Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 14:25-31 I don’t want to doubt, But sometimes the questions, They’re stronger than I want them to be. I don’t want to ignore, The many works, the many ways, You’ve proven yourself already. I want to be strong, But sometimes it’s all too heavy, I feel like I’m carrying a great load on my own. I don’t want to doubt, But sometimes I feel like Peter on the water, And everything I face is more than I can handle. God, take my doubt, Turn it into faith, Let me believe that you will act. God, take my doubt, Even when I struggle, when life is hard, Let me see you. God, take my doubt, When I’m held by you, strengthened by you, I know that I’ll be okay. • Emily Acker • Like Jesus reached out to save Peter when he was sinking beneath the waves, Jesus reaches out for us (Matthew 14:31). He came to rescue us from sin and death by dying for us and rising again. Can you think of a time you felt overwhelmed, and Jesus helped you? What was that like? • Throughout our lives, we will all have doubts related to our faith. Thankfully, whether we’re doubting because we’re going through something difficult or we simply have questions, God invites us to open ourselves up to Him and tell Him all about what we’re thinking and feeling. It can be so freeing to be honest with Him. He is never surprised or dismayed, and His love for us remains strong and sure. Consider taking some time to talk to Him now. Pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 63; 1 CORINTHIANS 2:10-12; 1 PETER 2 Do you long to deepen your relationship with God? Does your soul hunger and thirst for Him as David described in Psalm 63? I don’t know about you, but since I trusted Jesus to be my Savior before age five, I’ve known I need to go deeper with God and continually mature in my faith. Although I’ve been a follower of Christ for over thirty years, I still desire to grow in my faith, study the Word accurately, and allow the Holy Spirit to move His knowledge from my head to my heart. Sometimes, I’m still surprised by the things I don’t yet know, or the times I realize I haven’t had an accurate view of something in Scripture. Growing up in church, I often heard, “The Bible is God’s love letter to us,” “The Bible is God’s instruction book for our lives,” etc. Recently, I was astounded to learn that I’ve been thinking about things a bit backward: first and foremost, the Bible is a book about God Himself. It dawned on me that we live in such a me-centered culture that we’ve even made the Bible about us instead of about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our three-in-one God. Beyond this, the Bible is God’s story—with the themes of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration running throughout it. God created the world. Then Adam and Eve sinned, thus the Fall. But through Jesus’s death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection from the grave we can have redemption. And one day when Jesus returns, all will be restored. However, these four themes are not only in Genesis, the Gospels, and Revelation. They’re also woven through all the books and stories in the Bible—we just need to train our eyes to look for them. Upon learning these things, I decided to read my Bible cover to cover in a new way. Instead of my typical prayer, “God, what do you have to say to me today?” I pray, “God, show me who You are.” I thought I had grasped the depth of God’s heart, understood His love and justice, etc., but I realized I had only scratched the surface. As I read, underlining each name of God and His character traits, He has opened even deeper wells to show me who He is. • Savannah Coleman • Can you think of a time you realized you had misunderstood something in the Bible? How did God help you understand it better? None of us will ever “arrive,” no matter how much knowledge we obtain about God or how well we utilize that knowledge. There will always be opportunities to dive deeper. So let’s suit up and get our flippers on! As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 10:14; JOHN 1:12; ROMANS 8:14-23; HEBREWS 4:14-16; JAMES 1:5 What do marshmallows and missing dads have to do with each other? In one study in the 1970s, researchers asked a group of preschoolers if they wanted one marshmallow right then or two marshmallows a few minutes later. Some kids snatched one marshmallow right away, and others waited so they could have two. As they grew up, the kids who waited for two marshmallows generally made better life choices than those who ate one right away. And researchers found a pattern: children who ate their marshmallows right away—and later made poorer decisions in life—very often had a more unstable home life, and many did not have a dad at home. If you don’t have a dad at home, you may be thinking, “I make wise decisions all the time, thank you very much.” I know. I get it. That study irritates me too, because I grew up without a dad, and I’d like to think of myself as wise. But the scary truth is, as an adult, I might make wiser, stronger choices if I’d had a dad at home when I was a kid. But the good news is, God is faithful, and He wants to be our Father. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can have a restored relationship with God, and that means we have full access to our heavenly Father’s love and wisdom. In the Bible, lots of people didn’t have an earthly father, such as Esther and Joash. A cousin raised Esther, and God chose her to become queen of a pagan nation and save her people from slaughter. An aunt raised Joash, and God raised him to power as the youngest king of Judah ever, even enabling Joash to throw off the yoke of a tyrant. While Esther and Joash may have lacked an earthly father’s guidance, God worked through them in situations that required His extraordinary wisdom. You can read their stories in the book of Esther and in 2 Chronicles 22–24. While having a father on earth can be a tremendous blessing, having a heavenly Father is an even better one. Through Jesus, we can enjoy the love and guidance of a Father whose wisdom is available to all who ask...even to those who prefer their marshmallows now. • Holland Webb • Why does everyone—whether they have an earthly father or not—need Jesus in order to make truly wise decisions? (Proverbs 2:6; Romans 3:10-24) • Even though earthly fathers are imperfect, every believer in Jesus will always have a perfect heavenly Father. Does it comfort you to think of God as your Father? Why or why not? A father to the fatherless…is God in his holy dwelling. Psalm 68:5 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 16:33; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 Fall is a season of change. You may notice the leaves changing from crisp green to brilliant red to crunchy brown. You might observe café menu boards switching from fruit smoothies to pumpkin spice lattes. But the biggest mark of change is often the start of the school year. Every first day of school, I remember walking into the building with a strong grip on my backpack straps and my heart pounding like a banging gong. I didn’t want to feel nervous, but there were so many things to worry about. What if I didn’t have the same lunch hour as my friends and I ended up alone? What if my teachers weren’t understanding and my grades suffered? What if I had to go out of my comfort zone with presentations or group projects? The Bible tells us over and over again not to worry. And honestly, as someone who has struggled with anxiety, that can be difficult to hear. Doesn’t God know how many things there are to worry about? And change, which inevitably means facing unknowns, is the definition of anxiety-inducing. When I find myself spiraling into anxiety, I have learned to take deep breaths and remember Jesus. He’s with me, and He knows what I’m going through. He faced more than I’ll ever have to face, and while He often knew what was ahead, that didn’t make it any easier for Him. Jesus still had to experience the betrayal of friends, times of loneliness, and ultimately death on a cross. But then He rose again and made everything right. You may already know you have a notoriously strict teacher or zero classes with friends. Come to Jesus with your burdensome worries and rest in His gift of peace. Even though you will experience challenges this year, Jesus will never leave you to go through them alone. • Hannah Chung • What kinds of changes are you anticipating in the near future? As we experience change, it can help to remember that one thing will always stay the same: Jesus and His love for us. • How are you feeling about the start of a new school year? Whether you are excited, anxious, overwhelmed, or all of the above, consider sharing your feelings with Jesus. Spending time with Him is the best way to prepare for a new season of life. • When we’re facing changes or unknowns, how could it give us confidence to remember that Jesus already overcame death to offer us eternal life with Him, that He is more powerful than any changes we will face, and that He is with us no matter what? Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 23:32-34; EPHESIANS 4:26; PHILIPPIANS 1:6 Anger flowed through me as I pinned my friend against a tree, her feet dangling two inches above the ground. My older brother, a football player, could barely pull me off Cathy. I don’t remember what I was angry about, but I do remember how anger controlled me. I read the Bible and prayed daily, and I loved Jesus, but anger was a part of me as well. I’m not talking about righteous anger, the kind Jesus demonstrated when He drove the money changers away from the temple (John 2:14-17). No, I mean the kind of anger described in James 1:20: “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” Two years after I pinned Cathy against that tree, God started pursuing me about my anger. Finally I asked myself, “Why are you so angry?” I truly didn’t know. Later, God made it clear to me that my anger came from harboring unforgiveness in my heart. As I lay face-down before God, tears streaming down my face, I turned the whole sordid mess over to my Lord. That wasn’t the end of my struggle with anger, but it was the beginning of the end. I would give my hurt over to the Lord, and then I would take it back. I did this again and again. But, the quicker I would give it back to the Lord, the easier it became to leave it all at His feet. As He slowly taught me to let go of my unforgiveness, I felt anger lose its grip on me. If anyone has the right to harbor unforgiveness, it’s our heavenly Father. After all, we were responsible for nailing His perfect Son to a cross. Yet God extends mercy and grace to us without measure. In fact, it was through Jesus’s death and resurrection that God made the way for our sins to be forgiven. So, as Christians, we have no right to cling to unforgiveness. Instead we can come to Jesus with all our anger and trust Him to do His work in us. • Bonnie Haveman • Can you think of a time you felt overwhelmed by anger? What was that like? • Anger is not a sin in itself, but sometimes we give in to temptation more easily when we’re angry (Ephesians 4:26). If you struggle to control your anger, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it, such as a pastor, parent, counselor, or youth leader? • Can you think of a time you were angry and didn’t know why? Consider asking God to show you what is (or was) making you angry. You can bring Him any hurts, confess any sins that come to mind, rest in His sure forgiveness, and ask Him to guide you in how to move forward (1 John 1:9). Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

READ: ECCLESIASTES 7:10; JOHN 10:10; ROMANS 8:28-39; EPHESIANS 2:7-10 It was my junior year of high school, and I was miserable. The I-don’t-want-to-be-here leave-me-alone kind of miserable. I was supposed to be back at school with my friends in Kenya, where my parents were missionaries. Then the difficult decision was made not to return. I was devastated. So, I shut down. Like a robot, I would get up and go to school every day. At night, I would pour out my heart in letters to my friends in Africa where life was going on without me. One day at school I was in the girls’ bathroom having a good cry when my classmate Sheryl walked in. Noticing my puffy eyes, she asked if I was okay, and I blurted out everything. Sheryl listened like I was the most important person in the world and what I had to say mattered. Sheryl and her family had also lived in Africa but had to leave because of unsafe conditions. Looking me in the eyes, she spoke truth over me: Africa was in the past for both of us. She encouraged me to live in the right here and now. At first, I didn’t want to hear it. But then the truth sank in. Without even realizing it, my tattered soul had been giving in to the enemy, Satan, who only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus came so that we would have life to the full! And deep down in my heart, I knew that to be true. After that, I began to let my guard down and made some great friends. My junior and senior years were full of volleyball games, Thursday night Bible studies, play auditions, opportunities to sing, and so much more. I don’t think I would have ever even tried if Sheryl hadn’t nudged me to let go of the past and live life fully, without holding back. • Kelly Hope Parke • Have you been through a major life change recently? Even seemingly minor changes, like moving from one grade to the next, can be challenging. And letting go of the way things used to be can be painful and difficult. The good news is, Jesus is with you through the whole process, offering His strength and comfort. He won’t let you go through this change alone. He is with you through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Consider spending some time in prayer, asking Jesus to help you grieve what’s behind you and embrace what’s in front of you, thanking Him for the good things that were and the good things that are yet to come. [Jesus said,] “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-31; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:7; 5:17 My first day in Psychology 101, the instructor said, “There is no such thing as normal.” That really took me by surprise, but I was glad to hear it because I had never considered myself normal. I saw myself as a high strung, mixed-up teenager who grew into a high-strung, mixed-up adult. Go figure. But the truth is, God created me to be the person I am. He made each of us uniquely, and that’s a good thing. I’m not saying God wants us to wallow in our individual struggles and sin patterns—He doesn’t want me running around haphazardly, snapping at people, and wading through a river of worries and doubts. Instead, it’s like we’re diamonds in the rough, and God wants to shape us. Even though sin twists the talents and personalities God has given us, He still loves us, and He sees us as infinitely valuable. That’s why Jesus came to save and restore us through His death and resurrection. When we put our trust in Jesus, we become new creations, and His Spirit begins to transform every part of our personalities. Obsessive planning and compulsive hard work can be transformed into a God-honoring and solid work ethic, adding to any project or team. An active imagination that’s prone to worry can be guided by God to come up with awesome ideas to creatively minister to others and uplift them. And even though being impulsive can lead us into trouble, impulsivity can be remade into the courage needed to try something new in our walk with Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 1:27, Paul writes, “God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” I’ve always loved that verse because I don’t think God can find a more foolish person than me. Yet He works through imperfect people—people who are devoted to Him yet mess up every day—to do great things in His kingdom. My psychology teacher was right: there is no such thing as normal. I suppose life would be boring if there were. God created each of us uniquely in His image, and He calls us to serve one another through our differences. And even though we’ll all struggle with sin until Jesus returns, we can have hope knowing the Holy Spirit is always working in us. • Sharon Rene • How could it be helpful to remember there is no such thing as a “normal” human being? • What is one thing you like about the way God made you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB)

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20; 1 PETER 2:9 As I brushed my teeth, I examined the reflection of my nametag in the bathroom mirror. By now, the words were so familiar I could even read them backwards: “CHILD OF GOD.” I smiled as my other names echoed through my head: “Image-bearer.” “Chosen People.” “Ambassador.” “Temple of the Holy Spirit.” They each flashed onto my nametag briefly as I spat out my toothpaste before gathering my backpack and walking outside. Today will be different, I told myself. Today, I will be kind. Today, I won’t sin. Today, I will remember that I am a Child of God. I kept this promise really well…at first. I made it all the way to the school bus. Then Mason called my shoes “ratty” and went on and on about how my parents couldn’t buy me new Jordans because they were poor. I cringed as new nametags appeared elsewhere on my jacket, identifying me as “Ratty” and “Poor.” Burning with anger, I spat back, “At least my family cares about me! Your parents just buy you stuff to make you shut up!” A nametag with “Unloved” appeared on his sleeve as his fist collided with my nose. By the time the fight ended, we each had a few bruises, a week’s worth of detention, and several more unflattering nametags. After school, I slumped onto my bed, exhausted. Why, Lord? Why can’t I control myself? Why am I such an awful sinner? I sighed as “Sinner” arrived on my chest. I just need to be better. I just need to try harder. I just need… Silence filled my head. “You need Me,” Jesus’s voice answered. One by one, the nametags I had accumulated throughout the day disappeared. With each one that left, a weight lifted off of my heart. Finally, nothing was left but my one, true nametag: “CHILD OF GOD.” • Taylor Eising • Can you think of a time you felt like the characters in this allegorical story? According to today’s verses, who does Jesus say you are? What do you think it means to find our identity in Him? (If you want to dig deeper, read Ephesians 2.) • When we sin, it’s easy to get frustrated with ourselves and resolve to try harder. But the truth is, no matter how hard we try, we’ll struggle with sin until Jesus returns. Thankfully, God loves us with an unending love. He calls us to bring our sin to Him, confess it, rest in His forgiveness, and let Him remind us of who we are in Jesus. Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about any sins that come to mind, and any nametags you’ve picked up that aren’t your true identity. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name. John 1:12 (CSB)

READ: PROVERBS 3:5-6; MATTHEW 6:25-33; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-20 Have you ever been so busy that you felt like you didn’t have time for God? I know I have. From school to work to extracurriculars, not to mention family and friends, sometimes it seems like my to-do list is ten miles long. In busy times, I’m easily tempted to believe I don’t have the time or energy to read my Bible, memorize Scripture, or pray and seek God’s will. Recently I went through a season like that. I was feeling overwhelmed with difficult classes, a job opportunity, family stress, and more. I convinced myself that if I made God a priority, all the “real life” stuff wouldn’t get done. Then one day, while I was thinking about everything I had to do—and secretly feeling a bit guilty for not putting God first—a Bible verse popped into my head. It was 2 Peter 1:3, which says, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” Instantly, I felt both convicted and comforted as I realized I had gotten things totally backwards. God already has everything I need, and it’s available to me because I know Him through Jesus. By neglecting my relationship with God, I was actually making my own life harder, trying to do things on my own without first seeking His peace, strength, and guidance. It turns out, while things like college and career decisions are important, God is a lot more interested in my spiritual growth. Not only does God want to save me through Jesus, He wants to continue helping me learn to love and obey Him. Putting Him first may not make all my dreams come true, but it does something much better. It helps me grow in my relationship with the God of the universe, and that’s where I find everything I need for life. • Faith Lewis • What kinds of dreams and plans do you have for your life? It’s good to work hard and think about what we want, but Jesus calls us to hold our dreams with open hands. And as we press into relationship with Him, He shapes our desires and gives us rest (Psalm 127:1-2; Matthew 11:28-30). • Has there ever been a season when you had so much to do that you found it difficult to make time for God? We all go through times like this, but God is eager to help us and provide joy, direction, strength, and much more. How could you spend intentional time with God—in His Word, in prayer, and with His people—this week? His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 (CSB)

READ: ROMANS 5:6-11; 8:1, 38-39; 1 JOHN 4:15 Recently I started taking voice lessons. When I first met my voice teacher, we talked for a long time, and she told me about how she studied contemporary Christian music in college. She also told me that when she was my age, she felt that God was calling her to sing for people on death row. She said that sometimes people wouldn’t receive it well, but other times it would really have an effect on them. It’s interesting to think about, because anyone who’s ever lived has sinned. And in God’s eyes, every sin is deserving of death—whether it’s something major, like killing someone, or something seemingly minor, like telling a fib. We have all broken God’s perfect law. And in doing so, it’s kind of like we were all on spiritual death row. We all need forgiveness equally. But then Jesus came, and He took the punishment for our sin. Jesus is God the Son, and even though He never sinned, He suffered the death that we deserved. And then, He rose again, declaring that everyone who puts their trust in Him is forgiven and forever freed from death row. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He offers us the gift of salvation. And it’s not just for the seemingly “righteous” or “good people.” It’s for the lost and hopeless sinner. And the truth is, that’s all of us. We are all desperately in need of Jesus. And this gift of salvation is for anyone who puts their trust in Jesus. No matter who you are, or what you’ve done—even if right now you are literally on death row for committing a horrible crime—God still loves you, and it’s not His desire that anyone should perish, but that all should come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and have eternal life (2 Peter 3:9). • Elizabeth Blanton • Do you ever feel that you’re too far gone for God’s grace? How does it feel to know that God loves you so much that He would send His only Son to die for you? If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page. • Do you ever look at others and think they’re too far gone for God’s grace? According to today’s Scripture, how does God see all of us? • If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28; Luke 5:27-32; John 3:16-17; Romans 3:23-24; 1 Timothy 2:4; James 2:10-11; 2 Peter 3:9. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 18:21-35; COLOSSIANS 3:12-14 "How many times should I forgive?” I asked. “My friend has hurt me far too many times. Would seven times forgiving be enough, so pain would disappear and peace be mine?” But then I heard Him say, “No, not enough.” And then He named a number far too high— I could not fathom how that could be done until I looked into His gentle eyes. He seemed to know that I might need it too, forgiveness from another in my path, someone who I might hurt along the way; and I would seek forgiveness, not His wrath. How many times? Now in my heart I know; from Him, a never-ending surplus will flow. This love will follow everywhere I go… • Sharon Roberts • It can be hard to forgive someone who has hurt us. But Jesus doesn’t call us to do it alone. If we’ve put our trust in Him, we can know that He is with us always. And, through His Holy Spirit, He gives us the grace, healing, and love we need to forgive those who wrong us. Remember, God has forgiven all our sins—past, present, and future—through Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. When we look to the cross, it helps us see that we are on equal ground with the person who has hurt us. We need Jesus and His forgiveness just as much as they do. Consider spending some time in prayer, thanking God for His forgiveness and asking Him to help you see the person who wronged you as He sees them. • In some cases of deep hurt, forgiveness might include setting up loving boundaries to prevent further sin and harm. If you’re wondering if you might need to set some boundaries, who are trusted adults you can talk to about it, such as pastors, parents, youth leaders, and counselors? Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 145:18-19; EPHESIANS 5:18; 1 JOHN 5:14 5/30/25 God, please help my family. I don’t like it when my stepmom, Anna, drinks. I want to love her, but it’s hard when she’s drinking. She turns into a completely different person. I’ve avoided coming to my dad’s house because her drinking is pulling our family apart. Please help. 6/15/25 Today was Father’s Day. While I’m grateful for my dad and Anna, it was uncomfortable for me to come and visit. I get nervous when she drinks around me. I know that, at a certain point into her drinking, I can’t talk to her at all. At least I can talk to You, Jesus. Can You help my family find a solution? 7/1/25 Today we had an intervention for my stepmom’s drinking. I organized it. My dad, sisters, and I all shared how her drinking has affected us. While it was a painful experience to go through, I’m glad we did it. I think it has brought us closer together. We even learned that Anna wants to go back to school to get her MBA! That is so awesome! I’m proud of the progress our family is making. 7/10/25 Anna and my dad began attending an alcholism recovery group together. They both stopped drinking. Thank You, Lord, for helping Anna overcome her addiction. 8/25/25 So I found out the news when I came home from school today. In fact, no one had to tell me. I spotted a red wine stain on the floor, and then went upstairs to find Anna—drinking. I thought You were going to help our family out, Lord. Now she’s spiraling into this addiction again—I can’t take it! Why are You putting my family through this? What are we supposed to do? Please help us, Jesus, please. • Amber Metz • Today’s devotion is based on a true story. Have you ever tried to help a loved one with an addiction? Are you struggling with an addiction yourself? Who can you talk with about these tough issues—such as a pastor, parent, teacher, counselor or someone else you trust? * • It can be difficult to know how to show the love of Christ to a loved one who is struggling with an addiction. God calls us to show tenderhearted compassion to those who are hurting, which may include setting up healthy boundaries in some situations. And even when we aren’t sure what it looks like to love someone well, God provides an abundance of wisdom and guidance through His Word (the Bible), His Holy Spirit, and His people (the church), and He empowers us to do whatever He calls us to do. What questions do you have about loving someone who has an addiction? • Jesus is always there. He knows your hurts, so you can talk with Him about anything (Psalm 56:8; Romans 8:26-27; Hebrews 4:14-16). What things from your life can you cry out to God about today? • There is hope for every broken situation because Jesus has already defeated sin, death, and the devil through His own death and resurrection. Yet oftentimes the road to recovery is not straightforward. Thankfully, Jesus has promised to walk with us every step of the way. His love and forgiveness do not waver. And if we’ve put our trust in Him, we can look forward to the day He will return and make all things new—then terrible things like addiction will be gone forever. If you want to know more about this good news, check out our "Know Jesus" page. * 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 appoin...

READ: ROMANS 2:11; 5:8; JAMES 3:13-18 At age eight, I collected bottle caps with no idea of what I’d do with them. I kept those colorful items in our backyard where my brother, who I’ll call “Randall,” and I played. After a while, I forgot about them. Then one day, I joined Randall and our mom in the kitchen and spotted something on the table. It was a small wooden board with lots of colorful bottle caps nailed onto it in a clever arrangement. “Randall made that for me,” Mama explained. I questioned Randall about the caps and realized he’d used the ones I’d saved. I indignantly announced that Randall had taken what was mine. I acted injured and innocent even after Randall apologized and promised he didn’t know I was holding onto them. But the truth was, I wasn’t so disappointed that Randall had used the bottle caps. I was, however, so jealous of his interesting idea and the way he’d made a present for Mama. I didn’t want the bottle caps back—I wanted to be the kid who produced something that, to me, looked like artwork. Because of my jealousy, I didn’t want to accept Randall’s apology or play with him. I didn’t want to think of another present I could create for Mama. I just wanted to stay mad. Jesus understands human emotions and temptations, including jealousy. While there is such a thing as godly jealousy (2 Corinthians 11:1-4), God’s Word cautions us about sinful jealousy, which steals our peace and brings disorder. It keeps us from experiencing God’s best—in our own hearts, in relationship with others, and in our fellowship with Him. My envy of Randall caused me to overlook the truth that Mama loved me just as much as my brother, even though I hadn’t presented her with a gift. It’s the same with God—He does not show favoritism, and He does not love us any more, or any less, based on what we do. Even when we fall into jealousy, He still loves us. And, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus for forgiveness and new life, He helps us turn away from jealousy and rest in His love. • Allison Wilson Lee • What is an area of your life where you feel insecure? Do you find yourself getting jealous of people who seem to succeed in something you struggle with? Consider taking some time to be honest with God about your feelings. You can bring Him your hurts and fears, confess any sins that come to mind, and rest in His sure forgiveness and infinite love. • If you want to dig deeper, read Exodus 34:14; Romans 13:12-14; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 12:12-27; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:19-26. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 84:3; 139:1-18; MATTHEW 10:29-31; LUKE 12:6-7 I love bird watching. Birds are amazing creatures, and their design showcases God’s ingenuity and creative power. In my yard I see mostly sparrows, not the most exotic of the bird kind, yet as I watch them many truths reverberate in me. The sparrow is a common bird, found on nearly every continent, yet it is mentioned in the Bible on more than one occasion. In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, for example, we read that Jesus mentioned sparrows. They were a small, common, and cheap bird. One copper coin (which would be less than a dollar in today’s economy) could get you two, but Jesus said that, even though they seem to have little value in the world’s eyes, God the Father knows when each one falls, and He cares. Then Jesus said, the very hairs of our head are numbered by God, so we don’t need to fear, because we are “worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31). Our God knows when an everyday common bird falls to the ground, yet our hairs are numbered! To me, this is both humbling and encouraging. God, who created the entire universe, is intimately involved in all of His creation—from the littlest bird to His beloved image bearers (Genesis 1:26-27). It’s easy to feel distracted, lost, and even worthless as we go through life in this broken world, but when we turn to Scripture, it reminds us that God deeply loves, cares for, and is involved in all of His wonderful creation. Not only does our loving God remember each sparrow, He tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14; Luke 12:6). We are a part of God’s creation, and if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are a part of His family, and that is a wonderful thing! • Stephanie Mathews • Why do you think the world seems to value things that are rare and exotic more than things that are common and ordinary? Do you think that’s how God sees His creation? • How could you take some time to be outside and behold God’s creation this week, whether through bird watching or some other way? [Jesus said,] “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” Luke 12:6 (NIV)

READ: 1 KINGS 19:1-18; MATTHEW 17:1-8; JOHN 10:27-28 Listen. It calls in the treetops. Be still. It roars on the waves. Shh. It croons in the meadow. Listen. It whispers in the wind. For as long as Aylen could remember, she had heard it. The Voice. It was one of her earliest memories. The Voice crooning to her—just as the nursery rhyme said—as she lay in a meadow of flowers. Whenever she thought about that day, a confusion of emotions flooded her. It should have been a day of sorrow and fear—the day she had lost her parents. Instead, all she could remember was being surrounded by The Voice. It sang to her until one of the village shepherds found her sitting on a blanket in the middle of the field. Alone. She loved The Voice. It filled her with joy and peace, comforting her in the absence of her parents. But as she grew up, The Void seemed to grow stronger, and The Voice seemed harder to hear. Now, Aylen watched from her vantage point on the valley’s tallest surrounding hill, as her village was swallowed by the sticky darkness of The Void. Early on, Aylen had tried to reason with the villagers. “Listen. The Voice will rescue you. The Voice is stronger than The Void.” Her friends had mocked her. “The Voice isn’t even real, Aylen. It’s just a story.” “It can defeat The Void,” she insisted. But no one wanted to hear it. And so, The Void crept steadily on. By the time the people were ready to listen, it was too late. Following The Voice’s instructions, Aylen had led the survivors to this hill. Turning from the devastation, Aylen raised her hands to catch the others’ attention. “Listen.” The people stilled. A powerful gust of wind blew in from the east, whipping at their clothes before settling into a gentle breeze. One by one the survivors fell to their knees, eyes wide with wonder. Aylen smiled. The Voice, speaking words of hope to those who would hear. And just like that, The Void was pushed back by a whisper in the wind. • Jessica McFarland • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by many Old Testament prophets who listened to the voice of God. They spoke about God’s great power and love, and they urged the people to turn back to Him and follow His good ways. In particular, this story is based on 1 Kings 19:1-18, when the prophet Elijah heard the voice of God as “a gentle whisper” (verse 12). Elsewhere in the Bible, it says that God sings over us with joy and surrounds us with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7; Zephaniah 3:17). When you think of God’s voice, what do you think of? • All the Old Testament prophets pointed ahead to the greatest prophet: Jesus Christ (Luke 13:33; John 6:14; Acts 3:22-23). He is fully human, yet He is also fully God. He came to save us from darkness—but the way He defeated sin, death, and the devil was unexpectedly peaceful. Jesus let people put Him to death on a cross, though He had done nothing wrong. They didn’t realize He was taking all our sin upon Himself, and they didn’t know He would rise from the grave three days later. But now, He invites all of us to put our trust in Him—to listen to His voice and follow (John 10:27-28). For more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page. • Sometimes the darkness of our broken world can be overwhelming, but God is infinitely more powerful than the darkness. As we look forward to the day Jesus will return and make all things new, we can rest in His joy and peace because He is with us. He offers us His comfort through His Holy Spirit (who lives inside Christians), His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Can you think of any ways God has given you comfort in hard times? Consider taking a...

READ: GENESIS 50:15-21; ROMANS 8:18-39 My teenage desire was to belong to an encouraging community where I could bless others with my gifts. But I struggled to cling to that dream when my high school experience was a time of loneliness, anxiety, and uprooted plans. After being rejected by cliques, feeling alone at church, and living through the pandemic, I was eager to move out for college. People assured me that this would be where I’d find community and pursue my dreams. But after experiencing even more anxiety and isolation due to campus tensions and a manipulative roommate, the healthiest choice for me was to move back home and transfer to an online university. Through many tearful nights, I wondered what God could possibly do with my fizzled dreams and frazzled hope. Did my painful past deprive me of a future purpose? In the book of Genesis, we meet a man named Joseph. He had a boatload of dreams—and challenges. He received visions of becoming a ruler someday, which he shared with his jealous brothers. They sold him into slavery, which caused Joseph to lose his reputation, autonomy, and community. Eventually, he wound up in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Yet God was still with Joseph no matter his circumstances. As a result of God’s work in and around Joseph, he became an important ruler in Egypt and even forgave his brothers. God used the hardships Joseph overcame to make him a strong leader, reliant on God, and humble enough to forgive. Joseph’s life was purposeful because even when the future looked bleak, his needs were satisfied in God alone. As Christians, “we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28). Our call is not to let go of our dreams and give into despair. Our call is to surrender our dreams to God, trusting He has an even better purpose in store for us. No matter how challenging our past may be, nothing can thwart the wonderful plans God has for His beloved children. • Hannah Chung • What dreams do you have? It’s great to dream and plan for the future! But God calls us to hold those dreams with open hands, knowing that He is the One in control, and He loves us. • Can you think of a time you saw something good come out of a difficult time, whether in your life or in the life of someone else? Consider taking some time to thank God for that! [Joseph said,] “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

READ: GENESIS 1:27; PSALM 139:13-18; ROMANS 5:8; 8:38-39 Self-worth is something we all struggle with. Photoshopped and filtered images are plastered on every magazine, in every store, and all over social media. All the while, our own accomplishments are advertised, and our shortcomings are hidden. The world tells us that looking good and being successful are the two most important things to strive for—and that if we aren’t achieving greatness by our looks or performance, our value as a human significantly decreases. Or does it? While the world uses these things to define value, God says that success and appearances have nothing to do with the measure of our worth. Humans have value because we have each been created in the image of God. Even though the first humans rejected God, and we have all rejected Him since then, He still loves us. He loves us so much that, when we were separated from Him and broken because of our sins, He reached out to us. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice before you and I were even born. He died on the cross for our sins, and He rose from the grave to give us new life. Now, God invites us to join His family through faith in Jesus. There is nothing we need to earn. Each child of God has a unique purpose in God’s kingdom, and this is not based on whether their accomplishments or beauty outweigh their weaknesses. God’s power is made perfect in weakness anyway—weakness doesn’t lessen our worth as image-bearers of God or as children of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). We are each of magnificent value simply for being created in the image of God. And, as Christians, our identity is anchored in being known and loved by God. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rest in the truth that there is nothing we can do that would seperate us from the love of God and nothing we can do to lose or lessen our worth. We are forever—eternally—valued by God. Therefore, we also ought to value ourselves. You are called to treat yourself as the daughter or son of the great King that you are, and treat others the same way. • Lauren N. Trittin • When was the last time you felt truly valued by others? What did they do to make you feel your worth? • How does what Jesus did—when He died on the cross and rose from the grave—make it so that we don’t have to perform to be loved by God? (For more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.) “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:1-12; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 PETER 5:7 Have you ever thought about God going to school? He has attended school for as long as it’s been going on—He watches all that happens in the world, and He is with you everywhere. So when you’re struggling to make a basket in P.E.—God is there. When you can’t make sense of algebra—God is there. And when your crush doesn’t even know you’re alive—God is there. I remember the day I fell out of the school bus. I was in seventh grade, not a particularly easy time of my life, and I was riding the bus home. As I stepped off the last step, my foot caught. I tumbled to the ground, books flying in all directions. My house was at the bottom of a grassy hill, so instead of walking that day, I rolled on home. I could hear everyone’s laughter as the doors shut and the bus drove away. I’d like to say I just got up, gathered my books, and laughed about the whole thing. I didn’t. I cried, and cried, and cried. It wasn’t life-shattering. I didn’t die, but I still remember that day, and it’s been many years since I was in seventh grade. Thankfully, I’m not the only one who’s felt this way. In Psalm 56:8, David says that God collects his tears in a bottle. Our sorrows and embarrassments are so important to God that David envisions God storing them in a bottle. He must have quite a collection of my tears, much of them from my school days. There will be hard days at school, work, church, home, and everywhere else you find yourself, but don’t worry—you’ll survive. School doesn’t last forever, but God’s love does. Jesus has promised to always be with us, and He can empathize with what we’re going through because He “became human and made his home among us” (John 1:14). He experienced all our suffering here on earth, ultimately enduring an excruciating death on a cross. And then, He rose from the grave in order to end suffering forever. If we know Jesus, we have hope in His promise to return one day to make all things new and wipe every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:3-5). Consider taking a moment right now to thank God that He cares about every tear you cry—and every tear you stifle. You can ask Him to remind you that He goes with you tomorrow, whether you’ll be in school or somewhere else. Tomorrow won’t be perfect, but it will be better knowing God is walking down those halls beside you. • Sharon Rene • How does it make you feel to imagine God right next to you? Why? 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: PSALM 143:7-8; MATTHEW 14:22-33 When worry invades each hope and dream, When fretful nights keep you awake, Keep your eyes on God. When panic drowns your heart and mind, Give God each problem, each anxious thought. Trust in Him. He is Master of the waves, Author of lives. Jesus, Messiah who hears each cry. Focus on Him. Holy Trinity, Three in One, loving, Ready to respond, patiently waiting. Trust in Him. • Cindy Lee • In Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus walked on water. Then Peter walked on water too—when he kept his eyes on Jesus. But when Peter looked away, he began to sink. And yet, Jesus reached down and saved Peter. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, amazing things happen. But even when we get distracted, Jesus reaches down and pulls us back up. When do you struggle to trust and remain focused on Jesus—the one who loves you deeply and gave His life for you so you could have a relationship with Him? Consider spending some time talking to Him about it. He loves to hear from you. Nothing you could say could surprise Him or make Him love you any less. In fact, He invites you to be totally honest with Him so He can reveal His love to you in deeper and deeper ways. • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 6:6; 34:5; 116:1-7; Matthew 8:23-27; 11:28-30; Acts 3:15; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 12:1-3; 1 Peter 5:7; 2 Peter 3:9. Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you. Psalm 143:8 (WEB)

READ: JUDGES 2:16-23; 10:15; 17:6 In the book of Judges, God’s people are spinning in a sin cycle—rebellion, repentance, rescue, and restoration. They cycle twelve times, once for each of the twelve judges within the book. And if we look closely, we’ll probably see ourselves in the story. Rebellion. The people rebelled against God. Instead of obeying Him, they followed their own way. We’ve all believed the same lie at times: “If it feels good, do it.” And Israel did. The Bible says that “in those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). Repentance. But following their own way got them into deep trouble. Desperate, they repented and cried out for a Rescuer. We see this in Judges 10:15: “But the Israelites said to the Lord, ‘We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.’” Rescue. God saved them! In His great love, He sent twelve judges—like Deborah, Gideon, and Samson—to rescue them from their enemies. Judges 2:18 says, “Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies.” Restoration. The verse goes on to say, “The Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them” (Judges 2:18). Because He loves His people, God restored them to Himself. In the same way, God loves you and wants a relationship with you. Sadly, whenever a judge died, the people circled back to rebellion. It was a spinning cycle of death. No judge could save them or restore their relationship with God forever. Only Jesus can. Jesus is our Great Judge. God in flesh came to pay the price for our sin on the cross so we could be forgiven. He rescued us from the spinning cycle of sin and death, and He restored us to a forever relationship with God. There is no sin too big that He can’t forgive, or too addictive that He can’t break through and give you freedom. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus broke the power of sin and death. And He gives you the power to live free. • Lenae Bulthuis • Isn’t it good to know that God is with us moment by moment? Think about it: if you know Jesus, the Creator of the entire universe is with you right now. And He will never leave you. When you feel afraid, or hurt, or worried, or alone, He’s there. Always. He loves you, and He wants to help you know His love more and more (Ephesians 3:14-21). Can you think of a time you were acutely aware that God was with you? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to thank God for His constant presence with you, and ask Him to help you notice some of the ways He is showing kindness to you today. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9; HEBREWS 12:2; 1 PETER 5:6-9 Life can be overwhelming. From a bad day at school to a betrayal by people we thought were our friends, sometimes we don’t know how to respond. Feeling overwhelmed or anxious is a common problem, but it’s not a new one. Though today we have social media and busy schedules contributing to our stress, people who lived thousands of years ago felt overwhelmed and anxious too. Thankfully, God has not left us to deal with this problem on our own. What does God’s Word remind us to do when we feel overwhelmed and anxious? In Philippians 4, Paul has some advice that is as fitting for us today as it was for the Christians in Philippi back then. First, Paul reminds them (and us) to find joy in Jesus. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). Jesus is our real source of hope and meaning, but many things can distract us from the hope we have in Him. The good news is, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us, reminding us of God’s love and His unshakable promises—which are all tied to Jesus’s death on the cross for us and His wonderful resurrection from the grave. That sounds good, right? But it’s still hard to do. How do we remember Jesus and rejoice when we don’t feel like it? In verses 6 and 7, Paul says that when we feel anxious, we should turn to God in prayer, talking to Him about the burdens we’re carrying and laying them at His feet. Then Paul shares this promise: peace from God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Paul doesn’t stop there though. In verses 8 and 9, he challenges us to set our minds and hearts on the right things. Sometimes we feel stressed out and overwhelmed because we buy into the lies we encounter every day, lies that say things like “God isn’t good” or “He doesn’t really love us,” and we forget the truth of God’s Word. So Paul says to dwell on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, morally excellent, and praiseworthy. As we wait for Jesus to return and make all things new, there will be times when we feel overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure. But we can know that Jesus is always with us, and as we turn to Him in prayer and dig into His Word, we find that He is the source of true peace. • Phil Cox • Have you ever experienced God’s comfort when you felt anxious or overwhelmed—maybe through a Bible verse or passage, a beautiful sunset, or a hug from a friend? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this, and then bring Him any burdens you are carrying today. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 6:37-40; 10:27-30; 15:15; ROMANS 8:31-39 Willow, Madison, and Emilia had been best friends since preschool. But one day, everything changed in the concession line. Emilia said to Willow, “No one wants you here anymore!” Willow turned around to see if Emilia was talking to someone else. She wasn’t. “I’m talking to you, Willow,” said Emilia. “No one wants you here!” “Why?” Willow looked at Madison, who shrugged her shoulders but said nothing. Without using words, Madison pushed Willow away too. So, she ran, her mind racing faster than her feet. What had she done? Why did they crowd her out now? What was wrong with them? What was wrong with her? If you’ve ever been pushed out of a group of friends, you know how painful it can be. Maybe they told you they didn’t want you there, or maybe you realized the others in the group kept hanging out without you. Maybe you wondered, Why did they push me away? Jesus made a promise about those who belong to Him. He said, “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). When you belong to Jesus, He will never push you away, turn His back on you, or walk out. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. Jesus won’t forget your name, lose your number, or get sick of spending time with you. Not even death can separate you from Him. Jesus will never crowd you out. He died on the cross for you because He wanted to be your friend. And He rose from the grave, so you can know that He will stick close by your side no matter what. Even when you feel alone, He is there. He wants to comfort you and help you figure out what’s next, whether that looks like restoring old friendships or making new ones. With Jesus, there’s always room for one more. No one is left behind or crowded out! • Lenae Bulthuis • Can you think of a time you were excluded from a friend group, left out of weekend plans, or removed from a group chat? Can you think of a time you excluded someone else? • Jesus promises never to push you away. Nothing can separate you from Him. Even on your worst days, He sticks close. Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about His promise to you. You can thank Him for His love and forgiveness, and you can also ask Him to help you see others (both the excluders and the excluded) as He does. For I am convinced that neither death nor life…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 1:12-13; ROMANS 5:1-11; EPHESIANS 2:1-10 It’s tough being best friends with a brain. I know because that was my story. My best friend Jean was nicknamed “The Brain” in middle school, and it stuck. The upside was she got me through my math classes. Thank you, Jean! The downside is that I put incredible pressure on myself to keep up with her, which I never could. Does getting good grades stress you out? Maybe you feel pressured to keep up with your siblings or meet your parents’ expectations. Perhaps you live test by test, always wondering if your grades are high enough for the honor roll or good enough to stay on the football team. If so, take a deep breath and read slowly. Getting good grades is good, but it’s not everything. Sound scandalous? Well, there’s something infinitely more important than grades. Your greatest standing is not in your class rank; it’s in Jesus. Romans 5:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” That good news is a mouthful. So let’s break it down. One thing matters above all things: your relationship with God. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, believing He died on the cross and rose from the grave to forgive your sins, you are God’s child. You have gained the greatest standing possible. You belong to God today and forever. This is the greatest thing about you, and you don’t have to study for it, pull an all-nighter, or memorize your notes. It’s a gift from God to you. When you understand that you are God’s child no matter what, everything else falls into its right perspective. Work hard at school, but don’t stress. You are not your grade, class standing, or university admission letter. You are God’s beloved child, and nothing matters more. • Lenae Bulthuis • Do you feel pressure to get good grades or succeed in some other way? Does that pressure come from others or yourself? • It’s easy to fall into believing that our identity is somehow tied to our performance. But the truth is, beforeyou could even do anything, God already loved you completely. It was worth it to Him to suffer the cross so that you could be forgiven and become His child. You could never earn God’s love, and you could never make God stop loving you. How can remembering Jesus’s death and resurrection help us see achievements like grades and athletics in the right perspective? See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 8:28-39; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7; REVELATION 21:1-5 "No season is wasted.” I smiled when I read those words. My friend had handed the sticker to me, sensing that I needed it. She was right. Not only the words, but the picture beside them: two yellow flowers. At a particularly painful moment in my life last year, this friend had noticed yellow flowers growing in front of my old house, and she told me she felt like those flowers were God saying that He was making something new in my life. When I pointed out the flowers on the sticker, my friend gasped. “I hadn’t even noticed that!” I smiled again and shook my head. Of course you did that, God. “No season is wasted.” That statement brought a bit of healing to my heart. The past year had been one of the hardest of my life, and all the well-meaning pleasantries were falling flat. “It will get better!” Are you sure about that? “Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not the end!” Well, most of Jesus’s apostles were gruesomely martyred, so I don’t think everything turned out “all right” in their earthly lives. “Something good will come out of this that will make it all worth it!” While some good things have come out of this, I’m not convinced the math adds up. But the phrase on my friend’s sticker hit home. It offered no empty promise of things getting better. It didn’t try to make my situation good. It didn’t pressure me to somehow feel happy about everything. Instead, it simply pointed out that this situation isn’t wasted. That God can take this painful mess and, somehow, use it for His purposes. I don’t know exactly what those purposes are or how my situation can be used in them, but He does. He died and rose again because He loves me, and while I may never see the good He is doing in this situation during my lifetime, I know that He is at work. And honestly, that’s enough. • Taylor Eising • When you’ve gone through difficult times, what truths from God’s Word has He used to bring you comfort? Consider spending some time thanking Him for these. • Who are trusted Christians in your life who can point you to Jesus when you’re struggling? For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:5 (NIV)

READ: ISAIAH 40:11; JOHN 10:27-29; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7 "It’s okay; I’ve got you.” The parent rocks their baby, holding them close. “You’re okay.” How many times have you seen this play out? You hear a young baby crying and then see an adult rocking them or patting them on the back, soothing them. Or you hear a toddler crying and see them looking afraid of everyone around them. They want nothing to do with anybody—except for the one holding them. The toddler puts their face in the shoulder of the adult they know and love, and is comforted. Watching interactions like these can help us understand God in a deeper way. When life is too much for us and we feel overwhelmed or scared, God will hold us like a parent holds their young child. When everything around us seems to be falling apart, or we’re surrounded by strangers and we don’t know what to do, we can turn to God and be held. Like an attentive parent, God knows how to comfort us when things are too intense for us. Like a parent, He loves us. Like a parent, He will hold us and help us through every hard situation we face. You are never alone. In your fear or loneliness, imagine God holding you. Maybe even picture Him patting you on the back or rocking you. When everything is falling apart and everything seems overwhelming, you can bury your face into your Savior’s shoulder where He promises love and comfort. He’s got you, and everything will be okay. • Emily Acker • Have you ever heard God called a Good Father? Have you ever imagined Him as the Father of a baby or a toddler? How does this image make you feel? • We all have times when we feel overwhelmed or afraid. And it’s even worse when it feels like we’re on our own. Thankfully, we will never outgrow the arms of God. He wants so badly to be our Father that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave so we could be adopted as His children. How could knowing that God will hold you make the future seem a little less scary? • Have you ever gone through a situation where you were keenly aware that you needed God’s help? Were there any ways you noticed God comforting you or helping you through that time? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. [Jesus said,] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 16:22; 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-14; REVELATION 21:1-5 "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Through my father’s sobbing and his slurred speech, I could piece together the message: Mom had died. It didn’t really register for me then, but now, a year and a half later, it has. In the moment, accepting what I’d just heard was impossible enough, but to even consider that a future existed seemed as likely as Star Wars becoming reality. Whether I knew it or not, life, in its entirety, had changed. As the months passed, more and more realizations set in every day. She would never see me graduate, never see me get married, never meet her grandchildren. All of these life events that should be celebrated would always be shrouded by a thick set of black clouds. Even so, people approached me during the viewing and funeral, trying to comfort me with sentiments of, “It’ll be okay,” and “She’s in a better place.” I would have appreciated these statements if they were said after those first couple of months. When the world has crumbled, logical beliefs don’t mean much. It was well after the funeral that I recalled a verse that would bring healing and a modicum of understanding to my soul: Revelation 21:4. Reading that verse and others like it quiets my heart and soul, finally giving me a moment— even if it is just a moment—of peace and understanding. In my overwhelming grief, I’ve had one hope to cling to: Mom is with Jesus forever. We will be reunited because He rose from the grave. And then there will be no more tears. • Carson D. Jacobs • Have you lost someone close to you? How has this loss affected you? Everyone mourns differently, but sometimes we try to avoid mourning, which can be unhealthy. Remember, Jesus took time to grieve during His life on earth. And even now, He sits beside us in our pain and weeps with us. Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about what you’ve experienced and how you’ve felt. You can be totally honest with Him. You don’t need to hold anything back. • Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to save us, everyone who has put their trust in Jesus can look forward to the day He will raise us from our graves to live with Him forever in renewed creation (Revelation 21:1-5). Why is the promise of the resurrection so important, especially when we’re grieving? He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Revelation 21:4 (CSB)

READ: ISAIAH 9:6-7; 26:3-4; 53; JOHN 14:27 The book of Isaiah begins with a mess. The people’s rebellion against God was serious, and the consequences of their sin brought devastation, brokenness, and hopelessness. Things were not the way they were supposed to be. There was no peace. In Isaiah 1-12, people looked for peace in all the wrong places. They trusted in foreign kings, other gods, unfaithful leaders, and their own power and plans. But nothing gave them peace. Why? Because only Jesus can give us true peace. The purpose of Isaiah’s book was to call the people back to God, and to tell them a Messiah was coming. The prophet Isaiah said, “For a child will be born for us…He will be named…Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). That child was born, and His name is Jesus. Jesus died and rose again to make everlasting peace in our relationship with God the Father. Out of His great love for us, He took all our sins and wrongdoing to the cross where “he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus is our peace. If we’ve put our trust in Him, we can rest knowing we have peace with God. Isaiah 26:3 even says, “You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.” Much like the Israelites, we also face times when things are not how they’re supposed to be. And, much like the Israelites, we often look to created things rather than to God. Maybe we panic, party, or create a new playlist. Maybe we avoid everything that makes us anxious—skipping school, quitting soccer, or choosing a seat as far away as possible from that person. While those things may give us an immediate sense of relief, it’s temporary. The only source of true, lasting peace is a relationship with Jesus. Nothing you face is too much or too broken for Him to put back together again. • Lenae Bulthuis • The Hebrew word translated “peace” in the Bible is shalom, which means everything is complete and whole and operating in right relationship to each other. We will never fully experience this type of peace until Jesus returns, but He gives us glimpses of it through His Spirit, His Word, and His people. How have you seen glimpses of shalom in your life? • We all have times when we find it difficult to relax or feel at peace, yet Jesus is still with us, helping us. When you feel this way, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk to? [Jesus said,] “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.” John 14:27 (CSB)

READ: GENESIS 2:7; 1 KINGS 19:11-13; JOHN 3:8; ACTS 2:1-4 The Wind is a song that echoes free Bringing my Savior close to me. In my soul I hear Him say, “I AM here, not far away.” The Wind is a song that echoes true Singing, Christ, my Lord, of You. The living breath is breathed above Defying death and sending love. The Wind is a call of brightening hope Though I search in thought and in darkness grope. Through valley deep and mountains steep In Your peaceful rest I’ll sleep. The trees, they dance, for You are near, Losing loss and frightening fear. After death, You did breathe And the Wind has told it since. Since after death, You did breathe, Now I can sleep in rest. • Rachel Boetig • God made everything in nature, and He reveals Himself in so many wonderful ways, including through His creation. Can you think of a time when you felt like God was speaking to you personally through nature? What was that like? • When Jesus became human and lived among us, He inhaled and exhaled like we do. Yet, unlike us, He also commanded the very wind, and it obeyed (Mark 4:35-41). As we think about the cross, how striking it is that the God of all creation “breathed his last” (Mark 15:37). But, after three days in a tomb, He breathed again. So now, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus has the sure hope of new life. We will be raised from the dead at Jesus’s return, and in the meantime we have His Holy Spirit living in us. And the Bible often uses words like wind and breath when it talks about the Holy Spirit. If you want to dig deeper, read Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 1:1-4; 11:25; 20:22; Colossians 1:15-23. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV)

READ: JONAH 1-3; LUKE 15:1-7 Picture this: God asks me to go to a new school. You know, the one all the way across town. I’ve never visited. I have no friends there. A new kid, let alone a quiet kid like me, could be turned into creamed cauliflower before lunch. And, as if changing schools isn’t enough, God wants me to talk to the people I meet— and tell them about Jesus. I’m a goner. Everything I’m feeling—the roiling in my gut, the clenching of my teeth—is nothing compared to how Jonah must have felt when God called him to the city of Nineveh. Nearly six hundred miles away from his hometown and overflowing with wickedness and debauchery, Nineveh was one of the nastiest places the Israelites knew about. It was filled with people who were running away from God. So, what did Jonah do? He ran away from God. He jumped aboard a ship headed to Tarshish, a city around twenty-five hundred miles away. He tried to hide from God. But God didn’t lose sight of him. And when Jonah ended up in the belly of a fish because of his foolish choices, God was with him there too. In the same way, even when we chicken out, turn tail, and run at the sight of danger, God keeps relentlessly chasing after us. He never loses touch with us, even when we lose touch with Him. The truth is, we are all runaways from God—just like Nineveh and Jonah—but God loves us and reaches out to us anyway. He never gives up on us. We see this in Luke 15, when Jesus tells a parable of a shepherd who searches for a lost sheep until he finds it. Jesus wanted us to know that when we run away from God, He continues to pursue us. In fact, that’s why Jesus went all the way to the cross for us—He is the good shepherd who was willing to lay down His life to save His sheep (John 10:11). Then He rose from the dead so that we could be with Him forever. So, wherever we are—even when we’re lost and afraid, even when we’re dying to just run away—we can lift our eyes to Jesus and cry out His name. He’ll forgive us, restore us, and enable us to share His love wherever He sends us. Guess that means I need to get my grade transcripts ready. • Taylor Bennett • We all run away from God every day—every time we choose sin instead of His good ways. When are you most tempted to run away from Him and what He calls you to do? • Why is it important for us to remember that Jesus is faithful even when we aren’t? “I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!” Jonah 2:6 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 7:3-5; LUKE 6:27-49; 1 THESSALONIANS 4:7-12 Once when I was driving home, I spotted a new sign in someone’s yard. The huge letters read: “I found your nose. It was in my business again.” The sign stayed for several years until it was taken down. Recently, my family and I noticed it was back again! Of course, we found this pretty hilarious. But it also reminded me about how we should live as followers of Christ. When Paul was writing his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, he wanted to tell them how to live to please God, so he urged them to love one another and to “lead a quiet life” and “mind your own business” (1 Thessalonians 4:10-11). Why should followers of Jesus do these things? Paul continued, “so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders” (verse 12). Think about it: when you find out someone has been gossiping or slandering another person, how much respect do you have for them? Would you trust them? We’re often tempted to take part in gossip, but as followers of Jesus, we’re called to treat others the way He treats us. We are to live our lives in such a way that we not only show love to those who love us and treat us well, but we are to love our enemies and do good to everyone, regardless of whether they can pay us back or if they “deserve” it (Luke 6:27-36). We should choose forgiveness over condemnation and mercy over judgment—because when we deserved condemnation and judgement, Jesus extended forgiveness and mercy to us. No one is perfect, but we can be forgiven. In Matthew 7, Jesus told a parable about someone pointing out a speck of sawdust in another person’s eye— meanwhile they had a plank in their own eye. Instead of being nosy and trying to uncover or magnify other people’s faults, God calls us to examine ourselves. As we humbly ask for His truth to shine in our lives, He will reveal sins that we need to confess. He is always ready to help us turn away from sin, including gossip, so that we can rest in His forgiveness and walk forward in love. • Savannah Coleman • Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we are the salt of the earth and lights in a dark world (Matthew 5:13-16). The flavor of salt counteracts bitterness in food. Lately, have you been speaking and acting in ways that bring flavor or leave a bitter taste? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this. (If you want to dig deeper, read John 3:19-21; Romans 2:4; 3:23-24; 8:1; 12:9-21; Ephesians 4:25-32; 5:8-14; Colossians 4:6.) Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders… 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 3:1-15; 4:10-17; GALATIANS 5:22-23 Inadequate. Unworthy. Unequipped. As I spent my first few days counseling at a local Christian camp, these words were never far from the edge of my thoughts. It was as though the devil were whispering discouragement into my ear. Who are you to be here, trying to speak the truth into the lives of these children? You always have trouble trying to find the right words to convey your thoughts. Who are you to be an example of Jesus to these kids? Each day you struggle to live out His example in your own life. Moses struggled with similar doubts. When God appeared to him in the wilderness, calling him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he protested, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?...I have never been eloquent— either in the past or recently…Please, Lord, send someone else” (Exodus 3:11; 4:10, 13). In our culture today, we might expect God to say something like, “You are enough, Moses. Just dig down deep inside and you will find all that you need.” But no. God answers, “I will certainly be with you” (3:12). “I AM WHO I AM” (3:14). “Who placed a mouth on humans?…I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say” (4:11-12). Then God also sent Moses’s brother Aaron to speak to the people for him. On our own, we are unqualified, unworthy, and unequipped. But we serve a God who loves us and provides all that we need. We are not enough. But He is. He fills us with the fruits of His Spirit and He “gives the Spirit without measure” (John 3:34). He does indeed call us to serve Him, but those He calls, He equips. • Julia Faith Steward • On our own, we are not enough. We fall short of God’s goodness. That’s why Jesus came to die for our sins and be raised from the dead, making the way for us to be with Him forever. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us “everything required for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). We aren’t enough, but God is. In what ways have you been trying to follow God out of your own strength instead of relying on Him? Consider spending some time in prayer, confessing this to God and asking Him to remind you of His generous provision. • When Moses struggled to speak, God promised to teach him, and He also sent Aaron to partner with him. Who has God given you to partner with as you pursue God’s calling in your lives? His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 (CSB)

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-13 As we approach the first day of school, there can be lots of anxiety. You might have been bullied last year, and you’re scared to have to go back to your nightmare. Or you might be going to a new school, and you’re worried about having to meet new people and start over. Or maybe you’re just nervous about the stress of your schoolwork. In my own life, the beginning of the new school year means starting high school after being at my old school for nine years—elementary and middle school—and no one who went there is going to my new high school. While all these are valid reasons for worry, the good news is, we don’t need to live our lives in a state of constant worry. God loves us, and He watches over us no matter our situation, and He has everything under control. He already knows what’s going to happen, and He promises to be with us through it all (Romans 8:28-39). I was reading through the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Bible), and I found this verse that has helped me, not just with school, but with everything that stresses me out. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus says, “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Jesus tells us that we don’t need to be worried about the future because God already knows our needs, and He cares for us. So, instead of worrying about the future, Jesus calls us to pay attention to what’s going on in the present moment. If you read verses 25-33, you’ll see that Jesus talks about how God cares for the animals and plants, so why wouldn’t He care for you? Remember, God has everything under control, and He loves you enough to help you. In fact, He loves you so much that Jesus came to die on the cross for your sins and rise from the grave to save you! So, whenever something is bothering you, you can go to Him, trusting that He will work in your life. Whatever your situation is, He cares, and He loves you more than you could fathom. • Alysse McGrew • As you look ahead to the coming school year, what are you nervous about? How could it be helpful to remember that Jesus will be with you, providing for you? • Bringing our worries to God doesn’t always mean our situation will get better right away. But even when we’re in the midst of a struggle, we can find comfort in Jesus’s presence with us. We can turn to Him with all our hurts and concerns, moment by moment. He wants to hear from us—not just our prayers of thankfulness and praise, but also our prayers of lament, where we honestly tell Him about the hard things in our lives, how we feel about them, and what we want Him to do about them. What do you want to bring before Him today? Consider taking some time to talk to Him about whatever is on your mind. • If you or someone you know is being bullied, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it? • We all feel worried or anxious from time to time, but God has so much compassion on us, and He wants to help us. Sometimes we experience thoughts and feelings that are too much for us to handle on our own, even by praying and reading the Bible. Thankfully, one of the ways God wants to help us is through other people, such as medical and mental health professionals. If you find yourself feeling afraid, stressed, or worried a lot of the time, or if you’re finding it difficult to rest, 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...

READ: PSALM 147; ISAIAH 40:10-12, 25-31; MATTHEW 10:26-31 Stargazing is one of my favorite things to do with my sister. We try to identify the planets and look for the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper and Orion, but our favorite stars to look at are the small V-shaped group. In it are two stars that look close together. We refer to them as our “bestie stars.” Standing in the night, looking up at the stars, reminds me how powerful and loving God is. To imagine that God calls each one by name every night is mind-blowing. Isaiah 40:26 says, “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” And Psalm 147:4 says, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” If God knows each star by name, how much more does He know you or me? Our heavenly Father calls each of us by name too. He knows our names, ages, thoughts, dreams, and feelings. No detail of our lives is too small for Him to notice. God knows each of His children so well that He even knows the exact number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). Yes, our heavenly Father knows you and me, just like He knows each of the stars by name. And He calls us to Himself, just like He calls the stars. • Erin Snyder • How does it make you feel to think about God knowing you by name, and knowing even the smallest details about you? • God loves you more than you can imagine. The truth is, you are even more important to Him than the stars. How do we know? Jesus is God the Son, sent by the Father to be the good shepherd who “calls his own sheep by name” (John 10:3). Because of His great love for us, His sheep, Jesus calls us to Himself, and He died and rose again so we could live with Him for eternity. If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 139; John 10:1-30. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26 (NIV)

READ: PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11 Today’s poem is rooted in some of the names of God we find in Scripture. These names point to both His eternal greatness and His servant-like humility. I just can’t get over these “opposite but not” attributes of our unfathomable God! The more I dwell on them, the more I am astounded at the depth of His love. Only a great and immortal God could love so sacrificially, so incorruptibly. Thus, in crafting this poem I aimed at making the third stanza its focal point, praying that the highest demonstration of God’s humility—His love displayed in Jesus’s death on the cross—might prompt me to allow Him to reveal any selfish pride hiding in my own heart. For it is this love that ultimately anchors my faith in the eternal love of God. Holy God, Immortal One, Mighty, Faithful, True— May Thy mercy fall on us, Oh, cleanse our hearts anew! Lord of All, Eternal King, Ever-ruling One— May we praise Thy righteousness, Unveiled in Christ the Son! Lamb of God, Anointed One, Thou Who humbly died— May Thy bleeding body be The dying of our pride! Son of God, The Risen One, Perfect, sinless, pure— May our hearts be filled with hope, For Thy love endures! Word of God, Bright Morning Star, Beginning and the End— May Thy joy fill heav’n and earth, Our King, the great Amen! • G. Kam Congleton • The names of God in today’s poem reveal the good news of Jesus—how He humbly died for us and then rose again so that our sins could be cleansed and we could share in the joy of His kingdom! Which of the names for God in today’s poem sticks out to you today? Why is that? • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 139:23-24; Matthew 28:6; John 1:29; Acts 10:36; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 2:10; 1 John 4:19; Revelation 3:14; 19:11, 13; 22:13, 16. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 4:25-32; HEBREWS 12:14-15 Apart from watching my brothers play baseball and basketball, I wasn’t much of a sports fan as a kid. Then at 19, I decided to try something new. I applied to join the group of girls who supported the baseball team at my college. I hadn’t developed a new interest in baseball; I simply wanted to find a fun activity. Surprisingly, I passed the first round of the application and then moved on to interviews. I needed to make a good impression but didn’t know what to wear. My friend Rachel had also applied to join this group, but she hadn’t advanced to the interview round. She suggested I wear a new dress of hers. I still remember feeling confident and well-dressed as I sat for the interview. Ultimately, I didn’t get chosen. I’m glad now because it wasn’t the right fit for me. But Rachel’s kindness and generosity, especially when she could have chosen to withhold her support due to her own disappointment, impacted me in a lasting way. When we witness others experiencing success that we failed to achieve for ourselves, or see somebody else receiving what we want, seeds of bitterness can start to take root in our hearts. It might look like refusing to congratulate friends for their achievements, secretly hoping a person might fail, or minimizing their accomplishments to make ourselves feel better. What does God want for His children? Not all that. If we’ve trusted in Jesus to pay for our sins on the cross and bring us forgiveness through His resurrection, we have God’s Spirit living in us. And He unifies us with other believers who also have His Spirit! So, with His Spirit in us, we have the power to get rid of the bitterness that harms our relationships—and live in gospel-centered unity instead. When seeds of bitterness show up in our hearts, we can bring them straight to Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, we can acknowledge our disappointment and still build others up with His kindness and compassion. • Allison Wilson Lee • Can you think of a time when it was hard to celebrate for your friends? Why do you think that was? • Can you think of a time when someone really celebrated with you? What was that like? Consider thanking God for this and asking Him to help you notice opportunities to celebrate with others. • How can trusting Jesus Christ for our identity help us throw off bitterness? How does knowing that we are infinitely valuable in God’s eyes affect how we view any lack of success? See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 3:16; 15:13; ROMANS 5:6-11; 10:9-10 Have you ever known somebody who was really sick and needed a new kidney? We are born with two kidneys, like how we’re born with two lungs, but if we don’t have at least one healthy kidney, our bodies can’t clean up all the toxins that collect in our blood. Thankfully, some people who have kidney disease can go into a doctor’s office regularly for dialysis, having a machine clean their blood, but dialysis may only help for a while. My husband had to live with kidney failure for years, and it was really hard. He was so sick that he had to just take little sips of water and be careful with every bit of food. Until one day he was given the best gift ever. He received a kidney from a friend. She said, “You don’t have any kidneys, and I have two. So, I want to share.” Can you believe it? That kind of love is pretty incredible. My husband didn’t deserve her kidney. He hadn’t done anything special to merit this new life she offered. She was born with her kidneys, and by rights, they were hers. Hers to share. The grace she extended to my husband is a lot like the grace God lovingly extends to us. We don’t deserve to be in God’s family. There is nothing special we did, or could ever do, to merit this new life He offers. In order for my husband to get out of life with dialysis, he had to receive her gift. In a similar way, we are invited to receive the gift of Jesus. While we were helpless to cleanse ourselves of sin, He loved us. He sacrificed His life for us on the cross and paid for our cleansing. Then He rose from the grave, declaring that all who put their trust in Him are forgiven and freed from sin. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can receive that gift. The gift of life eternal, the gift of a life that doesn’t depend on any artificial means we might invent to try to clean ourselves up, and the gift of fulness of life with Him (John 10:10-11). • Kristen Merrill • How is Jesus’s sacrifice similar to someone giving up one of their kidneys? How is it different? (For more about Jesus’s death and resurrection, and what it means for us today, see our "Know Jesus" page.) • Sometimes, it’s hard to receive a gift as big as the one Jesus gives us. Why do you think that might be? Consider taking some time to talk to God about this. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 56:8; ISAIAH 25:8-9; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5 A single tear falls with a splat onto the hard floor. You think it’s insignificant—until you remember that He cares. God sees each tear that you cry. He will one day wipe every tear from your eyes. The tears you cried on your pillow at night when you were too sad and lonely to do anything else. He saw those tears. The tears you cried when you were in a lot of pain and thought no one was acknowledging it. He saw those tears too. God doesn’t like to see you hurting. He doesn’t want you to be in pain. That is why Jesus came, stepped into our suffering and sorrow. Cried tears like we do—with us, for us. That is why He will one day wipe all those tears away. When Jesus renews the heavens and the earth, there won’t be any more need for crying. Everything will be so good, so beautiful. There will only be joy. You will only feel peace. But as we wait for that day, God sees each tear that falls from your face. He cares about you. He wants to comfort you. Each time you cry, God sees your tears, and weeps with you. • Bethany Acker • Are you someone who cries easily, or do you only cry every once in a while? The Bible says Jesus cried, and He is never ashamed of your tears. In fact, He provides tears to help us process the hard things we experience. And He loves us so much that when we suffer, He weeps with us. • God doesn’t want us to walk through sadness and pain alone. He goes with us, and He provides other people to walk alongside us too. Who can you talk to about the sad or painful things in your life, such as a trusted friend, parent, pastor, youth leader, or counselor? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 9:2; 42:6, 16; 2 CORINTHIANS 4 In Israel in 1947, a young Bedouin shepherd was bored while tending his goats. To amuse himself he picked up a stone and threw it into a cave. To his amazement the sound of something breaking echoed about him. He investigated and stumbled upon clay jars with scrolls in them. He had discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of the most ancient copies of most of the Old Testament texts. These scrolls are over 2,000 years old, and they hold unimaginable value for biblical scholars—and all other Christians too. They are a great treasure. This discovery illustrates an important facet of our Christian life. When we accept Jesus, we’re given a great treasure: the message of the gospel. His light is now in our lives! We might consider ourselves unworthy or unable to spread the message of salvation to others. We might think we’re unworthy or unable to live the life God calls us to live. And the truth is, by ourselves, we aren’t worthy. We are like fragile clay jars. But it’s what’s in us that’s important. We are now children of the light, and we have the Holy Spirit in us (1 Thessalonians 5:5)! Because of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to tell others about a Savior who loves us so much that He came to earth as a baby, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead to make the way for us to be with Him forever. God knows that we’re frail and we can’t do anything on our own, like clay jars. And yet, He gave us a treasure He wants us to share with others, and He gave us His Holy Spirit to help us carry out that mission and live the life He calls us to live. •Morgan A. Mitchell • Have you ever tried to follow God’s good ways and share the gospel through your own power? How did that go? We all fall into this from time to time, but that’s not how God calls us to live. He invites us to rely on Him every day, trusting Him to work through us to do things we couldn’t do by ourselves—like understanding Scripture, turning away from sin, being patient with others, loving our enemies, etc. Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God to show you any places you’ve been relying on your own power instead of His Holy Spirit. • Isn’t it amazing that, once we know Jesus, we get to carry the treasure of the gospel and God’s presence with us all the time? How could this truth affect the way you live your life? We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 20:1-30; PSALM 149 Sweat stung my eyes as I practiced the intricate steps of my deadly dance. For the final step, I had always had trouble remembering not to hold my breath, so I imagined myself blowing a dandelion and scattering the seeds as I leapt into the air, swinging my sword in a wide arch. “You are ready,” Uyanga bowed her head in approval before turning to go. What if I don’t feel ready? Gazing up at the starry heavens, I resolved to trust and whispered the prayer I was taught as a young child: May the praise of Gerel be in my mouth and a double-edged sword in my hand. That night, I was awakened out of a deep slumber by the sound of the horn, a signal of alarm. The Children of Gerel gathered close to listen to Uyanga. “A vast army is coming against us; we must seek Gerel.” One after another, people recounted Gerel’s power and might. I listened as those around me prayed: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Then Commander Batu climbed on a boulder and raised his hands high. “Do not be afraid, Children of Gerel! The battle is not ours; it belongs to Him! Stand firm and see how He will deliver us!” The following morning as we journeyed to the desert to meet our adversaries, we were not silent. As one, the Children of Gerel sang: “May the praise of Gerel be in our mouths and a double-edged sword in our hands! We praise Your Name, Gerel! Your love endures forever!” All around us, as the enemy closed in, we continued to sing and praise. Suddenly, a brilliant light flowed from our mouths and reflected off our swords. To the left, a portion of the army marching toward us fell down, dead. To the right, the advancing enemy seemed to be dissolved by the light surrounding them. Ahead, their weapons were rendered useless. And behind, Gerel set an ambush. The Children of Gerel turned in every direction, joyfully shouting, for our enemies had been defeated. I threw back my head and laughed with abandon. All my training, all the grueling hours of building muscle and wielding my sword…to find the ultimate weapon was praise. • Savannah Coleman • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, when a vast army was coming against Judah. Instead of allowing panic to set in, Jehoshaphat “resolved to inquire of the LORD,” and all the people of Judah gathered to seek God (verse 3-4). Jehoshaphat reminded the people that the God of their ancestors, whose power and might had been displayed time and time again, was able to save them. Jehoshaphat knew that he and his people were not able to save themselves, and he encouraged them to fix their eyes on the one who was able (verse 12). While the people of Judah sang and praised God, He delivered them by sending ambushes against the army invading them (verse 22). So, when the army of Judah arrived at the battlefield, their enemies were already fallen. Consider taking some time to read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 slowly. How is this Old Testament story similar to today’s fictional story? How is it different? • Centuries after Jehoshaphat led the people in praise, Jesus came to fight the greatest battle of all. When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, He defeated sin, death, and the devil so that we could become God’s children. Though we were not able to save ourselves, He chose to deliver us because He loves us. Now, if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is with us through every struggle, fighting on our behalf. And when Jesus returns, all suffering and sorrow will be gone for good. If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page. • When you or someone you love is going through a difficult situation, it’s...

READ: PSALMS 3:5; 4:8; 127:2; ISAIAH 26:3-9 The darkness of night is a reminder to be still and quiet. When I am in bed, there is nothing I can do to change my life or situation. When worries come up, I cannot fix them. That is not the time to consider all that is bothering me or all that I need to do. When night comes, it is time to ask God to take my worries and fears and help me to get the rest I need for the next day. I am only human. There is only so much I can do. I can’t keep going all day and into the night. I can’t fix everything that is broken in my life on my own. I need God’s help. I need strength that comes from Him. In the darkness of night, I ask for peace. When morning comes, I ask God to lead me. I don’t always know where to go, but He can help me. I might not always feel like I am doing enough, but when I trust my life and my time to God, I don’t have to worry. Night and day, He will sustain me. • Bethany Acker • Because Jesus endured the violence of death on a cross and then rose from the dead, we can have peace and rest. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us, and His peace is always available to us. How could remembering Jesus’s presence with us give us comfort when we go to bed, whether we struggle to sleep or not? • The Bible says we can rely on God to take care of us while we sleep, even when we’re in dangerous situations or we have a lot to get done. Yet, the Bible also talks about times when godly people didn’t feel peaceful at night and struggled to sleep (Psalm 6:6-7; 2 Corinthians 11:27). Thankfully, Jesus promises to be with us all the time, both when we feel peaceful, and when we feel anxious. He knows that sometimes it’s hard for us to trust Him with all the things in our lives, and He gently reminds us that He is trustworthy (Matthew 6:25-34; 11:28-30). Consider choosing one of today’s verses to read every night this week before you go to sleep. • Sleep is an important part of our physical and emotional health. Sometimes we need help to give our bodies the sleep we need, and that’s okay. If you have difficulty sleeping, who is a trusted adult you can talk to, such as a parent, counselor, or doctor? The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. Psalm 74:16 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 35:30–36:3; ROMANS 12:4-8; EPHESIANS 2:10 Do you ever feel unimportant, maybe a little invisible? Like you can’t make a difference? These feelings come from our enemy, Satan. If we feel small, he is doing his job well. But God encourages us to be led by what He says about us, not by how we feel. Our feelings aren’t always based on the truth, but His Word is truth. And, like good food, His Word gives us nourishment (Matthew 4:4; 1 Timothy 4:6). Here’s one thing the Bible says about you: You are infinitely important to God. He loves you so much that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for you—all so that you could be part of God’s kingdom. And, if you know Jesus, you can make a difference in the world because He has given you gifts and talents to use to glorify God and bless others. Do you have any hobbies, interests, or activities you take part in? Maybe sports, music, or art. Those are perfect examples, but there’s so much more! In Exodus 35, the Holy Spirit filled a man named Bezalel with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts “to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts” (verse 32-33). The Bible goes on to say that God gave Bezalel and another craftsman named Oholiab the ability to teach others. There were also embroiderers and weavers and designers! God filled many with these amazing talents. And for what purpose? At this point in time, it was for the construction of the sanctuary. The Bible goes on to say that these crafters built the tabernacle (the house of worship) and the Ark of the Covenant, and they also made curtains, priestly garments, and many other items used for worship. So, what about you? Do you love to read, crochet, shoot archery, or build or fix things? How about cook? Whatever you are good at, that is a blessing from your heavenly Father. And if you know Jesus, His Holy Spirit helps you use all your talents to glorify God. • Carrie Cwynar • Take another look at Exodus 35:30–36:3. Because God equipped these people, they were able to craft many important parts of the sanctuary—creating a visible and central place for the people to worship God together. How might God be inviting you to use the interests and abilities He has given you to bless your community and glorify God? I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12 (NIV)

READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12; 1 THESSALONIANS 4:9-10; 1 JOHN 3:16; 4:19 For my birthday one year, I expressed a desire for a chia pet. I’m not sure what appealed to me about these plant “pets.” They consisted of a clay flowerpot, usually shaped like an animal, that you filled with water. The water soaked through to the exterior of the flowerpot where it would nourish chia seeds spread into thin grooves in the clay. Ideally, the seeds would sprout and flourish, and the owner would end up with a lush miniature garden in the shape of a kitten, a llama, or maybe a hedgehog. Though I didn’t expect to open one of these on my birthday, it turned out I received two. First, my cousin Geneva mailed me one. Then, my friend Brenner shipped me one. Two chia pets, both in the shape of a hippo! Even though I tried, I never could grow the hippo-shaped greenery. But I certainly did feel loved by Geneva and Brenner. They loved me well. God knows we need each other. At the time of Creation, He formed Adam and then—declaring that it wasn’t good for this man to be alone—God fashioned Eve (Genesis 2:18). He created human beings to know Him and experience His love. And even after we rejected God, He sent His Son to die in our place so we could enter a relationship with Him. So now, as His forgiven children, we can revel in His love for us. And because He loves us, He provides others to love us too. Jesus laid down His life for us. That’s how we know what love is (1 John 3:16). When brothers and sisters in Christ bless us with affection and tenderness— especially in ways they know will connect with us—we get glimpses of Christ’s generous love. I hope to overflow the love of Christ to others, as Brenner and Geneva did for me, because I have experienced that love for myself. • Allison Wilson Lee • Have you ever received a thoughtful gift, a kind word, or some other gesture of love that spoke to you in a personal way? • Who is one person in your life who shows you God’s love? If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to connect you with someone in the future or help you notice people He has already placed in your life. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:13-18; JEREMIAH 31:3; LUKE 15:3-7 The sun is setting, and as the long grass sways back and forth in motion with the wind, a young woman is walking down a dirt road after having left her newborn baby by a tree in the woods. She hopes someone will soon find her. Tears run down her cheeks as she wishes she could provide for her baby, but she knows she can’t. Her life in Africa is one of hardship and survival, and since she is unmarried, she lacks resources to raise a child alone. When I was a year old, I was adopted. I am now Ethiopian-American. Psalm 68:6 says, “God places the lonely in families.” I was welcomed into a loving home with a Christian family, and I thank God every day for that. Do you struggle with feelings of belonging? It can be hard to accept love, especially if you have experienced rejection and loss. But the truth is, you are loved by a Sovereign God who created you and watched you grow in your mother’s womb. Though I was raised in a Christian home, I struggled with believing that my family loved me. I felt different, and I was buying into society’s lies. I thought that I didn’t matter. I worried about whether my friends thought I was weird because I was adopted. I didn’t like my skin color. I started pulling away from people in my life. But then I talked to my mom about how I was feeling. I realized my parents loved me so much that they traveled halfway around the world to bring me home! This reminded me of a parable Jesus told in Luke 15 about a shepherd who left his ninety-nine sheep in search of the little lost lamb. The Bible says God loves me no matter what. That’s why Jesus came to die on the cross and rise again so I could be with Him. I can rest in Jesus’s love and saving grace. You are loved. You matter to God! • Chalyse R. Smith • We all go through times when we struggle with our identity, even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus. And, especially when we feel unwanted, it’s easy to believe things about ourselves that aren’t true. That’s why God invites us to come to Him and let Him tell us the truth about who we are. Consider taking some time to read Luke 15:3-7, Luke 19:10, and John 10:11 slowly and consider the question: How does God see me? • What are some practical ways you can encourage your friends and show them that they matter to you and to God? God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

READ: RUTH 1:1-5, 15-22; 4:1-15 When I’m anxious or overwhelmed or I feel like everything is going from bad to worse, I tend to look for the nearest exit door. I want out, and I want it now. Maybe you do the same. When life gets tough, maybe you escape by scrolling, snacking, sleeping in, shopping, or skipping school. In the book of Ruth, life got tough for a man named Elimelek, his wife Naomi, and their two sons. There was a famine, so they packed their bags, walked out of God’s promised land in Bethlehem, and moved to an idol-worshipping land: Moab. But God did not walk out on them. He never does! His love went with them. In Moab, things only got worse. First, Elimelek died, leaving Naomi with her two sons, who then married Moabite women. Then, about ten years later, Naomi’s sons died too. Brokenhearted and bitter, Naomi moved back to Bethlehem with one of her daughters-in-law, Ruth. Naomi was widowed, childless, poor, and sad. She blamed God for her misery. But God did not walk out on Naomi and Ruth. He never does! His love was still with them. Ruth’s short book tells the story of the marriage between Ruth and a man named Boaz, her “guardian-redeemer.” When Boaz married Ruth, he bought (redeemed) the family land and guarded Ruth and Naomi by bringing them into his family and rebuilding their lives. Boaz’s love and kindness changed everything for them. When Ruth gave birth to a son, Obed, the women of Bethlehem said to Naomi, “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer” (Ruth 4:14). Ruth even became part of Jesus’s family tree (Matthew 1:5)! In Ruth and Boaz’s story, we see a greater story—God’s love story for us. Jesus is our Guardian-Redeemer. He redeemed us with His precious blood, brought us into His forever family, and rebuilds our lives. When life gets tough, instead of looking for ways to avoid our problems, we can bring them to Jesus. He provides. He restores and rebuilds. He doesn’t walk out on us. No matter how big our heartache is, His love and kindness are still with us. • Lenae Bulthuis • Can you think of a time when life got tough for you? What escapes did you turn to? How did Jesus provide love and kindness in that hard season? • What are some of the hard things you’ve been going through lately? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this. You can be honest with Him—He gets it (Hebrews 4:14-16). “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.” Ruth 4:14 (NIV)

READ: JOSHUA 9; JAMES 1:5 In Joshua 9, a group of deceptive people come to the Israelites. They bring moldy bread and wear old clothes, saying that they have traveled far and that the bread was fresh and warm when they left home. The Israelites examine their provisions, and then they accept the lies. Instead of going to God and asking Him what to do, they believe their visitors. Only later do the Israelites find out they have been tricked. When things seem simple and we think we have the ability to figure everything out, it’s almost as if we try to save God time by handling it on our own. It’s like we think that He’s too busy and we’re doing some good deed by taking care of things without Him. How many times do we end up in messes like the Israelites did because of this? Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” God tells us not to rely on our own understanding of a situation. Instead, He always wants us to come to Him for help. No matter what we are facing, no matter how simple things might seem, God invites us to seek Him before we make a decision. He knows what’s best, and He always has the answers we need. • Emily Acker • We’ve all made decisions without first reaching out to God and ended up regretting it. Yet God is so merciful to us that even when we mess up, He extends help. This is the hope of the gospel—when we were drowning in our sin, helpless to save ourselves, Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to save us. And even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He continues to show us mercy when we mess up. Can you think of a time God helped you in the aftermath of a bad decision? • As we seek God, He guides us through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Have you ever experienced God guiding you in a decision you had to make? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. • Is there a situation in your life right now where you think you know what to do? Have you talked to God about it yet? Even if the answer seems obvious, you can ask Him to either confirm what you’re planning to do, or steer you in another direction. The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Joshua 9:14 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; HEBREWS 4:9-10 Too tired to think, Too tired to pray. Where is life leading? Too tired to say… Perhaps at times you’re weary, And your strength is near its end. Remember then that He is there, Your closest companion, most loving friend. He’s there to give you all you need And lovingly touch your heart with strength. To smooth the rough edges of your thoughts And make them peaceful and kind again. He’s there to heal you, whatever it may be, To show you the way and cause you to see. To reaffirm your completeness, Again, to make you free. At peace to think, At rest to pray. Where is life leading? To that glorious day! • Cheryl Elton • What do you do when you’re feeling stressed, discouraged, or overwhelmed? Have you ever felt too tired to pray? • Why do you think Jesus wants us to come to Him when we’re weary or burdened? • Jesus promises to give us rest because He has already completed the work of saving us by dying on the cross and rising from the grave. In Revelation 21:1-5, what are some of the promises we can look forward to on that glorious day when we will see Jesus face to face? • What are some ways you can take time to rest in God’s presence and ponder the wonderful promises He has given us in His Word this week? [Jesus said,] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

READ: LUKE 12:22-31; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-13 Anxiety seeped into my brain. What would happen? Would my dad be okay? My dad had been suffering from mysterious symptoms for the past year. Doctors told him it was anxiety, but he didn’t believe it. I was scared. If something ever happens to my dad…I need him. I pulled out my Bible. My eyes skimmed the pages for something—anything— encouraging. I flipped through Matthew, Mark, and then suddenly, Luke 12:27 popped out at me, where Jesus says, “Consider how the wild flowers grow…” I kept reading, realizing I had read this passage multiple times yet only now understood the depth of its meaning: God cares for the mere flowers. Wouldn’t He also care for His child, whom He created in His glorious image (Genesis 1:26-27)? I realized that life could get tough. Scratch that. Life was already tough. But I found peace knowing Jesus would always be with me, and He would always be fighting for me. And, one day, my Savior would return and make all things new (Revelation 21:1-5). No more disease, decay, or death. No more fear, anxiety, or tears. Christians, including my dad and me, will be reunited with each other. And we will live with Jesus forever, praising our Savior who conquered Satan and defeated death. But those truths didn’t fix my dad’s health. That’s when I remembered what my youth pastor had said: “Jesus isn’t just with you; He’s in you.” The Spirit of Christ was in me, working through me, living inside of me (John 14:17; Romans 8:9; 1 Peter 1:11). I continued flipping through the pages and found Philippians 4:12-13, where Paul says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Jesus will get me through everything, whether smooth or bumpy. So, no matter what happens, I know I can find peace in Jesus, in whom I trust. • Emma Pamer • Can you think of a time Jesus guided you through something difficult? What was that like? • What are some struggles you are currently facing, or afraid you might face in the future? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about these. [Jesus said,] “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139; JOHN 3:16-18; 10:10; COLOSSIANS 2:6-7 Isabel, at age eleven, is an amazing dancer. She has already performed with a major ballet company in several productions. Elijah, age thirteen, just graduated college. CJ and LJ, at age twelve, were considered some of the best BMX racers in Texas. Do you know someone like that? Someone gifted in academics, sports, acting—you name it. That was not me. I was just an average student. I was and am a slightly-better-than-average salesperson. I’m good at a lot of things, superstar at none. It used to bother me until someone pointed me to Psalm 139. When I read it, I was in awe. God—the only wise God, the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords—made me! Not only did He make you and me, but His thoughts about us are precious and numerous. In fact, He loves us so much that He was willing to suffer the cross for us. The reason Jesus died and rose again was because He wanted to free us from sin and death so we could be with Him forever. That means, no matter what our talents are, God isn’t holding out on us. He offers us the great joy and purpose of knowing Him, working alongside Him, and growing under His leadership. So, whether God has given you an amazingly obvious talent, or your talents don’t seem as striking as other people’s, you can live a full life—a life that overflows with thankfulness because you know that God created you out of love. You are so important to God that He made the ultimate sacrifice to save you, and He has given you unique gifts and abilities for use in His kingdom. I challenge you to read Psalm 139 every day for a whole year. As you do, if you press in to relationship with Jesus, you will be changed. You might even find yourself praising God for His amazing creation: you! • Bonnie Haveman • When are you tempted to envy others’ abilities? • What do you do well? How can you honor God with the abilities He has given you? • Consider taking some time to just thank God for making you, you! I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. Psalm 139:14 (CSB)

READ: PROVERBS 29:25; ISAIAH 48:17; MATTHEW 16:21-28 Have you ever done something because you were afraid that if you didn’t, someone would be angry or dislike you? I have, more than I want to admit. People’s opinions can have a strong hold on us. Whether it’s our friends, teachers, family members, acquaintances, or fellow church members, we may find ourselves considering what they’ll think before we do something. At first, it may not seem like a big deal. But in Proverbs 29:25, God warns us, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.” It’s confining to do anything a certain way in order to please others. We may even be afraid to do something God wants us to do. After all, what would people think if you took a leap of faith that was full of risk? What would your friends say if you stopped wearing a certain brand? What would your teacher think if they heard you sharing the gospel with another student? However, it’s freeing to stop worrying about what others think and start concerning ourselves with what God thinks. This doesn’t mean we throw out common courtesies, never consider someone else’s feelings, or are never held accountable for our actions. What it does mean is not letting other’s opinions dictate your life but instead letting God direct your actions. When Jesus lived among us on earth, He didn’t let other people make decisions about His ministry. Even under extreme opposition He continued to do the work of His Father, which included dying on the cross to pay for our sins. Jesus was concerned with doing the will of God the Father, even when it meant people would get angry with Him, dislike Him, and kill Him. We can trust that what God wants is best because He loves us with an everlasting love, and His wisdom and understanding are infinite. Though none of us can follow God perfectly—that is, not until Jesus returns—peer pressure is never a good reason to do something. At the end of the day, what God wants you to do is what matters, not the crowd. • Morgan A. Mitchell • Whose opinions matter most to you? In what ways are you tempted to default to doing what others want, instead of considering what God wants? Consider taking some time to talk to God about this, confessing any sins that come to mind and resting in His sure forgiveness. • Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you navigate peer pressure, dig into God’s Word, and discern how He is calling you to live? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 6:38; Galatians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 1 Peter 3:8-18; Acts 4:18-22; 5:26-42.) Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety. Proverbs 29:25 (NLT)

READ: 1 TIMOTHY 4:6-10; 1 PETER 3:8-18 Have you ever faced a situation like this? One time, a man from church came over for dinner, and for the duration of supper and dessert, he talked about crazy conspiracies, wild rumors, and out-there theories supposedly based on the Bible. Whether this man turns out to be right or wrong about the conspiracy theories he shared, sometimes we as Christians miss the point of the Bible when we get so caught up in debates or arguments. When we make a nonessential issue more central to the Bible than Jesus, we’ve lost our focus on Christ in order to win an argument. When that happens, there’s no point in winning the argument in the first place. The point of the Bible isn’t to shed light on an international scandal or an elite group of individuals controlling the world. Satan would love for us to get so caught up in conspiracies that we lose our focus on our true mission: sharing the gospel of Jesus. When we get so involved in minor and controversial debates, we miss the real reason God gave us the Bible. Our mission from God isn’t to prove to everyone that our particular ideology or theory is right. No, our mission is to spread the good news of Christ. In our daily lives, we live in light of Christ’s truth and love, sharing the gospel without living in fear about the future. We belong to Jesus, and He will help us keep our eyes on Him alone. • Emma Pamer • Can you think of a time you got carried away with nonessential issues and lost your focus on Christ? What directed your eyes back to God? • When someone around you starts talking about conspiracy theories, rumors, etc. how could you respond with love and truth? Sometimes situations like this can be difficult to navigate. Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about this? • If you want to know more about the good news of Jesus, and how to share it with others, see our "Know Jesus" page. But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7 (CSB)