Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: GENESIS 21:22-34; ISAIAH 40:28 In the book of Genesis, the author uses several different names for God. One of those names is the “Eternal God.” And the context in which this name is first used may appear strange. Abraham calls upon the Eternal God...after he plants a tree! There are a few essential things to notice about this passage. First, notice the kind of tree Abraham plants is a tamarisk tree. A tamarisk tree in the Middle East can live for hundreds of years. Second, notice Abraham plants this tree in Beersheba. Several chapters earlier, God appeared to Abraham and promised that He would make Abraham into a great nation, give him a great name, give him many descendants, and give him a land to possess. Beersheba would have been a region included in the land God promised that Abraham would one day possess. Once these pieces of the puzzle are put in place, we begin to see the significance of Abraham’s action. By planting this tree in Beersheba, he was communicating a message of belief and trust in God’s promises. He believed in God’s promise to give him the land he was currently sojourning in, and he trusted that future generations would enjoy the benefits of this tree! It is in this context that we read: “Abraham…worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God” (Genesis 21:33). Abraham trusted that the God who promised to bless him would be faithful to those promises, not just in the present, but hundreds and even thousands of years in the future. And today, we can see how His promises to save His people from sin and death have ultimately been fulfilled in Jesus. He made the way for us to become part of God’s family and live with Him forever through His death and resurrection. God loves us, and we, like Abraham, can trust God to be faithful to His promises and His character—day after day, month after month, season after season, and year after year. After all, God is the Eternal God. • Jonathon Fuller • Not only is God eternal, but if we know Jesus, He is eternally with us. He is also eternally loving, eternally good, and eternally faithful. He always keeps His promises. How can remembering that God is the Eternal God encourage us as we face challenges and trials in life? • Today is Arbor Day! How can planting trees remind us of God’s faithfulness? Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God. Genesis 21:33 (NLT)

READ: JOHN 4:1-30, 39-42; 17:3 Did you know the first time Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah was to a woman? Jewish Rabbis weren’t even supposed to speak to women, and especially not to Samaritans like the woman at the well (John 4). On top of that, Jesus knew all about her disreputable lifestyle, but He offered her everlasting life. Jesus knows us inside and out, and His love for us is undaunted! A different part of this story caught my attention recently, though. The woman at the well spread the word to the people of her village, but verse 42 says that they believed because they heard Jesus for themselves—not just because of her testimony. Her story drew them in, but it was meeting Jesus, knowing Jesus, that led them to believe. It’s the same for us. I grew up in church, so I heard stories of how God was moving all the timein other people’s lives. As I’ve grown and matured, though, I’ve often prayed, “God, if You are real, make Yourself real to me.” It isn’t enough to know about God. For our faith to blossom and flourish, we have to experience God in our own lives. We have to know Jesus for ourselves. And most incredible of all, Jesus wants us to know Him. Isn’t that amazing? I know the Son of God, because He wants to know me! He isn’t like a celebrity shielding Himself from the paparazzi—if we seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us (Jeremiah 29:13). And the more we seek to follow Jesus, the more we will notice Him at work in our daily lives. If you want to know Jesus better, He’s given us several ways to do so. First, dig deep into His Word—in church, by yourself, and with other believers. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) tell the story of Jesus’s life on earth, but every book of the Bible points to Jesus, including the Old Testament. Second, pray. Talk to Him. Ask Him to show Himself to you. Finally, connect with other believers. Listen to the stories of how they’ve seen God work in their lives. Then, keep your eyes wide open to see how He is working in your life! • Hannah Ruth Johnson • What testimonies have you heard about God’s work in other people’s lives that have strengthened your belief or made you want to know Him better? (Psalm 9:10; Acts 17:27) • How have you experienced God in your own life? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:42 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 136:1-9, 23-26; MATTHEW 6:28-33 Thanks be to God for His innumerable, indescribable gifts. God is wondrous! He continually provides more than enough; He sustains us. He is good. He gives us many gifts: The tools to sustain our material needs. The support of people around us. The blessing of each new day. And, greatest of all, the gift of His Son (John 3:16). He gives us His beautiful creation, a marvelously massive globe to cultivate and enjoy—His Earth—and that is a wonderful gift. He gives us passions and abilities and talents—tremendous gifts we can praise Him with! How humbling. How amazing. Jesus has given up His very life for us—and He has risen from the dead so that we can be with Him forever. In Jesus, we have life, breath, beauty, purpose, and fulfillment. But sometimes we forget God’s great generosity. Often, we can only view the depth of these gifts when we shift our perspective to one of gratitude for all that our God has given us. I have found that when I go out of my way to appreciate the little things—the small gems our Lord places in my path—a fresh gratitude begins to grow in my heart for the bigger things too. It is beautifully flooring to observe each tiny treasure He gives and to see every good thing as a gift from my Father. What a joy it is to know such a faithful God! • Chelsea Leigh • The beginning of today’s devotion is written in the style of a psalm, thanking God for a variety of good gifts. What are some of the things you’re thankful for, in the world and in your own life? • Today is Earth Day! This planet is one of the most amazing gifts God has given us to steward. What is one thing you can do to take care of it today? • If you want to dig deeper, read Genesis 1:26-28; Psalms 63:3; 115:16; John 1:14; 10:10; Acts 17:28; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 4:10 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 14:14; JUDGES 5:21-22; PSALM 20:7 O soul, march on in strength Fear not the pounding steeds Behold the King of Glory The fulfills your needs. O soul march on in strength Though in horses some do trust Though chariots are mighty, The Lord will fight for us. I love horses, and I wrote these stanzas based on Judges 5:21-22 and Psalm 20:7. They both talk about horses, and they both talk about how God is mightier than anything on earth we put our trust in. At the time these verses were written, a horse and chariot were among the most powerful and intimidating war weapons. They struck fear into the enemy, and the army commander trusted in them to win the battle. But sooner or later, the horses failed. And sooner or later, everything we trust in will let us down. Everything, that is, except for God. He will never let you down, He will never fail, He will always be there for you. He is in the battle with you. Jesus is the mighty warrior who came to fight for us—ultimately saving us through His death and resurrection. We can trust Him with our lives because He is faithful and trustworthy. • Macy Walts • Is there anything in your life right now that you might be trusting too much in? Whenever we look to a created thing (or being) to be what only the Creator can be, we get into trouble (Romans 1:25). This is called idolatry, and it’s something all Christians struggle with, even those who’ve been following Jesus for many years. Thankfully, God is patient and kind as He draws us to daily lay down our idols and trust in Him above all else (Romans 2:4). Consider taking a moment to confess any idols that come to mind and lay them at His feet. What are you hoping these created things will provide? How might God be wanting to provide for you instead? • Trusting in Jesus, the one who loves us unconditionally, is what brings true peace and hope to our lives. Everything and everyone else will let us down, but Jesus will never break our trust, never falter, never fail (Psalm 147:10-11; Isaiah 40:28; Zephaniah 3:17). He did what no one else could do—He lived a sinless life and died for our sins so that we could live. If you’re interested in learning more about Jesus, and what it means to belong to Him, check out our "Know Jesus" page. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

READ: 1 KINGS 19; MATTHEW 11:28-30 Elijah is arguably one of the fiercest, most epic prophets of the Old Testament. God worked through him in so many ways. Called fire out of the sky? Yep. Raised the dead? Yep. Repeatedly matched wits with the evilest king in the historical nation of Israel? You know it. But after a particularly public—and victorious—confrontation with idolatry, when he was directly threatened with death, Elijah got spooked. He took off, curled up, and wanted to die. He was convinced he was all alone, and that the weight of God’s call was just too much to carry. While there are so many great elements to this story (including an angel reminding him to sleep and eat—which is terrific advice when we feel empty), I want to point out what else he did: he ran to the mountain of God and hid in a cave. Natural disasters raged outside, and for a time, he didn’t engage. He stayed hidden in God, knowing he had nothing in his own strength to give, that he was empty, facing his own internal disaster. He waited, until God called him out in a whisper. As believers, there will be times when we face battles God has called us to— when we experience God working tremendous victories, even—and we’ll feel absolutely depleted and exhausted by them. There will be times when we’ll need reminders to sleep and eat and take care of our bodies—because we just don’t have the energy. Times when we need to hide out in God and trust that not every disaster or crisis is our responsibility to fix. That’s not apathy; it’s discernment. Remember, only Jesus can be the Savior—and He’s already done everything that was needed through His death and resurrection. He will teach you to be wise in overwhelming seasons—to draw near to God and wait for the chaos in your soul to still, so you can hear Him whisper truth for what comes next. He has not abandoned you. • Abigail Aswegen • When have you felt the most empty and depleted? It’s normal to feel this way, especially after intense trials or even intense victories. Feeling exhausted after serving the Lord doesn’t mean you failed, and it doesn’t mean you didn’t do it right. In these moments, Jesus invites us to come to Him and rest. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He is always with us, always ready to give us comfort and strength. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about whatever is weighing on you today. • When the problems of the world or the people around you feel too big, who is a trusted Christian in your life who can help you discern when it’s time to act in faith and when it’s time to rest? Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-10; 1 PETER 3:15 How do we speak the truth of the gospel when the world doesn’t always value truth? When I consider the changes my country has made in the name of tolerance toward various beliefs and ideas, fear casts a shadow over my heart. Can you be both truthful and tolerant at the same time? How do you show love, yet also stand for what you know to be truth? Is there a different time and place to speak up and to remain silent? These questions keep percolating in my brain, and you might have had similar thoughts. Here’s what we can always return to: What does the Word of God say? As children of God, our final authority on everything should be the Bible because it’s God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If something doesn’t line up with the Word, it isn’t true. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul talks about not twisting the words of the Bible but instead presenting “the truth plainly” (verse 2). So then what does sharing the good news of Jesus look like? You might have heard the saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” When talking to someone who may not share the same beliefs as you, remember to listen to them. Jesus is the best at being a good listener. He asks questions, even though He already knows the answers. It’s so good to read the Gospels—the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—and see how Jesus speaks to and treats the lost. Remember, we’re all lost without Jesus. Colossians 4:5-6 advises us: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Through us, Jesus invites outsiders to become insiders. If we need wisdom, we can ask God, who is eager to give it (James 1:5). “Speaking the truth in love” means loving the person in front of us, no matter their beliefs (Ephesians 4:15). As you love others through both words and actions, perhaps they will desire to know Jesus, the source of true freedom and the one who loves you both (John 8:32; 14:6; Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:18). • Savannah Coleman • Sometimes Christians talk about the tension between grace and truth. Jesus is full of both grace and truth (John 1:14). But,as Christians, many of us tend to find one easier than the other. Do you struggle more with being truthful or being gracious? Why do you think that is? God our Savior...wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)

READ: NAHUM 1:7; ROMANS 8:28-39; JAMES 1:17 “God is good. All the time.” Have you ever heard Christians say this phrase to each other? Sometimes one person will say, “God is good.” And the other will respond, “All the time.” But what do these words really mean? God’s goodness means He is both generous and merciful. The problem is, we don’t always feel like He is being good to us. Problem after problem chips away at us until we are exhausted. School, friends, family, jobs—they all demand pieces from us until we feel we have nothing left to give. Personally, I’ve been struggling with fear about finding a job after college. I’ve come across a lot of closed doors, and it’s a time of uncertainty. But, God is good. All the time. The amazing thing about God’s goodness? It’s unchanging. We can take comfort in the fact that God will always be good to us. The Almighty Creator wants to be generous and merciful toward us. That’s why He came to earth to save us. Jesus suffered the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we could live with Him forever. Today, Jesus is with His people through everything we face, and He is working to restore all that is broken. We even see God’s generosity and mercy in passages that warn of God’s just judgment. For example, Nahum 1 is all about God’s anger toward Nineveh, a city steeped in sin. But nestled in this passage is a short but powerful reminder of God’s goodness. Nahum 1:7 says, “The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.” So, even when we are experiencing the brokenness of this world, we can rest in Jesus’s promise to be with us. God is good and remains good—eternally. • Naomi Zylstra • Throughout our lives, we all experience times when God does not seem good. Can you think of a time you felt this way? • We live in a world that has been broken by sin, but God is not aloof to our suffering. He loves us, and He came as a human, Jesus, to be with us. Through His death and resurrection, He made the way to defeat sin and death and heal all that is broken (John 1:14; 3:16-18). As we wait for Jesus to return and rightevery wrong, it helps to remember that He knows how badly suffering hurts, because He experienced it firsthand. So we can come to Him with anything we’re facing (Hebrews 4:14-16). Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about whatever struggles you’re going through. The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7 (NLT)

READ: PSALMS 13:1-6; 46:1-11 Have you ever felt stuck between two phases of life? I know I have. The “in-between times,” as I like to call them, can be really difficult to navigate. Maybe you’re moving from middle to high school. Maybe your parents are splitting up, and you have to live in two households. Maybe you’re moving between schools, churches, cities, or states. No matter what, times of transition are difficult and filled with many unknowns that can easily cause some anxiety. In the middle of in-between times, I often catch myself trying to hurry into the next fun stage of life. It’s easy for me to get too focused on the future to see what God is showing me in the present. Instead of pausing to dig into God’s Word and talk to Jesus about what I’m going through, I attempt to take control—forgetting that I’m not ultimately in control of the life God has given me. Every day, I have to remind myself to “be still” and look for what God wants me to see in the in-between times (Psalm 46:10). It’s definitely a process! But Jesus is with me. I know He is working all things together for my good, and He will finish the work He started. But when I forget to rest in Jesus and His promises, the Lord reminds me to give myself the grace He has already given me. As we wait, let’s remember: the next stage is coming…but all in His perfect timing. • Abigail Rose • Can you think of a time you felt stuck in an “in-between time”? What was that like? • Can you think of something you’ve learned about God, yourself, or the world during in-between times? Or any ways you grew in your faith? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this. • As Christians, we’re all in an in-between time as we wait for Jesus to come back and make all things new. What promises from God can we rest in while we wait? (Hint: read Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:28-30; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Revelation 21:1-5) “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (WEB)

READ: ROMANS 3:19-28; 5:6-11 With pounding heart, Riley leapt off the platform for the umpteenth time. Dodging fireballs, she jumped from foothold to foothold, as heat rose from the lava below. She was almost there! Ahead was that final jump—that final expanse of lava. She could see the cool, grassy paradise at the end of the course. Her companion, Julius, watched her dart across the expanse, fielding each obstacle with precision. One jump, two hops, a dash…and then a final jump— the most perfect leap Julius had ever seen. Oh, no! Julius watched as Riley reached out in vain toward the paradise, falling down into the pit of lava. She was still fifty yards short. FLASH. Julius and Riley returned to the start of the level. Riley’s eyes brimmed with tears of frustration and anger. “It’s no good, Julius! We can’t do it.” “We have to—the Game Maker wouldn’t have made it impossible. “Julius, you saw it. My last jump was perfect. And it wasn’t even close!” With no other route through the fiery abyss, the pair decided to rest. They lay down, exhausted. As she fell asleep, Riley whispered a desperate prayer: “Game Maker, where are you? We can’t do this!” When they awoke, a man stood on the platform. “I’ve come,” He said softly. “I’m the Game Maker you called last night.” They stared. “How…?” “I wrote myself into the game.” He smiled. “Come.” He started across the course. Uncertain and confused, Riley and Julius followed. He motioned them to the final jump. “You’ll make it,” he said. “Trust in me.” Then, he grasped their hands, and before Riley and Julius could jump, they found themselves flying through the air, the abyss stretching out beneath them. The man’s grip on their hands never loosened, and, finally, they tumbled onto the soft grass of paradise! The pair was in shock. “Here you are, friends,” the Game Maker said. “The land is yours.” “That’s it?” Riley asked. “That’s the only way?” The Game Maker smiled. “Indeed, friend. I am the only way.” • Christiana Albrecht • Like in today’s allegorical story, sometimes it’s hard to believe that we can be saved without having to work for it—that’s why God gives us so many reminders throughout His Word (such as in Mark 10:15, Galatians 2:21, and Ephesians 2:8-9). Who are trusted Christians in your life who can help you notice when you’re starting to believe that you have to earn God’s love and favor, and who can point you back to the true good news of Jesus? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.) • According to Romans 3:23-26, it’s impossible for us to overcome the power of sin and death on our own. Why can we only be saved from sin and death through Jesus? • For more about how Jesus saves us, see our "Know Jesus" page. Jesus told him [Thomas], “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NLT)

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-12; 1 PETER 5:7 Maybe you’re like me. If you grew up in church, it might be second nature to pray about everything. After all, you want to share whatever is going on in your life with your best friend Jesus. So you ask God to help you face the challenges at school. Will you be able to pass the algebra test? What about physics? English literature? You pray about your relationships. Why can’t adults remember what it was like to be a teen? Can the misunderstanding be healed between you and a former friend? Worry steps up with every question. I have an exercise to help me deal with anxiety. I mentally place my worry in a box and tie the box with red ribbon. I give the package to God and experience a tranquil moment. But sometimes, another question pops into my mind, and I grab back my worry. After more prayer, I place the situation in God’s hands to regain a sense of peace. But the cycle repeats. Again and again. One night, the worry war went into overtime. My exercise wasn’t working. Exhausted, I finally said, “God, I can’t give you my worry. Just take it, please.” Then, the anxiety of that evening lifted, and I drifted off to peaceful sleep. In the daily battle of worry, we can always turn to Jesus. His love for us is something we can rely on, no matter what. • Esther M. Bailey • We all have times when we feel worried or anxious. Jesus knows how we feel because He experienced anxiety too, and He wants to help us (Mark 14:33-34; Hebrews 4:14-16). He loves us so much that He died and rose again to save us, and when He returns, He will put an end to everything that is worrisome. Until that day, He invites us to bring all our worries to Him and rest in His compassionate arms. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about your worries. • God wants to help us in lots of ways, not just through prayer and Scripture, but also through the care and expertise of other people. When you find yourself feeling worried oranxious, who isatrusted person you could talk to? If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m.and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time). Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

READ: ROMANS 8:26-27, 31-34 Every time I called the dog’s name, my family laughed. Now that I’m older, I understand why. I grew up near my uncle Andy, who had a dog named Shep. I adored Uncle Andy and liked his dog too. But—as a child—I couldn’t pronounce “Shep.” Try as I might, the dog’s name sounded like “Botch” every time I spoke it. I understood the name Shep; I just couldn’t get the word out when I pronounced it. Have you ever tried to say what was on your mind, but you just couldn’t seem to verbalize it? Have you felt this way in your prayers—attempting to call out to God for what you or a loved one needed, but just unable to form the right words? Throughout the Bible, we read about God’s people crying out to Him in prayer. These believers showed a range of emotions as they talked with God about what they were going through and asked for answers to their problems. When we begin a relationship with God, He gives us that same privilege of prayer. We can enter a relationship with God by putting our trust in Jesus. He died and rose again to provide forgiveness for our sins and to adopt us as God’s beloved children. In this relationship, we can freely approach God’s throne through prayer (Hebrews 4:14-16). But what happens when we don’t know what words to use as we speak to God? When we long to follow His call in Lamentations 2:19 to “pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord,” but we can’t find the vocabulary? There’s good news: God the Holy Spirit prays to God the Father on our behalf. The Spirit intercedes, asking the Father for what we need. And Jesus—God the Son—also talks to the Father for us. In our prayers, we’re not on our own. We can rest in the knowledge that Jesus and the Holy Spirit both pray for us, and God knows our hearts better than we know ourselves. • Allison Wilson Lee • What concerns or needs are weighing on your heart today? Do you feel like you can pray about them? • How could it be comforting to remember that God knows all our thoughts and needs before we say a word? How could this free us to talk to God without pressure? (Psalm 139:4; Matthew 6:8) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26 (NIV)

READ: MATTHEW 18:21-22; EPHESIANS 4:32; COLOSSIANS 3:13 Dear Unforgiveness, I nurtured you after someone hurt me. You grew in the soil of my misery, and I watered you each day with anger and frustration. Like ice, you crept into my heart, teaching me to shut people out, afraid of future disappointments. You are a storm twisting within, causing confusion. Like fire, you flare up and draw pictures of those I have failed to forgive. The thoughts of them spiral inside me like a movie, re-enacting the scenes over and over again. The problem is, you are wounding me. The rage that prowls inside and the sadness that creeps in—they warn me I cannot carry on like this. But you are impossible to give up. I know the only way to conquer this is to open up my heart to God and allow Him to carry the burden of you, Unforgiveness, trusting Him to take care of all my hurts. I am praying to Jesus, asking Him to melt the bitterness and heal me—praying I will rest in the grace He’s given me and extend that grace to others. Now, it is time to say goodbye to you. Unforgiveness, I am letting you go. In Christ, I’m finally breaking free. • Cindy Lee • Forgiving someone who has hurt you is a challenging process, and it doesn’t always mean trusting the other person, especially in a dangerous situation. But if you know Jesus, forgiveness is possible because His Holy Spirit lives in you and will empower you day-by-day to forgive others as God has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32). If you’re struggling with forgiveness, who is a trusted Christian—such as a parent, pastor, or counselor—you can talk with about it? • What emotions has unforgiveness caused in your life? Consider taking some time to write them down and talk to Jesus about them. He cares about all your hurts, and He weeps over them. You can trust Him to heal you,and to fill you with His loveforall people. • How could it be helpful to remember that we have all sinned, and God has promised to bring justice for every wrongdoing—whether at the cross or on the Judgment Day? (Luke 23:32-43; Romans 3:23-27; 5:8; 12:14-21; 2 Peter 3:9-13) Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

READ: MICAH 7:19; 1 JOHN 1:9–2:1 Do you still feel guilty about it? That thing you did. Maybe it happened yesterday, maybe it happened eight years ago. No matter what it was, you may be holding on to unnecessary guilt. Guilt does have a purpose. It leads us to repentance and encourages us not to do evil again…but that purpose can be twisted by Satan. God wants us to feel sorry for our sins so we can repent (or turn away) from them and rest in His forgiveness. But once these sins are forgiven, they’re gone. Poof! God has removed them from us. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we carry these old sins no more. The Bible even says that God separates us from our sins “as far…as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). God doesn’t want His people to sit in their guilt and pore over sins already forgiven. Jesus took on our punishment for us. He died and was forsaken for our sins, taking on God’s wrath for us so that we don’t have to suffer the punishment our wrongdoing deserves. Besides guilt, another problem Christians face is shame. Shame is similar to guilt, but instead of seeing wrong in your sins, you see wrong in yourself. Shame changes “I did something bad” into “I’m a bad person.” As Christians, we were once defined by our sins. But if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has given us a new identity. We are now children of God, wrapped in Jesus’s righteousness and blameless in His eyes. God wants us to rejoice in Him, not feel shameful. As Psalm 34:5 says, “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” So whenever you feel guilt or shame, you can repent of any sins that come to mind—acknowledging them to God, turning away from them, and resting in His forgiveness. If you still feel guilt and shame after that, consider taking some time to thank Jesus for the grace and forgiveness He has already given you. You are no longer captive to the power of guilt and shame. You are held in the love of Jesus. • Naomi Zylstra • If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, then all your sins have been paid for on the cross—past, present, and future. If you want to know more about this amazing forgiveness, see our "Know Jesus" page. • Are there any sins you still feel guilty for? If you haven’t confessed them to God yet, consider doing that now. If you’re still feeling guilt or shame, who is a trusted Christian you could share openly with— someone who can pray with you and remind you of how God truly sees you? He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 64:6; EZEKIEL 36:25-27; MATTHEW 23:23-28; 1 PETER 1:18-23 “You wear the pink wig; I’ll wear the silver one!” My friend Bridget and I laughed as we dressed in costumes. Playing around with Bridget’s keyboard that day, we decided to put on a show for my grandma, who had stopped by for a visit. My grandma didn’t know about the tunes the keyboard had been programmed to play with just the press of a button. We thought it would be funny to pretend we played the music and see if we could trick my grandma into believing we possessed more musical skills than we did. Bridget and I silently tapped the keyboard while recorded music filled the room. After our concert, my grandma praised our abilities. She gushed until we sheepishly admitted our ruse. Though Bridget and I fooled my grandma, that didn’t change anything about our actual talent. Sometimes in life, we do the same thing. We attempt to hide the reality of a bitter, unforgiving, or selfish attitude by putting on a kind of performance, like an outward show of friendship or kindness. People might be tricked, but God knows the true state of our hearts. God sees everything—including the motives for why we do what we do. When Jesus lived among us, “he knew what was in each person’s heart” (John 2:25). He spoke harsh words to the Pharisees, calling these religious leaders whitewashed tombs. Outwardly, they displayed good behavior, but they resisted humility and repentance of their sins. Each of us has a choice. We can try to look “good” with a performance we can never maintain, or we can acknowledge that our good deeds are just filthy rags before a holy God—and turn to Jesus for forgiveness. Once we trust Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins, we start a new-creation life in Christ. His love for us is always authentic and never a mere performance. As He transforms us from within, we grow into Christ followers who don’t just perform. We learn to live and love with a new heart. • Allison Wilson Lee • Have you ever felt God loved you more on your “good” days than your “bad” ones? What does the reality of being God’s children mean about His love for us? Does His love change based on our performance? (Hint: read Luke 15:11-32; Romans 5:6-11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) • Why is it important to bring our heart issues to the Lord instead of simply trying to modify our outward behavior? Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 (NLT)

READ: PSALM 103:1-8; EPHESIANS 1:3-6; COLOSSIANS 3:1-2 Ever wonder why we have to go through so much hard stuff in this life? If you do, you’re in good company! All of us prefer the sweet and easy moments, free from the burdens of grief and pain. God created us for wholeness, but humanity’s sin brought brokenness. Yet God made the way for wholeness again through Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the grave to save us from sin and heal all the brokenness sin causes. One day, Jesus will return, and this earth will be remade. In a brief moment, all will be made right. Our suffering will be but a memory. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have this good future to look forward to. In the meantime, we have a choice. We can ask ourselves, How will we suffer? The things we face might make us angry or deeply sorrowful. And those emotions only make sense! And yet, in the middle of our afflictions, we can also choose to rejoice in God our Father, Christ our Savior, and the Spirit our Comforter. God invites us to be honest about how difficult or even impossible the hard things are, and to feel our emotions with Him. And at the same time, because His power is in us, we can choose to raise our sights above, “where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). Paul said it this way: he was “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). It’s a both/and kind of thing. We can face the reality of any sad or difficult thing in our lives, and we can also cast our eyes upward. When we do, we remember the truths that remain, no matter what: God really is good, He is still trustworthy, and His love for us never ceases. We remember that He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. We are His cherished children. Perhaps this is what Paul meant when he said, “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Living by faith is a choice we can make, right now. Along with Paul, many other believers have chosen to rejoice even in their sorrows. We can too, when we remember that Jesus walks with us through every step of our life’s journey. • Kristen Merrill • When it feels impossible to turn our gaze away from the brokenness and rejoice in God’s goodness, God wants us to ask Him for help! We can talk to Him honestly, and we can also share our struggles with trusted Christians. Who in your life can pray with you today? • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 145:9; Lamentations 3:22; John 14:6; 1 John 3:1 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. Hebrews 13:15 (NIV)

READ: EPHESIANS 2:1-10 My skin is cold. Though I can’t know for sure how cold—since corpses can’t feel anything. They can’t do anything at all, really. If I had the ability to touch, I’d feel the icy, rough dirt that holds my stiff body in place. I’d feel the maggots wriggling their muculent bodies around the tips of my fingers, inside my ears, around my mouth, at the corners of my eyes. If my sense of smell were working, I’d smell the aroma of rotting things decomposing beneath the earth’s surface. If my tear ducts worked, I might wail as I thought on the fact that I am among them, my body food for the creatures that never see sunlight. But I can do none of those things. Because I am dead. And when a person is dead, that is all they can do. Nothing. This is my fate. To do nothing. To be nothing. To know nothing. To love nothing. Until the moment that it isn’t my fate anymore. Suddenly, the dirt is being pushed away from my body. Gentle hands are brushing the soil from my face, and I feel the warmth of them as they grasp my hands. I feel them. As I have never been able to feel anything before! These warm hands that send a blaze of warmth and life flowing up my arms and throughout my body now pull me upward until I’m above the ground. I squint in the sunlight with eyes that can see! When my eyes finally adjust to the bright light, I look into the face of the one who pulled me out. The one who has breathed life into my dead body and saved me from a fate of death and nothing. The Man who smiles back at me wears white robes, free of blemish or spot. On His head is a crown made of the finest metals and precious stones. This Man is the King. He cares for me. And He has made me alive. • Emily Tenter • Today’s allegorical story is inspired by Ephesians 2:1-10. Consider taking some time to read this passage slowly. What do you notice? Why do you think dead is the word used to describe us before we know Jesus? • Our sin leads to death (Romans 6:23). But God wants to rescue us from sin and death. What lengths would He go to to save us? He loves us so much that He gave up His own life for us. Jesus died and was buried—His body dwelt in a grave. But not for long. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever, and guaranteeing that everyone who knows Him will have eternal life! When someone becomes a Christian, they pass “from death to life” (John 5:24), and they have the sure hope of Jesus’s return. On that day, He will raise us from our graves, and our bodies will be fully healed and whole! What questions do you have about death and life? Who are trusted Christians you could talk to about these things? (If you want to dig deeper, read John 11:1-44; Romans 8:10-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17.) • Have you experienced being made alive by Jesus? For more about what this means, see our "Know Jesus" page. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Ephesians 2:4-5 (CSB)

READ: LUKE 22:19; 24:13-36 The mall food courts in Guatemala City are very different than those I visited in the US. When I came back from four years away from my country, one of the first outings we had was to the mall. Mall runs and window-shopping are common practices among most city folk in Guatemala. We especially like doing this on Sunday afternoons. Food courts get packed—to the point that families usually have to split up to find a spot to eat. It’s crazy, and I bet many of you reading this are already cringing at the thought. The layout of these food courts is pretty interesting. Tables are all touching each other, basically creating twenty-person tables. There is no room to separate them, so—whether you like it or not—you usually eat lunch with strangers. And that brings us to today’s Bible passage. Shortly after Jesus’s resurrection, He appeared to two of His disciples, walking along the road to Emmaus with them. But Luke 24:16 says, “they were prevented from recognizing him.” Even though Jesus was an apparent stranger to these disciples, they still invited Him over for dinner. Jesus accepted and ate with them. And He broke the bread—just as He had done on the night before He went to the cross! When that happened, the disciples’ “eyes were opened, and they recognized him”—and then He vanished (verse 31). Is it too bold to say that maybe by having lunch with strangers—even at such a common place as a food court—we might be dining with Jesus, welcoming Him to have lunch with us? Is it even crazier to think that when others are hosts to us we might recognize Jesus in them? Hospitality is an opportunity to show and remember Jesus’s love and His presence with us. It’s a chance to recognize and proclaim that Jesus came to dwell with us even when we were estranged from Him (Matthew 1:23; John 1:14; Romans 5:8; Colossians 1:21-22). • Andres López • Can you think of a time you felt welcomed by others? What was that like? • As Christians, how can we (safely) welcome the stranger among us into our lives? • How might God be inviting you to reach out to the outcasts in your school, church, neighborhood, etc.? Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about this. Additionally, who is a trusted Christian adult—such as a parent, pastor, or youth leader—you can talk to about what practicing hospitality could look like in your life? (Matthew 25:34-40; Hebrews 13:1-3) Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. Romans 15:7 (CSB)

READ: JOHN 20:24-31; 1 PETER 1:8 I’m just gonna say it—I think Thomas the disciple, commonly known as “Doubting Thomas,” gets a bad rap. When the other disciples witnessed the risen Christ, Thomas was absent. Thomas said he wanted visible, tangible proof of Jesus’s resurrection, saying, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands…and put my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25). It’s easy to criticize Thomas for his unbelief, but I’m not sure I would be any better. Would I take the word of the other eleven disciples? Would I really believe that Jesus had risen from the dead? Thomas loved Jesus deeply. So fervent was his love for the Savior that in John 11:16 he was willing to follow Jesus into possible death when Jesus wanted to go to Bethany. Perhaps Thomas wanted evidence of the risen Christ, not because he was apathetic, but because he felt the intense hurt when Jesus died. Death is painful, separating loved ones and drawing us into profound grief. Even Jesus wept at the grave of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35). Death is unnatural, a consequence of the curse of sin. Yet Jesus has overcome the power of sin through His death— and overcome the power of death through His resurrection. The good news is, the story doesn’t end with Thomas’s doubt. A week after Thomas’s statement of unbelief, Jesus reappeared in the upper room where the disciples had gathered behind locked doors. Jesus confronted Thomas and invited him to touch His hands and His side—to touch the very wounds Thomas had said he needed to see. Thomas immediately believed, exclaiming, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28). In fact, church tradition says Thomas spent the rest of his life as a missionary and died at the point of a spear. He devoted his life to sharing the good news of the resurrection with those who had not seen the risen Christ in person. Thomas may have doubted in the upper room, but Jesus wasn’t finished working in his life. • Mike Hurley • Do you think “Doubting Thomas” is an accurate label? • Even people who have been walking with Jesus for decades still wrestle with doubt from time to time. Thankfully, Jesus responds to us like He responded to Thomas—not shying away from our questions and hurts, but coming near. Jesus invites us to tell Him all our questions, frustrations, and fears—and also to share these with trusted Christians who can show us His love, pray with us and for us, and help us dig into His Word. What doubts have been weighing on you? But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31 (CSB)

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-20 In 1 Corinthians 15:17, Paul writes that if Jesus Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is worthless because we are still in our sins. Jesus’s victory over the grave is what secures forgiveness for our sins and guarantees that we will have eternal life with Him. So how can we be certain that Jesus rose from the dead? Here is some of the best evidence for the resurrection: Jesus’s followers died for Him. After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, His followers continued to proclaim His resurrection, even in the face of immense persecution and suffering. Church tradition tells us that most of these followers were even killed for what they were proclaiming. Would you suffer and give your life for a lie? How likely do you think it is that multiple people would all suffer and die for the same lie? Hard-to-convince people were convinced. According to biblical records, people like James (the half-brother of Jesus) and Saul of Tarsus were hard-core skeptics, and in Saul’s case, persecutors of the church. Only the resurrection explains their sudden change of heart, which led them to become leaders of the church. If the resurrection was a lie, the disciples did a terrible job. Several details in the resurrection story would be different if the disciples were trying to invent a believable story. For example, they would not have included shameful information about themselves—like abandoning and denying Jesus at His trial. They would not have shared that women found the tomb empty first—because women in the first century were not considered credible witnesses. They would have removed the part about Jesus’s suffering as He awaited His betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane—to make Him more appealing to a culture that valued strength. The Christian faith hinges on the resurrection. Thankfully, we have every reason to be confident in the reliability of the eyewitness accounts of the resurrection that we have recorded in Scripture today. • Jonathon Fuller • Why is it important that Jesus actually rose from the dead, and that eye-witness accounts of His resurrection are recorded in the Bible? • What questions do you have about the resurrection? Who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you look into these? But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NLT)

READ: ISAIAH 53:1-5; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-18; 1 PETER 5:6-11 The pastor spoke through the laptop sitting on a TV tray in my living room. It wasn’t the typical way I spent Easter Sunday. I took a few steps and opened the blinds, mimicking how the shades opened during service at my home church. My mom laughed, and I returned to the couch to listen to the Easter message. Several days earlier, I had an ovarian cyst the size of a grapefruit removed from my abdomen. The sixty days before the surgery had been filled with confusion, anguish, and debilitating pain. Unsure of the root cause at first, I spent weeks scheduling tests with doctors until the cyst was finally found. Even after the doctors found the cyst, I had to wait another month for the surgery. That month was one of the hardest months of my life. Chronic pain and fatigue, while trying to teach a class full of rambunctious first graders, made me question why God was allowing this in my life. Those sixty days were hard, but through them, I came to feel closer to God. The nights when I had pain so severe I thought it might burst through my body, I called out to God, and He sustained me. When I wasn’t sure how I would endure, I clung to His promises, and He came through. That Easter was different than any other Easter, but it was also the rawest example of the Easter message in my life. My body had felt dead, consumed in pain and anguish, but through the hands of skilled doctors, God had raised my body back to life. Later that day, my mom drove us to a nearby restaurant. It was a huge accomplishment to get dressed, climb into a car, and sit in a booth. My broken body was being restored. Easter pie never tasted so sweet. • Jenna Brooke Carlson • On Easter Sunday, we celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead! Through His death and resurrection, He made the way for us to be restored to relationship with God—and for all of creation to be made new one day when Jesus returns. As we wait for this glorious day, we have the incredible blessings of Jesus’s presence with us every moment, and the many ways He shows us His care and healing. Yet we also long for renewal that isn’t here yet. Can you think of a time you felt broken? Were there any ways you noticed God caring for you? • Where are you still waiting for God’s renewal? Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about this. But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead! Isaiah 26:19 (NLT)