Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Keys for Kids Ministries
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Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Unlocked is a daily teen devotional, centered on God’s Word. Each day’s devotion—whether fiction, poetry, or essay—asks the question: How does Jesus and what He did affect today’s topic? With daily devotions read by our hosts, Natalie and Dylan, and questions designed to encourage discussion and a deeper walk with Christ, Unlocked invites teens to both engage with the Bible and to write and submit their own devotional pieces.

  1. 1 HR. AGO

    Dirty Laundry

    READ: ISAIAH 1:18; 1 JOHN 1:6–2:2 Have you ever accidentally folded a basket of dirty laundry? At first, you probably didn’t even notice the clothes weren’t clean. But, when you took a closer look (or smell), you could probably tell that the clothes had been worn. If you decided to just fold them up and put them away, you wouldn’t deceive anyone—soon enough it would become apparent that the clothes hadn’t been washed. Hiding it doesn’t help. It’s the same way when we sin. If we try to hide things we’ve done wrong, we only deceive ourselves. If we try to convince ourselves that some wrong thing we’ve done is not so bad and isn’t really sin, we may sometimes manage to fool ourselves and even other people, but we can’t fool God. That’s why we should never try to hide our sin. Instead, God calls us to confess it to Him and rest in His forgiveness. The truth is, our sins—even the “small” ones—are such a big deal that Jesus went to the cross to pay the punishment we deserved, and then He rose from the grave so we could be made righteous in God’s sight. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. It’s all been dealt with on the cross. Jesus has given us His righteousness, and we’ve become new people. But, until Jesus returns to renew the world, we still sin. And God knows that. There’s no use trying to hide it, and we don’t need to. God sees us with grace and mercy. And even when we still struggle with feelings of guilt and shame, He invites us to come to Him. Trying to hide our sin from anyone—including ourselves—only creates more hurt. But admitting our sin and coming to Jesus with it helps us remember and experience His grace and love. And that can help us extend grace and love to others. Because the truth is, sin is real, even when we don’t want to admit it. But, praise God, His grace is even more real. • A. W. Smith • Is there any sin that you’ve been struggling to admit to yourself? Consider the following questions, either by yourself or with another trusted Christian: Why is this particular sin so hard to admit? What lie am I believing? Do I truly believe that God’s grace covers every sin—including this one? As you spend some time processing, you can talk with Jesus about it, telling Him about whatever comes to mind—confessing sin, and also naming confusion, lies, hurts, and anything else that’s stirred up in your heart—then thanking Him for His grace, love, and forgiveness. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 (NLT)

    5 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    The Missing Tabletop

    READ: PSALM 127:1-2; MATTHEW 7:24-29 At a youth group party, my friends and I gathered for a night of worship and fun. Afterwards, we piled paper plates with snack food and headed outside to eat. We squeezed ourselves around an outdoor table. In the dark, though, we didn’t notice the patio table that we thought held a clear glass tabletop actually held no top at all. That “table” was simply a metal frame with metal chairs situated around it. Before we could stop him, my friend Chris set down his plate full of food on what he assumed was the table. As it turned out, there was nothing there to offer support. We laughed at the mishap, but Chris was understandably annoyed and headed back to the kitchen for another serving of snacks. Although Chris could easily replace the food he lost, the food that had been dropped couldn’t be recovered. It was just trash at that point. The foundations we look to for support truly matter—not just with a paper plate at a party but with our lives as well. Putting our trust in Jesus—and believing that He died to pay the penalty for our sins and then rose again to give us eternal life—means starting fresh as a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Beginning a relationship with God through Jesus sets us up for a whole new life. So, what are we going to do with that life? We can haphazardly build our lives on what seems to offer a strong support for our futures—like the approval of others, physical strength, or higher education. But will that framework hold us up when we need a sturdy place to land? Or do those pursuits just place us on shifting sand? Only Jesus offers the rock-solid foundation we need to weather life’s storms and stand firm. • Allison Wilson Lee • What does it mean to build our lives on Jesus as our foundation? What choices are involved in that? What short-term sacrifices might we have to make to gain long-term peace and joy by building our lives on Jesus? And why is it so important to remember God’s love, especially when life gets hard? (Psalm 63:3; Romans 8:18, 31-39) • Throughout our lives, we’ll continue to discover many ways we haven’t built our lives on Jesus. But He has mercy on us. He wants to forgive us and help us move forward. Who are trusted Christians who can help you build your life on Jesus, notice and repent of sins you may not even have been aware of, and humbly rely on Jesus’s forgiveness and wisdom? Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1 (NIV)

    4 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    God's Love Remains

    READ: PSALM 55:22; JOHN 14:27; ROMANS 8:15-39   He made the world, Yet He knows my name. With every glorious sunset And bright shimmering moon, God sighs the words, “I love you.”   When ocean waves crash Against quiet, golden shores, When stars fall across the sky, God’s words touch against my soul, “I see you. I know you. I love you.”   He’s never left me alone Not even when I’ve turned away. He’s never forgotten my needs Even though I’ve neglected to pray.   Who am I to be loved by Him? He rescues and cares and protects Even as I doubt and fear and fret. Through the storm And through the flame, He’s always holding me the same.   The night I found out my mom had cancer, I wrote this poem. When life feels out of control, it can be hard to remember that God is still in charge, and He still cares. Yet, even when we feel overwhelmed and hopeless, God is with us, loving us, always. • Janise Holmes • Can you think of a time you felt overwhelmed or hopeless? Can you remember any ways God reminded you of His love during that hard time? • Terrible things like cancer were never God’s plan for the good world He made. But when humans sinned, all this brokenness invaded His creation. God sees the pain we experience, and it grieves Him. That’s why Jesus came and lived among us, fully God and fully human. He suffered the cross for us, and then He rose from the grave so that all our sins could be forgiven, and all the world’s brokenness could be healed at His glorious return. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to the day when “‘there will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:1-5). And in the meantime, we can know that Jesus feels our pain as His own. He weeps with us, and He gently gives us comfort and strength. Consider taking some time to bring your pain to Jesus in prayer. You can be honest with Him—you don’t need to hold anything back. • Jesus has promised to be with us no matter what—even when life is in chaos, even when we don’t pray, even when we doubt Him (Matthew 28:20). And He generously gives us reminders of His loving presence through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). When you go through hard things, who are trusted Christians in your life you can honestly share your burdens with—people who will listen with compassion, pray for you and with you, and remind you of God’s never-ending love? • Sometimes, we experience thoughts and feelings that are too much for us to handle on our own, even by praying and reading the Bible. But God wants to help us in lots of ways, including through other people such as medical and mental health professionals. So, especially if you’re finding it difficult to rest or if it’s been more than a couple weeks since you’ve felt happy, tell a trusted adult today. • If you’re not sure who to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.  You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” Lamentations 3:57 (NIV)

    5 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    Part of the Team

    READ: ROMANS 12:4-8; 1 PETER 4:7-11 When you watch or play a sport, do you expect everyone to be good at every part of the game? For example, if you watch baseball, does everyone who bats get the same number of hits? Does everyone throw the exact same way? Of course not! Everyone on a team has different strengths. Maybe you play baseball, and hitting isn’t your biggest strength, but you’re a very good pitcher. We can’t all be great hitters, but we can do our best in the position we do play. It’s the same with the body of Christ—the church. As Christians, we all have different spiritual gifts and natural talents, and we each have an important position on the team. Romans 12:4-8 points out that every Christian has a different calling. So we don’t need to compare our talents to someone else’s. God only wants us to use the talents He has given us, not the ones He gave someone else. Instead of comparing ourselves to fellow believers, God invites us to use our different abilities to work as a team so that, together, we can show the world the love of Jesus. And all this is possible because Jesus died and rose again to save us, uniting us to God and placing us in community with each other. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit. And because we all have the same Spirit, we can work together in unity toward the same goal: sharing the good news with the world. From time to time, we’ll all have moments when we feel like we’re just not good enough at something. When we see someone else excelling in things like sports, music, or academics, it’s easy to wish we could be like that person. But instead of wasting our time comparing our talents, we can focus on the gifts and abilities God has given us. We can steward our own unique abilities as part of God’s team of believers, pointing others to Jesus. • A. W. Smith • When are you tempted to compare yourself to others? Which talents are you most tempted to be jealous of? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about these things and tell Him how you feel. Then take a moment to consider the spiritual gifts and natural abilities He has given you, and spend some time thanking Him for these good gifts. • Where can you use your gifts and talents on Jesus’s team? If you’re not sure, who is a trusted Christian you can talk to about it, such as a pastor, parent, youth leader, or friend? Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

    4 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    God's Child

    READ: JOHN 1:12-13; ROMANS 8:15-30; 1 JOHN 3:1-5 I look in the mirror and meet my gaze. Who am I? I can study my looks and see bits and pieces of my parents, and similarities to my siblings. I can remember my ancestors and where they came from and know that they are the reason I look the way I do. But beyond the way I look, beyond what I see in the mirror, who am I? I am God’s child. That thought brings comfort. It gives peace. No matter who my looks remind me of, no matter my family or ancestry or anything else about me, the truth is that I am God’s child. And that matters more than anything else. I am God’s child, and I want to live like it. I want to live for Him. When others see me, I want them to know who I am. I want to shine the light of Jesus. I want to show the world who He is. I want to glance in the mirror and not just see myself, but see God working in me. I am God’s child. I am so loved by Him. And therefore, I’m free to love Him back—and free to live for Him. • Bethany Acker • Throughout our lives, we all wonder, “Who am I?” There may be times when this question feels more difficult to answer. We may look to our families or ancestry—or perhaps to our appearance, abilities, or accomplishments—to try to discover who we are. But any answer to the question of identity will always be incomplete without Jesus. While our families and ancestry are certainly important, they are not the most central part of who we are. If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you have been adopted into God’s family as His dearly loved child—and nothing can shake that. (You can find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.) How could it be comforting and empowering to know that, above all else, you are God’s child? • In Ephesians 5:1, we are called to imitate Jesus like a small child imitates their loving parent. According to verses 2-20, what does this look like practically? See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

    4 min

  6. 5 DAYS AGO

    The Opposite of Greed (Part 2)

    READ: LUKE 12:13-48; 1 TIMOTHY 6:3-21 Greed is a treacherous sin. But, because Jesus died on the cross for us and rose from the grave, we can be free from the power of every sin, including greed. As people who’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have His Holy Spirit living in us, so we have the power to reject greed—and not only reject it, but replace it. What do we replace it with? Hope: Instead of setting our hearts on money and other created things, which will pass away, we can put our hope in God, seeking His kingdom and trusting Him to provide for all our needs. When we rely on God, we are free to follow Him wherever He may lead. After all, our eternal future is secure—nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus (Romans 8:35-39). So we don’t have to give way to fear. We have an eternal hope that will never fade (1 Peter 1). Contentment: Instead of always trying to get just a little bit more for ourselves, which leaves us feeling exhausted and anxious, we can choose to be content with what we have. We can thank God for the many ways He has provided for us. We can rest in His love and enjoy His good gifts—both the material ones and the immaterial ones, like laughter, friendship, and sunshine. Generosity: Instead of clinging to the things we own, which is driven by the fear that our needs will not be met, we can open our eyes to the needs of the people around us. God has been so generous to us—Jesus gave up His very life to save us from sin and death, and now God calls us His dear children and lavishes us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3; Romans 8:15-18, 32; 1 John 3:1)! When we realize how much we are loved, and how much we’ve been given, that love overflows from us in acts of service and generosity to others. And whenever we notice greed lurking in our hearts, we can bring it directly to Jesus. As we continue to confess greed, turning away from it and back toward Him, we can choose daily to hope in Jesus, to be content with what God has given us, and to give generously to others, always remembering how dearly we are loved by God. • Hannah Howe • Which of the three “instead” options sticks out to you most: hoping in Jesus instead of setting our hearts on created things, being content and thanking God for what we have instead of trying to get more and more, or giving generously to others instead of clinging to what we have? What is one way you could practice this today? Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

    5 min

  7. 6 DAYS AGO

    Guilty of Greed (Part 1)

    READ: MATTHEW 6:19-34; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-20 I am guilty of greed. It’s one of those sins that seems to keep popping up in my life, sometimes in the same old ways, sometimes in new and surprising ways. But I’m thankful that God keeps pointing out this sin to me as I read His Word. It’s uncomfortable, and sometimes downright appalling, to realize how guilty I really am. But God’s correction also gives me hope—I know it’s because of mercy that He sheds light on our sins (Ephesians 5:12-13). He wants us to repent, to turn away from sin and back toward Him, so He can lavish us with forgiveness and help us live the good life He has called us to. Greed seems like a complicated thing, but in English the Merriam-Webster Dictionary only has one definition for greed: “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed.” That definition gives me pause. How often do I crave more of something than I really need? More time, more food, more things and stuff, and yes, more money. The frightening thing is, our greed hurts our neighbors. When we are only focused on ourselves, we neglect the needs of others, and even oppress them by our selfishness. So what do we do when, by God’s mercy, we recognize greed in our lives? We turn to Jesus. When He suffered the cross, He took all our sin upon Himself—including greed. And when He rose from the grave, He declared that all who trust in Him are dead to sin and alive in Him. That means we are forgiven, and we have been freed from the power of sin. The Holy Spirit reminds us that we have everything we need in Jesus, so we don’t need to chase after created things. What a relief! Greed is a cruel master, always demanding more, but Jesus has set us free. He is a kind and gentle shepherd. And in His love, we find rest. • Hannah Howe • In what ways have you been guilty of greed? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this, confessing your greed, resting in His forgiveness, and pondering how He may be inviting you to rely on Him and move forward into the good life He has called you to. • What questions do you have about money and greed? Who are trusted Christians in your life who you can have open and honest conversations with about these things? • If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 23; Matthew 11:28-30; John 10. Then he [Jesus] said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:15 (NIV)

    5 min

  8. FEB 5

    In Awe of God

    READ: PSALMS 19:1-4; 148:1-14 Have you ever looked around at nature and just felt in awe of how beautiful God’s creation is? God made a wonderful world, and He invites us to enjoy it with Him—from sunsets to ocean waves. Sometimes we’re so moved by the beauty around us, we can’t find the words to express how we feel. God made everything that exists, and He made it all good. Though creation has been deeply affected by sin, and we experience brokenness in so many ways, we still encounter many reminders of His beauty, His love, and His power in the world around us. God has no sin. While some of the beauty in creation is marred by sin, God’s beauty is not. His majesty and power are perfect. And He gives reminders of that in creation—all of it praises Him. We are in awe—and maybe a little fear as well—of something like a thunderstorm or a strong wind. But God is the one in control of it all. He’s showing us His power whenever there’s a storm, whenever the wind blows. Creation can leave us awestruck. Just imagine the awe we will feel when we see Jesus in all His glory! Everything was created through Jesus, and when He returns, it will be infinitely better than anything we’ve ever felt on this earth. Until that day, whenever we experience awe or wonder in nature, we can remember who creation is praising—and lift up our own praise to the Creator. • Haley Walts • What in nature leaves you awestruck? Consider taking a moment to remember this feeling of awe, and let it overflow in praise to God. • Because Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave to give us new life, we have the sure hope of His return—when He will restore the heavens and the earth, and He will raise His people from the dead to live with Him forever! Then, creation will no longer be marred by sin, and everything will be as our Creator intended. If you want to dig deeper, read Isaiah 11:6-10; Romans 8:19-22; Colossians 1:16-20. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Psalm 148:3 (CSB)

    4 min
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Unlocked is a daily teen devotional, centered on God’s Word. Each day’s devotion—whether fiction, poetry, or essay—asks the question: How does Jesus and what He did affect today’s topic? With daily devotions read by our hosts, Natalie and Dylan, and questions designed to encourage discussion and a deeper walk with Christ, Unlocked invites teens to both engage with the Bible and to write and submit their own devotional pieces.

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