when you’re not sure what to pray? • What do you think about the idea that the Holy Spirit prays for you? This is just one of the many blessings available to those who have put their faith in Jesus. (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:1-12; MATTHEW 1:23; 28:20 Ava sat in her room all alone. She tried to ignore the voices from the party downstairs. No one had sent Ava to her room, but the room called to her. She felt too worn out to deal with everyone tonight. Then her dad opened her bedroom door. “Aren’t you going to come downstairs? Your grandpa’s asking about you.” “I’m tired,” Ava said. “I think I’ll just stay up here.” Ava loved spending time with her grandfather. But she had so little energy tonight. Her dad hesitated before giving a nod. “Okay. I’ll let him know.” When she was alone again, Ava’s eyes filled. Why can’t I be like everyone else? Why can’t I enjoy the party? What’s wrong with me? A quiet knock came at her bedroom door. “Can I come in, Ava?” Her grandfather’s soft voice came from the hallway. As soon as she opened the door, Ava found herself engulfed in her grandfather’s arms. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” he asked. “I don’t know what’s going on. I just feel like being alone.” “Sometimes we push people away when we really need them around.” “I know,” Ava sighed. “I just can’t imagine being a part of the party right now.” “I understand,” her grandfather said. “I need time to be alone sometimes too.” He looked her in the eyes. “You’re feeling lonely?” Ava nodded. “Even when you’re up here all alone, you know that God’s with you, right?” Her grandfather spoke in a low voice. “Even if you don’t feel up to being with people, Jesus is right here with you.” Ava nodded again. Slowly this time. As she leaned in for another hug, she prayed silently, Thank You, God, for being with me. Please help me know that you are with me. • Emily Acker • We all have times when we just want to push the world away and be alone, yet we might also feel lonely in the same moment. Thankfully, Jesus understands exactly how we’re feeling, and He has promised to be with us. In fact, He wants to be with us, and He seeks us out (Luke 15:1-32; 19:10). Have you ever tried talking with Him when you felt lonely? What was that like? “For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 46:10; MATTHEW 11:28-29; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 Anxiety A tidal wave Pain showing through the cracks of my heart Can’t think, can’t breathe yet breathing too much Can’t speak, yet speaking incessantly Grasping for sanity, for peace, for air My heart pounding like a bass drum Can’t catch my breath, fix myself, calm these nerves Yet through the chaos, tears, torrential fear, He whispers: BE STILL Fear not, My beloved, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine This moment will pass, A breath in light of eternity Though you can’t see, the end is coming I will calm your clenched fists, your clenched heart Cling to Me, and I will give your soul rest Rest • Amanda Rose • We all feel anxious from time to time. Thankfully, Jesus knows how we feel because He experienced anxiety too, and He wants to help us (Hebrews 4:14-16). In fact, He loves us so much that He died and rose again to save us, and He promises that one day anxiety will be gone for good. Do you have any favorite Bible verses that help you when you feel anxious? • God wants to help us in lots of ways, not only through prayer and Scripture, but also through other people, such as friends, parents, pastors, and medical and mental health professionals. When you find yourself feeling anxious, who is a trusted adult you could talk to? • If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 (CSB)

READ: PSALM 139; MATTHEW 28:20; COLOSSIANS 1:22-23 Every Christian has a different testimony, or story of how they came to put their trust in Jesus. For some people, it could be really dramatic. For others, it may be really simple. Yet God works in each and every person’s life. This is the personal story of how God worked in my life. My parents were missionaries in Japan, so I grew up learning about God both directly from them and by hearing them teach others. My mom is Japanese, and my dad is from America, so I don’t fit in well. In Japanese culture, no one tries to stand out. It’s very different from Western culture where being unique is celebrated. So, as a half-Japanese homeschooler Christian, I never fit in, except with other missionary kids or at church. In those places, everyone accepted me for who I was. They didn’t look at me weird when I didn’t act fully Japanese or fully American. These places gave me a picture of how Christ loves all of us. God created each of us differently. It’s comforting for me to know that He made me the way I am for a reason. But when I was growing up, I had many insecurities. I was always unsure of my place in the world, worried about how others saw me, and afraid of not having people who liked me. I felt that I had to be good enough at something for people to value me or see past my being different. I ended up measuring my worth in what I could achieve. But the amazing thing about the gospel is that we come to Jesus the way we are. I don’t have to feel like I’m perfect to have salvation. He is the one who will reconcile me to Himself and make me holy and perfect in His sight (Colossians 1:22). I didn’t realize how much I was holding on to the lie that I needed to be a certain way, or that I needed to fit in. Instead, I needed to surrender that to the Lord. I’m not the one in control, He is. I’ve since come to find a sense of security in my differences. And it’s because I’ve been on a journey with God. I’ve had my ups and downs for sure, but God has stayed by me even when I haven’t made Him the most important thing in my life. Know that even on your darkest days, Jesus is with you (Matthew 28:20). He is the person who makes you perfect in His sight. He has a plan for you, and He will be with you every step of the way. • Sophia Muhling • When have you struggled to fit in? How can it be helpful to remember how Jesus sees us? I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 9:9-13; LUKE 7:34-50; 1 PETER 3:15-16 Have you ever noticed how Jesus often spent time with people who were doing some pretty bad stuff? You may have wondered, “If that’s how Jesus acted, what should I do—especially if I’m supposed to avoid sin?” Sometimes Christians even ask, “Can I be friends with non-Christians?” The answer is, “Of course!” In fact, one of the ways people come to know Jesus is through friendship. God will help you show His love and truth to all your friends, whether they’re Christians or not. As you interact with your friends, remember these five things: 1. If you have a friend who isn’t a Christian, don’t expect them to act like one. But keep in mind, even as a Christian, you don’t always act like one either. We’re all sinners who need Jesus. 2. Don’t encourage friends to sin or participate with them in doing things that are wrong. 3. Learn what your friends believe so you can understand them better. 4. Talk to your friends about what Jesus has done in your life. Be honest about your own struggles and your ongoing need for Jesus. Be bold and kind! 5. If a friend shares a difficulty or hardship with you, show empathy and offer to pray with them. They may take you up on it; don’t force them though. Either way, pray for them on your own. Then, check back later to see how they’re doing and if there’s any other way you can help. And if they offer to help you with something you need, don’t be afraid to receive help too! Ultimately, our friendships with others always point back to the most important friendship of all: God’s friendship with us. We can invite all our friends into deeper and deeper relationship with God by showing them who He is. And we can be free to be ourselves, imperfect as we are, trusting that the Holy Spirit is at work in and through us. So, ask God who you can share Jesus’s amazing love with today. You can trust Him to guide you in what to say and do. Remember, because Jesus first loved us and invited us into friendship, we can show His love and friendship to others (1 John 4:19). • A. W. Smith • Can you think of a time someone was a good friend to you? What did they say or do? • As Christians, we don’t need to be afraid of being friends with non-Christians. But if you’re finding it difficult to follow Jesus because of your friendships, who are trusted Christian adults in your life who could help you navigate these relationships, such as a pastor, parent, or counselor? Many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. Matthew 9:10 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 15:9-17; ROMANS 5:6-11; 1 JOHN 4:11 Relationships of any kind—with family or friends—are important to God. From the beginning, God made us to live in community. Shortly after He created Adam, the first human, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him” (Genesis 2:18). So God made Eve, Adam’s wife and the first human friend in history. Besides Adam and Eve, there are lots of friendships in the Bible. David and Jonathan, King Saul’s son, were best friends and took care of each other when they faced tough times (1 Samuel 18:1-4; 20:1-42). Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, were very loyal to each other, even when they both lost their husbands and faced poverty (Ruth 1–4). Jesus had friends too—He had twelve followers called disciples who were especially close to Him. Jesus even called Judas “friend” when this disciple came to betray Him (Matthew 26:50). The next day, when Jesus hung on the cross, Luke 23:49 says, “Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.” Jesus was willing to go to the cross and die that terrible death—for us. He knew that we all would betray Him through our sin, but He still wants to be friends with us. And the amazing thing is, if you know Jesus, God is friends with you (John 15:15; James 2:23). That’s because Jesus is God the Son, and the Father sent Him to make the way for you to be close to Him. By dying on the cross and rising from the grave, Jesus took the penalty for your sins (John 14:6). If you know Jesus, not only are you God’s friend, but you also have a whole family of friends—other Christians! All those who trust in Jesus are adopted by God and are brothers and sisters in Christ. They make up God’s family. Throughout the Bible, God encourages His people to love and care for one another as He loves and cares for us, and to tell others how they can become friends of God too. Because, ultimately, friendship with God is what we were created for. And once we’ve experienced His friendship, there’s nothing better! • A. W. Smith • What does it mean for God to be friends with you? (You can find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) • Can you think of any ways you’ve seen Christians around you act as a family of friends? What does it look like to act like a brother or sister toward our fellow friends of God? So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:11 (NLT)

READ: LUKE 22:52-62; JOHN 21:15-19 The man sitting across the table from me makes me uneasy. His failures bear resemblance to mine. Yet, even with his failures, he has been with Jesus. Jesus loved this man. I eye him suspiciously, wondering if he’s lying about knowing Jesus and being chosen by Him. “How can I know you’re telling the truth?” I blurt out before I can stop myself. I feel my face flush but continue speaking anyway: “Why would Jesus want you after the way you failed and betrayed Him?” I wince at my judgmental tone, but Peter smiles, neither surprised nor put off by my blunt questions. “I don’t know,” he says, “Jesus certainly shouldn’t have chosen me.” I’m struck by the calmness with which this man states that God shouldn’t have chosen him. Where is Peter’s confidence in his abilities? Where is his refutation of my claim that Jesus shouldn’t have chosen him? “I know Jesus didn’t choose me because of who I am,” Peter continues, “He chose me because of who He is, despite my failures.” This man must be crazy. No one, especially the God of the universe, would choose someone who failed them, right? I look around, eager for an excuse to leave this conversation. But as he continues talking, I become wrapped up in Peter’s words as he recounts his time with Jesus and speaks of His great mercy. “He called me by name,” Peter tells me with tears in his eyes. “He called me by name and just asked me if I loved Him. I said I did love Him, and, in the midst of my failures, He chose me.” My skepticism falters. Though it seems crazy, I can’t help but believe it might be true. I can’t keep my lips from pulling upward into a smile that mirrors Peter’s. I thank him for his time and leave. Could it be true? I wonder. Could I be chosen to follow Jesus? I begin to pray, “I love You, Jesus. I want to follow You.” • Julia Frontz • Today’s fictional story is how one author imagines what it would be like to interview Peter (also known as Simon or Cephas), one of Jesus’s twelve disciples. If you want to dig deeper, you can read more about Peter’s failures and Jesus’s responses in Matthew 14:22-33; 16:21-23; 26:31-35; Luke 22:49-51, 54-62; John 18:10-11; 21:1-25; Galatians 2:11-21. • Does God value us because of anything we do or don’t do? Is anyone more or less worthy of God’s love than anyone else? (Hint: read Romans 3:23-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5) • Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” What might it look like for you to live in light of this reality—that God has chosen you because He loves you and wants to be with you? You can find out more about what it means to know Jesus on our "Know Jesus" page. [Jesus said,] “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:16 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 4:4; 1 PETER 1:22–2:3 Have you ever been hit by a sudden, bizarre craving? It might be in the middle of the night, when all the stores are closed and the pantry is empty, but there’s nothing in the world you want more than…potato chips. While cravings seem to be more or less random, our bodies feel and function their best when we take care in planning and preparing what we eat and follow a healthy, balanced diet. In some ways, we are what we eat. The nutrients and vitamins in the food we eat are what makes our bodies grow and maintain health. And it doesn’t take long for a body deprived of nutrients to get sick. In today’s passage Peter exhorts Christians to crave the pure, spiritual milk of God’s Word. It is through the Word that we are born again, and it is through the Word that we grow, like how newborn babies grow from drinking their mother’s milk. Peter wants us to have a holy craving for the Word of God, because it is through the Word that we learn how God loves us so much that Jesus died and rose again to save us. And, through the Holy Spirit, He uses the Word to help us grow in our sanctification—the process by which we become more and more like Jesus. In my life, I’ve eaten a lot of good food. But when I really try to think about it, only a handful of meals come to mind that I specifically remember. And yet, even on days when I can’t recall what I had for breakfast, all that food has sustained me and helped my body grow. In the same way, God uses His Word to grow us. Even if you can’t remember any specific lessons, you are who you are today because of the things God has shown you in His Word. Jesus wants to satisfy your deepest hunger with the pure nourishment of His Word—so keep reading! • Jacob Bier • When we experience a craving to know God more, it’s because He is already reaching out to us in love. And He delights in fulfilling our desire through His Word (the Bible), His Holy Spirit, and His people (the church). Have you ever experienced something like this? What was that like? • In our walk with Jesus, there will be times when we intensely crave His presence, and there will be times when following Him feels repetitive, boring, or uncomfortable. But even in those seasons, we need to be sustained daily by the food of His Word and His presence. What kind of season are you in right now? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this in prayer. Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 43:1-13; JOHN 10:3-4, 27-30; HEBREWS 12:1-3 Have you ever been in the middle of competing in an intense sporting event, tired and discouraged, when someone called out your name to cheer you on? During my days playing high school soccer, I’d be racing toward the ball, exhausted and ready to quit, then I’d hear a familiar voice call out my name. I could hear it above all the noise of the fans. It was all I needed to dig in, keep fighting, and run with endurance. Someone knew me by name. They were watching. They cared. I wasn’t just a player on the field. I was their player. We have a heavenly Father who knows us and calls us by name. We are His. We hear His voice, and we follow Him. We are seen, known, and loved. At times we can feel lonely, tired, lost, or fearful. We can feel as if no one really knows us or sees us. We can tell ourselves we are just a player on the field, lost in the race. But it’s not true. We serve a God who cares so intimately for us that He calls us by name. In Isaiah 43, God tells the Israelites to remember that He chose them, He formed them, He redeemed them. Therefore, they need not fear. They are not alone. And God tells us the same. Listen for His voice calling your name when you’re tired and ready to quit, when you feel lonely and wonder if anyone sees you, when you’re scared and can’t see the road ahead. He is calling your name. Listen for His voice and follow Him. He sees you. He knows you. He loves you. • Renee Robinson • How does it make you feel when someone uses your name? Is it a good feeling or a bad feeling? • Take a moment to imagine God calling your name. What kind of tone of voice does He use? What might this tell you about how you perceive God? • Why does it matter that God knows us by name? Through Jesus, God ran the race before us. He became human and lived a perfect, sinless life—ultimately dying on the cross and rising from the grave to make the way for us to be forgiven and live with Him forever. So now, as people who have been called by name and put our trust in Jesus, we can “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). As we remember Jesus’s loving sacrifice for us and look forward to His return, we can know that He’s always with us, calling us by name, cheering us on, and reminding us who we are in Him. But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

READ: HEBREWS 11 Hebrews 11 is full of examples of people who trusted God even when it seemed foolish. Abel burned up some of his best livestock as a sacrifice to God (Genesis 4:1-11). If he hadn’t had faith, it would have seemed like a waste of food or income. Enoch’s deeds are not mentioned specifically, but his faith pleased God, and God “took him away” to be with Him without dying (Genesis 5:21-24). That sounds impossible, but nothing is impossible for God (Matthew 19:26). It’s encouraging to read Old Testament accounts of God’s faithfulness. When people put their lives at risk to obey God, He often showed His faithfulness by physically protecting those people in their particular situations—like He did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, keeping them alive when they were thrown into a fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Other times, people suffered or even died for their faith, like Stephen (Acts 6–7). God was faithful to those people too. Although we may endure situations where it might seem hopeless or unrewarding to follow God, faith allows us to recognize that God has a plan and will take care of us. He has given us promises to lean on whenever we endure difficult times. And every single one of those promises is fulfilled in Jesus. Because Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave, we can be restored to relationship with God. In Hebrews 13:5, He promises never to leave or forsake us. In Matthew 21:22, He promises to answer prayers asked in faith—those answers may not be what we expect, but we can trust that He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28-29). And in John 3:15, He promises that those who believe in Jesus will have everlasting life. Like the people in the Bible who acted in faith, we all have times when obedience to God leads to uncertainty about our futures. They knew that God is trustworthy, so they believed God’s promises and acted on them. God fulfilled His promises to them, and He will fulfill His promises to us. • Karen Niewoehner • What are some ways God has been faithful to you in your life? • Who are some people you know who walk in faithful obedience to God? What about their faith in Jesus do you admire? • If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit living in you. How does the Holy Spirit empower us to act in faithful obedience to God? (Romans 15:13; Philippians 2:13) For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 23 Sometimes when I think about death and dying, it scares me. I know this is the case for a lot of people. I also know that, unless Jesus comes back during our lifetimes, we will all experience death one day. But personally, I don’t want to think about it. However, when I was reading Psalm 23 last night, I was struck by the hope it gives us regarding death, dying, and what comes after. Many people read Psalm 23 when they want to feel God’s presence and be reminded that He is with us in the difficult times. Last night, it really hit me in a new way. Verse 4 tells us that God will be with us when we’re in “the shadow of death,” and verse 6 says we have an eternal home in the house of the Lord. I don’t have to fear any situation that God has promised to enter with me. If I were to get sick today, and the doctors told me that I had just days to live, I could trust that God would stay beside me and everything would be okay. I don’t have to be concerned about the particulars surrounding my eventual death; God will be with me, comforting me, no matter how things work out. God will stay beside us even when we’re getting close to death; He’ll be with us to comfort us, and He’ll lead us through that time and into His home. • Emily Acker • What is the scariest thing about death for you personally? • As Christians, how could knowing that God is always with us—and always will be with us—affect the way we think about death? (Romans 8:35-39) • Psalm 23 describes God as a shepherd, and this whole psalm points forward to Jesus—He is the Good Shepherd who “lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). If we know Jesus, we not only have confidence that He will be with us in “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4), but also that He has already gone through this valley before us, on our behalf. He went to the cross to save us, so He knows what it’s like to die. He even experienced the anxiety and anguish of knowing that His death was near (Mark 14:33-34; Luke 22:44). But, glory be to God, He also rose from the grave, and He promises that when He returns, everyone who has put their trust in Him will be raised to live with Him forever on the new heavens and new earth (John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:1-5). As we think about death and dying, how could these truths give us hope? Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.” John 11:25 (WEB)

READ: MATTHEW 7:24-27; ROMANS 8:35-39 I’ll never forget the first time I saw it: the foreclosure notice tacked to the front door. At fifteen, I was old enough to understand its meaning. The bank was coming to take our house away. I’d experienced enough under its roof to know this outcome was inevitable. We were already living without heat or hot water. Our house was falling into disrepair. My father had a great job, but my mother had squandered everything and then some, and now there was nothing left. It would be another ten years before the house was finally gone, but that notice was the perfect example of just how unstable my home life was. Perhaps you can relate. Maybe your parents are divorced, and you move back and forth between homes. Maybe you’re in foster care, and your home is ever changing. Maybe you experience poverty, home insecurity, or abuse. Or maybe it’s something else. Safe, secure homes are good, good things. God created us with needs, and it’s right to desire to have them met. During His earthly ministry, Jesus provided for people through things like food, bodily healing, and stable community—as well as through sharing the good, hope-filled news of His kingdom with them. We are called to serve others who are struggling and marginalized just as He did. And as we do, we can share the good news of how Jesus died and rose again to bring us into His family and give us an eternal home with Him. Because, if we put our ultimate hope in anything other than Jesus, we will always come up empty. Home is supposed to be a place of refuge, and when it’s not, it can make you feel isolated, embarrassed, and lost. Thankfully, the Bible tells us that even when our home is uncertain, broken, or nonexistent, we can find hope and comfort in Jesus. He offers us the kind of security that no earthly dwelling can. When we build our lives upon His foundation, we have something more certain than anything this world can provide. • Alissa Griffin • We all experience times when our home lives are not as they should be. How could it be comforting to remember that Jesus is always with us, holding us in His love, and that He promises we will live in restored creation with Him someday? (Revelation 21:1-5) • God cares about all our needs, and one of the ways He provides for His people, is through His people. If you or someone you know is experiencing home insecurity or family instability, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it today? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (CSB)

READ: EPHESIANS 6:10-20; COLOSSIANS 1:9-14; 1 JOHN 1:1–2:2 Miles later, we reached a rocky cliff face. I pressed my back to the rock while tears cascaded down my cheeks. I almost took that fruit. How could I? When was the last time I was this exhausted? Snowdrop gave me a whiskery horse kiss and nudged my satchel. After wiping horse foam off my face, I took the hint and pulled my faded, dog-eared copy of the Word out of my satchel. As I read, the words from the King of Light comforted me. I remember I am Ashva, knight of the Kingdom of Light. What else do I need to remember? My checkered bracelet clinked against the metal of my armor. This was another reminder, a collection of prayers. I opened the first square and read a prayer from my mother, asking the King to give me the knowledge of His will. As I took out another square, I could almost hear my grandfather’s voice, remembering how he prayed that I would live a life worthy of the King of Light—the one who loved me so much that He gave His life for me. A dear friend prayed for me to grow in endurance and patience, resting in the King who patiently withheld judgement for our wrongs and endured a gruesome death to pay our debt for us. Finally, an elder from my village prayed for the eyes of my heart to be opened to the hope of the King who conquered death, and for my inner being to be strengthened to know His love more deeply. Suddenly, sooty gloves gripped the cliff edge before me. Before I could even unsheathe my weapon, a dark rook pulled himself onto my ledge. Although I felt a small fissure of fear, I remembered that I belonged to the King of Light. I knew I could stand my ground because He stands against the enemy for me, and I can stand on Him. A wide smile split my face. “I am Ashva, knight of the Kingdom of Light!” I pulled my sword free, and light illuminated the night around me, stunning the dark rook. “And my King has already declared checkmate. Redemption is mine by the blood of the King!” • Savannah Coleman • As children of God, we still experience temptation, exhaustion, failure, and doubts. Thankfully, Jesus empathizes with us and offers unending forgiveness. Because His blood was shed for our sins, we have the confidence to come to His throne for help when we’re tempted, and also for forgiveness after we’ve ignored Him and given in to temptation (Hebrews 4:14-16). He has generously given us His Holy Spirit and His Word, the Bible, to help us. We also have the prayers of God’s people surrounding us. Who could you pray Colossians 1:9-14 over today? But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 1:1-18; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; EPHESIANS 5:8-20 I am Ashva, knight of the Kingdom of Light! Although weak from my journey, I repeated the truth aloud to bolster my strength. The King had sent me to deliver a message to the bishop of the north. Then I was to travel on to the castle of the nearby rook and await further orders. But the mountain road was long and treacherous. My horse’s muscles quivered beneath me, and I knew it was time to rest. I scanned the valley’s perimeter for enemies of the Light before dismounting. Snowdrop’s coat shimmered with sweat as she drank from the brook we rested by. I patted her neck and whispered soothing words. Suddenly, a reflection of something dark appeared on the surface of the water. Snowdrop snorted in alarm at the horse and rider standing across the brook. The gaunt horse was but a skeleton of itself, and smoke furled around the rider, creating a ghostly cloak. A knight from the Kingdom of Darkness. I knew I should flee, but I stood frozen, watching the knight move cautiously through the water toward me. What is in his hand? Some kind of new weapon— no, it’s only a piece of fruit! Relief flooded through me and a gasp of laughter escaped my lips. All he did when he reached my side of the brook was hold out the fruit like a peace offering. My mouth watered as I imagined biting into the flesh, juices cascading down my throat, satisfying my hunger… Snowdrop nudged my shoulder with a grunt of protest. Startled out of my reverie, I looked closer at the fruit. It was unlike any I’d seen in the Kingdom of Light. It is from the darkness, I realized. And I don’t belong to the darkness anymore. I am Ashva, knight of the Kingdom of Light! Our fruit consists of all that is good, right, and true. This is a trap. Whirling around, I jumped onto Snowdrop’s back, and we fled into the setting sun. • Savannah Coleman • Today’s story is an allegory for the spiritual battle we’re waging against the powers of darkness. Like in the game of chess, our enemy is plotting to trick us (2 Corinthians 2:11). However, unlike in chess, our King is by far the most powerful player on the board. And there’s no question that He will win, because Jesus died on the cross and rose again, taking the punishment for our sin and triumphing over the devil and all his forces (Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:9-23). If we know Jesus, we are part of the Kingdom of Light, no longer bound to the sin and death of the darkness. How can remembering our identity—that we are forgiven, beloved, and made righteous by King Jesus—help us resist temptation, and repent after we sin? For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth). Ephesians 5:8-9 (NIV)