Advertise on podcast: Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: MATTHEW 6:19-21; JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-4; REVELATION 19:6-9; 21:1-5 Do you like to host parties? Back when I worked in youth ministry, I used to host gatherings at my house frequently. I would spend a day or more preparing—picking my menu, cleaning the house, and writing a lesson with my co-leader. I would set out blankets and pillows. I would get the space heater going and light a candle. All of this to ensure that when my guests came over, they would feel welcome, loved, at home. Did you know that Jesus is doing the same thing for you? Scripture tells us that Jesus is preparing a place for us right now! However, while my guests would come and go, Jesus is inviting you to stay forever. And though all I did was prepare for a day or so, Jesus literally came to earth as a human baby, lived thirty-three years, and then died on the cross for your sins and rose from the grave to defeat death—all to make the way for you to be with Him forever. While we don’t know a whole lot about what the new heavens and the new earth will be like, we do know some things. We know there will be no more crying, and nothing will fade there. We know there will be a great feast. One of the best things about parties and gatherings is the people who are there. It’s not like we enter eternity by ourselves—we’ll be together with Jesus and with all our fellow believers! Sounds pretty great, right? But I think the biggest thing is that we know we are wanted there. This is one place you’ll never have to question if you’re invited or if you’ll feel comfortable. Jesus is preparing a place for me and for you. Want to go with me? • Natty Maelle • Have you ever been somewhere you didn’t feel welcome, wanted, or maybe even safe? How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus is inviting you somewhere you will feel all of those things and more? [Jesus said,] “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:2-3 (NIV)

READ: PSALM 139:1-4; ROMANS 5:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 We curate the caption and crop the distraction, Chasing the applause of a virtual reaction. We polish the exterior to hide the interior, Afraid that our true selves are somehow inferior. But in the quiet, when the screen goes black, We feel the heavy weight of the perfection we lack. See, Jesus didn’t come for your highlight reel, He came for the brokenness you try to conceal. No filter could cover the crimson cost of sin, So He opened His arms to let the rebels in. On the cross, He was exposed, stripped, and bruised, So the real you would never have to be refused. He was buried in the dark so you could walk in the light, Tearing the veil to make your future bright. The grave couldn’t hold Him, the stone rolled away, Giving you mercy that is new every day. You are not a brand, a post, or a trend, You are chosen, beloved, and called His friend. So drop the performance, let the pretense cease, And rest in the rhythm of His perfect peace. • Ty Scott King • Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to show people a curated version of ourselves rather than who we really are? What parts of yourself do you try to curate, edit, and hide away? • Jesus sees the unedited version of you, and He loves you so much that He died and rose again for you. How could this truth affect the way yo view your mistakes, flaws, or things you just don’t like about yourself? • Are there any areas of your life where you feel like you’re putting on a performance instead of trusting God’s grace? Consider spending some time in prayer, laying these things down at Jesus’s feet and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 77; ROMANS 8:35-39 Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Psalm 77 records a fervent prayer of Asaph. At the beginning, Asaph searches for and calls out to God, so we’d think everything would turn out okay, right? But then Asaph groans! He remembers the ways God helped him in the past, but he feels agony that he is no longer in that place. He starts to wonder if God still cares about him. He goes so far as to question God’s character, wondering if He is even compassionate and merciful anymore. In the same way, we may have moments when we cry out to God, remembering that He is with us, and we still feel no comfort. That’s because our circumstances bring us real pain, and we know that God can do something about it. But He doesn’t. And we can’t understand why He doesn’t. But just when Asaph is going down that path, everything shifts. This is when he intentionally directs his thoughts to God’s faithfulness. Asaph is essentially saying, I’m going to choose to remember what God has done for me in the past. Even though my circumstances have changed since then, God has not changed. My situation is different, but God is still the same. By the end of the psalm, in one sense, nothing has changed for Asaph. His situation is unmoved. But in another sense, pondering what’s true about God changed everything for Asaph, as his mind shifted from the pain of his circumstances to the awesomeness of His God. It’s like he was saying, You have done great things. Nothing stood in your way when you led your people out of the most difficult, hopeless situation. No one and nothing has ever stood in your way. Think about what Jesus has done for you and for me—what His life, death, and resurrection have saved us from, and what He continues to rescue us out of. God has not changed, even if our circumstances have. No matter what’s going on in our lives, God has not given up on us. He never has, and He never will. • Andrew Jacob Mead • Can you think of any examples of good things God has done for you in the past—ways He has rescued, provided for, sustained, or delighted you? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this! (James 1:17) • Can you think of a time you felt abandoned by God? Jesus felt abandoned by the Father when He was on the cross, so He knows how we feel (Matthew 27:45-46). And because Jesus died and rose again for us, nothing can ever separate us from Him. (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. Psalm 77:11 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 53:3-4; EPHESIANS 1:3-7; 1 PETER 2:4 When my parents divorced, I moved to a brand-new town at the beginning of fourth grade. After feeling rejected by a parent and leaving my hometown where all my old friends were, it felt good when I made three friends at my new school. But suddenly, one day, none of them wanted to play with me anymore. They didn’t want to be my friends. For about a month or so, they intentionally ignored and made fun of me. I felt rejection—again. It hurt to be rejected like that. I was new to the area, and I’d thought these were my only real friends. Since then, I’ve learned that when we face rejection, it helps to remember three things: 1. Jesus experienced rejection too. You are not alone. Jesus knows. Jesus has gone through the pain and the heartache. He was betrayed by a close friend— and then disowned by a friend who was even closer. His disciples completely abandoned Him in His most painful hour. Jesus can relate to us. He’s been there before. He has felt our sadness. And that’s the next point. 2. It’s okay to be sad. Sometimes we think that sadness is a sign of weakness. But we read in Isaiah 53 that Jesus was “a man of sorrows.” He knows our hurt and pain. He experienced deep sadness, and He wept. It’s okay to be sad and acknowledge hurt. It’s healthy to cry and feel the full weight of our pain, knowing that Jesus won’t let it break us. And that’s the third point. 3. We are not crushed. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus to save us, why don’t we break? Because we’ve been chosen by the all-powerful God, the one who created everything! So even if the whole world rejects us, it won’t crush us, because God will never reject us. His Spirit lives in us, sustaining us through heartache and reminding us of God’s unfailing love (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). So whenever we’re rejected, we can run to Jesus, remembering that He knows our pain, and it’s okay to be sad. Rejection cannot crush us, because who we are in Jesus can never be taken away. • Andrew Jacob Mead • When we face rejection, how could it be comforting to know that Jesus experienced the greatest rejection of all—and He endured it for us? (John 1:10-12) • When we feel the pain of rejection, how could it be helpful to remember that God chose us? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about any times you’ve been rejected. He wants to help us process these terrible experiences through prayer, Scripture, tears, and conversations with trusted Christians in our lives who can show us the compassionate love of Jesus. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)

READ: DEUTERONOMY 33:26-29; ISAIAH 40:1-11; JOHN 10:10-11, 27-30 When I was little, my dad had a friend who visited us, named Dennis. Once we took him on a walk through the woods on some family property. My parents probably suggested I change into more suitable shoes, but I wore sandals. Before long, I stepped into a pile of biting fire ants. As the insects swarmed my feet, Dennis quickly reached down and scooped me up. As he held me, he brushed the bugs away. I felt protected and safe in his arms, high above the stinging ants. Later, we ate lunch with Dennis. During the meal, I choked on an onion ring. Dennis knew how to help. I don’t remember how the onion got dislodged, but I do remember Dennis comforting me again in the safety of his strong arms. The strength he shared—and the safety I felt—is something I remember about Dennis decades later. When I ponder God’s character, sometimes these memories of Dennis come to mind. In the Bible, we find that whenever we’re in trouble, God reaches down to rescue us. In Jesus, He endured the cross so that we could be held, protected and safe, in His strong arms. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, not only do we receive forgiveness and eternal life, but Christ also ushers us into a relationship with God our Father. And what a Father He is! The prophet Isaiah says, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (40:11). And later, Isaiah shares God’s words to us, “I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (46:4). Sometimes it’s difficult to envision God as a loving Father, especially if our parents were distant or harsh. But God the Father looks after us with care and holds us close in our need—like Dennis did for me. • Allison Wilson Lee • Can you think of any people in your life who’ve shown you the compassionate strength of God the Father? How did their actions show God’s love? • How could remembering that God carries us close to His heart help us trust Him more? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this, and maybe even imagine Him holding you this way. “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 24:12; 34:6; ROMANS 7:1-22; GALATIANS 3 Kids under ten can be pretty blunt. While listening to the book of Leviticus, a freckled-faced girl commented, “I feel like the God of the Old Testament is so different from the New Testament. He’s sitting on a couch saying, ‘Bring me more grapes! Do this! Don’t do that, or you will be punished!’” While her words were startling, this nine-year-old made some sense. Throughout the Old Testament, we find accounts of God punishing sin and disobedience—by death, fire, plagues, and the like. Where is the God of mercy who died on the cross to save us? Did God eventually soften up over the years? What was the point of giving us the law anyway? First, it’s important to remember that, from before the beginning of creation until the end of time and beyond, God remains the same. Like a diamond, He has many facets. Not only is He completely loving and merciful but He is also fully holy and just. God in His goodness and holiness cannot be a part of sin, which breaks and destroys. And, sadly, we have all sinned. Thankfully, God’s plan all along was to come to us in Jesus as “the sacrifice that atones for our sins” (1 John 2:2). The law is useful because it reveals God’s righteousness—and our inability to carry it out. All our good deeds will always be “nothing but filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). We need a Savior—the Son of God Himself who did no wrong. Only His sacrifice for us could make us truly right with God. The law is powerless to save us from sin and death, but in Christ Jesus, we receive the fullness of God’s mercy and new life. • Savannah Coleman • Consider just a few examples of God’s mercy in the Old Testament: saving Noah’s family from the flood (Genesis 6-9), rescuing Lot’s family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29), delivering the Israelites out of slavery (Exodus 1-14), or calling Nineveh to repentance and showing them compassion, even though the city had been wicked to the core (Jonah 3–4). When we read the Old Testament, how could it be helpful to go into it expecting to see God’s rescuing love? • Consider just a few examples of God’s justice in the New Testament: Ananias and Sapphira’s consequence for lying to God (Acts 5:1-11), the parable Jesus told of the widow and her adversary and how that relates to God’s justice on behalf of His children (Luke 18:1-8), and the defeat of Satan at the end of time (Revelation 19:11-21; 20:10). How could it be comforting to know that God does not turn a blind eye to evil and injustice, but promises to right every wrong? But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes. Romans 7:13 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 119:105; PROVERBS 6:23; JOHN 1:1-18; EPHESIANS 5:1-20 Once, when I was about fifteen, I was in the woods late at night with my scouting group. We turned our flashlights off to practice stealthy forest maneuvers—just to see if we could make it back to camp without a light. We decided that one of us would be the leader. The girl in front (she claimed to have excellent night vision) inched slowly ahead, and we each followed, one after the other. To avoid branches in our faces, roots twisting our ankles, nettles ripping our skin, or losing the path altogether, we had to stick as close to the girl ahead as we possibly could. Each of us placed our hand on the shoulder of the one in front of us. And in that way, we made it back to base camp uninjured. However, what if the girl we were following was just plain wrong? She could have led us all into a slimy pond with hordes of mosquitos! Perhaps just using our flashlights wouldn’t have been such a bad idea. Light is key. As Christians, we look to Jesus, who is the Light of the world. We grow in our relationship with Him through spending time in His Word, the Bible. That’s why the Bible is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105), because it points to Jesus. It reveals to us the love of the Father. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, He calls us and adopts us as His own sons and daughters. How can we walk in our new identity as “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8)? We walk in the light through the power of the Holy Spirit living within. As we read the Bible, He illuminates the truth of God’s Word to our hearts. We live in a very dark world. But, thanks be to God, He has not left us in some dark forest with just one of our number claiming some special skills as our only way through. We don’t have to mindlessly hold on to the shoulder of the one ahead. We can turn on the light. • Kristen Merrill • Some people refer to their daily time in the Bible and prayer as a “daily illumination” because they’re spending time with Jesus, the Light of the world. We all need time like this because we’re all living in a dark world until Jesus renews His creation (Revelation 21:1-5; 22:5). Can you think of a time Jesus’s light illuminated a dark place in your life? When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 4:24; GALATIANS 3:26-29; REVELATION 7:9-10 Richard Allen was born into slavery in 1760. As an adult, he put his trust in Jesus. He then asked his non-Christian slaveholder to invite preachers to come speak in their home, and he agreed. One of these sermons convicted Richard Allen’s slaveholder that slavery was wrong. So, he invited Allen to buy his freedom. Head held high, Allen purchased his liberty and began looking for work. As he supported himself in various trades, Richard Allen said, “While my hands were employed to earn my bread, my heart was devoted to my dear Redeemer. Sometimes I would awake from my sleep, preaching and praying.” It was clear God was calling him into ministry. He got off to a rocky start in Philadelphia, though, when leadership at St. George’s Methodist Church segregated their seating by color, cancelled Allen’s prayer meetings, and even tried to remove African Americans forcibly during prayer. Seeing no other choice, Allen and his ministry partner Absalom Jones resolved to build a place of worship for Black Christians. Allen reportedly told the elders, “You cannot seal up the scriptures from us and deny us a name in heaven. We believe heaven is free for all who worship in spirit and truth.” This was the humble beginning of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, as well as the first African American benevolent society, and much more. Richard Allen would spend the rest of his life fighting for the church and for an end to slavery and racial prejudice—in court, in print, in practical service during the yellow fever epidemic, and in preaching. Through his work, many came to know the love Jesus has for everyone—and how He defends the marginalized and oppressed. • Abigail Aswegen • When Richard Allen became a Christian, he said, “I went rejoicing for several days and was happy in the Lord…I was constrained to go from house to house, exhorting my old companions and telling all around what a dear Saviour I had found.” The grace and love of Jesus compelled Allen’s work for his whole life. Where have you seen Jesus’s grace and love in your life? What does it compel you to do? • Revelation 7 gives us a glimpse into the throne room of God, and here we see people of all nations worshipping Him together. How should this truth affect the way we live now? “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.” Leviticus 26:13 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 1:23; EPHESIANS 2:8-9; COLOSSIANS 1:12-22; HEBREWS 12:2 A few days ago, Keera had been told of the beautiful Golden City where there were no tears. So she had left her home, her family, everything, to seek it out. But when she arrived, she was dismayed to find it was at the top of a huge cliffside. She could just see a bit of light at the peak. Finally, after a long hesitation, she began to climb the Mountain of Sin. Now, she half clung to the broken handholds, half crawled up the cutting path. But every painful step she took seemed to bring her no closer to the shining light at the top. She made her way along different paths, each one seeming to be a relief to her aching feet at the beginning, but proving to be just as painful later on. She wandered and wandered. One moment she thought she was on the right path, and then she would see a boulder she’d visited minutes or hours before. There were no trees. No plants. No life. The bit of water she found was filthy and not fit to drink. Cold. Exhausted. Broken. Alone. Keera was pelted with words of misery as she crawled up the sharp rocks. “Can’t…make it!” her aching body told her. Her heart cried out in desperation as she fell to the ground. She began to weep. Then, through her tears, she saw two bare, bleeding feet stop before her. She looked up to see who the feet belonged to. He seemed to be the kindest, gentlest man she had ever seen. “Hello,” he said in a wonderful voice. “How long have you been wandering here?” “I’ve lost track,” Keera said, her own voice cracking and dry. “But I thought I was alone. Have you wandered here until you can’t feel anything but pain and cold too?” “You might say that,” he answered. “There is only one way to the City, but you would need to trust me.” Without hesitation, she said, “I already do.” Then she felt the man’s arms wrap around her as he lifted her onto his back and began to walk up the steep trail. She heard him gritting his teeth at her weight and felt him wince as each stone pierced his feet. But he kept going. After what seemed like hours, he set her down and said, “We’re here.” Astonished, she asked, “Why could you find a path and I couldn’t?” “Because I am the only way to the top. There is no other way, Keera,” he said. Surprised again, she asked, “How do you know my name?” He answered, “I know everyone’s name. My name is Immanuel.” Then he smiled the most wonderful smile. “Now, come and enter my kingdom.” • Natalie Crowe • What stuck out to you in today’s allegorical story? What questions do you have? • God created us for relationship with Himself, and He longs for us to be with Him in His kingdom of light. Yet our sin separated us from God, like an impossibly steep mountain no one could climb. No one, that is, except Jesus. Matthew 1:23 says Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us.” God’s love for us is so great that Jesus came to live among us and, ultimately, to save us. Only Jesus could defeat sin and death. Fully God and fully human, He resisted every temptation, and He willingly laid down His life for us—suffering a terrible death on a cross. And then, He rose from the dead, declaring that all who put their trust in Him are citizens of His eternal kingdom! For more about this good news, see our "

READ: PSALM 139:23-24; ROMANS 8:15, 28-39; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9; HEBREWS 13:5-6 Exactly one month after receiving my driver’s license, I got into a car accident. Though I was thankful to walk away without serious injuries, this event shook me. I had never been in such a dangerous situation before, especially one in which I was at fault. It took six months to find the courage to drive alone again, and even then, I chose the quietest route possible. Over the years, I’ve experienced both victories and setbacks with car anxiety. Sometimes fear materializes in panic attacks, when it’s tough to breathe or I lose touch with reality. Other times, my heart races as if I’m about to face a threat. Perhaps you’ve experienced anxiety before. Maybe it resulted after a frightening situation that left you feeling out of control. Or it’s possible you can’t pinpoint the exact moment when you first felt anxious, but you fight daily for peace of mind. It’s easy to be frustrated with ourselves—and with God—when we experience setbacks with our mental health. Can good come from these trials? Thankfully, yes, because we belong to a good God who works all things together “for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Because Jesus died and rose again to save us, we are held securely in His love, now and forever (verses 38-39). When life gets hard, He stays with us, grieving our hurts alongside us and bringing healing. Throughout my healing process, I began to pray whenever anxiety resurfaced. Sometimes I’d spend the entire drive in conversation with God. This led to deeper peace and the realization that I feel closest to God when I release control and trust Him with my life. God didn’t create us to live in fear, but He did create us for relationship with Him (verse 15). We can’t control when fear grips us, but we can decide how we respond to it. When you pray, God may not remove the thing you’re anxious about right away, but He will be with you through whatever you face. No matter what’s to come, He will never leave you. May the truth of His unfailing love and faithfulness provide you with peace. • Hannah Chung • In moments of doubt and fear, how could it be helpful to know that Jesus is right there with us—and His response to our struggles is characterized, not by criticism, but by compassion and empathy? (2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 4:14-16) • Do you have any favorite verses or truths about God that bring you comfort and peace? Consider writing one down and carrying it with you as a reminder of His presence with you this week. • Have you ever experienced a specific anxiety following a stressful event? Sadly, in our world that has been broken by sin, many people experience these things at some point in their lives, and this is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead of hiding our pain, God invites us to be honest with Him and with people we trust so we can experience healing. Remember, God not only works through prayer and Scripture, but also through friends and family, as well as professional counselors, therapists, and doctors. • If you’re currently struggling with anxiety, whether it centers around something in particular or it’s more general, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it? If you need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a on...

READ: PSALM 139:1-4, 23-24; JEREMIAH 23:23-24; 31:3; HEBREWS 4:12-13 As she related her story, my eyes widened. Our friends laughed. And she congratulated herself. This girl, who I’ll call Kelly, had just told us about a trip to the mall. It sounded like she was describing an adventure as she explained how she tried on a swimsuit in the dressing room of a store. Only Kelly didn’t change back into her own clothes and then pay for it. She kept the swimsuit on, put her clothes over it, and walked out of the store—and the mall—wearing a stolen swimsuit. Our friends admired Kelly for getting away with something. But although she hadn’t been caught shoplifting, she’d still committed a crime. And she’d still sinned. Kelly and I attended the same church and youth group. We’d known each other as followers of Jesus, having placed our trust in Christ to pay the penalty and take on the punishment for our own sin. But we all still struggle with sin. Even as new creations in Christ, we still live in a broken world and face temptation. And sometimes we even try to hide our sins, foolishly assuming that not getting caught means we’ve gotten away with something. But these things are still sins, and our loving Heavenly Father notices them all. And even when we manage to avoid some earthly consequences, our choices to sin—whether we’re stealing, lusting, envying, hating, or something else—hinder our walk with Jesus. Thankfully, God loves us with an everlasting love, and He longs to restore us and draw us close to Himself. Jesus died and rose again to make the way for us to be welcomed into God’s family. So, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, nothing—not even our own sin—can shake our position as His children When sin gets in the way of us experiencing the closeness we have with God, He isn’t waiting to pounce on us for messing up. Instead, God desires for us to draw near to Him and agree with Him about the sin He already sees. As we bring our sin into the light and acknowledge it, according to 1 John 1:9, “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” • Allison Wilson Lee • God cares about us enough to take notice of everything we do. He doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves, others, or our fellowship with Him. How can this truth affect the way we view God? “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)

READ: PSALMS 92:1-2; 150:1-6; EPHESIANS 5:18-20; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:11 It’s easy to be thankful when we really like the gift. Maybe someone gave you just what you wanted, or maybe school is amazing this year—your friends are awesome, classes are great, and learning has been coming easily. In those times, it feels natural to be thankful. But when life hands us hardships, trials, and even suffering, thanking God might be the last thing we feel like doing. “It is good,” says Psalm 92, to give thanks to the Lord. Our loving Father invites us to spend time thanking Him because He knows there is power in praise. It resets our perspective, something we all need, especially in the middle of hardship. This is part of His plan for His people. It’s one of His gifts to us. But, because we live in a world broken by sin, gratitude doesn’t always come naturally. Thankfully, God doesn’t expect us to do it alone. He has called us to encourage one another. His plan includes you and me, speaking life and truth into each other’s waiting ears. Near the end of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he tells the believers to speak the language of praise to one another! God knows we need reminders of His love and care, so He instructs us to do it together. It’s a privilege to remind each other of the good news of Jesus—that He died and rose again to save us, that He promises to make all things new, and that He is with us always, working on our behalf. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we come to realize that we need our brothers and sisters to come alongside us, and we want to be there for them too. We can do this often, even daily! We can read Scripture aloud to each other, sing songs of praise together, share verses that have been coming alive to us, tell each other stories of how we’ve seen God working in our lives, and more. There are countless ways we can encourage each other to lift our gaze to Jesus, the one who is always loving us, always showing kindness to us, always walking with us. We can be thankful, together. • Kristen Merrill • Can you think of a time you felt encouraged to worship, perhaps through others’ contagious joy as they expressed thankfulness to God? What was that like? • As Christians, what are some ways we can encourage each other to turn our hearts to Jesus in thankfulness? Consider taking a moment to ask Jesus to help you notice opportunities to invite others into gratitude and praise this week. Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20 (NIV)

READ: 2 THESSALONIANS 1:1-3, 11-12 Do you share your friends with God? You’re probably wondering what that means. You might even think it’s a typo and should read, “Do you share God with your friends?” While it is important to share Jesus with our friends by telling them about Him, it’s just as important to share our friends with Jesus by praying for them. When they come to us with problems we can’t fix—like parents divorcing, major illnesses, or the death of a loved one—we can feel helpless. But we are not without help: if we know Jesus, we can share our friends with the all-powerful God of the universe, bringing their concerns to Him in prayer. And we don’t even have to wait for hard times to share our friends with God: we can pray for them “at all times” (Ephesians 6:18). And when we’re not sure what to pray, there are lots of prayers in the Bible we can use as a starting point. For example, today’s Scripture passage is Paul’s prayer for his friends in Thessalonica. He thanked God for them and prayed for their growth in Christ. In the same way, we can bring our friends and all their needs before Jesus, our Savior and Friend, who always loves us and always wants to help us. • Melissa Yeagle • According to Hebrews 4:14-16, why can we talk to God about anything and everything? • What are some of the problems your friends are facing right now? Consider taking a moment to tell Jesus about what’s going on and what you want Him to do about it. Remember, He cares about your friends even more than you do, and He knows just how to help. • What are some problems you’re facing right now? Who are trusted Christian friends in your life you can ask to pray for you? (If you’re having a hard time thinking of anyone, remember that friends don’t necessarily have to be the same age as you.) • If you want to dig deeper, read 2 Corinthians 1:8-11; Ephesians 3:14-21; 6:18; 1 Timothy 2:1-7. So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

READ: HEBREWS 11:1–12:3 You can’t catch your breath. You feel weak, and you just want to lie down and give up. If life is a race, you’re in last place and the finish line is miles away. Should you even try to keep going? Many people who’ve gone before have felt the same way, and yet somehow they’ve persevered—not just waiting for time to pass, but moving forward, even when the specific outcome was unknown. Noah spent years building the ark before the waters began to rise. Abraham left his home when he didn’t know where he was going. Moses led the Israelites around the desert for forty years and didn’t even get to go into the Promised Land. Rahab hid the Israelite spies and then kept their whereabouts a secret from her own city, not knowing when they would return. These people weren’t perfect. They messed up, but they also stuck with it. What was their secret? Faith in the God who keeps His promises. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, and others knew there was more to their stories than what they could see in front of them. In the same way, God calls us to be faithful in difficult circumstances even when we don’t know exactly how things will work out. But He doesn’t just tell us to persevere—and then leave us to run the race by ourselves. He promises to be with us in it. Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us to “run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus, the one who calls us, is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24). He has run the race, finished it, and promised to always be with us. He covers us with His grace, knowing we aren’t perfect, and gives us the strength to keep going until the day He comes again. • Mary Rozendal • Can you think of a time when situations in your life made you feel overwhelmed, and you just wanted to give up? Were there any ways you noticed Jesus providing strength in that time? • Jesus calls us to keep running, knowing that the finish line is eternal life with Him in restored creation! Remember, this race is not a sprint but a marathon. To run with endurance, we have to rest, take breaks, and sometimes reevaluate the things we’re doing. Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you discern how you can run well in your own unique situations? I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (CSB)

READ: MARK 1:29-39; LUKE 5:1-16 I grabbed a yellow blanket and stormed out into the breezy summer day. I was nine years old and fed up. Fed up with our big family, our small house, and all the frustration with my little brother, who I’ll call Bradley. I’d decided right then to run away from home. The blanket was just an afterthought. As I stomped down the steps, Bradley caught up to me. “Where are you going?” he asked. “I’m running away!” I shouted. “Wait for me! I’ll come with you!” He turned back to the house (to grab his own blanket, maybe) before I could tell him I wanted to run away from him, not with him. Just then I heard Mama yell, “Lunch time!” I sighed, turning back to the house. Today was not the day to run away. In time, I learned more about myself: I get recharged by alone time. Then I’m energized to interact with others. Instead of running away from home that morning Bradley bugged me, I just needed some time by myself. Jesus never ran away from people the way I attempted at age nine. But He did recognize the need to withdraw from the crowds alone so He could be refreshed in prayer and fellowship with the Father. Christ’s ministry required much from Him, and He understood the importance of stepping away from the busyness for focused moments of intimacy with His Father. Once we begin a relationship with God by trusting in the work of Christ—dying for our forgiveness and then arising to give us new life—we can enjoy fellowship with the Father too. Our lives may demand much from us, and many of these commitments may even be good. But God calls us to remember that the most important thing is to enjoy our close connection with Him. Besides, we can only love others well when we are receiving God’s abundant love for us—and then letting that love overflow to others (John 15:5; 1 John 4:19). We—like Jesus—must set aside time to receive God’s renewal by spending personal time with Him. • Allison Wilson Lee • As humans, we all need time alone. Even more, we need time alone with God in His Word. Thankfully, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, God is always with us. So we can turn our attention to His presence any time. When you think about spending time with God, how does that feel? Intimidating, confusing, burdensome? Consider taking a moment to honestly tell God about how you feel and ask Him to give you a glimpse of how good time alone with Him can be. One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12 (NIV)